Finding the silver lining in the COVID-19 crisis

Kowalski, Robin M.; Carroll, Hailey; Britt, Jessica

doi:10.1177/1359105321999088

Cited by 29 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…This study provides evidential insight for planning public messaging and mental health interventions in future lockdowns and restrictions. While some research has reported negative emotions and risks to mental health [8,9], our findings of silver linings to the early stages of the pandemic aligns with other work demonstrating human tendencies to adapt and notice positives [23,24]. Despite the turmoil resulting from the pandemic's global spread with its challenging personal impacts across health, social and economic domains, many of the Australians in this study found silver linings in their experiences and hoped that some changes would endure even after COVID-19 was controlled.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Silver Linings Reported by Australians Experiencing Public Health Restrictions during the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Report

Campbell

Thompson

Tynan

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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This national study investigated the positives reported by residents experiencing the large-scale public health measures instituted in Australia to manage the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Most Australians had not previously experienced the traditional public health measures used (social distancing, hand hygiene and restriction of movement) and which could potentially impact negatively on mental well-being. The research design included qualitative semi-structured phone interviews where participants described their early pandemic experiences. Data analysis used a rapid identification of themes technique, well-suited to large-scale qualitative research. The ninety participants (mean age 48 years; 70 women) were distributed nationally. Analysis revealed five themes linked with mental well-being and the concept of silver linings: safety and security, gratitude and appreciation, social cohesion and connections, and opportunities to reset priorities and resilience. Participants demonstrated support for the public health measures and evidence of individual and community resilience. They were cognisant of positives despite personal curtailment and negative impacts of public health directives. Stories of hope, strength, and acceptance, innovative connections with others and focusing on priorities and opportunities within the hardship were important strategies that others could use in managing adversity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Silver Linings Reported by Australians Experiencing Public Health Restrictions during the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Report

Campbell

Thompson

Tynan

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…Finally, lower age and female gender, along with lower resilience and less adaptive defensive functioning, were predictors of stress [ 38 , 50 , 66 ]. Even in non-healthcare workers, coping strategies were common methods for dealing with the new conditions dictated by the pandemic [ 34 ]. In teachers, similarly to healthcare workers, avoidance coping strategies were associated with higher stress and reduced positive psychological outcomes [ 56 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resilience, Coping Strategies and Posttraumatic Growth in the Workplace Following COVID-19: A Narrative Review on the Positive Aspects of Trauma

Finstad

Giorgi

Lulli

et al. 2021

IJERPH

195

116

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The COVID-19 pandemic represents a traumatic event that has profoundly changed working conditions with detrimental consequences for workers’ health, in particular for the healthcare population directly involved in addressing the emergency. Nevertheless, previous research has demonstrated that traumatic experiences can also lead to positive reactions, stimulating resilience and feelings of growth. The aim of this narrative review is to investigate the positive aspects associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the possible health prevention and promotion strategies by analyzing the available scientific evidence. In particular, we focus on the constructs of resilience, coping strategies and posttraumatic growth (PTG). A literature search was performed on the PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Psycinfo databases. Forty-six articles were included in the literature synthesis. Psychological resilience is a fundamental variable for reducing and preventing the negative psychological effects of the pandemic and is associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety and burnout. At the individual and organizational level, resilience plays a crucial role in enhancing wellbeing in healthcare and non-healthcare workers. Connected to resilience, adaptive coping strategies are essential for managing the emergency and work-related stress. Several positive factors influencing resilience have been highlighted in the development of PTG. At the same time, high levels of resilience and positive coping strategies can enhance personal growth. Considering the possible long-term coexistence and consequences of COVID-19, organizational interventions should aim to improve workers’ adaptive coping skills, resilience and PTG in order to promote wellbeing.

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“…Similar inconsistent findings regarding PPTG and psychological adjustment have been reported in the pandemic. Positive associations of PPTG and distress have been reported in a community sample in Spain (PTSS; Vazquez et al, 2021 ), a sample of nurses in Taiwan (burnout; Chen et al, 2021 ), a sample of dental personnel in Canada, France and Israel (depression and worry; Uziel et al, 2021 ), a sample of community residents in Greece (perceived stress; Koliouli and Canellopoulos, 2021 ), a national sample of US veterans (PTSD symptoms; Pietrzak et al, 2021 ), a snowball sample of people in Turkey (PTSS and perceived depreciation; Ikizer et al, 2021 ), and an online sample in the US (mental health; Kowalski et al, 2021 ). In China, a study of nurses and the general population found PPTG was unrelated to anxiety ( Li et al, 2021 ) and another of high school graduates found PPTG unrelated to anxiety or depression ( Yu et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Relations Of Pptg With Better Psychological Adjustmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does perceived post-traumatic growth predict better psychological adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic? Results from a national longitudinal survey in the USA

Park¹,

Russell²,

Fendrich³

2022

Journal of Psychiatric Research

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Perceiving that one has grown in positive ways following highly stressful experiences (perceived posttraumatic growth; PPTG) is common and sometimes--but not always--related to psychological wellbeing. However, PPTG is typically studied cross-sectionally and well after the stressful experience has passed; how PPTG might relate to wellbeing over time in an unprecedented, ongoing worldwide disaster such as the COVID-19 pandemic remains unknown. Thus, the current study sought to answer whether, in the midst of the pandemic, PPTG relates to subsequent wellbeing, broadly defined. Participants were N = 1544 MTurk workers who completed a five-wave (T1-T5) six-month longitudinal study. Current analyses focused on T2-T5 ( n s = 860–712). At each time point, participants completed self-report measures of PPTG and wellbeing (depression, anxiety, stress, positive states of mind, alcohol use, posttraumatic stress). In cross-lagged panel models, PPTG was largely unrelated to subsequent wellbeing. Somewhat more evidence was found that increasing distress led to increases in PPTG, suggesting perceptions of growth may serve as a coping mechanism. PPTG does not appear to benefit adjustment to the COVID-19 pandemic and may simply reflect efforts to manage distress.

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Finding the silver lining in the COVID-19 crisis

Cited by 29 publications

References 37 publications

Silver Linings Reported by Australians Experiencing Public Health Restrictions during the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Report

Silver Linings Reported by Australians Experiencing Public Health Restrictions during the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Report

Resilience, Coping Strategies and Posttraumatic Growth in the Workplace Following COVID-19: A Narrative Review on the Positive Aspects of Trauma

Does perceived post-traumatic growth predict better psychological adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic? Results from a national longitudinal survey in the USA

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