Effect of online Kundalini Yoga mental health of university students during Covid-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial

University students were at an increased risk for psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a randomized controlled trial, we examined the efficacy of an online Kundalini Yoga intervention on students' psychological functioning. Healthy university students (N = 106) were randomly assigned to a Kundalini Yoga group, an active control group, or a passive control group in a 1:1:1 ratio. The experimental group attended six Yoga sessions over 6 weeks and the active control group attended to six autogenic relaxation sessions over 6 weeks. All participants completed the study protocol, which involved answering questionnaires related to psychological distress, emotion regulation, self-compassion, self-concept, spiritual well-being, and subjective happiness at three different time points: baseline, at the end of the intervention, and at 1-month follow-up. Results showed that Yoga contributed to improving self-compassion, extrinsic affect improving, and personal and communal spiritual well-being, in comparison to the control groups.

Social support for functional dependence, activity patterns, and chronic pain outcomes: A cross-lagged mediation panel study

OBJECTIVE

Received social support undermining engagement in life activities of individuals with chronic pain (e.g., solicitousness, support for functional dependence) is consistently correlated with worse physical functioning, pain severity, and disability. Whether such responses lead to worse pain outcomes (operant model of pain) or the latter lead to more supportive responses undermining activity engagement (social communication and empathy models of pain) is unknown, given the lack of cross-lagged panel studies. Furthermore, the mediating role of activity patterns in such relationships over time is entirely unclear. This study aimed to bridge these gaps.

METHOD

This was a 3-month prospective study with three waves of data collection (T1-T3; 6-week lag in-between), including 130 older adults (71% women; Mage = 78.26) with musculoskeletal chronic pain attending day-care centers. At every time point, participants filled out self-report measures of staff social support for functional dependence, activity patterns, physical functioning, pain severity, and interference. Scales showed good/very good test-retest reliability (ICC = .74-.96) and internal consistency (all α > .90).

RESULTS

Parsimonious cross-lagged panel mediation models showed the best fit (χ²/df < 2.44; CFI > .96; GFI > .93; RMSEA < .09). Bidirectional effects were found over time, but poorer pain outcomes at T1 (higher pain severity/interference, lower physical functioning) more consistently predicted higher social support for functional dependence than vice versa. Poorer pain outcomes (T1) predicted more avoidance/less overdoing (T3), via increased received support for functional dependence (T2).

CONCLUSION

Further research on the cyclical relationships between the study variables across chronic pain trajectories is needed to harness the power of interpersonal relationships in future self-management interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Posttraumatic growth in women after a childbirth experience: The influence of individual characteristics and intrusive and deliberate rumination

OBJECTIVE

This study targets women who had a self-defined traumatic childbirth experience to (a) explore the differences between sociodemographic-, obstetric-, and trauma-related variables in relation to the rumination style; (b) determine differences between intrusive and deliberate rumination in relation to posttraumatic growth (PTG) dimensions, and (c) test whether intrusive rumination is associated with deliberate rumination, which in turn is associated with PTG dimensions.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study design was employed using a web-based survey method for data collection. In total, 202 women who identified their childbirth experience as traumatic participated in this study.

RESULTS

Intrusive rumination and deliberate rumination were positively associated with all dimensions of PTG in women following the traumatic childbirth event. Deliberate rumination fully explained the relationship between intrusive rumination and PTG aspects of relating to others, new opportunities, and personal strength, and partially explained the relationship between intrusive rumination and PTG aspects of spiritual changes and appreciation of life.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that deliberate rumination can contribute to explain the occurrence of PTG. These findings could help develop psychosocial interventions to maximize opportunities for deliberate rumination for women with traumatic childbirth experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Emotion Regulation in Dementia Caregiving: The Role of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms and Attachment Orientation

Family caregivers are usually the main source of support for persons living with dementia, being exposed to a loved one's suffering, which can lead to experiencing strong and negative emotions. This study aimed to identify factors capable of explaining individual differences in the way caregivers regulate their emotions. This cross-sectional study included 78 informal caregivers (M = 64.84 years; SD = 13.32) and 84 controls (non-caregivers) (M = 77 years; SD = 7.59). Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), attachment orientations, and emotion regulation were measured using self-report scales. Caregivers of persons living with dementia used more expressive suppression in comparison to non-caregivers. NPS and attachment avoidance were associated with expressive suppression. Moderation analyses showed that NPS only predicted expressive suppression when attachment avoidance was low or medium. The present study showed that caregivers are more likely to suppress their emotions in the presence of NPS, especially those with lower/middle levels of attachment avoidance. Psychological interventions targeting emotion regulation should be offered especially to caregivers that face NPS of persons living with dementia and present lower/middle levels of attachment avoidance.

