Life stress, social support, coping and depressive symptoms: a comparison between the general population and family caregivers

Major depression is one of the four most prevalent psychiatric diseases in Taiwan. Furthermore, a study showed that 45 per cent of the family caregivers of persons with persistent psychiatric disability were at risk of depression. The present study aimed at examining if caregivers experienced more depressive symptoms than the general population while controlling for other variables (direct effect), and if the constellation of correlates of depressive symptoms was different between the general population and caregivers (interaction effect). Data from 1979 subjects were gathered in a national survey, using stratified random sampling. The results revealed that the caregivers experienced significantly more depressive symptoms than the general population. However, the effect disappeared when other variables were taken into account. Life stress appeared to be more important than coping and social support. The other two common correlates of depressive symptoms were age and being unmarried. Relational stress mattered especially for caregivers. Lastly, social support variables were significant only for the general population; satisfaction with support could buffer the negative effect of survival stress on depressive symptoms.     

COVID-19 pandemic and the determinants of depressive symptoms among senior citizens of India: An empirical investigation

The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted multiple threats to individuals' physical, mental, and financial health conditions. The pandemic-related restrictive behaviors pose serious consequences for public health and increase the risk of mental illness among individuals, particularly among older citizens. The combination of their pre-existing illnesses, social isolation, COVID fear, and financial adversity frequently aggravates their condition and leads to depression and mental illness. Thus, the present study investigates the mental health status and the determinants of depressive symptoms among older adults of Bhubaneswar during the COVID pandemic context. The study used the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) to measure their depressive symptoms. The social isolation parameter is measured with the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Financial self-efficacy, COVID-19-related psychological fear, and comorbidity health status are other determinants considered. A chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression (MLR) models are adopted to find the probable risk factors that may influence depressive symptoms among older people. The results indicate that comorbidity health conditions, a social isolation mindset, and financial efficacy issues are the significant determinants that drive an older person towards different depression categories. The improvement of these influential factors can lead senior citizens to avoid any health emergency like COVID pandemic. In the event of a public health emergency, such as COVID pandemic, the government could use the study's findings to devise methods for assisting the elderly. Society as a whole should be aware of these findings, which can lead to depressive symptoms, and offer support to the elderly. Future research may concentrate on identifying the causes of depressive symptoms in different age groups or in the presence of specific comorbidity health conditions. Future research may also investigate the factors influencing depressive symptoms in a specific occupation.     

Different Effects of Acculturative Stress and Family Life Stress on Depressive Symptoms among Married Vietnamese Immigrant Women in South Korea

Married Vietnamese immigrant women often face multiple stressors related to sociocultural adaptation and new family lives in South Korea. The purpose of this paper is to identify the different influences of acculturative and family life stress on depressive symptoms among Vietnamese immigrant wives. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 301 married Vietnamese immigrant women residing in South Korea. The study utilized linear regression analysis to test the relationships between the variables. The findings show that both acculturative and family life stress are positively related to depressive symptoms. Family life stress influences depressive symptoms to a greater extent than acculturative stress. The study emphasizes the significance of family‐related stress on mental health among married Vietnamese immigrant women in Korea and provides some implications for research, clinical practice, and policy.     

Perception of job satisfaction, service effectiveness and burnout among Arab social workers in Israel

Over the past three decades, the topics of job satisfaction and burnout have become a major focus of interest in research and professional training in the field of social work. However, there is a serious lack of studies focusing on these issues in the context of Arab social workers in Israel. This paper presents the results obtained from a subsample of Arab participants in a national study of Israeli social workers. It focuses on the correlations between several career outcomes and organizational conditions such as role characteristics, work conditions, job mastery, and power. Challenge at work and job mastery were found to be the most significant and consistent predictors of the outcome results. The implications of the results are also discussed.     

Job satisfaction of social workers in senior welfare centres in South Korea: the effects of individual,client and organisational factors

This study investigates the individual, client and organisational factors that affect the job satisfaction of social workers employed by senior welfare centres in Korea. The data were collected from 130 social workers in senior welfare centres and subjected to hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The job satisfaction of social workers in senior welfare centres was influenced by their self-efficacy, positive attitude to older adults, their relationships with colleagues, and supervision. Ways to improve the job satisfaction of social workers are discussed.     

The intergenerational continuity of parental conditional regard and its role in mothers’ and adolescents’ contingent self‐esteem and depressive symptoms

Although research has documented the adverse consequences of parental academic conditional regard in different developmental periods, few studies have examined antecedents and, in particular, the possibility of intergenerational continuity of this parenting dimension. The current study aimed to identify patterns of intergenerational similarity in two types of conditional regard (i.e., positive and negative). Additionally, it examined mothers’ and adolescents’ contingent self‐esteem (CSE) and depressive symptoms as outcomes of this process. In total, 211 mothers and their 10‐ to 16‐year‐old adolescents filled out questionnaires assessing perceived conditional regard in the relationship with their own mother (i.e., grandmothers’, and mothers’ conditional positive (PACPR) and negative regard (PACNR)), contingent self‐esteem (i.e., maternal child‐invested CSE and adolescents’ academic CSE), and maternal and adolescents’ depressive symptoms. Results revealed direct intergenerational similarity for PACPR, but not for PACNR. Within generations, PACPR was related positively to CSE, which, in turn, was related positively to depressive symptoms. Moreover, PACNR was related positively to depressive symptoms. Our findings provide preliminary evidence for the intergenerational continuity of conditional regard, which has important consequences because of its relation to CSE and subsequent depressive symptoms within both generations.     

