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Background and Objectives: The negative effects of the financial crisis of 2007/2008 are still being felt today as seen in the relatively high levels of youth unemployment in many countries. As a result, many young people experience high stress levels when facing an uncertain and precarious job market.Methods: Participants were 178 undergraduate students (79% female; Mage = 20.00, SD = 4.29) who were randomly assigned to read a news article that documented an uncertain financial future with limited job opportunities (the economic stress group), or an article that documented a tour of the Royal Canadian Mint (the control group). The role of self-compassion was explored in its relation to distress.Results: Correlational and hierarchical regression analyses indicated that, in the economic stress group, self-compassion negatively predicted anxiety above and beyond self-esteem and familial support. In the control group, however, self-compassion did not negatively predict anxiety above and beyond self-esteem and familial support. Additionally, structural equation modeling indicated that self-compassion was directly associated with lower anxiety and indirectly related to anxiety through perceptions of financial threat.Conclusions: These findings suggest that self-compassion may be an important resource that is associated with less distress during times of economic threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study tested the extent to which perceived economic hardship is associated with psychological distress (suicide ideation and confusion) after controlling for personal characteristics. It also explored whether perceived financial threat (i.e., fearful anxious-uncertainty about the stability and security of one’s personal financial situation) mediates the relationship between economic hardship and psychological distress outcomes. The theoretical model was tested in a sample of Canadian students (n = 211) and was validated in a community sample of employed Portuguese adults (n = 161). In both samples, the fit of the model was good. Parameter estimates indicated that greater experience of economic hardship increased with financial threat, which in turn increased with levels of suicide ideation and confusion. We discuss the practical implications of these results, such as for programs aimed at alleviating the burden of financial hardship, in our concluding remarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined predictors of psychological wellbeing in a sample of 181 Turkish immigrants living in Toronto, Canada. Depression and life satisfaction were employed as indicators of psychological wellbeing. A model was put forth in which proactive coping and optimism were hypothesized to predict negatively to depression and positively to life satisfaction. Proactive coping consists of efforts to build up general resources that facilitate the achievement of challenging goals and promotes personal growth and was expected to contribute to the prediction of psychological wellbeing over and above the effects of optimism. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted with life satisfaction and depression as criteria and demographics, optimism, and proactive coping as predictors. In general, the results supported the hypotheses; the model fit better when the criterion was depression than when life satisfaction was the criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which examined work-family conflict (WFC), family-work conflict (FWC) and psychological burnout among nursing staff during hospital restructuring. Information on restructuring and downsizing in health care; Predictors of WFC and FWC; Predictors of psychological burnout components.

Discusses the effects of burnout on health. Definition of burnout; Relationship between burnout and gender; Association of burnout with employment trends.

This study examined relationships between hospital restructuring and downsizing stressors, work-family and family-work conflict, job and family satisfaction and psychological well-being. Data were collected from 686 hospital-based nurses, the vast majority women, using anonymous questionnaires. Two research models hypothesizing both direct and indirect effects among these variables were tested using LISREL. Considerable support was found for these models. Restructuring and downsizing stressors had significant relationships with work-family conflict but not family-work conflict. Work-family conflict and family-work conflict, in turn, had significant relationships with psychological health. These results indicate that those responsible for the implementation of organizational restructuring and downsizing must be sensitive to the larger family and community effects of these initiatives. Fortunately, a growing body of literature on best practice provides considerable guidance on how to more effectively plan and manage these transitions. Este estudio examina relaciones entre estresores relacionados a la reestructuracion y la reduccion de hospitales, el conflicto trabajo-familia y el conflicto familia-trabajo, la satisfaccion laboral y familiar, y el bienestar sicologico. Utilizando cuestionarios anonimos, se recopilaron datos de 686 enfermeros, la gran mayoria de ellos mujeres, con base en hospitales, Se utilizo LISREL para poner a prueba dos modelos de investigacion que plantearon como hipotesis efectos directos e indirectos entre estas variables. Se encontro considerable apoyo para estos modelos. Los estresores, reestructuracion y reduccion, se relacionaron significamente con el conflicto trabajo-familia pero no con el conflicto familia-trbajo. A su vez, el conflicto trabajo-familia y el conflicto familia-trabajo se relacionaron significamente con el bienestar sicologico. Estos resultados indican que los responsables de la implementacion de la reestructuracion y reduccion organizativas deben estar muy conscientes de los efectos familiares y comunitarias de estas iniciativas. Afortunadamente, una literatura cada vez mayor sobre la mejor practica nos proporciona consejos importantes sobre como mejor planificar y dirigir estas transiciones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which examined the effects of perceived hospital and union support on work satisfaction and psychological well-being of nursing staff during a period of hospital restructuring and downsizing. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion on the study.

Examines downsizing and restructuring within a stress-and-coping framework. Psychological effects of downsizing; Discussion on individual resources, stress and downsizing; Overview on social support and downsizing.

Deals with a study which examined the psychological reactions of nurses in response to stressors resulting from hospital downsizing. Psychological impact of the nurse's workload; Method; Results; Discussion.

Focuses on a study which examined whether a perceived self-efficacy can be measured as part of an interactive computer session while surfing the Internet. Measurement of generalized perceived self-efficacy in different cultures; Method: Results; Discussion.

This longitudinal study examined antecedents and consequences of psychological burnout among 362 teachers and school administrators. Antecedents included red tape, disruptive students and lack of supervisor support. Consequences of burnout included heart symptoms and depressive mood. Respondents completed questionnaires sent to them at their schools at two points in time, one year apart. LISREL analyses indicated that the predictors had significant relationships with burnout levels one year later, and that burnout served as a mediator between the predictors and emotional and physical health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study was conducted in order to examine the buffering effect on burnout of various forms of social support from different sources. Respondents in the study were female and male teachers. Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) composed of three subscales: Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization and Lack of Personal Accomplishment. Social support was assessed by a modified version of the Caplan scale. The effects of three types of support were assessed: Informational, practical and emotional support from three sources — the teacher's supervisor, co-workers and friends and family. Examination of multiple regression interaction terms between support and sources of stress indicate that, of the three sources of social support, a teacher's co-workers are the most important buffers of emotional exhaustion. There was a buffering effect of informational support on emotional exhaustion. When emotional support functioned as a buffer, the effects were observed in depersonalization. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of improvement of teachers' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]