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Psychosocial Measures (psychosocial + measure)
Selected AbstractsValidity of Three Measures of Health-related Quality of Life in Children with Intractable EpilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 10 2002Elisabeth M. S. Sherman Summary: ,Purpose: Validity studies on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scales for pediatric epilepsy are few, and cross-validation with other samples has not been reported. This study was designed to assess the validity of three parent-rated measures of HRQOL in pediatric epilepsy: (a) the Impact of Childhood Illness Scale (ICI), (b) the Impact of Child Neurologic Handicap Scale (ICNH), and (c) the Hague Restrictions in Epilepsy Scale (HARCES). Methods: Retrospective data were examined for 44 children with intractable epilepsy. Validity was assessed by evaluating differences across epilepsy severity groups as well as correlations between HRQOL scales and neurologic variables (seizure severity, epilepsy duration, current/prior antiepileptic medications) and psychosocial measures (emotional functioning, IQ, social skills, adaptive behavior). Scale overlap with a global QOL rating also was assessed. Results: The HRQOL measures were moderately to highly intercorrelated. The scales differed in terms of their associations with criterion measures. The HARCES was related to the highest number of neurologic variables and the ICNH to the fewest. All three scales were related to psychosocial functioning and to global quality of life. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the three measures are likely adequate measures of HRQOL for use in intractable childhood epilepsy. The measures were highly intercorrelated, and they were all broadly related to criterion measures reflecting specific domains of HRQOL as well as global QOL. Some differences between scales emerged, however, that suggest care in choosing HRQOL instruments for children with epilepsy. [source] Operative Results without Invasive Monitoring in Patients with Frontal Lobe Epileptogenic LesionsEPILEPSIA, Issue 10 2001A. Mariottini Summary: ,Purpose: To further explore the still controversial issues regarding whether all or most candidates for epilepsy surgery should be investigated preoperatively with invasive long-term video-EEG monitoring techniques (ILTVE). Methods: We studied five patients with intractable seizures since early childhood using the same protocol: clinical evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences, long-term video-EEG (LTVE) monitoring with scalp electroencephalogram (EEG), interictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and neuropsychological testing. The patients' seizures had clinical features suggesting a frontal lobe (FL) origin. MRI scans revealed focal cortical dysplasia (CD) in four patients and a probable gliotic lesion in the fifth. The findings in both PET and SPECT images were congruent with those of the MRI. Scalp LTVE failed to localize the ictal onset, although the data exhibited features suggestive of both CDs and FL seizures. On the basis of these results, surgery was performed with intraoperative corticography, and the cortical area exhibiting the greatest degree of spiking was ablated. Results: Histopathologic study of four of the resected specimens confirmed the presence of CD, whereas in the fifth, there were features consistent with a remote encephaloclastic lesion. There were no postoperative deficits. Seizures in three of the patients were completely controlled at 2,3.5 years of follow-up; a fourth patient is still having a few seizures, which have required reinstitution of pharmacotherapy, and the fifth has obtained 70% control. All patients have had significant improvement in psychosocial measures. For comparison, five patients with generally similar clinical and neuroradiologic features to the previous group underwent preoperative ILTVE monitoring. The surgical outcomes between the two groups have not differed significantly. Conclusions: We conclude that patients with FL epilepsies may be able to undergo successful surgery without preoperative ILTVE monitoring, provided there is high concordance between neuroimaging tests (MRI, SPECT, PET) and the seizure phenotypes, even when routine EEGs and scalp LVTE fail to localize ictal onset unambiguously. The surgical outcomes of these patients generally paralleled those of the other subjects who also had FL epilepsy but who were operated on only after standard ILTVE monitoring. [source] Pros and cons of using the mental health act for severe eating Disorders in AdolescentsEUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW, Issue 1 2009Agnes Ayton Abstract Background In England and Wales the compulsory treatment of young people with severe eating disorders is controversial. There is a concern that such treatment may impair patient autonomy and negatively influence the outcome. In this study, based in a specialist hospital, we compared patients treated under parental consent with those detained under the Mental Health Act: their characteristics and outcome up to 12 months after discharge. Results 34 patients were informal (treated under parental consent) (age: 16.2,±,1.3 years) and 16 were treated under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act (age: 16.2,±,1) in a 3-year period. Detained patients had an earlier age of onset (12.2,±,5 vs. 14.3,±,1.8) and more previous hospitalisation. On admission, their psychosocial functioning (Children's Global Assessment Scale (C-GAS): 13.6,±,2 vs. 