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Previous research has found that a negative life event is a main risk factor for hopelessness, which in turn is considered to be a proximal cause of major depression disorder and a suicide risk factor. Unfortunately, very little attention has been paid to the role of decision-making constructs between negative life events and hopelessness. To fill this gap, the present study aims to test the moderation role of sunk cost propensity in this relationship, which is an over-generalized tendency to persist, based on past investment. A total of 495 university students completed assessment of their resistance to sunk cost propensity, whereas the negative life events, hopelessness, mental health state (depression, anxiety) and big-five personality traits were measured by various questionnaires. Participants' tendency to resist sunk cost propensity moderated the relationship between negative life events and hopelessness. Individuals who tended to resist sunk cost bias are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of negative life events. This effect is still significant, even after controlling for individuals' psychological well-being (depression, anxiety) and big-five personality traits. The current findings provide preliminary evidence that resistance to sunk cost propensity may be an important characteristic associated with an individual's hopelessness when exposed to a negative life event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the role of sense of coherence, social support, satisfaction with life, and resilience, as resources in the association between fear of COVID-19, perceived vulnerability to disease, and depression. Data from 804 students were collected at three South African universities in 2022 and 2023 by means of an electronic survey and analysed using structural equation modelling. We found that higher levels of fear of COVID-19 and hopelessness were associated with depression among the sample. Satisfaction with life, sense of coherence, and perceived social support had significant negative relationships with depression, indicating that these represent potential protective resources. Perceived vulnerability to disease had a positive relationship with perceived social support. While fear of COVID-19 significantly impacted depression, it did not show a significant relationship with other mental well-being measures, such as satisfaction with life, sense of coherence, resilience, or social support. Hopelessness showed a strong negative correlation, not only with resilience but also with satisfaction with life, sense of coherence, and perceived social support, making it a critical factor in mental well-being. Perceived social support acted as a mediator between both hopelessness and perceived vulnerability to disease and depression. Satisfaction with life mediated the relationship between hopelessness and depression, and sense of coherence mediated the relationship between perceived vulnerability to disease and depression. While higher levels of fear related to COVID-19 and pervasive feelings of hopelessness were robust predictors of depressive symptoms, factors such as satisfaction with life, sense of coherence, and perceived social support emerged as protective resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychological state of people during the COVID-19 pandemic has attracted significant interest from researchers and the general public alike. The aim of this study is to examine the stress, burnout, hopelessness, and depression levels of university students toward the end of the pandemic. A survey model, as a quantitative research method, was applied in this study. The analysis revealed that 70% of the participating university students had moderate to high stress levels, and levels of stress among female students were found to be higher than those among male students. When the students' hopelessness levels were examined, it was seen that 81% of them felt hopelessness at medium or high levels. Hopelessness and burnout were seen to be associated with grade point average. A total of 61% of these students had moderate or high levels of depression symptoms, constituting an at-risk status. The results indicate that factors such as gender, year of study, and grade point average had varying effects on stress, burnout, hopelessness, and depression levels. Additionally, strong relationships were found among the four considered psychological variables, suggesting that they may influence one another and highlighting the need for further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is of vital importance to explore its impact on the psychological wellbeing of the students in higher education. Accordingly, this research investigated hopelessness among students at a state university in Turkey throughout the pandemic. The research was conducted in two separate studies, one cross-sectional and the other longitudinal. Study I examined students' hopelessness level in relation to gender, job or income loss, social media use, academic unit, and grade. Study II compared students' hopelessness level during the distance and hybrid education periods. The data were collected online through Personal Information Form and Beck Hopelessness Scale in both studies. The findings of Study I indicated significantly higher hopelessness scores in females, students who experienced job or income loss, and seniors at faculties. It was also found that the level of hopelessness increased as the duration of social media use rose. In addition, Study II revealed that students' hopelessness scores significantly decreased during the hybrid education in contrast to the distance education. Based on these findings, we suggest that during distance education in times of crisis, psychological counseling and career guidance interventions should be planned and coordinated according to the characteristics of risk groups, and e-learning models offering the highest social interaction should be preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have paid limited attention to the role of adaptive cognitive appraisals in conferring resilience. In this study, we demonstrate the influence of positive appraisals of problem-solving ability and social support on mental health outcomes. A random sample of students at a university in South Africa (n = 322) participated in the study. They completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Problem-Solving Inventory, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Mediation analysis found that problem-solving appraisal and social support jointly and separately mediated the effects of perceived stress on hopelessness. The combined effect of social support and problem-solving appraisal on life satisfaction was significant; however, only social support was found to mediate the relationship between perceived stress and life satisfaction. The findings indicate that adaptive appraisals of self and others are potential sources of resilience that can buffer individuals from the adverse impact of stressful life events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish the validity of the BHS-20, a sample of 2064 adolescent students aged 14 and 17 years (M = 15.61, SD = 1.05) were invited to participate in the research. Cronbach's alpha (α) and McDonald's omega (ω) were computed to evaluate the internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the dimensionality of the BHS-20. The Spearman correlation (r s ) with depressive symptoms and risk of suicide scores of the Plutchik Suicide Risk Scale were computed to explore the nomological validity. The BHS-20 showed a high internal consistency (α =.81, ω =.93), an adequate one-dimensional structure with an excellent adjustment [χ2 S-B = 341, df = 170, p <.01, Comparative Fit Index =.99, RMSEA =.03] and