Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Patients: The Association with Religiosity and Religious Coping

Determinants of life satisfaction in older adults with diabetes in China: a national cross-sectional study

Background

The life satisfaction (LS) of individuals among older adults with diabetes should not be neglected. However, current research provides limited insight into the LS of older adults with diabetes in China. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to assess the current life satisfaction status of older adults with diabetes in China, to delve into the factors influencing it, and to identify the key factors.

Methods

This study selected 1,304 patients with diabetes from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) database for analysis. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing life satisfaction among diabetic patients, and a random forest model was further utilized to rank the importance of significant influencing factors.

Results

30.14% of older adults with diabetes were dissatisfied with their lives. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis shows that self-assessed health status, self-assessed economic status, depressive symptoms, exercise, living arrangements, hearing impairment, and cognitive impairment all significantly affect the life satisfaction of older adults with diabetics. The OR values for self-assessed health and self-assessed economic status are relatively high, patients with fair and poor self-assessed health was 5.03 times and 9.72 times higher risk of life dissatisfaction compared to those with good self-assessed health (fair: OR = 5.03, 95% CI: 3.46-7.31; poor: OR = 9.72, 95% CI: 6.20-15.26). The risk of feeling dissatisfied with life was 7.69 times higher in patients with poor self-assessed economic status than in those with good self-assessed economic status (OR = 7.69, 95%CI: 4.25-13.89). The random forest results showed that the order of importance from highest to lowest was self-assessed health status, self-assessed economic status, depressive symptoms, exercise, living arrangements, hearing impairment, and cognitive impairment.

Conclusion

Our study reveals that the current rate of life satisfaction among older adults with diabetes is significantly high. Therefore, it is essential to implement measures from multiple perspectives for effective prevention and intervention. Among these factors, priority should be given to interventions focusing on economic support and health management, as these measures may serve as crucial protective factors in enhancing the well-being of older adults with diabetes.

Psychological Experiences of Elderly Patients With Covid-19 Diagnosis in Intensive Care: A Qualitative Study

In the study, it was aimed to determine the experiences of elderly COVID-19 patients hospitalized in intensive care units. The study was conducted based on the phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods. In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview form with 15 participants, who were determined by the homogeneous and criterion sampling methods, two of the purposive sampling methods. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. After the interviews, four themes were determined: intensive care experiences, importance of nursing care, intensive care environment and coping mechanisms related to COVID-19 disease, and post-intensive care realizations. In addition, 13 sub-themes were determined. This study provided a better understanding of the psychological experiences of elderly individuals during the disease, who have been hospitalized in intensive care unit and survived COVID-19.

Psychological distress among cancer patients in African countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis study

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a disease causing abnormal cell proliferation, and can cause stress, anxiety, and emotional reactions in patients. Despite studies in Africa showing psychological distress in cancer patients, a systematic review on this topic has not yet been conducted.

METHODS

To find papers, searches were conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, African Journal Online, and Google Scholar. This systematic review and meta-analysis encompassed fifteen primary articles from seven African countries that underwent assessment and inclusion. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet was used to extract the data, which were then transferred to STATA version 14 for analysis. The statistical heterogeneity was evaluated by using Cochran's Q and I2 statistics. Egger regression tests and funnel plot analysis were employed to look for publication bias. A sensitivity analysis and a subgroup analysis were performed.

RESULT

This systematic review and meta-analysis comprised a total of 1567 research participants from 15 different investigations. In Africa, 42.83% of cancer patients overall had a pooled prevalence of psychological distress (95% CI: 19.40, 66.27). Being a rural area (AOR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.49 to 3.55), having no social support (AOR = 4.63; 95% CI: 2.18 to 9.86), being in stage II cancer (AOR = 2.72; 95% CI: 1.38 to 5.38), having a co-occurring chronic illness (AOR = 2.78; 95% CI: 1.34, 5.74), experiencing financial difficulties (AOR = 16.52; 3.56, 76.63), and experiencing difficult emotional life (AOR = 2.53; 1.07, 5.97) were associated with psychological distress.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that there is a high prevalence of psychological distress among cancer patients in Africa. We have also found a significant relationship between psychological distress and rural living, a lack of social support, an advanced stage of the disease, coexisting medical conditions, financial problems, and emotional difficulties. Early detection to lessen psychological discomfort in this susceptible population is essential to reduce the burden of psychological distress among cancer patients.

Thematic Evolution and Scholarly Contributions: A Study of the Top 100 Most Cited Papers in the Journal of Religion and Health

The Journal of Religion and Health (JORH) has significantly contributed to the intersection of spirituality and healthcare since its inception in 1961. We analyzed the top 100 most cited papers published in JORH, which may provide insights into authorship patterns, institutional affiliations, and publication dynamics. The data was retrieved from the Scopus database. Details about the annual growth rate of publications, citation metrics, authorship trends, and collaboration patterns among authors, universities, and countries are provided. A total of 3,359 papers were published in JORH. The top 100 most cited papers exhibited an annual growth rate of 3.14%. The average age of these documents was 12.8 years, with each paper receiving an average of 88.87 citations. The analysis identified 289 authors contributing to these highly cited works, of which 11 authors produced single-authored documents, resulting in 12 single-authored papers. The co-authorship rate averaged 3.27 authors per document, with an international collaboration rate of 16%, indicating moderate global engagement. The authors were affiliated with 141 universities across 21 countries. Performance metrics, including the number of papers, citations, h-index, g-index, m-index, HG composite, and q2 index, highlighted the contributions of top authors. The analysis also included a focus on the thematic evolution of papers through unigram, bigram, and trigram analyses. This bibliometric study of the top 100 most cited papers in JORH may underscore the journal's role in fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and highlight areas for future research.

The prevalence of anxiety symptoms/disorders in cancer patients: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Cancer can have negative effects on mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety symptoms/disorders in cancer patients' worldwide using meta-analysis.

METHODS

The study population was cancer patients who had cancer at the time of the study. The outcome studied in this study was anxiety symptoms/disorders. PubMed and Scopus were searched based on the syntax of keywords, this search was limited to articles published in English until September 2021. For this meta-analysis, data on the prevalence of anxiety were first extracted for each of the eligible studies. The random-effects method was used for the pool of all studies. Subgroup analysis was performed based on sex, anxiety disorders, cancer site, and continents. Heterogeneity in the studies was also assessed.