Emotional Intelligence and Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review

Emotional Intelligence (EI), defined as the ability to perceive, identify, understand, and regulate emotional states is related to health outcomes. In this line, some studies examined this personal resource in the cancer area and, specifically, in breast cancer. Also, the different models and measures have led to a categorisation considering the various construct-method pairings of EI. Despite the increased number of studies about EI in the breast cancer context, there are no systematic reviews that summarise the results obtained in the different investigations. Objectives: Hence, the present review aims: to identify and describe the measures that have been used for assessing EI within this field, and to summarise the main results regarding EI in terms of its predictors and outcomes, considering the instruments used to assess it. Methods: The PRISMA guidelines were followed. Database search was conducted in WOS, Scopus, Pubmed, and PSYCArticles. Results: A total of 156 articles were found and 21 met the eligibility criteria. On one hand, one of the most used instruments was the TMMS-24 framed within the self-report ability EI, followed by those framed within the self-report mixed EI. None of the studies measured EI by the performance-based ability EI perspective. On the other hand, EI was related to other variables such as psychological well-being, quality of life, resilience, workability, anxiety, and depression. The majority of the studies were cross-sectional, and some of them included an intervention. Conclusions: This review provides a comprehensive overview of the existing studies concerning EI in the context of breast cancer, highlighting some of its characteristics regarding design, participants, used measures, and related variables. Also, the obtained results can improve the clinical practice and the understanding of the EI as an influencing factor in the health and quality of life of breast cancer populations.

Emotional Distress in Portuguese Cancer Patients: The Use of the Emotion Thermometers (ET) Screening Tool

Cancer patients may experience significant distress. The "Emotion Thermometers" (ETs) are a short visual analogue scale used to screen patients for psychosocial risk. This study aimed to assess emotional distress in a large sample of cancer patients attending psychological services at an non-governmental organization (NGO), and to explore factors that may contribute to it. The ETs were answered by 899 cancer patients. They were, on average, 59.9 years old, the majority were female, had breast cancer, were under treatment or were disease-free survivors, and reported high levels of emotional distress, above the cut-off (≥5). A Generalized Linear Model was used to measure the association between the level of distress, age, gender, disease phase and 33 items of the problem list. Four items-sadness, depression, sleep and breathing-were found to be significantly related to a higher level of distress. Additionally, women and patients who were in the palliative phase also had significantly higher levels of distress. The results confirm the need for early emotional screening in cancer patients, as well as attending to the characteristics of each patient. Additionally, they highlight the utility of the ETs for the clinical practice, allowing to optimize the referral to specialized psychosocial services.

Emotion regulation and mental health among professionals of long-term care institutions for older adults: the mediating role of work engagement

BACKGROUND

This study examined whether work engagement mediated the association between emotion regulation and mental health of professionals working in long-term care institutions for older adults in Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

A cross-sectional study with a total of 104 professionals working in 13 long-term care facilities for the elderly in Brazil was conducted. Emotion regulation (expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal), work engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption), and mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress) were measured using self-report scales. Multiple mediation models were used to test the mediating role of engagement.

RESULTS

Expressive suppression was associated with more vigor, which in turn was associated with less anxiety and stress; cognitive reappraisal was associated with more vigor, which in turn was associated with less anxiety and stress. No indirect effects were found for depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal strategies to regulate emotions seem to be associated with more vigor in terms of resilience and persistence to deal with work demands in these professionals. These results seem to suggest that workers who are more capable of regulating their emotions (using both expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal in a flexible way according to work demands) are more likely to be resilient, invest in their profession, and be persistent in the face of difficulties. This, in turn, contributes to protecting them from experiencing anxiety and stress.

Attachment Orientations and Family Functioning: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

Attachment insecurity has been found to be associated with poor family functioning. The mechanisms underlying this link, however, are less explored. This study examines the potential mediating role of emotion regulation in the association between attachment orientations and family functioning. Self-report scales measuring attachment, family functioning, and emotion regulation were administered to 132 adults (58% women; 57.63 years). Results showed that both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were associated with poor family functioning. Furthermore, emotion suppression, but not positive reappraisal, was found to partially mediate the association between attachment insecurity (both anxiety and avoidance) and perceived family functioning. Findings suggest that emotion regulation seems to play a role in the impact that attachment orientations may have on family functioning.

