Patient perspective in perceived comparative genetic mutation risk: An exploratory review.

The genetic risk of chronic diseases represents a complex medical setting in which individuals need to adapt to health conditions that manage daily living towards to healthy behaviours. This exploratory review focused on psychological counselling for genetic risk diagnosis. This study aimed to address the psychological management of the impact of genetic risk on chronic diseases. We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Scopus for articles from May 2012 to August 2023. A descriptive analysis of the characteristics of the included studies was conducted. Based on the exclusion/inclusion criteria, the literature search yielded 250 studies. Seventeen full texts were assessed for eligibility and 207 articles were excluded. Observational (n = 15) and randomised clinical trials (n = 2) were examined. Most studies have been conducted on oncological diagnoses; the emotional dimensions examined have been worry, depression, anxiety and stress in most diseases. Psychological measures are based on self-reports and questionnaires; few studies have investigated the connections between quality of life, psychological traits and emotional dimensions. The complexity of clinics and from daily diagnostic and treatment practices to the everyday experience of those living with the risk of disease might be addressed in counselling settings to improve quality of life in genetic risk, increasing mental adaptation to tailored chronic conditions. Thus, the empowerment of communication of genetic risk information should be part of the general trend towards personalised medicine.

Cardiovascular risk and biopsychosocial interplay: Association among hypertension, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation-observational study in primary care setting for efficient self-care.

BACKGROUND: Aim of the study was to explore the relationship between emotional dimensions of hypertensive patients and the self-care skills; we tried to draw the psychological aspects could impact the health management in hypertension analyzing the effect of emotional regulation on self-care skills: our scope was to highlight the psychological dynamics into behavioral medicine approach. METHODS: In an observational study design, patients were collected. Patients with diagnosis of hypertension were recruited in primary care setting. Inclusion criteria included patients older than 18 years, with known and medically treated primary hypertension undergoing antihypertensive medication. RESULTS: Statistical analysis was carried out based on the data of 28 primary hypertensive patients (seven females, 21 males, mean age ± SD: 49.8 ± 7.8 years mean; clinic blood pressure: mean systolic blood pressure: 137.2 ± 13.1 mmHg, mean diastolic blood pressure: 82.1 ± 9.9 mmHg). Mean duration of hypertension in the sample was 13.1 years (±8.2 years). Correlations among the main variables of interest showed a positive and significant relationship between emotional dysregulation indexes, psychological distress, and self-care domains: awareness resulted negatively and significantly correlated to self-efficacy; nonacceptance, goals and impulse indexes seemed positively and significantly correlated to anxiety and depression; finally, stress was correlated positively and significantly to awareness and impulse. CONCLUSIONS: Evidencing the role of emotion dysregulation on self-care skills and psychological outcomes, and specifically highlighting the impact of emotion dysregulation on self-care, our findings could inform the development and implementation of psychological interventions aimed at promoting psychological well-being and healthy behavior by focusing on the promotion of emotion regulation strategies, to reduce the risk for co-morbidity and/or severe cardiovascular diseases.

Early career researchers and mental health: Observational study of challenge and wellbeing.

Background: Early career researchers (ECRs) are a strategic sector in the academic community because they represent a scientific incubator for future academic scholars. Recently, growing evidence suggests that relevant doctoral researchers work under elevated levels of stress and frustration and that this has a significant impact on their personal health and research output and their future career development. This study aimed to analyse the well-being and mental health within ECR, focusing on coping strategies for stress, and to contribute and exploit a conceptual framework tailored to the academic context considering the specifics and challenges of academia. Methods: Participants were 134 young early career academics (mean age = 30.6; SD = 4.38; range = 25-40 years) enrolled via institutional email. A 94-item questionnaire was created using Survey Monkey and distributed between October and December 2022. The survey assessment was based on three parts: (1) sociodemographic data, (2) psychological assessment, and (3) research skills design. Results: Our findings highlighted a general trend toward negative psychological dimensions in ECRs: PhD students and research contracts appeared to be stressed, anxious, and depressed. Moreover, they had segmented ECRs: PhD students showed higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than research contracts, highlighting reduced positive outcomes in psychological dimensions, as well as lower ability to manage emotional experiences and then to be perseverant for long-term goals and motivation. Our findings highlight that mental health in ECRs is a challenge that needs to be addressed in academia. Conclusions: New and innovative ways of encouraging help-seeking must be developed and implemented to address policy changes, communication activities, training, and health-promotion activities through the circulation of experience, sharing actions, and strategies to foster healthy academics by raising awareness, implementing interventions, or engaging professionals concerning mental health in academia.

