Psychological impact of Covid-19 pandemic on oncological patients: A survey in Northern Italy

The psychological impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on cancer patients, a population at higher risk of fatal consequences if infected, has been only rarely evaluated. This study was conducted at the Departments of Oncology of four hospitals located in the Verona area in Italy to investigate the psychological consequences of the pandemic on cancer patients under active anticancer treatments. A 13-item ad hoc questionnaire to evaluate the psychological status of patients before and during the pandemic was administered to 474 consecutive subjects in the time frame between April 27th and June 7th 2020. Among the 13 questions, 7 were considered appropriate to elaborate an Emotional Vulnerability Index (EVI) that allows to separate the population in two groups (low versus high emotional vulnerability) according to observed median values. During the emergency period, the feeling of high vulnerability was found in 246 patients (53%) and was significantly associated with the following clinical variables: female gender, being under chemotherapy treatment, age ≤ 65 years. Compared to the pre-pandemic phase, the feeling of vulnerability was increased in 41 patients (9%), remained stably high in 196 (42%) and, surprisingly, was reduced in 10 patients (2%). Overall, in a population characterized by an high level of emotional vulnerability the pandemic had a marginal impact and only a small proportion of patients reported an increase of their emotional vulnerability.

Download Full-text

Clinical and Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Infection in Adult Patients with Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders during the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9062011 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 2011 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Edoardo Vincenzo Savarino ◽

Paola Iovino ◽

Antonella Santonicola ◽

Matteo Ghisa ◽

Giorgio Laserra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ad Hoc ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Clinical Information ◽

Female Gender ◽

Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽

University Hospital ◽

Telemedicine Service ◽

Web Based ◽

Gastrointestinal Conditions ◽

The University

Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) are chronic gastrointestinal conditions requiring corticosteroid and immunosuppressive therapy for disease control. Patients with EGIDs usually report impaired quality of life. We aimed to report the clinical and psychological impact of COVID-19 infection in EGID patients. In this prospective web-based study we invited all consecutive EGID patients attending the University Hospital of Salerno (Campania) and Padua (Veneto) to fill an ad hoc COVID-19 survey. Moreover, a telemedicine service for direct consultation was organized. Data regarding the occurrence and perception of COVID-19 infection as well as clinical information were recorded. The study population included 102 EGID patients (mean age 36.6 years, 34 females), of whom 89 had eosinophilic esophagitis, nine had gastroenteritis, and four had colitis. No patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 or had recurrence of his/her primary disease. All of them were adherent to therapy and preventive measures adoption. Most patients were worried because of COVID-19 and social preventing measures but did not consider themselves at major risk or susceptible to COVID-19 or other infections due to their chronic condition or therapy. Female gender and low education level were associated to a higher psychological perception of COVID-19 compared to lockdown status or other demographic and clinical factors (p < 0.05). Overall, COVID-19 had a limited clinical impact on patients with EGIDs. The degree of education and sex, but not the fact of living in a lockdown area, influenced the perception of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Download Full-text

Prevalence and predictors of psychopathology in the war-afflicted Syrian population

Transcultural Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1363461520937931 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 136346152093793

Author(s):

Pirko Selmo ◽

Christine Knaevelsrud ◽

Nabil Mohamad ◽

Jürgen Rehm

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Political Violence ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Female Gender ◽

Daily Stressors ◽

Potentially Traumatic Events ◽

High Level

Research on the psychological impact of war on affected populations is important for the planning and provision of interventions. However, most studies that address the effects of political violence have been restricted to Western countries, and even after six years of civil war in Syria, there has been no study addressing its psychological impact on the general population. The present study used an online survey to examine the level of psychological symptoms and correlates of distress in a sample of 387 subjects from different areas of Syria. We used t-tests to compare symptoms across zones with different levels of war activity, and multiple regression models to identify predictors of distress. Results indicate a high level of psychological distress indicative of psychopathology in all regions across the country. Rates were higher in areas with more intensive exposure (‘hot’ zones). Greater symptom severity was associated with living in a hot zone, female gender, older age, the number of potentially traumatic events, daily stressors, and (low) perceived feeling of safety; whereas social support, religiosity, and religious coping were associated with lower levels of symptoms. The elevated levels of mental health problems and direct relation between the level of exposure to violence and poorer mental health point to the need for mental health services. Reducing daily stressors and ensuring safety could contribute significantly to better mental health, although this does not replace the need for evidence-based psychotherapy. The planning and delivery of psychological interventions by NGOs should be informed by issues related to stigma, lack of understanding and acceptance of psychological care.

