Pain experience and social support of endometriosis patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany – results of a web-based cross-sectional survey

Background Endometriosis is a chronic pain condition in premenopausal women. Pain is mainly characterized by pain intensity and may induce disability in all areas of daily life. Nevertheless, pain is influenced by emotional and social factors as well. Social distancing measures or quarantine, as reaction to rapidly rising infections with the COVID-19 virus due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, were implemented across Europe to prevent the spread of the virus and social distancing measures were imposed by the German government by beginning of March 2020 with initiation of the lockdown by the end of March 2020. The objective of this study was to assess, how social distancing measures during the lockdown impacted the various aspects of pain perception in a group of chronic pain patients, such as women suffering from endometriosis. Methods Between 6th to 27th April 2020, an online questionnaire was activated at internet platforms of endometriosis patients support groups. Participants were asked retrospectively at one time point about their visual pain intensity measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS) and pain disability via pain disability index (PDI) prior to initiation of social distancing measures in Germany (VASP, PDIP), as well as the pain intensity and pain disability since implementation of social distancing measures (VASI, PDII). Differences of VAS and PDI previous and after implementation of social distancing measures were displayed as ΔVAS and ΔPDI. Pain experience and social support were assessed by a 5-point Likert scale. Results 285 participants completed at least one question regarding pain intensity, disability, pain experience or social support. Dysmenorrhea, the symptom with the highest level of pain assessed by VAS, decreased significantly during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic compared to the time period prior to social isolation (45.30% respondents experienced improvemenet vs 40.50% who experienced worsening; p = 0.025). The global physical impairment improved significantly (improvement of pain induced disability in 48.20% vs 40.90% with worsening of pain symptoms; p = 0.032) after the implementation of social distancing measures. Pain experience was negatively affected by social distancing measures, since frequency of pain awareness increased in 43.6% (p<0.001) of participants and 30.0% (p<0.001) more participants experienced pain as a threat. Verbalization of pain experience was reduced in 36.6% (p = 0.001) of participants and 14.6% (p = 0.91), 21.9% (p<0.001) and 31.5% (p<0.001) of participants reported less social support from their partner, family and friends. Conclusions Physical pain and disability on one hand and emotional and social pain experience on the other were differentially affected by the emerged emotional, social and health care constraints related to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

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Participants with chronic pain do not perceive diet as a contributing factor to their pain: a survey-based study

Pain Management ◽

10.2217/pmt-2019-0062 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 195-204

Author(s):

Rowena J Field ◽

Fereshteh Pourkazemi ◽

Kieron B Rooney

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Pain Perception ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Anthropometric Measures ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Pain Experience ◽

Habitual Diet

Aim: To explore the reported diet of Australians with chronic pain and their perceived role of food within their pain experience. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 50 participants reporting chronic pain was undertaken using pain and nutritional questionnaires as well as anthropometric measures. Results: Participants rated their diet between ‘good’ and ‘excellent' (76%) and one that promoted well-being (62%), however 74% were overweight or obese (average BMI 30) with multiple co-morbidities. There was no correlation between measures of dietary adherence and knowledge with reported pain. Conclusion: Participants generally reported their diets to be good, however, this was not reflected in their habitual diet. There was a low perceived role of food altering pain perception.

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Borderline Personality Symptoms: What Not to Be Overlooked when Approaching Suicidal Ideation among University Students

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9101399 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 1399

Author(s):

Nahathai Wongpakaran ◽

Awirut Oon-Arom ◽

Nuntaporn Karawekpanyawong ◽

Trustsavin Lohanan ◽

Thanakorn Leesawat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

University Students ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional

Suicidal ideation is a serious condition antecedent to suicidal attempts and is highly related not only to depression but also other psychosocial factors. This study aimed to examine the predictive effects of these potential factors for suicidal ideation among young adult university students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of university students in Thailand. An online questionnaire employed the perceived stress scale-10 (PSS-10), the patient health questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS), and a screening instrument for borderline personality disorder. An ordinal regression analysis was applied to determine the predictive effects of the independent variables. Of 336 students, the mean age was 20.26 ± 1.3 years, 80.4% of whom were female; 14.3% had suicidal ideation. The significant predictors of suicidal thoughts were perceived stress (AOR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.22); depressive symptoms (AOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.22); borderline personality symptoms (AOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.40); and perceived social support (AOR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.00). Not only did depressive symptoms contribute to suicidal ideation but they also constituted important variables. Therefore, they should be included in intervention plans to prevent suicidality among university students.

