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Introduction: Perceived responsiveness, or the extent to which one feels understood, validated and cared for by close others, plays a crucial role in people's well‐being. Can this interpersonal process also protect people at risk? We assessed whether fluctuations in suicidal ideation were associated with fluctuations in the degree of perceived responsiveness that psychiatric patients (admitted in the context of suicide or indicating suicidal ideation) experienced in daily interactions immediately after discharge. Methods: Fifty‐seven patients reported on suicidal ideation (5 times a day) and perceived responsiveness (daily) for four consecutive weeks. The effects of established risk factors—thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and hopelessness—were assessed as well. Results: The more patients felt that close others had been responsive to them, the less suicidal ideation they reported. At low levels of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, or hopelessness, perceived responsiveness seemed to play a protective role, negatively co‐occurring with suicidal ideation. When thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and hopelessness were high, perceived responsiveness did not have an effect. Conclusion: Perceived responsiveness could be a protective factor for suicidal ideation for people at risk only when they are experiencing low levels of negative perceptions. When experiencing highly negative perceptions, however, perceived responsiveness seems to matter less. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although major depression is the disorder most frequently associated with suicidal behavior, it is unclear that major depressive disorder patients may develop suicidal ideation. Basic affective system theory may provide a novel and beneficial viewpoint in this field. The goal of this study was to investigate the basic affective system in relation to suicidal ideation in individuals with depression. Method: The study population comprised 160 participants who had been formally diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Participants were divided into two groups according to whether they had suicide ideation (depression with suicide [DS]) (N = 93) or not (depression with no suicidal ideation [DNS]) (N = 67). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Suicide Probability Scale (SPS), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scale (ANPS) were applied. Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) 24 and the SPSS macroprocess, which were specifically developed for assessing complex models including serial mediators, were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean age of all participants was 31.1 ± 11 years, and most of them were female (65%). The DS group had a higher family history of psychiatric medication use and suicidal attempts. In addition, BDI, BHS, and SPS total scores were higher, as well as ANGER subscale scores were higher in the DS group. In mediation analysis, the ANGER subscale significantly predicted the presence of suicide ideation. We observed a direct effect of the ANGER subscale score on suicide ideation as well as an indirect effect of the ANGER subscale score on suicidal ideation via depression severity. Conclusion: Higher scores on ANGER are associated with suicidal ideation. Neurobiological correlates, including the ANGER system, may be promising in understanding suicidal behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family members and loved ones of individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) can experience high levels of distress. Types of distress reported by family members include burden, grief, depression, guilt, and powerlessness. Hopelessness is a construct that has received little attention despite its potential relevance for this group. This study sought to examine, and assess potential change in, hopelessness among individuals attending a 12‐week Family Connections (FC) program. Participants were 75 family members, 29 men and 46 women. Most participants were parents (n = 43; 57%). Data were collected at four time‐points and outcomes included hopelessness, burden, and grief. The majority of participants (82%) reported scores within the ‘minimal’ or ‘mild’ ranges of hopelessness before the FC program. A greater proportion of participants in the 60–70 year age group reported scores in the ‘moderate/severe’ category when compared with younger age groups. The mean hopelessness score for all participants before FC was 4.61 which is considered mild. There was no significant difference in hopelessness scores after program completion. Although mean scores increased at both 3‐month and 12‐month follow‐ups, they continued to remain in the ‘mild’ category. Hopelessness scores in the current study are similar to those reported in previous studies, although no significant change was found after FC completion. Concepts of personal vs. situational hopelessness should be considered, as well as the relevance of assessing personal hopelessness for this participant group. Further research is needed to determine the relationship between family member hopelessness and index client wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study addresses the suicide risk predicting challenge by exploring the predictive ability of machine learning (ML) models integrated with theory‐driven psychological risk factors in real‐time crisis hotline chats. More importantly, we aimed to understand the specific theory‐driven factors contributing to the ML prediction of suicide risk. Method: The dataset consisted of 17,654 crisis hotline chat sessions classified dichotomously as suicidal or not. We created a suicide risk factors‐based lexicon (SRF), which encompasses language representations of key risk factors derived from the main suicide theories. The ML model (Suicide Risk‐Bert; SR‐BERT) was trained using natural language processing techniques incorporating the SRF lexicon. Results: The results showed that SR‐BERT outperformed the other models. Logistic regression analysis identified several theory‐driven risk factors significantly associated with suicide risk, the prominent ones were hopelessness, history of suicide, self‐harm, and thwarted belongingness. Limitations: The lexicon is limited in its ability to fully encompass all theoretical concepts related to suicide risk, nor to all the language expressions of each concept. The classification of chats was determined by trained but non‐professionals in metal health. Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of how ML models combined with theory‐driven knowledge can improve suicide risk prediction. Our study underscores the importance of hopelessness and thwarted belongingness in suicide risk and thus their role in suicide prevention and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its impact on mental health and well‐being, fear of happiness is beginning to receive more attention in research. This study, conducted in Hungary, explored the relationship between fear of happiness, perfectionism, loneliness, hopelessness, and academic burnout. Participants aged between 18 and 35 years (N = 1,148, M = 22 years, SD = 4.5) completed an online questionnaire that included self‐report measures of these constructs. In the present study, males showed higher levels of fear of happiness and perfectionism than did females. Analyses also revealed that both adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism, academic burnout, loneliness, and hopelessness were positively related to fear of happiness. In multiple regression analysis, gender had a positive and age had a negative role in the levels of fear of happiness. Maladaptive perfectionism, academic burnout, loneliness, and hopelessness were positive predictors, while adaptive perfectionism almost reached statistical significance. These findings highlight the predictive role of previously unexplored variables in fear of happiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This research aimed to determine the level of fear, anxiety, and hopelessness of Covid‐19 in young adolescents' post Covid‐19 period. Design and Samples: Young adolescents in the 17–24 age group were included in this study, which was conducted in a descriptive‐cross‐sectional design. Measurements: Sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire form and Coronavirus (Covid‐19) Fear Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale were used to collect data. Results: 90.8% of the participants had been vaccinated, 26.9% had previously caught in Covid‐19, and 10.3% of those who had been caught in the disease had a severe course. 