Psychosocial Interventions for Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutation: A Scoping Review

This scoping review aimed to explore the effectiveness of psychological and psychoeducational interventions for BRCA mutation carriers. Four electronic bibliographic databases were searched. After review, 23 articles that described or assessed forms of an additional psychosocial intervention for individuals with a BRCA mutation were identified and included. Intervention types discussed in the articles were telephone-based peer-to-peer counselling (5), online communities (4), in-person group counselling (8), and one-day sessions (6). Outcomes investigated within the articles included psychosocial outcomes (18), satisfaction (8), health behaviours (7), and knowledge (5). The included studies suggested that telephone-based peer-to-peer counselling and online communities improve patient knowledge and psychosocial functioning and can overcome challenges such as scheduling and travel associated with in-person support groups, but may have challenges with recruitment and retainment of participants. Group in-person education sessions satisfied the need amongst BRCA1/2 carriers in terms of accessing necessary information regarding cancer risk assessment and management; however, the impact of group education sessions on psychological outcomes was variable across the included studies. Overall, all the forms of intervention described in this scoping review were well-received by participants; some have been shown to reduce distress, depression, and anxiety.

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Detecting prostate cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers: A role for EN2?

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2012.30.15_suppl.4653 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 4653-4653

Author(s):

Emma Killick ◽

Richard Morgan ◽

Francesca Launchbury ◽

Nicola E. Annels ◽

Elizabeth Bancroft ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Risk Group ◽

Brca Mutation ◽

Brca2 Mutation ◽

Digital Rectal Examination ◽

Brca1 And Brca2 ◽

Mutation Carriers ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Brca Mutation Carriers ◽

The Impact

4653 Background: EN2 is part of the HOX gene family and plays a role in foetal development. More recently a potential oncogenic role for the protein has been postulated and its utility as a cancer biomarker has been explored in prostate cancer (PrCa) and breast cancer. Carriers of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have an increased risk of PrCa (1.8-fold and 5-fold respectively) and their tumours tend to be more aggressive and advanced than sporadic cases. Currently there is no national screening program for BRCA mutation carriers in the UK, and the IMPACT study was set up to evaluate PSA screening in this particular group. Here we analyse the efficacy of the urinary EN2 protein as a marker of early cancer detection within this higher risk group. Methods: First pass urine (without preceding digital rectal examination) was collected as part of the IMPACT screening study which enrolled individuals aged between 40 and 69 who were unaffected by PrCa at time of enrolment into the study (n= 418). All participants were from families harbouring a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and were either BRCA mutation carriers themselves or controls with a negative predictive BRCA genetic test. They underwent annual PSA test with a PSA of > 3.0 ng/ml triggering a diagnostic biopsy. EN2 protein was measured in the urine using an ELISA; (positive = > 42.5ng/ml). Results: Our initial results demonstrated urinary EN2 had a sensitivity of 66.67% and a specificity of 89.29% when discriminating which men had been diagnosed with PrCa; the ROC AUC was 0.816. The difference in EN2 level between those diagnosed with cancer and those who were not was significant (p = <0.001). There was trend towards higher EN2 levels in those with more aggressive tumours (median EN2 84.5ng/mL in Gleason ≤3+4 vs 111ng/mL in Gleason ≥4+3), however this was not statistically significant. In one PrCa case EN2 rise preceded PSA rise by 2 years. Further samples are in the process of being analysed, results from these will be included. Conclusions: Urinary EN2 protein measurement warrants further investigation as a PrCa biomarker in this higher risk group with genetic predisposition to PrCa.

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A systematic scoping review on the impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on the psychological wellbeing of medical students.

10.1101/2021.11.28.21266956 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Divya Vythilingam ◽

William Atiomo

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Full Text ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Research Question ◽

Psychological Wellbeing ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact ◽

Published Research

Background The impact of social isolation, on the psychological wellbeing of medical students, who had to quarantine due to the COVID19 pandemic, is uncertain. A scoping review of the literature was therefore conducted to assess the extent of the published research in this area. Methods The PRISMA ScR guideline, was used to structure this study. A search strategy was carried out across six bibliographic databases. Data from the selected studies were extracted, and the following variables recorded. First author and year of publication, country of study, study design, sample size, focus group, mode of analysing impact of quarantine from COVID19 on mental health and results of the studies. Results A total of 223 articles were identified across the six databases, from which 69 duplicates were excluded resulting in 154 full text articles. Of these, 29 met the inclusion criteria. Following a review of the abstracts of these 29, ten full text articles were identified all of which were cross sectional studies. Sample sizes ranged from 182 to 860 students and all studies used a variety of self administered questionnaires to measure psychological wellbeing. Eight of the 10 articles showed that quarantine had a negative impact on the psychological wellbeing of medical students. Conclusion. The evidence is small but growing. Quarantine because of the COVID19 pandemic appears to have had a negative impact on the psychological wellbeing of medical students. There is a need for more studies to further evaluate this research question.