RESULT

After evaluating and screening the studies, eighty-four studies were included in the meta-analysis. Prevalence of anxiety symptoms/disorders in cancer patients showed that this prevalence is 23% (I2 = 99.59) in the 95% confidence interval between 22-25%. This prevalence was 20% (I 2 = 96.06%) in the 95% confidence interval between 15-24% in men and this prevalence is 31% (I 2 = 99.72%) in the 95% confidence interval between 28-34% in women. The highest prevalence of anxiety was in patients with ovarian, breast, and lung cancers.

DISCUSSION

It showed a high prevalence of anxiety symptoms/disorders in cancer patients, in addition to therapeutic interventions for cancer, the necessary interventions should be made on the anxiety of these patients. Methodological limitation was the heterogeneity between the studies included in the meta-analysis. Some types of cancer sites could not be studied because the number of studies was small or the site of cancer was not identified.

Changes in work status after cancer diagnosis and their associations with depressive symptoms among cancer survivors: findings from the Korean longitudinal study of ageing1

PURPOSE

Cancer survivors encounter significant psychological suffering and are prone to develop depressive symptoms. Work contributes to personal fulfillment and social connections, and by doing so, enhances a cancer survivor's resilience against adversities. However, maintaining employment can be challenging for some cancer survivors. This research aimed to identify the association between changes in work status and depressive symptoms among cancer survivors in South Korea.

METHODS

This study used the panel data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) and included 199 cancer survivors-799 observations-aged 65 or younger, between 2005 and 2018. Changes in work status consisted of continuous unemployment or employment, quitting a job, and getting a job. We defined depressive symptoms as a CES-D-10 score of 10 or higher and a cut-off of 4 was utilized for sensitivity analysis. Multivariable generalized estimating equation was employed to estimate the odds ratio (OR), adjusting for the number of household members, education level, sex, age, marital status, occupations, cancer treatment, cancer type, catastrophic healthcare expenditure (CHE), and survivorship. Subgroup analysis and interaction between changes in work and cancer types were further explored.

RESULTS

For depressive symptoms, the OR of the continuous unemployment group was 2.27 (95% CI = 1.10-4.69), and the OR of the group that quit a job was 2.20 (95% CI = 1.03-4.72), compared to the continuous employment group. As survivorship increased, the odds of depressive symptoms decreased (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.89-1.00). CHE was associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.18-4.20). In cancer types with a low tendency to depression, continuous unemployment was associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 3.19, 95% CI = 1.12-9.06). In sensitivity analysis, changes in work, survivorship, and CHE were consistently associated with depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Cancer survivors who quit a job or continued unemployment were more likely to experience depressive symptoms. The findings of this study imply that assistance for cancer survivors to continue a job or return to employment, including adjustment of workload and hours, may be helpful. Psychological care may be crucial, particularly in the early stage of cancer survivorship. Furthermore, support may be needed to alleviate the burden of healthcare expenditure.

Cancer Patients: Forgiveness, Discomfort Intolerance and Psychiatric Symptoms

Objectives: Cancer patients try to find answers in the light of their individual experiences and if they cannot adapt in line with the answers, various psychiatric symptoms may occur. There are studies supporting that "forgiveness" helps reduce the emotional burden of patients with cancer in their ability to discomfort intolerance of the disease, find meaning in the life. The aim of this study is to evaluate forgiveness, discomfort intolerance, and psychiatric symptoms in cancer patients. Methods: The data of this study, which was conducted with 208 cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy treatment, Personal Information Form was collected with Heartland Forgiveness Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory, and Discomfort Intolerance Scale. Result: It has been determined that cancer patients have a high level of forgiveness, a moderate tolerance to tolerate discomfort, and enable low level of occurrence of psychiatric symptoms. As the level of self-forgiveness and forgiveness of patients increases, the incidence of psychiatric symptoms decreases. Conclusion: In line with the findings, it can be thought that the high level of forgiveness of cancer patients towards their illness allows them to experience less psychiatric symptoms and increase their tolerance to the disorder. Awareness of both patients and healthcare personnel can be increased by preparing training programs that address forgiveness in individuals diagnosed with cancer in healthcare institutions.

Research progress on the psychological burden and intervention measures in cancer patients

In the past 40 years, the gradually increasing incidence and mortality rates of malignant tumors have severely impacted the quality of life of patients, bringing significant physical and psychological burdens and becoming an increasingly serious social issue. With the development of medical standards, new methods for cancer detection and treatment have been continuously proposed. Although it has been proven that cancer is related to increased psychological burden and suicidal behaviors in patients, current research on the psychological burden caused by cancer is insufficient. Clinicians often overlook the psychological health issues of patients while treating their physical diseases. Considering the high incidence of cancer, this review will outline the psychological burdens of cancer patients worldwide in recent years and its high-risk factors. Moreover, this review will summarize the common methods for evaluating psychological burdens, present current predictive models and treatment methods for the psychological burden of cancer patients, aiming to provide a research basis and future direction for the timely and accurate assessment of the psychological burden in cancer patients.

Death Anxiety and Religious Coping in Heart Failure Patients

This study was conducted to determine death anxiety and religious coping in heart failure patients. It was determined that 64% of the patients were male, the mean death anxiety score was 7.78 ± 3.91, 38% had ≤6 points and 62% had ≥7 points. Positive religious coping score was 20.54 ± 6.58 and negative religious coping score was 6.86 ± 3.18. Patients with a diagnosis of heart failure ≥3 years had higher death anxiety levels. There was a weak positive correlation between death anxiety and positive and negative religious coping scores. Death anxiety and the number of days hospitalized were determined to predict positive religious coping in regression analysis. The model explained 7.6% of the total variance in positive religious coping. Heart failure patients were detected to have high death anxiety. Patients were observed to have high positive religious coping scores. As death anxiety increases, patients exhibit positive religious coping behavior.

Exploring coping strategies among caregivers of children who have survived paediatric cancer in Jordan

OBJECTIVE

To explore the coping strategies of caregivers of children who have survived paediatric cancer in Jordan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study used a cross-sectional survey design and convenient sampling. The sample included 102 caregivers of children who have survived cancer, and outcome measures included the Arabic-translated Brief COPE, and caregiver and child demographic and condition questionnaire. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, analysis of frequencies, Spearman-rank order correlations and linear regression.

