MENTAL HEALTH, QUALITY OF LIFE, SPIRITUAL DRYNESS AND ACEDIA SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC DISEASES.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to examine mental health, quality of life, acedia and spiritual dryness in patients suffering from chronic diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and method: Data were collected by special design instrument for the needs of the present study. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were applied and the analysis was carried out with IBM SPSS 26 and JASP 0.14.01. RESULTS: Results: From the total of 210 participants, 106 (50.4%) were male, the mean age was 62.9 years, and the majority of them were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. 50 (23.8%) of the participants suffer from anxiety and 39 (18.6%) from depression. In addition, 17.1% experience phases of spiritual dryness frequently or regularly. Physical quality of life component, was associated with the following variables: live from faith, psychological wellbeing, type of disease and age. This model can predict 31.1% of the variance. In terms of psychological wellbeing, the variables living arrangement, awe/gratitude, anxiety, and spiritual dryness can interpret 41.5% of the variance. When it comes to depression, we found that wellbeing, awe/gratitude are predictors of depressive symptoms, explaining at least 14.1% of the variance. Finally, anxiety can be predicted by wellbeing, awe/gratitude, and the type of the disease, interpreting 17.2% of the variance. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Patients suffering from chronic diseases are experiencing spiritual dryness and acedia symptoms, and those aspects can be associated with various domains of health and wellbeing.

Translation and Validation of Nursing Students' Knowledge and Attitudes of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Health Concerns Survey in the Greek Language.

Nursing students have limited knowledge of providing quality care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. The aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Nursing Students' Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Health Concerns (NKALH) survey as well as to examine whether sociodemographic variables may affect attitudes toward LGBT individuals. In this cross-sectional study which was carried out from January−March 2022, 258 nursing students from two Greek universities completed the NKALH. For survey translation, the procedure of forward and backward translation was followed. Construct validity, reliability, and internal consistency were explored via confirmatory factor analysis, the test−retest reliability method, and Cronbach's alpha index. The correlation between the dimensions of the attitude subscale was used to explore convergent validity. Analyses were carried out with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.0. The level of significance was set at <0.05. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the attitude subscale consists of three dimensions (Comfortable, Responsibility, Willingness to Care). The Pearson test (r) revealed strong correlations between two measurements (Comfortable r = 0.932, p < 0.001, Responsibility r = 0.938, p < 0.001, and Willingness to Care r = 0.915, p < 0.001), indicating good reliability. The Cronbach's alpha index of the total scale was 0.783, highlighting its good internal consistency. Bivariate analysis revealed that sexual orientation, religion, and age are related to knowledge and attitudes toward LGBT individuals. The NKALH survey is a valid and reliable tool to measure the knowledge and attitudes of Greek nursing students on the health concerns of LGBT individuals.

Health-Related Quality of Life Assessment in Daily Urologic Practice: A Survey of Greek Urologists.

Purpose: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment has become an integral part of clinical research across different disciplines. However, the degree of incorporation of QoL standardized questionnaires in daily routine is variable. This survey study examined how HRQoL is perceived and utilized among urologists from the Hellenic Urological Association (HUA) in their daily practice. Methods: A nationwide survey of Greek urologists registered with the HUA was conducted. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire sent via email. The survey questionnaire consisted of demographic data including sex, age, working position and working environment and 11 Likert-scale questions regarding perception and use of HRQoL in clinical practice. Results: A total of 1000 Greek urologists were contacted, of whom 400 (40%) responded. Participants were predominantly male (94.8%) with a mean age of 43.7 years and a mean working experience of 12.5 years. Most participants considered HRQoL assessment to be important in their clinical practice (95.3%) and valuable in both patient consultation (95.8%) and treatment follow-up (91.8%). Half of urologists (51%) agreed with the statement that there is limited time for HRQoL assessment in daily practice. Validated questionnaires were rated as useful by 75.5% of participants. Overall, only 26.7% of participants stated they have incorporated HRQoL questionnaires in their daily practice. A subgroup analysis of participants showed that experienced physicians (>10 years) were less likely to utilize HRQoL (OR 0.38, p=0.008, 95% CI 0.19-0.77) and experienced difficulty in distinguishing between HRQoL assessment and symptom-rating (OR 0.32, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.17-0.61). Lack of time for HRQoL assessment was a main concern for urologists in-training (OR 0.7, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.57-0.85). Conclusion: HRQoL assessment is well-perceived by Greek urologists, although it has yet to achieve a substantial degree of integration in their daily practice.

Quality of Life and Psychological Distress of Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Patients with lung cancer often experience multiple symptoms associated with both the disease itself and the treatment. The disease and therapy-related adverse effects may lead to poor quality of life (QoL) and increased psychological distress. The aim of this study was to investigate the QoL and psychological distress of patients with lung cancer. The relationship between these two aspects was also an area of focus. METHODS: This was a quantitative descriptive study. Data collection was done using a self-complementary tool. The data were collected between February and March 2020. The sample consisted of 135 patients with lung cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy in 1-day clinic in Athens (a sample of convenience). RESULTS: Regarding the QoL of our sample, we observed that the mean score of the physical health component of SF-12 was 38.17 ± 9.94 and of the mental health component was 45.63 ± 11.80. As regards the psychological distress of our sample, we observed that the mean score for depression was 4.55 ± 5.04, for anxiety was 3.84 ± 4.17 and for stress was 5.21 ± 5.01. CONCLUSION: As is clear from the results, lung cancer patients reported poor QoL and increased rates of psychological distress.

