Emotional distress and sense of coherence in women completing a motivational program in five countries. A prospective study

Abstract

For AuthorsIf you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. The authors affiliations can be found at the end of this article. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate changes in, and associations between, sense of coherence (SOC) and emotional distress in women who participated in an accredited motivational program (VINN) in correctional institutions in five countries. Design/methodology/approach -A prospective study with a pre-and post-test design included 316 participants from Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, Russia and Norway. Global emotional distress was measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. SOC was measured using the 13-item Orientation to Life Questionnaire. One-way analysis of variance and multilevel regression models were used in the statistical analyses. Findings -An increase in SOC was associated with a decrease in emotional distress. Emotional distress decreased significantly −3.80 points (95 percent CI (−4.61, −2.97)), and SOC significantly improved from preto post-measurement by 1.82 points (95 percent CI (0.72, 2.92)), regardless of country and correctional institution. Practical implications -The results add new knowledge regarding a coherent theoretical foundation of a motivational program for women. The ability of a program promoting health is important for researchers, health-care workers and facilitators delivering programs for women in correctional facilities. An increase in SOC can act as a protective factor in order to manage stressors and risk factors among women serving in correctional facilities. Originality/value -The present study indicates that enhancing women's coping resources and providing income alternatives to crime is fundamental to their capacity to desist from criminal behavior.

The Sense of Coherence and Its Measurement

“…More recent research shows three additional countries: Austria (Mautner et al, 2014), Estonia (Höjdahl, Magnus, Mdala, Hagen, & Langeland, 2015), and Malaysia (Rostami, Lamit, Khoshnava, & Rostami, 2014).…”

The Handbook of Salutogenesis

“…More recent research shows three additional countries: Austria (Mautner et al, 2014), Estonia (Höjdahl, Magnus, Mdala, Hagen, & Langeland, 2015), and Malaysia (Rostami, Lamit, Khoshnava, & Rostami, 2014).…”

Psychological Resilience Interventions to Reduce Recidivism in Young People: A Systematic Review

“…Despite SOC developing during adolescence, studies have reported that SOC (and reductions in re-offending) can increase following intervention with adult men (Lindblom et al 2018). Furthermore, in a study of incarcerated women, increased SOC related to a significant decrease in global emotional distress (Höjdahl et al 2015). Therefore, SOC appears to have strong grounding for subsequent intervention work in these at-risk populations.…”