Browsing by Person "Trejnowska, Anna"

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Adjustment to a brain tumour diagnosis: A mixed methods investigation
(Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, 2021) Trejnowska, Anna
A primary brain tumour diagnosis is known to elicit higher distress compared to other forms of cancer, and is related to high depressive symptomatology. It poses unique challenges in the process of psychosocial adjustment, with social networks and roles often being disrupted. Despite emerging evidence regarding the importance of social support in maintaining well-being when living with a chronic condition, literature on adjustment to living with a brain tumour rarely focuses on social relationships. The current mixed methods project was therefore designed to address an overarching research question: How do people cope with a brain tumour diagnosis in the context of their social relationships? The aim of the first study was to examine the associations between insecure attachment dimensions and coping strategies, with a proposed mediating role of perceived availability of social support. In this cross-sectional study, participants diagnosed with primary brain tumours (N = 480) were recruited online. Multiple regression analyses revealed significant positive associations between both attachment anxiety and avoidance and helplessness/hopelessness. Attachment anxiety was found to be significantly related to anxious preoccupation, while attachment avoidance was associated with fighting spirit and fatalism. Mediation analyses indicated that perceived social support mediated the relationships between both attachment dimensions and helplessness/hopelessness and fatalism. The findings indicate that individuals higher on insecure attachment dimensions seem to respond with a more maladaptive coping repertoire when adjusting to a diagnosis. The second study sought to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of being diagnosed with a brain tumour, with a focus on exploring participants’ understandings of the meaning of social support. Twelve individuals took part in semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis framework. Five inter-related themes were identified: (1) Making sense of the diagnosis, (2) Working it out in the family, (3) Giving and receiving support, (4) Feeling appreciative, and (5) Negotiating a new normal. The results emphasise that the diagnosis does not affect only the individual but a whole network of closest relationships, often with a price or negotiation that needs to take place within these relationships. Collectively, the results of the project highlight that coping is never an individual task. Both studies were integrated and interpreted jointly through narrative and joint display methods. Overall, the project portrays a complex interplay between family dynamics and individual coping and concludes by proposing that coping is deeply socially embedded. Implications of the findings are discussed. Keywords: Coping, adjustment, brain tumour, adult attachment, social support, mixed methods
...'man up' and get on with it-: young workers' experiences of customer abuse and violence.
(2011) Elliott, Ian; Goodall, Karen; McVittie, Chris; Sambaraju, Rahul; Trejnowska, Anna
Many of the UK Government's Welfare Reforms have been predicated on evidence, cited within the Dame Carol Black report, that work is good for health. Yet the original research base upon which this assertion lies makes the distinction that it is good work which leads to positive health outcomes. This research study investigates one particular aspect in which employment may have a negative impact on health outcomes - the incidence of workplace abuse and violence. The prevalence of abusive customers is widely recognised and researched. Yet it remains unclear to what extent young workers (16-24 years old) are particularly vulnerable. This study examined young workers' experiences of customer abuse and violence including: the frequency; nature and type; impacts; and employer responses to abusive or violent customer behaviour. The study used the internet to recruit participants and to collect data using a survey, a discussion forum and interviews. A total of 365 young people completed the survey, of whom 20 also took part in the discussion forum and nine also took part in interviews. Overall, 65% of participants experienced at least one incident of workplace abuse or violence in the past year. This is in contrast with 37% of the overall working population who experience such incidents. It was found that, for many young workers, abusive customers are seen as part of the job. There is a lack of empowerment in how staff can deal with abusive customers and a general lack of training or management support. The short-term effects of continued exposure to abuse are lack of confidence, anger and irritability; longer-term effects could not be discerned from this study. It is concluded that employers, and employees, perceive violence as normal behaviour and subsequently it often goes unreported. Recommendations are relevant to the Scottish Government, associated public agencies and employers. Yet without a significant change in public values and behaviours the problem of violence is likely to remain.
The relationship between adult attachment and coping with brain tumour: The mediating role of social support
(Wiley, 2020-01-10) Trejnowska, Anna; Goodall, Karen; Rush, Robert; Ellison, Marion; McVittie, Chris
Objective A primary brain tumour diagnosis is known to elicit higher distress than other forms of cancer and is related to high depressive symptomatology. Using a cross-sectional design, the present study explored how individuals cope with this diagnosis using an attachment theory framework. Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were hypothesised to be positively related to helplessness/hopelessness, anxious preoccupation and cognitive avoidance, and negatively related to fighting spirit and fatalism coping. We proposed perceived social support to play a mediating role in those associations.
The relationship between dispositional mindfulness, attachment security and emotion regulation
(Elsevier, 2012-04) Goodall, Karen; Trejnowska, Anna; Darling, Stephen
Mindfulness may be conceptualised as a dispositional trait which differs across individuals. Previous research has independently identified both attachment security and emotion regulation abilities as correlates of dispositional attachment. We investigated the relationship between the three concepts in a sample of 192 participants who had previously had no mindfulness training. Participants completed the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Revised (ECR-R) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) online. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 2-factor solution accounting for 52% of the variance across scores on these measures. The first factor accounted for 36% of the variance and loaded highly on emotion regulation and mindfulness subscales. The second factor accounted for 16% of the variance and loaded highly on emotion regulation, attachment and mindfulness subscales. We called the first factor 'conscious awareness of emotional states' and the second factor 'metacognition of emotional states'. The results confirmed that both emotional regulation abilities and attachment security were related to dispositional mindfulness.
'We Just Have to Learn to Deal with It': Young workers experiences of workplace violence
(American Institute of Science, 2015-04-20) McVittie, Chris; Goodall, Karen; Sambaraju, Rahul; Elliott, Ian; Trejnowska, Anna
We report on two studies that examined how young people (aged 16 to 24 years) working in public-facing jobs report experiences of workplace violence from dealing with the public. In Study 1, 65% (n=227) of respondents (N=349) reported experiencing violence in the preceding year, with verbal abuse being significantly higher for call centre workers and assaults higher among public sector workers. Psychological symptoms following violence were higher among participants aged 18 years or over than younger workers. Study 2 identified five themes relevant to participants (N=20) experiences, namely (1) violence is part of the job; (2) front line employees are targets; (3) power favours the customer; (4) any customer can be violent, and (5) need for personal experience. These findings demonstrate the need for employers to address all aspects of their practices in order to address risks in the workplace and to promote the psychological well-being of their employees.