RESULTS

Caregivers most frequently used religion coping (mean=6.42, SD=1.85), followed by acceptance (mean=5.95, SD=1.96) and planning (mean=5.05, SD=1.94). The least used coping strategies were humour (mean=2.98, SD=1.24) and behavioural disengagement as coping strategies (mean=3.01, SD=1.42). Having a female child predicted more self-distraction utilisation (β=0.265, p=0.007).

CONCLUSION

Caregivers of children who have survived cancer in Jordan frequently use passive coping strategies like religion and acceptance coping to overcome daily life stressors. Caregivers might benefit from psychosocial occupational therapy interventions to support their engagement in more active or problem-focused coping strategies.

The lived experiences of patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Background

The objective of this study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the lived experiences of patients with cancer in Lebanon.

Methods

We adopted a descriptive phenomenological approach. We included adults who had been diagnosed with cancer before the pandemic and undergoing treatment at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre. We conducted virtual, semi-structured in-depth interviews with either video or audio recordings. Two team members coded the transcripts independently and identified common themes and patterns.

Results

We recruited 11 participants for the study. The analysis identified the following six themes: perceived seriousness of COVID-19, fear of COVID-19 versus fear of cancer, coping mechanisms, treatment availability and accessibility, compliance with public health and social measures and precautionary measures in the healthcare system. The coping mechanisms included staying positive, seeking normalcy, using family support, religiosity and fatalism.

Conclusion

Faced with many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with cancer resorted to a range of coping strategies.

The effects of strength of religious faith on post-traumatic growth in patients with epilepsy

AIM

This study was conducted to examine the effects of strength of religious faith on post-traumatic growth in patients with epilepsy.

METHOD

This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 112 participants who were admitted to the neurology outpatient clinic of a university hospital in eastern Turkey, who met the research criteria and agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected by using "Descriptive Information Form", "Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSRFQ)", and "Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI)". Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire SCRFSQ has a maximum strength of faith score of 40 points and the PGTI has a maximum growth after a traumatic event score of 105 points.

RESULTS

Mean SCSRFQ total score of the participants was found to be 31.04 ± 5.17. Mean PTGI total score was found to be 60.54 ± 16.50. As a result of the regression analysis, it was found that the independent variable affected the dependent variable PTGI total score significantly (F(1,110) = 13.999, p = 0.000). It was also found that the independent variable affected the PTGI total score positively (β = 0.336) and explained 11% of the PTGI total score (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

It was found that the participants had high strength of religious faith score and moderate post-traumatic growth score. It was found that post-traumatic growth increased as strength of religious faith increased.

Assessing the impact of religious resources and struggle on well-being: a report from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-I

PURPOSE

The current study examined the relationships between religious resources (i.e., certainty of belief in God and attendance at religious services), religious struggle (e.g., belief that cancer is evidence of God's punishment or abandonment), and physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL), including fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), in a large, geographically and clinically diverse sample of long-term survivors of cancer.

METHODS

Participants were 2021 9-year survivors of cancer from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors - I. Religious resources included belief in God and attendance at religious services. Items from the Brief RCOPE and the PROMIS Psychosocial Impact of Illness were combined to assess religious struggle. Survivors also completed the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory, SF-12, and Meaning and Peace subscales of the FACIT-Sp. Regression models were used to predict HRQoL and FCR from religious resources and struggle.

RESULTS

In multivariable models, certain belief in God predicted greater mental HRQoL (B = 1.99, p < .01), and attendance at religious services was associated with greater FCR (B = .80, p < .05) as well as better mental (B = .34, p < .01) and physical (B = .29, p < .05) HRQoL. In addition, religious struggle predicted greater FCR (B = 1.32, p < .001) and poorer mental (B =  - .59, p < .001) and physical (B =  - .29, p < .001) HRQoL. Many of these relationships were mediated through Meaning.

CONCLUSIONS

With the exception of FCR, religious resources predicted better HRQoL outcomes in these long-term survivors of cancer. Conversely, religious struggle consistently predicted poorer HRQoL, including greater FCR.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

Given the documented importance of its role in coping with the cancer experience, religion/spirituality should be a consideration in every survivorship care plan. Multidisciplinary assessment and support of religious resources and identification of and referral for religious struggle are needed to ensure the well-being of most long-term survivors of cancer.

Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Contribution of Self-Control Skills and Religiosity in Arab Israeli-Palestinian Students in Israel

The reported high rates of deaths and negative psychological outcomes of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have led to an increased empirical interest in examining the contributing factors of coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adolescents living in Arab societies have unique challenges that may increase the likelihood of exhibiting symptoms of stress during this crisis. However, this population has been understudied in this context. The current research aims to elucidate factors that may contribute to Arab Israeli-Palestinian students' coping abilities during the COVID-19 pandemic by investigating the relationship between coping with stress during the COVID-19 outbreak and both self-control and religiosity. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to investigate the relationship of coping with stress during the COVID-19 outbreak with self-control skills and religiosity among Arab Israeli-Palestinian college students in Israel (n = 465). Correlational analyses and stepwise multiple regression models were used to examine these relationships. The stepwise multiple regression model demonstrated that (1) higher levels of self-control (β = .19, p < .01) and religiosity (β = .16, p < .01) predicted higher levels of adaptive, problem-focused coping, and (2) higher levels of self-control (β = -.21, p < .01) and religiosity (β = -.17, p < .01) predicted lower levels of maladaptive, emotion-focused coping. Thus, the current research demonstrates the importance of these variables in countering stress resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak in non-Western societies. These findings are consistent with previous literature that has addressed the impact of self-control and religiosity in improving coping behaviours in Western societies.

Quality of Life in Amazonian Women during Cervical Cancer Treatment: The Moderating Role of Spirituality

This study aimed to examine the contribution of psychological variables to quality of life (QoL) of Amazonian women and to analyze the moderating role of spirituality in the relationship between psychological morbidity and Qol and between illness perception and QoL. This cross-sectional study included 119 women undergoing treatment for cervical cancer (CC). The Pearson correlation test was used to evaluate the relationship between sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological variables. To test how psychological morbidity, illness perception, and spirituality contribute to QoL, a path analysis was performed and to test the moreating role of spirituality, a moderation analysis was conducted. The results revealed that the presence of symptoms, high psychological morbidity, negative body image, and threatening illness perception were predictors of lower QoL. Spirituality moderated the relationship between psychological morbidity and QoL, and between illness perception and QoL. The moderating role of spirituality emphasizes its role as a coping strategy and should be included in cancer treatment. Interventions should target psychological morbidity, threatening illness perception, and address women's concerns with body image and sexual concerns. CC treatment should include interprofessional healthcare teams addressing the biological and psychosocial factors of Amazonian women. As a result of this study a mobile application to monitor women's health, adapted to cultural and social characteristics, was created.

