Psychosocial Conditions of Quality of Life Among Undergraduate Students: A Cross Sectional Survey

Quality of life (QOL) in the context of education is an understudied topic and research related to its’ relation to the sense of coherence (SOC), level of optimism (LOO) and self-efficacy (SE) among students seems to be missing. The rationale for this survey was to fill this gap in knowledge and therefore, the aim of the study is to examine the relationship between students’ QOL and psychological variables such as SOC, LOO and SE, and social ones such as type of faculty, students’ social background and sex. The quantitative cross sectional survey has been conducted at three higher education institutions in Poland in January 2006. The random sample of 396 undergraduate students (average age was 20.5 years) representing 5 different faculties namely physiotherapy, physical education, tourism and recreation, English and Polish philology has been selected and participated in the study. Four reliable and validated research tools have been used to collect the data. These included the SF-36, SOC-29, Seligman’s scale, and GSES. The results have shown to indicate that different variables had a significant effect on particular subscales of the QOL outcomes. For example, among social variables faculty had a significant effect on physical functioning, role limitation due to physical functioning, and changes in health. Sex had a significant effect on role limitation due to emotional problems, social functioning, and energy vitality. Social background had a significant effect on general health. Among psychological variables the sense of coherence was significantly related to all subscales of QOL. A significant effect was noted by self-efficacy on physical and social functioning. Level of optimism had a significant effect on energy-vitality and general health. This research survey has suggested that changes in academic curriculum might be implemented to improve students QOL.     

Primary and Secondary Caregiver Reports of Quality of Life in Pediatric Asthma: Are they Comparable?

This study aimed to compare primary and secondary caregiver QOL within families of children with asthma and determine the potential importance of including secondary caregiver QOL in clinical and research settings. Participants included 118 families of children with asthma that had primary and secondary caregivers. Families completed measures in a single research session. Caregivers reported on QOL, psychological functioning, and family burden; children completed a measure of QOL. Child lung function was determined from objective spirometry. Adherence to prescribed controller medication was measured for 6 weeks following the research visit. Primary caregiver QOL was significantly lower than secondary caregiver QOL (Mean overall QOL of 5.85 versus 6.17, p < .05). Better medication adherence was associated with higher primary caregiver QOL (ρ = .22, p = .02); secondary caregiver QOL, not primary caregiver QOL, was positively associated with child QOL (ρ = .20, p = .03). Families with discrepant QOL scores between caregivers (difference in scores of at least .50) were characterized by more family burden and primary caregiver psychological symptoms. Differences in QOL scores between caregivers may be a reflection of primary caregivers’ greater investment in daily asthma management. In families reporting low burden and few psychological difficulties in the primary caregiver, QOL assessments from either caregiver may may be informative and representative of how parents are adapting to child asthma. In families experiencing high levels of burden or more primary caregiver psychological difficulties, QOL reports from secondary caregivers may not be as clinically meaningful.     

Association of Stress Management Skills and Perceived Stress with Physical and Emotional Well-Being Among Advanced Prostrate Cancer Survivors Following Androgen Deprivation Treatment

Advanced prostate cancer (APC) is associated with disruptions that compromise health related quality of life (HRQOL). Treatment often includes androgendeprivation therapy (ADT), which results in a range of side effects (e.g., fatigue, urinary dysfunction) that further impact HRQOL. Despite these challenges, there are limited evaluations of the impact of stress and stress management skills on HRQOL among APC survivors on ADT. This study evaluated relationships among stress, stress management skills, and HRQOL, and it was hypothesized that better stress management skills would relate to greater physical and emotional well-being by mitigating perceived stress levels. Participants (N = 77) were 69.7 years old (SD = 9.8), 18.6 months post-treatment (SD = 17.5), and ethnically diverse (65 % Non-Hispanic White, 13 % Hispanic, 21 % African-American). Measures included the Measure of Current Status for stress management skills, the Perceived Stress Scale for perceived stress, and the Medical Outcomes Study—Short Form (MOS SF-36; physical functioning and emotional well-being subscales) for HRQOL. Direct effects and mediation models were evaluated to determine the relationships between perceived stress, stress management skills, and HRQOL domains, controlling for relevant covariates. Stress management skills and perceived stress were significantly associated with physical functioning (β = .24, p < .05 and β = ?.43, p < .01, respectively) and emotional well-being (β = .35, p < .01 and β = ?.64, p < .01, respectively). Regression analyses supported the hypothesis that reduced perceived stress mediated the relationship between stress management skills and both physical functioning and emotional well-being. These results demonstrate that one way stress management skills may impact HRQOL is by lessening ongoing perceptions of stress.     

