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Cancer Medicine Feb 2022Demoralisation is a clinically significant problem among cancer patients with a prevalence of 13%-18%. It is defined by difficulty in adjusting to a stressor, wherein...
BACKGROUND
Demoralisation is a clinically significant problem among cancer patients with a prevalence of 13%-18%. It is defined by difficulty in adjusting to a stressor, wherein the person feels trapped in their predicament and experiences helplessness, hopelessness, loss of confidence and loss of meaning in life. Demoralisation has a strong link with the desire for hastened death and suicidal ideation among the medically ill. This study explored whether a group of symptoms could be identified, distinct from depression, but consistent with adjustment difficulties with demoralisation and linked to ideation of death and suicide.
METHODS
Exploratory Graph Analysis, a network psychometrics technique, was conducted on a large German study of 1529 cancer patients. Demoralisation was measured with the Demoralisation Scale II and depressive symptoms with the PHQ-9.
RESULTS
A network of symptoms, with four stable communities, was identified: 1. Loss of hope and meaning; 2. Non-specific emotionality; 3. Entrapment; 4. Depressive symptoms. The first three communities were clearly distinct from the PHQ-9 depressive symptoms, except for suicidality and fear of failure. Community 1, Loss of hope and meaning, had the strongest association with thoughts of death and suicide. Hopelessness, loss of role in life, tiredness, pointlessness and feeling trapped were the most central symptoms in the network.
CONCLUSIONS
Communities 1 to 3 are consistent with poor coping without anhedonia and other classic depression symptoms, but linked to suicidal ideation. For people facing the existential threat of cancer, this may indicate poor psychological adjustment to the stressors of their illness.
Topics: Depression; Emotional Adjustment; Humans; Neoplasms; Psychometrics; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide
PubMed: 35122411
DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4406 -
Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult... Jun 2023The third Cancer Plan (2014-2019) has helped with the recognition of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer's medical and psychosocial specificities and has... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
The third Cancer Plan (2014-2019) has helped with the recognition of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer's medical and psychosocial specificities and has enabled the creation of dedicated structures in France. The study involved 43 AYA patients ( = 21; = 22) between 15 and 27 years old ( = 19.9), diagnosed with all types of cancer, and were recruited in two French cancer centers. Online questionnaires were filled in 2 months after the beginning of treatment. AYAs completed measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms, perceived social support, and coping strategies. Results demonstrated moderate depressive symptoms ( = 10.7, standard deviation [SD] = 7.0) and suggested a good satisfaction ( = 30, SD = 9.5) and a mild availability ( = 27, SD = 10.3) of the social support. Spearman's correlations demonstrated that coping strategies are related to depressive symptoms, for which acceptance ( < 0.01) of the disease played a key role in their psychological adjustment. Perceived social support subscales were positively correlated with the use of distraction as a coping strategy ( < 0.05). Kruskal-Wallis test demonstrated the preferential use of instrumental ( < 0.05) and emotional support ( < 0.01), denial ( < 0.01), and self-blame ( < 0.01) for women and the use of acceptance ( < 0.05) and humor ( < 0.05) for men; and there were no significant differences between patients hospitalized in the two cancer center facilities. Finally, a better understanding of the psychological adjustment and processes among French AYAs with cancer will help families and processionals to better adjust AYA-specific needs at the beginning of cancer treatment. : NCT03964116.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Female; Humans; Male; Young Adult; Adaptation, Psychological; Emotional Adjustment; Neoplasms; Perception; Social Support
PubMed: 36067271
DOI: 10.1089/jayao.2022.0034 -
Reproductive Biomedicine Online Nov 2022Is there a relationship between disclosure and psychological adjustment in heterosexual-couple families following oocyte donation and sperm donation when the child is 7...
RESEARCH QUESTION
Is there a relationship between disclosure and psychological adjustment in heterosexual-couple families following oocyte donation and sperm donation when the child is 7 years old?
