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Spasticity is one of the main symptoms that is most common in patients with Multiple Sclerosis and causes increased disability. The aim of this study is to understand the experiences of patients with Multiple Sclerosis about their spasticity from their perspective. This study was conducted as a qualitative study with a Hermeneutic phenomenological framework. The data were evaluated by using VanManen’s thematic analysis method. As a result of the data analysis, four main themes were elicited, namely, “the meaning of spasticity for the patient,” “the difficulties of living with spasticity,” ‘coping with spasticity,” and “the new me created by spasticity.” It was understood that spasticity is a symptom that brings about difficulties in psychological, social, and working life as well as physical difficulties. Nurses should be aware of the psychological symptoms as well as the physical symptoms that patients experience due to spasticity and should create a patient-specific management program.

Objectives: We estimate associations between unemployment trajectories from ages 27-49 and physical and mental health at age 50. Methods: Data are from the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 ( N=6434). Group-based trajectory models are used to identify unemployment trajectories. Generalized linear models with a modified Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars (BCH) correction are used to regress health on unemployment trajectory groups. Results: We identified “Consistently Low (70%),” “Decreasing Mid-Career (18%),” and “Persistently High (12%)” unemployment trajectories. Experiencing Decreasing Mid-Career or Persistently High trajectories was associated with worse physical and mental health at age 50 than Consistently Low trajectories. Experiencing a Persistently High trajectory was associated with worse physical and mental health than a Decreasing Mid-Career trajectory. Discussion: Timing and likelihood of unemployment are associated with midlife health. Mid-Career unemployment is associated with worse physical and mental health at age 50, but not to the same degree as Persistently High unemployment.

Traditional theories of grief suggest that individuals experience short-term increases in depressive symptoms following the death of a parent. However, growing evidence indicates that effects of parental bereavement may persist. Situating the short- and long-term effects of parental death within the life course perspective, we assess the combined influence of time since loss and life course stage at bereavement on mental health for maternal and paternal death. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 11,877) to examine biological parental death from childhood to mid-adulthood, we find that those who experience recent maternal or paternal death have heightened depressive symptoms. Furthermore, those who experience maternal death in childhood or paternal death in young adulthood exhibit long-term consequences for mental health. Our findings underscore the theoretical importance of early life course stages and parent’s gender when determining whether depressive symptoms persist following parental bereavement.

Objective: Veterans transitioning to civilian life after leaving the military face unique health concerns. Although there is a significant body of research exploring veterans’ experiences of transition and predictors of well-being, there are limited studies examining how social group engagement influences veterans’ transition. We explored how Australian Defence Force veterans’ social group engagement and identity influenced their adjustment to civilian life and well-being. Methods: Forty Australian veterans (85% male; mean age = 37 years, range = 25–57 years) took part in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Participants completed two mapping tasks (a social network map and life course map) that provided a visual component to the interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically and interpreted by adopting a social identity approach. Results: Joining the military involved a process of socialisation into military culture that for most participants led to the development of a military identity. An abrupt or difficult discharge from defence was often associated with a negative impact on social group engagement and well-being in civilian life. Veterans’ social group memberships may act not only as positive psychological resources during transition but also as a potential source of conflict, especially when trying to re-engage with civilian groups with different norms or beliefs. Military values inscribed within a veteran’s sense of self, including a strong sense of service, altruism and giving back to their community, may operate as positive resources and promote social group engagement. Conclusion: Engaging with supportive social groups can support transition to civilian life. Reintegration may be improved via effective linkage with programmes (e.g. volunteering, ex-service support organisations) that offer supportive social networks and draw upon veterans’ desire to give back to community. Social mapping tasks that visualise veterans’ social group structures may be useful for clinicians to explore the roles and conflicts associated with veterans’ social group memberships during transition.