BRCA1/2 pathogenetic variant carriers and reproductive decisions: Gender differences and factors associated with the choice of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal diagnosis (PND)

Purpose

To investigate the way carriers of a BRCA1/2 pathogenetic variant make their reproductive decisions and to examine the factors associated with the choice of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal diagnosis (PND).

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method.

Results

A total of 16 articles published from 2000 to 2021 were included in this review. Data were overall collected from 3564 participants (86% females). Three important themes were identified across studies: changes in family planning, factors associated with family plans, and with acceptance or regret of PGD and PND.

Conclusion

This review may contribute to the knowledge of the experience of those who have a BRCA1/2 mutation and want a child. These results may help genetic counselors and healthcare professionals that support people with a BRCA pathogenetic variant with reproductive issues.

The Emotion Regulation Goals Scale: Advancing its psychometric properties using item response theory analysis

OBJECTIVE

Emotion goals are considered paramount for influencing the initiation, maintenance, and cessation of emotion regulation. Recently, some authors developed an instrument to assess emotion goals-the Emotion Regulation Goals Scale (ERGS).

METHOD

This study included two studies aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the ERGS in two Portuguese samples: 400 adults from the community (76% women; M age = 37.10) (Study 1) and 205 university students (80% women; M age = 21.72) (Study 2).

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) analysis were used to examine the psychometric properties of the ERGS in the two samples. The CFA confirmed the five-factor structure of the 18-item ERGS, but the analyses of both studies suggested the elimination of two items given their lower loadings/low discrimination.

CONCLUSIONS

A five-factor structure with 16 items was proposed, with good reliability and with evidence of construct validity with relevant constructs.

Classism in pain assessment and management: the mediating role of female patient dehumanization and perceived life hardship

ABSTRACT

Compared with racism and sexism, classism in pain assessment and management practices (PAMPs) has been less investigated, and its mediating mechanisms are still unknown. Drawing on a social psychological model of dehumanization, this research aimed to test (1) the effect of patient socioeconomic status (SES; a proxy of social class) on PAMPs and (2) whether patient dehumanization and perceived life hardship mediated these effects. Two online experimental studies were conducted, in which patient SES was manipulated (low vs high) within-subjects. One-hundred sixty-two female medical students (study 1) and 105 female nurses (study 2) were presented with vignettes/images depicting 2 cases of women with chronic low-back pain, followed by videos of them performing a pain-inducing movement. Participants reported on patient dehumanization, perceived life hardship, and PAMPs. The low SES patient was perceived as less pain sensitive (medical students alone) but more disabled, credible, and her pain more attributed to psychological causes (by nurses alone). Medical students recommended less nonpharmacological treatments but prescribed slightly stronger medication. Medical students were less willing to provide individualized care to the low SES patient, whereas nurses showed the opposite pattern. Patient mechanistic dehumanization mediated SES effects on pain disability (medical students alone). Perceived life hardship mediated SES effects on pain disability, credibility (nurses alone), and intentions of providing individualized care (nurses alone). These finding bear novel contributions to the fields of pain, health service research, and social psychology and have important implications to the development of more effective future interventions to reduce classism in PAMPs.

The use of an electronic form to register play observation of a child with anxiety: A study case at a university clinical practice in Brazil

Introduction

The modality of assessment used at a University Clinical Practice in Brazil is interventive psychodiagnosis in which the active participation of children and families is considered. Orientation is given following the input provided by children and their parents.

Objectives

Evaluating the use of an electronic form to be fulfilled during the observation of a child’s play in psychological session.

Methods

A child at the age of 5yrs 4m was brought for psychological assessment with the complaint of aggressiveness and irritability. His parents answered the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL -1 1/12 5 yrs) and the Psychology interns had to observe the child’s play and fulfill an electronic form in which the choice of toys and plays, motricity, creativity, symbolic abilities, frustration tolerance, adequation with reality were verified.

Results

The results of CBCL indicated that the child was within the clinical range regarding anxiety and depression along with somatic complaints. The indicators observed in the electronic form such as rigidity in the modality of play, the lack of adequate ability of impersonating in role-playing, the difficulty of using creativity during play unless he was guided by peers or the Psychology interns and the constant anguish of separating himself from his parents were crucial for parents’ orientation. The psychological treatment lasted five months and benefited from the information obtained through the form once the symptoms of irritability and aggressiveness were reduced.

Conclusions

This modality of assessment can be instructional for parents and may also reduce financial and time costs once provides specific indicators to observe during play.

