Behavioral Therapy for People With Diabetes Who Smoke: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking exacerbates diabetes-related complications; its prevalence is notwithstanding substantial. Persons with diabetes face a number of barriers and challenges to quitting such as multiple lifestyle restrictions; tailored interventions are required for smoking cessation. OBJECTIVE: To identify research on behavioral interventions for smoking cessation in diabetes. METHODS: Studies had to be randomized controlled trials, quasiexperimental or systematic reviews. The behavioral interventions included were: the 5As, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Contingency Management, Health Coaching and Counselling, as compared to standard care. The outcomes were self-reported and/or biochemically verified smoking cessation. CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE Complete, the Cochrane databases of systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials, PsychInfo and PubMed Central were searched until July, 2023. Keywords used included diabetes, smoking cessation and each of the behavioral interventions included. RESULTS: 1615 papers were identified. Three studies on the 5As/brief advice, 4 on Motivational Intervention and 1 on counseling were retained. The results on the 5As and Motivational Interviewing were conflicting. More intensive interventions appear to be more successful in achieving smoking cessation in smokers with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should focus on the continued development and evaluation of structured smoking cessation interventions based on the 5As, Motivational interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Breaking the Silence: Exploring Peritraumatic Distress and Negative Emotions in Male and Female Physical Domestic Violence Victims.

Background: Domestic violence is a widespread problem affecting individuals, families, and communities worldwide. Peritraumatic distress is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems among victims, but research on men's experiences is limited. Objective: We analyzed data from 48 physical domestic violence victims (16 males and 32 females) to compare their levels of peritraumatic distress and negative emotions, and to examine the types of aggressors they faced. Methods: We used descriptives to summarize sample characteristics and Peritraumatic Distress Inventory scores and used statistical tests such as Mann-Whitney U, Shapiro-Wilk, Levene's test, contingency tables, and chi-square to investigate differences and associations between variables. Results: Female victims of domestic violence had significantly higher scores on the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory than male victims and experienced significantly higher levels of negative emotions than male victims, including impotence/inability to react, sadness, anger/frustration, loss of control, fear, guilt, and shame. Husbands and domestic partners were the most frequent aggressors against female victims, while wives and ex-wives were the most frequent aggressors against male victims. In addition, partners were found to be the most frequent type of aggressor in the sample. Descriptive statistics, box plots, and scatter plots were used to provide a clear picture of the sample characteristics. Conclusion: Female victims of domestic violence reported higher levels of peritraumatic distress and negative emotions compared to men victims. Partners were the most frequent type of aggressor in the sample.

Psychological and neuropsychological clinical impact in brain cancer patients and evidence-based psychological intervention: a systematic review of the literature.

Background: Cancer patients may suffer from psychological disorders related to their health condition. Various medical, surgical, and interventional procedures, alongside the distinct tumor localization, have been linked to an elevated predisposition towards psychological disorders, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and cognitive impairments. Objective: To systematically review the literature on neurocognitive rehabilitation of patients before and after brain cancer. Methods: The systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines for the systematic review of the PRISMA Group. The literature search was conducted from February 2022 to December 2022 in the databases of PubMed, APA PsycNet, and Web of Science. The focus was on cognitive-behavioural treatments, with Goal Management Training (GMT), and also an app on the iPad- ReMind- that includes psychoeducation, strategy training, and retraining, and new technologies such as virtual reality, in patients with cognitive deficits after neurosurgery. Conclusions: Overall, neurocognitive rehabilitation had an improvement on cancer patients and a recovery of executive and cognitive functions, a better quality of life, and psychological well-being.

Psychological Experience of Smoking Addiction in Family and Friends of Schizophrenic Adults Who Smoke Daily: A Qualitative Study.

The smoking addiction of patients with severe mental disorders has consequences not only for the patients but also for the people around them. This is qualitative research on family and friends of patients with Schizophrenia spectrum disorders to investigate their perception and vision of smoking, its impact on the patients' physical and mental health, and the possible attempts to combat addiction. The research also investigates the participants' views on electronic cigarettes as a means of replacing traditional cigarettes and helping the patient to quit smoking. The survey method used was a semi-structured interview. The answers were recorded, transcribed and analyzed with the technique of thematic analysis. The results of this study show that the view of most participants on smoking is negative (83.3%), although not all of them consider smoking cessation treatments for these patients of primary importance (33.3%). Nevertheless, a good number of them have tried to intervene spontaneously with their own resources and strategies (66.6%). Finally, low-risk products, and in particular electronic cigarettes, are considered by many participants as a useful alternative to traditional cigarettes in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. About the meaning that cigarettes can assume for the patient, recurring themes emerge: they are considered as a way to manage nervousness and tension or as a means to contrast daily monotony and boredom or repeat usual gestures and habits.

Smoking Addiction in Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Its Perception and Intervention in Healthcare Personnel Assigned to Psycho-Rehabilitation Programs: A Qualitative Research.

Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have a higher prevalence and frequency of smoking rates when compared to the rest of the population; to this, it must be added that they develop a greater dependence and have some worse health consequences than the general population. This is qualitative research on the perception of smoking in healthcare professionals assigned to psycho-rehabilitation programs for patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The point of view of health personnel (Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Pedagogists, and Nurses) about cigarette smoking in these patients was analyzed, focusing on their implications in disturbance and comparing them with e-cigarettes too. The methodology used to collect the data was a semi-structured interview with five questions. The research path was carried out in two assisted therapeutic communities that are clinics for the rehabilitation of serious mental illness in the period between November and July 2022. The results showed that the opinion of health professionals on smoking is very negative. Research has also shown that nearly all patients are smokers; however, their high grade of addiction is caused by periods of high stress due to various factors that lead patients to consume a greater number of cigarettes. Almost all respondents have a positive opinion of the e-cigarette, which was defined as an excellent substitute for traditional cigarettes.

Sexual Addiction, Hypersexual Behavior and Relative Psychological Dynamics during the Period of Social Distancing and Stay-at-Home Policies Due to COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased stress factors affected people's motivations to engage in potentially addictive behaviors. Sexuality, understood as one of the psychological aspects to be investigated to explore the level of psychological well-being of a person, has suffered considerable repercussions due to the pandemic. A growing body of evidence suggests an unprecedented increase in Internet use and online pornography consumption during the pandemic. Since March 2020, during the lockdown period, Pornhub has seen a worldwide increase in pornography use of 11.6% compared to the previous average days. This research was conducted with the aim of exploring the possible increasing use of pornographic material during the lockdown period, in order to assess whether dysfunctional behaviors, such as compulsive behaviors, and thoughts of sex-related obsessives can lead to hypersexual behavior or a more severe Sexual Addiction. The individuals who participated in our research were 18 years of age or older (mean 23.1, s.d. 5.8), and 48% male and 52% females and were recruited online to complete a self-report questionnaire in the period between April 2020 and April 2021. The questionnaires were delivered via main social networks. The tool used for our survey was the SAST (Sexual Addiction Screening Test), a questionnaire including socio-demographic data and data relating to sexual practices, such as sexual orientation and time spent on the Internet for sexual activities. The results revealed significant differences concerning the various factors investigated such as loss of control, addictive symptoms and hide score.