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International Journal of Bipolar... Dec 2017Information on the association between bipolar disorder (BD), sexual satisfaction, sexual function, sexual distress and quality of life (QoL) is sparse. This study aims,...
BACKGROUND
Information on the association between bipolar disorder (BD), sexual satisfaction, sexual function, sexual distress and quality of life (QoL) is sparse. This study aims, in women with BD, to (i) investigate sexual dysfunction, sexual distress, general sexual satisfaction and QoL; (ii) explore whether sexual distress was related to affective symptoms and (iii) investigate whether QoL was associated with sexual distress. The study is a questionnaire survey in an outpatient cohort of women with BD using: Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire, Female Sexual Distress Scale, Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale (ASRM), Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and The World Health Organisation Quality of Life-Brief.
RESULTS
In total, 61 women (age range 19-63, mean 33.7 years) were recruited. Overall, 54% reported sexual distress (n = 33) and 39% were not satisfied with their sexual life (n = 24). Women with BD were significantly more sexually distressed in comparison with Danish women from the background population but they did not have a higher prevalence of impaired sexual function. Better sexual function was positively associated with ASRM scores while MDI scores were associated with more distress. Finally, the group of non-sexually distressed women with BD reported higher QoL scores compared with the sexually distressed group.
CONCLUSIONS
Women with BD exhibited a high prevalence of sexual distress and their sexual function seemed associated with their actual mood symptoms and perception of QoL.
PubMed: 28589489
DOI: 10.1186/s40345-017-0098-0 -
Lung Cancer (Auckland, N.Z.) 2010Dyspnea is a common and distressing symptom experienced by 19%-51% of patients with advanced cancer. Higher incidences are reported in patients approaching end of life.... (Review)
Review
Dyspnea is a common and distressing symptom experienced by 19%-51% of patients with advanced cancer. Higher incidences are reported in patients approaching end of life. While the prevalence of dyspnea has been reported to be as frequent as pain in people with lung cancer, less attention has been paid to the distress associated with dyspnea. This review of the literature was undertaken to investigate how dyspnea has been assessed and whether breathlessness in people with lung cancer is distressing. Using a predetermined search strategy and inclusion criteria, 31 primary studies were identified and included in this review. Different outcome measures were used to assess the experience of dyspnea, with domains including intensity, distress, quality of life, qualitative sensation, and prevalence. Overall, the studies report a high prevalence of dyspnea in lung cancer patients, with subjects experiencing a moderate level of dyspnea intensity and interference with activities of daily living. Distress associated with breathing appears to be variable, with some studies reporting dyspnea to be the most distressing sensation, and others reporting lower levels of distress. However, taking into account the prevalence, intensity, and distress of dyspnea, the general consensus appears to be that the experience of dyspnea in people with lung cancer is common, with varying degrees of intensity, but involves considerable unpleasantness. Thus, if dyspnea and pain are both distressing sensations for people with lung cancer, this has potential implications for both clinical and academic areas with regards to both management strategies and further research.
PubMed: 28210113
DOI: 10.2147/LCTT.S14426 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2022The COVID-19 pandemic led to visiting restrictions (VRs) of patients in hospitals. Social contacts between patients' relatives play an important role in convalescence....
BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic led to visiting restrictions (VRs) of patients in hospitals. Social contacts between patients' relatives play an important role in convalescence. Isolation may cause new psychological comorbidity. The present study investigated the psychological distress of VR in in-patients and their relatives.
METHODS
From April 1, 2020 to May 20, 2020, 313 in-patients (≥14 years) of the University Medical Center Rostock were interviewed by questionnaires and 51 relatives by phone. Subjective psychological distress was assessed by a distress thermometer [0 (not at all)-100 (extreme)]. The study also investigated stressors due to VR, psychological distress in dependence on demographic or disease-related data, currently used communication channels and desired alternatives and support.
RESULTS
Relatives were more psychologically distressed by VR than in-patients (59 ± 34 vs. 38 ± 30, = 0.002). Loss of direct physical contact and facial expressions/gestures resulted in the most distress. Psychological distress due to VR was independent of demographics and indicates small positive correlations with the severity of physical restriction and the general psychological distress of in-patients. The most frequent ways of communication were phone and social media. Frequently requested alternatives for patients were other interlocutors and free phone/tablet use, for relatives visiting rooms with partitions.
CONCLUSION
VRs are a stressor for patients and their relatives. The establishment of visiting rooms with partitions and the free use of phones/tablets could reduce the additional distress.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Pandemics; Psychological Distress; Stress, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35910882
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.862978 -
BMC Nursing Nov 2022Our aims were to examine themes of the most difficult or distressing events reported by healthcare workers during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in two US health...
BACKGROUND
Our aims were to examine themes of the most difficult or distressing events reported by healthcare workers during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in two US health care systems in order to identify common themes and then to relate them to both behavioral theory and measures of anxiety and depression.