DESIGN
This was a cross-sectional study of heterosexual couples with 7- to 8-year-old children conceived with identity-release oocyte donation (n = 83, response rate 56%) or sperm donation (n = 113, response rate 65%). Participants individually completed instruments for the assessment of parents' emotional distress (HADS), parenting stress (SPSQ) and relationship quality (ENRICH), and their child's psychological adjustment (SDQ-Swe) and reported whether they had talked with their child about their donor conception.
RESULTS
About half of parents had talked with their child about their donor conception (oocyte donation 61%, sperm donation 58%). Separate analyses for mothers and fathers showed no main effects of disclosure or type of donation on the outcomes, nor were there any interaction effects. Overall, mothers and fathers in oocyte donation and sperm donation families were found to be well adjusted, reporting within-normal range levels of anxiety, depression and parental stress, and a high relationship quality. The children were well adjusted, with low levels of emotional and behavioural problems.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the present results confirm previous research indicating that early disclosure of the donor conception to children is not associated with negative outcomes for parents or children. Heterosexual couples using oocyte or sperm donation should be informed that disclosure when the child is 7-8 years old is not detrimental to the psychological adjustment of families.
Topics: Male; Animals; Heterosexuality; Emotional Adjustment; Cross-Sectional Studies; Semen; Oocyte Donation; Tissue Donors; Disclosure; Spermatozoa; Oocytes
PubMed: 35953415
DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.06.011 -
Anxiety, Stress, and Coping Sep 2023Cultivation of self-care is believed to foster more well-being and to mitigate the psychological difficulties that mental health professionals experience. However, how...
Cultivation of self-care is believed to foster more well-being and to mitigate the psychological difficulties that mental health professionals experience. However, how the well-being and psychological distress of these professionals impact their personal self-care practice is rarely discussed. In fact, studies have yet to investigate whether the use of self-care improves mental health, or whether being in a better place psychologically makes professionals more prone to using self-care (or both). The present study aims to clarify the longitudinal associations between self-care practices and five indicators of psychological adjustment (well-being, posttraumatic growth, anxiety, depression, and compassion fatigue). A sample of 358 mental health professionals were assessed twice (within a 10-month interval). A cross-lagged model tested all associations between self-care and psychological adjustment indicators. Results showed that self-care at T1 predicted increases in well-being and in post-traumatic growth, and a reduction in anxiety and depression at T2. However, only anxiety at T1 significantly predicted greater self-care at T2. No significant cross-lagged associations were found between self-care and compassion fatigue. Overall, findings suggest that implementing self-care is a good way for mental health workers to "take care of themselves." However, more research is needed to understand what leads these workers to use self-care.
Topics: Humans; Emotional Adjustment; Compassion Fatigue; Mental Health; Self Care; Anxiety; Depression
PubMed: 36794327
DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2023.2178646 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2019Social and emotional factors such as emotional competence and self-esteem are protective factors that promote adolescent mental health and well-being. In this paper, we...
Social and emotional factors such as emotional competence and self-esteem are protective factors that promote adolescent mental health and well-being. In this paper, we will examine the combined contribution of these socio-emotional factors in addition to personal factors, in the prediction of psychological adjustment and subjective well-being in adolescence. The study included 840 adolescents aged between 12 and 16 years old ( = 13.37, = 1.16, 51.4% girls). We measured personal variables (sex, age, number of siblings), socio-emotional variables (emotional competence and self-esteem), psychological adjustment (emotional and behavioural problems) and subjective well-being (life satisfaction and affect balance). Besides descriptive analysis and Pearson bivariate correlations, two different methodologies were performed, including hierarchical regression models and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results show that emotional competence is a protective factor for optimal adjustment and well-being, and suggest that self-esteem reinforces this relation. Different patterns were observed for female and male adolescents of different ages and with different family backgrounds. The practical implications of our findings for intervention programs have been discussed.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Emotional Adjustment; Emotions; Female; Humans; Male; Problem Behavior; Psychology, Adolescent; Self Concept; Siblings
PubMed: 31766641
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16234650 -
Annals of Behavioral Medicine : a... Aug 2023The experience of cancer can create considerable emotional distress for patients and their committed partners. How couples communicate about cancer-related concerns can...
