scholarly journals Quality of life and psychological assessment in patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: prospective observational study

2021 ◽  

Introduction: Chronic pain patients who undergo to stressful events may experience worsening in pain, sleep, and quality of life (QoL). The primary objective of this observational study was to compare QoL and sleep parameters before and after the COVID-19 lockdown in patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS). The psychological impact of lockdown was also assessed, as well as the emotional impact of the pandemic and its correlations with patient socio-demographics. Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years with FMS diagnosed according to ACR (American College of Rheumatology) 2016 Criteria with at least one pre-pandemic QoL and sleep evaluation were included. QoL and sleep disturbances were analyzed by comparing scores on the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire-Revised (FIQ-R), the 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) before and after the first lockdown in Italy (March to May 2020). Psychological impact was investigated via a 52-item survey of daily life changes in FMS management during the lockdown and emotional impact with the Impact Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) tool during the onset period after the lockdown. Questionnaire responses were correlated with patients’ socio-demographics. Results: Questionnaires were submitted via email to 54 patients; 37/54 patients (63.7%) returned them. QoL and sleep disturbances showed no statistically significant worsening. However, the psychological impact survey revealed that 3 out of 5 patients feared very much for their family members’ lives during lockdown. The emotional impact survey disclosed 72.7% of patients with psychological distress. Conclusions: While questionnaire responses showed no significant changes in QoL and sleep after the COVID-19 lockdown in this sample of FMS patients, the emotional investigation revealed moderate/severe psychological distress not detected by commonly used QoL tests in FMS.

2000 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 609-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela De Bona ◽  
Paola Ponton ◽  
Mario Ermani ◽  
Rosa Maria Iemmolo ◽  
Alessandra Feltrin ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Xuepei Li ◽  
Jianqiang Lin ◽  
Zidong Chen ◽  
Guangming Jin ◽  
Danying Zheng

Purpose. To determine the changes in vision-related quality of life and psychological distress after cataract surgery in monocular patients and to compared these with a control group of age- and gender-matched binocular patients. Methods. We enrolled 40 monocular patients and 40 binocular patients who underwent cataract surgery from August 2017 to December 2018. All participants undertook eye examinations and answered questionnaires (the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and Self-rating Depression Scale) before and after cataract surgery. Result. The monocular patients had significantly worse mean CDVA than the binocular patients before and after surgery. However, there was no significant difference between the increases gained by the two groups. Mean composite VFQ-25 scores of the monocular group were significantly lower than those of the binocular group before and after surgery, but the improvement experienced by the monocular group was statistically larger than the binocular group (37.20 ± 12.84 vs. 19.11 ± 5.13, P < 0.001 ). Mean standard SAS scores of monocular patients were significantly higher than those of binocular controls before and after surgery, while monocular patients experienced a significant greater decline of SAS scores (−9.41 ± 5.39 VS −3.84 ± 1.61, P < 0.001 ). Mean standard SDS scores of the monocular group were significantly higher than those of the control group before and after surgery, but the monocular group experienced a significantly greater decline of SDS scores following cataract surgery (−11.91 ± 6.38 VS −4.78 ± 1.79, P < 0.001 ). There was a significant correlation between the preoperative logMAR CDVA and both the postoperative logMAR CDVA (r = 0.63, P < 0.001 ) and the changes in the logMAR CDVA (r = −0.881, P < 0.001 ) for monocular patients. Linear regression analyses suggested that higher postoperative VFQ-25 scores had significant associations with better preoperative CDVA and the absence of systemic comorbidity (both P < 0.05 ). Age and ocular comorbidity were significantly associated with postoperative SAS scores (both P < 0.05 ). Age and systemic comorbidity remained significant impact factors for SDS scores (both P < 0.05 ). Conclusion. Monocular patients reported greater improvement in vision-related quality of life and greater decline in the level of anxiety and depression than binocular control subjects, despite having similar CDVA gains after cataract surgery. We argue that it is not a better choice for monocular patients to delay cataract surgery until the cataract is very advanced. A clear understanding of the impact of cataract surgery on vision-related quality of life and psychological distress in monocular patients is needed by ophthalmologists when making surgery decision.


