How are Conversations via an On-Demand Peer-To-Peer Emotional Well-Being App Associated with Emotional Improvement?

Non-clinical, on-demand peer-to-peer (PtP) support apps have become increasingly popular over the past several years. Although not as pervasive as general self-help apps, these PtP support apps are usually free and instantly connect individuals through live texting with a non-clinical volunteer who has been minimally trained to listen and offer support. To date, there is little empirical work that examines whether and how using an on-demand PtP support app improves emotional well-being.

How Do Qualities of Supportive Conversations Affect Heart Rate Variability During Conversations About the Death of a Parent?

This study examined the impact of person-centered communication on bereaved young adults' physiological stress responses when they talked about the death of their parent. Heart rate variability - indexed by the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), the root mean square of successive differences (rMSSD), and the heart rate variability index (HRVi) - was monitored before, during, and after the interaction as an objective measure of stress reactivity and recovery. The final sample included 69 subjects, and they conversed with research confederates who provided varying levels of person-centered support.

Examining individual differences in how interaction behaviors change over time: A dyadic multinomial logistic growth modeling approach.

Several theoretical perspectives suggest that dyadic experiences are distinguished by patterns of behavioral change that emerge during interactions. Methods for examining change in behavior over time are well elaborated for the study of change along continuous dimensions. Extensions for charting increases and decreases in individuals' use of specific, categorically defined behaviors, however, are rarely invoked.

Relational turbulence and social network engagement during the summer of COVID-19: A repeated measures, dyadic analysis.

Relational turbulence theory suggests that changes in and around relationships create the potential for relational turbulence when everyday routines and scripts are upended and communication becomes polarized. In turn, perceptions of a romantic relationship as chaotic or tumultuous can influence a person's engagement with their social network. Alternately, previous research also suggests that engagement with friends and family has the potential to influence married partner's relationship quality.

Coping with COVID-19 at the community level: Testing the predictors and outcomes of communal coping.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a socially shared health issue that has had profound impacts on all aspects of community life and requires collaborative coping responses. Drawn from the extended theoretical model of communal coping, we examined (a) factors that promote community members' communal coping and (b) the influence of communal coping on perceived stress and positive adaptation in the context of COVID-19. An empirical test based on the survey of participants (N = 257) living in the state of New York showed that strong community identity, but not the length of residency in the same community and integrated connectedness to communication resources of the community, was positively associated with communal coping orientation.

Relational Uncertainty and Taking Conflict Personally: Comparing Parents of Children with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Previous research suggests that parents of children with ASD experience greater marital conflict than parents of children with neurotypical development (NTD). This study examines how relational uncertainty is associated with taking conflict personally among parents of children with or without ASD. Parents of children with ASD (N = 298) and parents of children with NTD (N = 316) completed an online survey.

A Stress Buffering Perspective on the Progression of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

This study used the stress buffering perspective to identify social resources, including social network support, having a high quality marriage, and spousal support, that protect against deleterious effects of the progression of Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) on quality of life. Participants included 130 married adults living with AATD. We measured participants' quality of life in three ways: perceived stress, life satisfaction, and perceptions of social stigma.

Relational Turbulence and Marital Communication When Children with Autism Start School: A Longitudinal Dyadic Diary Study.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive and often difficult health condition, the consequences of which ripple through family relationships. This paper engages relational turbulence theory, which addresses communication in romantic relationships, and the experiencing life transitions model, from the field of nursing, to examine how communication between parents affects the marital relationship during a major transition in the life of a child with ASD. Transition processing communication (TPC) includes four forms of communication that can help married partners navigate difficult life events: increasing interaction, promoting connection, promoting feeling situated, and increasing confidence in the relationship.

Grief and Post-traumatic Growth Following Miscarriage: The Role of Meaning Reconstruction and Partner Supportive Communication.

This study used the meaning reconstruction model of bereavement and the theory of conversationally induced reappraisals to investigate factors that influence the association between grief following a miscarriage and post-traumatic growth. Participants included 298 women who had experienced a miscarriage within the previous year. As predicted, a moderate level of grief corresponded with the most post-traumatic growth among bereaved mothers and meaning reconstruction and partner supportive communication moderated this association.

Factors associated with participation in a prevention trial aimed at reducing biomarkers of breast cancer risk.

Objectives: Poor enrollment into prevention trials is a major obstacle to the conduct of clinical investigations. This study focuses on cognitive and affective influences on the decision to participate in a clinical trial aimed at reducing biomarkers of breast cancer risk.

Methods: Following a decision to participate or not in a clinical trial focused on reduction of breast cancer risk, women were recruited into the present study.

A qualitative study of breast cancer treatment decisions: evidence for five decision-making styles.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer requires that women make a number of decisions about their medical treatments. To gain insight into the variety of forces that shape a woman's breast cancer treatment decisions, we conducted semistructured interviews with 44 breast cancer survivors. Through an interpretive analysis, we identified five treatment decision-making styles: (a) medical expert, (b) self-efficacy, (c) relationship embedded, (d) inhibition, and (e) constellation of information, which are differentiated by two dimensions: (a) low versus high information needs and (b) self versus other preferences.

Relational Uncertainty and Cortisol Responses to Hurtful and Supportive Messages from a Dating Partner.

This paper evaluates theoretical claims linking relational uncertainty about a relationship partner to experiences of stress during interactions with that partner. Two observational studies were conducted to evaluate the association between relational uncertainty and salivary cortisol in the context of hurtful and supportive interactions. In Study 1, participants (N = 89) engaged in a conversation about core traits or values with a partner, who was trained to be hurtful.

Locating relationship and communication issues among stressors associated with breast cancer.

This article clarifies how the social contexts in which breast cancer survivors live can contribute to the stress they experience because of the disease. Guided by Solomon and Knobloch's (2004) relational turbulence model and Petronio's (2002) communication privacy management theory, this study explores personal relationship and communication boundary issues within stressors that are associated with the diagnosis, treatment, and early survivorship of breast cancer. A qualitative analysis of discourse posted on breast cancer discussion boards and weblogs using the constant comparative method and open-coding techniques revealed 12 sources of stress.