Assessing communication competence in an online study: toward informing subsequent interventions among older adults with cancer, their lay caregivers, and peers

The Influence of Racial Socialization, Mentor Support, and Emotion Regulation on the Psychological Well-Being of African American Boys

Although it is well-documented that school-based racial discrimination can have adverse effects on African American adolescents, the understanding of how socio-emotional factors can act as safeguards is still limited. This study explores whether emotion regulation, mentor support, and parent racial socialization help African American boys cope with school-based racial discrimination. Factors such as emotion regulation are internal assets, while mentor support and parent racial socialization are external resources. Four hundred and eighty-seven African American boys aged 12 to 18 (M = 14.33; SD = 1.62) participated. School-based racial discrimination correlated negatively with psychological well-being. Only emotion regulation and parental racial socialization were related to positive psychological well-being. However, mentor support buffered against the negative impacts of school-based racial discrimination on psychological well-being. These results underscore the significance of assets and resources in bolstering African American boys' resilience against school-based racial discrimination, with implications for interventions and future research.

The Relationship of Perceived Social Support with Well-Being in Adults with Visual Impairments

The relationship between perceived social support and multiple indicators of well-being in adults with visual impairments was investigated. The results included significant correlation of social support and depressive symptoms, satisfaction with life, as well as with physical, psychological, economic, family, and social well-being. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

The Impact of a Group Communication Course on Veterinary Medical Students' Perceptions of Communication Competence and Communication Apprehension

This paper explores the impact of a group communication course on veterinary medical students' perceptions of communication competence and communication anxiety. Students enrolled in the Group Communication in Veterinary Medicine course completed the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension and the Communicative Competence Scale at the beginning (Time 1) and end (Time 2) of the semester. Results show that first-year veterinary students' self-perceptions of communication competence increased and their self-reported levels of communication apprehension decreased across multiple contexts from Time 1 to Time 2. This research provides support for experiential communication training fostering skill development and confidence.

Communication competence, psychological well-being, and the mediating role of coping efforts among women with breast cancer: cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence

Despite existing research identifying psychological benefits of patients' interpersonal competence in various contexts, little longitudinal research has addressed underlying mechanism(s). To address this limitation, we examined both the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between cancer patients' communication competence in close relationships and psychological well-being, as well as the mediating role of coping efforts. Data came from a larger project with women with breast cancer (N = 661), recruited from April 2005 to May 2007 at three large university-affiliated cancer centers in the U.S. to study the effects of an Internet-based system providing patients and families with a range of services. The present study focused on survey data at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after the intervention (controlling for the possible effects of the intervention). Results from both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses indicated that competence in open communication between patients and their close support persons had a positive association with patients' psychological well-being and that approach coping efforts partially mediated this association. We discussed the implications and limitations of the study.

Time for living and caring: an intervention to make respite more effective for caregivers

This article presents the rationale for and description of a promising intervention, Time for Living and Caring (TLC), designed to enhance the effectiveness of respite services for family caregivers. It is guided by the theoretical principles of the Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC) model, which individually coaches caregivers on how to assess their personal circumstances, identify their greatest needs and preferences, and engage in goal setting and attainment strategies to make better use of their respite time. Focusing on respite activities that match caregivers' unique needs is likely to result in improved well-being. We report on a pilot study examining TLC's feasibility and potential benefits and how caregivers viewed their participation. While additional research is needed to test and refine the intervention, we need to find more creative ways to enhance respite services.

Moderation of Doing and Mastery orientations in relationships among justice, commitment, and trust

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether and how two individual value orientations – Doing (the tendency to commit to goals and hold a strong work ethic) and Mastery (an orientation toward seeking control over outside forces) – moderate: the relationship between organizational justice and affective organizational commitment, and the mediation role of organizational trust in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors collected data from 706 employees working in 65 universities across China, South Korea, and Australia. Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses were employed to examine the cross-cultural equivalence of the measures. Hierarchical regressions were performed to test moderating effects of the two cultural value orientations.

Findings

– Results from the full sample showed that Doing and Mastery moderated the distributive justice-commitment relationship and the procedural justice-trust relationship. Comparisons between countries demonstrated limited cross-cultural differences.

Practical implications

– The present study adds to the understanding of the impact of individual and cultural differences on the relationship between justice and commitment, helping managers understand how employees’ reactions to justice are influenced by cultural value orientations.

Originality/value

– This study is a pioneer in empirically integrating the value orientation framework (e.g. Doing and Mastery orientations) and justice research in a cross-cultural context based in the Asia Pacific region. It also advances cross-cultural justice research through using a mediation-moderation combination.

