The positive role of hope on the relationship between loneliness and unhappy conditions in Hungarian young adults: How pathways thinking matters!

In this study, we examined loneliness and hope components as predictors of unhappy conditions (viz., anxious symptoms, depressive symptoms, & suicidal ideation) in young adults. The sample was comprised of 489 Hungarian college students. Results of conducting hierarchical regression analyses indicated that loneliness and hope pathways (but not hope agency) were important unique predictors of anxious symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Moreover, in part, consistent with the notion that hope might buffer the negative effects of loneliness on unhappy conditions, evidence for a significant Loneliness × Hope Pathways interaction effect in predicting each of the three indices of unhappy conditions was found. In contrast, the Loneliness × Hope Agency interaction effect was not found to be significant. Some implications of the present findings for the study and treatment of unhappy conditions in adults are discussed

Boost Camp’, a universal school-based transdiagnostic prevention program targeting adolescent emotion regulation; evaluating the effectiveness by a clustered RCT : a protocol paper

Abstract Background The transition from childhood into adolescence can be considered as a critical developmental period. Moreover, adolescence is associated with a decreased use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies and an increased use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies increasing the risk of emotional problems. Targeting emotion regulation is therefore seen as an innovative prevention approach. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Boost camp, an innovative school-based prevention program targeting ER, on adolescents’ emotion regulation skills and emotional wellbeing. Also secondary outcomes and possible moderators will be included. Methods The aim is to reach 300 adolescents (16 class groups, 6 schools) in their first year of high school. A clustered Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) with two conditions, intervention (n = 150) and control (n = 150), will be set up. Adolescents in the intervention condition will receive 14 lessons over the course of 2 days, followed by Booster sessions, and will be compared with adolescents in a non-intervention control group. The outcomes will be measured by self-report questionnaires at baseline, immediately after Boost camp, and at three and 6 months follow-up. Discussion Data-collection is planned to be completed in May 2018. Data-analyses will be finished the end of 2018. The presented paper describes the Boost camp program and the clustered RCT design to evaluate its effectiveness. It is expected that Boost camp will have beneficial effects. If found effective, Boost camp will have the potential to increase adolescent’s ER and well-being, and reduce the risk to become adults in need. The trials is registered on the 13th of June 2017 in ISRCTN registry [ISRCTN68235634]

Improving health-related quality of life and reducing suicide in primary care: Can social problem–solving abilities help?

Problem-solving deficits and poor health–related quality of life are associated with suicide risk; yet, little is known about the interrelations between these variables. In 220 primary care patients, we examined the potential mediating role of physical and mental health–related quality of life on the relation between social problem–solving ability and suicidal behavior. Participants completed the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised, and Short-Form 36 Health Survey. Utilizing bootstrapped mediation, our hypotheses were partially supported; mediating effects were found for mental health–related quality of life on the relation between social problem-solving and suicidal behavior. Physical health–related quality of life was not a significant mediator. Greater social problem–solving ability is associated with better mental health–related quality of life and, in turn, to less suicidal behavior. Interventions promoting social problem–solving ability may increase quality of life and reduce suicide risk in primary care patients

Effects of a brief worksite stress management program on coping skills, psychological distress and physical complaints : a controlled trial

Objectives: To examine the effects of single-session, small-group stress management program on knowledge about stress, coping skills, and psychological and physical distress. Methods: A total of 300 employees from a company in western Japan were invited to participate in the study. Those who consented to enter the study were assigned to an intervention (n=149) or waiting list control group (n=151). Participants in the intervention group received a small-group stress management program. The program was primarily aimed at increasing knowledge about stress and improving coping skills. To investigate the intervention effect, change scores in outcome variables were calculated by subtracting the scores at pre-intervention from those at post-intervention (8 weeks after the pre-intervention survey). Next, the difference in the scores between groups was examined using analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) with the pre-intervention score as the covariate. Results: Favorable intervention effects were found on knowledge about stress and on coping skills (P < 0.001 and P=0.012, respectively) and adverse effects on psychological distress (P=0.022). However, this adverse effect on psychological distress did not exist among those who initially perceived higher levels of job control. Conclusion: The single-session stress management program was effective on improving knowledge about stress, and coping skills, where job control moderated the effect of the program on psychological distress

Social problem-solving processes and mood in college students: an examination of self-report and performance-based approaches

Previous research has consistently linked poor problem-solving with depression and anxiety. However, much of this research has failed to directly assess real-life problem-solving, relying on self-appraisal or responses to hypothetical problems. This study examined real-life problem-solving in three groups of college students: non-depressed/non-anxious controls; anxious; and mixed depressed/anxious. Participants completed a diary of the interpersonal problems they encountered, and their attempts to solve them. Real-life social problem-solving was also assessed by asking participants to recall past problem solutions. Participants also completed the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R) and the Mean Ends Problem Solving (MEPS) task. The real-life problem-solving tasks revealed significant differences between the groups, with the mixed depression/anxiety participants exhibiting less effective strategies compared to the control group. However, there were no group differences in MEPS performance, or within the constructive problem-solving style component of the SPSI-R. No deficits were found within the anxious group. Both the anxious and the mixed depressed/anxious groups expressed negative attitudes towards problem-solving. Results have implications for social problem-solving research and suggest that current assessment procedures may be unable to detect impairments in real life problem-solving. Therefore a diary procedure where individuals record their response to the problems they encounter in everyday life may prove a valuable addition to the current battery of assessment procedures