acceptable nomological validity with depressive symptoms (r s =.47, p <.01) and scores for suicide risk (r s =.33, p <.01). In conclusion, current results suggest that the BHS-20 demonstrates validity and reliability among Colombian adolescent students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to examine the moderator effect of organ transplant waiting time on hopelessness and death anxiety. The study was conducted in a descriptive and correlational design with 378 patients on the transplant waiting list (Agust 2021- March 2022). Multiple linear regression and PROCESS macro-Model 1 were used in the analyses. In this study, the STROBE checklist was followed. According to the results of the regression analysis, waiting for a transplant for 6–10 years reduced death anxiety by 9.38 times and waiting for a transplant for 16–20 years increased death anxiety by 31.3 times. The predictors in the regression analysis explained 33% of the model. The moderator effect constituted 6.4% of the explained part of the model, which was 25.4%; the R2 change was 3.4% and significant. We found that the longer the waiting period for organ transplant recipients, the higher the hopelessness and death anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Climate anxiety, one of the negative emotions created by climate change, is particularly prevalent among climate activists and young individuals who hold a more serious concern for environmental issues. Aim: This study aims to determine the effects of climate change awareness on the mental health of young people in Turkey. Methods: Designed as a descriptive and two-group comparative study, the target population of this study comprises young individuals aged 15 to 24 who are climate activists and those who are not. The study data was collected through e-questionnaires administered between March 15 and May 10, 2023, using a demographic characteristics form, a climate change anxiety scale and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The study was completed with a total of 306 participants, including 103 young individuals who are climate activists and 203 young individuals who are not climate activists. Results: We determined that young individuals who are climate activists have a high level of climate change anxiety, while those who are not climate activists have a moderate level of climate change anxiety. We found that the levels of hopelessness in both groups are at a mild level. Additionally, within the group of climate activists, we observed that individuals with a higher level of knowledge about climate change tend to exhibit greater levels of hopelessness. Conclusions: We identified that as awareness and knowledge about climate change increase, climate change anxiety, and hopelessness also increase. There is a need for studies to determine youth-specific mental health interventions to address mental health issues related to climate change awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Witnessing interparental conflict in childhood predicts psychological dating violence victimization (PDVV) in adulthood. As found in previous studies, PDVV and hopelessness are associated with depression. However, the associations among these four variables have not been explored in detail. The present study, therefore, examined the association between perceived interparental conflict and depression in adulthood and whether PDVV and hopelessness might operate as sequential mechanisms accounting for the association. Participants (N = 283; M age = 23.37 years, SD = 4.04 years) in romantic relationships completed measures of perceived interparental conflict, PDVV, hopelessness, and depression. The perceived interparental conflict was related to PDVV and depression but not to hopelessness in adulthood. Moreover, the association between witnessing interparental conflict and depression was serially mediated via PDVV and hopelessness. The results are discussed in regard to previous research, and their implications for future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thousands of refugees transit through Indonesia, often for prolonged periods of time. With limited access to basic rights, including the right to work, some young or underage male refugees forge intimate relationships with older Indonesians. Public perception of these relationships is, for the most part, dichotomous: the refugees are seen either as moral transgressors or victims of sexual exploitation. This research explores how these intimate, age-dissimilar relationships are formed, and the consequences of the public condemnation and criminal sanctions that can follow. We show that these relationships are often more complex than a mere exchange of money for sex, and argue that they can be best understood as intimate labor. When these relationships are extended ones, they can help refugees alleviate their economic precariousness and afford a more consumerist lifestyle, and to overcome the loneliness, boredom, and hopelessness that characterize their prolonged waiting times in transit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks caused by environmental effects such as COVID-19, MERS, SARS, or Ebola cause problems such as fear, anxiety, loneliness, depression, and hopelessness for people with or without a high risk of illness. This study aims to determine the levels of hopelessness and anxiety experienced by nursing students during the COVID-19 outbreak. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with students of a state university. In the collection of the data, Descriptive Characteristics Form prepared by the researchers, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Test (GAD-7), and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) were used. The mean GAD-7 score of the students participating in the study was 6.65 ± 5.03 and the mean BHS score was 6.11 ± 4.91. It was determined that the score of GAD-7 and BHS were a significant positive high relationship between them (p < 0.001). Anxiety and hopelessness levels were found to be statistically significantly higher for those whose sleep and eating patterns affected negatively due to the pandemic, those who feared the pandemic and its economic effects, and those who did not want to work in the hospital during the pandemic period. There was a relationship between anxiety and hopelessness levels of nursing students participating in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To measure symptoms of anxiety, depression and hopelessness in a sample of young Pacific adults living in Auckland, New Zealand during the 2020/2021 COVID-19 pandemic and identify protective factors. Methods: Participants were 267 Pacific adults (58% female) who completed a survey online. Analyses included descriptive statistics, correlations, linear regression and symptom network analysis. Results: Around 25% of the sample scored in the range for moderate to severe anxiety and 10% for moderate to severe depression on standard measures. Almost 40% indicated that they found the first lockdown very stressful and 55% noted that some members of their family found it stressful. Only 16% worried about COVID-19 and their future quite a bit or constantly, while another 25% worried sometimes. Self-compassion and Pacific Identity had moderate, negative correlations, and Worry about COVID-19 had weak positive correlations, with anxiety, depression, hopelessness and perceived stress. Conclusion: These results suggest that, while the prevalence of depression and anxiety are quite high among this population, fostering ethnic identity and self-compassion in Pacific children and adolescents might protect against developing depression and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has impacted negatively on the lives and academic activities of university students. This has contributed to