26.9,±,9; Health of the Nation Outcome Scale for Children and Adolescents (HONOSCA): 41.7,±,5 vs. 31.9,±,5) were worse than voluntary patients', they had a higher level of co-morbid depression (BDI: 38.1,±,15.6 vs. 26.6,±,12.4) and a higher rate of suicidal behaviour. All physical and psychosocial measures improved substantially and clinically significantly by discharge and there was no statistically significant difference at this stage between the two patient groups. Two informal patients died within a year after discharge (6.3%), but there were no deaths amongst the detained patients. Comments In contrast with previous findings in adults, the outcome for detained patients was similar to that for informal patients, despite the former having more severe presentation on admission. There was no evidence of higher mortality in the detained group. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [source] Psychosocial Differences Between High-Risk Acute vs.PAIN PRACTICE, Issue 2 2008Chronic Low Back Pain Patients ,,Abstract: The present study was designed to evaluate the relative degree and type of emotional distress in high-risk acute low back pain (ALBP) subjects (defined as less than 3 months since initial injury) vs. high-risk chronic low back pain (CLBP) subjects (defined as greater than 3 months since initial injury). It is an extension of earlier findings that demonstrated the significant role that such emotional distress may play in the development of CLBP disability if not appropriately treated in the acute phase. This work stems from a conceptual three-stage model, which characterizes the progression from acute to chronic pain. Several psychosocial measures were administered that included information allowing for the classification of subjects as high-risk based upon an earlier developed screening algorithm. The ancova procedure in SPSS was used to compare groups, controlling for gender, ethnicity, and age. Results revealed that CLBP subjects had higher rates of certain measures of emotional distress and depression relative to ALBP subjects. These findings further support the importance of effectively managing emotional distress factors early, when treating musculoskeletal disorders such as low back pain.,, [source] Japanese cancer patients' communication style preferences when receiving bad newsPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 7 2007Maiko Fujimori Abstract This study describes the communication style preferences of Japanese patients when receiving bad news, examines the factor structure of the measure for patients' preferences (MPP) in a Japanese population, and explores variables that may be associated with patients' communication style preferences. Five hundred twenty-nine cancer outpatients completed several psychosocial measures including the Japanese version of the MPP (MPP-J), the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (MAC), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The patients desired detailed information and a supportive environment when receiving bad news. The MPP-J demonstrated a 5-factor structure: support, facilitation, medical information, clear explanation, and encouraging question-asking. Regression analyses indicated that a female gender, the fighting spirit and anxious preoccupation dimensions of the MAC were positively associated with all 5 MPP-J factors. In conclusion, Japanese cancer patients' preferences for communication when receiving bad news differ somewhat from those of American patients. Japanese physicians should encourage patients to ask questions and should consider the demographic (e.g. gender), medical (disease status) and psychosocial characteristics (fighting spirit and anxious preoccupation) of patients when delivering bad news. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Psychological aspects of adductor spasmodic dysphonia: a prospective population controlled questionnaire studyCLINICAL OTOLARYNGOLOGY, Issue 1 2010A.A. Kaptein Clin. Otolaryngol. 2010, 35, 31,38. Objective:, To examine psychosocial concomitants, illness perceptions, and treatment perceptions in patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia. Design:, Prospective controlled cohort study. Setting:, A tertiary care facility. Participants:, Forty-nine out-patients (38 women, 11 men; average age of 52 years) with adductor spasmodic dysphonia completed a battery of reliable and validated psychometric assessment instruments. Control patients' data were derived from scores in questionnaires by samples in the formal Manuals of the questionnaires used. Main outcome measures:, Psychosocial functioning, illness perceptions, and treatment perceptions. Results:, Scores on psychosocial measures were elevated in male patients especially, indicating levels of psychological morbidity significantly above those seen in the general population. Assessments of illness perceptions and treatment perceptions indicated that patients perceive that they have a very low degree of control over the disorder, and experience a high emotional impact from it. Voice Handicap Index scores illustrated substantial degrees of perceived handicap. Conclusions:, Adductor spasmodic dysphonia is associated with significant negative psychosocial concomitants, coupled with low perceived control over the condition. Future research should elucidate the implications of illness perceptions and treatment perceptions for the biopsychosocial care of persons with adductor spasmodic dysphonia in order to improve self-management and enhance quality of life. [source] | ||||||||||