Gloria Christian T, Steinhardt Mary A
Department of Health Sciences, Hawaii Pacific University, Kaneohe, HI, USA.
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Stress Health. 2016 Apr;32(2):145-56. doi: 10.1002/smi.2589. Epub 2014 Jun 24.
The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions suggests that positive emotions can widen the range of potential coping strategies that come to mind and subsequently enhance one's resilience against stress. Studies have shown that high stress, especially chronic levels of stress, strongly contributes to the development of anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, researchers have also found that individuals who possess high levels of resilience are protected from stress and thus report lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Using a sample of 200 postdoctoral research fellows, the present study examined if (a) positive emotions were associated with greater resilience, (b) coping strategies mediated the link between positive emotions and resilience and (c) resilience moderated the influence of stress on trait anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results support the broaden-and-build theory in that positive emotions may enhance resilience directly as well as indirectly through the mediating role of coping strategies-particularly via adaptive coping. Resilience also moderated the association of stress with trait anxiety and depressive symptoms. Although stress is unavoidable and its influences on anxiety and depressive symptoms are undeniable, the likelihood of postdocs developing anxiety or depressive symptoms may be reduced by implementing programmes designed to increase positive emotions, adaptive coping strategies and resilience.
积极情绪的拓展与建构理论表明，积极情绪能够拓宽脑海中浮现的潜在应对策略的范围，进而增强个体应对压力的恢复力。研究表明，高压力，尤其是长期压力，会极大地促使焦虑和抑郁症状的出现。然而，研究人员还发现，具备高恢复力的个体能够免受压力影响，因此报告的焦虑和抑郁症状水平较低。本研究以200名博士后研究员为样本，检验了：（a）积极情绪是否与更强的恢复力相关；（b）应对策略是否在积极情绪与恢复力之间起中介作用；以及（c）恢复力是否调节压力对特质焦虑和抑郁症状的影响。结果支持了拓展与建构理论，即积极情绪可能直接增强恢复力，也可能通过应对策略（特别是适应性应对）的中介作用间接增强恢复力。恢复力还调节了压力与特质焦虑和抑郁症状之间的关联。尽管压力不可避免，其对焦虑和抑郁症状的影响也不可否认，但通过实施旨在增加积极情绪、适应性应对策略和恢复力的项目，博士后出现焦虑或抑郁症状的可能性可能会降低。