The current study explored the link between psychological well-being (PWB; self-acceptance, personal growth, and purpose in life) and affective themes, including redemption (positive endings for negative events), contamination (negative endings for positive events), and positive and negative affect (no change in affect) in the life stories of Caribbean adults ranging in age from 19 to 78 ( N = 105). How often the memory narrative was rehearsed, and whether or not the theme emerged after being cued in content-coded life story low, high, and turning point scenes were also considered. Affective theme alone did not predict PWB; however, when considering age, rehearsal, and cue, redemption and positive affect predicted personal growth. More work should cue meaning-making in specific ways for different age groups in order to understand why there were no associations for middle-aged adults. Efforts should also be made to understand cross-cultural differences in life stories and PWB.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are two primary forms of interpersonal victimization that have been associated with a host of deleterious health outcomes. Studies over the past decade have begun to use a range of biologically informed methods to better understand the role biology plays in the relationship between CM, ACEs, and later life outcomes. This line of research has shown that both forms of victimization occur at sensitive periods of development, which can increase the likelihood of “getting under the skin” and influence health and behavior across the life course. This review examines the current state of knowledge on this hypothesis. One hundred and ninety-nine studies are included in this systematic review based on criteria that they be written in English, use a biologically informed method, and be conducted on samples of humans. Results reveal that latent additive genetic influences, biological system functioning captured by biomarkers, polygenic risk scores, and neurobiological factors are commonly associated with exposure and response to CM and ACEs. The implication of these findings for the existing body of research on early life victimization and recommendations for future research and policy are discussed.

Studies have identified deleterious effects of stress on multiple cognitive processes such as memory and attention. Little is known about the impact of stress on interpretation. We investigated how an induced acute stress and more long-term stress related to life events were associated with interpretations of ambiguous stimuli. Fifty participants answered a questionnaire indexing the number of stressful life events. A median split was used to compare those reporting few or more events. Half of participants performed an arithmetic task that induced acute stress; they were compared to a control group performing a less stressful task. We measured the interpretation of ambiguous visual stimuli, which participants had to judge as “negative” or “positive”. We found a significant interaction between the number of stressful life events and the induced acute stress on the proportion of positive interpretations. In the control group, participants reporting more stressful events produced less positive interpretations than those reporting few events. In the induced stress condition, no significant difference was found. Life events tend to influence interpretation in the absence of an acute stressor, which seems to be more influent in the short term.

Emerging research suggests that holding gender-equitable attitudes (GEA) is associated with decreased risk of gender-based violence perpetration and increased willingness to engage in violence preventative actions among men. GEA, defined here as support for political, economic, and social equity across gender in both public and private spheres, may therefore constitute a protective factor against perpetration and a promotive factor in fostering healthy relationships and communities. Forces that shape GEA throughout boys’ and young men’s lives are less well articulated. The purpose of this exploratory, scoping review was to synthesize cross-disciplinary research to distill life-course influences on the development of GEA among men. Three databases and Google Scholar were searched to locate peer-reviewed studies that empirically examined GEA as an outcome of childhood, adolescent, or young adulthood factors. Sixty-nine articles were located that, collectively, used data from 97 different countries and identified 22 potential life-course influences on men’s GEA. Across studies, facilitators of equitable attitudes included higher levels of education, exposure to gender transformative prevention programming, and having parents who held, modeled, and communicated gender-equitable beliefs. Hindrances to equitable attitudes included but were not limited to religiosity, the transition to fatherhood, and having mostly male peer groups. Findings suggest that opportunities to foster equitable attitudes exist across the life course and both inside and outside of formal prevention or education interventions.

Background: COVID-19 and the resultant lockdowns have caused a global discomposure. Out of a plethora of ramifications of this unusual state, mental health problems are becoming a serious concern. Considering the peculiarity of the situation, encapsulation of the lived experiences of people affected by COVID-19 may lead us towards a better understanding and control of the situation. Aim: The aim of the present study was to get an in-depth analysis of the lived experiences of Indian youth amid COVID-19 crisis and its impact on their mental health. Method: Ten college going students were telephonically interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule to elicit participants’ experiences with COVID-19 and the impact it has posed on their mental health. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: The analysis revealed three master themes: (1) ‘Impact on mental health’, (2) ‘Positive experiences’ and (3) ‘Ways of coping amid the crisis’. Conclusion: The study draws attention to the mental health concerns of Indian youth amid the current crisis. The findings also highlight the positive outcomes of the crisis as well as the different ways of coping adopted by young individuals in India.

Early-life traumatic experiences have lasting implications for late-life socio-emotional development, contributing to a greater prevalence of poor mental health in very old age. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of early-life and recent traumatic life experiences on loneliness among centenarians. A total of 154 centenarians participated in a semistructured interview. The time of traumatic occurrence and type of trauma experienced influence loneliness in centenarians. Experiencing a natural disaster 70 or more years ago significantly predicted loneliness. Terror management theory proposes that coming to terms with one’s mortality represents an underlying source of anxiety that can influence human behavior to create both immediate and future defenses. Evidence from this study can be used to improve how aging service practitioners integrate reminiscence or life-review therapy or counseling within clinical or educational settings.

