Identifying patient-level factors associated with interest in psychosocial services during cancer: A brief report.

OBJECTIVES: Uptake of psychosocial services during cancer treatment remains relatively low. To use these services efficiently, novel approaches - based on evidence-based theory - are needed to understand cancer patients' readiness to seek psychosocial services. Guided by the transtheoretical model (TTM), we investigated individuals' readiness to use psychosocial services by assessing decisional conflict (pros/cons) and self-efficacy, which are established as the most important constructs of predicting a specific behavior. METHODS: In these secondary analyses, we examined demographic and treatment-related factors in a national sample of adult cancer patients and survivors in the United States as predictors of decisional balance (pros/cons) and self-efficacy (i.e., two core TTM constructs) of engaging in psychosocial services. Participants were recruited through an online survey. In addition to examining demographic factors (age, sex, race, and marital status) as independent variables using t tests and correlations, treatment-related variables, such as having multiple cancers, type of cancer, type of treatment, and treatment setting were included. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty-six participants completed the survey. The sample was primarily Caucasian (79%) and female (54.7%); average age was 47.9 (SD = 14.8). While no significant relationships emerged for self-efficacy, younger age and non-Caucasian race were significantly related to greater cons of seeking psychosocial care. Finally, those with multiple cancers versus reporting only one malignancy endorsed more cons of seeking psychosocial care. CONCLUSIONS: These data highlight the importance of measuring the cons of seeking psychosocial care during cancer treatment, with younger age, non-Caucasian, and those reporting experience with multiple cancers endorsing greater cons. This may impact eventual uptake of available services. Future research should identify individuals at risk for declining services based on perceived cons of seeking psychosocial care during cancer.

Development and Implementation of a Psychological Service for Patients With Cancer.

Cancer patients frequently experience considerable distress during diagnosis and treatment. The aims of this study were to describe the development and utilization of a psychological service for cancer patients at a community hospital-and to provide preliminary results on clinical outcomes in a "real-world" clinical setting. This program was developed collaboratively by individuals from a university-based clinical psychology doctoral program and a community hospital. The psychological service was comprised of a licensed, PhD-level clinical psychologist and seven clinical psychology doctoral students. Patients were typically referred by their oncologists or nurses. Distress, depression, and anxiety were evaluated for a small subsample of participants. From the time the program was initiated, 238 patients between ages 18 and 95 (M = 66.4) were evaluated over a 3-year period. Most patients (77.8%) were offered psychosocial care. Although 49.8% declined treatment, 23.6% attended one session and 26.6% attended two or more. Average number of individual sessions was 2.77 (SD=8.31, range=0-96) and 0.06 (SD=0.43, range=0-4) for groups sessions. Patients referred through the Survivorship Training and Rehabilitation (STAR) Program® (i.e., a program providing multidisciplinary services) were more likely to engage in psychosocial care than those who found out about behavioral health in other ways. Patients experienced declines in depression (Wilks' Λ=.580, F(2, 14)=5.08, p=.022), but not anxiety (Wilks' Λ=.613, F(2, 12)=3.79, p=.053) across sessions. An in-depth case description is provided. Distress tracking may be improved if nurses, oncologists, and behavioral health providers administer measures. Partnerships between clinical psychology doctoral programs and hospitals may be mutually beneficial - and may advance the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychosocial interventions. Hospitals offering cancer treatment may benefit from generating referrals for comprehensive cancer care. These efforts can serve as a model for other hospitals seeking to integrate behavioral health into routine cancer treatment.

Using Relational Agents to Promote Exercise and Sun Protection: Assessment of Participants' Experiences With Two Interventions.

