scholarly journals Transfer of face-to-face group therapies into online group-chats in a psychiatric outpatient setting during the COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Scholl ◽  
Elisabeth Kohls ◽  
Frauke Goerges ◽  
Marc Steinbrecher ◽  
Sabrina Baldofski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Adhd Group ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Treatment Credibility ◽  
Group Therapies

BACKGROUND At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, several mental health care providers were obliged to shut down outpatient services, including group therapies and psychoeducational sessions. The lockdown in many countries is a serious threat for mental well-being, especially for individuals with severe mental illnesses. Discontinued outpatient treatments and a disruption of daily routines are considered to be a risk factor for destabilization of mentally ill patients. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to develop and to evaluate the acceptability, usability, and feasibility of a group-chat program to replace cancelled face-to-face (f2f) group sessions in an outpatient psychiatric department. METHODS Participants (n = 38) were recruited in the outpatient department of a large university medical center in Leipzig, Germany. Former f2f group participants were invited to take part in a therapist-guided group-chat for four weeks (eight sessions) and were asked to evaluate the program via self-administered standardized questionnaires at baseline (T0, pre-intervention), after every chat session (T1), and post-treatment (T2, after 4-6 weeks). The chat groups were specific to the following mental disorder diagnoses and based on the same therapeutic principles and techniques as the former f2f groups: anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sociodemographic measures, attitudes towards the COVID-19 pandemic, depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), treatment credibility/expectancy (CEQ), and participants’ satisfaction (ZUF-8) were measured. RESULTS Participants joined an average of n = 5.0 out of eight offered chat sessions. Participation rates in the respective groups were highest in the ADHD group (78.2%) and lowest in the anxiety group (41.1%). The overall pre-intervention level of depressive symptoms was moderate and showed a slight, non-significant improvement at post-treatment (T0: M = 10.7, SD = 5.5; T2: M = 10.2, SD = 5.5). A similar result was observed regarding quality of life (T0: Median = 41.7 - 68.8; T2: Median = 50.0 - 70.3). Treatment credibility and expectancy scores were medium high (T0: Mcred = 18.1, SD = 3.8; Mexp = 11.2, SD = 5.1; T2: Mcred = 17.1, SD = 4.8; Mexp = 10.3, SD = 5.8). Further, significant correlations were detected between post-treatment expectancy score and post-treatment PHQ-9 score (r = -0.41; p = .024), post-treatment physical quality of life (r = 0.54; p = .001) and post-treatment psychological quality of life (r = 0.53; p = .002). Overall, participants’ satisfaction with the program was very high, both after chat sessions and at post-treatment (ZUF-8: M = 20.6, SD = 1.0). Of all participants, a majority (87.1%) rated the program as excellent/good and would recommend the group-chat program to a friend in need of similar help (83.9%). CONCLUSIONS A therapist-guided group-chat program to substitute outpatient group-setting treatment during the COVID-19 lockdown was shown to be feasible, usable, and highly acceptable for participants. Online programs, such as this one, provide an easy to implement tool to successfully stabilize participants during a difficult pandemic time. CLINICALTRIAL This study is registered in the German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00021527.

The Relationships among Locomotive Syndrome, Depressive Symptom, and Quality of Life in Older Adults Living in Rural Areas

2020 ◽  
Vol 103 (8) ◽  
pp. 796-803
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
World Health ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Locomotive Syndrome