10.7% of young adolescents had to take medicines, 56.4% had a family history of Covid‐19, and 18.7% had lost a relative as a result of Covid‐19, was found. The level of fear, anxiety and hopelessness was higher among women, first‐grade students, those who did not receive the Covid‐19 vaccine, those who have caught in Covid‐19 before, and those who have lost a family due to Covid‐19. Conclusion: It is thought that the increase in the awareness level of young adolescents about Covid‐19 improves preventive health behaviors and enables the development of positive behaviors related to the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: When people feel hopeless, they are more likely to think about suicide. Prior work has shown that both hopelessness and suicidal ideation fluctuate over time; however, there are likely other contextual factors underlying increased hopelessness and suicidal ideation in moments of time. Method: In two studies using retrospective recall of a real event (Study 1, n = 268) and an experimental imaginal vignette design (Study 2, n = 356), we examined self‐criticism and self‐efficacy for self‐regulation as crucial factors underlying hopelessness in people vulnerable to suicidal ideation. Results: In both studies, greater state self‐criticism and lower state self‐efficacy were associated with greater hopelessness. In Study 2, we also measured suicidal ideation, and found that higher self‐criticism and lower self‐efficacy for self‐regulation scores were associated with greater suicidal ideation, even when controlling for negative affect. Evidence of an interaction between self‐criticism and self‐efficacy was found with scores in Study 2 but not in Study 1; specifically, lower self‐efficacy was associated with greater ideation when self‐criticism was high but not when self‐criticism was low. Conclusion: Overall, results support self‐criticism and self‐efficacy as important contextual factors underlying hopelessness and suicidal ideation and attending to the potential interactive effect between self‐criticism and self‐efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is the capacity to experience hope central to our ability to entertain desirable future possibilities in thought? The ability to project oneself forward in time, or to entertain vivid positive episodic future thoughts, is impaired in patients with clinical depression. In this article, I consider the causal relation between, on the one hand, the loss of the affective experience of hope in depressed patients, and on the other hand, the reduced ability to generate and entertain positive episodic future thinking. I suggest that findings in the philosophy of emotion may shed light on this causal relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the need for education and assessment of psycho-existential symptoms in cancer care to prevent suicidality. The authors highlight the high prevalence of suicidal thoughts and the desire to hasten death among oncology patients, often accompanied by existential distress. They emphasize the importance of addressing deficits in knowledge and expertise among health professionals in responding to suicidal patients. The article also explores the role of screening for psycho-existential symptoms and identifies key symptoms, such as hopelessness and pointlessness, as central targets for intervention. The authors suggest that meaning-centered therapies can be effective in addressing these symptoms. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing the psychological and existential challenges faced by cancer patients to prevent suicidality. [Extracted from the article]

The intervention process for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is inextricably associated with their parents' mental health problems, such as hopelessness, which may adversely affect resilience and indirectly impact the effectiveness of interventions for their children. Hence, the motivation to help parents of children with ASD reduce hopelessness prompted us to conduct the present study and explore the interrelationship between hopelessness symptoms and resilience. This study evaluated hopelessness and resilience using the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC). Participants met the criteria for their children's ASD diagnosis by a psychiatrist (N = 448; 54.69% mothers; Meanage = 34.59 years, SDage = 4.94 years). Moreover, we used symptom network analysis to examine the variability in network structure between fathers and mothers. The flow function was applied to examine which hopelessness symptoms were directly or indirectly associated with resilience. The results showed that #BHS11 (i.e., unpleasantness‐ahead) was the central symptom found in the network structure for all parents and fathers, while #BHS17 (i.e., no‐future‐satisfaction) was the central symptom in the network structure for mothers. Additionally, #BHS6 ([NOT] expect‐to‐succeed) was directly and positively associated with resilience in all three network structures (i.e., all parents, fathers, and mothers). The results of the present study provide evidence that influential symptoms should be addressed and offer guidance for further interventions to reduce hopelessness and enhance resilience among parents of children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Interpersonal factors play an important role in the etiology and treatment of depression. Social support derives from compassionate words and helpful actions provided by family, friends or a significant other. The present study was designed to examine various sources of social support as they relate to the severity of depressive symptoms, hopelessness and suicide risk in adult psychiatric outpatients. Method: Participants were recruited through mental health clinics at a veteran's affairs medical centre. A total of 96 depressed patients were assessed using a diagnostic interview and self‐report measures of depression severity, hopelessness and social support. Among these depressed adults, 45.8% had attempted suicide at least once. Social support variables were compared between suicide attempters and non‐attempters to better understand the relationship between social support and suicidal behaviour. Results: Depression severity and hopelessness were both significantly associated with lower levels of social support in multiple areas. Individuals with a history of suicide attempt reported lower levels of available support as compared to those who have never attempted suicide. Conclusion: Deficient social relationships increase the risk of suicide in depressed patients, exceeding the impact of depression alone on suicide risk. The lack of social support may play a vital role in feelings of hopelessness and isolation that contribute to a suicidal crisis. Psychosocial treatment should be considered to reduce the risk of suicide and severity of depression by strengthening social support and bolstering interpersonal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death, especially in adolescents and young adults. This study aimed to perform a structural test of the three‐step theory (3ST) of suicide in the Iranian population. Methods: The research population included Iranian people over 18 years of age. The participants were 600 persons selected through convenience sampling. The data in this study were collected using the Suicide Attempt Questionnaire, the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire‐Revised, the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, the Impulsiveness Scale, the Depressive Symptom‐Suicidality Subscale, ACSSACSS‐Fearlessness About Death, the Psychache Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Suicide Capacity Scale. Results: Data analysis showed that pain and positive helplessness (β = 0.45; p < 0.05) positively interact with suicidal behavior. Moreover, pain and negative helplessness significantly interact with suicidal ideation (β = 0.65; p < 0.001). The data also showed that the absence of interpersonal needs plays a protective role. A comparison of the three suicidal capacity factors indicated that only the practical capacity differentiates the ideation and action subgroups. Conclusions: The insights from this study provide a clear picture of the underlying causes of suicidal ideation and behavior and can help counselors and other human health professionals working with people with suicidal thoughts and behavior to prevent suicide attempts. Following functional models, they can also make serious efforts to perform therapeutic interventions to eliminate or reduce suicidal thoughts and feelings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the current study was to examine the association between body image and hopelessness as well as the roles of aging self‐stereotypes and marital status