Personal Growth and Life Satisfaction during Fertility Treatment-A Comparison between Arab and Jewish Women

Coping with difficulty conceiving and the ensuing fertility treatments is a stressful experience that impacts many aspects of women's lives. On the basis of Lazarus and Folkman's model of stress and coping and Schaefer and Moos's model of personal growth, and in view of the sparse literature on cultural aspects of infertility and personal growth, this study examined the relationship between stress on the one hand and personal growth and life satisfaction on the other among Arab and Jewish Israeli women. Furthermore, it investigated the moderating role played by perceived stigma, coping flexibility, cultural orientation (individualism and collectivism), and ethnicity. Two hundred five Arab and Jewish Israeli women undergoing fertility treatment completed self-report questionnaires. The results show that Arab women reported higher levels of personal growth and individualism than Jewish women. In the whole sample, a linear negative relationship was found between stress and life satisfaction, and a curvilinear relationship was found between stress and personal growth. In addition, perceived stigma, collectivism, individualism, and coping flexibility were found to moderate the association between perceived stress and personal growth. The findings provide further understanding of personal growth in the context of infertility, showing that personal resources and perceptions are more important than cultural differences in this regard.

Reproducibility of the brief religious coping inventory with African athletes' sample using ordinal factor analytical approach

Background

Previous studies have revealed that religious coping strategy is common among athletes due to the stressful experiences before and during competitions as part of the mental preparations they go through, the uncertainty of sporting outcomes, and other organizational issues they encounter. This research assessed the reproducibility of the Brief Religious Coping (RCOPE) instrument in an African setting using athletes' samples from different countries. Particularly, the research sought to assess the (1) factor structure of Brief RCOPE with an African sample, (2) construct validity of the RCOPE measure, and (3) measurement invariance of the RCOPE instrument based on gender and nationality.

Methods

The study surveyed a convenient sample of 300 athletes, including 164 male and 136 female athletes, from 3 African countries (Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria) who participated in the 2018 West African University Games. The Brief RCOPE instrument was administered to the athletes for validation purposes before the competition. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using the ordinal factor analytic approach.

Results

This validation study confirmed the two-factor dimension (positive and negative religious coping) of the Brief RCOPE measure. Further, all items for each of the dimensions of the inventory contributed significantly to the measure of the Brief RCOPE domains. The positive and negative religious coping dimensions contributed more than half of the variance of their respective indicators. Measurement invariance across gender and nationality was confirmed.

Conclusion

Sufficient evidence was gathered to support the interpretation and use of the Brief RCOPE measure. Coaches and sports psychologists could adopt the Brief RCOPE measure to understand the mental or thought patterns of religious athletes based on existential concerns or stress accrued from impending competitions to inform appropriate religious coping interventions. This notwithstanding, the Minimum Clinical Important Difference (MCID) of the Brief RCOPE should be further investigated to enhance the utility of the instrument for use in intervention-based studies.

Prevalence of psychological distress among cancer patients in Southeast Asian countries: A systematic review

Psychological distress (including depression and anxiety) is common in the first years of cancer diagnosis but can differ by country and region. The aim of the present paper was to review the prevalence of psychological distress among cancer patients in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region. A systematic literature search was carried out using several databases (i.e., PubMed, PsychARTICLES, Embase, CINAHI, Web of Sciences, Plus, Scopus, and AHMED). Papers originally published in English language were taken into consideration if they (i) were published from 2010 to 2021 and (ii) reported the prevalence of psychological distress among patients with different types of cancer. A total of 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. The most frequently employed psychometric instrument for anxiety and depression screening was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The prevalence of anxiety (ranging from 7% to 88%) was wider than that of depression (ranging from 3% to 65.5%) among patients with different types of cancer and living in various countries in the SEA region. The overall prevalence rate of psychological distress among cancer patients from the SEA region was not fundamentally very different from that of general populations. These findings provide useful information for health professionals and cancer patients to understand the negative role of psychological distress in quality of life and health. The research findings demonstrate the importance of counselling for psychological distress among cancer patients as means of effectively resolving their psychological problems and ultimately improving the quality of oncology medical care. Clinical recommendations for cancer management should incorporate the early identification of (and therapy for) psychological distress, as well as their monitoring during treatment.

Forgiveness Mediates the Protective Role of Religiosity on Psychological Distress: Findings from Inmates in Eswatini Correctional Centres

This study examined the mediating role of forgiveness in the relationship between religiosity and psychological distress among 244 inmates (Mean_age = 31.6) in Eswatini, a country in Southern Africa formerly called Swaziland. Results showed that religiosity, forgiveness and psychological distress were related in the expected direction. Outcomes of SEM analyses indicated that high religiosity was associated with greater forgiveness, which in turn associated with low distress. While the presence of positive feelings of forgiveness was a significant mediator, the absence of negative feelings was not. Psychotherapeutic techniques targeting lower distress from religiosity should utilize forgiveness interventions with a special focus on the presence of positive feelings toward the offender.

Instruments for Assessing Spiritual/Religious Coping in Multicultural Clinical Settings

ABSTRACT

A review of literature was conducted to discover and compare various instruments that could be used in daily nursing practice to assess spiritual and religious coping in a variety of multicultural clinical settings. Fifteen spiritual and religious (S/R) instruments were identified, used in 31 studies in multiple countries. These S/R coping tools may be useful to nurses in assessment and for planning interventions.

Relationship of Muslim Religiosity and Death Anxiety with the Mediating Effect of Optimism and Depression Among Cancer Patients in Pakistan

Optimism and the practice of any religion are known to reduce depression and anxiety in cancer patients. In the present study, the specific role of Muslim religiosity, optimism, depression, and death anxiety in cancer patients has been explored. The sample of this study consisted of 200 cancer patients from different hospitals of the districts Faisalabad and Lahore (Pakistan). The sample's average age was 26.6 years. Parallel mediation findings show that optimism and depression are significant mediators between Muslim religiosity and death anxiety among cancer patients. Muslim religiosity is positively associated with optimism, and it helps to decrease the level of death anxiety, while depression is negatively associated with Muslim religiosity, and high depression increases the death anxiety level of cancer patients. In conclusion, Muslim religiosity and optimism play significant roles in managing depressive symptoms and death anxiety among cancer patients.