Spiritual Needs of Lung Cancer Patients and Their Relation to Psychological Distress and Quality of Life.

Background This study aimed to investigate the spiritual needs of patients suffering from lung cancer in relation to their mental health and quality of life. Methodology A cross-sectional quantitative study design was employed to investigate 110 lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. A four-part self-assessment instrument was used to gather the data comprising a sheet containing demographic and clinical information, Spiritual Needs Questionnaire, The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 Items, and the 12-item Health Survey. Descriptive inferential statistics were applied. Results Of the 110 patients, 71.8% were men, the mean age was 64.25 (±9.3) years, and 71.8% were married. In total, 40.9% of the patients were retired, and 92.7% had a public insurance company. Regarding education, 30% were primary school graduates and 31.8% were high school graduates. Regarding the clinical features of the sample, 23.6% of the patients had small-cell carcinoma, 71.9% had non-small-cell carcinoma, and 4.5% had large-cell carcinoma. Spiritual needs have a negative effect on the mental health component of quality of life (p < 0.001) and can increase psychological distress in lung cancer patients. Conclusions In contrast to the findings of other international studies, spiritual needs appeared to be lower; however, similar to other studies, spiritual needs increased in those suffering from depression and anxiety. Moreover, the subtype of lung cancer also appeared to play a role.

Impact of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy on Gastrointestinal Motility.

OBJECTIVE: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) was considered mainly as a restrictive procedure due to anatomic alterations in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, due to neurohormonal alterations, LSG modifies the gastrointestinal motility, which controls appetite and feeling of satiety. AIM: The aim of the study was to review the impact of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on gastrointestinal motility. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A search of the medical literature was undertaken in Pubmed, Web of Science, and Cochrane library. Esophageal, gastric, bowel motility were assessed separately. RESULTS: Nine studies assessed esophageal motility. The data remain debatable attributing to the heterogeneity of follow-up timing, surgical technique, bougie size, and distance from pylorus. The stomach motility was assessed in eighteen studies. Functionally, the sleeve was divided into a passive sleeve and an accelerated antrum. All scintigraphic studies revealed accelerated gastric emptying after LSG except of one. Patients demonstrated a rapid gastroduodenal transit time. The resection of the gastric pacemaker had as a consequence aberrant distal ectopic pacemaking or bioelectrical quiescence after LSG. The bowel motility was the least studied. Small bowel transit time was reduced; opposite to that the initiation of cecal filling and the ileocecal valve transit was delayed. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has impacts on gastrointestinal motility. The data remain debatable for esophageal motility. Stomach and small bowel motility were accelerated, while the initiation of cecal filling and the ileocecal valve transit was delayed. Further pathophysiological studies are needed to evaluate the correlation of motility data with clinical symptoms.

Current knowledge and perception of bariatric surgery among Greek doctors living in Thessaly.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to assess doctors' knowledge, current conceptions, and clinical practice regarding obesity and bariatric surgery. METHODS: A self-administered survey was administered to 500 doctors with varying medical specialties in public and private practice. RESULTS: The response rate was 60%. Most participants (77.3%) were in private practice. Although almost half of the participants could define morbid obesity and obesity-related comorbidities, only 8.7% felt educated about bariatric surgery. Participants had little knowledge of various types of bariatric procedures. A minority of doctors (24.7%) knew of the existence of a bariatric center in their area. Only 21.3% of doctors had referred a patient to a bariatric center. Reasons for non-referral included lack of interest in bariatric surgery (37.3%), patient refusal (35.3%), increased operative fees (17.3%), lack of confidence in bariatric surgery (6.3%), and lack of access to a nearby bariatric center (3.7%). The majority of doctors were interested in learning more about bariatric surgery and related guidelines, but they remained reluctant to conduct patients' postoperative follow-ups. CONCLUSION: The penetration of bariatric surgery in the medical community remains limited, despite its proven effectiveness in facilitating sustained weight loss and resolving several obesity-related comorbidities. A great effort should be made to inform health-care providers about the evolution of bariatric procedures, the potential benefits they offer, and the existence of certified bariatric centers. This will allow doctors to provide optimum health care to patients who could benefit from bariatric surgery.

Desire for Body Contouring Surgery After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an effective approach for the treatment of morbid obesity. Surgically induced massive weight loss provokes skin deformities that can be addressed with plastic surgery. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the esthetic outcome of patients after LSG. The aim of the study was to assess the postoperative appearance and the request for body contouring surgery after LSG. METHODS: All the patients who underwent LSG between August 2006 and September 2014 with a minimum follow-up of 1 year were interviewed using the Post-Bariatric Surgery Appearance Questionnaire. Postoperative satisfaction with their appearance, and the desire and frequency for body contouring surgery were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 175 patients were interviewed. Overall, 75% of the patients rated that they felt attractive with their appearance. More specifically, 84% of men and 72% of women were satisfied with their appearance. Females were most dissatisfied with waist/abdomen, chest/breasts, and upper arms, in descending order. Males were dissatisfied with chest/breasts, upper arms, and waist/abdomen, respectively. The most desired procedures were abdominoplasty, chest/breast lift, and upper arm lift in females and abdominoplasty, thigh lift and upper arm lift in males. Only 3.6% of patients underwent body contouring surgery postoperatively. CONCLUSION: LSG patients rated their overall appearance from slightly to moderately attractive. There was a strong desire for abdominoplasty; breast lift and upper arm lift in females, although only a small proportion of patients proceeded to plastic surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.