increasing levels of psychological distress among this population group. Intrinsic and contextual factors can mediate the psychological impact of the pandemic. The study focuses on sense of coherence and ego-resilience as potential protective factors on indices of psychological distress and life satisfaction. Participants were undergraduate students (N = 337) at a South African university who completed six self-report questionnaires, namely, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale, the Ego-Resilience Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. To examine the direct and mediating effects of sense of coherence and ego-resilience on psychological distress, structural equation modeling was used. Compared to previous research, greater psychological distress was found in the current sample. Moreover, while the hopelessness–life satisfaction relationship was only partially mediated by protective factors, the depression–life satisfaction relationship was fully mediated by sense of coherence and ego-resilience. The direct association between ego-resilience as well as sense of coherence and life satisfaction was significant, suggesting that these factors have a health-sustaining role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many African American IPV survivors need services, they often do not access care. Hopelessness may partially explain low rates in help-seeking for this population and serve as a significant barrier to care for African American IPV survivors particularly those who have had prior legal system involvement. In a sample of 185 African American women, we first examined whether hopelessness mediated the relation between IPV and barriers to services. If such a mediation effect was found, we then would explore whether legal system involvement moderated the mediated effect of hopelessness on the relation between IPV and barriers to services. As anticipated, hopelessness partially served to explain (i.e., mediated) the relation between IPV and barriers to services. Further, this mediated effect was moderated by legal system involvement such that when legal system involvement was included as a moderator, hopelessness mediated the association between IPV and barriers to services only for those survivors who had been involved with the legal system. These results underscore the critical role of hopelessness as a barrier to accessing services for African American IPV survivors, especially those with prior involvement with the legal system. Recommendations are offered that underscore the importance of interventions that empower African American women who have survived violence instead of penalizing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to reveal the long-term psychological effects of the earthquake in earthquake-exposed individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of depression, hopelessness and death anxiety in students who experienced the earthquake one year after the earthquake and to examine the effects of depression and hopelessness on death anxiety. This is a descriptive and correlational study. Data were collected from 155 Emergency Relief and Disaster Management students who experienced the Kahramanmaras earthquake in Türkiye in 2023. Data were collected using Personal Information Form, Beck Depression Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Thorson-Powell Death Anxiety Scale. In the study, a moderate positive correlation was found, indicating that as levels of depression and hopelessness increased, so did death anxiety (p < .05). Depression and hopelessness explained 18.1% of the variance in death anxiety. Death anxiety was found to be higher in males and in students whose relatives or close friends died. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted descriptively to determine the symptom intensities, performance and hopelessness levels of advanced lung cancer patients for the palliative care approach. The research sample consisted of 130 patients with advanced lung cancer, who were selected from 600 lung cancer populations in thoracic surgery and intensive care, outpatient chemotherapy, oncology in a university hospital in Turkey. Ethics Committee permission and the patients' written consent was obtained. Study data were collected face to face between January 2020 and July 2020 using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, Karnofsky Performance and Beck Hopelessness Scale. The mean age of the patients was 62.68 ± 8.867, 72.3% were males, and 89.2% were not currently working. The most common symptom in the patients was found to be fatigue 5.46 ± 2.12, worsening in general health and well-being 5.69 ± 1.87, loss of appetite 5.40 ± 2.59, and total symptom score 47.17 ± 19.03. Feelings and expectations about the future 1.40 ± 1.66, loss of motivation 3.43 ± 2.41, hope 2.05 ± 1.75, and total score of hopelessness 7.41 ± 6.01. There was a positive correlation between the patients' hopelessness level and their symptom burden, and a negative correlation was found with Karnofsky performance (P <.05). A significant difference was found between the patients' age, months since diagnosis, gender, education and employment status, stage of the disease, presence of metastases and analgesic use, and hopelessness scores (P <.05). It was determined that the symptom burden of patients with advanced lung cancer increased and as their Karnofsky performance decreased, their hopelessness level further increased. Hopelessness scores are affected by the socio-demographic and disease variables of the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of three COVID-19-related variables (i.e., risk perception, knowledge, and behaviour) on four indices of pandemic-related mental health (i.e., anxiety, depression, loneliness, and hopelessness). In total, 337 participants completed four self-report questionnaires: selected subscales of the World Health Organisation's COVID-19 Behavioural Insights Tool, UCLA Loneliness Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory–Trait Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale. In addition to descriptive statistics and intercorrelations, structural equation modelling was used to compare three models of the potential role (predictor or moderator/mediator) that the three abovementioned COVID-19-related variables could play in psychological wellbeing. The results showed high levels of psychological distress among the current sample. Generally, better knowledge of COVID-19 and engaging in protective behaviours were found to be related to lower levels of psychological distress, whereas increased risk perception was found to be associated with increased feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. It was also found that behaviour mediated the effect of knowledge on psychological wellbeing, suggesting that while publicising information about COVID-19 remains necessary, providing the public with a means to engage in protective behaviours is central for promoting psychological wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Demoralisation is a state of poor coping characterised by low morale, hopelessness, subjective incompetence, and loss of meaning and purpose in life. While studied extensively in oncology and palliative care, there has been recent exploration in broader medical and mental health settings. The aim was to investigate the prevalence of demoralisation and associated sociodemographic and psychological factors across these clinical settings. Method: Six electronic databases were used to locate articles from January 2014 to March 2020. A pre-publication update of non-oncology populations was completed in September 2021. The review has been reported following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Pooled prevalence of demoralisation was determined through % prevalence and mean