BACKGROUND: Relational agents (RAs) are electronic computational figures designed to engage participants in the change process. A recent study, Project RAISE, tested the effectiveness of RAs, combined with existing computer-based interventions to increase regular exercise and sun protection behaviors. Results showed these interventions can be effective but need further development. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine participants' experiences using RAs to increase participant engagement and promote behavior change . METHODS: A qualitative approach was primarily utilized. A 25-question interview guide assessed different components of participants' experiences with the intervention, including motivation, engagement, satisfaction or dissatisfaction, quality of their interaction with the RA, and behavior change. Quantitative assessment of satisfaction was based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 representing least satisfied and 10 representing most satisfied. A summative analytic approach was used to assess individuals' qualitative responses. A single analysis of variance (ANOVA) examined levels of satisfaction by gender. RESULTS: Of the original 1354 participants enrolled in Project RAISE, 490 of 1354 (36%) were assigned to the RA group. A sample of 216 out of 490 (44%) participants assigned to the RA group completed the interventions, and follow-up assessments were contacted to participate in the semistructured interview. A total of 34 out of 216 (16%) completed the interview. Participants were motivated by, and satisfied with, the intervention. Participants viewed the RA as supportive, informative, caring, and reported positive behavior change in both exercise and sun protection. Some participants (15/34, 44%) noted the RA was less judgmental and less "overbearing" compared with a human counselor; other participants (12/34, 35%) said that the interaction was sometimes repetitive or overly general. The majority of participants (22/34, 65%) viewed the RA as an important contributor to their behavior change for exercise, sun protection, or both. Levels of satisfaction ranged between 7 and 10. There were no gender differences noted in levels of satisfaction (P=.51). CONCLUSIONS: RAs provide an innovative and attractive platform to increase exercise and sun protection behaviors and potentially other health behaviors.

The Experiences of Nurses as Double-Duty Caregivers for a Family Member at the End of Life: Interpretive Description.

Increasing numbers of individuals with complex, advanced illnesses are living longer and being cared for in the home by family members. As a result, family caregivers often experience physical, emotional, psychological, and social distress. A unique subset of this population are nurses who find themselves providing care in both their family lives and work lives, a phenomenon known as "double-duty caregiving." This study explored the experiences of nurses providing end-of-life care for family members while continuing to work as a nurse and the consequences of this experience. A qualitative design, using semistructured, in-depth interviews, was used to capture the double-duty caregivers' experiences. Four overarching themes were identified: It Takes a Village, Driving the Bus, Juggling Many Hats, and Moving Through and Looking Back. These themes captured the components of a support system that are essential for the double-duty caregiver to perform this work, the multifaceted expectations placed upon the double-duty caregiver, the double-duty caregiver's relentless need to balance multiple roles, and the immediate and long-term impact of double-duty caregiving. As nurses, we must acknowledge the need for self-care during this experience, and as a profession, we must provide support for the double-duty caregiver to preserve their personal and professional well-being.

Benefits of Early Palliative Care Integration in a Day Care Program: The Patients' Perspective.

Aim: The aim of this study is to present the experiences of cancer patients who participate in a social model palliative day care program (PDCP). This is the first research study that evaluates early integration of PDCP, from the patients' perspective, in Central and Eastern Europe. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study using five focus groups was conducted with patients cared by Hospice Casa Sperantei Foundation (HCS) in Brasov, Romania. Fifty participants were recruited from the PDCP. Discussions were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Results: Three major categories emerged from the focus groups: (1) significance of diagnosis before integration of palliative care (PC); (2) perceptions of diagnosis after integration of PC; and (3) benefits of attending the PDCP. The findings indicate that PDCPs facilitate continuity of care for patients and families with PC needs by addressing and responding to physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs. Participation in the PDCP fosters a sense of connectedness with others, helps individuals reconnect with self, and provides an opportunity to engage in activities that bring meaning and value to daily living. Conclusions: This study is highly important in the context of a national- and regional-wide interest for increasing the coverage of PC needs of patients and families, by varying the types of services. It explores the benefits of integration of PC services early on the trajectory of the disease of cancer patients. The themes that emerged from this study are consistent with previous international studies referring to benefits of early integration of PC throughout PDCP. Future research is needed to examine further the benefits of early integration of PDCP services for patients living with serious illnesses. Clinical Trials Registration Number 1/03.02.2020.

