ICU Patient Family Stress Recovery During Breaks in a Hospital Garden and Indoor Environments

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger S. Ulrich ◽  
Makayla Cordoza ◽  
Stuart K. Gardiner ◽  
Bette J. Manulik ◽  
Paul S. Fitzpatrick ◽  
...  

Objectives: Measure the immediate change in intensive care unit (ICU) family members’ state stress levels from the beginning to the end of a person’s visit to a hospital garden and compare the changes produced by the garden with those associated with spending time in indoor hospital environments intended for respite and relaxation. Background: No previous research has compared the efficacy of different physical environments as interventions to foster stress reduction in family members of ICU patients, a group of hospital visitors known to experience high levels of distress. Method: A convenience sample of 42 ICU patient family (from 42 different families) completed the Present Functioning Visual Analogue Scales (PFVAS) before and after each visit (128 total visits) to a garden, an atrium/café, or ICU waiting room. Results: Stress scores significantly declined (i.e., improved) from the start to the end of a break on all PFVAS subscales ( p < .0001) in both the garden and indoors locations. However, it is noteworthy that garden breaks resulted in significantly greater improvement in the “sadness” scale than breaks in indoor locations ( p = .03), and changes in all five other PFVAS scores showed somewhat more reduction of stress for breaks spent in the garden than indoors, although these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Creating an unlocked garden with abundant nature located close to an ICU can be an effective intervention for significantly mitigating state stress in family members of ICU patients and can be somewhat more effective than indoor areas expressly designed for family respite and relaxation.

Author(s):  
Julie Benbenishty ◽  
◽  
Dvora Kirshbaum Moriah ◽  
Chaya Harel ◽  
◽  
...  

Background: Family members of intensive care unit (ICU) patients are legitimate recipients of nursing care. There is a lack of interventional nursing strategies providing family support while in ICU. Objective: To demonstrate that a nurse led family support group is tool to fulfill family members’ needs. Methods: A prospective convenience sample of family members volunteering participation in nurse/social worker led support group. To validate the intervention on family members’ needs, The Critical Care Family needs Inventory was distributed to participants in support group. Results: 100 relatives participated in the study; Out of the 45 family needs, 21 needs were statistically significantly fulfilled by participation family support group intervention. The findings demonstrated that support group most significantly affected Support and Assurance categories.


2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianca Fiorentin MOURA ◽  
José Carlos Pettorossi IMPARATO ◽  
Thaís Manzano PARISOTTO ◽  
Monique DE BENEDETTO

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the emotional reactions before and after the application of a child audiovisual book that illustrates the trigger fear and anxiety points in the dental appointment. Moreover, the educational effect of this book as preconditioning to dental care was also verified. Methods: The study is a prospective pilot study conducted at the University of Western Santa Catarina with a convenience sample of 20 children aged 4-6 years old, with and without previous dental experience. All these children received the book and they were assessed before and after the presentation by responsible attendants. The projective test FIS (Facial Image Scale) was applied in 2 stages on the same day of assistance. Both tests were applied at the reception waiting room: before the child came into contact with the book in the dental clinic room and after the child came into contact with the playful instrument. Anamnesis and clinical examination were performed in the dental office by the dentist to start or continue the treatment. Results: The children were able to answer the projective test with self -analysis. The idealized audiovisual book was successfully constructed and used in the research. The comparison between FIS 1 and FIS 2 made with paired t-test showed significant improvements by comparing the results before the presentation of the playful instrument and after the use of it (p <0.0001), with no differences in childhood anxiety between genders and ages. Conclusion: The result of the conditioning technique using the book before the dental treatment was highly significant in reducing anxiety.


JMIR Cancer ◽  
10.2196/13217 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. e13217
Author(s):  
Ting Bao ◽  
Gary Deng ◽  
Lauren A DeMarzo ◽  
W Iris Zhi ◽  
Janice L DeRito ◽  
...  

Background Patients waiting for chemotherapy can experience stress, anxiety, nausea, and pain. Acupressure and meditation have been shown to control such symptoms. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of an integrative medicine app to educate patients about these self-care tools in chemotherapy waiting rooms. Methods We screened and enrolled cancer patients in chemotherapy waiting rooms at two Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center locations. Patients were randomly assigned into an intervention arm in which subjects watched acupressure and meditation instructional videos or a control arm in which they watched a time- and attention-matched integrative oncology lecture video. Before and after watching the videos, we asked the patients to rate four key symptoms: stress, anxiety, nausea, and pain. We performed the analysis of covariance to detect differences between the two arms postintervention while controlling for baseline symptoms. Results A total of 223 patients were enrolled in the study: 113 patients were enrolled in the intervention arm and 110 patients were enrolled in the control arm. In both groups, patients showed significant reductions in stress and anxiety from baseline (all P<.05), with the treatment arm reporting greater stress and anxiety reduction than the control arm (1.64 vs 1.15 in stress reduction; P=.01 and 1.39 vs 0.78 in anxiety reduction; P=.002). The majority of patients reported that the videos helped them pass time and that they would watch the videos again. Conclusions An integrative medicine self-care app in the waiting room improved patients’ experiences and reduced anxiety and stress. Future research could focus on expanding this platform to other settings to improve patients’ overall treatment experiences.