Bullying’s Negative Effect on Academic Achievement

Bullying's a phenomenon that carries great harm for those involved (bully or victim alike) in which academic achievement is harmed as well. However, the strength of such impact is yet to be clarified, existing many possibilities to explore. Or in other words, many variables that can justify such connection - classroom behavior being one example.The goal of the present investigation is to study the impact that bullying (while mediated by the classroom behavior) has on the academic achievement.The sample consisted of 288 children (from 1st year to 4th year’s students); and their teachers (whom reported their classroom behavior). Results showed that the bullying situation itself, didn’t significantly explain the academic achievement of those involved. However, from classroom behavior it was found an indirect effect between bullying and academic achievement. Within classroom behavior, the main contributive dimensions were - victim related, the excessive motor activity; and bully related, oppositional behaviors, excessive motor activity and ADHD index.This results alert to the importance of the educational agents’ attention given to the existing behavior in their classrooms. Not only because of the disruption created in each classroom’s environment, but also as a possible sign of an involvement in the existing bullying dynamics.

A systematic review on social constraints in the context of cancer

This review aims to identify, summarise and critically evaluate studies that examined moderators or mediators of the relationship between social constraints and cancer adjustment. A database search was conducted to identify eligible studies published between inception and November 2019. A narrative synthesis of the included studies was conducted. We identified 18 papers, comprising 6933 participants (Mage = 55.70) with different types of cancer (mainly breast cancer). All of the studies used the Social Constraints Scale. Our synthesis shows that the association between social constraints and cancer adjustment is likely to be moderated or mediated by different cognitive (e.g. avoidant coping, intrusive thoughts) and emotional (e.g. emotionality, negative affect) variables. The importance of the moderators and mediators found in this study should be further examined by employing more sophisticated data analytic strategies to assess mediation and by collecting longitudinal data in order to better disentangle the complex associations among variables. However, some important variables were identified as potential targets of interventions for patients facing cancer.

The Parenting Concerns Questionnaire: A validation study with Portuguese parents with cancer

OBJECTIVES

To examine the psychometric properties of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ) in a sample of Portuguese parents with cancer.

METHODS

The PCQ was completed by 209 adults with cancer, who are parents of at least one minor child. Participants reported on parenting concerns, depressive and anxiety symptoms, parental stress as well as quality of life. Confirmatory factor analysis and Item Response Theory (IRT) were used to assess the psychometric properties of the PCQ. Cronbach's alpha was used to examine its reliability. Pearson correlation coefficients provided information regarding convergent validity. Criterion validity was analysed.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the original three-factor structure. IRT indicated that most of the items were highly discriminant and better identified as moderate versus low or high levels of parenting concerns in the three dimensions of PCQ. The pattern of associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms, parental stress, and quality of life provided evidence for the convergent validity. The PCQ differentiated between parents with and without depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Exploring parenting concerns provides additional relevant information about the experiences and the potential psychological distress experienced by these parents with cancer. The PCQ can be an important tool to identify parents with cancer who might benefit from psychological support regarding parenting.

Effects of supporting patients with dementia: A study with dyads

PURPOSE

This study aimed to examine the factors associated with the development of higher burden in informal caregivers of patients with dementia, using dyadic data.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Seventy-two dyads of patients with dementia and their informal caregivers were assessed, the former in terms of behavioral-psychological symptoms and autonomy, the latter in terms of burden and individual needs.

FINDINGS

Caregivers at risk for developing higher burden are those who are female, whose care recipient present psychiatric symptoms and lower autonomy, and those who recognize the need for more information/support.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Interventions should offer caregivers the tools to provide care, maintaining their psychological well-being. Interventions should target not only common aspects of caregiver burden but also the specificities of caring for a person with dementia.

Learning Styles Determine Different Immigrant Students' Results in Testing Settings: Relationship Between Nationality of Children and the Stimuli of Tasks

BACKGROUND

Literature presents little examination on the learning styles and sensorial preferences of immigrants during decoding of different tasks in testing contexts.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, non-native children (between 2nd and 12th grade) were divided into six groups determined by country of origin and examined on different stimuli, visual and auditory, associated with four tasks that measure cognitive and linguistic specific abilities.

RESULTS

The multivariate analysis confirmed that the children's nationality significantly explained achievement variability regarding picture recognition and auditory discrimination. η² values indicated that there were moderate to larger effects for the nationality as a factor that explains the variance of performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicate that tasks' stimuli can effectively assess and differentiate specific young minority groups in order to understand their actual level of preparation and their needs for further learning. The listening input, on the one hand, should be established as the main differentiator for all groups at the time of school entry, but, on the other hand, it should be avoided in Asian groups and Eastern European students during the first stages of second language (L2) learning in European contexts with romance languages as the target learning.