癌症生存者生活质量及影响因素的调查分析

探讨不同癌症生存者的生活质量状况及其影响因素,对癌症部位、患病时间不同的癌症生存者148名,采用生活质量问卷(EORTCQLQ-30)进行测量。结果:不同年龄组之间RF、EF、SL和FI得分有统计学差异;男女患者在SF、AP和QOL方面有统计学差异。不同文化程度患者之间PF、RF、FA、NV和AP有统计学差异。患病时间与总体生活质量(QOL)之间相关性有统计学意义。不同种类癌症患者之间SF、DY、AP得分有统计学差异。有无复发或转移、是否接受手术治疗以及目前是否正在进行化疗均会对癌症生存者的生活质量产生影响。结论:人口学特征及疾病等因素均会不同程度的影响到癌症生存者的生活质量,提示医务人员应根据癌症生存者不同的特点进行有的放矢的治疗和护理,在延长其生存时间的同时也应注意提高其生活质量。     

A Comparison of Mood and Quality of Life Among People with Progressive Neurological Illnesses and Their Caregivers

The current study was designed to investigate differences in mood and a range of QOL domains among 423 patients and 335 caregivers of people with motor neurone disease (MND), Huntington’s disease (HD), Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients and caregivers completed an anonymous questionnaire that evaluated their mood (anxiety, depression, fatigue, confusion) and QOL (physical, psychological, social, environment). The results demonstrated that caregivers of people with MND and HD experienced most problems with their mood and QOL compared to caregivers of people in the other illness groups. There were few differences in mood or QOL between patients and caregivers. Patients generally showed greater confusion, physical impairment, and psychological maladjustment. The findings suggest that educational and intervention programs need to be developed to help both patients and their caregivers to adjust and cope with these illnesses, particularly caregivers of people with MND and HD.     

Self-Esteem and Its Relationship to Mental Health and Quality of Life in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis

Research from the general population indicates an important role for self-esteem in mental health, but limited research in this area exists in the cystic fibrosis (CF) literature. This study aimed to explore the predictive value of self-esteem and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in mental health symptoms in adults with CF. Seventy-four participants, recruited online, completed the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure 34 (CORE-OM), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R). Comparably high levels of self-esteem were found, but HRQoL was lower than previous research. Thirty percent of participants scored within the clinical range for mental health difficulty. Hierarchical regression, controlling for gender, explored the value of four CFQ-R subscales (physical, social, emotional and role functioning) and self-esteem in predicting CORE-OM total score. Gender accounted for 8.2 % of the variance in mental health scores while the five independent variables accounted for a further 73.0 % of variance. Of the five variables, CFQ-R emotional functioning and self-esteem were significant predictors of mental health symptoms. Results are discussed in relation to clinical implications and potential uses for internet technologies to promote socialisation.     

The Impact of Religious Connectedness on Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Religious connectedness is common phenomenon in Saudi Arabia and adjacent Gulf countries. An observational case control study was designed, enrolling 180 adult patients to report the association between religious connectedness and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in people with and without diabetes and foot ulcers. Sixty diabetic patients with foot ulcers (Group I) were compared with sixty diabetic patients without foot ulcer (Group II) and sixty healthy subjects (Group III) for assessment of their HRQL by using SF-36 questionnaire. The effect of religious connectedness was assessed using intrinsic/extrinsic religious connectedness scale. HRQL was found to be significantly lower in Group I compared with Group II and III as well as in group II compared with group III (P < 0.001). Group I patients showed a poorer HRQL with increased severity, duration and multiplicity of foot ulcers. There was a strong positive relationship between religious connectedness and HRQL as indicated by a positive correlation between religious connectedness scale and mental, physical component summary scores (r = 0.66 and 0.59 respectively and P < 0.001). While quality of life is generally poor in people with diabetic foot ulcers, there exists a strong positive relationship between religious connectedness and higher HRQL. These findings may have implications on improving outcomes.     