2000 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 609-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela De Bona ◽  
Paola Ponton ◽  
Mario Ermani ◽  
Rosa Maria Iemmolo ◽  
Alessandra Feltrin ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Herlin Hamimi ◽  
Abdul Ghafar Ismail ◽  
Muhammad Hasbi Zaenal

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam which has a function of faith, social and economic functions. Muslims who can pay zakat are required to give at least 2.5 per cent of their wealth. The problem of poverty prevalent in disadvantaged regions because of the difficulty of access to information and communication led to a gap that is so high in wealth and resources. The instrument of zakat provides a paradigm in the achievement of equitable wealth distribution and healthy circulation. Zakat potentially offers a better life and improves the quality of human being. There is a human quality improvement not only in economic terms but also in spiritual terms such as improving religiousity. This study aims to examine the role of zakat to alleviate humanitarian issues in disadvantaged regions such as Sijunjung, one of zakat beneficiaries and impoverished areas in Indonesia. The researcher attempted a Cibest method to capture the impact of zakat beneficiaries before and after becoming a member of Zakat Community Development (ZCD) Program in material and spiritual value. The overall analysis shows that zakat has a positive impact on disadvantaged regions development and enhance the quality of life of the community. There is an improvement in the average of mustahik household incomes after becoming a member of ZCD Program. Cibest model demonstrates that material, spiritual, and absolute poverty index decreased by 10, 5, and 6 per cent. Meanwhile, the welfare index is increased by 21 per cent. These findings have significant implications for developing the quality of life in disadvantaged regions in Sijunjung. Therefore, zakat is one of the instruments to change the status of disadvantaged areas to be equivalent to other areas.


Background: Integrated disease management with self-management for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is effective to improve clinical outcomes. eHealth can improve patients’ involvement to be able to accept and maintain a healthier lifestyle. Eventhough there is mixed evidence of the impact of eHealth on quality of life (QoL) in different settings. Aim: The primary aim of the e-Vita-COPD-study was to investigate the effect of use of eHealth patient platforms on disease specific QoL of COPD patients. Methods: We evaluated the impact of an eHealth platform on disease specific QoL measured with the clinical COPD questionnaire (CCQ), including subscales of symptoms, functional state and mental state. Interrupted time series (ITS) design was used to collect CCQ data at multiple time points. Multilevel linear regression modelling was used to compare trends in CCQ before and after the eHealth intervention. Results: Of 742 invited COPD patients, 244 signed informed consent. For the analyses, we only included patients who actually used the eHealth platform (n = 123). The decrease of CCQ-symptoms was 0,20% before the intervention and 0,27% after the intervention; this difference was statistically significant (P=0.027). The decrease of CCQ-mental was 0,97% before the intervention and after the intervention there was an increase of 0,017%; this difference was statistically significant (P=0,01). No significant difference was found in the slopes of CCQ (P=0,12) and CCQ-function (P=0,11) before and after the intervention. Conclusion: The e-Vita eHealth platform had a potential beneficial impact on the CCQ-symptoms of COPD patients, but not on functional state. The CCQ-mental state remained stable after the intervention, but this was a deterioration compared to the improving situation before the start of the eHealth platform. In conclusion, this study shows that after the introduction of the COPD platform, patients experienced fewer symptoms, but their mental state deteriorated slightly at the same time. Therefore, health care providers should be aware that, although symptoms improve, there might be a slight increase in anxiety and depression after introducing an eHealth intervention to support self-management.


2017 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill G Zwicker ◽  
Melinda Suto ◽  
Susan R Harris ◽  
Nikol Vlasakova ◽  
Cheryl Missiuna

Introduction Affecting 5–6% of children, developmental coordination disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by poor motor coordination and difficulty learning motor skills. Although quantitative studies have suggested that children with developmental coordination disorder experience reduced quality of life, no known qualitative studies have reported what daily life is like from their perspective. Method Guided by an inductive realistic approach and using semi-structured, individual interviews, 13 children (8–12 years) were asked to describe what life is like in their own words. Three researchers coded interviews manually to identify relevant content. An experienced qualitative researcher conducted a second, in-depth thematic analysis using NVivo to identify patterns and themes. Findings Two themes – milestones as millstones and the perils of printing – illuminated participants’ challenges in completing everyday activities at home and at school. The third theme – more than a motor problem – revealed the social and emotional impact of these struggles and from being excluded from play. The fourth theme – coping strategies – described their efforts to be resilient. Conclusion Parents, educators, physicians, and therapists working with children with developmental coordination disorder must recognize how their quality of life is affected by the physical and emotional toll of their efforts to participate successfully in daily activities.