The Relationship Between Religious Orientation and Death Anxiety in Iranian Muslim Patients with Cancer: The Mediating Role of Hope

Cancers are globally prevalent often life-threatening diseases that carry an immense psychological burden such as death anxiety. Thus, identifying protective psychological factors affecting death anxiety in individuals with cancer is of strong relevance. This study investigated the potential mediating role of hope in the relationship between religious orientation and death anxiety in Iranian patients with cancer. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate death anxiety, hope, and religious orientation in a convenience sample of 320 patients (age range 18-89 years) with cancer. Measures included demographic factors, health characteristics, and validated instruments of the study constructs. Path analysis was used to evaluate mediation models. The findings indicated a direct path from intrinsic religious orientation (β = - 0.122, p < 0.001) to death anxiety and a direct path from hope (β = - 0.258, p < 0.001) to death anxiety. However, when hope was introduced as a mediating variable, the relationship between intrinsic religious orientation and death anxiety became non-significant (β = 0.001, p = 0.983). In this study, hope largely explained the relationship between intrinsic religiosity and death anxiety. In countries such as Iran where religiosity is an important psychological construct, greater hope among the more intrinsically religious may help to explain why more deeply religious persons experience less anxiety.

Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression among Psychiatric Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Malaysian Perspective

The psychological distress reported among frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) is concerning. Little is known about the mental health of non-frontline, psychiatric HCWs, who play a central role in handling the mental health crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of anxiety and depression among psychiatric HCWs and evaluate its association with socio-demographic, socio-economic, work-related factors and coping strategies. The authors proposed a cross-sectional study design using the Hospital Anxiety and Depressive Scale (HADS) and Brief-COPE scale. This study found that the prevalence of anxiety and depression were 22.0% and 16.8%, respectively. A multivariate analysis revealed that married psychiatric HCWs had a lower level of anxiety with OR = 0.31 (95% CI: 0.11-0.83). Psychiatric HCWs who were experiencing financial hardships, were unvaccinated and those who had a shorter duration of service in the psychiatric department had a higher level of depressive symptoms with OR = 0.31 (CI: 1.19-11.27), 3.21 (CI: 0.97-10.52), and 1.01 (CI: 1.00-1.02), respectively. For every increase of one unit of avoidant coping score among respondents, the odds of having anxiety and depression increased by 1.25 times (CI: 1.15-1.37) and 1.20 times (CI: 1.09-1.32), respectively, whereas for every increase of one unit of religious coping score among respondents, the odds of having anxiety reduced by 1.42 times (CI: 1.10-1.84). The authors highlight that psychosocial measures addressing the relatively high levels of anxiety and depression among psychiatric HCWs should be a key priority to ensure the sustainment of mental health services in the face of this prolonged pandemic.

Religious Coping and Life Satisfaction during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Polish Catholics. The Mediating Effect of Coronavirus Anxiety

Recent data have indicated that people may have experienced fear during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to deepen our understanding of the relationship between religious coping and life satisfaction by analysing the indirect effects of fear of COVID-19.

METHODS

This study included 365 people (75% women) aged 18-78 years. The procedure consisted of completing questionnaires to measure religious coping, COVID-19 anxiety, satisfaction with life, and satisfaction with social support.

RESULTS

Structural equation modelling showed that positive religious coping was related to greater life satisfaction and greater satisfaction with social support during the pandemic. Moreover, fear of COVID-19 mediated the relationship between negative religious coping and life satisfaction and social support satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest a need for practitioners to focus on interventions that enhance positive religious coping to improve life satisfaction during the spread of infectious diseases.

"The Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH): Psychometric Evaluation and Initial Validation of the SSSH Baseline Spirituality Survey"

This paper describes the development and initial psychometric testing of the baseline Spirituality Survey (SS-1) from the Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH) which contained a mixture of items selected from validated existing scales and new items generated to measure important constructs not captured by existing instruments. The purpose was to establish the validity of new and existing measures in our racially/ethnically diverse sample. Psychometric properties of the SS-1 were evaluated using standard psychometric analyses in 4,634 SSSH participants. Predictive validity of SS-1 scales was assessed in relation to the physical and mental health component scores from the Short-Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12). Scales exhibited adequate to strong psychometric properties and demonstrated construct and predictive validity. Overall, the correlational findings provide solid evidence that the SS-1 scales are associated with a wide range of relevant R/S attitudes, mental health, and to a lesser degree physical health.

Strength of Religious Faith in Peruvian Adolescents and Adults: Psychometric Evidence from the Original and Short Versions of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire in Spanish

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric evidence of the original and short versions of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSRFQ) in Spanish in a sample of 245 Peruvian adolescents and adults (mean age = 21.04 years, SD = 3.07, 47.8% male and 52.2% female), selected by nonprobabilistic convenience sampling. Additionally, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were applied. Confirmatory Factor Analysis, internal consistency reliability methods, hierarchical sequence of variance models, and a graded response model were used. Results indicate that both versions of the SCSRFQ showed robust psychometric properties: adequate unidimensional structure, adequate difficulty and discrimination parameters, and significant relationships with the measures of fear of COVID-19 and satisfaction with life. The original version of the SCSRFQ showed evidence of strict measurement invariance by sex and age, whereas the short version showed strict invariance by sex and configural invariance by age. Both versions showed acceptable reliability indices. In conclusion, the original and short versions of the SCSRFQ in Spanish show evidence of psychometric indicators that support their use to assess the strength of religious faith.

An investigation of the relationship between religious coping and life satisfaction in oncology patients aged 65 and over

BACKGROUND

Religious coping refers to the use of religion or spirituality to cope with stressful situations. Religious coping is a concept which involves both positive and negative cases. Studies on oncology patients, who encounter various physical and psychological difficulties, report that religious coping beliefs and practices are of great importance in helping patients to face the disease, adapt to this crisis period and accept their disease, and maintain their hope. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between religious coping and life satisfaction in oncology patients aged 65 and over.

METHODS

This descriptive study was conducted at a university hospital in a city located in eastern Turkey between March and July 2020 with the voluntary participation of 125 patients with cancer. Data collection was performed via the Demographic Characteristics Form, Life Satisfaction Scale, and Religious Coping Scale.