demoralisation score; this was synthesised through meta-analysis of single means to determine pooled mean prevalence of Demoralisation Scale scores using the 'R' statistical software. Results: Demoralisation has been examined in 52 studies (n = 11,670) and found to be prevalent in 24–35% of oncology and non-oncology, including mental health, populations. The mean score on the Demoralisation Scale was 24.3 (95% confidence interval, CI = [21.3, 27.3]). There was evidence of divergent validity in addition to significant comorbidity between depression, demoralisation and suicidal ideation. Burdensome physical symptoms, and psychological and demographic factors are strongly correlated with demoralisation. Conclusion: There remains a need to recognise demoralisation in various clinical and cultural settings and to strongly consider its inclusion as a 'specifier' within formal nosological systems for adjustment and depressive disorders. This is important to initiate targeted interventions and prevent significant morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the lifespan biopsychosocial model of cumulative vulnerability and minority health as a theroretical lens, the present study proposed two models to test the relationships among racial discrimination, cognitive–emotional factors, and risky sexual behaviors in a sample of 302 Black college students in the United States. Our models provided support for some of the hypothesized direct and indirect pathways. As expected, overt racial discrimination and subtle racial discrimination (i.e., racial microaggression) were both positively related to cognitive–emotional factors (i.e., anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and hostility). Racial microaggressions were significantly positively related to risky sexual behaviors, but overt racial discrimination was not. Hostility was the only cognitive–emotional factor that facilitated an indirect, significant effect from racial microaggressions to risky sexual behaviors. Potential implications are discussed for practice, training programs, and future counseling psychology research with Black college students using the lifespan biopsychosocial model of cumulative vulnerability and minority health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate how optimistic predictions, hopelessness, and depressive symptoms changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the causal relationships between these variables. To achieve this purpose, we used data from online surveys conducted in 2019 and 2021 among men and women aged 20–79. Based on item response theory, we developed a future prediction task for the assessment of optimistic predictions. Our comparison of online survey responses found a decline in optimistic predictions before and after the pandemic. More specifically, there were no change in predictions of negative future events, but there was the decrease in predictions of positive future events. Furthermore, we found that those who were more stressed by COVID-19 were less likely to have an optimistic view of the near future. We also found a relationship between optimistic predictions and hopelessness and depressive symptoms with lower optimism predicting more hopelessness and more depression predicting lower optimism. To prevent feelings of hopelessness, it is important to help people develop positive expectations about the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of intense anxiety and hopelessness experienced by healthcare workers during the pandemic on their quality of life. This cross-sectional, online questionnaire-based study was conducted between August 31, 2020 and October 31, 2020, with 729 healthcare workers in Turkey. The study showed that hopelessness, the weekly working time, fatigue, and the workload of healthcare workers negatively affected their quality of life, those who found the pandemic measures inadequate had a lower quality of life and higher hopelessness levels, and those who needed knowledge on various issues to improve their skills had lower quality of life and higher levels of anxiety and hopelessness. Increasing the measures to make healthcare workers feel competent and ready during the COVID-19 pandemic and meet their information needs to improve their skills will reduce their anxiety and hopelessness and improve their quality of life. Identifying the factors affecting anxiety, hopelessness, and quality of life will help achieve sustainable success in the delivery of health services and promote employee health and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with liver transplantation (LT), hopelessness, and lack of self-care may occur and change in the illness perceptions; however, no study has examined the effects of the illness perceptions on self-care agency and hopelessness levels in individuals with LT. This study was conducted to examine the effects of the illness perceptions of patients who had received LT surgery on their self-care agency and hopelessness levels. A descriptive cross-sectional study with a convenience sample (N = 120) was conducted at a center in eastern Turkey. The data were collected by using the "Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire" (B-IPQ), "Self-Care Agency Scale" (SCAS), "Beck Hopelessness Scale" (BHS). In the study, the mean total B-IPQ, SCAS, BHS scores was found as 57.50 ± 3.61, 83.83 ± 9.43, 10.19 ± 3.81, respectively. There was a positive and significant relationship between the B-IPQ and BHS total scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a descriptive study conducted to determine the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) in Schizophrenia patients and identify the effects of hopelessness and some variables on MetS. The study was conducted at the Psychiatry Clinic of a university hospital in Turkey between May and August 2020 with 105 schizophrenia patients receiving treatment as inpatients. The data of the study were collected by a Personal Information Form, a Physiological Measurements Form and (BHS). The data were analyzed by using SPSS 25. The mean age of the patients was 35.31 ± 9.07, their mean duration of disease was 11.35 ± 9.07 years, and 60.0% of the patients were using atypical antipsychotics as their latest drug treatment. 42.9% of the patients had MetS, while the mean hopelessness level of those with MetS was 10.84 ± 3.81. It was determined that hopelessness levels and some sociodemographic (age) and clinical variables significantly predicted the MetS status in the schizophrenia patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aimed to understand how key risk factors of older adult suicide interact to ultimately lead to death by suicide using data collected post-mortem. Method: A psychological autopsy was used to gather detailed information about psychiatric diagnosis, medical problems, social isolation, and negative attitudes expressed by the individual during the six months prior to their death. Interviews with next-of-kin, medical and psychiatric records, and the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics were used. Subjects included 32 older adults who died by suicide and 45 older adults who died by natural causes. Results: Hopelessness, depression, and negative health attitudes were strongly correlated with suicide. Older age was associated with social isolation, suggesting an indirect relationship with suicide via hopelessness, depression, and negative health attitudes. Physical illness did not increase risk. Multivariate analyses suggested that hopelessness fully mediated the effects of social isolation, negative health attitudes, and depression on suicide. Conclusions: Psychological factors played the largest role in suicide deaths compared to social isolation and physical illness. Suicide interventions aimed at older adults should ensure hopelessness, depression, and negative health attitudes are primary targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a common disorder that can lead to suicidal behaviours among the geriatric population. Aim: We aimed to assess depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation among the elderly population of Kashmir. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in three districts of Kashmir between June and August 2019. The sample consisted of 200 persons aged >65 years. Beck's Depression Inventory, Beck's Hopelessness Scale, and the Beck Suicide Ideation scale were used to determine depression, hopelessness, and suicide ideation. Pearson's correlation was performed to assess the relationships between depression, hopelessness, and suicide. Results: The prevalence of severe depression with a score of ⩾31 on Beck's Depression Inventory was 56% among the studied population. Most of these elderly were found to have moderate levels of suicidal ideation (62.5%) and hopelessness (61%). Depression had a positive correlation with suicidal ideation (r = 0.35). Hopelessness and suicidal intent had a more significant positive correlation (r = 0.54), as compared to depression and hopelessness (r = 0.43). Conclusion: More than half of the older persons in Kashmir had depression with superimposed hopelessness which is an important risk factor of suicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 spread rapidly across the world, and by March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was identified in South Africa. Lockdown-related measures such as restricted movement and isolation were implemented to contain the virus. Combined with these measures, factors such as economic decline, job losses, and food shortages can cause numerous mental health sequelae such as depression. Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness as well as cases of suicide have been reported around the world due to the pandemic and the associated feelings of anxiety and depression. The aims of this study were to investigate levels of hopelessness and depression in a sample of health care students. A random sample of students (N = 174) enrolled in a health sciences programme at the University of the Western Cape completed the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and a three-item Resilience Scale. The results revealed high levels of hopelessness and depression compared to previously reported normative data for these scales. In addition, the indirect effects of hopelessness on depression were significant, demonstrating the mediating role of resilience in the hopelessness–depression relationship. These results highlight a call for universities to take proactive measures in providing students with free and easily accessible resources to help them cope and manage stress during a traumatic event. More importantly, at a national level, preventive measures should be implemented to strengthen resilience in young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cannabis is the most widely used psychoactive substance among adolescents worldwide, and the age at which consumption begins to decrease. Cannabis use in adolescents is associated with a wide range of adverse consequences in adulthood including increased vulnerability to psychosis and other mental disorders, as well as suicidal ideation and attempt. The aim of this study is to extend understanding of the link between cannabis use and mental illness by examining whether cannabis use at early ages predicts transdiagnostic variables that are precursors to severe clinical diagnoses. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample was made up of 605 adolescents from 7th to 9th grades, with a mean age of 13.2 years (SD = 1.0, 47% girls). The variables evaluated were: anomalous perception of reality, intolerance of uncertainty, rumination, suicide attempt, hopelessness, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The administration of the questionnaires was carried out in groups of 20 participants under the supervision of a researcher in a unique session of 1 hour. Results: Adolescent cannabis users scored higher on all variables assessed: anomalous perception of reality (Cohen's d =.60), rumination (d =.48), intolerance of uncertainty (d =.11), suicidal attempt (affirmative answer: 25.9% of users vs 7.7% of non-users), hopelessness (d =.85), symptoms of depression (d =.80), and anxiety (d =.39). A binary logistic regression showed that the only variable uniquely related to cannabis use was hopelessness (Wald = 4.560, OR: 1.159, p =.033). Conclusions: Among some mental health risk factors, hopelessness appears uniquely related to cannabis use. Adolescents may use cannabis as a coping strategy for negative thoughts and emotions, or it may be a consequence of cannabis use. Future prevention programs should focus on preventing/treating modifiable factors such as hopelessness, and delaying cannabis use in specific subgroups of adolescents who experience pathologies such as depression or suicide attempts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hopelessness is an important symptom of adolescent depression, being associated with both risk of suicide and poor treatment response, but predictors of hopelessness are understudied. Conflict with parents is common in adolescent depression, but parents and adolescents often disagree when reporting conflict severity. Discrepancy in reporting may be an indicator of the parent–adolescent dyad lacking a shared representation of the state of their relationship. This could make conflicts seem unresolvable to the adolescent, leading to expectations of persistent stress and lack of support, increasing hopelessness. This study employed latent difference scores, ordinal regression and cross-validation to evaluate the hypothesis that discrepancy in report of parent–adolescent conflict would predict hopelessness among depressed adolescents. Parents reporting less conflict than the adolescent was associated with increased adolescent hopelessness, giving preliminary support to the hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts of hope and its absence, hopelessness, are seen as crucial in palliative care for people with motor neurone disease. A primary measure in psychological research on hopelessness in people with motor neurone disease is the Beck Hopelessness Scale. This scale can be understood as being conceptually based on the philosophical standard account of hope, which understands hope as an intentional expectancy. This essay argues that this is a misconstruction of hopelessness in palliative care. Rather, pre-intentional hope is essential for palliative care of people with motor neurone disease. Pre-intentional hope enables the formation of intentional hopes and is intrinsically relational. Finally, it is argued that the absence of pre-intentional hope should not be subjected to psychiatric diagnosis, for example, in the form of demoralization disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hopelessness theory of depression posits that hopelessness due to negative inferences may serve as a proximal and sufficient cause of depression, while interpersonal theories suggest that interpersonal stress resulting from relationship problems and social rejection may lead to symptoms of depression. We propose that the two perspectives can be integrated by examining a model in which hopelessness predicts depression symptoms through two specific interpersonal stress constructs, thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, in a sample of university students from Macau (N = 350). Results of mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of hopelessness on depression symptoms through perceived burdensomeness (indirect effect =.45; 95% confidence interval =.28 to.65), but not thwarted belongingness (indirect