Attachment, emotion regulation, and well-being in couples: Intrapersonal and interpersonal associations

Objective

There is a well‐established link in the literature between secure romantic attachment orientation and psychological well‐being. The underlying processes of this link and the couple interplay between attachment and well‐being are notably less explored. Using a dyadic framework, this study examines both couple members' emotion regulation strategies as potential mediators of this link.

Method

One hundred and nineteen heterosexual couples completed self‐report measures on attachment style, psychological well‐being, tendency to suppress emotions, and emotion expression. Analyses were performed using the actor–partner interdependence mediation model that distinguishes between intrapersonal and interpersonal influences.

Results

Results showed that controlling for relationship length, there was an intrapersonal indirect effect of attachment avoidance on psychological well‐being through emotion suppression. Moreover, interpersonal indirect effects were found (a) with individual attachment avoidance being associated with partner's psychological well‐being through own emotion expression and (b) individual's attachment anxiety being associated with partner's psychological well‐being through both own's emotion expression and partner's emotion suppression.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the complex associations among attachment, emotion regulation, and well‐being and point out the role of emotion regulation as a potential underlying pathway explaining these associations. The results suggest the importance of considering the relational nature of emotional and attachment dynamics in couples.

Classism in Pain Care: The Role of Patient Socioeconomic Status on Nurses’ Pain Assessment and Management Practices

Objective

Research on social disparities in pain care has been mainly focused on the role of race/racism and sex/sexism. Classism in pain assessment and management practices has been much less investigated. We aimed to test the effect of patient socioeconomic status (SES; a proxy of social class) on nurses’ pain assessment and management practices and whether patient SES modulated the effects of patient distress and evidence of pathology on such practices.

Design

Two experimental studies with a two (patient SES: low/high) by two (patient distress or evidence of pathology: absent/present) between-subject design.

Subjects

Female nurses participated in two experimental studies (N = 150/N = 158).

Methods

Nurses were presented with a vignette/picture depicting the clinical case of a female with chronic low back pain, followed by a video of the patient performing a pain-inducing movement. Afterwards, nurses reported their pain assessment and management practices.

Results

The low-SES patient’s pain was assessed as less intense, more attributed to psychological factors, and considered less credible (in the presence of distress cues) than the higher-SES patient’s pain. Higher SES buffered the detrimental impact of the presence of distress cues on pain assessment. No effects were found on management practices.

Conclusions

Our findings point to the potential buffering role of SES against the detrimental effect of certain clinical cues on pain assessments. This study contributes to highlighting the need for further investigation of the role of SES/social class on pain care and its underlying meanings and processes.

Experiences of breast cancer patients and helpful aspects of supportive-expressive group therapy: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

This study explored the experiences and perceived changes of breast cancer (BC) patients after participating in 16-weekly sessions of Supportive-Expressive Group Therapy (SEGT).

METHODS

A semi-structured interview adapted from Elliott's Client Change Interview was carried out with 12 women (aged 33-60 years) with BC, about 6 months after completing the treatment.

RESULTS

Content analysis identified four main themes: expectations and motivations to participate in SEGT, group processes and experiences, perceived changes enhanced by SEGT and perceptions about the therapeutic relationship. The most helpful aspects of SEGT mentioned by participants were as follows: the expression/normalisation of feelings, thoughts and reactions; the improvement of social support; and the learning opportunities obtained through sharing of experiences among participants. Additionally, participants mentioned that SEGT contributed to improve personal and social skills, such as the capacity to express emotions and the ability to establish satisfactory interpersonal relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the participants' experiences, SEGT seems to be an effective intervention to support women facing BC during the initial phase of cancer. The use of SEGT by health care professionals is encouraged, but the specific needs/problems of each group member should be carefully attended.

The impact of informal cancer caregiving: A literature review on psychophysiological studies

Caregiving can be experienced as a stressful process, which can cause psychological and physical consequences. The combination of prolonged stress and the physical demands of caregiving may impair the physiological functioning of caregivers and increase the risk of health problems creating considerable stress in the life of caregivers regarding emotional, physical, social and financial areas. This literature review explored studies that used measures of the autonomic nervous system in caregivers of oncology patients such as electrodermal and cardiovascular (re)activity. The results revealed that caregivers had elevated stress levels and a serious autonomic imbalance that may, in the long term, trigger negative health consequences such as infectious diseases, cancer progression, cardiovascular disease and even premature death. The results showed the need to carry out preventive strategies in this population, in order to improve the autonomic profile of caregivers of cancer patients.

