Individuals find it difficult to cope with the emotional pain of loss and trauma in their life based on intensity of the events. In this context, mindful based interventions play an important role in mitigating the loss and trauma. With this, the present collection "Mindfulness for mitigating loss and trauma" aims to investigate the role of mindfulness to mitigate the loss and trauma among individuals. The twelve papers in the collection discuss the study findings on how mindfulness through various contexts, variables and methodologies play a significant role in mitigating loss and trauma. The collection segregated the papers under the broad categories of mindfulness for mitigating loss and trauma among students and young population, mindfulness for mitigating loss and trauma among parents, and mindfulness interventions for larger good. The collection found out the role of mindfulness in mitigating loss and trauma among various groups with support of mindfulness interventions and practices.

Abstract: Objective: We aimed to assess the impact of extreme events associated with collective existential annihilation anxiety (EAA), such as the Halabja chemical attack on Iraqi Kurds 35 years ago. Method: We recruited 437 survivors and their offspring. We developed a scale to measure the severity of the chemical attack, employed measures that assess EAA, executive functions, PTSD, complex PTSD (CPTSD), depression, anxiety, the Will to Exist Live Survive (WTELS), resilience, and posttraumatic growth (PTG). We conducted correlation, SEM, and PROCESS-Macro analyses to examine the impact of the attack, and t test to measure differences between survivors and offspring. Results: The attack was associated with EAA and negatively impacted working memory and coping variables (resilience, PTG, and WTELS-F). Working memory deficits, EAA, and lower coping contributed to higher CPTSD, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. EAA moderated the mediated effects of depression and anxiety on CPTSD and the effects of CPTSD on anxiety. EAA was a significant moderator for the direct effects of the Halabja attack on anxiety and moderated the mediated effects of CPTSD. When comparing survivors to offspring, survivors showed greater EAA, working memory deficits, and PTG. There were no significant differences between them in low resilience, WTELS-F, and high PTSD, CPTSD, or depression. Conclusion: The cognitive and mental health impact of annihilation-threatening events is severe even after 35 years. The descendants continue to experience the effects of intergenerational trauma stemming from the attack. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and support systems for victims of EAA-associated events and their descendants.

The purpose is to address various gaps in understanding and coping with different forms of discrimination. We examined discrimination through the new perspective of Type III traumas (continuous traumatic stress) and as a significant factor in minorities’ disparities in mental health and cognitive functioning. Additionally, we aim to explore the effectiveness of'the will to exist, live, resist, fight, and survive (WTELS-F) (e.g., activism) as a coping strategy for such continuous traumas, which were never evaluated. We used two samples, one from 11 Arab countries (N=2732) and one from Pakistan (N=350). We measured WTELS-F, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), COVID-19 stressors, anxiety, depression, executive functions, suicidality, cumulative traumas, resilience, and posttraumatic growth (PTG). We conducted an independent sample t-test, correlations, structural equation modeling, and PROCESS macro. GD, intersected discrimination, and COVID-19 (continuous stressors) predicted higher depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicidality, and deficits in executive functions, while WTELS-F predicted lower scores in these variables and higher resilience and PTG. WTELS-F moderated the reduced impact of GD on mental health and seemed to counter the adverse effects of GD and other Type III stressors. The study provided evidence that WTELS-F translated into activism is a positive coping strategy for GD and other discriminations. The WTELS-F coping is associated with better mental health and executive functions. The study validated the conceptualization of discrimination as continuous traumatic stressors that negatively affect mental health and cognition. Activism and resistance in fighting gender and other discriminations are effective continuous traumatic stressors-focused interventions.

The current study aims to test the validity of the integrated model of chronic and acute stressors within the continuous traumatic stressors Type III trauma five variants (discrimination, childhood adversities, intergroup conflict, community violence, and chronic, life-threatening health conditions). The goal is to test the differential impact of chronic, acute, and different variants of Type III subtypes on mental health and cognition. Participants included 490 adult Kuwaiti citizens (Mean age=24.97, SD=9.10), with 66.3% females. We used measures of cumulative stressors and traumas, complex PTSD, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and executive functions. We conducted correlation and structural equation modeling. Chronic stressors found to have a higher association with mental health and cognitive function deficits than acute stressors. Type III (continuous traumatic stressors) and its variants of discrimination and childhood adversities have the highest association with poor mental health and cognitive function deficits compared to traumas type I (single acute past event) and II ( sequence of past events). Chronic stressors of childhood adversities and discrimination have a higher proliferation potential than other traumas. The results validated the Type III continuous trauma model and the importance of integrating stress and trauma fields and developing psychological clinical science based on this integration.

