Journal of Health Psychology

Li, Rui; Wu, Donghong; Zhu, Lin; Mi, Tingni; Jia, Siyao; Ren, Zhihong

doi: 10.1177/13591053241311572pmid: 39764762

Despite numerous studies observing a positive correlation between family resilience and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, the strength of this association varied considerably in previous research. This study aims to obtain reliable estimates for effect sizes and investigate the potential moderators of the association between family resilience and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seventeen studies (65 effect sizes, 14,511 participants) were reviewed using a systematic literature search and the PRISMA approach. A three-level meta-analysis revealed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.504, p < 0.001) between family resilience and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, education level significantly moderated this relationship, along with the type of psychological well-being and the measures used for assessment. These findings highlight the critical role of family resilience in enhancing psychological well-being and emphasize the importance of considering educational factors in designing interventions to improve psychological outcomes during pandemics.

McDonnell Murray, Rachael; Peelo, Colm; Duffy, Fiona

doi: 10.1177/13591053241292823pmid: 39569602

Research into achieving Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus remission through weight loss efforts has grown steadily in the past decade. Most of this research has focused on the effectiveness of weight loss as a method to achieve remission, rather than considering individuals experiences of engaging with such change. This paper aims to review the qualitative research on individuals’ experience of proposed dietary modifications with a weight loss focus. Six databases were searched for qualitative and mixed-methods research studies, and studies were subject to analysis following Thomas and Hardin’s guidelines. The search yielded 2945 results, of which 47 were reviewed in full, and nine were included for analysis. Four analytical themes were identified; variability in support; choosing dietary change; re-negotiating the food relationship; and looking beyond weight loss. Providing tailored nutritional information that is comprehensible and culturally appropriate must be the premise of the interventions offered. Supporting patients to understand their relationship with food and identify meaningful goals beyond weight loss is an important starting point.

Fogarty, Justin J; Fertig, Madison R; Gulbicki, Lauren; Ashar, Devisi; O’Cleirigh, Conall; Stanton, Amelia M

doi: 10.1177/13591053241284083pmid: 39364831

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals smoke at higher rates than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. SGM persons, especially transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals, face unique, adverse health effects associated with smoking. As such, SGM individuals may benefit from smoking cessation interventions that are tailored to meet their needs. This systematic review aims to describe the ways in which these interventions have been tailored for SGM individuals and summarize available acceptability and efficacy data. Four databases were searched to identify smoking cessation interventions adapted for SGM populations. Thirteen articles were identified, with tailored aspects focusing on culturally tailored references, SGM-specific psychoeducation, and intra-community support strategies. No clear patterns of efficacy were identified, and only one study included bioverified abstinence. Preliminary evidence suggests that smoking cessation interventions can be acceptably tailored to SGM individuals, however, additional research is needed to determine if SGM-tailored interventions are more efficacious than non-tailored approaches.

Somerton, Amy; Jeffrey, Holly

doi: 10.1177/13591053241296184pmid: 39575994

Health, social care and emergency services staff, continue to feel the impact of Long-COVID. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, this study aims to evaluate the experience of UK health and social care staff who participated in a virtual Long-COVID peer support group between May 2021 and May 2023. The outcome measures (SWEMWBS and PHQ9) show an improvement in post-group scores, suggesting participation in the peer support group is linked to improved wellbeing. Thematic analysis identified five key themes: finding connectedness, reciprocity, effective facilitation, filling the gaps and virtual format. This evaluation shows how peer support groups provided space for reciprocity and the positive outcomes associated with this. This evaluation highlights the importance of co-produced, needs-based services providing Long-COVID peer support.

Peres, Tyele Goulart; Springer, Paul; Ucar, Sezercan; Seibel, Bruna Larissa; Ramis, Ivy Bastos

doi: 10.1177/13591053241288694pmid: 39392696

Explore the experiences of nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact these experiences continue to have on their personal and professional lives. This qualitative study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis with nine nursing professionals from southern Brazil. Two main themes and five subthemes were developed. The first theme, “Ongoing trauma response,” had three subthemes: (a) Fear of dying and family dying, (b) Loneliness and isolation, and (c) My emotions don’t matter. The second theme highlights the “Continued problems with the larger healthcare system” and is made up of two subthemes: (a) We are humans, not superheroes, and (b) We are still invisible. Symptoms of trauma response continued to be a significant challenge among nursing professionals even after the end of the pandemic. Recommendations for improving working conditions and making mental health services more readily available are discussed.