Validation of the ultra-short scale for measuring work engagement among social workers in Chinese contexts

Based on 683 valid questionnaires collected among a convenience sample of social workers from Hong Kong, Macau and three other cities in mainland China, this study investigated the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the three-item ultra-short Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (C-UWES-3). The results of confirmatory factor analyses supported the discriminant validity of C-UWES-3 by differentiating its three items from other five items measuring emotional exhaustion and role ambiguity. The concurrent validity of C-UWES-3 was supported by its superior explanatory power to the original nine-item version of the scale (C-UWES-9) in relation to explaining social workers' turnover intention. The convergent validity of C-UWES-3 was supported by its correlations vis-à-vis factors in the job demands-resources model such as job demands, job resources, turnover intention and collective psychological ownership. The C-UWES-3 showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81). Overall, the C-UWES-3 demonstrates excellent psychometric properties for informing future research.     

Professional Identity,Job Satisfaction,and Retention of Licensed Social Workers in Korea

This paper reports the results from a survey of 735 social workers in South Korea on their professional identity as a social worker, job satisfaction, and intention to leave the profession. The overall result shows that there was a high level of job satisfaction. Social workers' intention to leave the profession was significantly related to their integrated feelings of professional identity. This relationship was partially mediated by job satisfaction. Social workers' sense of professional identity can be tapped to help social workers feel adequate to carry out their professional responsibility. Boundaries of their practice should be well defined.     

农民工为何频繁变换工作——户籍制度下农民工的工作流动研究

中国劳动力市场可按三种形态分割：再分配机制下体制内外的分割、市场机制下人力资本高低的分割和户籍制度下城乡身份的分割。城乡身份分割是影响农民工频繁变换工作的关键因素。本研究利用事件史模型,比较农民工与城市工人的工作流动,对不同时期农民工的工作流动进行分析。研究发现：尽管存在人力资本和所处部门对其工作流动的影响,但户籍歧视仍作为一个独立因素影响农民工的工作稳定性,但这种影响随社会发展正在降低。     

Impact of job characteristics on turnover intention and the mediating effects of job satisfaction: experiences of home visiting geriatric care workers in Korea

This study investigated the effects of job characteristics on turnover intention and the mediating effects of job satisfaction. A survey of 317 Korean care workers currently providing in-home elderly care service in the city of Seoul and its suburbs was conducted. The results of multiple regressions and an analysis of mediating effects indicated that role ambiguity and workload had significant effects on turnover intention. In addition, job satisfaction had a mediating effect on the influence of role ambiguity and workload on turnover intention. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Clergy views on their role in city resilience: lessons from the Canterbury earthquakes

Successful emergency management requires effective communication between the civil defence agencies and the community to provide and receive timely and accurate information, and identify needs and resources. Religious communities encompass a wide cross-section of social classes, socio-economic indicators, ethnic groups and ages, and have their own internal communication structures. In this study, clergy in different Christian denominations were asked about their roles in the Canterbury earthquake sequence (CES), the needs of their congregations and the possibilities and obstacles to deeper collaboration with Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) authorities. Results show a lack of communication between CDEM and religious communities prior to and during the CES, and record suggestions from the participants on how links between organised religion and CDEM can be strengthened to build resilience for future disasters.     

Work satisfaction, burnout, and turnover among social workers in Israel: a causal diagram

This study developed a causal diagram addressing the predictors of work satisfaction, burnout and turnover among professional social workers in Israel. A random sample of 218 social workers completed self-administered surveys. Multiple regression and canonical correlation analyses were conducted to estimate a causal model that best predicts work satisfaction, burnout, and turnover among social workers. The results indicated that higher satisfaction, lower burnout, and lower turnover were a function of higher collegial relationship, greater supervision, adequate working conditions, greater opportunities for promotion, and Jewish ethnicity. In addition, higher satisfaction and lower burnout were a function of higher education and greater autonomy, whereas higher turnover was related to a lower salary and the social worker's relative youth. Limitations of the study and recommendations are discussed.     

