EFFECTS OF VIGOR ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-

BEING

Ekaterina Solovieva York University Toronto, Canada

CO-AUTHORS

I would like to gratefully acknowledge my co-authors:

Esther Greenglass Lynda Cheng Noelia Vasquez

Thanks to Lisa Fiksenbaum for statistical assistance.

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Conceptually separated in the past

Importance of drawing on others’ resources for coping

Relational skills as coping strengths

COPING & SOCIAL SUPPORT

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planning and preventive strategies

identification and utilization of social resources

utilization of proactive emotional coping(Greenglass, Schwarzer, & Taubert, 1999)

PROACTIVE COPING

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Outcomes:PositiveVigor

Life Satisfaction

Outcomes:Negative

DepressionBurnoutAnger

Resources: Internal Self-Efficacy Optimism

Resources: External

Social Support

ProactiveCoping

THEORETICAL MODEL: RESOURCES, PROACTIVE COPING & OUTCOMES

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PURPOSE OF CURRENT STUDY

To investigate the effects of social support, coping and vigor on psychological well-being in university students as reflected in the depression levels

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PROCEDURE

First-year psychology students filled out an online questionnaire twice for URPP credit:In the beginning of the semester (Sept-

Oct)Just prior to exam time (Nov-Dec)

The participants were anonymous. A self-generated number was used to match responses from time 1 and time 2.

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PARTICIPANTS

N=68, 81% female

Average age: 18.65 years, SD=2.41

All are first year students

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CORRELATION MATRIX OF VARIABLESMeans, Standard Deviations, and Intercorrelation Matrix of Variables Variable 1 2 3 4 5 1. Social support 2. Proactive coping 3. Vigor 4. Positive affect 5. Depression (time 2) M SD α

- .341** .335** .395** -.168 2.65 .75 .91

- .419*** .640*** -.152 41.85 5.74 .82

- .610*** -.322** 2.92 .83 .88

- -.283* 32.25 7.38 .87

- 19.78 5.07 .81

* p < .05. ** p < .01. *** p < .001. 9

EMPIRICAL MODEL

Relationship between social support, proactive coping and vigor at time 1 and depression at time 2.

Social Support

Proactive Coping

Vigor

Depression(time 2)

.34** .42***

-.32**

Time 1

2 (3) = 3.792 p=.285GFI = .973AGFI = .911CFI = .970RMSEA = .063

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CONCLUSIONS

Proactive coping mediated the effects of social support on vigor

Vigor mediated the effects of proactive coping on depression

High levels of vigor were associated with lower levels of depression

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Cultivate social networks

Develop programs to teach proactive coping that emphasizes taking control before disaster strikes

POSSIBLE INTERVENTIONS

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