A New Web Score to Predict Health Status in Paediatric Patients with Chronic Diseases: Design and Development of the PENSAMI Study

Paediatric chronic diseases (CD) are characterised by their ongoing duration and the fact that they are often managed throughout the lifespan, with the need to adjust lifestyle and expectations with the limitations coming from the CD. The aim of the PENSAMI study is to not only cure the disease, but to also care for the person from a clinical and psychosocial perspective. Data will be collected from 150 paediatric patients affected by heart disease, diabetes, and asthma admitted during in-hospital stay or outpatient visits, and from 200 healthy control subjects. The protocol will consist of two phases. The first one will aim at elaborating the predictive model by detecting (clinical, anthropometric at birth, environmental, lifestyle, social context, emotional state, and mental abilities) in order to develop a model predictive of the events considered: (1) re-hospitalisation; (2) severity and progression of the disease; (3) adherence to therapy; (4) HRQoL; (5) obesity and metabolic syndrome; (6) illness-stress related; (7) school drop-out; (8) school performance. The second one will address validating the previous predictive model. This model will aim to: (1) understand, prevent, and halt the progression of childhood CD; (2) develop new and improved diagnostic tools; (3) pave the way for innovative treatments and additional therapies to traditional clinical practice; and (4) create truly personalised therapeutic and preventive strategies in various sectors, such as cardiology, diabetes, and respiratory diseases.

Age and Living Situation As Key Factors in Understanding Changes in Alcohol Use during COVID-19 Confinement

(1) The aim of the present study was to evaluate and characterize changes in alcohol use during the COVID-19 confinement in a sample of Spanish adults, analyzing their age and living situation as defining life cycle variables. (2) Method: Data from 3779 individuals were collected through a set of online surveys. AUDIT-C was used to measure the frequency of consumption, the average daily consumption, intensive consumption, risky consumption, and Standard Drink Units. (3) Results: Although alcohol consumption during confinement showed a significant general decline, age revealed important differences, with the decline being more pronounced in adults from 18 to 29 years old. The living situation also showed significant differences. The largest decreases in alcohol consumption were found in those who lived with their parents or other relatives, whereas those who lived alone or with a partner even increased their level of consumption. In addition, the data show a significant interaction between these two variables and gender. (4) Conclusions: Age and cohabitation processes are key factors in understanding the life situation of each individual during confinement and, consequently, in explaining consumption patterns. The results obtained provide interesting recommendations for designing prevention policies in both normal and crisis circumstances, emphasizing the need to understand alcohol use from a psychosocial perspective.

IMPACT OF DIGITAL AGE ON CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: A PSYCHOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE

Children and Adolescents are seen to be using cell phonesand the internet to gather information and communicate with each other across the country.This way of communication with others is the unique feature of the Digital Age which gives powerful new styles for children and adolescents to create and peregrinate their social environments. Digital Age has a simultaneous impact on Children and Adolescents along with their physical development and development of identity, morality,and sexuality.Existing Published literatureindicated that connections between children and adolescents playing violent video games can cause aggressive behavioral problems later on.Digital Age has been known to have its impact on children and adolescents in form of diminished cognitive skills and poor academic and social development in addition to poor relationshipsandperceptionsof reality.

A Baby at All Costs? Exploring the Use and Provision of Unproven Adjuvant Treatments in the Context of IVF

The year 2018 marked 40 years since the birth of Louise Brown, the first baby born as a result of pioneering in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Since then, advances have seen a wide range of reproductive technologies emerge into clinical practice, including adjuvant treatments often referred to as IVF “add-ons.” However, these “optional extras” have faced growing criticism, especially when they have often come at additional financial cost to the patient and have little evidence supporting their efficacy to improve pregnancy or birth rates. Despite this, according to the latest national patient survey by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, three quarters of patients who had fertility treatment in the United Kingdom in the past two years had at least one type of treatment add-on highlighting the growing demand for these interventions. This article uses a psychosocial perspective to consider the motivations behind patient and clinician behavior along with the wider societal and economic factors that may be impacting upon the increase in the use of adjuvant treatments in fertility clinics more widely. It suggests the reasons fertility patients use unproven “optional extras” are complex, with interpersonal, psychological, and social factors intertwining to generate an increase in the use of IVF add-ons.