in this association in older adults. There were 821 older adults who participated in the present study and completed questionaries about body image, aging self‐stereotypes, hopelessness, demographic information (age and sex), marital status, and health status. The results showed that body image was associated with hopelessness in older adults, and aging self‐stereotypes mediated the link between body image and hopelessness. Moderated analyses further indicated that the path from body image to aging self‐stereotypes was stronger for single older adults than for those who were married. The results emphasize that older adults' dissatisfaction with their body image can enhance negative aging self‐stereotypes, which then result in more severe hopelessness. Marital relationships can alleviate the negative effect of body image on aging self‐stereotypes in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Interpersonal hopelessness (IH), as outlined in the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, is theorized to include two correlated, distinct constructs: hopelessness about one's thwarted belongingness (IH‐TB) and about perceived burdensomeness on others (IH‐PB). Few studies have explored IH, and none have explored its temporal stability or prospective prediction of suicidal desire. Methods: Undergraduates (N = 43) selectively recruited for past‐2‐week suicidal ideation completed five ecological momentary assessment surveys per day for 10‐days. Intraclass correlations, root mean square of successive differences, and multilevel models were used to examine the data and test relationships among predictor variables. Results: IH‐TB and IH‐PB demonstrated greater temporal stability than general hopelessness. IH‐TB, IH‐PB, and their interaction were significant predictors of suicidal desire concurrently and prospectively. IH‐PB was no longer significantly predictive of suicidal desire when adjusting for general hopelessness. Post‐hoc models showed that suicidal desire was not predictive of IH‐TB, IH‐PB, or their interaction suggesting the relationship is not recursive. Conclusion: Results showed that interventions aimed at decreasing one's hopelessness specific to TB and PB may be beneficial for decreasing suicidal desire. Future research should seek to replicate these results in larger and more diverse samples and consider the use of shorter ambulatory assessment intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) is a risk factor for the pathogenesis of depressive disorders. However, it is not clear whether CEM is more strongly related to specific symptoms of depression and whether specific traits or cognitive states may mediate the association between CEM and depressive symptoms. In our cross‐sectional study, including 72 patients with a current depressive episode, we investigated if CEM is specifically related to cognitive symptoms of depression. In addition, we evaluated whether CEM also influences the extent of rumination and hopelessness in adult depression. Using multiple regression analyses, we tested if CEM and rumination could predict cognitive symptoms and hopelessness. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to examine if rumination mediates the relationship between CEM and cognitive symptoms. Correlational analyses revealed that CEM was related to cognitive symptoms, rumination, and hopelessness. The regression analyses showed that only rumination was a significant predictor for cognitive symptoms and hopelessness, whereas CEM could not significantly predict the two constructs. SEM revealed that the association between CEM and cognitive symptoms in adult depression was mediated by rumination. Our results thereby suggest that CEM is a risk factor particularly for the development of cognitive symptoms as well as rumination and hopelessness in adult depression. However, the influence on cognitive symptomatology seems to be indirectly regulated by rumination. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of processes that promote depression, as well as provide guidance for more targeted treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extant team affect literature is silent on how team hopelessness may impact team functioning and, more importantly, how leaders may help to regulate it. Relying on the Appraisal‐Tendency Framework of emotion, this paper examines the effect of team hopelessness on team performance, as well as its underlying mechanism, collective efficacy. It also explores how leaders' use of two different interpersonal emotion management (IEM) strategies can moderate this relationship. Across two field studies involving 80 and 170 workplace teams, respectively, we consistently find that team hopelessness negatively impacts team performance through reduced collective efficacy. Moreover, leaders' use of a problem‐focused IEM strategy weakens the negative relationship between team hopelessness and team performance via collective efficacy, while their use of an emotion‐focused IEM strategy strengthens it. Our research highlights the detrimental effect of team hopelessness on team functioning and the various consequences of different leader IEM strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I discuss the origins of the capacity to hope, its roots in the infant's experience of a loving and secure relationship with their caregiver. The infant's awareness of his or her own mental and emotional agency can gradually develop and so the capacity to channel desires and impulses, and to expect an attuned response. I suggest that the failure of this intersubjective developmental process gives rise to an enduring sense of hopelessness, an expectation that emotional needs and desires will never be met. The key role that play has in the development of hope is discussed from psychoanalytic and neuroscientific perspectives. The impact that a patient's persistent hopelessness has for psychoanalytic psychotherapy practice is explored, its function as a defence against any new, spontaneous relational experience which might activate trust and hope. Internal and external change and transference dependence are resisted as the patient fears becoming vulnerable to being abandoned or rejected by the analyst. I explore some socio‐political aspects of hope and hopelessness, such as the belief that people deserve their success in society and the self‐blame, shame and hopelessness that result from an experience of economic or social failure. I discuss the possibility that hope in human relationship and in our humanity can survive in the face of overwhelming catastrophe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The COVID‐19 pandemic has caused new conditions such as nationwide quarantine, a dramatic decrease in‐person interaction and an increase in death anxiety for governments and people. The pandemic of an unpredictable disease with no definite treatment can pose physical and psychological risks to individuals. The present study aimed to investigate the state of anxiety, coping styles, and hopelessness of people in the lockdown period and reopening in Iran. Methods: In this national population‐based cross‐sectional study, a total of 1191 people who had access to social networks from all over Iran completed the anxiety, hopelessness, and coping style questionnaires online using the snowball sampling method. Analysis was conducted using Stata software version 12 (Stat Corp). The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: The results of the study suggested that women experienced higher levels of anxiety than men, and, in stressful situations, women were more likely to use emotion‐focused coping styles, while men frequently used problem‐focused coping styles. The majority of participants reported moderate levels of anxiety and low levels of hopelessness (64.04%). The results of multiple linear regression show any level of anxiety mild (ß = 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32–0.85), moderate (ß = 0.72, 95% CI: 1.36–1.08), and severe (ß = 2, 95% CI: 1.36–2.56) relative to the none anxiety significantly increase the hopelessness, Furthermore, showing a negative significant adjusted association with the problem‐focused coping style (ß = −0.06, 95% CI: −0.07 to −0.04), and a significant positive association with the emotion‐focused coping style (ß = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.02–0.06). Conclusion: Our findings could be used to prevent psychological damage in societies and suggested addressing problem‐focused coping style, especially during a crisis, and providing people with preprepared mental health protocols at this pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The COVID‐19 pandemic presented both serious health threats and economic hardships, which