Psychological well-being in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation

The aim of the study is to determine the psychological well-being of patients who underwent stem cell transplantation. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 patients. Data were collected face-to-face using an introductory information form and the Brief Symptom Inventory.When the results of the patients were examined, the interpersonal sensitivity of the sub-dimensions of the scale was found to be 5.0 ± 4.06, depression 7.60 ± 5.37, and anxiety disorder 7.90 ± 5.34. There was a significant difference between the diagnosistime of the patients and all sub-factors of the scale, except phobic anxiety. It was found that the psychological state of the patients was directly related to the time of first diagnosis. As a result, the importance of following the psychological processof the patients during the treatment process was revealed when planning nursing care.

[Prisoners in units for difficult patients]. / Les détenus en unités pour malades difficiles.

Prisoners, on remand or convicted, can be placed for a variable amount of time in a unit for difficult patients if their pathological mental state so requires. For the most part, their therapeutic care does not depend on their status as prisoner. The treatments provided are those indicated for their psychological pathologies and their potential or known dangerousness. However, some administrative measures make a distinction between their treatment and that of non-prisoner patients placed in these secure psychiatric units.

[Mental disorders and dangerous acting out]. / Pathologies mentales et passages à l'acte dangereux.

The major mental disorders which are most likely to lead to dangerous acting out are adult psychoses (schizophrenia and paranoia) and severe mood disorders (major depressive episodes and mania). Good knowledge of the symptomatology of these pathologies and their identification can help to anticipate and prevent much of the violence which people with these disorders may inflict on others or themselves. After mental assessment, those who commit wrongful and criminal acts may be ruled to be criminally irresponsible. They are then handed over to the relevant health care authorities for treatment for their mental disorders.

[Paranoid delusions and homicides inside or outside the family]. / Délires paranoïaques et homicides intra ou extrafamiliaux.

Paranoia is a mental pathology which severely complicates interpersonal relationships. Its mechanisms and its delusional themes often mean that paranoid subjects have strained, or even violent relations inside and/or outside their family. These difficuIt relationships can sometimes even lead to serious assaults without causing death or more rarely result in homicides with frequent pre-incident indicators.

[Paranoia and persecution]. / Paranoia et persécution.

The idea of paranoia has existed since Antiquity, but it was only in the 19th centurythat psychiatrists became interested in it and sought to describe it. Delusion and the feeling of persecution are common in all paranoiacs. The origins of the disease can be found in the patient's psychic structure. Establishing and maintaining contact with a caregiver is one way of helping the patient.

[The vigilante, a romantic figure according to paranoid logic]. / Le justicier, figure romantique d'une logique paranoïaque.

When patients "transform" themselves into vigilantes, they respond only to their own law and logic. In two examples taken from fiction, "vigilante" characters have experienced an initial trauma.What is the situation in daily clinical practice and how can we open the treatment door for patients suffering from paranoia?

[Erotomania, adapting to the engendered dangerousness]. / Erotomanie, s'adapter à la dangerosité induite.

Erotomania is a dangerous pathology which is based up on the three stages of hope, pique and rancour. In the relationship, it implies the personal commitment of the therapist who must proceed with great care. Reducing, or eliminating this dangerousness is one aim but must not constitute the only goal.

[Sensitive paranoia, concepts and a clinical case study]. / Paranoïa sensitive, concepts et cas clinique.

Sensitive paranoia, classified by Ernst Kretschmer, is a combination of a paranoid disorder with solitude and mental distress. Sensitive paranoiacs, often depressive and anxious, perceive themselves as being excluded from society while at the same time cultivating a resentment towards it. They also constantly put themselves down. Group therapy can help these patients to find appeasement in their social life.

Bath salts: they are not what you think.

Psychoactive bath salts are a relatively new group of designer drugs sold as tablets, capsules, or powder and pur-chased in places such as tobacco and convenience stores, gas stations, head shops, and the Internet. Bath salts are stimulant agents that mimic cocaine,lysergic acid diethylamide, methamphetamine, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy). The most common bath salts are the cathinone derivatives 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone(MDPV), 4-methylmethcathinone(mephedrone), and 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylcathinone (methylone). The drugs cause intense stimulation, eu-phoria, elevated mood, and a pleasurable "rush" Tachycardia, hypertension,peripheral constriction, chest pain, hallucinations, paranoia, erratic behavior,inattention, lack of memory of substance use, and psychosis have been observed in those who have used bath salts. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration recently exercised an emergency authority to name three key ingredients in bath salts as Schedule I, thereby making them illegal to possess or sell in the United States. Nursing implications related to both clinical and educational settings are discussed.

Understanding and caring for patients experiencing paranoia.

Many use the term paranoia in everyday language without understanding the condition. For most people who experience paranoia it does not affect their daily activities. However, it can be part of a personality disorder and can affect an individual's quality of life if not diagnosed and treated appropriately. It is important for nurses to have some understanding of the condition and how to help these individuals maintain a good quality of life.