RESULTS

Mean score of the Life Satisfaction Scale was significantly higher among the participants with a monthly income of 2000 tl and over, who lived with their spouse and children, who adapted to the diseases, and who perceived their health status as 'good'. The mean score of the Religious Coping Scale was significantly higher in the participants with metastasis. There was a negative, statistically significant relationship between the Life Satisfaction Scale total mean score and the Negative Religious Coping sub-scale mean score (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study found that negative religious coping negatively affected life satisfaction. Further, patients with cancer should be provided with psychosocial support programs that enable them to express the cases causing them to think what they experience is a divine punishment, encourage them in this way, and help them feel relieved.

The Relationship Between Spirituality Dimensions and Death Anxiety among Iranian Veterans: Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling Approach

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship among spiritual intelligence, spiritual well-being and death anxiety among Iranian veterans. In this predictive correlational study, 211 veterans completed King and DeCicco's Spiritual Intelligence Scale, Paloutzian and Ellison's Spiritual Well-being Scale and Templer's Death Anxiety Scale-Extended. After confirming the reliability of the constructs using intra-class correlation coefficient, partial least squares structural equation modeling method was utilized to assess the impact of spiritual well-being and spiritual intelligence on death anxiety. This study found a significant positive relationship between spiritual intelligence and death anxiety after controlling for the effects of age, education level and disability. However, there was a significant negative relationship between spiritual well-being and death anxiety among Iranian veterans. Negative relationships were found between spiritual well-being and death anxiety among Iranian veterans. However, spiritual intelligence had a positive impact on death anxiety.

A path analysis model of spiritual well-being and quality of life in Iranian cancer patients: a mediating role of hope

PURPOSE

Maintenance of quality of life (QOL) is vital for adaptation to life-threatening and chronic illnesses such as cancer. Therefore, the evaluation and strengthening of personal psychological resources that support QOL for patients with cancer is paramount. This study investigated the potential mediating role of hope in the relationship between spiritual well-being and QOL in Iranian cancer patients.

METHODS

A correlational predictive design was used with 200 patients with varying types and stage of cancer. Demographic and health characteristic surveys, spiritual well-being (SWB), adult hope, and EORTC QLQ-c30 scales were used for measuring the study constructs. Path analysis modeling was used to determine mediation relationships.

RESULTS

Patients' QOL was affected by SWB and hope. Religious (β = 0.205, p = 0.002) and existential (β = 0.286, p < 0.001) SWB dimensions and hope (β = 0.263, p < 0.001) improved QOL scores. The presence of hope partially mediated the relationship between SWB and QOL.

CONCLUSION

Quality of life was directly affected by SWB and was further improved by the presence of hope. The study suggests that maintenance of hope is essential to QOL in Iranian patients with cancer.

The Association Between Positive Religious Coping, Perceived Stress, and Depressive Symptoms During the Spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Among a Sample of Adults in Palestine: Across Sectional Study

OBJECTIVES

The current study was designed to investigate the relationship between positive religious coping, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms among Palestinian adults in response to the emergence of coronavirus (COVID-19), and the quarantine system implemented in the city of Tulkarem, Palestine.

METHODS

A correlational study was conducted to examine the relationship between study variables. Participants were 400 Palestinian adults, involving 172 males and 228 females, living in the city of Tulkarem, Palestine, during the spread of coronavirus. Participants were selected using convenience and snowball sampling techniques.

RESULTS

Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to test the relationship between positive religious coping, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress. Findings revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between positive religious coping and depressive symptoms (r = - .17, p < .01). Results also indicated a statistically significant negative correlation between positive religious coping and perceived stress (r = - .15, p < .01). The regression analysis for predicting depressive symptoms found that both positive religious coping (B = - .21, SE = .05, β = - .18) and perceived stress (B = .41, SE = .05, β = .35) were statistically significant toward explaining variance in depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The importance of developing intervention programs that take into consideration religious/spiritual struggles and positive religious strategies may help improve resilience and well-being among affected populations. With the recent spread of COVID-19, findings of this current study have presented important practical implications for improving the mental health and well-being among Palestinians, especially since Palestinian society continues to face different types of stressors, such as illegal occupation. Further studies are recommended to test the relationship between current study variables and other related variables.

Una aproximación desde la etnografía focalizada al papel de la religiosidad durante la vivencia del cáncer de mama

Resumen En este trabajo se exploró el papel de la religiosidad durante la vivencia del cáncer de mama de un grupo de mujeres del sur de Colombia. Se realizó una etnografía focalizada donde participaron 17 mujeres que padecen cáncer de mama en cualquier estadio de la enfermedad y que habían concluido el primer año de tratamiento. La información se recolectó a través de un grupo de discusión y diez entrevistas semiestructuradas. El análisis temático se utilizó para el tratamiento de los datos. Para las mujeres, la religiosidad fue esencial para la aceptación del padecimiento, al asumirlo como una oportunidad de crecimiento personal y, además, la consideraron una fuente de afrontamiento durante el padecimiento. Se concluye que acercarse al papel de la religiosidad, desde las voces de las mujeres, devela el esencial papel que juega durante la trayectoria del cáncer de mama y la imperiosidad de la inclusión de la atención religiosa como un componente esencial para las mujeres durante el padecimiento del cáncer de mama. Asimismo, es un llamado a la importancia que la investigación sobre este padecimiento no se centre solo desde una perspectiva biomédica.

Religious Coping, Hopelessness, and Suicide Ideation in Subjects with First-Episode Major Depression: An Exploratory Study in the Real World Clinical Practice

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the potential relationships between religious coping, hopelessness, and suicide ideation in adult outpatients with the first episode of major depressive disorder (MDD).

METHODS

Ninety-four adult outpatients with MDD were assessed through the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and the Scale of Suicide Ideation (SSI). Religious coping was assessed with the Italian version of the Brief RCOPE scale, consisting of seven positive coping items (PosCop) and seven negative coping items (NegCop).

RESULTS

The results showed that the Brief RCOPE PosCop scale exhibited a strong inverse correlation with HAM-D, BHS, and SSI, whereas HAM-D and BHS were positively correlated with SSI. Brief RCOPE NegCop scores were positively correlated only with SSI. Regression analysis with SSI as the dependent variable showed that higher Brief RCOPE PosCop scores were associated with lower suicide ideation, whereas higher HAM-D and BHS scores were associated with higher suicide ideation.