were reflected in increased rates of mood and anxiety symptoms. We examined two separate distress domains, health worries and work distress, as predictors of mood and anxiety symptoms. Additionally, we considered whether these two domains might be uniquely associated with the development of dysfunctional beliefs, as a proposed mechanism to account for increased symptoms during the pandemic. Two separate models were considered to examine if associations remained stable through the first year of the pandemic. Methods: Participants (N = 2152) were a representative sample of Florida adults. They completed online surveys at three waves: Wave 1 (April–May 2020), Wave 2 (May–June 2020), and Wave 3 (December–February 2021). Participants completed measures of COVID‐19 health worry and work distress, anxiety, and depression. They also reported their level of hopelessness and helplessness (indices of dysfunctional beliefs). Results: In an early pandemic model (Wave 1‐Wave 2), health worry directly and indirectly predicted anxiety and depression via dysfunctional beliefs. In contrast, work distress only indirectly predicted both outcomes. In a longer‐term model (Wave 2‐Wave 3), health worry had direct and indirect effects on downstream anxiety but not depression. Pandemic work distress had no effect on depression or dysfunctional beliefs; however, it was associated with less anxiety. Conclusions: Although health worry and work distress predicted later symptoms of anxiety and depression, they appeared to operate through different pathways. These findings provide guidance for the development of more effective interventions to reduce the impact of pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience refers to the process by which individuals use the ability to cope with challenges to successfully adapt to adverse situations, inclining towards the future and hope. The main aim of this study was to analyze the relation between resilience, personality traits, and hopelessness. Furthermore, we conducted comparisons between two age groups: young and older adults. The sample comprised 439 Spanish participants (66.7% women; M = 43.73, SD = 26.41; age range = 18–98 years). The Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, NEO‐Five Factor Inventory, and Beck Hopelessness Scale were used to measure the main study variables. The results revealed a negative relation between resilience and neuroticism, and a positive association with the other personality traits. Additionally, levels of resilience were found to be negatively related to hopelessness. The group of older adults showed significantly lower resilience levels than the young adults, although age was not a significant predictor of resilience. Neuroticism, extraversion, openness, and hopelessness were the only predictors of resilience for the current study. This work contributes to the study of resilience and related factors, by attempting to understand the role of resilience and resistance to risk and how individuals tackle challenges over time, with important implications for mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: During stressful events, we are all trying to cope. We may not be equal depending on our emotional, psychological, and mental states. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, we could try to avoid negative information processing and anxiogenics content to prevent unhealthy thinking processes. One of the processes we can observe regarding our way of thinking and its impact on our psychological well‐being is Metacognition. Methods: We recruited 104 outpatients in 2018. In 2020, during the pandemic, we recruited 216 outpatients and 176 healthy controls. We assessed their level of metacognition with the MCQ30 scale together with Suicidal risk and Hopelessness. Results: All three groups showed significant differences, with the nonclinical sample having higher scores in MCQ30. Regression revealed the different profiles where Hopelessness was the only predictor for the clinical sample, whereas metacognition was an adjunctive predictor of suicidal risk for the nonclinical sample. Conclusion: Our results showed that the COVID‐19 crisis influenced metacognitive levels for the nonclinical sample but not for the clinical population. Moreover, Hopelessness predicted suicide risk for both populations, but Metacognition was also a predictive factor for the nonclinical sample. We conclude with the possible impact of preventive measures based on Metacognitive work that can be created out of these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It is aimed to evaluate the effect of hopelessness on the perceived partner behaviors during Covid‐19 pandemic process in Turkey. Design: Descriptive. Methods: Totally, 486 participants have been included in the study. Findings: It has been found that there is a positive correlation between codependence, disconnection, controlling subdimension and hopelessness in both women and men (p < 0.05). Practice Implications: In the study, the women and men who evaluate their partners as dependent, disconnected and controlling are hopeless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of logotherapy on meaning in life, depression, hopelessness, and suicide ideation in patients with depression. Design and Methods: A quasi‐experimental approach was used and 86 participants were recruited from a psychiatric department in Taiwan. The experimental group received logotherapy for 12 weeks. The control group received depression education as usual. Findings: The results revealed significant differences between and within the groups for meaning in life, depression, hopelessness, and suicide ideation. Practice Implications: Logotherapy was an effective method for increasing meaning in life, reducing the degree of depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation for patients with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the emotional reactions of pregnant women towards the pandemic and to increase awareness of healthcare professionals on this subject. In this descriptive, cross‐sectional, and correlational study, an online questionnaire was applied to 375 pregnant women (n = 375). Data were collected with pregnant information form, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale and Beck Hopelessness Scale. The mean age of the pregnant women was 29.495 ± 4.301, and the mean gestational week was 27.469 ± 7.971. Pregnant women's levels of perceived stress and intolerance to uncertainty were high. There was a moderate positive correlation between stress and uncertainty levels of the women who stated that they experienced mild hopelessness. It is recommended to identify risky groups and provide the necessary psychological support by health professionals during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hopelessness and insomnia remain growing mental health issues worldwide, their relationship has been neglected by international development policies, especially in the countries with rapidly aging population like China. However, there is little conclusive evidence on the mechanisms through which insomnia severity influences hopelessness. Based on previous research regarding the significant associations among fatigue, social support, insomnia and hopelessness, this study aims to investigate the relationship between insomnia and hopelessness as well as how insomnia affects hopelessness through fatigue and social support.Methods: A population-based data including 946 community-dwelling older adults extracted from "Elderly Care Household Survey in 2019" in Beijing were used. The age of the participants ranged from 66 to 97 years old, and 53.3% of the respondents were female. Intercorrelations among insomnia, fatigue, social support and hopelessness were examined. Serial multiple mediation models were analyzed by the bootstrapping method to assess whether fatigue and social support serially mediate the relationship between insomnia and hopelessness.Results: Higher level of insomnia severity (coefficient = 0.0421, p < 0.001), higher level of fatigue (coefficient = 0.0171, p < 0.001), and lower level of social support (coefficient = -0.0320, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with higher level of hopelessness. Fatigue and social support in serial, mediated the relationship between insomnia and hopelessness (total effect: coefficient = 0.0623, 95% CI [0.0466, 0.0780]; total direct effect: coefficient = 0.0421, 95% CI [0.0262, 0.0581]; total indirect effect: coefficient = 0.0202, 95% CI [0.0147, 0.0272]).Conclusions: Improving sleep quality and eliminating fatigue could effectively alleviate the sense of hopelessness among Chinese older adults. In addition, establishing stronger social support