Objective: To investigate the relationships among locomotive syndrome, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in older adults living in rural areas. Materials and Methods: The present research was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample was 160 community-dwelling older people living in sub-districts under the services of five health promoting hospitals located in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The prospective participants were recruited by Multi-stage random sampling. They had completed instruments, including The Demographic Questionnaire, The 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale, The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale, and The World Health Organization Quality of life Questionnaire in Thai Elderly. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s production-moment correlation. Results: The four findings revealed that the locomotive syndrome was found in 50% of participants with the cut-point score of 16 (mean 30.98, SD 14.03), while 26.9% of the participants revealed depressive symptoms (mean 7.07, SD 1.98). The participants had a good quality of life 79.4% (mean 105.12, SD 9.03). There was a positive correlation between locomotive syndrome and depressive symptoms (r=0.47, p<0.01). An inverse correlation was found between the locomotive syndrome and quality of life (r=–0.56, p<0.01) and between depressive symptoms and quality of life (r=–0.46, p<0.01). Conclusion: Findings from the present study would be useful for the health care providers to design interventions to promote physical function along with psychological well-being. Keywords: Locomotive syndrome, Depressive symptoms, Quality of life, Older adults

scholarly journals Improvement in quality of life and psychological symptoms after treatment for primary aldosteronism: Asian cohort study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen Kheng Tan ◽  
Yu Heng Kwan ◽  
David Choon Liang Teo ◽  
Marieke Velema ◽  
Jaap Deinum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Medical Therapy ◽  
Primary Aldosteronism ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Bodily Pain ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Asian Patients ◽  
Related Quality

Background: In addition to increased cardiovascular risk, patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) also suffer from impaired health–related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological symptoms. We assessed for changes in HRQoL and depressive symptoms in a cohort of Asian patients with PA, after surgical and medical therapy. Methods: 34 patients with PA were prospectively recruited and completed questionnaires from 2017 to 2020. HRQoL was assessed using RAND–36 and EQ–5D–3L, and depressive symptoms were assessed using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI–II) at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year post–treatment. Results: At 1 year post–treatment, significant improvement was observed in both physical and mental summative scores of RAND–36, +3.65, P=0.023, and +3.41, P=0.033, respectively, as well as four subscale domains (physical functioning, bodily pain, role emotional and mental health). Significant improvement was also seen in EQ–5D dimension of anxiety/depression at 1 year post–treatment. Patients treated with surgery (N=21) had significant improvement in EQ–5D index score post–treatment, and better EQ–5D outcomes compared to medical group (N=13) at 1 year post–treatment. 37.9%, 41.6% and 58.6% of patients had symptoms in the cognitive, affective and somatic domains of BDI–II respectively. There was significant improvement in the affective domain of BDI–II at 1 year post–treatment. Conclusion: Both surgical and medical therapy improve HRQoL and psychological symptoms in patients with PA, with surgery providing better outcomes. This highlights the importance of early diagnosis, accurate subtyping and appropriate treatment of PA.

EMDR Versus Treatment-as-Usual in Patients With Chronic Non-Malignant Pain: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 190-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nieves Arias Suárez ◽  
Joana Moreno Pérez ◽  
Diego Redolar-Ripoll ◽  
Bridget M. Hogg ◽  
Itxaso Gardoki-Souto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Psychological Trauma ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Treatment As Usual

In recent years, different studies have observed a strong association between chronic pain (CP) and psychological trauma. Therefore, a trauma-focused psychotherapy, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), could be an innovative treatment option. The aim of this pilot study was to assess whether a specific EMDR protocol for CP leads to (a) a reduction in pain intensity, (b) an improvement in anxiety and depressive symptoms, and (c) an improvement in quality of life. 28 CP patients were randomly assigned to EMDR + treatment as usual (TAU; n = 14) or to TAU alone (n = 14). Patients in the EMDR group received 12 psychotherapeutic sessions of 90 minutes over 3 months. Pain intensity was measured using the Visual Analog Scale and the Pain Disability index, quality of life using the EQ-5D-5L, and anxiety and depressive symptoms using the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scale. Measures were taken for both conditions at pre- and post-treatment, and a follow-up in the EMDR condition was taken at 3 months post-treatment. Patients in the EMDR group showed significantly reduced pain intensity and improved quality of life and anxiety and depressive symptoms compared to TAU alone at post-treatment. Improvements were largely maintained at 3-month follow-up. This study suggests that EMDR may be an effective and safe psychological intervention to be used within the multidisciplinary treatment plan of patients with CP.