COVID-19 poses a threat to health and well-being. Objectives: 1) To compare the impact of COVID-19 on the life experiences of essential workers attending a COVID-19 antibody testing clinic at a dental school. 2) To compare responses of dental, non–dental health care, and non–health care essential workers. 3) To assess acceptability/satisfaction of testing done in a dental setting. Method: A total of 984 participants completed a self-administered online questionnaire. Results: Over 90% were healthy (i.e., not in a high-risk health-related group for COVID-19), did not have COVID-19 symptoms within 30 d, and always/frequently engaged in preventive measures. Fifty-eight percent thought that they had a 0% to 25% chance of having immunity/antibodies to COVID-19. Non–dental health care workers thought that their chance was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than others. Over 70% were sometimes, frequently, or always worried about their friends and loved ones getting COVID-19 and of resulting financial problems. Dental workers were significantly less afraid than non–dental health care and non–health care providers. For all groups, more than half of the respondents stated that the pandemic had a negative (somewhat worse or worse) impact on daily life (59%), interactions with others (65%), stress levels (66%), and enjoyment of life (56%). There were significant differences among all 3 groups regarding the percentage of individuals with a negative impact on job security (dental, 47%; non–dental health care, 34%; non–health care, 31%). However, more than half of the respondents stated that the pandemic had a positive impact (same, somewhat better, or much better) on caring about one another, self-care, and exercise. Knowing the results of an antibody test would decrease the level of stress and anxiety in 67% of respondents. Over 80% found a COVID-19 test received in a dental setting acceptable, were “definitely” satisfied, and would “definitely” recommend it to a friend, family, or coworker. Conclusions: These findings support that dental workers are as vulnerable as other essential workers to threats and psychological impacts of COVID-19. They also support the acceptability and satisfaction of testing for a pandemic done in a dental setting. Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this study highlight the impact that pandemics such as COVID-19 can have on life experiences of essential workers, including dentists. It also highlights a role that dentistry can play within the broader health care system, during and beyond the current pandemic, to help with surveillance efforts of community health. Testing may also help alleviate stress and anxiety associated with these pandemics.

This study compared reports of parental life experiences from bereaved parents at two and five years after the death of their adolescent children due to the sinking of the Sewol Ferry in South Korea. Twelve bereaved parents (eight mothers and four fathers from eight families) were interviewed regarding the changes and stabilities they experienced over time at two time points of data collection. Twenty-eight in-depth interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Outcomes of parental bereavement and changes in life over time may be classified into four main categories: (a) personal changes, (b) changes in perspectives, (c) changes in family relationship, and (d) changes in social relationship and work attitude. This study includes a detailed examination of the phenomenon among the bereaved parents. Discussions and implications are provided based on the results.

This article reports the results of a scoping review of the literature on life-course patterns of violence that span the developmental periods of childhood, adolescence, and early and middle adulthood. We also assess the evidence on elder mistreatment and its relation to earlier forms of violence. Additionally, we draw on theories and empirical studies to help explain the transmission of violence over time and relational contexts and the factors that appear to mitigate risks and promote resilience in individuals exposed to violence. Results suggest that encounters with violence beginning in childhood elevate the risk for violence in subsequent developmental periods. The strongest connections are between child maltreatment (physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect) and violence in adolescence and between violence in adolescence and violence in early and middle adulthood. Persistence of violence into older adulthood leading to elder mistreatment is less well-documented, but probable, based on available research. We conclude that more attention should be paid to studying developmental patterns and intersecting forms of violence that extend into old age. To eradicate violence in all its forms, considerably more must be done to increase awareness of the repetition of violence; to connect research to actionable steps for prevention and intervention across the life course; and to better integrate systems that serve vulnerable children, youth, and adults. Primary prevention is essential to breaking the cycle of violence within families and to alleviating the risks to children caused by poverty and other external factors such as social disconnection within communities.