BACKGROUND
The experience of cancer can create considerable emotional distress for patients and their committed partners. How couples communicate about cancer-related concerns can have important implications for adjustment. However, past research has primarily utilized cross-sectional designs and retrospective self-reports of couple communication. While informative, little is known about how patients and partners express emotion during conversations about cancer, and how these emotional patterns predict individual and relational adjustment.
PURPOSE
The current investigation examined how patterns of emotional arousal within couples' communication about cancer was associated with concurrent and prospective individual psychological and relational adjustment.
METHODS
At baseline, 133 patients with stage II- breast, lung, or colorectal cancer and their partners completed a conversation about a cancer-related concern. Vocally expressed emotional arousal (f0) was extracted from recorded conversations. Couples completed self-report measures of individual psychological and relational adjustment at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 months later.
RESULTS
Couples who started the conversation higher in f0 (i.e., greater emotional arousal) reported better individual and relational adjustment at baseline. If the non-cancer partner had lower f0 relative to patients, this predicted worse individual adjustment across follow-up. Additionally, couples who maintained their level of f0 rather than decreasing later in the conversation reported improvements in individual adjustment across follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS
Elevated emotional arousal within a cancer-related conversation may be adaptive for adjustment, as it may reflect greater emotional engagement and processing of an important topic. These results may suggest ways for therapists to guide emotional engagement to enhance resilience in couples experiencing cancer.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Arousal; Communication; Emotional Adjustment; Expressed Emotion; Family Characteristics; Family Relations; Follow-Up Studies; Neoplasms; Resilience, Psychological; Sound Recordings; Voice; Family Support
PubMed: 37178456
DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaad017 -
The Clinical Teacher Aug 2019Well-being and uncertainty are intimately related, although less easily defined from a health care perspective. Uncertainty is intrinsic to both the science and practice... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Well-being and uncertainty are intimately related, although less easily defined from a health care perspective. Uncertainty is intrinsic to both the science and practice of health care, and dealing with uncertainty can bring feelings of stress, avoidance and resistance, all of which are detrimental to an individual's well-being.
CONTEXT
Contrary to the majority of the literature, which suggests promoting resilience as a way to improve health care professionals' well-being, our paper argues that a better understanding of the relationship between well-being and uncertainty can support health care professionals in managing the complexity of everyday clinical interactions.
INNOVATION
Various strategies and educational exercises around being comfortable in not knowing, preserving uncertainty through effective communication and the use of reflective silence are discussed to support clinical educators in recognising the impact of uncertainty on individual well-being. The relationship between uncertainty and well-being is poorly understood and vaguely defined … IMPLICATIONS: Our paper calls for a broader understanding of the term well-being, recognising the interplay between individual and environmental factors that contribute to maintaining our well-being. The recommended strategies and exercises can be considered in faculty member development sessions and used to promote the incorporation of curriculum initiatives in this area.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Curriculum; Delivery of Health Care; Education, Medical; Emotional Adjustment; Health Personnel; Humans; Uncertainty
PubMed: 31295790
DOI: 10.1111/tct.13051 -
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aug 2022Although acculturation is considered a mutual process, no measure assesses attitudes toward mutual acculturation. Through a novel four-dimensional measurement, this...