brought by social network from family and friends could confer resilience against the negative effects of despair brought by insomnia. Our findings highlighted the mechanism connecting insomnia to hopelessness, which would inspire the future practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cross‐sectional research with adult samples suggests that hopelessness may indirectly affect suicidal ideation (SI) through overall depressive symptom severity. However, particular depressive symptom constellations, rather than overall symptoms, may underlie the association between hopelessness and SI. Yet, the cross‐sectional nature of these studies precludes examination of the temporal associations among these constructs. Methods: Using path analysis, the present study examined whether depression‐related emotional problems mediate the relation between hopelessness and SI in a clinical sample of 110 adolescents over a 6‐month period. The specificity of depression‐related emotional problems as a mediator was also evaluated. Results: After accounting for covariates, results supported the specificity of 3‐month depression‐related emotional problems as a mediator of the association between baseline levels of hopelessness and 6‐month SI. Conclusion: Results suggest that treatment targeted specifically at hopelessness may help reduce depression‐related emotional problems and lower SI, and ultimately, adolescent suicide risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Relatively little research has examined the precise components of hopelessness that increase vulnerability to suicidal thinking. We examined whether certainty about an absence of positive future outcomes (Certainty‐AP) would more strongly predict suicide ideation over time than certainty about negative future outcomes (Certainty‐N). Method: Young adults (N = 208), ages 18–34 (M = 19.08, SD = 2.22), with either recent suicide ideation, suicide attempt history, or past‐year psychiatric diagnosis were assessed four times over 18 months. Results: We used multilevel modeling to assess within‐participant differences in suicide ideation over time. Both Certainty‐AP and Certainty‐N predicted later suicide ideation above and beyond generalized hopelessness and depressive symptoms, when examined in separate models. However, Certainty‐AP emerged as a stronger predictor of suicide ideation than Certainty‐N when examined in the same model. Discussion: These findings suggest that certainty about an absence of positive future outcomes may have a more unique prospective relationship to SI than certainty about the presence of negative future outcomes. We discuss clinical and theoretical implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study tests a conceptual framework guided by the social disorganization theory, which examined whether neighborhood deterioration was correlated with perceived hopelessness, and coping strategies (i.e., defending behavior and a display of a tough demeanor). We also examined whether, within the context of social disadvantage, some coping strategies were correlated with aggressive behavior, which might be associated with peer victimization. The study sample consisted of 502 African American youths in low‐resource communities in Chicago's Southside. Results indicated that neighborhood deterioration was positively associated with hopelessness (B =.138, p =.006), tough demeanor (B =.137, p =.042), and peer victimization (B =.158, p =.011). Also, hopelessness was positively associated with peer victimization (B =.109, p =.025). Defending behavior was positively associated with physical aggression (B =.110, p =.009) and verbal aggression (B =.047, p =.019). Moreover, tough demeanor was also positively associated with physical aggression (B =.217, p <.001) and verbal aggression (B =.169, p <.001). Furthermore, verbal aggression was found to be positively associated with peer victimization (B =.766, p =.019). Overall, findings point to a more nuanced and complex relationship between neighborhood conditions and peer victimization among urban African American youth. An understanding of the coping strategies of urban adolescents in dealing with peer victimization encounters can shed light on the complexities of adolescent peer dynamics in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To examine the body image and hopelessness status of early‐stage breast cancer survivors who received a one‐time dressing change after surgery and were ready to be discharged from a hospital in China. Design: A cross‐sectional study. Methods: Participants were 211 women with breast cancer who had received a one‐time dressing change postsurgery. Spearman's correlation and structural equation modelling were used for data analysis. Results: Participants in the 35–45 age group and those who underwent bilateral mastectomy presented higher scores for hopelessness. Married participants showed lower scores for the feelings about the future subscale compared to other subscales. Body image was significantly and positively associated with and had a positive effect on hopelessness. Women with a more positive appraisal of their body image tended to report lower levels of hopelessness. Healthcare providers should evaluate patients' distress levels after a mastectomy to identify women who may require early psychosocial intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Children and adolescents who are victimized by their peers are at an elevated risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Bullying and suicide are major public health concerns; however, studies have not fully addressed the link between peer victimization and suicidal behavior among urban African American youth. The current study proposed and explored the pathways from peer victimization to suicidal thoughts via internalizing behaviors (i.e., low self‐esteem, depression, and hopelessness). Design and Methods: The sample consisted of 638 African American adolescents (aged 12–22) from low‐income communities in Chicago's Southside. A path model using the structural equation model was employed, controlling for biological sex, age, and government assistance. Results: The study found that victims of bullying are likely to develop low self‐esteem and depression, and depression can contribute to feelings of hopelessness, thereby increasing suicidal risks. Conclusions: Understanding the pathways from bullying victimization to suicidal thoughts is beneficial for nurse practitioners who assess and provide services and treatment to adolescents. Practice Implications: Because of limited resources in urban schools, anti‐bullying programs need to be cost‐effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hopelessness is associated with decreased physical activity (PA) and increased adverse events and death in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Rates of PA in patients with IHD continue to be low in both hospital‐based cardiac rehabilitation and home settings. While researchers have investigated strategies to increase PA among patients with IHD, interventions to promote PA specifically in IHD patients who report hopelessness are lacking. We describe the protocol for a NIH‐funded randomized controlled trial designed to establish the effectiveness of a 6‐week intervention (Heart Up!) to promote increased PA in IHD patients who report hopelessness. Participants (n = 225) are randomized to one of three groups: (1) motivational social support (MSS) from a nurse, (2) MSS from a nurse plus significant other support (SOS), or (3) attention control. Aims are to: (1) test the effectiveness of 6 weeks of MSS and MSS with SOS on increasing mean minutes per day of moderate to vigorous PA; (2) determine the effects of change in moderate to vigorous PA on hopelessness; and (3) determine if perceived social support and motivation (exercise self‐regulation) mediate the effects of the intervention on PA. A total of 69 participants have been enrolled to date. The protocol has been consistently and accurately used by research personnel. We address the protocol challenges presented by the COVID‐19 pandemic and steps taken to maintain fidelity to the intervention. Findings from this study could transform care for IHD patients who report hopelessness by promoting self‐management of important PA goals that can contribute to better health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine depression, hopelessness level and marital adjustment of women diagnosed with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Design and Method: This descriptive study included 66 RPL women. Findings: It was found that hopelessness level of 47% of women was mild, 18.2% of them were moderate, and 13.6% of them were severe. Depression level of women 