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional survey of nurses and physicians during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. An emailed recruitment letter was sent, with about half choosing to supply open-ended responses relevant to thematic analysis. We measured symptoms of anxiety and depression separately, captured demographics, and asked two open-ended questions regarding events that were the most difficult or stressful, and reinforced pride. We reported descriptive statistics and coded thematic categories for their continuum "pride" and "distress" the factors related to fostering well-being according to the Self-Determination Theory.
RESULTS
Themes that emerged from these narratives were congruent with prediction of Self-Determination theory that autonomy-supportive experiences will foster pride, while autonomy-thwarting experiences will cause distress. Those who reported distressful events were more anxious and depressed compared to those who did not. Among those who reported incidences that reinforced pride in the profession, depression was rarer compared to those who did not. These trends were evident after allowing for medical history and other covariates in logistic regressions.
CONCLUSION
Causal claims from our analysis should be made with caution due to the cross-sectional research design. Understanding perceptions of the pandemic by nurses and physicians may help identify and manage sources of distress, and suggest means of mitigating the risk of mental health distress through autonomy-supportive policies.
PubMed: 36348425
DOI: 10.1186/s12912-022-01075-x -
Journal of Clinical Hypertension... Aug 2020Although blood pressure (BP) tracks from childhood to adulthood, and the prevalence of pediatric primary hypertension is increasing, related determinants are not well...
Although blood pressure (BP) tracks from childhood to adulthood, and the prevalence of pediatric primary hypertension is increasing, related determinants are not well understood. The role of noise pollution and psychological distress in increasing BP is well documented in adults, but it remains elusive in children. This study aims to investigate the association of noise annoyance and psychological distress with BP in a pediatric population. This national cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 on a sample of 14400 Iranian students, aged 7-18 years. Information regarding noise annoyance and psychological distress were assessed using questionnaires, and BP values were measured. Levels of noise annoyance and psychological distress were classified based on tertiles to no/low, moderate, and high. Data of 14274 students were completed. The mean age of participants was 12.28 (0.05), with 51% boys and 71.4% urban inhabitant. Diastolic BP and mean arterial BP (MAP) had positive correlations with noise annoyance (regression coefficient: 0.028, 95 % CI: 0.005 - 0.05 and 0.025, 95 % CI: 0.002 - 0.04, respectively). Participants with higher psychological distress were 15 % more likely to experience abnormally high BP compared to those with normal psychological status or mild distresses (OR: 1.15, 95 % CI: 1.003 - 1.34). Here, we found significant positive relationships between the level of noise annoyance and values of diastolic BP and MAP. Moreover, high psychological distress showed to increase the chance of abnormally high BP. The clinical impact of these findings should be assessed in further longitudinal studies.
Topics: Adolescent; Blood Pressure; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Iran; Male; Noise; Psychological Distress
PubMed: 32741091
DOI: 10.1111/jch.13946 -
Patient Related Outcome Measures 2020Hidradenitis suppurativa is a common inflammatory skin condition which causes recurrent abscesses, sinuses and scarring in the axillae, groin and inframammary areas. As... (Review)
Review
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a common inflammatory skin condition which causes recurrent abscesses, sinuses and scarring in the axillae, groin and inframammary areas. As well as causing significant physical distress due to pain and discharge, the condition impacts psychological well-being with markedly impaired quality of life. Patients suffer pain, embarrassment and psychological distress with impairment of their work and intimate relationships marking it as one of the most distressing dermatological conditions. Numerous studies have documented markers of psychological distress encompassing the physical effects such as pain and itch, affects on mood and impaired function.
PubMed: 32104123
DOI: 10.2147/PROM.S174299 -
SSM. Mental Health Dec 2022The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an unusually high proportion of the population suffering from mental health difficulties, but of particular concern is the...
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an unusually high proportion of the population suffering from mental health difficulties, but of particular concern is the disproportionate increase in psychological distress among younger adults. In this article, we exploit an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to examine which aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic 18-25-year-olds found most challenging. We report analyses of (AVP) qualitative in-depth interview data, a text-message open-ended survey, and Census Bureau (HPS) data, all collected in 2020. Our interview and text-message results show that young adults were distressed about the effects of COVID-19 on the health of loved ones and older Americans. Young adults expressed concerns that the pandemic was not being treated sufficiently seriously by some politicians and the general public. The policy response was seen to be inadequate to the task of containing the disease, and some feared that the pandemic would never end. Statistical analyses of the HPS confirm that young adults' scores on the HPS's anxiety scale were significantly negatively associated with state-level policy responses. Overall, our results show that young adults found virus mitigation strategies challenging, but that a strong policy response was associated with reduced levels of psychological distress. Our results suggest that public health policy might have also operated as mental health policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
PubMed: 34608462
DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2021.100027 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Jun 2021The COVID-19 pandemic generates negative psychological effects such as distress. Social influences on subjective distress associated with COVID-19 remain understudied in...
BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic generates negative psychological effects such as distress. Social influences on subjective distress associated with COVID-19 remain understudied in the Chinese context. Wuhan with its surrounding areas in Hubei province was not only the locale where first COVID-19 cases were detected in the world but was also the hardest hit across China. Data from Hubei provide a unique opportunity to investigate COVID-19-related subjective distress and its social correlates.
METHODS
We use original data (N=3,465) from the General Social Survey on COVID-19 in Hubei, China, conducted in August 2020. Regression analysis is employed to examine the impact of socioeconomic status, family structure, and social policies on COVID-19-related subjective distress measured by the Impact of Event-Scale-Revised (IES-R).
RESULTS
First, individuals with higher socioeconomic status are not more immune to distress, and actually it is those better-educated ones who are more distressed. Second, family structure influences distress. Divorced and widowed individuals are more prone to distress than those who are married or single. Those living with COVID-19-infected family members or living with a larger family are particularly more distressed. Third, stricter lockdown measures promote real and perceived protection and also increase individuals' psychological distance from the disease, thereby reducing subjective distress.
LIMITATIONS
The sample is not totally random so we should use caution when generalizing the findings to the general population.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings contribute to our understanding of mental health disparity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain social groups are at a higher risk of distress than others.
Topics: COVID-19; China; Communicable Disease Control; Humans; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 33940318
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.026 -
Journal of Korean Medical Science May 2020Information about the factors involved in the progress of both high distressed and low distressed victims in the early days after a sexual assault are needed to provide...
Assault-related Factors and Trauma-related Cognitions Associated with Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms in High-distress and Low-distress Korean Female Victims of Sexual Assault.
BACKGROUND
Information about the factors involved in the progress of both high distressed and low distressed victims in the early days after a sexual assault are needed to provide effective intervention for victims of sexual assault. In this study, we examined the relationship among posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, assault-related factors and trauma-related cognitions in Korean female victims of sexual assault.
METHODS
For this study, we retrospectively investigated the records of 94 female victims from the Sunflower Center for Women and Children Victims of Violence at the Ajou University Hospital in Korea. Demographic characteristics and the features of the sexual assault, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and trauma-related cognition were obtained from data recorded at the initial assessment. One month after the initial assessment, victims were contacted by telephone and their PTSD symptom severity was re-evaluated. The sample of 94 participants were divided into two groups depending on the PTSD symptom scale scores at initial assessment: High-distress group and Low-distress group.
RESULTS
Repeated-measured analyses of variance revealed that the high-distress group showed a decrease in PTSD symptom severity over the month, while the low-distress group did not show significant change of PTSD symptom severity. In correlation analysis, negative thoughts and beliefs about the assault were strongly correlated with PTSD symptom severity one month later in both the low-distress and high-distress groups.
CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that trauma-related cognitions seem to play an important role in the maintenance of PTSD both of high-distress and low-distress groups, and that effective intervention will need to address these cognitive factors.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cognition; Crime Victims; Female; Humans; Republic of Korea; Retrospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Offenses; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Young Adult
PubMed: 32419398
DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e144 -
BMC Geriatrics Aug 2023Evaluate for differences in occurrence, severity, and distress ratings for 32 symptoms between younger older adults (YOA, < 70 years) and older adults (OA, ≥ 70...
BACKGROUND
Evaluate for differences in occurrence, severity, and distress ratings for 32 symptoms between younger older adults (YOA, < 70 years) and older adults (OA, ≥ 70 years) at initiation of chemotherapy.
METHODS
Patients (n = 125) were recruited prior to the initiation of chemotherapy and completed the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. Differences in occurrence, severity, and distress ratings were evaluated using Independent sample t-tests and Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests.
RESULTS
On average, the older patients reported ten concurrent symptoms that equates with a moderate symptom burden. Symptoms with the highest occurrence rates were not always the most severe and/or the most distressing. Few age-related differences were found in patients' symptom experiences. When age-related differences were identified, OA reported lower occurrence, severity, and distress ratings. Nine of the ten symptoms with highest occurrence rates were common for both age groups. For severity and distress, only half of the symptoms were common. In terms of severity and distress, all of the top ten ranked symptoms were in the moderate to severe range.
CONCLUSIONS
Both YOA and OA reported a moderate symptom burden and severity and distress scores in the moderate to severe range. The symptoms with the highest occurrence rates were not always the most severe/or the most distressing. Our findings suggest that different dimensions of the symptom experience (i.e., occurrence, severity, and distress) warrant evaluation in older oncology patients.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Severity of Illness Index; Neoplasms; Patients; Fatigue
PubMed: 37558973
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04198-1