Palliative Care Masterclass for Nurses in Central-Eastern Europe: An International Collaboration.

Given the increased need for palliative care services globally, the education of nurses has become paramount. In response, a group of nurses from Romania and the United States developed diverse nursing educational programs to meet the palliative care educational needs of nurses in Central-Eastern European countries. The purpose of this article is to describe a palliative nursing masterclass that was offered virtually to 59 participants, primarily nurses but also other health care professionals, from 11 Central-Eastern European countries.

Women's experience of postpartum psychotic episodes--analyses of narratives from the internet.

The aim of this study was to gain an insight into women's experiences of postpartum psychosis (PPP). Ten narratives taken from the Internet, which met the definition of PPP, were analyzed using cross-case and content analyses. The results revealed women's experience of having unfulfilled dreams, being enveloped by darkness, having disabling symptoms, and being abandoned. The women's experiences point to the importance of further education of nurses and doctors concerning PPP. It is vital not only for those working in psychiatric health care but also midwives and nurses who are working in maternity wards and child welfare centers. This would facilitate early recognition of signs and symptoms of the disorder, which, in turn, would make early treatment possible, thus supporting recovery. Furthermore, greater knowledge could contribute to providing more effective and compassionate care for these women.

Who will speak for me? Advocating for pregnant women in prison.

The 1999 publication of a report by Amnesty International on the use of shackles and restraints with pregnant incarcerated women by correctional facilities in the United States was an attempt to highlight this ongoing practice. Despite the initial outrage expressed in many professional arenas, it continues in many states. This commentary provides a snapshot of incarcerated pregnant women and briefly discusses the risks associated with the use of shackles and restraints. Specific strategies describing how to advocate for this invisible and vulnerable population are provided with the hope that more nurses will be the voice for these women in correctional institutions, hospitals and in state government.

Suicide assessment by psychiatric nurses: a phenomenographic study.

Although suicide assessment has been researched, nurses haven't been included in studies nor has this been explored from a phenomenographic perspective. Suicide assessment by nurses was investigated using a phenomenographic design. Data were collected through observations, vignettes, and interviews. Phenomenographic analysis discovered four qualitative differences in suicide assessment among nurse participants: reliance on (1) examples of other suicide cases, (2) intuition, (3) others' assessments, and (4) prior experience. The categories were classified into a three dimensional theoretical structure of suicide assessment: (a) Knowledge, (b) Method, and (c) Reference. Variability in participants' assessments established a structure of suicide assessment that furthers understanding of how nurses assess suicide and provides implications for practice.

Psychiatric nurses' descriptions of women with postpartum psychosis and nurses' responses--an exploratory study in Sweden.

Postpartum psychosis is the most serious type of psychiatric illness related to childbirth. This interview study with nine psychiatric nurses in Sweden explored psychiatric nurses' descriptions of women with psychosis occurring in the postpartum period and nurses' responses when providing care to these women. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The nurses described delusions, disconnection, aggression, changed personality, self-absorption, insomnia, chaos, quietness, suicidal ideation, and 'strange eyes.' The description of strange eyes noted by the nurses has not been found in the literature, warranting further investigation. When providing care, the nurses responded with sadness, sympathy, empathy and compassion, discomfort, anger, anxiety, and happiness. These findings underscore the importance of nurses recognizing their negatively charged emotions which could interfere with providing compassionate and effective nursing care to this population.

A Qualitative Study Exploring Female College Students' Instagram Use and Body Image.