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Perceived Social support and compliance with stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 outbreak: Evidence from Iran

10.21203/rs.3.rs-48105/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Toktam Paykani ◽

Geregory D. Zimet ◽

Reza Esmaeili ◽

Amir Reza khajedaluee ◽

Mohammad Khajedaluee

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

Socio Demographic Factors ◽

Iranian Students ◽

At Home

Abstract Background Strong evidence demonstrates that social support plays a key role in facilitating preventive health behaviors. The major aim of the current study was to assess the effects of perceived social support on compliance with stay-at-home advice in response to a COVID-19 outbreak during the Persian New Year (Nowruz) holydays, since Nowruz holidays of 2020 coincided with the peak of the coronavirus epidemic in Iran. Methods This cross-sectional survey was carried out based on phone interviews of 1073 adults aged over 18 years from 4 to 12 April 2020 in Mashhad, Khorasan-Razavi Province, as the second largest city of Iran. A systematic random sampling was carried out using fixed phone number lists provided by Telecommunication Company of Khorasan-Razavi Province. Phone interviews were carried out by four trained interviewers from the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) at various times of the day. The survey included sociodemographic questions, perceived social support scale (MSPSS) and questions about self-isolation. Statistical analysis included Chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis and multivariate logistic regression. Results 20.5% of participants reported poor compliance with self-isolation during the first two weeks of Nowruz. Clear social gradients were not found in people’s compliance with self-isolation. When controlling socio-demographic factors, perceived social support, interestingly, both fostered and hindered personal compliance with self-isolation, depending on the source of support from family members (OR = .875, 95% CI = .800, .957, p < .005), friends (OR = 1.147, 95% CI = 1.073, 1.223, p < .001) and a significant other person (OR = .916, 95% CI = .833, 1.007, p = .069). Conclusions Public health messaging may need to emphasize the role that friends and families can play in helping to protect those in their friendship/family groups by promoting compliance with social distancing. Further in-depth studies are recommended to evaluate how this kind of messaging can most effectively encourage people to engage in social distancing practices.

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The impact of Saudi lockdown to counter COVID-19

International Journal of ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES ◽

10.21833/ijaas.2021.03.011 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 78-87

Author(s):

Khaleel I. Alyahya ◽

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Survey Design ◽

Age Groups ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Almost All ◽

The Impact

The study aimed to assess the impact of awareness of citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia toward the home isolation and social distancing during lockdown that might decrease the outbreak of COVID-19, to measure the importance of social behavior to maintain the constant decline of COVID-19 cases and to determine if there is a difference in the level of awareness and behavior between citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia toward the governmental measures during the pandemic. We have adopted a cross-sectional survey design to investigate the impact of Saudi lockdown on blockade COVID-19 by using an anonymous online questionnaire. The targeted population of the study was Saudi citizens and non-Saudi residents of different ages. The collected data were entered into Microsoft Excel (version 2011) and analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23. The Chi-square test with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to examine significant associations between the socio-demographic characteristic of participants, their awareness, and their behavior towards the COVOD-19 pandemic. AP value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The total number of the current study participants was 1168. The majority (70.50%) were married males with children (73.50%). Three-quarters of the participants were equally distributed between the age groups of 30-39, 40-49, and 50-59 years old. Almost all (90.90%) of the participants have received higher education, 73.60% living in the central region, and in large and crowded cities (75.30%). More than half (58.50%) of the Saudi respondents know about the coronavirus from media sources, while for the non-Saudis, 54.50% are well informed regarding the virus. The results of the current study revealed that the majority of the population in the country believe in home isolation and social distancing for the COVID-19 blockade. Additionally, they also consider non-compliance to these measures as one the main factor for the disease outbreak. Most of the participants were committed to home isolation, social distancing, and personal protective measures including wearing masks, gloves, and avoiding face contact.

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Perceived social support and compliance with stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 outbreak: evidence from Iran

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-09759-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Toktam Paykani ◽

Gregory D. Zimet ◽

Reza Esmaeili ◽

Amir Reza Khajedaluee ◽

Mohammad Khajedaluee

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

Socio Demographic Factors ◽

Iranian Students ◽

At Home

Abstract Background Strong evidence demonstrates that social support plays a key role in facilitating preventive health behaviors. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects of perceived social support on compliance with stay-at-home orders in response to a COVID-19 outbreak during the Persian New Year (Nowruz) holydays, since Nowruz holidays of 2020 coincided with the peak of the coronavirus epidemic in Iran. Methods This cross-sectional survey was carried out based on phone interviews of 1073 adults aged over 18 years from 4 to 12 April 2020 in Mashhad, Khorasan-Razavi Province, as the second largest city of Iran. A systematic random sampling was carried out using fixed phone number lists provided by Telecommunication Company of Khorasan-Razavi Province. Phone interviews were carried out by trained interviewers from the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) at various times of the day. The survey included sociodemographic questions, perceived social support scale (MSPSS) and questions about self-isolation during the Nowruz holiday. Statistical analysis included Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test and multivariate logistic regression. Results 20.5% of participants reported poor compliance with stay at home orders during the first 2 weeks of Nowruz. Clear social gradients were not found in stay-at-home compliance. When controlling socio-demographic factors, perceived social support, interestingly, both fostered and hindered people’s compliance with stay at home orders, depending on the source of support from family members (OR = .874, 95% CI = .803, .950, p < .005), friends (OR = 1.147, 95% CI = 1.076, 1.222, p < .001) and a significant other person (OR = .926, 95% CI = .849, 1.010, p = .084). Conclusions Public health messaging may need to emphasize the role that friends and families can play in helping to protect those in their friendship/family groups by promoting compliance with social distancing. Further in-depth studies are recommended to evaluate how this kind of messaging can most effectively encourage people to engage in social distancing practices.