effect =.06; 95% confidence interval = −.05 to.18). Alternative models were also tested. When each interpersonal construct was treated as a separate mediator without controlling for the other, significant indirect effects of both perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness were found. Moreover, when hopelessness was assigned as the mediator and interpersonal constructs as independent variables, significant indirect effects were likewise found for perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Findings suggest that the two different yet compatible views about depression—hopelessness and interpersonal theories—may be integrated to provide a better understanding of the process of how depression symptoms occur. It also reinforces the importance of considering interpersonal factors in the study of depression, especially in societies where interpersonal relationships are highly valued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is much research on adolescent poverty, research related to youth living in communities characterized by extreme poverty who are also identified as academically gifted is lacking. This study explores the development of hopelessness in these youths, compared with peers not identified as gifted, using data from the Mobile Youth and Poverty Study. Specifically, trajectories of hopelessness as a function of gifted status and gender are explored. Results indicate that boys experience greater feelings of hopelessness than girls, regardless of their gifted status, and students identified as gifted have lower levels of hopelessness than their peers not identified as gifted. These latter differences are particularly pronounced during early adolescence (age 10 years) but decline over time and largely disappear by later adolescence (age 18 years). Results suggest that boys may be particularly vulnerable to declining effects of gifted classification as a protector against hopelessness across age and that disadvantaged students who are identified as gifted may benefit from gifted programs that continue at an intense level through their high school years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of negative inferential feedback and perceived stress in hopelessness depression is known. However, studies on their gender variability are lacking. The difference in various domains of negative inferential feedback and its impact on cognitive hopelessness, depression, and outcome of psychotherapy between men and women has been hypothesized. Aims: This study analyzed the difference in stress levels and hopelessness in the form of negative inferential feedback in depressed men and women. Methodology: In all, 35 men and 35 women suffering from depression were recruited. They were first assessed on the Hamilton's Depression Rating Scale, and their sociodemographical details were recorded. They were then administered the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Adaptive Inferential Feedback Questionnaire. Results: Perceived stress in depressed women showed a positive correlation with negative inferential feedback (r = 0.39, P = 0.04). Levels of depression were comparable in the two genders. Comparison between the two genders showed no difference in proportion across the levels of severity of depression (χ2 = 5.44, P = 0.14). Depressed women rated higher stress, mainly in the helplessness domain of the PSS (P = 0.04). Women were shown to have more negative inferential feedback and attribute their hopelessness to more stable and global causes when compared with men (P = 0.04). Conclusion: Depressed women perceive more stress and receive more negative feedback, than men, to negative life events. Women attribute their hopelessness to more stable and global causes when compared with men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed with the objective of determining hopelessness and perception of illness in cancer patients. This was a descriptive and regressional study. The study was performed between January and June 2014 on 105 outpatients at the oncology clinic of Manisa Government Hospital in Turkey's western. A patient information form, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the illness perception questionnaire were used to collect data, and data analysis was performed using the program Statistical Package for Social Sciences 15.0. Percentages, t test, Kruskal–Wallis, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation were used in the evaluation of research data. The hopelessness levels of cancer patients participating in the study were at a medium level. As patients' scores on the hopelessness scale and its subscales increase, so their illness perception scores also increase. The hopelessness levels of patients whose illness perception was good were lower; that is, as patients' hopelessness levels fell, their illness perceptions and view of their illness were affected in a positive way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will compare and contrast the author's theory of Habitual Boredom with a phenomenological account of Unipolar Depression. The habitually bored show more external ambivalence, passive avoidance, and shame, as well as a tendency toward passive hope and identity confusion. The depressed show more internal ambivalence, willful (but futile) determination, and guilt as well as tendency toward hopelessness and identity objectification. The article also discusses some of the experiential similarities and developmental differences between the two phenomenon as well as some aspects of the defensive structure that initially prevents the bored from becoming depressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hopelessness is present in 27% of patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD), can persist for 12 months and is associated with lack of physical activity (PA). No interventions have been tested to increase PA in IHD patients who report hopelessness. This study evaluated the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of the Heart Up! intervention, designed to reduce hopelessness through enhanced PA in IHD patients. It was hypothesised that increased PA would be identified in the intervention group. Setting: Patients were recruited from a large teaching hospital in the Midwestern USA. Data collection occurred in the patient's home at 1 and 8 weeks after hospital discharge. Methods: A three-group design was used. Eligible patients were randomised to (1) motivational social support (MSS) from a nurse, (2) MSS from a nurse with social support from a significant other support (SOS) or (3) control. MSS-only and MSS-SOS recipients received motivational interviewing followed by 6 weeks of social support text messages from a nurse. MSS-SOS participants additionally received social support text messages from a significant other. Control participants received the usual care. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment and retention rates, patient acceptability and patient satisfaction. An accelerometer measured PA. Results: Of the 156 patients screened for the study, 43 met the inclusion criteria. Of eligible patients, 69.8% (n = 30) enrolled and 67% (n = 20) completed the study. Patients in the MSS and MSS-SOS groups expressed satisfaction with the intervention components (86% with motivational interviewing, 77% with nurse texts and 100% with significant other texts). Although differences were not statistically significant, a medium effect size for change in PA was identified in the MSS-SOS group compared to the other two groups. Conclusion: Study findings demonstrate the feasibility of the Heart Up! intervention and support testing its efficacy in a randomised controlled trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extended the literature by examining whether three profiles of depression predicted breast cancer status. In 1076 women of the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, depression status and hopelessness were measured at baseline and breast cancer status was ascertained 24 years later. Double depression, but not major depression or dysthymia, was associated with breast cancer. Hopelessness predicted fewer new cases of breast cancer. When double depression and hopelessness were simultaneously entered as predictors, the regression weights of both predictors increased. The role of severe and extended duration depression as well as possible explanations for unexpected findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a large and diverse literature on the concept of hope in health care. This literature covers a broad spectrum of perspectives, from philosophical, conceptual, and theoretical analysis through to attempts at measuring the concept of hope with differing health care users. Aims: To explore the concept of hope through the secondary analysis of existing data sets, with the intention of understanding hope in the context of person-centeredness. Research Question: What is the experience of hope among service users and informal carers in different health care contexts? Method: Secondary analysis of data derived from three research studies. Findings: We identified four key themes that together illustrate what we describe as a kaleidoscope of hope, reinforcing the view that there is no one presentation of hope and that practitioners must engage authentically with service users to determine the most effective and appropriate intervention strategies. Conclusions: Hope is not a singular phenomenon, and in the context of person-centered practice there is a need for practitioners to engage authentically with service users and listen carefully to what may bring hope for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored the differences between adult male prisoners with and without a history of suicidal behavior on adult attachment dimensions, coping styles, and hopelessness. The role of adult attachment and coping styles as predictors of hopelessness was also explored. The sample included 206 male prisoners from two Category B prisons in the United Kingdom. The Attachment Styles Questionnaire (ASQ), Coping Styles Questionnaire (CSQ-3), and Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) measured attachment, coping, and hopelessness. Prisoners with a history of suicidal behavior reported significantly higher levels of attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and maladaptive coping strategies. Elevated levels of attachment difficulties and maladaptive coping styles were associated with heightened levels of hopelessness. Emotional coping strategies mediated the influence of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance on hopelessness. The study highlights the potential utility of adult attachment conceptualizations and coping skills interventions with prisoners at risk of suicidal behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are highly prevalent in prisoners. Nevertheless, there have been scant attempts to understand suicidality in prisoners from a psychological perspective. The goals of this study were to characterize a prison sample at high risk of suicide in terms of hopelessness, defeat, and entrapment, and to determine which of these variables predicted suicidality. A cross-sectional questionnaire design was used. Measures of hopelessness, defeat, entrapment, and suicide probability were administered to male prison inmates in the United Kingdom. Defeat and hopelessness, especially the affective component of hopelessness, predicted the probability of suicide in this sample, but entrapment was not a significant predictor. Suicide risk assessment procedures in prisons tend to be sparse. Such procedures would benefit from using measures of hopelessness and defeat. Future work should aim to understand how the impact of these psychological constructs on suicidality in prisoners can be attenuated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to describe how people living with HIV (PLWH) perceive hope and illustrate implications for HIV care and treatment. This is a qualitative study done to explore perceptions and meanings of hope among PLWH attending care and treatment clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In all, 10 focus group discussions and 9 in-depth interviews were conducted. People living with HIV described the following 3 dimensions of hope: cognitive, positive emotions, and normalization. Being cognizant of the effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment (ART) often led to positive emotions, such as feeling comforted or strengthened, which in turn was related to positive actions toward normalizing life. Improved treatment outcomes facilitated hope, while persistent health problems, such as ART side effects, were sources of negative emotions contributing to loss of hope among PLWH. Hope motivated positive health-seeking behaviors, including adherence to ART, and this may guide interventions to help PLWH cope and live positively with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between depression, hopelessness and life satisfaction with death anxiety and the determinants of death anxiety in individuals who have had COVID-19. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 402 adult individuals. Personal Information Form, Thorson-Powell Death Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were used to collect the data. In the study, a positive relationship was found between death anxiety and depression and hopelessness, and a negative relationship was found between death anxiety and life satisfaction (p < .001). As a result, being female, having undergraduate or graduate education, having high levels of depression and hopelessness and low life satisfaction were found to be determinants of death anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desistance is generally presented in a positive light, with themes of ‘making good’ and generativity recurring in the literature. This article reports on two qualitative studies exploring the desistance journeys of two different groups of ex-offenders, drawing attention to the pains of this process. It examines the possible consequences of these ‘pains of desistance’ and how they are linked to three spheres of desistance: act-desistance; identity desistance; and relational desistance. The attempt to achieve act-desistance often led to the pain of isolation for our interviewees, while the clash between the need to achieve identity desistance and a lack of relational desistance (especially on the meso- and macro-levels) meant that they suffered the pain of goal failure. The pains of isolation and goal failure combined to lead to the further pain of hopelessness. Those interviewed were indeed ‘going straight’, but taking this path led many to a limited and often diminished life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether a workplace educational low back pain intervention had an effect on sick leave at the individual level and to identify possible predictors of the effect of intervention. Methods: Work units in two municipalities were cluster randomized to (a) educational meetings and peer support (45 units), (b) educational meetings, peer support and access to an outpatient clinic if needed (48 units) or (c) a control group (42 units). Both intervention groups attended educational meetings with information about back pain based on a non-injury model. A peer adviser was selected from among their colleagues. The outcome was days of sick leave at the individual level at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, adjusting for previous sick leave at the unit level. As a result of similar effects on sick leave, the two intervention groups were