Stress is known to be a risk factor for deficits in working memory creating profound cognitive disturbances resulting in lingering impairments and losses in social and occupational functioning. Although a body of research has identified mindfulness as a potential means of mitigating deficits in working memory, there is a paucity of studies on the association between mindfulness and deficits in working memory among those who have experienced COVID-19 traumatic stress. This exploratory cross-sectional study sought to examine the mitigating effect of mindfulness on COVID-19 stress impacting working memory. The sample included 484 college students in Israel and the USA. Correlation and multiple regression analyses indicated that COVID-19 stress had a modest, inverse association with both a self-report and task-based indicator of working memory. In separate models predicting the different operationalizations of working memory, results revealed different effects for Israeli and USA students. Mindfulness was significantly associated with task-based but not self-reported working memory. The results offered evidence for a small but significant effect of mindfulness as moderating the impact of COVID-19 stress on working memory deficits. This exploratory, cross-sectional study, used a convenience sample limiting the generalizability and its ability to test causal effects, calling for replication.

To longitudinally measure the relationship between trauma, dissociation, complex PTSD (CPTSD), and executive function (EF), we used a sample of 228 at two times with ten weeks in-between. We measured cumulative trauma, dissociation, CPTSD, and EF. We used two structural equation modeling with cumulative trauma and type III continuous trauma at time 1 as independent variables and dissociation, CPTSD, and EF at time two as dependent variables. Cumulative trauma and continuous traumatic had medium to large effect sizes on dissociation. Dissociation had a large effect size on CPTSD and EFD. However, the association between dissociation and EFD is more non-linear.

The goal is to test the validity of the “Will to exist-live and survive (WTELS) as a master motivator that activates executive functions. A sample of 262 adults administered different measures that included WTELS and executive functions. We conducted hierarchical regressions with working memory deficits (WMD) and inhibition deficits (ID) as dependent variables. We entered in the last steps resilience and WTELS as independent variables. We conducted path analysis with WTELS as independent variables and WMD and ID as outcome variables and resilience and social support as mediating variables. WTELS accounted for the high effect size for lower working memory deficits and medium effect size for lower inhibition deficits. In path analysis, the effects of WTELS on decreased WMD were direct, while its effects on the ID were indirect. PROCESS analysis indicated that WTELS was directly associated with lower depression, anxiety, PTSD, and COVID-19 traumatic stress, and its indirect effects were mediated by lower executive function deficits (Kira et al., Psych 12:992-1024 2021c , Kira et al., in press ). The path model discussed was generally superior to the alternative models and was strictly invariant across genders (male/ female).

Hostilities and discrimination against refugees are continuous traumatic stressors (type III trauma) different from single past trauma. The goal was to measure their potential effects longitudinally. Recruiting 190 Syrian refugees in Turkey, we measured, two times, depression, complex PTSD, PTSD, anxiety, executive function, cumulative stressors, resilience, identity salience and the will to exist, live, survive and fight (WTELS-F). We measured changes between times one and two. Using the structural equation, we tested two models. The first included latent variables 'changes between times 1 and 2 in discrimination, community violence, and poverty (DCVP)', 'mental health,' and 'executive function deficits'. The second included identity salience, WTELS-F, PTG and resilience. Results indicated that the increase in DCVP led to a significant increase in mental health symptoms and cognitive deficits. There was a parallel increase in WTELS-F and PTG. Identity salience seems to lead to this increase in WTELS-F and PTG. We examined the clinical and conceptual significance of the results. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Abstract. This study aimed to validate the Type III continuous traumatic stress model assumptions and use it to assess the effect of intersected traumas of civil war and COVID-19 stressors on internally displaced Syrian people. We recruited 891 Syrians from camps (46.5% females, aged 18–90 years [ M = 30.81, SD = 12.04]). We measured COVID-19 stressors, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD (CPTSD), depression, anxiety, and executive functions to assess the variables related to peri-post Type III mental health syndrome. We measured Type I, II, and III traumas and Type III trauma subtypes. To explore the significance of differences between correlation sizes and the comparative severity of each trauma type, we calculated Fisher z scores. We performed path analysis with trauma Types III and II as correlated independent variables and COVID-19 stressors' impact on peri-post Type III trauma mental health syndrome to check their proliferation and impact. Of the sample, COVID-19 had infected 45.9%, 33.1% fit the diagnostic criteria for CPTSD, and 13.9% fit the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. All trauma types were associated with mental health, cognitive deficits, and COVID-19 severity, with a significantly higher association with trauma Type III. Type III-a subtype (intersected discrimination) had the highest associations with each variable. Type III was bidirectionally correlated with Type II and proliferated to Type I traumas (single past events) and COVID-19 stressors, with Type III having a larger effect size on peri-post Type III trauma mental health syndrome. The clinical and conceptual implications of the findings are discussed.

