Testing the efficacy of a couple-focused, tailored eHealth intervention for symptom self-management among men with prostate cancer and their partners: the study protocol

Background Men with localized prostate cancer often experience urinary, sexual, bowel, and hormonal symptoms; general distress; pain; fatigue; and sleep disturbance. For men in an intimate relationship, these symptoms disrupt couples’ relationships and intimacy. The symptoms also reduce quality of life for both men and their partners, who are often their primary caregivers. Management of the negative effects of cancer and its treatment is a significantly under-addressed supportive care need for these men and their intimate partners. To address these unmet supportive care needs, our interdisciplinary team developed and pilot tested the usability and feasibility of an evidence-based, couple-focused, tailored eHealth intervention, “Prostate Cancer Education & Resources for Couples” (PERC). Based on the adapted stress and coping theoretical framework and developed with stakeholder involvement, PERC aims to improve quality of life for both men and their partners by enhancing their positive appraisals, self-efficacy, social support, and healthy behaviors for symptom management. Methods We will test the efficacy of PERC using a population-based, geographically and demographically diverse cohort in a randomized controlled trial. Primary aim: Assess if patients and partners receiving PERC will report greater improvement in their cancer-related quality of life scores than those in the control group (usual care plus the National Cancer Institute prostate cancer website) at 4, 8, and 12 months post-baseline. Secondary aim: Test if patients and partners in PERC will report significantly more positive appraisals and higher levels of coping resources at follow-ups than those in the control group. Exploratory aim: Determine if patient race and ethnicity, education, type of treatment, or couples’ relationship quality moderate the effects of PERC on patient and partner QOL at follow-ups. Discussion This study will provide a novel model for self-managing chronic illness symptoms that impact couples’ relationships, intimacy, and quality of life. It addresses the National Institute of Nursing Research’s goal to develop and test new strategies for symptom self-management to help patients and caregivers better manage their illness and improve quality of life. It also responds to calls for programs from the Institute of Medicine and American Cancer Society to address treatment-related effects and improve survivors’ QOL. Trial registration CT.gov NCT03489057

Salutogenesis and the Sense of Coherence During the Adolescent Years

This chapter focuses on salutogenesis and the sense of coherence during the adolescent years. The authors’ approach is itself salutogenic, in the sense that they develop their arguments in line with a positive youth development perspective. Adolescents are appreciated as individuals eager to explore the world, to acquire competence, and to struggle with challenges and difficulties, rather than as a vulnerable group in need of risk prevention, cure, and treatment for maladaptive tendencies.It is during the adolescent years, as young people move from one experience of using specific coping resources to another, that different resources can be reviewed and crystalized. The authors discuss a variety of ways that researchers have approached the study of salutogenesis and adolescence.

The Effectiveness of Fear of Leprosy As a Mediator of The Relationship Between Resilience, Coping Resources, and Coping: A Correlation Study Through The Structural Equation Model In Patients With Leprosy

Background: Strengthening the argument for better problem solving can reduce excessive worry, so as to reduce fear due to leprosy disability, because the impact arising from leprosy disability can affect the chosen coping strategy. Methods: The purpose of this study was to test the model of the relationship between resilience, coping resources, and coping through structural equation modeling to identify the role of disability fear as a mediator. The leprosy disability fear scale, coping resources scale, and coping scale have been used to collect data, with 125 participants involved in this study through convenience sampling, consisting of women (33.60%), men 66.40 %. Structural equation model is used to test through cross-sectional design. Results: The results of the study report that there is a negative relationship between coping resources and fear of leprosy disability, and it is known that there is a positive relationship with coping. Meanwhile, The test results showed a negative relationship between resilience and fear of leprosy disability, and a positive relationship with coping. Furthermore, to coping, fear of leprosy disability shows a negative relationship. Conclusion: Coping in seeking health assistance is strongly influenced by resilience and coping resources, both directly and indirectly through the mediator of fear of leprosy disability. As a result, in seeking health assistance, individuals who have strong self-defense and have extensive coping resources, have adaptive coping, thereby reducing the fear of leprosy disability, and thus can maintain adaptive coping during the leprosy healing process.

A Dyadic View on the Post-separation Network of Single Mothers

Many empirical studies have focused on the quantitative changes in the social networks of divorced and separated people. In this qualitative study, we use interviews with dyads to construct a two-sided view of the support network after separation. The aim of the study is to gain insight into the needs for support after a relational breakup. Including a network member in the analysis enables a more detailed view on the interaction at hand in the bond between these women and their supportive network members. The results show that personal coping resources are left untouched. Giving advice on ones daily activities is counter-productive. This is better understood by non family members compared to the women’s parents (especially the mother). With respect to the reciprocity in these relationships, network members do not expect a return in the period after the separation.

Separate Roles for State and Trait Anxiety in the Formation of SHU Syndrome: Testing a Moderated Mediation Hypothesis

It has been proposed that state anxiety, aroused when an inmate is initially placed in restrictive housing, interacts with the sequestering Special Housing Unit (SHU) environment to overtax the individual's already limited coping resources, and promotes later emotional problems and psychological deterioration. This study tested a SHU syndrome hypothesis with a moderated mediation path analysis of 69 male inmates. Results revealed that group status (general population vs. restrictive housing) interacted with state anxiety to increase trait anxiety and ineffective coping, which then gave rise to higher staff ratings of psychological disturbance in inmates with no prior history of mental illness.