Digital affinitiy and cognitive reserve: Salience for resilient aging in pandemic.

Objective: The study aimed to analyze the impact of technology in the older adults after acute pandemic regarding to the development of digital confidence. Method: A sample of n. 56 healthy older adults (N = 22 female, N = 34 male) aged 64 to 86 years (M = 73.7, SD = 6.40) participated in observational study. The sample was distributed in two groups: (a) pre-COVID and (b) post-COVID. Psychological battery was applied: Mini-Mental State Examination, Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Affinity for Technology Interaction Scale, and then Digital Mastery Questionnaire. Descriptive and (M)ANOVA statistical analyses have been applied. Results: Our results confirmed the increase in technology usage among elders, the higher use of smart devices and then more confident digital daily living; then, the improving of digital affinity for technology and higher adherence in seniors than older. In sex effect, men seemed developing higher digital confidence for digital experience, for access and use of financial online services than women. In the process of improvement by massive digital experience in daily living the cognitive reserve had relevant influence: elders with high level of cognitive reserve appeared to enhance own competence in digital mastery and affinity for technology. Conclusions: Our study highlighted the higher cognitive reserve being protective in older adults favoring the efficacy to the changing in daily living as well the develop of adaptive behaviors in order to achieve high Quality of Life.

Psychological Distress and Negative Emotions in Post-COVID Infection: A Comparative Study of the COVID and NO-COVID Young Patients.

According to the literature, mental health assumed urgent relevance, and several scholars are debating on the enduring of the neurological and psychiatric symptoms in post COVID patients. Our study aimed to investigate the emotional dimensions in young population to the COVID exposition: primary endpoint was to detect the psychological distress up to 3 months in post-COVID-19. A comparative study was conducted among young adults in Italy. We also assessed dysphoria, depression, anxiety, stress symptoms, pessimism, and positive personality traits. The participants were 140 Italian young aged 18-30 years (mean = 22.1, SD ± 2.65; 65.0% female). The sample was distinguished in two groups: COVID and NO-COVID groups. The results revealed that young who have been exposed to COVID-19 infection evidenced emotional vulnerability by higher psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress), dysphoria signs (irritability, discontent, interpersonal resentment, and feelings of renunciation/surrender) then No COVID-19 infection young. Furthermore, COVID patients showed higher negative emotions about the expected life, uncertain for future, and loss of motivation (characterized no desires) than NO-COVID infection. In conclusion, the vulnerability of young exposed to COVID infection even in mild severity should be considered as emerging unmet need of mental health recovering: urgent health policy actions to boost the psychological, biological and social strategic pillar for young generation.

Naturalizing digital and quality of life in chronic diseases: Systematic review to research perspective into technological advancing and personalized medicine.

The increasing of chronic diseases and related health management are the main clinical and public health challenges. The long-term nature and the need for continuous monitoring in chronic disease management gave rise to early technological innovations (mobile Health) to improve care management plans, therapeutic adherence, and psychological support to the patient. This review aimed to map the literature on the impact of the use of wearable device on quality of life in patients with chronic diseases. We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE through PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus of all scientific literature published until January 2022. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 10 papers were included. This review pointed out the relevant focus on the use of wearable device in chronic disease patients highlighting the wearable device impact on several domains including quality of life, Self-Efficacy, Self-Management, and feelings on patients with chronic diseases. The available scientific literature related to the impact of the use of wearable device on quality of life and psychological features in patients with chronic diseases, general underline a need to develop professional healthcare guidelines and tailored intervention on patients with a chronic condition, using mobile Health solutions and trying to fill the lack of knowledge about the topic.