A novel short form scale was recently introduced in the literature to evaluate the coping construct of the will-to-exist-live-and survive/fight.The scale proved to have good psychometrics in an Egyptian sample.In the current study, we evaluated cross-culturally the meta master motive coping of "will-to exist-live-survive" (WTELS).Using confirmatory factor analysis and multigroup invariance on a combined five samples (N = 1566) from Western (the UK, N = 178), and non-Western countries (Egypt (N = 490), Turkey (N = 420), Kuwait (N = 300), and Syria (N = 179)), we tested the one-factor structure previously found for WTELS measure and its invariance across genders, age, and national groups.The one-factor was found to have a good fit with the data and was strictly invariant across genders, age groups, and Western and non-Western sub-samples.PROCESS macro found that WTELS have strong direct and indirect positive effects on posttraumatic growth.Its indirect effects were mediated by reappraisal and self-esteem and moderated by spirituality.WTELS had strong negative effects on mental (psychopathology, PTSD, depression, existential anxieties, and suicidality) and physical health.Further, stepwise regression provided evidence of the WTELS incremental validity in PTSD reduction.The results validated the "WTELS" scale crossculturally and the model was found to be a powerful and deep motive for coping behind the emergence of PTG, and better mental and physical health.

The study aims to identify the mechanisms underlying the findings that will to exist, live, survive and fight (WTELS-F) optimizes executive functions. Defining executive functions (EF) as having cold (working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility) and hot (e.g., motivation) components, we hypothesized that WTELS-F affects executive functions positively via two pathways. The first pathway is through the hot executive function (motivation), and the second is via survival or existential processing. In a longitudinal study of 228 adult participants two times with ten weeks in between, we used measures for WTELS-F, working memory, inhibition, shift/cognitive flexibility, and self-motivation. We tested the structural validity of the four factors' executive function by exploratory factor analysis in time 1 data and confirmatory factor analysis in time 2 data. We conducted structural equation modeling WTELS-F change as a latent variable predicted by the change in its three components between times 1 and 2., affecting changes in self-motivation (the hot EF), and changes in the latent variable of cold EF as predicted by changes in working memory, inhibition, and shift. Results indicated that the model of EF fit the data well without modification. WTELS-F significantly affected self-motivation (the hot EF) and the cold EF longitudinally. It had further mediated effects on cold EF via its impact on self-motivation. The results provided evidence for the two pathways hypothesis of the effects of WTELS-F on EF. The conceptual and clinical implications of these findings were discussed.

The goal was to explore the applicability of the continuous traumatic stress type-III paradigm to the torture's interface with other ongoing traumatic stressors (e.g., COVID-19 and discrimination) and other adversities' impact. On a sample of 891 Syrian internally displaced (461 torture survivors), we measured cumulative trauma, COVID-19 stressors, and the peri-post type III trauma syndrome (i.e., CPTSD, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and executive functions). We conducted t-test and structural equation modeling. Torture predicted higher COVID-19 stressors and the peri-post type III trauma syndrome. Intersected discrimination amplified the effects of torture. The conceptual and clinical implications of these findings were discussed.

Using the continuous traumatic stress type III paradigm, the current study aimed to explore the proliferation of previous and concurrent continuous type III traumas to COVID-19 stressors. In two samples from the USA (N = 745) and the Syrian internally displaced (N = 891), we used COVID-19 stressors and cumulative trauma measures. Childhood adversities and intersected discrimination predicted higher COVID-19 stressors in the American sample. Intergroup conflict, intersected discrimination, and chronic, life-threatening health conditions predicted higher COVID-19 stressors in the Syrian sample. Cumulative trauma in both samples predicted higher COVID-19 stressors and accounted for slightly higher variance. The conceptual and clinical implications were discussed.