30.3% were moderate, 24.3% of them were mild, and 1.5% of them were severe. It was found that women's marital adjustment was low, and their level of depression increased with increasing hopelessness. Practice Implications: It was found in the study that evaluating women, who are diagnosed with RPL, regarding their marriage problems, hopelessness, and depression level together with their partners is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research provides a novel analysis of the impact of hope and hopelessness on judgment, examining how they influence the use of judgment‐relevant thoughts. Hope and hopelessness are two ends of an emotional continuum for which the confidence and pleasantness appraisals are mismatched. That is, hope is appraised as a pleasant state that is associated with uncertainty. In contrast, hopelessness is appraised as an unpleasant state that is associated with confidence. The aim of this research is to show that these appraisals are critical for predicting how these emotions influence the impact of thoughts on attitudes. In three experiments we manipulated these emotions along with their appraisals and examined the impact on thought reliance and attitude change toward healthy and unhealthy foods, people with disabilities, and self‐evaluation. It was predicted and found that when a pleasantness appraisal was salient, hope increased the use of thoughts relative to hopelessness. In contrast, when a confidence appraisal was salient, hopelessness increased the use of thoughts compared to hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate health anxiety‐related factors in the early stages of pandemic in Turkey. Design and Methods: This study included 1046 participants who responded to the online survey anonymously between 28 March and 04 April 2020. Findings: Demographic data, postpandemic attitudes towards the elderly and precaution‐taking behaviors were health anxiety‐related factors. The main predictors of the health anxiety were the level of hopelessness, perception of self, time spent on social media, and following COVID‐19 pandemic‐related news. Practice Implications: The results of this study are important in terms of understanding the health anxiety during the pandemic and providing data support for the proper interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study was to evaluate the anxiety, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and perceived social support of women who became pregnant using assisted reproductive techniques and who were both diagnosed or not diagnosed with threatened miscarriage (TM). Design and Methods: This comparative and descriptive study was carried out with 194 pregnant women with‐TM (96) and non‐TM (98). The study data were collected using the Pregnant‐Women‐Information‐Form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Findings: Women in the TM group were found to have higher mean scores from the BDI, BAI, and BHS, and a lower mean score from the MSPSS compared to the non‐TM group (The group with TM had higher levels of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness than the group without TM, and the level of perceived social support by this group was lower). It was found that there was a strongly significant positive correlation in both groups between the BDI and BAI, and between the BDI and BHS. A strongly significant negative correlation was found between the BDI, BAI, BHS, and MSPSS in the TM group, whereas there was a moderately significant negative correlation in the non‐TM group. It was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean BDI, BAI, BHS, and MSPSS scores according to age group, educational status, number of interventional in vitro fertilization attempts, and history of depression. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean BDI, BAI, and BHS scores according to previous abortion and family history of depression in the TM group. Practice Implications: Monitoring symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness in women diagnosed with TM who have become pregnant after infertility treatment, intervening due to the risk factors involved, may prevent possible mental problems and have a positive impact on the healthy continuation of the pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The rate of nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) among prisoners is higher than that in the general population. However, less is known about correlates and risk factors during imprisonment. Based on Dear's model of NSSI in prison, our study tested the mediation effect of hopelessness and the moderation effect of belief in a just world in the association between negative life events and NSSI. Methods: A total of 1,042 Chinese male prisoners completed questionnaires concerning negative life events, hopelessness, and belief in a just world. Their NSSI was assessed in structured interviews. Results: The results showed that negative life events were positively associated with prisoners' hopelessness, which in turn was positively associated with their NSSI. Belief in a just world weakened the mediation effect. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need to consider environmental and personal factors simultaneously when evaluating risks associated with prisoners' NSSI, and they have important implications for prevention and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Suicidal ideation is common in cancer patients and may be associated with hopelessness, demoralization, and depression. This study aims to investigate the serial multiple mediation of demoralization and depression in the relationship between hopelessness and suicidal ideation in cancer patients.Methods: A total of 244 cancer patients were investigated by using the following standardized self-reported questionnaires: self-rating idea of suicide scale, Beck hopelessness scale, demoralization scale-Mandarin version, and patient health questionnaire depression scale-9. The mediation hypothesis was tested with a serial multiple mediation model (PROCESS model 6). An exploratory graph analysis was performed to detect the correlations among the dimensions of the mental conditions measured by these instruments.Results: Bootstrap analyzes indicate that there were direct and indirect effects of hopelessness on suicidal ideation mediated solely by demoralization (B = 2.3074, SE = 0.1724, P < .001) or by demoralization together with depression (B = 0.1605, SE = 0.0303, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.1102 to 0.2303). The mediation of depression alone in the relationship between hopelessness and suicidal ideation was insignificant (B = 0.1541, SE = 0.0519, 95% CI = -0.0565 to 0.0715). The exploratory graph analysis suggests that the strongest edge of dimensions between demoralization and suicidal ideation was desperation-disheartenment (0.62).Conclusions: The results of the study support the hypothesis that demoralization and depression mediate between hopelessness and suicidal ideation. The early identification of and interventions for hopelessness, demoralization, and depression may prevent cancer patients from developing suicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study determined the anxiety and hopelessness levels of women during in vitro fertilization‐embryo transfer. Design and Methods: This cross‐sectional and descriptive study was conducted with 50 infertile women. The Personal Information Form, State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) were used to collect data. Findings: A statistically significant difference between the BHS total score before oocyte pick‐up and after embryo transfer was found (P <.05). However, no statistically significant relationship was found between state anxiety in the same process (P >.05). Practice Implications: This study showed that women had high levels of hopelessness and as a woman's state anxiety level increased, her level of hope decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depressed patients presenting to emergency departments with acute suicidal ideation are a major public health concern. Ketamine, a rapidly acting antidepressant with antisuicidal properties, might offer relief.Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept trial, 18 depressed subjects with acute suicidal ideation, who required hospitalization, were randomized to either an intravenous ketamine 0.2 mg/kg group or a saline placebo group. Safety and efficacy evaluations were scheduled for 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 min, and on Days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 after infusion. The main outcome measure was suicidal ideation with secondary measures of depression.Results: Nine subjects were randomized to each group. There were no differences between groups at baseline in any demographic or assessment scales. A reduction in suicidal ideation was noted at 90-180 min (p < .05). Ninety minutes after infusion, 88% of the ketamine group had achieved remission of suicidal ideation compared with 33% in the placebo group (p < .05). No serious adverse events were noted.Conclusions: Ketamine was safe and effective for rapid reduction in suicidal ideation in depressed, highly suicidal subjects presenting to the emergency department. Our results support further study of ketamine for acute suicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lower perceived social support is associated with hopelessness in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Higher perceived social support is associated with higher heart rate variability (HRV) in adults following a stressful event, but the relationship between HRV and hopelessness has not been examined in patients with IHD. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the relationships among HRV, perceived social support, and hopelessness in patients with IHD., Methods and Results: Ninety-four participants were enrolled while hospitalized for an IHD event at a large hospital in the United States. Data collection occurred 2 weeks after hospital discharge and included the State-Trait Hopelessness Scale, ENRICHD Social Support Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, a demographic form, and a short-term HRV measurement taken at rest. Linear models were used to assess associations between variables in unadjusted and adjusted models. Most participants were men (67%), married (75%), and non-Hispanic White (96%) and underwent coronary artery bypass surgery (57%). There were inverse correlations between high frequency HRV and state hopelessness ( r =-0.21, P =0.008) and root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats HRV and state hopelessness ( r =-0.20, P =0.012) after adjusting for important covariates. High frequency and root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats did not show evidence of mediating the relationship between perceived social support and hopelessness., Conclusions: There were significant inverse correlations between parasympathetic measures of HRV and hopelessness. Assessing high frequency and root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats during early recovery following an IHD event could provide promising evidence for understanding a possible precursor to hopelessness and targets for future interventions. Registration Information: clinicaltrials.gov. Identifiers: NCT03907891, NCT05003791.

Background: Our understanding of suicidal ideation (SI) and its risk precursors is largely informed by studies spanning over wide time intervals (weeks, months, years). Little is known about SI as it occurs in daily lives of individuals at risk for suicide, the extent to which suicidal thoughts are dynamic over short periods of time, and the degree to which theoretically informed risk factors predict near‐term SI. Methods: Thirty‐four adolescents hospitalized due to last‐month suicide attempt and/or last‐week SI (76% female; ages 13–17) responded to daily surveys sent to their cell phones for four consecutive weeks after discharge (n = 652 observations). Results: There was notable variability in day‐to‐day SI, with half of ideation ratings changing at least one within‐person standard deviation from one day to the next. Results of mixed effects models revealed concurrent (same‐day), but not short‐term prospective (next‐day), associations between SI (frequency, duration, urge) and well‐established predictors (connectedness, burdensomeness, hopelessness). However, synergistic effects of low connectedness with either high burdensomeness or high hopelessness were reliably associated with more severe same‐ and next‐day suicidal ideation. Conclusions: This study adds to emerging literature indicating that suicidal thoughts fluctuate considerably among individuals at risk for suicide, further extending it by focusing on adolescents in the critical posthospitalization period. Fostering high‐risk adolescents' sense of connectedness to others may be an especially promising intervention target. Frequent assessment of SI and its predictors, independently and in combination, could help identify promising predictors of short‐term risk and meaningful intervention targets in high‐risk teens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a pervasive public health problem among adolescents. Self-criticism has been identified as an important risk factor for NSSI. Potential mediators of the relationship between self-criticism and NSSI and potential moderators that may exacerbate or buffer this association, however, have seldom been explored. The current study tested the mediating effect of hopelessness and the moderating effect of rumination.Methods: 915 Chinese participants (405 girls; mean age = 15.85, SD = 1.47) were recruited from junior and senior high schools. They completed questionnaires regarding self-criticism, hopelessness, rumination, and NSSI.Results: Self-criticism was significantly associated with NSSI, and this association was mediated by hopelessness. Rumination strengthened the association between self-criticism and hopelessness, as well as the association between hopelessness and NSSI.Conclusions: Although this study is a cross-sectional design, these findings can help researchers and practitioners understand the relationship among self-criticism, hopelessness, rumination, and NSSI. Moreover, implications for preventions and interventions of NSSI were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Bullying has been associated with many mental health problems. The effect of bullying has been found to be affected by the way students are involved in bullying. The purpose of the study was to explore the association between mental well‐being, hopelessness, and being involved in bullying (as a bully, victim, or bully‐victim), and to detect more harmful bullying types to students' mental well‐being. METHODS: The study was conducted among Estonian students from grades 5 to 9 (N = 2048). The survey was nationwide, cross‐sectional, anonymous, and web‐based by nature. Mental well‐being was assessed by using WHO‐5 well‐being index and hopelessness by 1‐item Beck Hopelessness Scale. RESULTS: The odds for being severely distressed (ie, students expressing both poor mental well‐being and hopelessness) were greater for both sexes bullying others and being victims of bullying. For bully‐victims the odds were greater for girls only. The victims of extensive cyber bullying expressed the lowest level of mental well‐being for both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Boys might be the most vulnerable if being pure victims, while girls if being bully‐victims. More attention should be paid to cyber bullying, as victims of extensive cyber bullying had the lowest level of mental well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of the present study was threefold: first, to analyse the psychometric properties of a 10‐item Spanish version of the Purpose in Life Test, which assesses meaning in life (MiL), in a sample of community adolescents; second, to analyse the differences between the age and gender groups; and third, to analyse whether MiL buffers the relationship between emotional dysregulation and hopelessness. Method: Participants were 1,599 adolescents from 12 to 19 years old, M = 15.69, SD = 2.14. The Purpose in Life Test‐10 Items, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale were used. Results: A nine‐item version showed good fit, psychometric properties (internal consistency, construct, and concurrent validity), and factorial invariance across gender and age (12–15 years/16–19 years). Difference in MiL between boys and girls was not significant, whereas between age groups was significant. MiL had a strong buffering effect on the relationship between emotional dysregulation and hopelessness. Discussion It is desirable to promote the sense of MiL in adolescents. MiL plays a significant and strong mediator role in the relationship between emotional dysregulation and hopelessness, reinforcing the positive role of MiL in mental health and as a resource for facing adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research has shown that hopelessness drastically reduces the quality of life. It follows that it could be particularly useful to improve our knowledge of the potential correlates of feelings of hopelessness. We propose a negative association between locomotion mode, or the self‐regulation dimension concerned with movement from current state to future states, and hopelessness. We suggest, in two studies that higher