Author(s):  
Renate Cervinka ◽  
Markus Schwab ◽  
Daniela Haluza

Prior research shows that forests contribute to human health and well-being. In this sense, this cross-sectional case study, adopting the principles of citizen science, assessed the restorative potential of places in the Hallerwald, an Austrian community forest. A convenience sample of adult forest visitors (n = 99, 64% females) completed a survey during a guided 2.5 h forest tour. The German questionnaire assessed the qualities of defined places in the forest. We also investigated changes in mood states, perceived stress, restoration, connectedness, and mindfulness before and after visiting the forest. In cooperation with a local working group, we developed the new Widen One’s Mind (WOM) scale, which showed good scale characteristics. All places received high scores in their potential to increase restoration and vitality and to widen one’s mind. Positive affect, restoration, connectedness with nature and the forest, and mindfulness increased pre- versus post-visits, whereas negative affect and perceived stress decreased. The findings of this study suggest that in recreational forests, visitors experience beneficial mental effects such as stress reduction in addition to physical exercise. To facilitate regional development goals, we recommend evaluating places in forests regarding the potential effects on the health and well-being as well as citizen participation before initiating extensive remodeling.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 87-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Ellen Morris ◽  
Susan Block

87 Background: Feedback from bereaved families, including surveys of family members’ experiences during the patient’s illness and final days, can provide important insights into ways to improve the care of patients with advanced illness and their families. Methods: A convenience sample of 140 bereaved family members from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) completed a survey developed by the authors about their bereavement experiences. Families were asked to describe ways in which the clinical team was helpful in dealing with their loss; what they wished the clinical team had done prior to the death that would have helped in dealing with their loss; and actions taken by the team that were unhelpful or difficult for them in dealing with their loss. The Institutional Review Board at DFCI approved the study. Results: 67% of participants were female and 81% had lost a spouse or partner. The most common responses about ways in which the team was helpful in dealing with their loss included: showing compassion, sending condolence letters or making calls, and offering honest facts and information. Prior to the death of the patient, the most common response about what they wish the team had done was providing more realistic information about prognosis. When asked about actions that were unhelpful or difficult, only 24 responses were given with 50% of participants omitting this question and the remaining stating that there was nothing that the team did that was unhelpful. Of the 24 responses, the most common concerned a lack of contact or contact that was impersonal after the death. Conclusions: This survey demonstrated that families could provide input about ways clinicians can have a positive impact on the bereavement experience of families in caring for the patient before death. Compassion, accurate information, especially about prognosis, and contact with the clinician during early bereavement were highly valued by respondents. The most common unhelpful behavior identified was lack of personal contact following the death of the patient. Improved communication by the clinician, both before and after the patient’s death, has potential to improve the bereavement experience of family members.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Bao ◽  
Gary Deng ◽  
Lauren A DeMarzo ◽  
W Iris Zhi ◽  
Janice L DeRito ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Patients waiting for chemotherapy can experience stress, anxiety, nausea, and pain. Acupressure and meditation have been shown to control such symptoms. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of an integrative medicine app to educate patients about these self-care tools in chemotherapy waiting rooms. METHODS We screened and enrolled cancer patients in chemotherapy waiting rooms at two Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center locations. Patients were randomly assigned into an intervention arm in which subjects watched acupressure and meditation instructional videos or a control arm in which they watched a time- and attention-matched integrative oncology lecture video. Before and after watching the videos, we asked the patients to rate four key symptoms: stress, anxiety, nausea, and pain. We performed the analysis of covariance to detect differences between the two arms postintervention while controlling for baseline symptoms. RESULTS A total of 223 patients were enrolled in the study: 113 patients were enrolled in the intervention arm and 110 patients were enrolled in the control arm. In both groups, patients showed significant reductions in stress and anxiety from baseline (all <italic>P</italic>&lt;.05), with the treatment arm reporting greater stress and anxiety reduction than the control arm (1.64 vs 1.15 in stress reduction; <italic>P</italic>=.01 and 1.39 vs 0.78 in anxiety reduction; <italic>P</italic>=.002). The majority of patients reported that the videos helped them pass time and that they would watch the videos again. CONCLUSIONS An integrative medicine self-care app in the waiting room improved patients’ experiences and reduced anxiety and stress. Future research could focus on expanding this platform to other settings to improve patients’ overall treatment experiences.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuf Efendi ◽  
Errix Kristian Julianto

