Social and Emotional Support Highly Associated with Helplessness among Coronary Heart Disease Patients

BACKGROUND: Helplessness is a factor that adversely affects patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The factors related to this situation have become essential to be investigated. Meanwhile, one of the factors that have the potential to reduce this situation is social support. However, there has been no research related to this in the Indonesian population. AIM: Therefore, this study aims to assess the relationship between social support and helplessness among patients with CHD. METHODS: This was a correlational study where 107 outpatient and inpatient patients at a hospital in West Java, Indonesia, were obtained. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Illness Cognition Questionnaire on the dimensions of helplessness, and the Enhancing Recovery in CHD Social Support Inventory. Furthermore, the data were analyzed by Pearson and linear regression. RESULTS: The respondents were 78% of males, while 22% were female. Most of the patients (88%) were married. The bivariate analysis showed that social support and its subvariable emotional support were significantly related to helplessness (p < 0.05, r = −0.248), while the other subvariable structural and instrumental support were not significantly related (p > 0.05). The regression analysis results showed that social and emotional support had a significant effect (p < 0.05) with R2 (95% CI) of 042 and 0.05, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The social and emotional support among CHD patients was associated with helplessness. The higher the supports obtained, the lower the patient’s helplessness. Therefore, nurses need to encourage family or those closest to patients to provide adequate social and emotional support.

Illness cognition and depression among patients with coronary heart disease

Background: Depression is a significant predictor of the quality of life among patients with coronary heart disease. Therefore, it is essential to explore the factors associated with depression. Illness cognition is considered one of the factors affecting depression. However, the relationship between illness cognition and the incidence of depression among Indonesian patients have not been widely investigated.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between illness cognition, consisting of the acceptance, perceived benefits, and helplessness variables, and depression in patients with coronary heart disease. Methods: This study employed a correlational research design with a total of 106 patients undergoing treatment at a hospital in West Java, Indonesia, selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Beck-Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and ICQ (Illness-Cognition Questionnaire). Data were analyzed using mean (SD), median, frequency distribution, and Spearman-rank. Results: 72% of respondents had no depression. Nevertheless, mild, moderate, and major depression suffered by 15%, 9%, and 4% of respondents, respectively. In terms of illness cognition, patients scored higher within the perceived benefits dimension (mean 20.13, SD 3.05), followed by acceptance (mean 18.22, SD 3.33) and helplessness (mean 13.20, SD 4.77), respectively. Furthermore, helplessness was significantly associated with depression (p <.01) with a positive correlation coefficient (r). Also, all items on the helplessness dimension had a significant correlation (p <.01) with depression accompanied by a positive r-value. Conclusion: Helplessness had a significant relationship with depression. So, cardiovascular nurses can anticipate depression in patients by making nursing interventions that can decrease the patients’ feelings of helplessness. Thus, factors that reduce helplessness need to be explored and taken into accounts in the treatment of patients with coronary heart disease.

Chinese Version of the Illness Cognition Questionnaire-Parent ICQ-P(C): Psychometric Properties of Parents of Chinese Children with Cancer

Background：Parental cognition of a child’s illness influences the psychological adjustment of the entire family and the child’s quality of life. This cross-sectional study aimed to translate the Illness Cognition Questionnaire-Parent version (ICQ-P) into Chinese and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods The translation process was complied with international recommendations. Using a convenient sampling method, 334 parents of cancer children completed the 18-item ICQ-P online. The psychometric properties of the scale were evaluated using Principle Component Analysis (PCA) with Promax with Kaiser Normalization. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the factor structure using Chi-squared/Degrees of freedom (χ2/df), Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI), incremental fit index (IFI); Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). Cronbach’s α was calculated for the final scale version, revealing adequate internal consistency.Results: Using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), we found that the Chinese version of the ICQ-P (ICQ-P[C]) had 18-item, three-factor structure (six items each, factor loadings >0.5) which explained 56.39% of total variance. Based on the structure matrix, three factors were labeled “Helplessness,” “Acceptance,” and “Perceived benefits.” After addressing some errors in covariances, χ2/df =1.890 CFI=0.931, IFI=0.933, GFI=0.884, RMSEA=0.060. The standardized coefficients of factors 1, 2, and 3, ranged from 0.50 to 0.84, (p<0.001). The final scale showed moderate-to-high reliability scores (Factor 1 α=0.819; Factor 2 α=0.835; Factor 3 α=0.802; Overall α=0.868).Conclusions: The ICQ-P is a reliable tool to measure parental cognition of a child’s illness, especially cancer. It may help medical staff to identify parents with difficulty understanding these illnesses.