Scholars of intimate partner violence (IPV) cite the various forms of IPV perpetrated by violent male partners to establish their coercive control over women. This scholarship emphasizes IPV’s long-term destructive effects on survivors’ lives. However, until recently, the role of the state in the relationship between different manifestations of IPV has received little attention, leaving hazy the meaning of absent formal legislation. An opportunity to clarify the significance of this condition lies in Israel, where economic abuse is not yet recognized as grounds for legal and social sanctions. Based on in-depth interviews with 33 IPV survivors, the present study explores state actions involved in transitions between types of violence as revealed in cases of ongoing economic abuse.

This article examines the hypothesis that the dialogical integration of life experiences is related to successful aging. Life story interviews with 93 older Czech adults were sorted into categories characterized by specific patterns of life experience integration: (i) without dialogical processes, (ii) with differentiated I-positions, (iii) with dialogical relationships, (iv) partially integrated, and (v) completely integrated. The results indicated that the categories were ordered, yielding low-level correlations with scales of successful aging in predicted directions. A comparison of the categories revealed that they were related to successful aging in a cumulative way, starting with the most essential indicator (lower scores of rumination) in the participants who had developed at least dialogical relationships, continuing to higher well-being linked with partial integration, and ending with an advanced indicator (optimism toward future) linked with complete integration. These relationships were summarized in a hypothetical model that is open to further examination.

Cultural life scripts are shared knowledge about personal events expected to be experienced by individuals within a society and used as a framework for life story narration. Differences in cultural life scripts for individuals with depression and trauma, and their relations to anxiety, stress, and well-being, have not been investigated. Malaysian participants ( N = 120) described and rated seven significant events most likely to be experienced by a prototypical infant from their culture, and seven significant events they had experienced or expected to experience in their own life. Participants then answered questionnaires about depression and trauma symptoms and about anxiety, stress, and well-being. The subclinical depression group listed less typical cultural life scripts events, whereas the subclinical post-traumatic stress disorder group listed less positive individual life story events. The findings indicate that, although individuals with depression and trauma possess knowledge of the cultural life scripts, there may be small differences in the cognitive processing of cultural life scripts and individual life story events.

Background: An increasing number of patients with terminal illnesses prefer to die in their own homes due to aging, high medical payments, a limited number of hospitalization days, and the ability to receive care from family members. However, few studies have been conducted on the subjective perception and value of caregivers for home-based palliative care (HBPC). Objective: To identify common themes and topics of primary family caregivers’ lived experiences with HBPC when taking care of terminally ill family members. Methods: We conducted audio-recorded transcripts of one-on-one in-depth interviews of primary family caregivers of HBPC. Through a purposive sampling method, the participants were all interviewed; these interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results: A total of 22 primary family caregivers participated in the study. “Wholeheartedly accompanying one’s family to the end of life at home” was the core category. Six main themes describing caregivers’ experiences emerged from the interviews: (1) learning the basic skills of end-of-life home care, (2) arranging the sharing and rotation of care, (3) preparing for upcoming deaths and funerals, (4) negotiating the cultural and ethical issues of end-of-life home care, (5) ensuring a comfortable life with basic life support, and (6) maintaining care characterized by concern, perseverance, and patience. Conclusions: Primary family caregivers of HBPC need support and must learn home care skills by means of the holistic approach. It is crucial to establish assessment tools for caregivers’ preparedness for HBPC, including biopsychosocial and cultural considerations.