Anxiety, depression, dyadic adjustment, and attachment to the fetus in pregnancy: Actor-partner interdependence mediation analysis

Perinatal research has focused essentially on maternal outcomes leaving paternal outcomes unexplored. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the intrapersonal and interpersonal effects of mothers' and fathers' anxiety and depressive symptoms on their own and their partners' antenatal attachment to the fetus. Additionally, it aimed to explore the mediating role of dyadic adjustment on these associations. Participants, 320 pregnant women and their partners, completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and the Maternal and Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale. Data were analyzed using the actor-partner interdependence mediation model. Mothers' (ß = -.16, p < .01) and fathers' depressive symptoms (ß = -.38, p < .001) were associated with their levels of antenatal attachment to the fetus. These relationships, however, were mediated by levels of dyadic adjustment (ß = -.08, p < .05; ß = -.09, p < .05, respectively). Fathers' anxiety symptoms were associated with their levels of antenatal attachment to the fetus (ß = .16, p < .05). This relationship was partially mediated by their levels of dyadic adjustment (ß = -.05, p < .05). Finally, fathers' depressive symptoms were associated with mothers' levels of antenatal attachment to the fetus through the mothers' dyadic adjustment levels (ß = -.06, p < .05). Results indicated that anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as lower levels of dyadic adjustment during pregnancy seem to negatively impact the levels of antenatal attachment to the fetus, especially for fathers. Results highlight the need to adopt a dyadic perspective to understand mothers' and fathers' outcomes during pregnancy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Dyadic coping, marital adjustment and quality of life in couples during pregnancy: an actor-partner approach

Objective: This study aimed to examine the impact of dyadic coping on the quality of life of couples during pregnancy and to explore the potential mediating role of marital adjustment on this association.Background: According to the systemic transactional model, pregnancy can be characterised as a situation of dyadic stress because it affects both members of the couple. However, the impact of dyadic coping on couples' quality of life during pregnancy is unexplored. Also, the potential mediating role of marital adjustment on this association remains understudied.Methods: Participants were 320 pregnant women and their partners (N = 640) who completed the Dyadic Coping Inventory, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life instrument. Data were analysed using the actor-partner interdependence mediation model.Results: Results showed that there was an intrapersonal indirect effect of dyadic coping on quality of life through marital adjustment. Moreover, an interpersonal indirect effect was found with fathers' dyadic coping being associated with mothers' quality of life through mothers' marital adjustment.Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of assessing dyadic coping strategies of couples during pregnancy and targeting them in the psychological support offered to couples as a way of improving their marital adjustment, and consequently, their quality of life.

Anxiety and depressive symptoms during pregnancy, perceived control and posttraumatic stress symptoms after childbirth: A longitudinal mediation analysis

This longitudinal study evaluated the mediating role of sense of control during labour in the association between anxiety and depression levels during pregnancy and postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Participants were 57 women. Anxiety and depression were assessed during pregnancy; sense of control and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were collected 6-8 weeks after childbirth. Higher levels of anxiety and depression were associated with more postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms through lack of perceived control. For depression, this happened only for primiparous. Interventions targeting mechanisms enhancing perceptions/feelings of control should be offered to these women to prevent/minimize childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

What do people know about fertility? A systematic review on fertility awareness and its associated factors

INTRODUCTION

Recent evidence indicates that reproductive-age people have inadequate fertility awareness (FA) concerning fertility, infertility risk factors, and consequences of delaying childbearing. However, no study has tried to summarize these studies and to clarify the variables associated with FA, namely the role of gender, age, education, and reproductive status on FA.

METHODS

A literature search up to February 2017 was conducted using the EBSCO, Web of Science, Scielo, and Scopus electronic databases with combinations of keywords and MeSH terms (e.g. 'awareness' OR 'health knowledge, attitudes, practice' AND 'fertility'; 'fertile period'; 'assisted reprod*').

RESULTS

Seventy-one articles met the eligibility criteria and were included. The main results showed that participants report low-to-moderate FA. Higher levels of FA were shown by women, highly educated individuals, people who reported difficulties with conceiving, and those who had planned their pregnancies. Having or desiring to have children was not related to FA level. An inconsistent association between study participant age and FA was observed, with some studies indicating that older participants had higher FA, but others found an opposite result or did not find any association.

CONCLUSION

The current findings suggest that interventions to increase FA are warranted, especially those targeting men, people with low education, and in family planning settings. Interventions and campaigns should be customized to meet individuals' needs regarding FA. Because of the high heterogeneity regarding the assessment of FA, these conclusions must be interpreted with caution.

