The field of bereavement research is currently lacking empirical studies examining grief in adolescent and young adult populations. Furthermore, the roles of religion (Hays, & Hendrix, 2008), meaning-making (Park, 2005) and post-bereavement personal growth (Davis, 2008), all of which are critical to understanding the loss experiences of people in these age groups (Balk, & Corr, 1996), have yet to be enumerated in a reliable way in the literature. Stroebe (2004) has emphasized the need to improve methods and measurement tools by including more thorough measures of religious coping and bereavement experience. The current study aimed to clarify the process of meaning-making following the loss of a loved one by testing a mediational model in which the use of positive religious coping methods influence the maintenance or development of adaptive core beliefs, which in turn produce favorable outcomes. Data were collected in a survey format from 222 college students, and analyzed using structural equation modeling to test the data against Baron and Kenny’s (1986) criteria for mediation. The data do not support a mediational model of meaning-making for the current sample, but an acceptable model of the effects of world assumptions on outcome variables was developed. The data suggest that while all core beliefs are important to the process of personal growth following a loss, beliefs regarding self-worth are the strongest predictors of positive outcomes and stronger beliefs in the randomness of events are problematic.

This study investigated whether core beliefs about the world being safe and predictable (i.e. world assumptions) mediated the association between discrimination and internalizing and substance use problems among individuals from marginalized groups. Path analyses tested mediating effects of four types of world assumptions on the association between discrimination (race-, gender-, and sexual orientation-based) and anxiety, depression, alcohol and cannabis problems in college students (N = 1,181, agemean = 19.50, SD = 1.67). Limited support for mediation by world assumptions was found: among Asian students, race-based discrimination indirectly impacted anxiety symptoms through low perceived controllability of events. Direct effects across groups and discrimination types were also found.

Objective: The World Assumptions Questionnaire (WAQ) was developed to assess optimism and assumptions about the world, which often shift after traumatic events. However, no known study has investigated whether the WAQ holds similar meaning across demographic groups. The objective of this study was to investigate measurement invariance of the WAQ across race/ethnic group, sex, and sexual orientation. Method: Participants consisted of 1,181 college students (75% female; 25% Black, 13% Latinx, 18% Asian, 45% White; 90% heterosexual) who completed an online survey on stress, personality, substance use, and mental health. We investigated a unidimensional and the 4-factor structure of the WAQ using confirmatory factor analysis, and configural, metric, and scalar invariance using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Results: After dropping 3 items, a 4-factor structure fit the data well (comparative fit index = .92; root mean square error of approximation =.05; 95% confidence interval [.045, .054]; standardized root mean square residual = .06). Mean WAQ scores were higher for participants with probable posttraumatic stress disorder on 2 of the 4 factors. We also identified multiple items that were not invariant across race/ethnic group, sex, and sexual orientation. However, after invariant items were removed, evidence of configural, scalar, and metric invariance was found. Conclusions: This study replicated the 4-factor structure, mapping onto the 4 WAQ subscales, and indicated that a unidimensional measure of world assumptions should not be used. After making the adjustments recommended herein, the WAQ can be used to investigate differences across race/ethnic group, sex, and sexual orientation.

No description available.