Faith and Mental Health in an Oncology Population

This study compares faith attitudes versus behaviors for their relationship to mental health in current cancer patients and survivors. This cross-sectional survey of ambulatory patients included Hodge’s intrinsic religious motivation scale, Benson & Spilka’s concept of God scale, frequency of prayer, and the mental health subscale of the MOS SF-36. One hundred and fifty-eighty patients, mostly women with breast cancer, completed questionnaires (92% return). Mental health was positively related to a concept of a loving God (P < .001) and negatively related to the concept of a stern God (P < .002). Mental health was unrelated to goal of treatment (cure vs. chemotherapy/palliation), frequency of prayer, intrinsic faith motivation, or physical pain. Viewing God as loving was strongly related to better mental health, even in the presence of a poor prognosis or pain.     

Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Pain- A Study in Indian Population Using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer(EORTC) Questionnaire

Quality of life in chronic pain Health-related quality of life was compared in patients of chronic pain with that of general population.We designed this study as a prospective, observational trial in a tertiary care centre. Quality of life was measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a valid alternative to the SF-36 in the assessment of QOL in patients with chronic pain especially when a broader assessment of symptoms is desired. All participants completed a set of questionnaires on demographic variables, cause, pain intensity (VAS) and quality of life (EORTC qlq c30). A total of two hundred participants were enrolled including 100 patients with chronic pain. Chronic pain was defined as one which is persisting beyond 3 months. The study revealed significantly decreased quality of life in patients with chronic pain as compared to general population (p?<?0.001). Patients with chronic pain had significantly decreased score in Physical functioning, Role functioning, emotional and social functioning on functional scales and increased scores of pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and financial difficulties on symptom scales. The study revealed sex-related differences on the QoL with females having a lower global QOL. It is thus concluded that patients with chronic pain especially females have decreased quality of life as compared to general population     

Illness perception patterns in patients with Coronary Artery Disease

The purpose of this study is to identify patterns of illness perception in patients with angiografically verified Coronary Artery Disease. A total of 166 patients (age: 64.4 ± 12.1, 80.7% male) were recruited after angiography. Cluster analysis on the items of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire was used to identify patterns of illness perception. The resulting groups were characterized with regard to Quality of Life (MacNew), anxiety and depression (GAD-7 and PHQ-9) and resilience (RS-13). The analysis revealed 4 distinct groups differing with regard to the items covering the perception of the physical and emotional impact of disease. Stronger perceptions in these domains were associated with lower Health Related Quality of Life and higher levels of emotional distress. Group 1 (33.1%) reported the strongest perceptions of the physical and emotional impact of disease and expressed low treatment control, high chronic timeline and significantly higher levels of depression than the other groups. Group 2 (27.7%) was characterized by more moderate perceptions of the emotional and physical impact of disease together with low scores on illness coherence and chronic timeline. Groups 3 (25.3%) and 4 (13.9%) reported smaller physical and emotional impact of illness but differed in chronic timeline. Our results correspond largely to recent findings in patients with other chronic diseases. Further research is needed to explore if stratification of patients according patterns of illness perception can help to inform patient–physician communication strategies.     

Caregivers’ Level of Trust in Their Children's Health Care Providers

Trust in healthcare providers is associated with clinical outcomes among adult patients. Children with disabilities have complex health needs that place stress on caregivers. Consequently, they are increasingly likely to rely on their children's health care providers to ensure children's health care needs are met. However, no studies have explored factors affecting caregivers’ trust in their children's providers. We assessed caregivers’ trust in their children's providers and identified predictive factors of trust. The results indicate that children's disability condition, functional status, age, the providers’ specialty, and the type of health care plan are significant predicators of caregiver's trust. Specifically, caregivers of children with emotional/behavioral disabilities and children with poor physical or emotional/behavioral functioning reported less trust in their children's providers compared to caregivers of children without physical disabilities or no disability and those having higher levels of physical or emotional/behavioral functioning. In addition, caregivers of younger children had more trust compared to caregivers of older children. Caregivers of children enrolled in a managed care plan for physical health care reported less trust compared to caregivers of children in other organizational arrangements. Finally, caregivers reported more trust in physical health providers compared to mental health providers.     