The impact of coping strategies of cancer caregivers on psychophysiological outcomes: an integrative review

Purpose

A growing number of studies have explored the psychosocial burden experienced by cancer caregivers, but less attention has been given to the psychophysiological impact of caregiving and the impact of caregivers’ coping strategies on this association. This paper reviews existing research on the processes underlying distress experienced by cancer caregivers, with a specific focus on the role of coping strategies on psychophysiological correlates of burden.

Methods

A broad literature search was conducted in health-related databases namely MEDLINE, Science Citations Index Expanded, Scopus, and PsycINFO, using relevant search terms. All types of studies published in English were considered for inclusion.

Results

We found that cancer caregiving was related to increased blood pressure, dysregulation of autonomic nervous system, hypothalamic–pituitary–axis dysregulation, immune changes, and poor health-related behaviors. We also found that problem-focused coping was associated with decreased caregiver burden, decreased depression, and better adjustment, while emotion-focused coping was related to higher levels of posttraumatic growth and psychological distress. The way coping impacts psychophysiological correlates of burden, however, remains unexplored.

Conclusion

A better understanding of the psychophysiological elements of caregiver burden is needed. We propose a model that attends specifically to factors that may impact psychophysiological correlates of burden among cancer caregivers. Based on the proposed model, psychosocial interventions that specifically target caregivers’ coping and emotion regulation skills, family functioning, and self-care are endemic to the preservation of the health and well-being of this vulnerable population.

Mothers with breast cancer: A mixed-method systematic review on the impact on the parent-child relationship

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review and integrate the findings from quantitative and qualitative studies on parenting and parent-child relationships in families where mothers had breast cancer (BC).

METHODS

Ten different databases were searched from inception to January 2016. All authors assessed these data independently. Full-text, peer-reviewed articles exploring parenting and/or mother-child relationships in families where the mother had BC, regardless of cancer stage, were considered for inclusion. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed.

RESULTS

From 116 studies, 23 were deemed eligible for inclusion. Five of them were quantitative, 15 were qualitative, and 1 study used a mixed-method approach. Most studies analysed the mother's perceptions about the experience of having BC in parenting and in the parent-child relationship. The majority of studies explored experiences and perspectives on the parent-child relationship in mothers with minor children, although a minority of studies included adult children. Additionally, a few studies (17%) addressed perceptions and experiences of women with advanced stage cancer. Three main themes were found: priorities and concerns of patients, decision-making processes about sharing the diagnosis with their children, and mother-child relationship and parenting after mother's diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicated that the diagnosis of BC is accompanied by an array of challenges that affect parental roles and parenting. Further studies are needed to explore these issues more sensitively. For now, however, the evidence suggests that the families of women with BC, and particularly the women themselves, may benefit from informal and formal support aimed at helping them cope effectively with this challenging life event.

Marital adjustment in the context of female breast cancer: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and subsequent treatments present significant challenges and distress for both patients and their partners. This can lead to difficulties in marital relationships and, consequently, decreases in marital adjustment and psychosocial adaptation to BC for both partners. Our objective was to systematically review studies assessing marital adjustment in the context of female BC to understand which factors are associated with marital adjustment in both patients and partners and characterize the measures used to assess marital adjustment within these studies.

METHODS

This systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. English, peer-reviewed articles exploring factors associated with marital adjustment in the context of female BC were considered for inclusion.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies were included. Results evidenced that psychosocial variables play an important role on marital adjustment. Specifically, open and constructive communication, more social support, and supportive dyadic coping were found to be associated with higher levels of marital adjustment. Other variables such as self-efficacy, sexual functioning, and psychological adjustment were also positively associated with marital adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

Most studies evidenced an association between psychosocial variables and marital adjustment for both women and their partners. Some important dimensions such as communication patterns, coping strategies, and social support dynamics were identified as potential targets for psychological interventions. Some variables, however, were explored only in a few studies, which limit our conclusions. Future studies should explore the role these variables and other relational and emotional variables play in promoting marital adjustment after BC.

Psychological adjustment after breast cancer: a systematic review of longitudinal studies

OBJECTIVES

Breast cancer (BC) can be a traumatic and stressful experience for women, but there are wide-ranging differences in the ways in which women respond and adapt to BC. This systematic review examines which sociodemographic, disease-related, and psychosocial factors near diagnosis predict later psychological adjustment to BC.

METHODS

Database searches were conducted in 9 different health-related databases from 2000 to December 2015 using relevant search terms. Full-text, peer-reviewed articles in English that analyzed potential predictors of psychological adjustment in longitudinal studies were considered for inclusion.