One study found that torture survivors are more resilient and develop higher posttraumatic growth (PTG) than nontortured refugees and suggested that this is due to their higher group identity salience. Will to exist, live, survive, and fight (WTELS-F) is intimately related to identity salience. The present study aims to check the replicability of these earlier counterintuitive findings and if potentially higher WTELS-F in torture survivors explains these differences. Using a sample of 891 internally displaced Syrians (461 were torture survivors) and measures for resilience, social support, PTG, and WTELS-F, we analyzed the differences between tortured and nontortured in the measured variables. We used structural equation modeling to check if torture predicts higher WTELS-F that mediates a higher resilience and PTG in torture survivors. Results replicated the earlier findings. Torture predicts higher WTELS-F that mediated its effects on resilience and PTG in torture survivors. The clinical implications of the results were briefly discussed.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects of daily life, but relatively little is known about COVID-19-related stress for subgroups in the population. We examined differences in COVID-stress and depression as a function of gender, race, ethnicity, and subjective social status. We tested these factors as moderators of the association between COVID-stress and depression.DESIGN:We used a cross-sectional design to test associations between sociodemographic factors, COVID-stress, and depression. Analyses were based on confirmatory factor analytic and structural equations models.METHODS:A convenience sample of 1,058 U.S. MTurk workers and college students (54.5% cisgender women; 55.1% racial/ethnic minoritized individuals) was recruited. Participants completed self-report measures of COVID-stress and depression.RESULTS:COVID-stress was positively associated with depression. Overall, neither gender nor racial minoritized status moderated COVID-stress effects on depression. However, intersectional analyses revealed COVID-stress was a significant risk factor for depression among Black women compared to other participants. COVID-stress was more strongly linked to depression for Hispanic individuals and participants with higher social status.CONCLUSIONS:Future studies may benefit from the COVID-stress scale evaluated in this study and by considering the differential effects of sociodemographic factors on psychological functioning during the pandemic.

Abstract. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differential impact of various COVID-19 stressors (economic, infection fears, grief, and lockdown stressors) and their cumulative impact on peri-post-COVID-19 syndrome. Peri-post-COVID-19 syndrome (PPCS) is a mental health and cognitive syndrome associated with chronic traumatic stress, particularly COVID-19. The sample consisted of 490 Kuwaiti citizens aged 18–60 years ( M = 24.97, SD = 9.10), with 66.3% being female. Data were collected from October 2021 to January 2022. We assessed how individuals felt about COVID-19 stressors, cumulative traumatic events and stressors, complex PTSD (CPTSD), PTSD, anxiety, depression, and executive functions. A structural equation was used to test the differential and cumulative impact of COVID-19 stressors. COVID-19 cumulative stressors, especially lockdown, had the strongest correlation with CPTSD. The highest variance was accounted for by lockdown stressors ( R2 = .752). COVID-19 cumulative stressors had a medium-to-large effect on PPCS. In the affluent Kuwaiti context, lockdown stressors appear to have a greater impact on mental health and executive dysfunction than other COVID-19 stressors. In the PPCS, CPTSD appears to be the most robust outcome variable. Conceptually, the study provided preliminary evidence of the PPCS and associated cognitive deficits as powerful drivers for COVID-19 and of continuous/prolonged traumatic stress for COVID-19. The study highlighted the need for innovation in developing multiparameter intervention strategies with a pericognitive and cognitive training component to address the multiple impacts of the pandemic.

The purpose of this study was to test if coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) traumatic stress predicts posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after cumulative trauma and whether there is a three-way interaction between COVID-19 traumatic stress, cumulative trauma, and race in the prediction of PTSD. Using a cross-sectional design, a diverse sample of 745 participants completed measures of cumulative trauma, COVID-19 traumatic stress, and PTSD. COVID-19 traumatic stress accounted for a significant amount of the variance in PTSD above and beyond cumulative trauma. A significant interaction effect was found, indicating that the effect of COVID-19 traumatic stress in predicting PTSD varied as a function of cumulative trauma and that the effects of that interaction were different for Asians and Whites. There were generally comparable associations between COVID-19 traumatic stress and PTSD at low and high levels of cumulative trauma across most racial groups. However, for Asians, higher levels of cumulative trauma did not worsen the PTSD outcome as a function of COVID Traumatic Stress but did at low levels of cumulative trauma.