Communication competence, social support, and depression among college students: a model of facebook and face-to-face support network influence

This study examined the influence of the social networking site Facebook and face-to-face support networks on depression among (N = 361) college students. The authors used the Relational Health Communication Competence Model as a framework for examining the influence of communication competence on social support network satisfaction and depression. Moreover, they examined the influence of interpersonal and social integrative motives as exogenous variables. On the basis of previous work, the authors propose and test a theoretical model using structural equation modeling. The results indicated empirical support for the model, with interpersonal motives predicting increased face-to-face and computer-mediated competence, increased social support satisfaction with face-to-face and Facebook support, and lower depression scores. The implications of the findings for theory, key limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Methodological diversity and integration in health communication inquiry

Research on health communication is complicated by myriad individual, organizational, and societal factors that influence health-related decisions and behaviors, making it difficult to control for secular trends (uncontrolled social and environmental influences) that affect health care and health promotion practices. Sophisticated research on health communication must take into account the numerous situational, psychological, and societal factors to fully examine the often hidden dynamics of health care and health promotion. This essay examines major research challenges, strategies, and opportunities for making sense of the complexities of health communication processes, recommending the power of methodological diversity and integration for health research.

Consultation support for rural women with breast cancer: results of a community-based participatory research study

OBJECTIVE

This study asked: (1) What do rural women with breast cancer need to make the most out of their major medical appointments? and (2) What can the community resource centers do to best support those needs?

METHODS

We interviewed 12 doctors, 12 breast cancer survivors and 10 community agency staff, including those who provide services to Latinos and Native Americans. Interviews generated success factors and barriers related to meeting patient information needs. Examples were categorized into themes.

RESULTS

Success factors included making sure patients review high quality educational materials before the visit; and that someone is available to take notes. Doctors felt that a patient list of questions was productive, but some survivors felt doctors did not always respond productively to the list. Respondents did not mention audiorecording unless prompted. Most then endorsed it.

CONCLUSION

Educational materials, question lists, and note-takers can help rural women with breast cancer and their doctors achieve their goals during treatment discussions. Audiorecording may be an implicit but not explicit need.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Other cancer resource centers and support agencies should consider offering information, question-listing, and note-taking services. They should assess whether audiorecording is an implicit need in their settings.

A communication competence approach to examining health care social support, stress, and job burnout

Drawing upon Kreps's (1988) Relational Health Communication Competence Model (RHCCM), this study examined the effect of perceived communication competence on perceived stress and subsequently perceived job burnout. In addition, the role of social support satisfaction as a potential mediator between perceived communication competence and perceived stress was explored. The extended RHCCM was proposed and tested in a survey of 221 health care workers from three Veterans Administration hospitals in the United States. The model was tested by structural equation modeling. The results indicated support for the extended model. The implications of the findings for the extended RHCCM are discussed along with limitations of the study and directions for future research.

Cancer patients and the provision of informational social support

Research into the impact of social support on health-care patients has focused on the benefits of receiving social support. Although recipients benefit from social support, there are also potential benefits to the providers of social support that have gone relatively unexplored. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between the reception and provision of informational social support by cancer patients. Based on the work of Gouldner (1960), this investigation attempts to examine the role reciprocity plays within the social support process. The norm of reciprocity is conceptualized as a generalized moral belief rather than as a simple pattern of exchange between caregivers and care receivers. Use of reciprocity as a generalized moral belief instead of a pattern of behavioral exchange between providers and recipients of social support allows a more thorough integration theoretically and more methodical examination of the role the relationship between providers and recipients plays in this process. Specifically, this investigation employs the notion of optimal matching as part of the mechanism underlying the satisfactions derived from informational social support. The results of the logistic regression analyses suggest that reciprocity is a viable explanation of the mechanism underlying the desire to provide social support to others among cancer patients and among adults who have never been diagnosed with cancer. This relationship between the reception and the provision of informational social support remains even after controlling for age, education, gender, race, social integration, and cancer diagnosis. Implications for the social support literature are discussed.

Health literacy and the role of the speech-language pathologist

PURPOSE

This article reviews concepts of health literacy and discusses the role of speech-language pathologists in improving the health literacy of individuals with and without communication disorders.

METHOD

A literature review was completed of health literacy definitions, concepts, and health literacy assessment and intervention studies with various populations. A literature review was also conducted regarding health literacy or related studies in the field of speech-language pathology.

CONCLUSION

There is a paucity of information available on health literacy within the field of speech-language pathology. Suggestions are offered regarding increasing health literacy research and intervention by speech-language pathologists.

Social skills, psychological well-being, and the mediating role of perceived stress

Social skills were predicted to be associated with two indicators of psychological well-being: reduced symptoms of depression and life-satisfaction. Social skills were also predicted to be associated with a reduction in the experience of stress. This reduced stress experience was hypothesized to explain the social skills-well-being association. These predictions were tested in a sample of 500 university students who provided self-reports of social skills, well-being (depression and life satisfaction), and stress. Results supported the hypothesized relationship between social skills and greater well-being, as well as social skills and lower levels of perceived stress. The lower perceptions of stress that accompany higher levels of social skills mediated the association between social skills and depression as well as life satisfaction.