CONCLUSION

Positive religious coping may be a protective factor against the development of suicide ideation, perhaps counteracting the severity of depressive symptoms and hopelessness. The evaluation of religious coping should be performed in all subjects with MDD in everyday clinical practice. However, this study was preliminary, and limitations must be considered.

Relationship between the religious attitudes of women with gynecologic cancer and mental adjustment to cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between religious attitudes of Muslim women with gynecologic cancer and mental adjustment to cancer.

METHODS

Designed as a descriptive relational study, this study was conducted with 123 patients with gynecologic cancer. A personal information form, prepared in accordance with the literature, the Religious Attitude Scale (RAS), and the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (MACS) were used as data collection tools. The data were assessed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analysis, and linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

A positive correlation was determined between the RAS score and the fighting spirit subscale of the MACS (r = 0.65, p < 0.001). A negative correlation was found between the helplessness/hopelessness and anxious preoccupation subscales of the MACS and the RAS score (r = -0.40, p < 0.001; r = -0.30, p < 0.001, respectively).

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

The present results are helpful in understanding the influence of religious attitudes on the mental adjustment to gynecologic cancer patients. The results can serve as a reference for nursing education and clinical healthcare practice. Palliative healthcare providers can participate in improved care by recognizing spiritual needs and by advocating for attention to spiritual needs as a routine part of cancer care.

Anxiety and Depression among Amphetamine-Type Stimulant Users: The Association with Religiosity and Religious Coping

BACKGROUND

Amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) use brings severe adverse effects to the mental well-being of an individual and it is an essential contributor to the global disease burden. Meanwhile, religiosity and religious coping might improve one's conduct, physical and mental well-being. Hence, this study aims to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in ATS user and their association with religiosity and religious coping.

METHODS

It is a cross-sectional study conducted at the Department of Psychological Medicine, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to assess anxiety and depression among ATS users. Religiosity and religious coping were measured with Duke University Religious Index and Brief RCOPE.

RESULTS

This study involved 215 ATS users. Almost half of the ATS users had either anxiety (n = 96; 44.6%) or depression (n = 108; 50.2%), which were associated with polysubstance use or having an existing psychiatric disorder. Subjects with higher religiosity and positive religious coping were less anxious or depressed. However, negative religious coping was significantly associated with anxiety and depression in ATS users.

CONCLUSION

Anxiety and depression are prevalent in ATS users. Integrating religiosity and religious coping into the ATS users' treatment plan helps to improve their mental well-being.

Associations between prostate cancer-related anxiety and health-related quality of life

Background

There are uncertainties about prostate cancer‐related anxiety's (PCRA) associations with health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) and major depression, and these could affect the quality of mental healthcare provided to prostate cancer patients. Addressing these uncertainties will provide more insight into PCRA and inform further research on the value of PCRA prevention. The goals of this study were to measure associations between PCRA and HRQOL at domain and subdomain levels, and to evaluate the association between PCRA and probable (ie, predicted major) depression.

Method

We analyzed secondary cross‐sectional data from the North Carolina Prostate Cancer Comparative Effectiveness & Survivorship Study (NC ProCESS—a population‐based cohort of prostate cancer patients enrolled shortly after diagnosis [between January 2011 and June 2013] and followed prospectively). Patient‐reported measures of PCRA and HRQOL from 1,016 enrollees who participated in NC ProCESS’s 1‐year follow‐up survey were assessed. Outcomes of interests were a) linear correlations between contemporaneous memorial anxiety scale for prostate cancer (MAX‐PC) and Short Form 12 (SF‐12) scores, and b) measures of association between indicators of clinically significant PCRA (ie, MAX‐PC > 27) and probable depression during survey contact (ie, SF‐12 mental component score ≤43).

Results

PCRA measures had notable associations with SF‐12’s mental health subscale (assesses low mood/nervousness [rho = −0.42]) and emotional role functioning subscale (assesses subjective productivity loss [rho = −0.46]). Additionally, the risk of probable depression was significantly higher in participants with clinically significant PCRA compared with those without it (weighed risk ratio = 5.3, 95% confidence interval 3.6‐7.8; P < .001).

Conclusion

Prostate cancer patients with clinically significant PCRA should be assessed for major depression and productivity loss.

Personal resources and flexibility in coping with stress depending on perceived stress in a group of cancer patients

Background

Cancer is a highly stressful life event. It requires the employment of new coping skills and strategies. Flexibility in coping with stress plays an important role in this case. The aim of the study was to assess the role of personal resources in shaping the flexi-bility in coping with stress among cancer patients depending on the level of perceived stress.

Participants and procedure

One hundred eight patients suffering from cancer were surveyed. The following methods were employed: the Resiliency Meas-urement Scale by Ogińska-Bulik and Juczyński, the Adult Hope Scale by Snyder, the Spirituality Index of Well-Being by Daaleman and Frey, the Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire by Basińska and team and the Global Measure of Per-ceived Stress by Cohen, Kamarck and Mermelstein.

Results

The results demonstrated a positive correlation between all considered personal resources and flexibility in coping. Both resiliency and spiritual well-being enable one to predict 23% of variability of flexibility in coping. Cluster analysis revealed that the group of patients with a generally higher level of personal resources was characterised by greater flexibility in all its dimensions. However, stress levels did not modify the relationships between personal resources and flexibility in coping.

Conclusions

The results encourage the planning of psychological interventions aimed at the development of personal resources among cancer patients, and warrant further research.

Examining the impact of cancer on survivors' religious faith: A report from the American Cancer Society study of cancer survivors-I

OBJECTIVES

The impact of religion/spirituality (R/S) on cancer outcomes, including health-related quality of life (HRQoL), has been the topic of much investigation. Reports of the opposite, that is, the impact of cancer on R/S and associations with HRQoL, are few. The current study sought to explore the positive and negative impacts of cancer on the religious faith of survivors as well as the associations of such impacts with HRQoL.

METHODS

Participants included 2309 9-year survivors of cancer from the American Cancer Society's Studies of Cancer Survivors-I. The impact of cancer on R/S was measured using items from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) psychosocial impact of illness-faith, and HRQoL was measured with the 12-item short form (SF-12). Hierarchical regressions were used to examine the impact of cancer on R/S controlling for medical and demographic covariates.

