The Quality of Life of Palliative Care Staff: A Personal Construct Approach

1994 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda L. Viney ◽  
Beverly M. Walker ◽  
Betsy Lilley ◽  
Barbara Tooth ◽  
Pam Bell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Personal Construct ◽  
Interview Schedule

Palliative care staff were compared with staff from burn and neonatal units, and with mature age general nursing trainees at the end of their training. Hypotheses, based on a personal construct model of their quality of life, sources of anxiety, and types of social interactions were tested. These tests were conducted by applying content analysis scales to their responses to an open-ended request in their interview schedule. The palliative care staff did express better quality of life, in terms of significantly less anxiety and depression, as well as more good feelings than the other staff groups. They showed, as predicted, significantly more anxiety about death, but less shame and diffuse anxiety. They also reported more helping and loving interactions but fewer influencing or vaguely defined, but shared interactions. The implications of these findings for the model and for the support of palliative care staff are considered.

scholarly journals Pain Relief as an Integral Part of the Palliative Care

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 739-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Sholjakova ◽  
Vesna Durnev ◽  
Andrijan Kartalov ◽  
Biljana Kuzmanovska
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Pain Relief ◽  
Pain Control ◽  
Palliative Therapy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Spiritual Problems ◽  
Active Care ◽  
Different Origin

BACKGROUND: Palliative therapy represents active care for patients whose illness has such nature that is not responding to the curative treatment.  The palliative care aims to provide comfort and prevention from the suffering of the patients at the end of their life. Treatment of the pain presents an important integral part of palliative care.AIM: This article aims to discuss and answer to some of the analgesic regimes and therapeutic dilemmas.RESULTS: Pain control, in addition to the other treatments such as alleviation of psychological, sociological and spiritual problems, has a priority. The proper pain management can achieve a better quality of life for the patients and their families.CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that because of the different origin of the pain, the use of analgesic therapy should be individualised and adapted to the real need of every person. Finally, only a good organisation and institutionalisation of the palliative care in one society could permit better prevention of suffering at the end of the life.

Coping, psychopathology, and quality of life in cancer patients under palliative care

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela B. Sorato ◽  
Flávia L. Osório
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Palliative Treatment ◽  
Anxiety And Depression

AbstractObjective:To assess hopelessness, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in cancer patients undergoing palliative treatment by comparing their scores at the onset of treatment and one month later and by assessing possible correlations with coping strategies.Method:Participants included 85 patients of both genders (56.5% female) diagnosed with advanced cancer who did not have curative therapeutic options who were assessed with self-applied instruments (the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire–Cancer 30, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Coping Strategies Inventory by Folkman and Lazarus) at two timepoints: first before their appointment with doctors and other professionals in their first visit to the palliative care outpatient clinic (PCOC) and then as soon as patients arrived at the PCOC for their first medical follow-up visit (approximately 30 days after the first appointment).Results:The scores for hopelessness, anxiety, and depression remained stable (p = 0.24). The results were the same for the quality-of-life (QoL) variables, except for the fatigue and pain scores, which decreased (p = 0.01), and social impairment, which increased (p = 0.03). Analysis of the correlations between the coping mechanisms used after the onset of palliative treatment showed that confronting coping, seeking social support, and positive reappraisal were inversely correlated with hopelessness. Seeking social support, planful problem solving, and positive reappraisal were inversely correlated with indicators of depression. In contrast, use of the escape–avoidance strategy and reduced use of the planful problem-solving strategy were associated with increased anxiety.Significance of results:The employment of problem-focused coping strategies exerted a positive impact on the end-of-life process and, above all, protected patients from the negative experiences associated with psychiatric symptoms, thus enabling them to look for alternative solutions for experiencing the end-of-life process in a more well-adjusted manner.

scholarly journals The impact of palliative care on quality of life, anxiety, and depression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a randomized controlled pilot study