The Effect of Frequency and Type of Internet Use on Perceived Social Support and Sense of Well-Being in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury

This article examines the effect of frequency and type of Internet use on perceived social support and sense of well-being in persons with spinal cord injury. The results show that Internet use is not significantly related to perceived social support. Bivariate analysis indicates that there is a significant negative association between total Internet use and overall sense of well-being. Simultaneous regression further investigated the nature of this relationship by examining the contribution of 10 online activities to four scales measuring sense of well-being. Frequency of online gaming was negatively associated with each scale. Disability-related information seeking was also negatively associated with psychological and financial well-being, as well as perceived social support. These results suggest that Internet use as a whole should not be overlooked by rehabilitation counselors for its practical uses to increase independence and social connectedness in persons with disabilities; however, care should be used, particularly with online gaming.

Cancer treatments

Cancer is of particular importance to gerontology due to the changing nature of the disease. Survival rates are at all time highs as a result of technological advances in early detection and treatment of cancer. Some less aggressive or invasive forms of cancer are now seen as chronic illnesses rather than acute, terminal diseases. As a result, demand is increasing for evidence-based psychosocial interventions designed to improve the health and well-being of people living with cancer. This article reviews evidence-based psychosocial interventions designed to address the needs of persons with cancer and their family members. Traditional and technology enhance interventions are discussed as are complementary and alternative therapies designed to augment traditional interventions.

'Screwed for life': examining identification and division in addiction narratives

In this study, we investigate the use of narrative in online conversations among persons suffering from chronic opiate addiction and evaluate both its positive and negative uses. Illness narratives, as argued by sociologist Arthur Frank and psychiatrist/medical anthropologist Arthur Kleinman, enable patients to give order to life experiences and receive support from others. We wished to explore under what circumstances online support coalesces and breaks apart. The narratives we examined exemplify two topics frequently discussed on the message board: the recovery process and what it means to be 'clean'. To better understand these narratives from a theoretically based approach, we used the work of rhetorical theorist Kenneth Burke. Burke's description of two human motives, suffering and perfection, led us to an understanding of how unification and division happened within the online community. We found that the recovery narrative primarily embodied the author's suffering and, consequently, received support from other members of the message board. The second narrative centered on what it means to be 'clean' through a discussion of the author's desire to court temptation, revealing what Burke calls the rotten nature of perfection. As a result, the author of the narrative provoked disagreements and did not receive support.

The role of social support in the family and community integration of right-hemisphere stroke survivors

The goal of this project was to understand better the communicative processes by which social support can assist right-hemisphere stroke survivors in the process of community integration. Open-ended interviews were conducted with 12 right-hemisphere stroke survivors and their family caregivers. The transcribed interviews revealed 7 challenges (physical, cognitive-perceptual, emotional, relationship, employment, financial, and challenges to activities of daily living) and three types of resources (formal external, informal external, and internal). Stroke survivors' internal resources were shown to be essential for facilitating community integration. Implications for researchers and health care providers are discussed within the framework of Hobfoll's (1988) conservation of resources theory.

Cancer caregivers online: hope, emotional roller coaster, and physical/emotional/psychological responses

The demands placed on cancer caregivers are well documented. Support for informal caregivers has been shown to increase hope and decrease psychosocial morbidity. The Internet is a readily available means of support for cancer caregivers, however little research on online support for informal caregivers of cancer patients exists. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis were used to evaluate messages posted over a 2-month period on an online cancer caregiver listserv. Three major themes emerged from the data: hope, emotional roller coaster, and physical/emotional/psychological responses. Supportive and hopeful statements prevailed among online participants in the current study. However, subjects also described the emotional roller coaster associated with caregiving. Emotional/physical/psychological responses included anger, weakness, exhaustion, grief, and sadness. Outcome research is needed to help evaluate the efficacy of online support for caregivers. Findings in this study can help nurses focus on some problems common to caregivers of cancer patients and plan appropriate interventions and research.

Perceptions of older people with cancer of information, decision making and treatment: a systematic review of selected literature

BACKGROUND

Several studies have identified inadequacies in the care and treatment received by older patients with cancer, as opposed to their younger counterparts. These include over or under diagnosis, ineffective symptom management and lower survival rates in older people with cancer. Despite these inadequacies, there is a lack of evidence of older peoples' perspectives regarding their cancer diagnosis and treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Studies for review were identified from systematic searches of literature published between January 1990 and November 2003, using PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO. Studies were selected for inclusion by using a number of criteria (i.e. date and language of publication, age of participants and thematic area). The aims of the review were to summarize and evaluate previous evidence on the views of older patients with cancer, regarding information, decision making and treatment.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies of various methodologies met the criteria of the present review. In summary, older people with cancer are generally content with the information they receive, but not entirely satisfied with the quantity and quality of care and contact. They present with various needs, which are not always well met. Finally, they wish to be kept informed of their cancer diagnosis and treatment progress, but often do not wish to be told about progression of their illness and length of survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Previous research has suffered a number of limitations regarding sampling procedures and methods of data collection. Other limitations included lack of consideration of the heterogeneity of older people with cancer and lack of a well-defined theoretical framework to guide design and data analysis. These may compromise not only rigour and the ability to generalize findings, but also the provision of patient-focused care. The difficulties of doing research in this area are also discussed and suggestions for future research are made.