Research demonstrates that mainstream media negatively impacts women's body image; less is known about social media, specifically Instagram. The purpose of the study was to explore how female college students use Instagram, and if using Instagram impacts body image. Since little is known, a descriptive qualitative approach was used. Six face-to-face focus groups with a total of 27 participants, aged 18-22 years, were conducted. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis. Three themes related to Instagram use emerged: effortful posting, promotion of self, and seeking engagement. Participants put substantial effort into what they were posting, were careful to select the best images of themselves, and placed a lot of importance on receiving likes and comments. Three themes surfaced pertaining to body image: responding to beauty ideals, comparing self with others, and display of self. Participants recognized and strove to adhere to a variety of beauty standards; some discussed experiencing appearance dissatisfaction when trying to measure up to these ideals. Moreover, participants frequently compared their looks or the number of likes/comments with others. Additionally, when posting photos of self, participants took an audience perspective, expressing concern with how others perceived their appearance.

Measures of psychosocial care utilization in a national sample of cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer is one of the most physically and emotionally debilitating diseases. Despite evidence that psychosocial care can improve psychological and physiological functioning, as few as 4.4% of patients are willing to engage in psychosocial treatment. Few studies explored drivers of psychosocial care underutilization. Therefore, treatment engagement strategies are needed, by identifying patients' barriers to psychosocial treatment. This study evaluated readiness to utilize psychosocial care by developing transtheoretical model (TTM) measures of stage of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy. METHOD: Online survey data was collected from a national sample of 475 adults (Mage = 47.89, SD = 14.77) with cancer diagnoses. A sequential process of measure development was used. Semistructured expert and research participant interviews were conducted for initial item development, followed by exploratory, confirmatory, and external validation analyses. RESULTS: Principal components analyses (PCA) indicated two, 4-item factors (pros α = .874; cons α = .716) for decisional balance. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) supported a 2-factor correlated model, χ²(19) = 68.56, CFI = .962, RMSEA = .078. For self-efficacy, PCA indicated two, 3-item components (physical α = .892; social/emotional α = .708). CFA supported this structure χ²(8) = 23.72, CFI = .989, RMSEA = .067. Physical component items included fatigue, pain, and discomfort. Multivariate analyses indicated significant cross-stage differences for pros, cons, and self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the validity of the developed stage of change, 8-item decisional balance, and 6-item self-efficacy measures for psychosocial care. Clinicians could use these tools to address perceived cons of psychosocial care, including shame and self-efficacy (e.g., using psychosocial care despite pain). These scales may help treatment teams better address barriers to psychosocial care utilization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Mothers' Thoughts and Feelings About Using a Pediatric Scale in the Home to Monitor Weight Changes in Breastfed Newborns.

OBJECTIVE: To document mothers' thoughts and feelings about using a pediatric digital scale in their homes to monitor the weights of their newborns. DESIGN: Cross-sectional design. SETTING: A community hospital in the northeastern region of the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Women (N = 63) who gave birth between August 2015 and September 2016 to healthy, full-term singleton newborns who were exclusively or predominantly breastfed at the time of hospital discharge. MEASUREMENTS: We used an online survey to document participants' thoughts and feelings about the use of a pediatric scale in their homes to monitor the weights of their newborns every day for 2 weeks after birth. RESULTS: Most participants (81%) had positive responses about the use of a pediatric scale in their homes. The collection of daily weight provided valuable knowledge (67%) and elicited feelings of reassurance (32%) and increased confidence in breastfeeding (14%). For some women (14%), using the scale caused concern about neonatal weight. If a participant believed her newborn was not feeding or gaining weight well (n = 9), she was more likely to have mixed or negative feelings about the scale (67%). CONCLUSION: Women who breastfeed may benefit from the use of a pediatric scale in their homes. They may gain valuable knowledge and have increased confidence in breastfeeding if they monitor neonatal weight changes. Use of the scale may also alert mothers to early problems with newborn feeding or growth.

Where Does Your State Stand on Shackling of Pregnant Incarcerated Women?

Pregnant incarcerated women have been identified as a particularly high-risk group and among the most vulnerable women in the United States. The use of shackling or restraints poses health risks to pregnant women and their fetuses. Currently, only 22 states have legislation prohibiting or limiting the shackling of pregnant women. Here we provide an overview of the potential negative health outcomes that can result from shackling pregnant women, especially during labor and birth, and suggest strategies for nurses who wish to promote optimal health care for incarcerated women and to advocate for anti-shackling legislation in their states.