Background: Informal coercion, that is, situations where caregivers use subtle coercive measures to impose their will on patients, is common in adult psychiatric inpatient care. It has been described as ‘a necessary evil’, confronting nurses with an ethical dilemma where they need to balance between a wish to do good, and the risk of violating patients’ dignity and autonomy. Aim: To describe nurses’ experiences of being involved in informal coercion in adult psychiatric inpatient care. Research design: The study has a qualitative, inductive design. Participants and research context: Semi-structured interviews with 10 Swedish psychiatric nurses were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Ethical considerations: The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. In line with the Swedish Ethical Review Act, it was also subject to ethical procedures at the university. Findings: Four domains comprise informal coercion as a process over time. These domains contain 11 categories focusing on different experiences involved in the process: Striving to connect, involving others, adjusting to the caring culture, dealing with laws, justifying coercion, waiting for the patient, persuading the patient, negotiating with the patient, using professional power, scrutinizing one’s actions and learning together. Discussion: Informal coercion is associated with moral stress as nurses might find themselves torn between a wish to do good for the patient, general practices and ‘house rules’ in the caring culture. In addition, nurses need to be aware of the asymmetry of the caring relationship, in order to avoid compliance becoming a consequence of patients subordinating to nurse power, rather than a result of mutual understanding. Reflections are thus necessary through the process to promote mutual learning and to avoid violations of patients’ dignity and autonomy. Conclusion: If there is a need for coercion, that is, if the coercion is found to be an ‘unpleasant good’, rather than ‘necessary evil’ considering the consequences for the patient, it should be subject to reflecting and learning together with the patient.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to understand the meaning of folklore as a health patterning modality and to uncover its unique characteristics in the life-health process. Design: Hermeneutic phenomenological. Method: Max van Manen’s methodology was used for this study. The sample was selected from the Afro-Caribbean American community in the United States. The criterion for selection was that participants used folklore healing practices for health and well-being on an ongoing basis. In-depth interviews were done. Purposive sampling with networking was done based on whether the participants used folk healing on a regular basis. Themes of the meaning of folklore healing practices were identified from participants’ verbatim data. Findings: The meaning of folklore healing practices was interpreted as phenomena with six interconnected essential themes. Additionally, Barrett’s nursing theory of power as knowing participation in change was used to reflect and understand the findings from a nursing perspective. Conclusion: The research findings have implications for nursing science, and the knowledge gleaned from the study may be applied to nursing practice.

We sought to investigate potential gender differences in various types of negative life events and suicidal ideation among Chinese high school and university students, as well as to analyze the interrelations between different types of negative life events and suicidal ideation among these young students. Participants were 2,018 high school and university students from northwestern China, who completed a demographics questionnaire and self-report measures of negative life events and suicidal ideation. Significant gender differences emerged in the types of negative life events reported and in students’ degree of suicidal ideation. Within each gender group, different types of negative life events were predictive of the intensity of suicidal ideation. The present study provides evidence of the role of negative life events in predicting adolescents’ and young adults’ suicidal ideation regardless of their gender. However, gender differences did emerge in the specific type of negative life events that were predictive of suicidal ideation. For males, greater reports of punishment and adaptation had a significant positive impact on the intensity of their suicidal ideation. For females, greater reports of academic stress, personal loss, interpersonal relationships, and adaptation were all significantly and positively predictive of their suicidal ideation. Parents’ marital status emerged as a significant indicator of suicidal ideation across genders, while age was significant negative predictor of suicidal ideation among females only.

Depressive symptoms are disproportionately high among women and less educated individuals. One mechanism proposed to explain this is the differential vulnerability hypothesis—that these groups experience particularly strong increases in symptoms in response to stressful life events. We identify limitations to prior work and present evidence from a new approach to life stress research using the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Preliminarily, we replicate prior findings of differential vulnerability in between-individual models. Harnessing repeated measures, however, we show that apparent findings of differential vulnerability by both sex and education are artifacts of confounding. Men and women experience similar average increases in depressive symptoms after stressful life events. One exception is tentative evidence for a stronger association among women for events occurring to others in the household. We term this the “female vulnerability to network events” hypothesis and discuss with reference to Kessler and McLeod’s related “cost of caring” hypothesis.

Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in the number of children receiving home mechanical ventilation (HMV), and in many ways, families have taken responsibility for the required advanced homecare, which has placed considerable time demands on the family unit. Little is known about the life situation of the siblings of HMV-assisted children; their own voices and an insider perspective are missing. The aim of this study was to illuminate the everyday life experiences of siblings of HMV-assisted children. Data were obtained via interviews with 10 siblings with a median age of 9 years. Data were analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutical method inspired by the French philosopher Ricoeur. Four themes emerged, all of which suggest that a complex and profound intertwined sibling bond develops that links the past, present, and future. The findings of this study provide valuable information from an insider’s perspective about the meaning of having an HMV-assisted sibling. Family-focused care with particular attention and support for siblings of HMV-assisted children can encourage the development of internal strengths, self-confidence, and resilience.

