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. 2020 May 20;8(1):51.
doi: 10.1186/s40359-020-00419-z.

Appraisals and coping mediate the relationship between resilience and distress among significant others of persons with spinal cord injury or acquired brain injury: a cross-sectional study

Eline W M Scholten  1 , Julia D H P Simon  2 , Tijn van Diemen  2   3   4 , Chantal F Hillebregt  2 , Marjolijn Ketelaar  2 , Kees Hein Woldendorp  5 , Rutger Osterthun  6   7 , Johanna M A Visser-Meily  2   8 ; POWER Group; Marcel W M Post  9   10
Collaborators, Affiliations

Appraisals and coping mediate the relationship between resilience and distress among significant others of persons with spinal cord injury or acquired brain injury: a cross-sectional study

Eline W M Scholten et al. BMC Psychol. .

Abstract

Background: Many significant others of persons with serious conditions like spinal cord injury (SCI) and acquired brain injury (ABI) report high levels of psychological distress. In line with the stress-coping model, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between personal resource resilience and psychological distress, and whether appraisals of threat and loss, and passive coping mediate this relationship.

Methods: Significant others (n = 228) of persons with SCI or ABI completed questionnaires shortly after admission to first inpatient rehabilitation after onset of the condition. The questionnaire included measures to assess psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10), appraisals (Appraisals of Life Events scale, threat and loss) and passive coping (Utrecht Coping List). The PROCESS tool was used to test the presence of mediation. Confounding and differences between SCI and ABI were investigated.

Results: High levels of psychological distress among significant others were found (34-41%). Fifty-five percent of the variance in psychological distress was explained by the relationship between resilience and psychological distress. This relationship was mediated by appraisals of threat and loss, and passive coping. The relationship between resilience and psychological distress was similar in the SCI and ABI groups.

Conclusions: The results of our study indicate that appraisals of threat and loss and passive coping are mediating factors in the relationship between resilience and psychological distress. It seems useful to investigate if interventions focussing on psychological factors like resilience, appraisal and coping are effective to prevent or reduce psychological distress among significant others of persons with SCI or ABI.

Trial registration: Dutch trial register NTR5742. Registered January 9, 2016.

Keywords: Brain injuries; Caregiver; Cognitive processes; Psychological adaptation; Psychological stress; Spinal cord injuries.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Serial multiple mediation model. Adapted from Hayes AF. Multiple mediator models. In: Hayes AF, editor. Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. New York, USA: Guilford Publications; 2013. p. 446
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Serial multiple mediation model (with coefficients)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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