Download Full-text

Psychological impact of covid19 on out-of-hospital emergency services

Ehquidad Revista Internacional de Políticas de Bienestar y Trabajo Social ◽

10.15257/ehquidad.2022.0001 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 11-46

Author(s):

Lucía Cardona ◽

◽

Desirée Camus ◽

Aroa Pons ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Emergency Services ◽

Postgraduate Training ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Psychological Help ◽

Psychological Resources ◽

Psychological Consequences ◽

Hospital Emergency ◽

Psychological Challenge

This article focuses on how the COVID-19 pandemic affects Emergency Medical Assistant’s (EMA) mental health. In addition, it aims to define which psychological consequences it entails and if they have received postgraduate training on how to face the pandemic by the Health System or organizations that depend on it. This is a qualitative exploratory study of a phenomenological type where a semi- structured ad-hoc interview has been used for data collection, answered by EMA. The results show the psychological impact that COVID-19 has had on the work and personal life of these workers, the lack of psychological resources and the multiple psychological consequences developed as a result of the neglect of their mental health. EMA reaffirm the psychological challenge the COVID-19 pandemic means, creating situation of greater stress and anxiety than implied internal impediments for the job, family and friends. Therefore, they express the necessity for psychological support, being able to develop a diversity of psychological help resources that allow EMA to release the pychological oppression caused by the added stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download Full-text

Breaking the rule of nondirectiveness: the psychological impact of early identification of breast cancer patients at risk for hereditary breast cancer

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e536932011-073 ◽

2002 ◽

Author(s):

K. J. Schlich-Bakker ◽

F. J. M. Grosfeld ◽

H. F. J. Kroode ◽

C. C. Warlam-Rodenhuis ◽

M. G. E. M. Ausems ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

At Risk ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Early Identification ◽

Hereditary Breast Cancer ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Patients At Risk

Download Full-text

Exploring Modes, Strategies, and Psychosocial Consequences of Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimization Among University Students

Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research ◽

10.33824/pjpr.2019.34.4.43 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 787-817 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hira Kanwal ◽

Humaira Jami

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Social Networking Sites ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Social Consequences ◽

Cyber Victimization ◽

Psychological Consequences ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Psychosocial Consequences ◽

Interview Guide ◽

Depth Interviews

The purpose of the study was to explore modes, strategies, and consequences of cyberbullying perpetration and victimization among university students. In-depth interviews of 14 volunteer university students (8 male and 6 female) were conducted who volunteered to participate in the study in which 10 participants were “cybervictims” whereas 4 were “cyberbully-victim”. Interview guide was used for conducting unstructured interviews. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed different experiences in cyberspace with respect to gender and role (cybervictim and cyberbully-victim) in experiencing cyberbullying and cyber-victimization. Three themes emerged that is psychological consequences (emotional, behavioral, and cognitive), social consequences (family and peers), and change in lifestyle (online, offline, and academic). Facebook was found to be the most prevalent mode of cyberbullying. The cyberbully-victim participants derived more happiness while bullying and had revengeful attitude; whereas, cybervictims experienced more depression, increased family surveillance, social isolation, and became aware of negative consequences of social networking sites, became more vigilant and conscious in cyberspace. Moreover, the consequences reported by cyberbully-victim were distrust on security settings, low academic achievement, and their peers learnt from their cyberspace experience. Perception of cyber-victimization was different across gender and its psychological impact was more pronounced for girls than boys. The results and implications were discussed in Pakistani context.

Download Full-text

Psychological Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disease on Cancer Patients

Coronaviruses ◽

10.2174/2666796701999210101151035 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 01 ◽

Author(s):

Gaurav Dhiman

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

High Expression of KLF10 Is Associated with Favorable Survival in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina57010017 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 17

Author(s):

Chung-Min Yeh ◽

Yi-Ju Lee ◽

Po-Yun Ko ◽

Yueh-Min Lin ◽

Wen-Wei Sung

Keyword(s):

Survival Rate ◽

Oral Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Female Gender ◽

Vital Role ◽

Cancer Stage ◽

Independent Prognostic Marker ◽

Oral Cancer Patients ◽

The Impact

Background and objectives: Krüppel-like transcription factor 10 (KLF10) plays a vital role in regulating cell proliferation, including the anti-proliferative process, activation of apoptosis, and differentiation control. KLF10 may also act as a protective factor against oral cancer. We studied the impact of KLF10 expression on the clinical outcomes of oral cancer patients to identify its role as a prognostic factor in oral cancer. Materials and Methods: KLF10 immunoreactivity was analyzed by immunohistochemical (IHC) stain analysis in 286 cancer specimens from primary oral cancer patients. The prognostic value of KLF10 on overall survival was determined by Kaplan–Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: High KLF10 expression was significantly associated with male gender and betel quid chewing. The 5-year survival rate was greater for patients with high KLF10 expression than for those with low KLF10 expression (62.5% vs. 51.3%, respectively; p = 0.005), and multivariate analyses showed that high KLF10 expression was the only independent factor correlated with greater overall patient survival. The significant correlation between high KLF10 expression and a higher 5-year survival rate was observed in certain subgroups of clinical parameters, including female gender, non-smokers, cancer stage T1, and cancer stage N0. Conclusions: KLF10 expression, detected by IHC staining, could be an independent prognostic marker for oral cancer patients.