Posttraumatic Growth in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: The Role of Illness Cognitions and Physical Quality in Life

Background and Aims Symptoms and complications of inflammatory bowel disease were found to be associated significantly with impaired health-related quality of life. Nevertheless, a positive psychological change like posttraumatic growth might be occurring as well, as was noted among patients with other chronic diseases but remains understudied in patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, we explored associations between posttraumatic growth and illness cognitions (helplessness, acceptance, and perceived benefits). In addition, we evaluated whether physical quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease patients mediates the link between illness cognitions and posttraumatic growth. Methods The study employed a cross-sectional design. Two hundred patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease completed questionnaires assessing illness cognitions, physical quality of life, and posttraumatic growth. Results There is a negative association between illness cognition of helplessness and posttraumatic growth, and positive associations between illness cognitions of acceptance and illness cognitions of perceived benefits, and posttraumatic growth. In addition, the association between an illness cognition of helplessness and posttraumatic growth was mediated via physical quality of life. Yet, the signs of the direct and the indirect paths of an illness cognition of helplessness on posttraumatic growth were opposite. Conclusions This study extends the literature on the role of illness cognitions as an important component in facilitating the process of posttraumatic growth among inflammatory bowel disease patients. Based on the findings, the management of inflammatory bowel disease patients should incorporate more interventions aimed at exploring cognitive aspects of the illness in order to improve physical quality of life and enhance personal growth.

Acceptance, Perceived Benefits, and Helplessness among Coronary Heart Disease Patients Undergoing Treatment in A Different Ward

Background. One of the factors determining CHD patients' adherence to treatment is Illness Cognition (IC). IC is described as acceptance, perceived-benefits, and helplessness. This study aims to identify and compared IC in CHD patients treated in different wards. Method: This research used a descriptive quantitative method with a cross-sectional approach. The study population was CHD patients who were undergoing treatment at a referral hospital in West Java. Selection of respondents using consecutive sampling, and data collected within three months, using the Illness Cognition Questionnaire on 106 respondents. Data were analyzed using mean and frequency distribution. Furthermore, ICs were compared using the Kruskal Wallis Test. Results: The following are an average IC respondent based on different IC dimensions and ward. Dimensions of helplessness: High Care Cardiac Unit (HCCU) 16.1 (SD = 4.06); Regular ward 12.86 (SD = 4.95); Outpatient 14.05 (SD = 5); Cardiac-Rehabilitation (CR) 11.04 (SD = 3.52) with p = 0.013. Dimensions of acceptance: HCCU 14.00 (SD = 2.7); Regular-ward 18.26 (SD = 2.7); outpatient 19.34 (SD = 2.88); RJ 18.20 (SD = 3.47) p = 0.005. Dimensions of perceived-benefits of HCCU 18.00 (SD = 3.6); Regular-ward 19.96 (SD = 2.76); outpatient 20.95 (SD = 3.01); RJ 20.08 (SD = 3.46) p = 0.043. Conclusion: The worst ICs of all dimensions were owned by respondents who were undergoing treatment at HCCU. ICs with relatively better are seen in respondents who were undergoing treatment in outpatient and cardiac-rehabilitation. ICs in CHD patients differ in all dimensions and categories of the ward. Thus, patient acceptance at HCCU need to be increased and as well as participation in cardiac rehabilitation so that patient perceived-benefits increase.

Determination of illness cognition levels in patients with maxillofacial area defects.

The aim of this study was to measure the illness cognition of patients with defect in the maxillofacial region. Eighty patients participated in this study. Written informed consent was obtained from patients with maxillofacial area defect, and the patients were filled in with the guidance of the researchers. Illness Cognition Questionnaire (ICQ), forms measuring the illness awareness of the patients were completed. The study was conducted independently of demographic characteristics. The statistical software SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences, Version 20, Chicago IL, USA) was used for calculations. At the end of the study, ICQ scores in patients with maxillofacial defect were as follows: There was a statistically significant intra class correlation of 88.6% (0.843-0.942) among the Helplessness scale scores of the participants. There was a statistically significant intra class correlation of 80.3% (0.728-0.863) among the Acceptance scale scores of the participants. There was a statistically significant intra class correlation of 0.752 % (0,657-0,827) among the Perceived benefits scale scores of the participants. Patients with maxillofacial defects will focus on the disease cognition "Helplessness" category. In patients with relationship maxillofacial defect, the rate of helplessness (88.6%) was higher than acceptance (80.3%) and perceived benefit (0,752 %).