merged (n=646) and compared with the control group (n=211). The predictors were different levels of belief in back pain myths, pain-related fear, helplessness/hopelessness and low back pain. Results: The intervention group had significantly less days of sick leave at the three month (4.9 days, p=0.001) and six month (4.4 days, p=0.016) follow ups compared with the control group. At three months, a low level of pain-related fear was the only predictor for the intervention effect (8.0 less days of sick leave, p<0.001). Conclusions: A workplace educational back pain intervention had an effect on sick leave for up to six months. A low score on pain-related fear was a predictor of the intervention effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has demonstrated a link between internalizing factors and bullying perpetration and peer victimization; however, few studies have examined predictors of cognitive and psychosocial factors, such as locus of control and hopelessness. The current study examined cognitive and psychosocial factors in bullying perpetration and peer victimization in a sample of 469 middle school students. A mediator model of hopelessness was also investigated. Students involved in bullying reported a greater external locus of control compared with peers who were not involved in bullying. Bully-victims endorsed the highest externality. Results showed that hopelessness fully mediated the relationship between verbal/relational victimization and external locus of control for the victim group, but not the bully-victim group. Implications for bullying prevention and intervention efforts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The defeat-entrapment theory has been proposed to explain both depression and suicidal behavior. Methods: Measures of defeat, entrapment, hopelessness and depression were administered to Iranian and American students. Results: Scores on measures of hopelessness, defeat, entrapment and depression were strongly associated. In both nations, scores for defeat and entrapment were stronger predictors of past suicidal ideation and attempted suicide. Overall, the Iranian respondents had higher scores on the measures of defeat, entrapment, hopelessness and depression, but less often reported prior suicidal ideation. Conclusion: The defeat-entrapment theory of depression and suicidal behavior appears to have validity in both Iran and America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the borders between natural life and death have been blurred by technique, in Western societies discussions and practices regarding death have became infinite. The studies in this area include all the most important topics of psychology, sociology, and philosophy. From a psychological point of view, the research has created many instruments for measuring death anxiety, fear, threat, depression, meaning of life, and among them, the profiles on death attitude are innumerable. This research presents the validation of a new attitude scale, which conjoins psychological dimensions and philosophical ones. This scale may be useful because the ontological idea of death has not yet been considered in research. The hypothesis is that it is different to believe that death is absolute annihilation than to be sure that it is a passage or a transformation of one’s personal identity. The hypothetical difference results in a greater inner suffering caused by the former idea. In order to measure this possibility, we analyzed the correlation between Testoni Death Representation Scale and Beck Hopelessness Scale, Suicide Resilience Inventory-25, and Reasons for Living Inventory. The results confirm the hypothesis, showing that the representation of death as total annihilation is positively correlated to hopelessness and negatively correlated to resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Factors such as socioeconomic status (SES) and hopelessness, a dimension of cognitive vulnerability, have been associated with the onset of depression and anxiety pathology in primarily European American study samples. The purpose of this brief article was to examine a main effect of SES and mediating effect of hopelessness in relation to acute symptoms of depression and anxiety in African American college students. Vulnerability-stress theories suggest that cognitively vulnerable individuals are more likely to develop depressive symptoms than individuals without cognitive vulnerabilities. Participants were 133 African American college students who completed self-report measures of hopelessness and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results revealed that the relationship between participants’ SES and participants’ symptoms of depression was partially mediated by self-reported hopelessness. The relationship between participants’ SES and anxiety symptoms was fully mediated by their level of hopelessness. However, the direction of the findings was unexpected in that higher SES was associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety and also increased hopelessness. Future research and considerations for intervention are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hopelessness is predictive in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) and can persist in patients after a CHD event, adversely affecting recovery. Hopelessness may represent a temporary response (state) or a chronic outlook (trait). Common hopelessness measures fail to differentiate state from trait hopelessness, a potentially important differentiation for treatment. The State–Trait Hopelessness Scale (STHS) was developed and pilot tested with two groups of college students (n = 39 and 190) and patients with CHD (n = 44). The instrument was then used with 520 patients, confirming reliability (Cronbach’s α) for the State (.88) and Trait (.91) subscales and concurrent and predictive validity. Separate exploratory factor analyses showed two factors (hopelessness present or hopelessness absent) for the State and Trait subscales, accounting for 58.9% and 57.3% of variance, respectively. These findings support future use of the tool in clinical settings and in intervention studies focused on hopelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examined the relationship between various aspects of religiosity (experiencing the existence of God, performing namaz (a specific prayer performed five times a day in Islam), fasting, praying, and abjuration) on depression severity and hopeless-ness in Turkish-Muslim university students. The Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Hopelessness Scale was administered to 634 students. The findings showed internal experience of the existence of God and frequency of performing namaz differentiated depression severity. As having an internal connection to God reduced depression severity, increased frequency of performing namaz was associated with higher levels of depressive symptomatology. Depression severity varied according to the fasting habits in a nonlinear fashion. Individuals who never fasted had the lowest levels of depression, whereas individuals who sometimes fasted had the highest levels of depression. Depression severity did not vary according to the frequency of prayer and abjuration. A decrease in hopelessness was observed among individuals who experienced a strong connection to God. Those who never prayed and always prayed showed comparable levels of hopelessness. Levels of hopelessness did not vary according to the frequency of performing namaz, fasting, or abjuration. The findings partially indicated that intrinsically religious individuals had lower levels of depression and hopelessness. No linear relationships were observed between depression and hopelessness and patterns of performing namaz, fasting, praying, and abjuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]