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Increased Distress (increased + distress)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Factors Associated with Distress in Urban Residential Fire Survivors

JOURNAL OF NURSING SCHOLARSHIP, Issue 1 2002
Anne Keane
Purpose: To identify factors associated with recovery in a sample of urban residential fire survivors. Design and Methods: 440 survivors of residential fires were interviewed at approximately 3, 6, and 13 months after the fire to measure psychological distress. A set of factors was identified that correlated with survivors' ability to recover from the fire event. Potential predictors of increased distress were identified. Hypotheses were that participants who were lower in socioeconomic status, who were minority members, who had less social support, who engaged in attributional thinking, and had greater concurrent life stresses would have greater psychological distress in response to a residential fire and would be less able to recover from the fire event. Findings: Distress after fire was high at 3 months and decreased for the majority of participants, although one-third of survivors had higher distress at 13 months than at 3 months. Loss of control and attributional variables had the strongest influence on psychological distress over time. Conclusions: The findings are consistent with stress-response tendencies expected after a stressful event. A set of predictor variables was identified to help clinicians target survivors at high risk for psychological distress after a residential fire. [source]

Psychological adjustment among male partners in response to women's breast/ovarian cancer risk: a theoretical review of the literature

PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
Kerry A. Sherman
Abstract Objective: For women at high risk of developing hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer the process of undergoing genetic testing is anxiety provoking and stressful, entailing difficult and complex decisions. Partners of high-risk women are frequently perceived by the women as a source of support during this challenging time. Utilising Self Regulatory Theory, this paper provides a theoretically guided overview of existing data to delineate how partners respond emotionally and behaviourally to the woman's high-risk status. Methods: An extensive literature search was undertaken. Online searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO databases were conducted, reference lists of all publications identified were examined; and the databases were searched for authors identified in these publications. Results: The systematic search yielded 10 published studies on at-risk women and their male partners; one study did not investigate male partner distress as an outcome variable. Heterogeneity of methodology in this literature precluded quantitative meta-analyses of study outcomes. Review of the evidence suggests that the genetic testing process may be distressing for some partners, particularly for partners of women identified as mutation carriers. Associations were identified between partner distress and partner beliefs about the woman's perceived breast cancer risk; partner feelings of social separation and lack of couple communication; and partner perceptions of being alienated from the testing process. Lack of partner support was found to be associated with increased distress of the tested woman at the time of testing and following results disclosure. Data are lacking on the role of partner beliefs about breast cancer, partner perceived consequences of genetic testing, and personality factors such as information processing style, on partner distress. Conclusions: The high level of behavioural and psychological interdependence that exists between a tested woman and her partner means that future research seeking to understand the coping and adjustment processes of partners needs to adopt a dyadic, transactional approach that is grounded in psychological theory. Specific suggestions for future research in this context are delineated. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Intrusive cognitions and their appraisal in anxious cancer patients

PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 11 2009
Katriina L. Whitaker
Abstract Objective: Previous research found that anxious cancer patients experience uncontrollable negative intrusive cognitions that have an impact on coping and are associated with significant psychological distress. This is the first study to examine the appraisal of intrusive cognitions in an anxious group of cancer patients. Methods: A sample of 139 anxious cancer patients was assessed for evidence of intrusive phenomena, including memories, images and thoughts. Patients completed the Response to Intrusions Questionnaire and the Impact of Event Scale in relation to intrusive cognitions. Results: Forty-eight percent (67/139) reported frequent, uncontrollable intrusive cognitions. Intrusive thoughts and images were equally as common and images were associated with increased distress and uncontrollability. A significant positive linear relationship was found between the number of intrusions and anxiety severity (P<0.05). Negative appraisal of intrusive cognitions was associated with anxiety (P<0.01) and depression severity (P<0.01), intrusion-specific distress (P<0.01), rumination (P<0.01) and cognitive avoidance (P<0.01), after controlling for intrusion frequency. Conclusion: Negative appraisal of intrusive cognitions plays a significant role in psychological distress and intrusion-specific distress in anxious cancer patients. Finding similarities in the types of intrusive cognitions reported by cancer patients and other anxious populations highlights the potential applicability of psychological therapies developed to reduce the frequency and impact of intrusive cognitions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Gender differences in the psychosocial experience of parents of children with cancer: a review of the literature

PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 9 2009
Naomi E. Clarke
Abstract Objective: To build a descriptive literature base of investigated and identified gender differences in the psychosocial experience of parents of children with cancer, in order to guide future research in this area. Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted using Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL and EMBASE databases. Thirty papers were included in the review. Themes from these papers were identified, and on this basis, the review findings were grouped according to five main outcome categories: role perceptions, illness beliefs, psychological distress, coping strategies and perceptions of marital, family and child functioning. Results: Few gender differences were found in perceptions of marital, family and child functioning. There was a tendency toward traditional gender roles in the division of parental tasks. Findings in relation to parent psychological distress and preferred coping strategies were mixed, with trends toward increased distress, more emotion-focused coping and greater social support-seeking in mothers. Conclusions: Further studies using longitudinal designs with solid theoretical groundings will provide valuable information on the unique psychosocial experiences of mothers and fathers throughout the child's illness, which may in turn guide the development of evidence-based interventions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]