O trabalho investigou, através de dois estudos, a seca e suas implicações psicossociais para as famílias de agricultores da região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. No estudo qualitativo, foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas tendo participado sete agricultores de ambos os sexos, com idade entre 33-51 anos (M=42; DP=5,22). O objetivo foi verificar como a perda de recursos desencadeada pelas secas exerce influência sobre o bem-estar familiar. Constatou-se que as secas afetam recursos de sobrevivência familiar e causam implicações psicológicas para esta população, como insegurança quanto ao futuro, desânimo e tristeza. Os participantes utilizam estratégias de coping a partir do uso de recursos pessoais e do apoio social disponível no cotidiano de vida, sendo prevalente o uso do coping ativo. Políticas públicas em caráter permanente poderiam contribuir para reduzir o tempo de exposição ao estresse decorrente do desastre e, consequentemente, melhorar níveis de saúde e bem-estar nesta população. No segundo estudo, participaram 198 agricultores, com idade entre 18 e 77 anos (M=44,38; DP=10,04), sendo 104 (52,5%) homens e 88 (44,4%) mulheres. O objetivo foi avaliar a relação entre o grau de impacto da seca na família e as variáveis crenças básicas, apoio social, saúde geral e percepção do desastre. Os participantes responderam a um questionário composto por itens relacionados aos impactos psicossociais das secas e percepção do desastre, além das escalas World Assumptions Scale (WAS), Social Support Appraisals (SSA) e o Questionário de Saúde Geral (QSG-12). Os grupos de alto e médio impacto da seca apresentaram percepção mais negativa do desastre em relação ao grupo de baixo impacto, no que se refere às suas consequências no bem-estar, além de perceberem-se mais responsáveis pelos seus impactos. Além disso, esses grupos apresentaram menores médias nas crenças de justiça, controlabilidade e aleatoriedade dos acontecimentos. Em relação ao apoio social, o grupo com alto impacto do desastre percebe-se mais apoiado pelos grupos primários (família, amigos, vizinhos, comunidade), enquanto que o grupo de baixo impacto percebe-se mais apoiado pelos grupos secundários (governo, técnicos, grupos religiosos). Constatou-se ainda, menor percepção de saúde no grupo de alto impacto da seca, nas dimensões depressão, autoeficácia e autoestima. O trabalho contribui para a compreensão da relação entre seca e bem-estar nos agricultores, bem como, com discussões no âmbito da psicologia dos desastres no contexto brasileiro. / This work investigated, through two studies, the drought and its psychosocial implications for families of farmers in the northwest region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participating farmers of both sexes, aged 33-51 years (M = 42, SD = 5.22). The goal was to understand how the loss of resources triggered by droughts influences family well-being. It was found that droughts affect family survival resources and has psychological implications for this population, such as uncertainty about the future, hopelessness and sadness. The use of active coping through personal resources and informal social support is prevalent. Public policies could help to reduce the time of exposure to stress caused by the disaster, and consequently, improve the levels of health and well-being in this population. In the second study, 198 farmers participated, aged 18-77 years (M = 44.38, SD = 10.04); 104 (52.5%) men and 88 (44.4%) women. The objective was to evaluate the relationship between the degree of impact of drought upon the family and the variables of world assumptions, social support, general health and perception of the disaster. The participants answered a questionnaire (beyond the World Assumptions Scale (WAS), Social Support Appraisals (SSA) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) instruments) comprised of items related to the psychosocial impacts of droughts and the perception of the disaster. The groups of high and medium impact had more negative perceptions of the disaster, with regard to its consequences on well-being, than had the low impact group. They also perceived themselves as more accountable for it. Moreover, these groups had lower mean belief in justice, controllability and randomness of events. Regarding social support, those in the high- and medium-impact groups perceived themselves to be more supported by the primary groups (family, friends, neighbors, community); while those in the low-impact group perceived themselves to be more supported by secondary groups (government, agricultural technicians, religious groups). Additionally, there existed a decreased perception of health in the high-impact group, related to the following dimensions: Depression, self-efficacy and self-esteem. The work contributes to the understanding of the relationship between drought and well-being among farmers; as well as to discussions within the psychology of disasters in the Brazilian context.