ABSTRAKDiera perkembangan jaman saat ini, beberapa keluarga dihadapkan dengan permasalahna tentang adanya angggota keluarga yeng mengaami gangguan jiwa, tak jarang keluarga tidak mengetahui bagaimana merawat angota keluarga dengan gangguan jiwa. Self help group pada keluarga dengan gangguan jiwa perlu dilakukan untuk membantu keluarga mengatasi permasalahannya yang diselesaikan bersama dalam kelompok. Manfaat yang didapatkan pada terapi ini adalah terdapatnya peningkatan pengetahuan keluarga tentang Skizofrenia. Peningkatan pengetahuan ini akan berdampak terhadap kemampuan keluarga dalam merawat klien Skizofrenia..Desain penelitian ini menggunakan desain pre eksperimental dengan rancangan one group pre-posttest design. Sampel pada penelitian ini adalah keluarga penderita Skizofrenia di PKU Jiwa Kalitidu yang berjumlah 32. . Data dikumpulkan menggunakan kuesioner kemudian dianalisis dengan menggunakan uji Wolcoxon sign dengan tingkat kemaknaan 0,05. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kondisi responden sebelum dan sesudah dilakukan intervensi dengan self help group pada kemampuan merawat dengan  nilai uji wilcoxon sebesar 0,001 yang berarti ada pengaruh dari intervensi self help group dengan merawat keluarga dengan gangguan jiwa. Kata Kunci       : Self Help Group, Kemampuan Merawat, Skizofrenia   ABSTRACT. In the current era of development, some families are faced with problems about family members who suffer from mental disorders, often families do not know how to care for family members with mental disorders. Self help groups for families with mental disorders need to be done to help families overcome the problems that are solved together in a group. The benefit of this therapy is that there is an increase in family knowledge about Schizophrenia. This increase in knowledge will have an impact on the ability of families to care for Schizophrenia clients.The design of this study used a pre-experimental design with one group pre-posttest design. The sample in this study was the families of Schizophrenics in  Kalitidu public helath centre, amounting to 32.. Data were collected using a questionnaire and then analyzed using the Wolcoxon sign test with a significance level of 0.05.The results showed that the condition of the respondents before and after the intervention with self help group on the ability to care for Wilcoxon test value of 0.001, which means there is an influence of self help group intervention by caring for families with mental disorders. Keywords: Self Help Group, Caring Ability, Schizophrenia


Critical Care ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siew Tzuh Tang ◽  
Chung-Chi Huang ◽  
Tsung-Hui Hu ◽  
Wen-Chi Chou ◽  
Li-Pang Chuang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background/Objective Death in intensive care units (ICUs) may increase bereaved family members’ risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, posttraumatic stress-related symptoms (hereafter as PTSD symptoms) and their precipitating factors were seldom examined among bereaved family members and primarily focused on associations between PTSD symptoms and patient/family characteristics. We aimed to investigate the course and predictors of clinically significant PTSD symptoms among family members of deceased ICU patients by focusing on modifiable quality indicators for end-of-life ICU care. Method In this longitudinal observational study, 319 family members of deceased ICU patients were consecutively recruited from medical ICUs from two Taiwanese medical centers. PTSD symptoms were assessed at 1, 3, 6, and 13 months post-loss using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Family satisfaction with end-of-life care in ICUs was assessed at 1 month post-loss. End-of-life care received in ICUs was documented over the patient’s ICU stay. Predictors for developing clinically significant PTSD symptoms (IES-R score ≥ 33) were identified by multivariate logistic regression with generalized estimating equation modeling. Results The prevalence of clinically significant PTSD symptoms decreased significantly over time (from 11.0% at 1 month to 1.6% at 13 months post-loss). Longer ICU stays (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.036 [1.006, 1.066]), financial insufficiency (3.166 [1.159, 8.647]), and reported use of pain medications (3.408 [1.230, 9.441]) by family members were associated with a higher likelihood of clinically significant PTSD symptoms among family members during bereavement. Stronger perceived social support (0.937 [0.911, 0.965]) and having a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order issued before the patient’s death (0.073 [0.011, 0.490]) were associated with a lower likelihood of clinically significant PTSD symptoms. No significant association was observed for family members’ satisfaction with end-of-life care (0.988 [0.944, 1.034]) or decision-making in ICUs (0.980 [0.944, 1.018]). Conclusions The likelihood of clinically significant PTSD symptoms among family members decreased significantly over the first bereavement year and was lower when a DNR order was issued before death. Enhancing social support and facilitating a DNR order may reduce the trauma of ICU death of a beloved for family members at risk for developing clinically significant PTSD symptoms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Y. Song ◽  
H. Chun

AbstractVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) are secondary pollutant precursors having adverse impacts on the environment and human health. Although VOC emissions, their sources, and impacts have been investigated, the focus has been on large-scale industrial sources or indoor environments; studies on relatively small-scale enterprises (e.g., auto-repair workshops) are lacking. Here, we performed field VOC measurements for an auto-repair painting facility in Korea and analyzed the characteristics of VOCs emitted from the main painting workshop (top coat). The total VOC concentration was 5069–8058 ppb, and 24–35 species were detected. The VOCs were mainly identified as butyl acetate, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene compounds. VOC characteristics differed depending on the paint type. Butyl acetate had the highest concentration in both water- and oil-based paints; however, its concentration and proportion were higher in the former (3256 ppb, 65.5%) than in the latter (2449 ppb, 31.1%). Comparing VOC concentration before and after passing through adsorption systems, concentrations of most VOCs were lower at the outlets than the inlets of the adsorption systems, but were found to be high at the outlets in some workshops. These results provide a theoretical basis for developing effective VOC control systems and managing VOC emissions from auto-repair painting workshops.


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