Unawareness of social interaction and emotional control deficits in alzheimer's disease

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine unawareness of deficit in Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a previously unexplored functional domain: social interaction and emotional control competency. Impairment of awareness was measured by calculating the degree to which patients and their caregivers disagreed on ratings of patient functioning. to assess potential underlying mechanisms or associated features of social/emotional unawareness, a regression equation examining disease and demographic correlates was created. In addition, to provide a basis of comparison for the social/emotional domain, unawareness of deficit was also assessed in two previously examined domains of functioning (i.e., cognitive and self-care competency). Results revealed that, as compared to caregivers, AD-diagnosed patients overestimated their social/emotional competency but to a lesser extent than they overestimated cognitive and self-care competencies. Regression analysis suggested that impaired awareness of social interaction and emotional control deficits was positively correlated with dementia severity and negatively correlated with education.     

Structure factorielle et qualités psychométriques de la version française du questionnaire d’auto-description pour adultes (adult self-report) d’Achenbach et Rescorla

Because of the frequent comorbidities, clinicians need to get a comprehensive picture of the behavioral and emotional problems presented by their patients, but structured interviews allowing for such a survey are time consuming and sometimes tedious, and no French language self-report questionnaire is currently available. The aim of the present study was to verify the factorial structure and some psychometric properties of the French version of the Achenbach and Rescorla's (2003) adult self-report (ASR), which is designed to assess 120 behavioral and emotional problems. We collected ASR forms completed by 905 students enrolled in a university having schools of humanities, social sciences, sports, laws and economics (699 women, 669 students in psychology, 862 aged 18–35 years). The confirmatory factor analyses yielded the expected eight-factor structure (RMSEA = .037; CFI = .931). The internal consistency was similar to the original, and the test-retest reliability was satisfactory. French subjects, especially men, scored higher than their American counterparts on several scales, but the effect sizes were small to medium. French women and men's scores differed only on the Rule-Breaking Behavior scale, with men scoring higher; however, students in psychology, whichever was their gender, scored higher than other students on scales measuring internalizing problems and attention problems. Despite some limitations, the main of which is that all participants were students from the same university, these results speak in favor of the use of the French adult self-report in both research and clinical practice.     

Comparative study of hostility in depressive patients with and without a suicide attempt history

Hostility in association with depression seems to be connected to suicidal behavior. This study aimed to evaluate hostility and its dimensions in relation to depression in patients who suffered from diagnosed depression with and without a suicide attempt history. The study included 168 participants; 58 patients with depression and suicide attempt history, 55 patients with depression without a suicide attempt history and 55 healthy controls. Hostility was assessed with the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire, while depression with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Patients with depression and a suicide attempt history compared with the patients without attempt history presented statistically significantly higher total hostility (28.71 ± 6.43 vs 24.20 ± 7.66), extroverted hostility (17.16 ± 4.37 vs 14.15 ± 4.63), acting out hostility (6.03 ± 2.09 vs 4.73 ± 1.93), and self criticism (6.95 ± 2.12 vs 5.89 ± 2.32). No statistically significant differences were found between the two clinical groups in depression according to the BDI. Moreover depressive patients with suicide attempt history scored higher in all the hostility dimensions than the controls. Therefore, it could be suggested that hostility and especially its extrapunitive dimensions are associated with suicidal behavior, since no differences in depression were recorded between the two clinical groups.     

Impact of outpatient non-myeloablative haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in quality of life vs. conventional therapy

The role of outpatient hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as a therapeutic tool has been strengthened significantly because of the increasing number of patients undergoing this treatment. Due the very nature of this procedure, one of the aspects that should not be overlooked is the quality of life (QOL) of patients undergoing HSCT. Thus, one must consider not only health status after treatment, but also, the psychosocial implications for the patient. This is an observational, longitudinal, and prospective study to assess QOL in patients undergoing outpatient HSCT vs. similar patients receiving medical treatment (MxTx). By applying the COOP/WONKA charts on five occasions (pre-HSCT/initial, post-HSCT/first month, and at 3, 6, and 9 months), thirty-eight patients were analysed, 19 with HSCT and 19 with MxTx with no differences in age, gender or diagnosis. The initial survey found significant differences only in pain perception, which was higher in the HSCT group (p = .08); at the first month, there was a greater tendency for feelings of depression or anxiety in the HSCT group (p = .016), with more limitations in social (p = .003) and daily (p = .044) activities. From 3 months post-HSCT, the results were very similar. The differences persisted only in the area of social activities. Four patients developed graft-versus-host disease with no significant difference in the scores obtained compared to other transplant patients at 3, 6, and 9 months (p = .26) of follow-up.     