Download Full-text

Psychological impact and implementation of preventative measures in hemodialysis centers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a provincial questionnaire survey in China

International Urology and Nephrology ◽

10.1007/s11255-021-02875-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yuanhan Chen ◽

Yanhua Wu ◽

Penghua Hu ◽

Xia Fu ◽

Shuangxin Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Questionnaire Survey ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Guangdong Province ◽

Psychological Status ◽

Staff Members ◽

Preventative Measures ◽

Tertiary Hospitals ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Abstract Objectives This study investigated the psychological status of patients and staff, and the implementation of preventative measures in hemodialysis centers in Guangdong province, China, during the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods An electronic questionnaire survey was carried out anonymously between March 28 and April 3, 2020. All of the 516 hemodialysis centers registered in Guangdong province were invited to participate in the survey. The questionnaires were designed to investigate the psychological status of hemodialysis patients and general staff members (doctors, nurses, technicians, and other staff), and to address the implementation of preventative measures for administrators (directors or head nurses) of the hemodialysis centers. Results A total of 1782 patients, 3400 staff, and 420 administrators voluntarily participated in this survey. Patients living in rural areas reported a higher incidence of severe anxiety compared to those living in other areas (in rural areas, towns, and cities, the incidence rate was 17.0%, 9.0%, and 8.9%, respectively, P < 0.001). Medical staff were less likely to worry about being infected than non-medical staff (13.1% vs 30.3%, respectively, P < 0.001). With respect to the implementation of preventative measures, hemodialysis centers in general hospitals outperformed stand-alone blood purification centers, while tertiary hospitals outperformed hospitals of other levels. However, restrictions regarding the admission of non-resident patients were lower in tertiary hospitals than in other hospitals. In this situation, only one patient imported from Hubei province was diagnosed with COVID-19. Conclusions COVID-19 did not significantly affect the psychological status of most patients and medical staff members. Due to the implementation of comprehensive preventative measures, there were no cluster outbreaks of COVID-19 in hemodialysis centers. This provincial-level survey may provide referential guidance for other countries and regions that are experiencing a similar pandemic.

Download Full-text

The Problems and Needs of Patients Diagnosed with Cancer and Their Caregivers

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18010087 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 87

Author(s):

Anna Lewandowska ◽

Grzegorz Rudzki ◽

Tomasz Lewandowski ◽

Sławomir Rudzki

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Medical Information ◽

Unmet Needs ◽

Public Healthcare ◽

Literature Analysis ◽

The Public ◽

The Mean ◽

High Level ◽

Patients Experience

(1) Background: As the literature analysis shows, cancer patients experience a variety of different needs. Each patient reacts differently to the hardships of the illness. Assessment of needs allows providing more effective support, relevant to every person’s individual experience, and is necessary for setting priorities for resource allocation, for planning and conducting holistic care, i.e., care designed to improve a patient’s quality of life in a significant way. (2) Patients and Methods: A population survey was conducted between 2018 and 2020. Cancer patients, as well as their caregivers, received an invitation to take part in the research, so their problems and needs could be assessed. (3) Results: The study involved 800 patients, 78% women and 22% men. 66% of the subjects were village residents, while 34%—city residents. The mean age of patients was 62 years, SD = 11.8. The patients received proper treatment within the public healthcare. The surveyed group of caregivers was 88% women and 12% men, 36% village residents and 64% city residents. Subjects were averagely 57 years old, SD 7.8. At the time of diagnosis, the subjects most often felt anxiety, despair, depression, feelings of helplessness (46%, 95% CI: 40–48). During illness and treatment, the subjects most often felt fatigued (79%, 95% CI: 70–80). Analysis of needs showed that 93% (95% CI: 89–97) of patients experienced a certain level of need for help in one or more aspects. (4) Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with cancer have a high level of unmet needs, especially in terms of psychological support and medical information. Their caregivers also experience needs and concerns regarding the disease. Caregivers should be made aware of the health consequences of cancer and consider appropriate supportive care for their loved ones.

Download Full-text

Psychological Consequences of the Delay in the Silent Mentor Programme During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives From Family Members of Silent Mentors

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying ◽

10.1177/00302228211000952 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003022282110009

Author(s):

Li Ping Wong ◽

Sik Loo Tan ◽

Haridah Alias ◽

Thiam Eng Sia ◽

Aik Saw

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Family Members ◽

Well Being ◽

The Body ◽

Functional Health ◽

Psychological Consequences ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Health And Well Being

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a hold on the Silent Mentor Programme (SMP); this pause has not only caused unprecedented challenges for the delivery of medical education but has forced changes in the programme ceremony sessions. We aimed to describe the psychological impact and experiences of family members of silent mentors during the COVID-19 pandemic using qualitative interviews. Many expressed feelings of remorse and unrest about the unprecedented delay of the SMP. The delay increased negative emotions particularly among some elderly family members; however, there was no prominent negative effect on their functional health and well-being. Several participants relayed the belief that the soul cannot rest until the body receives a proper burial while some worried about the deterioration of the physical condition of the mentors. In conclusion, findings provide insights into the importance of not overlooking the mental health implications of delaying the SMP in future outbreaks or crises.

Download Full-text