The effects of life review-based collage book making on psychosocial functioning and discrepancy between patients' and hospital staff's perception of daily functioning in long-term hospitalized patients with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychosocial effects of life review-based collage book making on long-term inpatients with schizophrenia, and to verify the effectiveness of this program in reducing the discrepancy between self-perception and others' evaluation of patients' day-to-day functioning. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention or control group. The intervention group participated in an individual program of life review-based collage book making. At three evaluation points (pre-and post-intervention and at 3-month follow-up) the patients rated their subjective difficulties, and the staff rated the objective severity of the patient's day-to-day functioning, using the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale Japanese version (SCoRS-J). The Profile of Mood Status-Brief Form (POMS), Recovery Assessment Scale, and Life Skills Profile were used to assess psychosocial functioning, and the changes in scores on the scales were compared between the two groups. In addition, for those with large discrepancy between patient and staff rating scores on the SCoRS-J at baseline, the change in the discrepancy scores were compared between the two groups. As a result, there was a significant group main effect and interaction between the two groups in the changes in the Confusion subscale scores of the POMS, indicating an alleviation of confusion in this program. In addition, for those with large discrepancy scores on the SCoRS-J, there was a significant group main effect and interaction between the two groups in discrepancy scores, indicating that this program can contribute to the reduction of discrepancies in the perceptions, and to the collaborative approach to treatment.

Factors associated with facilitating advance care planning based on the theory of planned behaviour.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, educational support for advance care planning is still limited, and the factors facilitating advance care planning practice have not been identified. The aim of this study is to identify the factors associated with advance care planning practice in Japan using the theory of planned behaviour. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study through a nationwide online questionnaire survey with 446 Japanese residents aged 20 years and older. After categorizing participants into two groups based on who performed advance care planning, comparisons were made (univariate analysis) regarding attitudes towards advance care planning, willingness to perform advance care planning, subjective norms, sense of control in performing advance care planning, presence of and relationship with a family doctor, experience of seeing or using a ventilator, and degree of self-determination (Autonomy Preference Index) as well as sociodemographic data. In addition, a logistic regression analysis was performed using the factors with significant differences in the univariate analysis as independent variables and the existence of the implementation of advance care planning as a dependent variable. RESULTS: The group with advance care planning consisted of 106 participants (23.8%), and the group without advance care planning comprised 340 participants (76.2%). Through logistic regression analysis, age (odds ratio: 1.020), subjective norms (odds ratio: 3.276) and experience with mechanical ventilation (odds ratio: 1.997) were extracted as significant factors influencing advance care planning implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Advance care planning may be facilitated by providing support not only to the patients but also to their family members to be positively disposed towards advance care planning and by offering comprehensive education regarding using a ventilator.

A scoping review of cognitive assessment tools and domains for chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments in cancer survivors.

Backgrounds: Cancer survivors suffer from specific symptoms known as chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments (CICIs). CICIs are difficult to capture with existing assessments such as the brief screening test for dementia. Although recommended neuropsychological tests (NPTs) exist, international consensus and shared cognitive domains of assessment tools are unknown. The aim of this scoping review was as follows: (1) to identify studies that assess CICIs in cancer survivors; (2) to identify shared cognitive assessment tools and domains by mapping the domains reported in studies using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Methods: The study followed the recommendations made by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. We searched the following three databases through October 2021: PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science. Prospective longitudinal or cross-sectional studies were selected to determine CICI-specific assessment tools for adult cancer survivors. Results: Sixty-four prospective studies (36 longitudinal studies and 28 cross-sectional studies) were included after checking for eligibility. The NPTs were divided into seven main cognitive domains. The specific mental functions were often used in the order of memory, attention, higher-level cognitive functions, and psychomotor functions. Perceptual functions were used less frequently. In some ICF domains, shared NPTs were not clearly identified. In some different domains, the same NPTs were used, such as the trail making test and the verbal fluency test. When the association between the publishing year and the amount of NPT use was examined, it was found that the amount of tool use tended to decline over the publication years. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive function (FACT-Cog) was a shared consensus tool among the patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Conclusion: Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments are currently gaining interest. Shared ICF domains such as memory and attention were identified for NPTs. There was a gap between the publicly recommended tools and the tools actually used in the studies. For PROs, a clearly shared tool, FACT-Cog, was identified. Mapping the domains reported in studies using the ICF can help in the process of reviewing consensus on which NPTs may be used to target cognitive domains. Systematic review registration: https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000053710, identifier UMIN000047104.