Effects of telephone support on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta-analysis

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of disease education or pulmonary rehabilitation programs assisted with telephone support on physical capacity and quality of life (QOL) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library was conducted until May 2017. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of telephone-assisted intervention versus a control group on exercise tolerance and QOL in patients with COPD were included. Two independent authors assessed the methodological quality of the trials using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A meta-analysis was conducted with the Revman5.3 to quantify the effects of telephone-assisted interventions on walking capacity and QOL. In total, 10 studies involving 1037 participants were included. Due to the effect of telephone-assisted interventions, statistically significant results were found on Saint-George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) symptom scores [standard mean difference (SMD) ?.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) ?.33, ?.03, p-value .02)], SGRQ impact scores [SMD ?.35, 95% CI ?.60, ?.10, p-value .006)], SGRQ activity scores [SMD ?.30, 95% CI ?.45, ?.15, p-value < .0001)], SGRQ total score [SMD ?.36, 95% CI ?.51, ?.21, p-value < .00001)]. The effects on 6-min walk test (6MWT) and all Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) subscales were not significant (p > .05) based on the insufficient evidence. In conclusion, the role of telephone-assisted interventions in the management of COPD remains equivocal. Some encouraging results were seen with regard to SGRQ symptom, SGRQ impact, SGRQ activity and SGRQ total score. We believe that more methodologically rigorous large-scale randomized controlled trials are necessary to answer this study question.     

Dynandcs in cancer caregiver's health over time: Gender-specific patterns and determinants

Abstract

This study exandned patterns and determinants of three dimensions of caregiver's health of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients, i.e. physical, mental and social functioning (N= 148). Physical functioning declined within a 6-month period in female caregivers, while no change was observed in male caregivers. For mental and social functioning, an improvement was observed in male and female caregivers. Change in physical functioning was associated with gender, age, income and initial level. Change in mental functioning was predicted by initial status and positive as well as negative caregiver experiences. Change in social functioning was mainly predicted by initial level and change in patient's dependency. Physical and mental functioning showed the least favorable patterns in female caregivers. The study shows that caregiving may lead to positive health consequences, and underlines the importance of making a distinction between male and female caregivers and of studying caregiver outcomes by using multidimensional assessments.     

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults with Sleep Apnea

AAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood illness. In some patients, this illness may persist into adulthood and an association between ADHD and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has been found in childhood. However, it is unclear how OSA and ADHD coincide in adulthood. Therefore, to explore the relationship between OSA and adult ADHD the current investigation utilized a clinically-based cross-sectional survey. Subjects consisted of 81 treatment-naïve OSA patients and 32 controls. Measures included each patient completed a questionnaire regarding sleep, Adult ADHD scale. Clinical information, body mass index, 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and polysomnography.The subjects with Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) ≥ 5 events/h were defined as patients with OSA. The control group was accepted as individuals with AHI > 0 events/h. The prevalence of adult ADHD was not different between the patients with OSA and the control group [(7.4 % (6/75) vs. 6.3 % (2/30), p = 0.8, respectively]. OSA patients with ADHD, as compared with those without, had higher anxiety scores and poorer physical component scores of quality of life and higher ESS scores. ADHD scores in patients with OSA were associated with anxiety and depression scores and SF36 physical and mental component scores in bivariate analyses. Thus, in our sample ADHD was not a frequent illness in adult patients with OSA. However, in patients with OSA and ADHD higher levels of anxiety and daytime sleepiness and poorer quality of life was found.     

Professional Boundary Ethics Attitudes and Awareness Among Nurses and Physicians in a University Hospital in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

This study sought to gauge ethical attitudes about professional boundary issues of physicians and nurses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Respondents scored 10 relevant boundary vignettes as to their ethical acceptability. The group as a whole proved “aware/ ethically conservative,” but with the physicians' score falling on the “less ethically conservative” part of the spectrum compared to nurses. The degree of ethicality was more related to profession than to gender, with nurses being more “ethical” than physicians.