The Effect of the Meditation Based Mandala Programme on Distress, Anxiety and Depression in the Caregivers of Cancer Patients in Palliative Care Unit.

Mental health problems were found to be more common than physical health problems in cancer caregivers in palliative care units. This is a quasi-experimental study planned to determine the effect of the meditation based mandala programme on distress, anxiety and depression in caregivers of cancer patients in a palliative care unit. Planned as a single-group pre-test/post-test design, with a total of 11 caregivers. Data were collected with the Caregiver Diagnosis Form, Distress Thermometer, Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Caregivers participated in the Meditation Based Mandala Programme once a week, which lasted 2 hours for 5 weeks. The distress, depression and anxiety levels of the patients were measured before the programme started and at the end of the programme. Meditation based mandala programme is effective in reducing the distress, depression and anxiety levels of caregivers of cancer patients in the palliative care unit.

Effects of art-based mandala intervention on distress and anxiety in cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study was planned to determine the effect of art-based mandala intervention on the distress and anxiety experienced by cancer patients. METHODS: This semi-experimental study with a single group pretest-posttest design was performed with 12 breast cancer survival patients. The data were collected through "Patient Diagnostic Form", "Distress Thermometer", "Trait Anxiety Inventory". Patients participated in the "Art-Based Mandala Intervention" for eight weeks, one day a week, 2 h each. The distress and anxiety levels of the patients were measured before starting the program and at the end of the program. RESULTS: Cancer patients experienced moderate level of anxiety (50.66 ± 6.91) and clinically significant distress (4.08 ± 2.74). Anxiety scores of cancer patients decreased significantly after the program compared to before the program (p < 0.05). The distress scores of cancer patients increased after the program compared to before the program (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: After the art-based mandala intervention program, anxiety scores of breast cancer survival patients decreased, and distress scores increased.

Factors associated with physicians' assessment and management of child abuse and neglect: A mixed method study.

Physicians are a professional group that is highly likely to encounter abused or at-risk children. The aim of this study is to investigate physicians' experiences with abuse cases, their evaluations of abuse risk factors, and their attitudes toward becoming more educated on the subject. One-hundred-sixty-four family physicians at family health centers and public health centers completed a questionnaire, and a group of residents at a university training and research hospital were interviewed in a semi-structured format. One-fifth of the participants had managed a child abuse case at least once. Nearly half of the participants reported acting alone in diagnosing and managing abuse cases. Sixty-eight percent of these physicians stated they would like to receive training on this subject. Gender and having children did not make a difference as to the abuse-management experience of these medical professionals. Female participants placed more importance on risk factors related to "children with mental disabilities" and "alcohol and substance abuse in parents" than their male counterparts. Difficulties in diagnosis, concerns about handling the abuse cases, the impact of culture, various risk factors, the importance of teamwork and a holistic approach, the need for practical training, and the importance of primary prevention were themes that emerged from this survey. This study provides inferences as to which of the physician competencies should be targeted in undergraduate medical education.

Cerebral blood flow evaluation during the hypnotic state with transcranial Doppler sonography.

Cerebral blood flow was measured in normal waking (alert relaxed mental imagery) and hypnotic states. Mean flow velocity (Vm) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was significantly increased in hypnosis (Condition II) from Condition I (5 minutes before hypnotic induction). Vm decreased in Condition III (hypnotic imagination). After hypnosis, Vm values returned to baseline. Pulsatility index values and resistive index values showed significant variations during sonographic monitoring between Conditions I and IV (5 minutes after the completion of hypnosis). Both values were significantly higher in Condition I than IV. These findings show that hypnotic status can modulate cerebral blood flow.