The Effectiveness of Fear of Leprosy as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Resilience, Coping Resources, and Coping: A Correlation Study Through The Structural Equation Model in Patients with Leprosy

Background: Strengthening the argument for better problem solving can reduce excessive worry, so as to reduce fear due to leprosy disability, because the impact arising from leprosy disability can affect the chosen coping strategy. Methods: The purpose of this study was to test the model of the relationship between resilience, coping resources, and coping through structural equation modeling to identify the role of disability fear as a mediator. The leprosy disability fear scale, coping resources scale, and coping scale have been used to collect data, with 125 participants involved in this study through convenience sampling, consisting of women (33.60%), men 66.40 %. Structural equation model is used to test through cross-sectional design. Results: The results of the study report that there is a negative relationship between coping resources and fear of leprosy disability, and it is known that there is a positive relationship with coping. Meanwhile, The test results showed a negative relationship between resilience and fear of leprosy disability, and a positive relationship with coping. Furthermore, to coping, fear of leprosy disability shows a negative relationship. Conclusion: Coping in seeking health assistance is strongly influenced by resilience and coping resources, both directly and indirectly through the mediator of fear of leprosy disability. As a result, in seeking health assistance, individuals who have strong self-defense and have extensive coping resources, have adaptive coping, thereby reducing the fear of leprosy disability, and thus can maintain adaptive coping during the leprosy healing process.

Stress, Anxiety, and Depression among Medical Undergraduate Students and Their Coping Strategies

Background. Students’ mental health deteriorates after they enter medical school and continues to deteriorate throughout their training. Every individual has a certain number of coping resources, and once these coping resources are challenged, mental illness usually results. Objective. We aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, and stress as well as coping strategies used by medical undergraduate students enrolled in Arsi University. Methods. Institution-based, cross-sectional design was conducted on 265 sampled medical students. Participants were selected by a systematic, random-sampling technique. Data were collected by pretested, structured, and self-administrated questionnaires. Afterwards, logistic regression analysis was employed, and statistical significance was accepted at p < 0.05 . Results. In the present study, 5 questionnaires were rejected for incompleteness, resulting in a response rate of 98.1%. The mean age of the respondents was 22.03 (SD = 2.074) years. The current prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and stress were 52.3%, 60.8%, and 40.4%, respectively. The proportion of respondents who had extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress was 6.2%, 16.2%, and 2.3%, respectively. Depression was specifically associated with monthly income and residency. Anxiety was significantly associated with residency and educational level. Stress was associated with monthly income, educational level, and residency. The main coping strategy adopted by the respondents was religion with a mean (±SD) of 5.94 (1.85). The coping mechanisms of denial, substance use, behavioral disengagement, venting, and self-blame were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusion. Overall prevalence rate of depression, anxiety, and stress is alarmingly high. Therefore, implementing stress reduction interventions and establishing a student counseling center are highly recommended.

An integrative theoretical model to predict positive aspects of caregiving in dementia

Family caregiving for dementia is the crucial informal care resource to buffer the associated disease burden. Whereas substantial research focused on ameliorating the caregiving burden through increasing their coping resources, least attention is placed on how to promotive their positive aspects of caregiving (PAC). This longitudinal exploratory study aimed at testingWhereas the perceived self-efficacy was further enriched in the context of good social sup an integrative theoretical model which attempts to explain the evolvement of PAC from the paradigm of stress and coping and existentialism. From to June 2017 to April 2020, we have recruited a total of 403 dementia caregivers from the a geriatric clinic in Hong Kong (mean age = 56.2, SD = 12.2; child-caregiver: 73.9%). About 61% of them were taking care of PwD of moderate to severe dementia. Validated instruments were used to measure the hypothesized model constructs. By using path analysis, it was found that PAC was evolved from two conditions, including i) perceived self-efficacy developed through active coping strategies for carers with good to moderate social support and ii) meaning-focused coping in the context of high religiosity, better social support and active coping. Data-model fit was evident by RMSEA = 0.023, CFI = 0.994, NFI = 0.968 and AIC = 97.762. The findings suggested that PAC was evolved from the interaction of the stress-coping and meaning-making process. Empowering carers for successful caregiving experience, facilitating them to make meaning in the process, enhancing good dyadic relationship and social support are crucial to cultivate PAC.

Coping With Uncertainty: Use of Contemplative Practices Amid a Pandemic

Contemplative practices have been used as coping resources to reduce the negative influences of adverse life situations on mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted older adults, causing immense uncertainty, stress, and anxiety. By using data from our “Coping with Pandemic” nationwide web-based survey (n=1861), we examine the utilization of practices such as meditation, prayer, and yoga across social, economic, and health status during the pandemic. Consistent with studies conducted before the pandemic, we find significantly greater utilization of meditation and yoga among women and higher educated individuals. Findings showed significantly greater usage of prayer among women and Blacks. Unlike previous studies, we documented greater usage of meditative practices among Blacks than Whites. Older adults with higher anxiety were significantly more likely to practice meditation and yoga. Our study offers much needed guidance for future intervention studies aimed at improving mental health among diverse groups of older adults.