Coronary Artery Disease and its Psychosocial Risk Factors: A Narrative Review

Objective: Whenever the subject of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarctions is discussed, the focus is usually shifted towards biological factors such as smoking, diabetes, or obesity; consequently, the management aims at addressing these factors. This paper approaches the subject from a psychosocial perspective and highlights the importance of these risk factors and their inclusion in CAD screening. Background: CAD is one of the most common diseases worldwide and also one of the leading causes of death in multiple countries. Although we have a proper understanding of its pathogenesis and risk factors, we sometimes tend to overlook the psychological factors that affect the patient both pre- and post-diagnosis. The purpose of this paper is to present these underestimated factors and convey their importance. Methods: To accomplish this, an extensive review of the literature was done using PubMed and Google Scholar, and articles were chosen based on the specified keywords. The references of these articles were also screened to identify more related studies and clinical trials. Discussion: This paper is composed of multiple subsections that go over the epidemiology of the disease as well as its pathogenesis and known biological risk factors, before delving into the psychosocial aspects associated with CAD including the effects of depression, anxiety, social support, and sex differences on a patient’s prognosis. Conclusion: CAD is a disease for which the management is through multifactorial interventions. Although the pathogenesis is well understood, there is a clear gap when it comes to appreciating the patients’ mental health when living with this diagnosis. Additionally, it has been shown that there is an increase in morbidity and mortality in the patients struggling on a psychosocial level, thus these factors should be included in the screening process.

Consequences of Perceived Personal and Group Discrimination against People with Hearing and Visual Impairments

The main objective of this study was to examine the consequences of perceived discrimination in people with hearing and visual impairments. Using path analysis, we attempted to validate a multigroup model in which perceived personal discrimination is associated with internalization of stigma, which, in turn, is negatively related to self-esteem; conversely, perceived discrimination against the in-group contributes to enhanced group identification, which promotes the intention to engage in collective action, which, in turn, has beneficial effects on self-esteem. The sample consisted of a total of 200 Spanish-speaking participants, of whom 104 had hearing impairments and 96 had visual impairments. The results showed that the proposed multigroup model fit the data well. For both groups, internalized stigma played a mediating role in the relationship between perceived personal discrimination and self-esteem. However, the pathway from group discrimination to self-esteem was not as clearly supported by the data. The results are interpreted from a psychosocial perspective and may contribute to design interventions aimed at improving the well-being of people with hearing and visual impairments.

Interpersonal Therapy in Primary Infertility, Life-Cycle Transitions, and Dysthymia: A Single Case Study

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is an evidence-based therapy, originally developed to treat major depression. IPT conceptualizes depression from a bio-psychosocial perspective where signs of depression are understood in the context of an individual’s current social and interpersonal stressors, defined in terms of role transitions, disputes, bereavements, and sensitivities. In this single case study, IPT was used to treat a woman undergoing primary infertility with multiple failed pregnancies and unsuccessful adoption procedures along with specific grief reactions and depressive symptoms for 2 years. The therapy was formulated over 12 weekly sessions in the outpatient set-up in a general hospital in Kolkata in 2017. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was used to assess the efficacy of the therapy and its outcomes. The therapy was found to be effective in the patient and justifies the rationale of choosing the said therapy for the specific case from an interpersonal viewpoint. The case study may help suggest how and why to use interpersonal psychotherapy in infertility conditions with psychological ramifications.

A Psychosocial Perspective about Mental Health and League of Legends in Brazil

Every month, millions of users worldwide play the online digital game League of Legends, which also contains a server dedicated to the Brazilian region. Social oppression by race, skin color, sexual orientation, among others, occurs within the game and is reported constantly. In this paper, we analyzed possible indications of depressive disorder by using an online questionnaire as a basis. We used quantitative and qualitative methods, analyzing the relationship between the interactions and the social identities of the players. We define quantitative hypotheses and qualitative syntheses related to different social factors of the game through the analysis of 604 responses. League of Legends has a negative influence on the mental health of socially peripheral players, and the qualitative analysis exposes specific and widespread cases of oppression and discrimination. We present a discussion on ethics, possible collusion with oppression, and proposals for mitigation or solution.

The benefits and disappointments following clitoral reconstruction after female genital cutting: A qualitative interview study from Sweden

Female genital cutting or mutilation refers to the cutting of girls’ external genitalia. Due to migration from contexts where female genital cutting is common, it is estimated that around 38 000 cut women and girls live in Sweden. Clitoral reconstruction, a relatively new form of surgical healthcare offered to women with female genital cutting, was established in Sweden in 2014. This surgery aims at restoring clitoral function and anatomy, but there is yet a dearth of evidence demonstrating the effects of the surgery. The aim of this study was to explore how women undergoing clitoral reconstruction in Sweden between 2016 and 2019 experienced the surgical process and its aftereffects from a physical, sexual and psychosocial perspective. Eighteen women who had undergone clitoral reconstruction at a university hospital in Sweden agreed to participate in the study. The women were interviewed using semi-structured interviews, which were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The results, based on self-categorization and labelling theory, demonstrated both benefits and disappointments following the surgery. Several women reported positive outcomes in terms of sexual, psychosocial and aesthetic terms. They experienced reduced genital pain, improvements in their sex lives, and a sense of feeling more empowered and at ease in their bodies. Yet, some women reported aesthetic, functional and process-related disappointment related to clitoral reconstruction. Nonetheless, the women expressed gratitude for the possibility of undergoing the surgery. In conclusion, the women reported that they experienced physical, sexual and psychosocial benefits of the surgery.