Erdoğan, Özcan; Kuday, Ahmet Doğan

doi: 10.1177/13591053241285500pmid: 39344254

This study validates the Turkish version of the Attitudes Toward Face Mask Use Scale (ATFMUS). This scale is crucial for understanding public attitudes toward mask usage in preventing the transmission of infectious diseases. The research was conducted between September 2023 and February 2024 with 530 students from a foundation university’s health sciences faculty. The study assessed the scale’s language equivalence, content validity, and factor structure through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Reliability was examined via item-total correlations, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and test-retest reliability, indicating satisfactory internal consistency and stability over time. The results confirm the Turkish ATFMUS’s validity and reliability in measuring attitudes toward mask usage. This offers essential insights for formulating preventive initiatives within Turkish communities.

Korim, Veronika; Masaryk, Radomír; Lesičková, Mária

doi: 10.1177/13591053241291477pmid: 39462181

The COVID-19 pandemic brought different challenges to different populations. A less explored group was university students who generally suffered low mortality rates compared to other populations. Yet, they were affected by the psychological impact of lockdowns and limited access to education and socialization. This paper focuses on Slovakia, one of the least vaccinated EU countries. In November 2021 we conducted eight focus groups with 51 university students (45 women; 6 men; M = 23.67; SD = 3.43) and analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis. Our results identified the development of prevailing themes associated with COVID-19. Initially, COVID-19 was perceived as unreal but brought certain secondary benefits. We also identified themes of exaggerated disease, conspiracy, resignation, frustration, or adaptation to the disease. We divided the students into three groups based on their COVID-19 vaccine stance: accepting, hesitant, and rejecting. Insights from these groups could guide better communication strategies in the future.

Hu, Chao S.; Zhang, Haotian; Hu, Lihao; Nadiiev, Artur; Yan, Junru; Liu, Mengyuan

doi: 10.1177/13591053241295446pmid: 39545689

The COVID-19 pandemic harmed children’s mental health, and limited therapy access exacerbates the issue. We studied positive expressive writing (EW) as a psychological intervention for teachers to reduce depression and social anxiety symptoms among schoolchildren. Altogether, 165 Chinese schoolchildren aged 10–15 were randomly assigned to positive EW, memory EW, or control group. EW groups wrote for 10 minutes weekly for 7 weeks about people and things they felt grateful for (positive EW) or memorable in the past week. The control group continued with regular weekly class meetings. All groups measured depression and social anxiety before and after the intervention. Positive EW significantly reduced depression and social anxiety symptoms compared to the control condition (both Cohen’s d = −0.45) and reduced social anxiety symptoms compared to memory EW (Cohen’s d = −0.32). Therefore, teachers can implement positive EW to support schoolchildren’s mental health recovery during and after disasters.

Ray, Devashish; Dhami, Raenhha; Mukherjee, Aritra; Lecouturier, Jan; McGowan, Laura J; Vlaev, Ivo; Kelly, Michael P; Sniehotta, Falko F

doi: 10.1177/13591053241298034pmid: 39584494

Regular testing using rapid antigen lateral flow tests (LFTs) was an important prevention strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, falsification of home LFTs was a concern. Using a large quota-representative sample of adults (n = 1295) in England, we conducted a vignette survey consisting of four hypothetical scenarios of LFT falsification behaviours (FBs) to examine whether prosocial personality traits were associated with attitudes towards and intentions for falsifying home LFTs during the pandemic. Results show that higher levels of affective empathy for people vulnerable to COVID-19 and Honesty-Humility from the HEXACO model of Personality are associated with non-acceptability of LFT FBs and intentions to not engage with them. However, affective empathy explained more of the variation compared to the facet-level measures of Honesty-Humility for both attitude and intention. Public health communications aimed at encouraging personal protective behaviours should consider the role of empathy and prosocial messages.

Coetzee, Bronwyne; Haine, Phillipa; Kidd, Martin; Shongwe, Lindokuhle; Janse Van Vuuren, Marnus; Kagee, Ashraf

doi: 10.1177/13591053241279000pmid: 40884026

In the context of the formidable challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals coped in various ways. This cross-sectional survey study sought to examine the protective role of satisfaction with life, sense of coherence, and resilience in the relationship between depression, social support, fear of COVID-19, and perceived vulnerability to disease among nurses in South Africa. Participants were a convenience sample of nurses (n = 264) working at four South African hospitals in the Western Cape. Data were collected by means of an electronic survey and analysed using structural equation modelling. Participants completed a comprehensive battery of psychological measures. We found that while higher levels of fear of COVID-19 robustly predicted depressive symptomology among nurses, factors such as sense of coherence, and social support emerged as protective resources. These protective factors have the potential to alleviate the mental health impacts of pandemic-related stressors among nurses.