RESULTS

Of 1780 abstracts, 41 studies fulfilled inclusion criteria. Consistent sociodemographic and disease-related variable predictors of adjustment were income, fatigue, cancer stage, and physical functioning. Psychosocial factors, particularly optimism and trait anxiety, as well as perceived social support, coping strategies, and initial levels of psychological functioning, were found to be predictive of later depressive and anxiety symptoms, psychological distress, and quality of life for women with BC, in predictable ways. Other psychosocial variables, such as cognitive and body image factors, predicted psychological adjustment but were explored only by a few studies.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of studies showed a significant relationship between psychosocial factors and psychological adjustment. These results point to specific sociodemographic, disease-related, and psychosocial factors that can help to identify women at the time of diagnosis who are at risk for long-term psychological challenges so they can be referred for psychological support that targets their specific needs and can improve their quality of life and mood and decrease indicators of anxiety, depression, and psychological distress.

Experiencing an Intimate Partner's Breast Cancer: Attachment, Caregiving, and Burden in Men

OBJECTIVE

This study examined interrelationships among adult attachment orientations, caregiving, and caregiver burden in men of female partners with breast cancer, and tested whether caregiving patterns mediated associations between men's attachment orientations and their self-reported caregiver burden.

METHOD

The participants were 124 male partners of women with breast cancer. These participants completed assessments related to attachment, caregiving, and caregiver burden. Path models examined the associations between constructs and tested mediational effects.

RESULTS

Findings demonstrated significant associations between men's adult attachment orientations and their experience of caregiver burden. In addition, the maintenance of proximity in caregiving completely mediated the respective associations of attachment security and attachment avoidance to caregiver health problems, on one hand, and to the caregiver's self-esteem (e.g., another indicator for caregiver burden), on the other. Moreover, we found a direct effect of attachment avoidance on health problems.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlighted the importance of addressing adult attachment dispositions and caregiving to understanding the relational processes implicated in caregiver burden. The results support the conclusion that men's adult attachment orientations and caregiving patterns toward their female partners with breast cancer are relevant contributors to men's perceptions of caregiver burden.

Probing beer aging chemistry by nuclear magnetic resonance and multivariate analysis

This paper describes the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, in tandem with multivariate analysis (MVA), for monitoring the chemical changes occurring in a lager beer exposed to forced aging (at 45°C for up to 18 days). To evaluate the resulting compositional variations, both principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were applied to the NMR spectra of beer recorded as a function of aging and a clear aging trend was observed. Inspection of PLS-DA loadings and peak integration enabled the changing compounds to be identified, revealing the importance of well known markers such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) as well as a range of other relevant compounds: amino acids, higher alcohols, organic acids, dextrins and some still unassigned spin systems. In addition, the multivariate analysis method of 2D correlation analysis was applied to the NMR data enabling the relevant compound variations to be confirmed and inter-compound correlations to be assessed, some reflecting common metabolic/chemical pathways and, therefore, offering improved insight into the chemical aspects of beer aging.

Quantification of organic acids in beer by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based methods

The organic acids present in beer provide important information on the product's quality and history, determining organoleptic properties and being useful indicators of fermentation performance. NMR spectroscopy may be used for rapid quantification of organic acids in beer and different NMR-based methodologies are hereby compared for the six main acids found in beer (acetic, citric, lactic, malic, pyruvic and succinic). The use of partial least squares (PLS) regression enables faster quantification, compared to traditional integration methods, and the performance of PLS models built using different reference methods (capillary electrophoresis (CE), both with direct and indirect UV detection, and enzymatic essays) was investigated. The best multivariate models were obtained using CE/indirect detection and enzymatic essays as reference and their response was compared with NMR integration, either using an internal reference or an electrical reference signal (Electronic REference To access In vivo Concentrations, ERETIC). NMR integration results generally agree with those obtained by PLS, with some overestimation for malic and pyruvic acids, probably due to peak overlap and subsequent integral errors, and an apparent relative underestimation for citric acid. Overall, these results make the PLS-NMR method an interesting choice for organic acid quantification in beer.

4'-epidoxorubicin versus mitomycin C intravesical chemoprophylaxis of superficial bladder cancer

The authors report the preliminary data concerning a phase III study comparing the chemoprophylactic effects of mitomycin C and epirubicin in Ta-T1 primary and recurrent superficial bladder tumors. 60 patients were treated, 32 with epirubicin and 28 with mitomycin C, with a medium follow-up of 17.7 and 16.2 months, respectively. There were no systemic side effects. The remission rate was 62.5% in the epirubicin group and 64.2% in the mitomycin C group. Both drugs were equally useful in the chemoprophylaxis of superficial bladder cancer.