Discrepancies between Self- and Clinical Staff Members' Perception of Cognitive Functioning among Patients with Schizophrenia Undergoing Long-Term Hospitalization.

In Japan, long-term hospitalization of patients with schizophrenia is still prevalent, even though the focus of psychiatric care is shifting from hospitals to the community. Difficulties in discharge planning often arise because clinical staff members' functional assessment differs from that of patients' self-assessment. Therefore, we attempted to identify characteristics related to these perceptual differences to promote the development of more effective approaches toward the discharge and societal reintegration of patients with schizophrenia undergoing prolonged hospitalization. Forty-eight long-term inpatients (23 men and 25 women with a mean age of 60.72 years) with schizophrenia were examined using the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale Japanese version (SCoRS-J), Life Skills Profile (LSP), and Profile of Mood States- (POMS-) Brief Form. Differences between patients' self-ratings and clinical staff members' ratings on the SCoRS-J were used to divide patients into overestimators, underestimators, and accurate raters. These groups were then comparatively analyzed. Accordingly, overestimators displayed significantly severe cognitive dysfunction on the SCoRS-J objective ratings (p = .001) and significantly less difficulty on the SCoRS-J subjective ratings (p = .002) as compared to underestimators. Overestimators also scored significantly lower on the communication (p = .012) and responsibility (p = .021) LSP subscales compared to underestimators, and the total LSP score for overestimators was significantly lower compared to accurate raters (p = .036) and underestimators (p = .009). However, underestimators displayed significantly higher confusion on the titular POMS subscale than did overestimators (p = .021). These findings indicate that, among the three groups, overestimators scored lowest for objectively rated functioning. In contrast, underestimators attained the highest functioning; however, they were also confused. Clinical staff should examine how patients' self-perceptions deviate from the perceptions of staff and implement an appropriate approach considering the patient characteristics revealed from the results of this study.

Assessment of degree of satisfaction of cancer patients and their families with rehabilitation and factors associated with it--results of a Japanese population.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation from the standpoint of both cancer patients and their families and their degree of satisfaction with it and to assess factors associated with their degree of satisfaction. METHOD: The subjects were 23 inpatients for whom rehabilitation had been prescribed during the period of the survey, and their families. Degree of satisfaction with rehabilitation and associated factors were assessed using questionnaires by both patients and their families twice: Before and 2 weeks after the start of rehabilitation. RESULTS: The mean scores for degree of patient satisfaction and degree of family satisfaction were 8.6 and 7.7 (0-10), respectively. Awareness of rehabilitation (after rehabilitation), willingness for rehabilitation (before and after rehabilitation), emotional state (before and after), effectiveness of rehabilitation, and communication with staff were significantly correlated with degree of patient satisfaction. Emotional state of the patient (before), change in emotional state of the patient, family awareness of rehabilitation (after), change in emotional state of the family, and communication with staff were significantly correlated with degree of family satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that both the cancer patients and their families were satisfied with rehabilitation. They also suggested a need to understand and provide care for the emotional state of patients and their families in order to increase their degree of satisfaction, and a need for adequate explanation and active involvement to increase awareness and willingness in regard to rehabilitation.

Reliability and validity of the Japanese-language version of the physical performance test (PPT) battery in chronic pain patients.

PURPOSE: To prepare a Japanese-language version of the Physical Performance Test (PPT) Battery and assess its reliability and validity. METHOD: Activity limitations by pain were evaluated by means of the Japanese-language version of the PPT Battery in 82 patients with chronic pain in the limbs and trunk. Two self-report questionnaires, one related to sensory evaluation of pain, and the other related to affective evaluation of pain, and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), which evaluates activities of daily living, were simultaneously administered to the subjects. RESULTS: The results for reliability showed that the ICC values for inter-rater reliability and intra-rater reliability were 0.91 or more for every item. The results for validity showed significant associations between the scores for all of the items on the Japanese-language version of the PPT Battery and the total scores on the FIM (p < 0.01). Significant associations were found between 5 of the 8 items on the Japanese-language version of the PPT Battery and affective state due to the pain. CONCLUSIONS: The Japanese-language version of the PPT Battery was shown to possess adequate reliability and validity as a scale for evaluating the activity limitations of patients with chronic limb or trunk pain. The results also suggested that it might be possible to improve the activity limitations of patients with chronic pain by improving their affective state in response to the pain.