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Janssen ◽  
Drew Rosielle ◽  
Qi Wang ◽  
Hyun Joo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal disease that results in poor quality of life due to progressive respiratory symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Palliative care improves quality of life and survival in other progressive diseases. No randomized controlled trials have investigated the impact of palliative care on quality of life, anxiety, or depression in IPF. Methods We conducted a randomized, controlled, pilot study to assess the feasibility of measuring the effect of a palliative care clinic referral on quality of life, anxiety, and depression in IPF. Patients were randomized to usual care (UC) or usual care + palliative care (UC + PC) with routine pulmonary follow up at 3 and 6 months. The UC + PC group received a minimum of one PC clinic visit. Primary outcome was change from baseline in quality of life, anxiety, and depression as measured by the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Index (HADS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) at 6 months. Results Twenty-two patients were randomized between September 2017 through July 2018; 11 to UC and 11 to UC + PC. There was no difference in the change in SGRQ score at 3 months or 6 months, however, the symptom score trended towards a significant worsening for UC + PC at both 3 and 6 months (mean change at 3 months for UC and UC + PC was − 7.8 and + 10.7, respectively, p = 0.066; mean change at 6 months for UC and UC + PC was − 6.0 and + 4.6, respectively, p = 0.055). There was no difference in the change in HADS anxiety or depression scores. There was a significant transient worsening in PHQ-9 scores for UC + PC at 3 months (UC: -1.6, UC + PC: + 0.9, p = 0.008); this effect did not persist at 6 months. Conclusion This pilot study demonstrated that a randomized controlled trial of palliative care in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients is feasible. Receiving palliative care did not lead to improved quality of life, anxiety, or depression compared to usual care after 6 months. Patients in the UC + PC group trended towards worsening symptoms and a small but statistically significant transient worsening in depression. These findings should be interpreted with caution, and need to be evaluated in adequately powered clinical trials. NCT03981406, June 10, 2019, retrospectively registered.

scholarly journals An Assessment Of Quality Of Life Of Divorced Females Residing In Darul Aman (Abode) Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Ahmad Ali ◽  
Mussawar Shah ◽  
Sameer Ul Khaliq Jan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Behavioural Problem ◽  
The Other ◽  
Interview Schedule ◽  
Arranged Marriages ◽  
Employment Opportunities ◽  
Income Source ◽  
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ◽  
The Government

The study “An Assessment of Quality of life of Divorced Females” was carried out in Darul Aman in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A sample size of 210 respondents was randomly selected and data were collected through interview schedule. The collected data was analysed for simple frequency and percentages. The study revealed that the 59 % respondents marriage type was arranged marriages, 48% had no children, 53% were illiterate, 17% income was between 1500-6000 PKR, 50% were married in non-relatives, 1% were divorced thrice in life while 40% and 45% had ages 21-25 years at the time of divorce and marriage respectively. Furthermore, majority of them were suffered from physical, mental health as well as behavioural problem. Litigation, children adjustment, suicide attempt and death danger were the other challenges faced to those women after divorce. Divorce practice without any solid reason is a crime against females. The study recommends that, the Government may gave proper attention on early marriages practice, protection to woman after divorce from either Government and family side, proper documentation/registration for marriages, income source for woman and for their children, free health facilities, and employment opportunities for such women.

scholarly journals Perspectives From the Other Side: A Physician and Cancer Survivor

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 348-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan C. Stone
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cancer Survivor ◽  
Palliative Therapy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Comprehensive Care ◽  
Care Model ◽  
Comprehensive Care Model

ASCO has made great strides to integrate palliative care into the comprehensive care model. However, much work remains to ensure that all patients, whether receiving curative or palliative therapy, have a good quality of life.

Dignity therapy, psycho-spiritual well-being and quality of life in the terminally ill: systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2021-003180
Author(s):  
Ruishuang Zheng ◽  
Qiaohong Guo ◽  
Zhiqian Chen ◽  
Yingchun Zeng
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Terminally Ill Patients ◽  
Dignity Therapy ◽  
Spiritual Well Being

ObjectivesDignity therapy (DT) is a brief, individualised psychotherapy that aims to alleviate psychosocial and spiritual distress in the final stages of life. It is unknown yet whether DT can enhance sense of dignity and improve psychological and spiritual well-being as well as quality of life of terminally ill patients.MethodsWe searched PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL plus, ProQuest Health & Medical Complete, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library, as well as Chinese databases including Weipu Data, Wanfang Data and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from inception to 30 April 2021, for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of DT on dignity, psycho-spiritual well-being and quality of life of terminally ill patients receiving palliative care.ResultsWe identified 507 unique records, and included 9 RCTs (871 participants). Comparator was standard palliative care. DT did not improve terminally ill patients’ sense of dignity (p=0.90), hope (p=0.15), spiritual well-being (p=0.99) and quality of life (p=0.23). However, DT reduced anxiety and depression after intervention (standardised mean difference, SMD=−1.13, 95% CI (−2.21 to –0.04), p=0.04; SMD=−1.22, 95% CI (−2.25 to –0.18), p=0.02, respectively) and at 4 weeks post-intervention (SMD=−0.89, 95% CI (−1.71 to –0.07), p=0.03; SMD=−1.26, 95% CI (−2.38 to –0.14), p=0.03, respectively).ConclusionDT can be offered as a psychological intervention for terminally ill patients to reduce their anxiety and depression. More studies are needed to further evaluate the effects of DT on terminally ill patients’ dignity, spiritual well-being and quality of life.

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