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REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF IASP – PAIN 162 (2021): 619–629: Cross-sectional study of psychosocial and pain-related variables among patients with chronic pain during a time of social distancing imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Ból ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0014.8194 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 25-40

Author(s):

Valerie Hruschak ◽

K. Mikayla Flowers ◽

Desiree R. Azizoddin ◽

Robert N. Jamison ◽

Robert R. Edwards ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Pain Catastrophizing ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Pain Severity ◽

Pain Interference ◽

Survey Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Female Sex

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact, including on individuals with chronic pain. The social distancing policies necessary to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 have involved increased levels of social isolation. This cross-sectional survey study examined pain severity and interference among individuals with chronic pain during an early phase of social distancing mandates and identified characteristics of individuals who were most impacted. Approximately 4 to 8 weeks after social distancing mandates commenced in the state ofMassachusetts, 150 patients with fibromyalgia, chronic spine, and postsurgical pain completed demographic, pain, social distancing, and validated psychosocial questionnaires. Patients self-reported an overall significant increase in pain severity and pain interference, compared with before social distancing, although both pain severity and interference were quite variable among individuals under conditions of social distancing. Several demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors were associated with greater pain severity and interference during social distancing. Multivariable linear regression demonstrated that female sex, nonwhite race, lower education, disability, fibromyalgia, and higher pain catastrophizing were independently associated with greater pain severity, while female sex and pain catastrophizing were independently associated greater pain interference. The findings suggest that individual differences among patients with chronic pain should be considered in the planning, development, and prioritization of interventions to improve pain care and to prevent worsening of symptoms during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

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A cross-sectional survey of the perspectives of older people in the Scottish Highlands on the management of their chronic pain

Age and Ageing ◽

10.1093/ageing/afz181 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 432-438

Author(s):

Derek Stewart ◽

Gordon Rushworth ◽

Nicola Bailey ◽

Sharon Pfleger ◽

Tesnime Jebara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Pain Management ◽

Older People ◽

Chronic Pain Management ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Scottish Highlands ◽

Pain Disability ◽

Disability Questionnaire ◽

Tampa Scale For Kinesiophobia

Abstract Background Although there is evidence of suboptimal outcomes in older people with chronic pain, little emphasis has been placed on those in remote and rural settings. Objective To describe the perspectives of older people in the Scottish Highlands on their chronic pain management. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting NHS Highland, the most remote and rural geographical health board in Scotland. Subjects Home-dwelling members of the public aged ≥70 years. Methods Anonymised questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of 1800 older people. Questionnaire items were demographics, nature of any chronic pain, management regimens and perceived effectiveness. Validated scales were the Pain Disability Questionnaire and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia. Results Adjusted response rate was 39.3% (709/1755). One-quarter (25.0%, n = 177) were experiencing chronic pain, being more likely to live in deprived areas (P < 0.05). Median pain intensity was 6 (IQR 4–7, 10 high), causing distress (median 5, IQR 3–7). Respondents largely consulted GPs (66.1%, n = 117) with a minority (16.4%, n = 29) referred to a specialist pain clinic and few consulting other health professionals. Over three quarters (78.0%, n = 138) were receiving prescribed medicines, most commonly paracetamol, alone (35.6%, n = 63) or in combination with opioids (16.4%, n = 29). One-third (31.6%, n = 56) expressed a desire for more effective medicines; few reported using any non-pharmacological therapies. The median scores for the Pain Disability Questionnaire and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia were 74 (IQR 34–104.5, 150 high) and 40 (IQR 35–45, 68 high). Conclusions Evidence of provision of appropriate integrated and person-centred chronic pain care is lacking.