Study on factors associated with changes in quality of life of demented elderly persons in group homes.

The purpose of the present study was to attempt to identify changes in quality of life (QOL) and factors associated with them shortly after demented elderly residents entered a group home. The subjects were 25 demented elderly persons who had entered a group home within the previous 3 months. Their QOL and factors associated with it were evaluated on two occasions, at baseline and 3 months later. An objective scale for dementia, the Quality of Life Questionnaire for Dementia (QOL-D), was used to evaluate their QOL. The results showed a significant change between the QOL-D scores at baseline and 3 months later, and changes in housekeeping item scores were extracted as factors associated with changes in QOL-D. These findings suggest that the QOL score rises soon after entering a group home, and that the acquisition of roles within the group home may influence the increase in QOL.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a group intervention approach for nurses exposed to violent speech or violence caused by patients: a randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a group intervention approach aimed at improving the mental health of psychiatric nurses exposed to violent speech/violence. Sixty-two nurses having experienced serious episodes of violent speech/violence were enrolled in this study. A group intervention approach was used in the intervention group. For both the intervention and the control groups, evaluations were conducted at three time points. Evaluations were conducted using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and Profile of Mood States (POMS). The results showed that changes in the flashback, hyper-arousal, avoidance behavior, and total scores on the IES-R and anxiety and depression scores on the POMS differed significantly between the two groups. These results suggest that a group intervention approach can lessen the psychological burden of nurses exposed to violence and reduce their mental stress.

Psychological impact of verbal abuse and violence by patients on nurses working in psychiatric departments.

The aim of this study was to assess the psychological impact of verbal abuse or violence by patients on nurses working in psychiatry departments and to identify factors related to their impact. Survey sheets were distributed to a total of 266 nurses working at two hospitals, and replies were obtained from 232 of them. Because three of them had less than 1 month of experience working in the psychiatry department and four of them failed to answer all the questions, valid replies were obtained from 225 nurses. Among the 225 whose replies were valid, 141 nurses who replied that they had experienced verbal abuse or violence that left an impression on them remained as the subjects of the final analysis. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used to evaluate psychological impact. Of the nurses who had been exposed to verbal abuse or violence that left an impression, 21% had scores that exceeded the IES-R cut-off point (24/25), and low satisfaction with family support, and neuroticism on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised were shown to have contributed to the psychological impact. Nurses working in psychiatry departments were shown to experience a severe psychological impact when exposed to verbal abuse or violence. These results suggest the need for mental care approaches for nurses working in psychiatry departments.

Study on the social maturity, self-perception, and associated factors, including motor coordination, of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

This study was designed to identify characteristics of social maturity and self-perception in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to elucidate associated factors, including motor coordination. The subjects were 15 children (14 boys and 1 girl, in elementary school grades 3 to 6). Their characteristics were assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC), the Japanese version of the Social Maturity Scale-R (S-M scale), and Harter's Self Perception Profile for Children (SPPC). The results of the study suggested that most of the subjects had some degree of motor problem and delay of social maturity. They also suggested an association between social maturity and static-dynamic balance, which was one of the indices of motor coordination.

Construction of a speed feedback therapy system to improve cognitive impairment in elderly people with dementia: a preliminary report.

The objective of this study was to construct a speed feedback therapy system with a bicycle ergometer for elderly people with dementia and to assess its feasibility. There were 17 elderly people with dementia in the experimental group and 10 in the control group. In the experimental group, we used the system we devised in this study together with an ordinary ergometer. The Mini-Mental State Examination was performed before and after the interventions to evaluate their effects. No adverse effects occurred during use of the system. No changes in Mini-Mental State Examination scores were observed in the control group, but they increased significantly after the interventions in the experimental group. These results suggest that the speed feedback therapy system can be used as an intervention method to improve cognitive impairment in elderly people with dementia.