Cardiovascular disease, self-care and emotional regulation processes in adult patients: balancing unmet needs and quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is a chronic non-communicable illness that causes more than half of all deaths across Europe. Unhealthy lifestyle, inadequate adherence to medical prescriptions, themselves associated with psycho-emotional disorders are considered risk factors for reduced quality of life as well physical condition. OBJECTIVE: Aim of our study was to understand predictive factors for disease management by evaluating psychological aspects, self-care processes and emotional regilati0on in CVD outpatients. METHODS: An observational study was conducted. Sixty-one patients, age 18-75 years (M 56.4 ± sd 12.0), diagnosed with CVD participated in the study. The psychological battery was administered during clinical follow-up oriented to detect emotional and psychological dimensions as well adaptive behavioral and quality of life by standardized questionnaire/scales. RESULTS: Finding showed that emotional dysregulation might influence QoL, particularly significant effect of awareness (ß= 0.022; SE = 1.826; p < 0.002), goals (ß = - 0.54; SE = 1.48; p < 0.001) and clarity (ß = - 0.211; SE = 2.087; p < 0.003). The results also suggest that the mediated effect accounted for awareness index was 18.7% (R2 = 0.187) of the variance; goals index 62.8% (R2 = 0.628) of the variance and, then significant mediated effect of clarity was 58.8% (R2 = 0.588) of the variance. This evidence suggests that the relationship between triggers and QoL is mediated by emotional dysregulation indexes. CONCLUSION: In clinical practice psychological screening can be an effective tool for detecting predictive factors in the management of the CVD patient's health and adherence to medical treatment: the screening of predictive psychological factors for allowing a good clinical condition management and a self-care empowerment aimed at increasing psychological well-being and the Quality of Life by planning adequate integrated and multidisciplinary support.

Early Diagnosis of Melanoma and Breast Cancer in Women: Influence of Body Image Perception.

The diagnosis of melanoma and breast cancer may impact many aspects of life with significant reductions in emotional functioning and quality of life. The aim of the study was to analyze the emotional traits of female patients with oncological in early-stage diagnosis, investigating predictors for psychological distress and analyzing body image perception. An observational study was conducted, A sample of 84 female cancer patients (age range 30-55 years) with melanoma (n = 42) and breast cancer diagnosis (n = 42). The examined emotional variables were psychological distress; depression, stress, and anxiety; metacognitions; and body self-perception. Findings showed higher psychological distress in breast cancer than in melanoma patients (p = 0.00), which was related to lower positive self-perception of body image (p = 0.03). Furthermore, psychological distress was negatively correlated with consequences of clinical treatment on body image, and low well-being affected the social interaction and well-being with own body. There was no significant difference between cancer staging and timing from diagnosis. Prevention and therapeutic psychological protocols might be adapted and tailored to the unmet needs of the patients in medical treatments to promote and enhance the Quality of Life in survivorship.

[Metacognitions and quality of life in survivorship after breast cancer diagnosis]. / Metacognizione e qualità della vita nella survivorship delle donne con diagnosi di cancro al seno.

AIM: Aim of the study was to measure the belief and metacognition strategies trend in the survivorship of fertile women with breast cancer. We wanted to observe the metacognitive performance of young women went out primary treatment getting survivors; we wanted to assess the impact of metacognitive strategies in coping with survivorship in cancer patients who have been diagnosed at an early age. METHODS: Seventy two women in age range 30-55 year olds (mean 48; sd= ±6) with breast cancer diagnosis participated in the study. Depression and anxiety, psychological distress and metacognitions thinking have been measured. RESULTS: Results evidenced age as vulnerable variable in emotions dealing with oncological post-treatment living (higher anxiety in young patients), but with some features: in our study, patients appeared resilient to the psychological distress and depression. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our finding showed that early diagnosis in early age and early stage of disease might be related to emotional trend starting from fragility in early post-treatment and then in survivorship it tends to get positively by resilient dynamics.

An Integrated Approach for a New Pattern in Pediatric Primary Care: Interaction Mediation for Active and Efficient Medical Consultations.

Introduction: This study analyzed the impact of an innovative integrated approach in pediatric care on children's behavior and cooperation during care. Methods: The participants included 75 children aged 3-8 years (30 girls and 45 boys) recruited from a pediatric surgery department. The sample was categorized into three groups according to experimental condition: the Control, Playing, and Interaction groups. Results: A one-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in cooperation between the three groups [F (2,1) = 5.52; p = 0.006]. A post-hoc analysis showed better performance in the Interaction group (p = 0.002) compared to the Control group during clinical care. The Control group also showed less cooperation compared to the Playing group (p = 0.009). Conclusions: The findings indicate that distraction before medical care can positively influence children's behavior, increasing their cooperation in medical settings. Future studies could objectively analyze physiological changes in children during medical care to better relieve anxiety and provide them with more efficient care.