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Perceived Social support and compliance with stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 outbreak: Evidence from Iran

10.21203/rs.3.rs-48105/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Toktam Paykani ◽

Geregory D. Zimet ◽

Reza Esmaeili ◽

Amir Reza khajedaluee ◽

Mohammad Khajedaluee

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

Socio Demographic Factors ◽

Iranian Students ◽

At Home

Abstract Background: Strong evidence demonstrates that social support plays a key role in facilitating preventive health behaviors. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects of perceived social support on compliance with stay-at-home orders in response to a COVID-19 outbreak during the Persian New Year (Nowruz) holydays, since Nowruz holidays of 2020 coincided with the peak of the coronavirus epidemic in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was carried out based on phone interviews of 1073 adults aged over 18 years from 4 to 12 April 2020 in Mashhad, Khorasan-Razavi Province, as the second largest city of Iran. A systematic random sampling was carried out using fixed phone number lists provided by Telecommunication Company of Khorasan-Razavi Province. Phone interviews were carried out by trained interviewers from the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) at various times of the day. The survey included sociodemographic questions, perceived social support scale (MSPSS) and questions about self-isolation during the Nowruz holiday. Statistical analysis included Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test and multivariate logistic regression.Results: 20.5% of participants reported poor compliance with stay at home orders during the first two weeks of Nowruz. Clear social gradients were not found in stay-at-home compliance. When controlling socio-demographic factors, perceived social support, interestingly, both fostered and hindered people’s compliance with stay at home orders, depending on the source of support from family members (OR=.874, 95% CI=.803, .950, p<.005), friends (OR=1.147, 95% CI=1.076, 1.222, p<.001) and a significant other person (OR=.926, 95% CI=.849, 1.010, p=.084).Conclusions: Public health messaging may need to emphasize the role that friends and families can play in helping to protect those in their friendship/family groups by promoting compliance with social distancing. Further in-depth studies are recommended to evaluate how this kind of messaging can most effectively encourage people to engage in social distancing practices.

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Testing the Strain Theory of Suicide – The Moderating Role of Social Support

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000604 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 82-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bob Lew ◽

Ksenia Chistopolskaya ◽

Yanzheng Liu ◽

Mansor Abu Talib ◽

Olga Mitina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Suicidal Behavior ◽

Online Survey ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Strain Theory ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Strains ◽

Moderating Role

Abstract. Background: According to the strain theory of suicide, strains, resulting from conﬂicting and competing pressures in an individual's life, are hypothesized to precede suicide. But social support is an important factor that can mitigate strains and lessen their input in suicidal behavior. Aims: This study was designed to assess the moderating role of social support in the relation between strain and suicidality. Methods: A sample of 1,051 employees were recruited in Beijing, the capital of China, through an online survey. Moderation analysis was performed using SPSS PROCESS Macro. Social support was measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and strains were assessed with the Psychological Strains Scale. Results: Psychological strains are a good predictor of suicidality, and social support, a basic need for each human being, moderates and decreases the effects of psychological strains on suicidality. Limitations: The cross-sectional survey limited the extent to which conclusions about causal relationships can be drawn. Furthermore, the results may not be generalized to the whole of China because of its diversity. Conclusion: Social support has a tendency to mitigate the effects of psychological strains on suicidality.

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Collecting patient reported outcomes to facilitate prescription opioid management: Development and testing of the Opioid Management App (OM-App) (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.23633 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jessica Robinson-Papp ◽

Gabriela Cedillo ◽

Richa Deshpande ◽

Mary Catherine George ◽

Qiuchen Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Pain Intensity ◽

Risk Behaviors ◽

Digital Health ◽

Monitoring Program ◽

Prescription Opioid ◽

Research Database ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Study Duration ◽

Patient Reported

BACKGROUND Collecting patient-reported data needed by clinicians to adhere to opioid prescribing guidelines represents a significant time burden. OBJECTIVE We developed and tested an opioid management app (OM-App) to collect these data directly from patients. METHODS OM-App used a pre-existing digital health platform to deliver daily questions to patients via text-message and organize responses into a dashboard. We pilot tested OM-App over 9 months in 40 diverse participants with HIV who were prescribed opioids for chronic pain. Feasibility outcomes included: ability to export/integrate OM-App data with other research data; patient-reported barriers and adherence to OM-App use; capture of opioid-related harms, risk behaviors and pain intensity/interference; comparison of OM-App data to urine drug testing, prescription drug monitoring program data, and validated questionnaires. RESULTS OM-App data was exported/integrated into the research database after minor modifications. Thirty-nine of 40 participants were able to use OM-App, and over the study duration 70% of all OM-App questions were answered. Although the cross-sectional prevalence of opioid-related harms and risk behaviors reported via OM-App was low, some of these were not obtained via the other measures, and over the study duration all queried harms/risks were reported at least once via OM-App. Clinically meaningful changes in pain intensity/interference were captured. CONCLUSIONS OM-App was used by our diverse patient population to produce clinically relevant opioid- and pain-related data, which was successfully exported and integrated into a research database. These findings suggest that OM-App may be a useful tool for remote monitoring of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain. CLINICALTRIAL NCT03669939 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-doi:10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100468

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