Although acculturation is considered a mutual process, no measure assesses attitudes toward mutual acculturation. Through a novel four-dimensional measurement, this study addresses this research gap by assessing attitudes toward minority and majority acculturation and its relation to psychological adjustment for immigrant-background minority and non-immigrant majority adolescents in public secondary schools in three European countries: in Germany (n = 346, 46% female, M = 12.78 years, range 11-16), Greece (n = 439, 56% female, M = 12.29 years, range 11-20), and Switzerland (n = 375, 47% female, M = 12.67 years, range 11-15). Latent profile analyses led to three distinct acculturation profiles in all three countries: strong and mild mutual integration profiles, where both migrant and majority students are expected to integrate, and a third profile assuming lower responsibility upon the majority. Additionally, those in the strong- and mild-integration profiles reported stronger psychological adjustment than those assuming lower responsibility upon the majority, which held for all students in Switzerland and mostly for those without a migration background in Germany. The findings demonstrate the importance of a mutual acculturation framework for future research. Moreover, as most adolescents fit in with one of the mutual integration patterns, findings stress that no matter their migration background, adolescents favor mutual integration including the expectation on schools to enhance intercultural contact.
Topics: Acculturation; Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Attitude; Child; Emigrants and Immigrants; Emotional Adjustment; Female; Humans; Male; Young Adult
PubMed: 35384532
DOI: 10.1007/s10964-022-01604-6 -
European Journal of Oncology Nursing :... Feb 2024The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between distress, psychological adjustment, and quality of life in patients with colon cancer.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between distress, psychological adjustment, and quality of life in patients with colon cancer.
METHOD
This study employed a cross-sectional design and included 104 colon cancer patients treated at AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. The assessment tools used encompassed the Distress Thermometer, MINI-MAC scale, and FACT-C to evaluate distress, psychological adjustment, and quality of life. Statistical analysis, conducted in SPSS software, encompassed correlation tests and linear regression to explore the interplay between these variables in colon cancer patients.
RESULTS
Correlation tests revealed that patients' quality of life is positively correlated with a fighting spirit (r = 0.719, p < 0.001), cognitive avoidance (r = 0.634, p < 0.001), and fatalism (r = 0.518, p < 0.001), and negatively with helplessness and hopelessness (r = -0.756, p < 0.001), and anxious preoccupation (r = -0.679, p < 0.001). OLS regression findings verified these results partially for a significance level of 5% but indicated no statistically significant effect of cognitive avoidance and fatalism on quality of life, which was further found unaffected by total distress.
CONCLUSIONS
The intricate links between quality of life, distress, and psychological adjustment in colon cancer patients call for deeper investigation. A personalized approach in psycho-oncology care is essential for comprehensive treatment. These findings highlight the significance of addressing the psychological and emotional needs of colon cancer patients, as observed in the study's results.
Topics: Humans; Emotional Adjustment; Adaptation, Psychological; Quality of Life; Cross-Sectional Studies; Colonic Neoplasms; Neoplasms
PubMed: 38006715
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2023.102467 -
Anxiety, Stress, and Coping Jul 2020The study aim was to examine the predictive effect of parental attachment on positive psychological outcomes (posttraumatic growth, PTG) and negative psychological...
The study aim was to examine the predictive effect of parental attachment on positive psychological outcomes (posttraumatic growth, PTG) and negative psychological outcomes (posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms), and to test the mediating role of positive and negative coping in the relationship among adolescents following an earthquake in China. The study used a longitudinal design with a 6-month time interval. Data was collected from middle schools in the most severely affected areas at 18 and 24 months following an earthquake. Data were analyzed from 398 adolescents who completed self-report measures of parental attachment, , , , . Secure parental attachment predicted lower PTSD and depression symptoms at 24-months follow-up, and negative coping partly mediated the effects of parental attachment on PTSD and depression. No significant association was observed between parental attachment and PTG. The findings indicate that secure parental attachment had a protective effect for adolescents after the disaster. Such attachment may reduce the use of negative coping and in turn decrease psychological distress over time.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Disasters; Earthquakes; Emotional Adjustment; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Object Attachment; Parents; Young Adult
PubMed: 32223434
DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2020.1746769