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Current Pharmaceutical Design Jun 2024Rhus coriaria L., commonly known as Sumac, is a plant from the Anacardiaceae family that is known for its high phytochemical content. These phytochemicals have the...
BACKGROUND
Rhus coriaria L., commonly known as Sumac, is a plant from the Anacardiaceae family that is known for its high phytochemical content. These phytochemicals have the potential to effectively manage inflammation and oxidative stress. To explore the existing evidence on the impact of Sumac consumption on inflammation and oxidative stress, we conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
METHODS
We conducted a comprehensive search of Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to August 2023 to identify relevant studies examining the effects of Sumac on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress. The selected studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane tool.
RESULTS
A total of seven trials were included in this review. Among these trials, three focused on diabetes patients, while the remaining four involved individuals with fatty liver, overweight individuals with depression, and those with polycystic ovary or metabolic syndrome. Five studies reported the effects of Sumac on oxidative stress, with four of them demonstrating a significant reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and an increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1). Regarding inflammation, one study reported no significant difference in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels between the intervention and control groups. The results for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, reported in five trials, were inconsistent.
CONCLUSION
Sumac consumption over time may positively affect oxidative stress, although short-term use shows minimal impact. While one study found no significant effect on IL-6 and TNF-α, hs-CRP levels could decrease or remain unchanged. Further meta-analyses are needed to fully understand Sumac's potential benefits in managing metabolic diseases.
PubMed: 38920072
DOI: 10.2174/0113816128305609240529114411 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2024Poststroke fatigue is a prevalent issue among stroke survivors, significantly impeding functional recovery and diminishing their quality of life.
BACKGROUND
Poststroke fatigue is a prevalent issue among stroke survivors, significantly impeding functional recovery and diminishing their quality of life.
AIM
This prospective cohort study aims to investigate the association between poststroke fatigue and the extent of functional recovery in survivors of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. Additionally, it seeks to delineate the temporal progression of poststroke fatigue in these two stroke subtypes.
METHODS
We assessed a cohort of 79 patients recovering from acute ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes. Poststroke fatigue was quantified using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Patients' condition was evaluated using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and functional independence levels were determined using the Barthel Index for Activities of Daily Living (BIADL) and the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS). Depressive mood and pain were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Numeric Rating Scale for pain (NRSpain), respectively.
RESULTS
Our primary findings indicate that the early manifestation of clinically significant fatigue (CSF) is predictive of a poorer trajectory in functional independence levels during recovery. Furthermore, we observed differing patterns of fatigue progression between ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. Fatigue tends to ameliorate over time in hemorrhagic stroke cases, paralleling functional recovery, while it remains stable over time in ischemic stroke cases.
CONCLUSION
Our results underscore the detrimental impact of early poststroke fatigue on long-term outcomes. Furthermore, they highlight the imperative of managing poststroke fatigue, particularly during the subacute phase of stroke recovery.
PubMed: 38919969
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1364446 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024To investigate parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward adolescent depression.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward adolescent depression.
METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2022 and October 2023 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University among parents of adolescents diagnosed with depression. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the parents' demographic characteristics and KAP toward adolescent depression.
RESULTS
A total of 522 questionnaires were collected from parents of depressed adolescents. Among the participants, 383 (73.37%) were female. In addition, 426 participants (81.61%) had children aged 14-18. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 9.09 ± 2.37 (possible range: 0-12), 37.04 ± 4.11 (possible range: 11-55), and 31.53 ± 3.84 (possible range: 8-40), respectively. There were significant positive correlations between knowledge and attitude ( = 0.225, < 0.001), knowledge and practice ( = 0.240, < 0.001), and attitude and practice ( = 0.381, < 0.001). The path analysis showed significant direct effects of knowledge on attitude (β = 0.422, < 0.001) and practice (β = 0.283, < 0.001). There was an indirect effect of knowledge on practice through attitude (β = 0.131, = 0.004). Attitude directly impacted practice (β = 0.311, < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Parents of adolescents diagnosed with depression exhibited moderate KAP regarding adolescent depression. The study underscored the importance of targeted interventions to improve parental KAP in supporting adolescents with depression. Moreover, future research should explore additional factors influencing parental attitudes and behaviors toward adolescent depression to develop more effective interventions.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Adolescent; Cross-Sectional Studies; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; China; Parents; Surveys and Questionnaires; Depression; Adult; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38919922
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1404819 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024Adolescent refugees are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, as they experience many risk factors associated with their resettlement at crucial stages of... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Testing the effectiveness of the culturally adapted skills training START NOW to reduce mental health problems in adolescent refugees: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Adolescent refugees are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, as they experience many risk factors associated with their resettlement at crucial stages of their physical and emotional development. However, despite having a greater healthcare needs than others, they face significant barriers to accessing healthcare services. Therefore, this study aims to test the effectiveness of a low-threshold, culturally adapted version of the skills training START NOW - START NOW Adapted - in reducing mental health problems among adolescent refugees.