留守经历与新工人的工作流动——农民工生产体制如何使自身面临困境

本文批评了“农民工”和“留守儿童”两种研究问题意识割裂的现状。通过对 “农民工权益保护理论与实践研究”调查数据的分析,本文试图在两种问题之间建立系统性的关联。研究发现,有留守经历的新工人相比其同辈群体更频繁地转换工作。对工种性质进行进一步划分后的统计模型表明,体力工种相对非体力工种、非熟练工种相对熟练/半熟练工种,有留守经历的新工人相比其同辈群体,表现出更高的工作流动性。这说明有留守经历的工人更难适应世界工厂高强度、异化的劳动方式。父母外出打工造成亲子分离,儿童家庭责任感淡薄,但也带来更优越的经济条件和更少的务农经历,由此共同导致了有留守经历的工人频繁的工作流动。留守经历是“拆分型农民工生产体制”的产物,但某种程度上它又加剧了这一体制持续运行所面临的困境。逐步赋予工人公民权,修复家庭生活,是解决系统性危机的基本立足点。     

Active survival in the lives of unaccompanied minors: coping strategies,resilience, and the relevance of religion

Asylum‐seeking unaccompanied minors contend with numerous challenges as they adjust to living in a new country. Although increasing attention has been paid to their capacity for resilience, little research has been done on the exact manner in which they cope. This paper describes some of the insights gleaned from a qualitative study undertaken with unaccompanied minors living in Ireland. Six different coping strategies are identified, namely: (1) Maintaining continuity in a changed context, (2) Adjusting by learning and changing, (3) Adopting a positive outlook, (4) Suppressing emotions and seeking distraction, (5) Acting independently, and (6) Distrusting. These are described in turn. Particular attention is paid to the role of religion in relation to the participants' coping strategies.     

Integrating resilience and positive youth development for the promotion of positive health behaviours among ethnic minorities: a conceptual framework

Hong Kong, a traditionally ethnically homogeneous society, seems to fail encouraging positive development of ethnic minority young people. Studying resilient ethnic minority, young adults may provide insights into developing programmes and policies to encourage positive health behaviours. A pilot qualitative study of individual interviews with South Asian young minority adults was conducted to develop a conceptual framework by incorporating resilience and positive youth development. Based on the findings of this study, resilience and positive youth development contribute to young ethnic minorities’ positive health behaviours. This study may benefit culturally tailored research implications for young ethnic minorities.     

Medical and housing needs of older part-time migrant workers and the role of government: the Linyi model in China

The political, social and academic attention on migrant workers in China has been focused on the full-time worker while those who seek part-time work are rarely studied. We explore the effect of part-time day-labour employment of older migrants in an odd-job market in Linyi City. The medical, housing needs and available services for them are analysed. The Linyi government pioneered a program providing comprehensive services to part-time migrant workers, allowing this study to explore the strengths and weakness of the model. Building the appropriate social service industry competencies demands a joint effort from the government, community, organizations, researchers and enterprises.     

Longitudinal relations among parenting daily hassles,child rearing,and prosocial and aggressive behaviors in Turkish children

The present study was designed to examine the longitudinal relations between parenting daily hassles and young children's later prosocial and aggressive behaviors, as well as the mediating role of parenting practices in a non‐Western society. The final sample was 159 middle class Turkish school age children (45.3% girls, M _age= 84.69 months, 76.9% from public school, 23.1% from private school in Bolu, Ankara, and İstanbul) and their mothers. Overall, we found longitudinal evidence that parenting daily hassles, warmth, and physical punishment were significantly and differentially associated with children's prosocial and aggressive behaviors 3 years later. The present findings extend our understanding of the interplay of parenting and stress in predicting children's prosocial and aggressive development in a non‐Western culture.     

Research Review: Risk and resilience in cases of emotional abuse

This paper examines risk and resilience in relation to emotional abuse. Research has identified numerous child and family factors that may increase the risk of emotional abuse occurring and has also identified numerous ways in which an experience of emotional abuse can enhance vulnerability to negative outcomes. However, relatively little is known about the factors that determine the extent to which an experience of emotional abuse predicts later psychosocial functioning. Factors that may determine risk and resilience in children who experience emotional abuse are discussed. These include predisposing factors such as early caregiving experiences; precipitating factors such as the frequency, intensity and duration of the abuse; factors intrinsic to the child such as working models of the self and others, internal or external attributions, behavioural and coping strategies, self‐esteem, and disposition; and external factors such as school and availability of supportive relationships. The need to pay attention to the particular vulnerabilities and protective factors pertaining to each emotionally abused child in order to most effectively enhance resilience is highlighted.     

北京高校毕业生求职的资源动员行为分析

本文依据北京高校毕业生的实证调研数据,分析了大学生求职资源动员行为的结构与特征。研究发现:动员校内资源是中国大学生重要的求职行为;在所属高校层级、自身校内资源和生源地等指标上,不同毕业生群体的资源动员行为存在显著性差异。     

The roles of social support and family resilience in accessing healthcare and employment resources among families living in traditional public housing communities

This study relied on theories of family resilience to examine and differentiate the roles of community social support and family resilience in regards to access and utilization of healthcare and employment resources for public housing residents. The study assessed 234 public housing residents and used structured regressions to test the role of family resilience, internal and external community social support on outcomes associated with economic mobility. Results suggest that external community social support is associated with increased access to and use of health and employment resources. Additionally, residents with higher levels of resilience sought social support from outside of their communities to a greater degree, thereby increasing their access and use of resources. Increases in internal community support were associated with increases in external community support, but alone, limited access to and use of resources. Implications of the findings for policy, interventions, and future research are discussed.