Interim analyses of the efficacy of a collaborative care intervention for patients diagnosed with comorbid cancer and depression.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 11599-11599
Author(s):  
Jennifer Lynne Steel ◽  
Jessica Miceli ◽  
Carol Lynn Hecht ◽  
Allan Tsung ◽  
Wallis Marsh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Collaborative Care ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Interim Analyses ◽  
Care Intervention ◽  
Treatment Data ◽  
The Mean

11599 Background: There is an urgent need for evidence-based and scalable interventions to reduce depression, pain, and fatigue and improve quality of life in patients diagnosed with cancer. The aims of this study were to share the interim analyses of testing the efficacy of a stepped collaborative care intervention for patients diagnosed with cancers affecting the hepatobiliary and pancreatic system. Methods: Patients were screened for clinical levels of depression, pain, or fatigue and were enrolled in the study if they screened positive for depression, pain, and/or fatigue. After completing a baseline battery of instruments, patients were randomized to the stepped collaborative care intervention or the screening and referral arm. Post-treatment data was collected at 6 months and 12 months to assess efficacy and maintenance of change in depressive symptoms. Results: A total of 100 patients have completed the post-treatment assessment. Interim data analyses revealed that the mean age of patients was 64.0 years (SD = 10.3) and the majority of patient were male (51%), Caucasian (89%), diagnosed with liver cancer (47%) and stage III and IV (60%). Patients randomized to the stepped collaborative care intervention reported significant reductions in depressive symptoms (F(1,92) = 6.22, p = 0.014) and improvements in quality of life (F(1,92) = 7.36, p = 0.008) with moderate effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.547 and 0.652, respectively) at 6-months. The mean change in depressive symptoms from randomization to 6-month post- treatment was -4.3 (SD = 9.7) for the patients randomized to the collaborative care intervention and +0.71 (SD = 9.4) for the patients randomized to the screening and referral arm of the study. The mean change in quality of life from randomization to 6-month post-treatment was +4.5 (SD = 16.2) for the patients randomized to the collaborative care intervention and -4.4 (SD = 15.2) for the patients randomized to the screening and referral arm of the study. Conclusions: This promising evidence-based, scalable intervention to treat comorbid cancer and depression was shown to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms and improving quality of life in patients with cancer. Clinical trial information: NCT02939755.

scholarly journals Improvement in Quality of Life and Psychological Symptoms After Treatment for Primary Aldosteronism

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A289-A289
Author(s):  
Troy Puar ◽  
Yu Heng Kwan ◽  
Pei Ting Tan ◽  
David Teo ◽  
Keng Sin Ng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Medical Therapy ◽  
Primary Aldosteronism ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Bodily Pain ◽  
Secondary Hypertension ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Asian Patients

Abstract Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common treatable cause of secondary hypertension. In addition to increased cardiovascular risk, patients also suffer from impaired quality of life (QoL) and psychological symptoms. We assessed for changes in QoL and depressive symptoms in a cohort of Asian patients with PA, after surgical and medical therapy. Methods: We administered questionnaires to 34 patients with PA, mean age, 51.3 years, 29.4% females, in a prospective observational study from 2017 to 2020. QoL was assessed using RAND-36 and EQ-5D-3L, and depressive symptoms was assessed using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year post-treatment. Results: Significant improvement was observed 1 year after treatment in both physical and mental summative scores of RAND-36 from baseline, +3.65 (p = 0.023) and +3.41 (p = 0.033) respectively, as well as four subscale domains (physical functioning, bodily pain, role emotional and mental health). Significant improvement was also seen in EQ-5D dimension of anxiety/depression at 1 year post-treatment. Patients treated with surgery (N=21) had significant improvement in EQ-5D index score post-treatment, and better EQ-5D outcomes compared to medical group (N=13) at 1 year post-treatment. 37.9%, 41.6% and 60.7% of patients had symptoms in the cognitive, affective and somatic domains of the BDI-II respectively. There was significant improvement in the affective domain of BDI after 1 year of treatment. Conclusion: Appropriate treatment with surgical and medical therapy improves QoL and psychological symptoms in patients with PA, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of this common condition.