METHODS
We will recruit 80 adolescent refugees (15-18 years) with symptoms of anxiety and depression or high perceived stress in Northwestern Switzerland. They will be randomly assigned to one of two study groups: an intervention group, receiving START NOW Adapted, and a control group, receiving treatment as usual (TAU). The intervention will last 10 weeks and will consist of one-hour sessions per week provided by a trained facilitator with the same cultural background, in the respective language. Assessments to collect depressive and anxious symptoms, perceived stress, social-ecological resilience, and emotion recognition abilities will be conducted pre-intervention, post-intervention (11 weeks later) and at the 3-month follow-up. Multilevel models will be computed with primary and secondary outcome measures as dependent variables. An effect of at least moderate size will be considered clinically relevant.
DISCUSSION
This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effectiveness of a culturally adapted version of START NOW, providing valuable insights to improve current health promotion for adolescent refugees in Switzerland (or rather lack thereof). Ultimately, the effects of START NOW may facilitate integration and promote healthy development while decreasing costs associated with treating migration- or conflict-related trauma.: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT06324864.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Refugees; Switzerland; Female; Male; Depression; Anxiety; Stress, Psychological; Mental Health; Culturally Competent Care
PubMed: 38919921
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1408026 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024As cancer survival rates increase, it has become crucial to pay attention to the long-term quality of life of survivors, including sexual functioning. The quality of...
INTRODUCTION
As cancer survival rates increase, it has become crucial to pay attention to the long-term quality of life of survivors, including sexual functioning. The quality of sexual life and fear of cancer progression are often unmet needs, significantly impacting cancer patients' overall quality of life. In this study, we investigate these factors in Romanian female cancer patients and highlight their relationship with mental health and demographic variables.
METHODS
This study included 242 Romanian female cancer patients who completed questionnaires assessing sexual functioning (EORTC QLQ-SHQ22), fear of cancer progression (FoP-Q), depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). We examined these relationships using descriptive, exploratory, and regression analyses.
RESULTS
Around 50% of patients reported impairments in sexual satisfaction and pain during sex. Lower sexual satisfaction increased sexual dysfunction, and heightened fear of cancer progression (FCP) were associated with depression, anxiety, younger age, lower education, rural residence, and unmarried status.
DISCUSSION
This study reveals a complex interplay between sexual health, fear of cancer progression, and psychological well-being among female cancer survivors in Romania. Addressing sexual concerns, providing psychoeducation, promoting coping with the fear of progression, and utilizing interdisciplinary interventions are essential to improving these patients' overall quality of life. These findings underscore the need for integrated care approaches that consider both physical and psychological dimensions of cancer survivorship.
Topics: Humans; Female; Romania; Quality of Life; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Adult; Fear; Neoplasms; Anxiety; Aged; Disease Progression; Depression; Cancer Survivors; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 38919914
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1417681 -
Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal =... 2023Patients with severe mental illness often present with more advanced cancer at diagnosis, experience poorer quality of care, receive fewer medical treatments, have...
Patients with severe mental illness often present with more advanced cancer at diagnosis, experience poorer quality of care, receive fewer medical treatments, have higher overall disease mortality, and are less likely to access timely palliative care when compared to patients without severe mental illness. Research findings have shown that early involvement of specialized palliative care services for patients with advanced cancer improves quality of life, increases satisfaction with care, and mitigates depression. This case study will highlight the spectrum of challenges in caring for patients with a severe mental illness and advanced cancer from the perspective of an inpatient palliative care consult team.
PubMed: 38919897
DOI: No ID Found -
Adolescent Psychiatry (Hilversum,... 2023Adolescents and young adults may use cannabidiol (CBD) products in an attempt to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms, despite little research examining this use. This...
BACKGROUND
Adolescents and young adults may use cannabidiol (CBD) products in an attempt to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms, despite little research examining this use. This systematic review evaluated preclinical and clinical research on the effects of CBD on depressive and anxiety disorders in adolescence and young adulthood. To provide context, we discuss CBD's mechanism of action and neurodevelopmental effects.