Author(s):  
Carlos Mena Canata ◽  
Rebeca Noemí Ruiz Vallejos

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of adenotonsillectomy on the quality of life of postoperative patients.The study is observational, cross-sectional, and retrospective. The files of all postoperative adenotonsillectomy patients in Otorhinolaryngology Service, Hospital de Clínicas, San Lorenzo Paraguay. The Obstructive sleep apnea – 18 questionnaire (OSA 18) was applied, asking patients about symptoms before and after surgery. An effective sample of 143 postoperative patients was obtained. The average age was 6.05 ± 2.08 years, 55.10% (81) were male and 44.89% (66) were female, 65.30% (96) were from urban areas and 34.69% (51) from the rural areas. The t test was performed for means of two paired samples, comparing the results of the Obstructive sleep apnea – 18 questionnaire surveys before and after surgery which presented a significant difference (p <0.05) with a tendency to improve the quality of life after surgery. It has been shown that there is a significant difference, a considerable improvement in the quality of life of patients after adenotonsillectomy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Montse Romero-Mas ◽  
Anna Ramon-Aribau ◽  
Dyego Leandro Bezerra de Souza ◽  
Andrew M. Cox ◽  
Beni Gómez-Zúñiga

Caring for a person with dementia burdens family caregivers, and there is a close negative relationship between this burden and their quality of life (QoL). Research suggests that caregivers’ main needs are information and training about the disease and support from others experiencing the same situation, and Internet interventions hold considerable promise for meeting these needs. Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) are Internet frameworks to share knowledge where members collaborate and achieve a sense of trust in the community. This paper seeks to evaluate the impact of participating in a VCoP (developed through an App) on the QoL of caregivers to people with Alzheimer’s. Results show QoL before and after the intervention changed significantly. The impact of VCoP on caregivers’ overall QoL is moderated by age and relation with the person with Alzheimer’s, specifically those over 65, and spouses. VCoPs allow interaction and knowledge sharing among caregivers which provide them mainly with information and support from peers helping them to meet their needs. Furthermore, caregivers’ QoL did not decrease when their relative deteriorated functionally, which could be due to the participation in VCoP. Although we found significant pre- and post differences in caregivers’ health literacy, we must report the ambiguous result that this variable only impacts on QoL’s physical domain. Participants also reported that they had a positive experience because the App was perceived to be a useful tool, because they could manage their own participation and they met peers and felt less lonely. Results suggest that participation in a VCoP impacts positively on caregivers’ QoL.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Espetvedt Nordstrand ◽  
Christer Lunde Gjerstad ◽  
Odin Hjemdal ◽  
Are Holen ◽  
Tore Tveitstul ◽  
...  

This study examined the warzone stressors: killing in combat, experiencing personal threats, or traumatic witnessing during deployment in relation to psychological distress, alcohol consumption and quality of life at long-term follow-up. The study was conducted in two samples of Norwegian veterans who had served in Afghanistan (Study 1, N = 4,053) or in Lebanon (Study 2, N = 10,605), respectively. Data were collected through two postdeployment mental health surveys conducted by the Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services. Using linear regressions, we investigated the impact of warzone stressors on posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, anxiety, insomnia, alcohol use, and quality of life. In study 1 (Afghanistan veterans), killing was not a significant predictor of psychological distress, alcohol use, or quality of life, when controlling for Personal Threats and Witnessing exposure. In study 2 (Lebanon veterans) killing remained a significant predictor (p &lt; .001) of symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety, after controlling for other warzone stressors. However, killing was not a significant predictor of alcohol use or quality of life in Study 2. In summary, killing in combat may be associated with increased reports of psychological distress, but there were distinct results in the two studies. Differences in mission statements, rules of engagement, and mental states during combat could explain the diverging outcomes. The results indicate that it may be erroneous to ubiquitously regard killing in combat as a moral stressor, and highlight the importance of clear rules of engagements that accounts for the “on the ground” reality of soldiers.


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