scholarly journals A longitudinal study monitoring the quality of life in a national cohort of older adults in Chile before and during the COVID-19 outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Soledad Herrera ◽  
Raúl Elgueta ◽  
M. Beatriz Fernández ◽  
Claudia Giacoman ◽  
Daniella Leal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
T Test ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face ◽  
National Cohort ◽  
Non Parametric

Abstract Background Confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic has placed great stress on older adults, which may be affecting their quality of life. Thus, this study aims to describe the changes in mental and physical health, isolation and loneliness, residence and socioeconomic resources in a national cohort of Chilean older adults before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. It also analyzes the changes in depressive symptoms by changes in the other quality of life indicators before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. Possible methodological biases of telephone surveys in older adults living in non-developed countries are also discussed. Methods Between June and September 2020, a random subsample of 720 people who had participated in the face-to-face V National Survey on Quality of Life in Older Adults in Chile conducted at the end of 2019 was followed up by telephone. Descriptive bivariate analyses were performed using t-test and non-parametric tests for independent variables, comparing the baseline sample with the current 2020 follow-up sample during the peak of the pandemic outbreak in Latin America. Furthermore, descriptive bivariate analysis through t-test and non-parametric test for paired samples compared the follow-up subsample at baseline with the not-included sample, examining possible biases of the telephone interview compared with the face-to-face interview. Results In the panel, there was no variation in self-rated health. The health symptoms that worsened were memory, stomach, and mood problems. Depressive symptoms and anxiety increased; similarly, smartphone users, social contacts, intergenerational co-residence and resilience increased. The telephone follow-up sample had a higher educational level and greater smartphone use than those not included in the subsample. Conclusions Although some physical and mental health indicators have worsened during the pandemic, older adults mobilized resources that could allow them to maintain their quality of life, such as improved resilience. Thus, these findings can guide future research and the development of efficient strategies to improve these resources among older adults to ensure wellbeing.

Cathartic Effect of Suicide Attempts Not Limited to Depression

Crisis ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Sarfati ◽  
Blandine Bouchaud ◽  
Marie-Christine Hardy-Baylé
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
World Health ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Short Term

Summary: The cathartic effect of suicide is traditionally defined as the existence of a rapid, significant, and spontaneous decrease in the depressive symptoms of suicide attempters after the act. This study was designed to investigate short-term variations, following a suicide attempt by self-poisoning, of a number of other variables identified as suicidal risk factors: hopelessness, impulsivity, personality traits, and quality of life. Patients hospitalized less than 24 hours after a deliberate (moderate) overdose were presented with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression and Impulsivity Rating Scales, Hopelessness scale, MMPI and World Health Organization's Quality of Life questionnaire (abbreviated versions). They were also asked to complete the same scales and questionnaires 8 days after discharge. The study involved 39 patients, the average interval between initial and follow-up assessment being 13.5 days. All the scores improved significantly, with the exception of quality of life and three out of the eight personality traits. This finding emphasizes the fact that improvement is not limited to depressive symptoms and enables us to identify the relative importance of each studied variable as a risk factor for attempted suicide. The limitations of the study are discussed as well as in particular the nongeneralizability of the sample and setting.

scholarly journals Tu1228 – Achalasia Quality of Life Score and Eckardt Score: A Comparison for the Assessment of Clinical Improvement Post Treatment for Achalasia

2019 ◽  
Vol 156 (6) ◽  
pp. S-994
Author(s):  
Samuel O. Slone ◽  
Joel E. Richter ◽  
Vic Velanovich ◽  
John W. Jacobs ◽  
Ambuj Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Improvement ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Life Score ◽  
Eckardt Score
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