locomotion is related to less hopelessness and results in higher levels of psychological well‐being. In Study 1, we showed that locomotion was significantly and negatively related to hopelessness. In Study 2, we confirmed this result and also observed that the hopelessness experienced by locomotors partially mediated the positive relationship between locomotion orientation and psychological well‐being. Implications for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A severe life threatening illness can challenge fundamental expectations about security, interrelatedness with others, justness, controllability, certainty, and hope for a long and fruitful life. That distress and suffering but also growth and mastery may arise from confrontation with an existentially threatening stressor is a long-standing idea. But only recently have researchers studied existential distress more rigorously and begun to identify its distinct impact on health care outcomes. Operationalizations of existential distress have included fear of cancer recurrence, death anxiety, demoralization, hopelessness, dignity-related distress, and the desire for hastened death. These focus in varying emphasis on fear of death, concern about autonomy, suffering, or being a burden to others; a sense of profound loneliness, pointlessness or hopelessness; grief, regret, or embitterment about what has been missed in life; and shame if dignity is lost or expectations about coping are not met. We provide an overview of conceptual issues, diagnostic approaches, and treatments to alleviate existential distress. Although the two meta-analyses featured in this special issue indicate the progress that has been made, many questions remain unresolved. We suggest how the field may move forward through defining a threshold for clinically significant existential distress, investigating its comorbidity with other psychiatric conditions, and inquiring into adjustment processes and mechanisms underlying change in existential interventions. We hope that this special issue may inspire progress in this promising area of research to improve recognition and management of a central psychological state in cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to examine the hypothesis that the prospective relationship between hopelessness and depressive symptoms is mediated by self-perceptions of aging.Methods: Data from 3 waves of the US Health and Retirement Study (2008, 2012, and 2014) were used (N = 4606; age M = 65.3, 55.5% female). In mediation analyses, hopelessness in 2008 was the independent variable, self-perceptions of aging in 2012 were the mediator, and depressive symptoms in 2014 were the outcome variable.Results: After controlling for covariates, hopelessness in 2008 was an independent predictor of self-perceptions of aging in 2012 (β = -.10, P < .001), and self-perceptions of aging in 2012 was an independent predictor of depressive symptoms in 2014 (β = -.41, P < .001). Hopelessness in 2008 showed both direct (β = .09, P < .001) and indirect (β = .03, P < .001) effects on depressive symptoms in 2014, indicating partial mediation by change in self-perceptions of aging.Conclusions: As hypothesized, change in self-perceptions of aging partially mediated the relationship of hopelessness with depressive symptoms 6 years later. Findings are consistent with a conceptualization of hopelessness as broad negative expectations about the future that may contribute to negative self-perceptions of aging and subsequent changes in depressive symptoms. Reducing hopelessness, increasing hope, and improving self-perceptions of aging have potential to reduce and prevent depressive symptoms for older adults. Future research should examine the mechanisms of these interrelationships and other aging outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During adolescence, peer victimization is a potent type of social stressor that can confer enduring risk for poor mental and physical health. Given recent research implicating inflammation in promoting a variety of serious mental and physical health problems, this study examined the role that peer victimization and cognitive vulnerability (i.e. negative cognitive styles and hopelessness) play in shaping adolescents’ pro-inflammatory cytokine responses to an acute social stressor. Methods: Adolescent girls at risk for psychopathology (n = 157; Mage = 14.73 years; SD = 1.38) were exposed to a laboratory-based social stressor before and after which we assessed salivary levels of three key pro-inflammatory cytokines – interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Results: As hypothesized, adolescents with greater peer victimization exposure exhibited greater increases in IL-6 and IL1-β in response to the laboratory-based social stressor. Moreover, for all three cytokines individually, as well as for a combined latent factor of inflammation, peer victimization predicted enhanced inflammatory responding most strongly for adolescents with high levels of hopelessness. Conclusions: The findings reveal a biological pathway by which peer victimization may interact with cognitive vulnerability to influence health in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite high rates of mortality and depression, there is limited knowledge of how depressive symptoms, especially feeling of hopefulness, affect mortality in the homebound elderly.Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a community sample of 1034 adults, age 60 years and older. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to evaluate the mood symptoms and feeling of hopefulness at baseline. The death data were collected within an 8-year follow-up period. Analysis of variance and Chi-square were used to compare the clinical conditions among the groups of individuals who feel hopeful always, sometimes, and rarely. Logistic regression was used to explore the association between the hopefulness about the future and mortality as an outcome.Results: In the 8-year follow-up period, frequency of feeling hopeful, but not other individual depressive symptoms, was associated with mortality rate. The mortality rate among those who always, sometimes, and rarely felt hopeful were 21.6%, 26.4%, and 35.7%, respectively (P = 0.002). Logistic regression also confirmed that individuals who rarely feel hopeful had higher odds of decease within the 8-year follow-up period than those who always felt hopeful (OR = 1.74, CI = 1.14-2.65) after adjusting for age and medical conditions.Conclusions: Baseline hopefulness predicts mortality outcome among the homebound elderly in the community. Identifying individuals who are depressed with hopelessness in the elderly and providing early intervention may improve the mortality rate. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, there is a need for studies to identify variables that can differentiate patients with suicide ideation at risk of transitioning to an attempt. Method In this study, we assessed suicide ideation and attempts, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), hopelessness, borderline symptoms and meaning in life in a sample of 348 patients with different diagnoses of mental disorders. We divided the sample into four subgroups: patients without suicide ideation or suicide attempts; patients with current suicide ideation; patients with lifetime suicide attempts and patients with a suicide attempt in the previous year. Results The group with suicide attempts in the previous year showed higher levels of hopelessness, borderline symptoms and NSSI, and lower levels of meaning in life than the other groups. Limitations Groups were composed of unequal numbers of patients, and in some of them, the sample size was small. The sample was composed mainly of women with eating disorders. The study design was retrospective, and so the results must be considered in terms of correlates. Conclusions Our results suggest that hopelessness, borderline symptoms-including NSSI-and meaning in life play a key role in suicide attempts. Thus, psychotherapeutic interventions should focus on managing NSSI, searching for meaning and managing emptiness, loss of control and feelings such as self-contempt in patients with suicide ideation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message Recent suicide attempters show higher levels of hopelessness, borderline symptoms and NSSI than lifetime attempters and suicide ideators., Clinicians should focus attention on assessing hopelessness, borderline symptoms and NSSI in those with suicide ideation., Lower levels of meaning in life are related to recent suicide attempts., Levels of hopelessness differentiate between recent and lifetime suicide attempters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]