METHODS
PubMed was searched for articles published through June 2022. Preclinical or clinical CBD administration studies with > 1 that examined depressive and/or anxiety disorders were eligible.
RESULTS
Initially, 224 publications were identified. After excluding duplicates and applying eligibility criteria, 6 preclinical (depression: ≈133; anxiety: ≈161) and 4 clinical (anxiety: =113) articles remained. Due to the low number of studies, results were synthesized qualitatively. The Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 Levels of Evidence were used to rate each study's evidence. The preclinical effects of CBD on depression-like behavior appear to differ by sex, early life stress, and duration of use. Despite no evidence that CBD exerts anxiolytic effects in preclinical adolescent models, CBD may reduce anxiety symptoms in human adolescents and young adults with anxiety disorders.
CONCLUSIONS
The existing evidence suggests that CBD may reduce symptoms of anxiety in adolescents and young adults. However, the evidence is sparse and limited by variations in samples and CBD dosing duration. Further research is needed to understand the potential benefits and/or harms of CBD for depression and anxiety disorders in this population. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed.
PubMed: 38919887
DOI: 10.2174/0122106766233339230919143924 -
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on... May 2024Mental health activities conducted by patients between therapy sessions (or "therapy homework") are a component of addressing anxiety and depression. However, to be...
Mental health activities conducted by patients between therapy sessions (or "therapy homework") are a component of addressing anxiety and depression. However, to be effective, therapy homework must be tailored to the client's needs to address the numerous barriers they encounter in everyday life. In this study, we analyze how therapists and clients tailor therapy homework to their client's needs. We interviewed 13 therapists and 14 clients about their experiences tailoring and engaging in therapy homework. We identify criteria for tailoring homework, such as client skills, discomfort, and external barriers. We present how homework gets adapted, such as through changes in difficulty or by identifying alternatives. We discuss how technologies can better use client information for personalizing mental health interventions, such as adapting to client barriers, adjusting homework to these barriers, and creating a safer environment to support discomfort.
PubMed: 38919830
DOI: 10.1145/3613904.3642856 -
Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal =... 2022With the number of cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths on the rise, palliative care is becoming a more important consideration for helping to improve the quality...
With the number of cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths on the rise, palliative care is becoming a more important consideration for helping to improve the quality of life of patients and families and the support they receive during their healthcare journey. Accordingly, the early integration of palliative care into standard oncology care would appear to be an underutilized and novel approach that could be used to address the specific needs of palliative oncology patients. Oncology nurses play a central role in this process, delivering care throughout the health continuum, including palliative care. The purpose of this rapid review is to outline the benefits of early palliative care interventions and describe their characteristics. A literature search on CINAHL and PubMed returned five randomized trials conducted between 2010 and 2018. An analysis of these papers showed that the majority of the selected studies concluded that the early integration of palliative care into standard oncology care, which includes such treatments as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, can lead to improvements in quality of life, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and overall survival rate.
PubMed: 38919785
DOI: 10.5737/23688076324505 -
Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal =... 2022Men with advanced prostate cancer experience a wide range of side effects from the cancer and its therapies, which have a negative effect on their quality of life (QOL)....
PURPOSE
Men with advanced prostate cancer experience a wide range of side effects from the cancer and its therapies, which have a negative effect on their quality of life (QOL). Few studies have evaluated supportive care needs in these individuals. The purpose of this study was to conduct a holistic supportive care needs assessment among these survivors guided by the Supportive Care Framework for Cancer Care.
METHODS
Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, prostate cancer survivors with advanced disease (n = 188) completed a cross-sectional survey. A subset of these survivors (n = 20) participated in an interview to further explore their experience of unmet needs.
RESULTS
Survivors reported unmet supportive care needs in every domain of the framework. Up to 95.2% of the survivors had at least one unmet need, with a mean of 14.9 (range: 0-42). Several areas of convergence among the quantitative and qualitative data (fatigue, sexual dysfunction, practical, and emotional/psychological domains), as well as divergence (informational and spiritual domains, depression, urinary dysfunction) were found through the integration process.
CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms that prostate cancer survivors with advanced disease experience high rates of unmet supportive care needs. The findings also highlight the diversity of those unmet needs. These results may assist with future development of patient-centered supportive care interventions that better meet the specific needs of this vulnerable group of cancer survivors.
PubMed: 38919779
DOI: 10.5737/23688076324512