O trabalho investigou, através de dois estudos, a seca e suas implicações psicossociais para as famílias de agricultores da região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. No estudo qualitativo, foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas tendo participado sete agricultores de ambos os sexos, com idade entre 33-51 anos (M=42; DP=5,22). O objetivo foi verificar como a perda de recursos desencadeada pelas secas exerce influência sobre o bem-estar familiar. Constatou-se que as secas afetam recursos de sobrevivência familiar e causam implicações psicológicas para esta população, como insegurança quanto ao futuro, desânimo e tristeza. Os participantes utilizam estratégias de coping a partir do uso de recursos pessoais e do apoio social disponível no cotidiano de vida, sendo prevalente o uso do coping ativo. Políticas públicas em caráter permanente poderiam contribuir para reduzir o tempo de exposição ao estresse decorrente do desastre e, consequentemente, melhorar níveis de saúde e bem-estar nesta população. No segundo estudo, participaram 198 agricultores, com idade entre 18 e 77 anos (M=44,38; DP=10,04), sendo 104 (52,5%) homens e 88 (44,4%) mulheres. O objetivo foi avaliar a relação entre o grau de impacto da seca na família e as variáveis crenças básicas, apoio social, saúde geral e percepção do desastre. Os participantes responderam a um questionário composto por itens relacionados aos impactos psicossociais das secas e percepção do desastre, além das escalas World Assumptions Scale (WAS), Social Support Appraisals (SSA) e o Questionário de Saúde Geral (QSG-12). Os grupos de alto e médio impacto da seca apresentaram percepção mais negativa do desastre em relação ao grupo de baixo impacto, no que se refere às suas consequências no bem-estar, além de perceberem-se mais responsáveis pelos seus impactos. Além disso, esses grupos apresentaram menores médias nas crenças de justiça, controlabilidade e aleatoriedade dos acontecimentos. Em relação ao apoio social, o grupo com alto impacto do desastre percebe-se mais apoiado pelos grupos primários (família, amigos, vizinhos, comunidade), enquanto que o grupo de baixo impacto percebe-se mais apoiado pelos grupos secundários (governo, técnicos, grupos religiosos). Constatou-se ainda, menor percepção de saúde no grupo de alto impacto da seca, nas dimensões depressão, autoeficácia e autoestima. O trabalho contribui para a compreensão da relação entre seca e bem-estar nos agricultores, bem como, com discussões no âmbito da psicologia dos desastres no contexto brasileiro. / This work investigated, through two studies, the drought and its psychosocial implications for families of farmers in the northwest region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participating farmers of both sexes, aged 33-51 years (M = 42, SD = 5.22). The goal was to understand how the loss of resources triggered by droughts influences family well-being. It was found that droughts affect family survival resources and has psychological implications for this population, such as uncertainty about the future, hopelessness and sadness. The use of active coping through personal resources and informal social support is prevalent. Public policies could help to reduce the time of exposure to stress caused by the disaster, and consequently, improve the levels of health and well-being in this population. In the second study, 198 farmers participated, aged 18-77 years (M = 44.38, SD = 10.04); 104 (52.5%) men and 88 (44.4%) women. The objective was to evaluate the relationship between the degree of impact of drought upon the family and the variables of world assumptions, social support, general health and perception of the disaster. The participants answered a questionnaire (beyond the World Assumptions Scale (WAS), Social Support Appraisals (SSA) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) instruments) comprised of items related to the psychosocial impacts of droughts and the perception of the disaster. The groups of high and medium impact had more negative perceptions of the disaster, with regard to its consequences on well-being, than had the low impact group. They also perceived themselves as more accountable for it. Moreover, these groups had lower mean belief in justice, controllability and randomness of events. Regarding social support, those in the high- and medium-impact groups perceived themselves to be more supported by the primary groups (family, friends, neighbors, community); while those in the low-impact group perceived themselves to be more supported by secondary groups (government, agricultural technicians, religious groups). Additionally, there existed a decreased perception of health in the high-impact group, related to the following dimensions: Depression, self-efficacy and self-esteem. The work contributes to the understanding of the relationship between drought and well-being among farmers; as well as to discussions within the psychology of disasters in the Brazilian context.