Nest building behavior has been intensely applied as a parameter for severity assessment in mice. In contrast, only a limited number of studies have reported nest building data from rats. Here, we assessed nest building in rats in two different facilities addressing the hypotheses that the vendor, previous experience with the nesting material as well as sex of the rats has an impact on the performance. Data from two study sites and three raters were compared to obtain information about the robustness of nest complexity scoring. The findings demonstrate a generally poor nest building performance in rats with a pronounced day-to-day fluctuation, and site-specific differences. Application of a newly developed scoring system resulted in an intermediate inter-rater reliability. Previous experience with the nesting material did not exert a consistent impact on nest complexity scores. Sex differences proved to depend on vendor and animal facility without consistent findings supporting a superior performance in female or male rats. In conclusion, our findings argue against a robust and consistent influence of sex and familiarity with the nesting material. The comparison between facilities suggests that local conditions need to be considered as influencing factors, which should be explored in more detail by future multicenter approaches. Considering the day-to-day fluctuation and the intermediate inter-rater reliability, we highly recommend to base nest complexity evaluation on means from several subsequent days analyzed by a group of experienced raters.

The current study examines the persistence of victimization and poly-victimization (i.e., count of multiple types of victimization) across various stages of development (ages 0–5, 6–12, and 13–18) and the related impact on adult well-being. Participants were 2,098 adults from the Appalachian region of three Southern states. Eighty-two percent of participants reported at least one type of victimization during childhood. Among adult victims, 22.6% reported one victimization in one developmental stage (i.e., one stage, but no poly-victimization), 45.8% reported one victimization in more than one stage (i.e., persistent victimization, but no poly-victimization), 20.5% reported multiple types of victimization in one stage (i.e., poly-victimization), and 11.2% reported multiple types of victimization at more than one stage (i.e., persistent poly-victimization). Results indicated a linear decline in subjective well-being, mental health, and number of healthy days as victimization becomes more persistent across childhood and more diverse in types (i.e., poly-victimization). Study findings provide support for models of victimization that take both developmental trajectories and poly-victimization into account.

Objective: To identify common themes and topics that patients nearing the end of life want to discuss when sharing their life stories. Methods: Twenty audio-recorded transcripts of open-ended interviews of patients cared for by a palliative care team when approaching the end of life were analyzed using a qualitative analysis. Results: Qualitative analysis revealed that the primary contextual factors that patients drew upon to generate his or her life story are life events (including upbringing, job, education, travel, trauma, hardships, special events, military history, and hobbies), family and support system, and values and beliefs. Participants used their current medical condition, which included mortality, morbidity, and prognosis, to frame their life story. Conclusion: Patients facing serious illness incorporate four major themes when reflecting upon their lives to create their personal life story: life events, family and support system, values and beliefs, and current medical condition.

Background:The psychological complexity of refugee status for children is poorly understood. Alone or with family members, child refugees are exposed to multiple and potentially traumatic events, including conflict and human rights deprivation in their country of origin, perilous and life-threatening escape journeys, years of statelessness, and isolation and discrimination in their new host country.Aims:This phenomenological study explored the positive and negative interpretations of four adults as they sought to make sense of their experiences of refugee status as children.Method:Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) guided the development of semi-structured interview for data collection and analysis.Results:One superordinate theme, Violation and Hope, overarched three subordinate themes, Violent detachment, Refugee identity, and Resourcefulness and reciprocity. One divergent theme also emerged: Clashing identities. These themes provide unique insight into the interpreted experiences of escaping oppression and persecution in each participant’s country of origin as children, and the ensuing bleak interval as refugees, belonging nowhere. They identify the risk of becoming pawns of opportunism without human rights protection. Once stateless, survival was not guaranteed, producing a stark merging of acceptance of mortality and determined resourcefulness as children. Avoidant coping became a positive tool for surviving ever present threat, and was crucial in defining a life philosophy that was future oriented as they entered adulthood.Conclusion:These participants rejected a ‘refugee victim’ identity, emphasising a legacy of resourcefulness, hope, gratitude and reciprocity, domains of post-traumatic growth which are unreported aspects of refugee well-being that can provide future therapeutic and research direction.

We examined two contradictory views of Erikson’s concept of ego integrity: as an outcome of the tension between integrity and despair, or as a dialogical process of balancing positive and negative life experiences. One hundred sixty-seven Czech older adults participated in the study. Dialogically integrated, outcome-integrated, and outcome-despairing participants were selected based on the Ego Integrity Scale and based on methods mapping life-reviewing dialogue. The three subsamples were compared in their psychological adaptation. The results showed that the dialogically integrated participants scored similarly in well-being and meaningfulness of life as outcome-integrated participants and better than outcome-despairing participants. However, the dialogically integrated participants were also prone to experiencing negative emotions. As they were older than the other two subsamples and reported worse physical health, we concluded that the life-reviewing dialogue helps them maintain a sense of meaning in life and a certain level of well-being. Hence, the results support relevance of the dialogical-process view.