RESULTS

Consistent with hypotheses, the majority of survivors (70%) reported that cancer had a positive impact on religious faith, while the negative impact of cancer on religious faith was relatively rare (17%). In multivariable models, the negative impact of cancer on faith was associated with poorer HRQoL, both mental and physical, while the positive impact of cancer on faith was associated with greater mental well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

Cancer has a negative impact on religious faith for a minority of survivors. However, when it is reported, such negative impact is indicative of poorer mental and physical well-being. As such, it is important to identify those survivors at risk early in survivorship and provide support and intervention as needed.

Evaluation of Distress and Religious Coping Among Cancer Patients in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to determine distress levels and religious coping styles of cancer patients and the relationship between religious coping styles and distress. This study was conducted as descriptive design. It was determined that 60.7% of the patients experienced distress related to the disease. The field of problem from which the patients mostly experienced distress was physical problems. It was observed that positive coping scores of the patients were higher. There was a negative correlation between their mean scores for positive religious styles and distress total scores.

Religiosity and Severity of Symptoms in Croatian Patients With Major Depressive Disorder or Schizophrenia

We examined and compared the relationship between religiosity and symptom severity in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) rated by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) and schizophrenia (rated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale). The Duke University Religion Index, the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith (SCSORF) questionnaire, and the Brief Religious Coping scale scores were similar between patients with MDD (n = 50) and patients with schizophrenia (n = 50). In patients with MDD, higher organizational religious activity (ORA) (estimate = 2.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.37-4.19; p = 0.020) and higher negative religious coping (estimate = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.03-0.84; p = 0.037) were independently associated with more severe symptoms. In patients with schizophrenia, higher ORA was associated with lower negative symptoms (estimate = -1.99, 95% CI = -3.94 to -0.03; p = 0.046). Higher SCSORF was associated with lower ORA in both patient subsets, and thus indirectly with milder symptoms in patients with MDD and with more severe negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. The relationship between religiosity and symptom severity apparently differs in patients with MDD and those with schizophrenia.

Global prevalence of depression among breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Depression in patients with breast cancer imposes huge costs to patients, families, and healthcare systems. The present study aimed at evaluating the global prevalence depression among patients with breast cancer.

METHODS

In this meta-analysis, three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched from 1 January, 2000 until 30 March, 2019. The Hoy tool was used to evaluate the quality of the articles included in the meta-analysis. The search, screening, quality evaluation, and data extraction were carried out by two of the researchers.

RESULTS

Of 47,424 studies, 72 studies performed in 30 countries entered the final stage of analysis. The global prevalence of depression was 32.2%. Specifically, the prevalence of depression was highest in the Eastern Mediterranean region and twice as high in middle-income countries as compared to developed countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Regarding the high prevalence of depression in patients with breast cancer, it is vital to carry out screening within standard time periods and offer the necessary emotional support.

Illness acceptance as mediator for cancer-related complaints and psychological distresses among Malaysian cancer patients

Aim: The present study investigated the relationship between psychological problems, illness acceptance and cancer-related complaints among Malaysian cancer patients. Patients & methods: One hundred and six cancer patients were recruited and were requested to complete validated self-reported questionnaires that measured their psychological distresses, sleep quality, pain, fatigue and illness acceptance. Results: There was a significant relationship between cancer-related symptoms, illness acceptance and psychological distresses commonly experienced by local cancer patients (p < 0.05). Illness acceptance was shown to be a mediator of cancer-related complaints and psychological distresses. Conclusion: Malaysian cancer patients with more cancer-related complaints reported a higher level of psychological distresses and poorer illness acceptance. Increased level of illness acceptance was suggested in managing cancer patients with psychological distresses and cancer-related complaints.

Coping Strategies of Pregnant Women with Detected Fetal Anomalies in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Background:

Progressing technology has increased the detection of fetal abnormalities in the pregnancy. Detection of fetal abnormalities during pregnancy can cause significant social, physical, psychological, and emotional stress. The aim of this study was to explore the coping strategies of Iranian pregnant women with detected fetal anomalies.

Materials and Methods:

This qualitative content analysis study was conducted on two referral centers for fetal anomaly. The data were collected from April 2017 to January 2018 in Mashhad (Iran) through individual, semistructured, in-depth interviews with 25 pregnant women with a prenatal diagnosis of fetal anomalies. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis based on Graneheim and Lundman's approach.

Results:

As a result of data analysis, the four categories of seeking information, religiousness and spirituality, cognitive avoidance, and seeking social support, and 12 subcategories emerged. Seeking information consisted of the four subcategories of personal search, visiting different doctors, performing various diagnostic tests and sonography, and seeking peers' experiences. Religiousness and spirituality contained the three subcategories of praying, acceptance of destiny, and reliance on faith. Cognitive avoidance consisted of the two subcategories of avoiding negative information and avoiding situations that remind them of their problem. Seeking social support contained the three subcategories of getting support from family, getting support from friends, and getting support from others.

Conclusions:

The findings showed that pregnant women with detected fetal anomalies reported a variety of coping strategies. Therefore, it is important that healthcare providers encourage mothers to use strategies that are likely to be more effective.

Role of psychosocial reserve capacity in anxiety and depression in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

AIM

To examine the relationship between reserve capacity measures and anxiety/depression among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from Southern California (SoCal), United States and Manila, Philippines.

METHODS

A total of 235 participants with SLE completed self-reported scales to assess anxiety/depression and psychosocial reserve capacity measures (self-esteem, optimism, personal mastery/coping skills, social support), socioeconomic status (SES) data, and Mexican SLE Disease Activity Index. Statistical analyses included independent sample t-tests, Chi-square, and point-biserial and Pearson correlations.

RESULTS

Overall, participants from Manila reported lower SES than SoCal participants. Over half of Manila and SoCal participants (69% and 59.1%, respectively) reported high anxiety scores. SoCal participants had higher depression scores than Filipinos (66%, 27%, respectively, P < 0.001) despite appearing to be more resilient by exhibiting higher scores for all reserve capacity measures (P < 0.001). Participants with low self-esteem scores from both groups had higher anxiety and depression scores. SoCal participants who reported lower optimism, lower personal mastery and lower social support were more anxious and depressed, while Filipinos low on these three variables reported less depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Reduced psychosocial reserve capacity in individuals leads to vulnerabilities that may ultimately result in greater disease burden and psychological distress. Low self-esteem, optimism, coping and social support were associated with depression and low self-esteem was associated with anxiety for both groups. Despite the Filipino cohort's lower reserve capacity and SES, Filipino patients exhibited less depression than their SoCal counterparts, suggesting that other factors may protect them from experiencing depression.