A text message intervention to reduce 21st birthday alcohol consumption: Evaluation of a two-group randomized controlled trial.

Twenty-first birthdays are associated with extreme levels of heavy drinking and alcohol-related harm. Effective preventive interventions that are acceptable to young adults are needed. The current study tested the efficacy of a brief text-message intervention for reducing 21st birthday alcohol involvement designed to correct perceived 21st birthday drinking norms and provide protective behavioral strategies (PBS). We also examined potential moderators and mediators. College students (n = 200) with an upcoming 21st birthday completed a baseline assessment and were randomized to a text-message intervention or an assessment-only control condition. For participants in the intervention group, Message 1 (sent one day before the birthday celebration) focused on personalized normative feedback, and Message 2 (sent day of the birthday celebration) discussed PBS to minimize risk. Primary outcomes were assessed using responses to a follow-up assessment the day after their birthday celebration (93% completion rate). Zero-inflated negative binomial regression analyses did not reveal an overall intervention effect for estimated Blood Alcohol Content (eBAC) or alcohol problems on the 21st birthday celebration. In partial support of our hypothesis, there was an indirect effect of perceived 21st birthday norms on 21st birthday eBAC. The intervention was associated with reduced perceived norms, which was, in turn, related to a lower eBAC. There was a 3-way interaction between drinks per week, anticipated eBAC, and intervention condition for the count portion of actual eBAC such that the intervention reduced eBAC among a high-risk subset of the sample. Future research may benefit from further refining the personalized normative feedback (PNF) component of 21st birthday interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record

The "Voice" and Perspectives of Adolescents Participating in a Short-Term Psychotherapy Group.

Group psychotherapy is an ideal choice for adolescents who engage in mental health treatment. It is considered a "natural" fit, as adolescents are focused on their peer group. This research study presents the effectiveness of an adolescent psychotherapy group with an interpersonal approach, using their "voices" and perspectives. A qualitative descriptive design was selected. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with eight adolescents who attended a process-oriented psychotherapy group for a period of three months. The data were analyzed using manifest content analysis. All eight participants described their experiences and the meaning of their experiences. A number of therapeutic factors emerged from the data consistent with Yalom's theoretical framework. The participants also described a number of benefits and identified several recommendations for group therapists.

The Impact of a Mindfulness Based Program on Perceived Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Sleep of Incarcerated Women.

Incarcerated women enter the prison setting with remarkable histories of trauma, mental health and substance abuse issues. Given the stress of incarceration and separation from their children, families, and significant others, it is not surprising that many women experience increased anxiety, depression, and problems with sleep. Due to these negative outcomes, it is imperative to find efficient non-pharmacological interventions. This pilot study examined the impact of a 12-week mindfulness based program on the stress, anxiety, depression and sleep of women with a total of 33 completing the study. In one group, women's perceived stress, anxiety and depression were all significantly lower following the intervention compared to prior to the intervention. Challenges with implementing the pilot study are addressed. Despite challenges and limitations, the low-cost non-pharmacological intervention has potential for a reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Nurse researchers in corrections: a qualitative study.

The United States has more people, per capita, in prisons and jails than any other country in the world. Because the prison population is largely composed of people who have been economically and socially disadvantaged, a very high percentage enter correctional facilities in poor health. Because of the large concentrated numbers of women, men, and youth in prisons and jails, an exceptional opportunity exists for nurses and other researchers to conduct creative and innovative research to improve the health care of this hard-to-reach population. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of nurse researchers who have been successful in conducting studies in different correctional settings. A qualitative descriptive design was used, and telephone interviews with 16 participants were completed. The participants described how they established credibility, the challenges they faced, and the unexpected personal and professional rewards they received. Recommendations for potential researchers will hopefully lead to an increase in research with this invisible population.