O trabalho investigou, através de dois estudos, a seca e suas implicações psicossociais para as famílias de agricultores da região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. No estudo qualitativo, foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas tendo participado sete agricultores de ambos os sexos, com idade entre 33-51 anos (M=42; DP=5,22). O objetivo foi verificar como a perda de recursos desencadeada pelas secas exerce influência sobre o bem-estar familiar. Constatou-se que as secas afetam recursos de sobrevivência familiar e causam implicações psicológicas para esta população, como insegurança quanto ao futuro, desânimo e tristeza. Os participantes utilizam estratégias de coping a partir do uso de recursos pessoais e do apoio social disponível no cotidiano de vida, sendo prevalente o uso do coping ativo. Políticas públicas em caráter permanente poderiam contribuir para reduzir o tempo de exposição ao estresse decorrente do desastre e, consequentemente, melhorar níveis de saúde e bem-estar nesta população. No segundo estudo, participaram 198 agricultores, com idade entre 18 e 77 anos (M=44,38; DP=10,04), sendo 104 (52,5%) homens e 88 (44,4%) mulheres. O objetivo foi avaliar a relação entre o grau de impacto da seca na família e as variáveis crenças básicas, apoio social, saúde geral e percepção do desastre. Os participantes responderam a um questionário composto por itens relacionados aos impactos psicossociais das secas e percepção do desastre, além das escalas World Assumptions Scale (WAS), Social Support Appraisals (SSA) e o Questionário de Saúde Geral (QSG-12). Os grupos de alto e médio impacto da seca apresentaram percepção mais negativa do desastre em relação ao grupo de baixo impacto, no que se refere às suas consequências no bem-estar, além de perceberem-se mais responsáveis pelos seus impactos. Além disso, esses grupos apresentaram menores médias nas crenças de justiça, controlabilidade e aleatoriedade dos acontecimentos. Em relação ao apoio social, o grupo com alto impacto do desastre percebe-se mais apoiado pelos grupos primários (família, amigos, vizinhos, comunidade), enquanto que o grupo de baixo impacto percebe-se mais apoiado pelos grupos secundários (governo, técnicos, grupos religiosos). Constatou-se ainda, menor percepção de saúde no grupo de alto impacto da seca, nas dimensões depressão, autoeficácia e autoestima. O trabalho contribui para a compreensão da relação entre seca e bem-estar nos agricultores, bem como, com discussões no âmbito da psicologia dos desastres no contexto brasileiro. / This work investigated, through two studies, the drought and its psychosocial implications for families of farmers in the northwest region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participating farmers of both sexes, aged 33-51 years (M = 42, SD = 5.22). The goal was to understand how the loss of resources triggered by droughts influences family well-being. It was found that droughts affect family survival resources and has psychological implications for this population, such as uncertainty about the future, hopelessness and sadness. The use of active coping through personal resources and informal social support is prevalent. Public policies could help to reduce the time of exposure to stress caused by the disaster, and consequently, improve the levels of health and well-being in this population. In the second study, 198 farmers participated, aged 18-77 years (M = 44.38, SD = 10.04); 104 (52.5%) men and 88 (44.4%) women. The objective was to evaluate the relationship between the degree of impact of drought upon the family and the variables of world assumptions, social support, general health and perception of the disaster. The participants answered a questionnaire (beyond the World Assumptions Scale (WAS), Social Support Appraisals (SSA) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) instruments) comprised of items related to the psychosocial impacts of droughts and the perception of the disaster. The groups of high and medium impact had more negative perceptions of the disaster, with regard to its consequences on well-being, than had the low impact group. They also perceived themselves as more accountable for it. Moreover, these groups had lower mean belief in justice, controllability and randomness of events. Regarding social support, those in the high- and medium-impact groups perceived themselves to be more supported by the primary groups (family, friends, neighbors, community); while those in the low-impact group perceived themselves to be more supported by secondary groups (government, agricultural technicians, religious groups). Additionally, there existed a decreased perception of health in the high-impact group, related to the following dimensions: Depression, self-efficacy and self-esteem. The work contributes to the understanding of the relationship between drought and well-being among farmers; as well as to discussions within the psychology of disasters in the Brazilian context.