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Improving health, well-being and parenting skills in parents of children with medical complexity: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015242 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (9) ◽

pp. e015242 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sally Rebecca Bradshaw ◽

Karen Shaw ◽

Danai Bem ◽

Carole Cummins

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Evidence Synthesis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Well Being ◽

Primary Objective ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Family Coping ◽

Children With Medical Complexity ◽

The Impact

IntroductionLess than 1% of children have complex medical conditions but account for one-third of all child health spending. The impact of suboptimal management of this group of children can have a considerable effect on families as well as services. Some families appear to cope more easily than others do, but there are compelling reasons to suggest that effective interventions may improve family coping and ultimately outcomes. Hospitalisation of their child presents a unique set of pressures and challenges for parents, but also an opportunity to intervene. However, the evidence is not well described in relation to this group of families. The primary objective of this scoping review is to identify parent and family-based interventions available to improve parental health, well-being, functioning or skills in the context of a child’s medically complex hospital admission and hospital care.Methods and analysisNine bibliographic databases will be searched spanning medicine, nursing, psychology, education, social work and the grey literature using a combination of index terms and text words related to parents, childhood, chronic illness and interventions. Study eligibility will be assessed by two researchers against preset inclusion and exclusion criteria. Key information from each study will be extracted and charted including year of publication, condition, severity, geographical setting, key concepts and definitions, aims, study population and sample size, methodology/methods, interventions, outcomes and key findings. Directed qualitative content analysis will be used to make sense of narrative findings within the included studies. Results will be presented which summarise the scope of the literature and identify key findings, potential areas for evidence synthesis and research gaps.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required. The results of this review will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and feedback to stakeholders during the development of a hospital-based intervention.

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Health sciences librarians’ engagement in open science: a scoping review

Journal of the Medical Library Association JMLA ◽

10.5195/jmla.2021.1256 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 109 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Dean Giustini ◽

Kevin B. Read ◽

Ariel Deardorff ◽

Lisa Federer ◽

Melissa L. Rethlefsen

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Open Data ◽

Open Science ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Scientific Integrity ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Future Research ◽

Narrative Approaches ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

The Impact

Objectives: To identify the engagement of health sciences librarians (HSLs) in open science (OS) through the delivery of library services, support, and programs for researchers.Methods: We performed a scoping review guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and Joanna Briggs’ Manual for Scoping Reviews. Our search methods consisted of searching five bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, LISTA, and Web of Science Core Collection), reference harvesting, and targeted website and journal searching. To determine study eligibility, we applied predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria and reached consensus when there was disagreement. We extracted data in duplicate and performed qualitative analysis to map key themes.Results: We included fifty-four studies. Research methods included descriptive or narrative approaches (76%); surveys, questionnaires, and interviews (15%); or mixed methods (9%). We labeled studies with one or more of FOSTER's six OS themes: open access (54%), open data (43%), open science (24%), open education (6%), open source (6%), and citizen science (6%). Key drivers in OS were scientific integrity and transparency, openness as a guiding principle in research, and funder mandates making research publicly accessible.Conclusions: HSLs play key roles in advancing OS worldwide. Formal studies are needed to assess the impact of HSLs’ engagement in OS. HSLs should promote adoption of OS within their research communities and develop strategic plans aligned with institutional partners. HSLs can promote OS by adopting more rigorous and transparent research practices of their own. Future research should examine HSLs’ engagement in OS through social justice and equity perspectives.

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How to manage BRCA mutation carriers?

Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation ◽

10.1515/hmbci-2019-0065 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Laura Sabiani ◽

Julien Barrou ◽

Jérome Mathis ◽

Francois Eisinger ◽

Marie Bannier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brca Mutation ◽

Brca1 Mutation ◽

Brca2 Mutation ◽

Immediate Breast Reconstruction ◽

Bilateral Mastectomy ◽

Brca1 And Brca2 ◽

Mutation Carriers ◽

Brca Mutation Carriers ◽

The Impact ◽

Risk Reducing

AbstractInherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes increase the risk of development of cancer in organs especially in breast and ovary. Prevention and screening in BRCA mutation carriers are of high importance. Prophylactic surgeries are possible but are still insufficiently performed because they require surgical procedures in healthy patients. Guidelines for the management of BRCA mutations carriers must absolutely be part of the standard practice of all those involved in the management of these patients to increase the impact of the implementation of these preventive measures. There is no screening recommended for ovarian cancer. A risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy should be performed from age 35 to 40 years for BRCA1 mutation carriers and 40 to 45 years for BRCA2 mutation carriers. A screening for breast cancer should be performed annually from 30 years old by breast MRI and mammography. A risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy is recommended with nipple sparing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction from 30 years and before 40 years. A multidisciplinary care must be implemented for these patients with an important psychological support.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of The impact of prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy on menopausal symptoms and sexual function in women who carry a BRCA mutation.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.10182961.10970059 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Ashley Stuckey

Keyword(s):

Sexual Function ◽

Brca Mutation ◽

Menopausal Symptoms ◽

The Impact

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Social media and peer-to-peer support for individuals with health care needs and their caregivers: a scoping review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.16271 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Katherine Kelly ◽