Previous studies have shown that neuroticism is associated with higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in individuals who have experienced traumatic events. This study investigated dispositional mindfulness as one pathway in which neuroticism is related to PTSD and depression symptoms among Chinese adolescents who have experienced trauma by considering the role of dispositional mindfulness. Participants were 443 Chinese adolescents who had experienced a severe tornado a year prior to this study. The results showed that our model fitted the data well ( χ2 /df = 2.113, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.981, Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.969, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) (90% confidence interval (CI)) = 0.061 [0.047, 0.080]) and revealed that dispositional mindfulness partially mediated the relationship between neuroticism and PTSD and depression symptoms. The clinical implications and limitations of our research and recommendations for future research are discussed in this article.

The main aim of the present study was to develop and validate a checklist for adolescents, the Life Events Inventory for Adolescents (LEIA), for screening stressful life events (SLE) of different nature (major-minor, dependent-independent, personal- interpersonal). The LEIA was administered together with another SLE checklist (Escala de Acontecimientos Vitales [Life Events Scale], EAV), and with measures of life satisfaction and externalizing and internalizing symptoms. The results showed that the Kappa and the percentage agreement reliability indices were adequate. Regarding validity evidences, the correlations found between the LEIA and the EAV ranged from .65 to .69, and between the LEIA and the psychopathological symptoms ranged from .26 to .38. Specifically, major dependent non interpersonal SLEs were the best predictors of externalizing psychopathology; while major independent non-interpersonal SLEs were the best predictors of internalizing symptoms and low life satisfaction. To conclude, the LEIA could be considered an adequate checklist to screen for SLEs in adolescents. This study was supported by the grants: Banco de Instrumentos Cibersam, SAM15PI01/2015; PSI2015– 67766-R, from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO/FEDER); GV/2016/158, from the Autonomous Government of Valencia; UJI-A2017-18 and UJI-B2017-74, from the Universitat Jaume I; FIS PI15/00097, from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and 2014SGR1636 and 2017SGR1577, from the Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca Del DIUE of the Generalitat de Catalunya. LMF was supported by a PhD grant from the AGAUR.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the life experiences and processes that occur as adolescent and young adult leukemia survivors return to social life using grounded theory. Method: This study comprised 14 adolescents and young adults who visited a hospital for follow-up care after treatment of leukemia. We used in-depth interviews to examine the participants’ experiences in returning to social life. The semistructured questionnaire examined “good and bad experiences in returning to social life,” “sources of happiness and stress,” and “strategies for managing stressful events.” Results: We extracted 6 categories and 21 concepts from the interviews. We grouped the 6 categories into a core category and three phases: “catching up with others,” “discovering myself,” and “planning my future.” A core category shown through all phases was “fear of recurrence.” The “catching up with others” phase included themes of “feeling different from others” and “wanting to be like others.” The “discovering myself” phase included “completing one thing at a time” and “recognizing myself as special.” The “planning my future” phase included “looking for things I can do.” Conclusions: Self-esteem was an important issue for adolescent leukemia survivors; negative illness perception affected self-esteem in both adolescents and young adults. It is important for health care providers to develop programs to help adolescent and young adult leukemia survivors to perceive their disease experiences more positively and to take part in social life, including school life.

Generally regarded as an institution which frustrates rather than enables the process of desisting from crime, the potential for prisoners to find redemption in prison seems bleak. Despite unpromising conditions within the prison, we find strong evidence of reform and a desire to make amends among a cohort of long-term prisoners. While these prisoners were all participating in a rehabilitation program, their narratives of reform were highly individualized and situated in the context of their various experiences of long sentences. However, we report that these individualized accounts of reform were strengthened and facilitated in similar ways through interactions established via their program participation. Specifically, the program was experienced as fulfilling, empowering, and therapeutic. This functioned to reinforce participants’ sense of control, or self-mastery, increased their self-esteem, and instilled hope and confidence that an alternative moral future may be achievable. Implications for supporting desistance in the prison are discussed.