Shelley Doucet ◽

Alison Luke ◽

Rima Azar ◽

William Montelpare

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Social Media ◽

Peer Support ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Peer To Peer ◽

Health Care Needs ◽

Care Providers ◽

Care Needs ◽

The Many

BACKGROUND Individuals with health care needs and their caregivers require substantial informational and emotional support. Providing this support is a major challenge for care providers, who are often not able to adequately address barriers and may not be aware of available services and programs. Online P2P support offers an accessible and inexpensive source of support; however, the breadth of these supports on social media has not been previously documented. OBJECTIVE This study was a scoping review of research examining the use of peer-to-peer support on social media by individuals with health care needs and their caregivers. METHODS This review used the PRISMA-SR method to search for articles from 1997 to 2019. RESULTS A total of 94 articles were included. Patients and caregivers use many social media websites for P2P interaction, including: Facebook (n = 19), Twitter (n = 7), and YouTube (n = 6). Providing and receiving informational and emotional support were important uses of social media for P2P support; however, the specific needs and experiences of patients and caregivers appeared to change as knowledge regarding the condition(s) improved. Despite the many benefits associated with participating in online P2P groups, concerns related to ethics, privacy, and the potential to spread misinformation are outlined as risks associated with its use. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed that patients and caregivers engage in P2P support on social media to receive informational and emotional support from peers, despite known risks and limitations. Social networking websites were revealed to be particularly suited for P2P support communication.

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The Relationship Between Highly Visual Social Media and Young People’s Mental Health: A Scoping Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.18177 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alanna McCrory

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Young People ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Published Evidence ◽

The Impact

UNSTRUCTURED Users of highly visual social media (HVSM), such as Snapchat and Instagram, share their messages through images, rather than relying on words. A significant proportion of people that use these platforms are adolescents. Previous research reveals mixed evidence regarding the impact of online social technologies on this age group’s mental wellbeing, but it is uncertain whether the psychological effects of visual content alone differ from text-driven social media. This scoping review maps existing literature that has published evidence about highly visual social media, specifically its psychological impact on young people. Nine electronic databases and grey literature from 2010 until March 2019 were reviewed for articles describing any aspect of visual social media, young people and their mental health. The screening process retrieved 239 articles. With the application of eligibility criteria, this figure was reduced to 25 articles for analysis. Results indicate a paucity of data that exclusively examines HVSM. The predominance of literature relies on quantitative methods to achieve its objectives. Many findings are inconsistent and lack the richness that qualitative data may provide to explore the reasons for theses mixed findings.

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MHealth Applications for People with Cognitive Impairment and Their Caregivers: A Scoping Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.22474 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Qing Zhao ◽

Pei Chen ◽

Yu Zhang ◽

Haining Liu ◽

Xianwen Li

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Sample Size ◽

Research Design ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Life Support ◽

Small Sample ◽

Mobile Technologies ◽

Control Group ◽

Caregiver Support ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND Mobile health application has become an important tool for healthcare systems. One such tool is the delivery of assisting in people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. OBJECTIVE This scoping review aims to explore and evaluate the existing evidence and challenges on the use of mHealth applications that assisting in people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. METHODS Nine databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, PsycARTICLES, CINAHL, Web of Science, Applied Science & Technology Source, IEEE Xplore and the ACM Digital Library were searched from inception through June 2020 for the studies of mHealth applications on people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. Two reviewers independently extracted, checked synthesized data independently. RESULTS Of the 6101 studies retrieved, 64 studies met the inclusion criteria. Three categories emerged from this scoping review. These categories are ‘application functionality’, ‘evaluation strategies’, ‘barriers and challenges’. All the included studies were categorized into 7 groups based on functionality: (1) cognitive assessment; (2) cognitive training; (3) life support; (4) caregiver support; (5) symptom management; (6) reminiscence therapy; (7) exercise intervention. The included studies were broadly categorized into four types: (1) Usability testing; (2) Pilot and feasibility studies; (3) Validation studies; and (4) Efficacy or Effectiveness design. These studies had many defects in research design such as: (1) small sample size; (2) deficiency in active control group; (3) deficiency in analyzing the effectiveness of intervention components; (4) lack of adverse reactions and economic evaluation; (5) lack of consideration about the education level, electronic health literacy and smartphone proficiency of the participants; (6) deficiency in assessment tool; (7) lack of rating the quality of mHealth application. Some progress should be improved in the design of smartphone application functionality, such as: (1) the design of cognitive measurements and training game need to be differentiated; (2) reduce the impact of the learning effect. Besides this, few studies used health behavior theory and performed with standardized reporting. CONCLUSIONS Preliminary results show that mobile technologies facilitate the assistance in people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. The majority of mHealth application interventions incorporated usability outcome and health outcomes. However, these studies have many defects in research design that limit the extrapolation of research. The content of mHealth application is urgently improved to adapt to demonstrate the real effect. In addition, further research with strong methodological rigor and adequate sample size are needed to examine the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of mHealth applications for people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers.

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