Europe’s Journal of Psychology (PsychOpen)
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RETRACTED: Sociodemographic and Clinical Determinants of Quality of Life and Health Representations in Greek Patients With Multiple Sclerosis
No full textRETRACTION NOTICE This article has been retracted due to violating Good Publication Practice and not complying to EJOPS's/PsychOpen's Ethical Guidelines on plagiarism and redundant or concurrent Publication.
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease that can have physical, psychological, and social impacts, reducing health-related quality of life. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the sociodemographic and clinical determinants of quality of life, mental health and health representations of control in Greek patients with multiple sclerosis. A sample of 90 individuals was recruited from three General Hospitals in the broader area of Athens, consisting of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Measurements were conducted with the following instruments: the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC). Female and older patients reported higher scores in the psychological, social and environmental QOL domains and lower scores in the GHQ-28 measure. Further, less educated patients presented higher scores in all the domains of WHOQOL-BREF. Married patients presented higher scores in the physical, psychological, social and environmental QOL domains and lower scores in all the subscales of GHQ-28. Patients with more years of treatment (≥ 4) evaluated their QOL and mental health more favourably. Findings provide evidence that sociodemographic and clinical variables, like being female, older, less educated, married and with more years of treatment, relate to a better assessment of quality of life and mental health in multiple sclerosis
Lemons Into Lemonade: Development and Validation of an Inventory to Assess Dispositional Thriving
No full textResearch indicates that health and disorder are polar opposites of the same continuum of vulnerability. Research has focused almost exclusively upon one end of this continuum, namely disorder. As such, instruments that assess adaptive dispositions (e.g., “thriving”, or post-trauma growth) have rarely been developed. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument that assesses dispositional thriving. Undergraduate students (N = 289) were asked to complete the dispositional thriving inventory (DTI), in addition to a number of other instruments designed to assess adaptive (e.g., optimism, acceptance, planning, etc.) and maladaptive (depression, dysfunctional attitudes, etc.) constructs. Factor analysis revealed four orthogonal factors comprising the DTI. Results indicated that the 26-item scale is reliable (α = .88) and valid. Scores on the DTI positively correlated with optimism, and adaptive coping, and negatively correlated with depression and dysfunctional attitudes. There is some evidence that the DTI is a reliable and valid instrument. The construct of thriving has wide implications upon the onset and treatment of psychopathology
Relationship Between Implicit and Explicit Measures of Attitudes: The Impact of Application Conditions
No full textThree experimental studies analyzed the extent to which correlations between implicit and explicit measures of (anti-Arab) attitudes depend on the conditions in which these measures are applied. The first study revealed that the correlation increased when the explicit measure was applied in conditions of time-pressure and cognitive load. The second study showed that, under these conditions, both implicit and explicit measures predicted stereotypic attributions. The third study confirmed that the correlation between both measures increased when participants were previously familiarized with the logic that underlies the use of implicit measures. The theoretical and methodological implications of these results are discussed
A Meta-Study of Qualitative Research Into the Experience of ‘Symptoms’ and ‘Having a Diagnosis’ for People Who Have Been Given a Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
No full textThe purpose of this study is to review the current state of the literature reporting qualitative studies that depict the experiences of ‘symptoms’ and ‘having a diagnosis’ for people who have been given a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The method attempted to combine empirical and discursive approaches and was strongly influenced by guidance from Paterson, Thorne, Canam, and Jillings (2001) on conducting a meta-review. Meta-data analysis was used to compare the studies and, subsequently, nine common themes emerged: ‘struggles with identity’, ‘loss of control’, ‘disruption, uncertainty and instability’, ‘negative impact of symptoms across life and the experience of loss’, ‘negative view of self’, ‘positive or desirable aspects of mania’, ‘struggling with the meaning of diagnosis’, ‘stigma’, and ‘acceptance and hope’. The meta-method explored and evaluated the qualitative methods that have been used to study this phenomenon, and the meta-theory considered the theoretical underpinnings and contributions of this research. The review concludes that an awareness of these themes could support clinical work with service-users and inform the development of relevant interventions such as interpersonal social rhythm therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Further qualitative research is recommended to extend this literature base and include a greater representation of men and people living in non-westernised countries.Note This is a newer version of an article published in EJOP, Vol. 9 Issue 2 (2013). In the following publication some section headings were added which had been lost during document production
Predictors of Quality Of Life in a Sample of Lebanese Patients with Cancer
No full textQuality of life (QoL) is a multi-dimensional phenomenon bordering on all aspects of one’s life. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that are considered predictors of QoL in a Lebanese sample of cancer patients attending a tertiary healthcare center. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was used. A total of 200 adult oncology patients over 18 years of age were interviewed over a one-year period, 2009-2010. Two widely known instruments were used; the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) to evaluate the QoL and symptoms experienced in this population group. The reliability coefficients of both instruments were generally satisfactory. The results showed significant predictors of better QoL were being married (p = 0.04) and being single (p = 0.04), having breast (p = 0.01) and gastro-intestinal cancer (0.02) as primary cancer sites and emotional functioning (p = 0.00); significant predictors of poorer QoL were the MSAS total symptoms (p = 0.01) and fatigue (p = 0.00). Our findings provide insight into the predictors of QoL of cancer patients and set the path for future research in order to improve the QoL of cancer patients in Lebanon
The Relationship Between Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): Key Mechanisms and the Role of Quality of Life
No full textVarious trials have been conducted evaluating depression management programs for patients with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). However, to date, the most effective way to manage this co-morbidity in the real world setting remains unclear. To better understand the past successes and failures of previous trials and subsequently develop suitable interventions that target key components of health related quality of life (HRQOL) such as mental, physical and vocational functioning, we first need to understand the mechanisms underpinning the relationship between the two conditions. This paper will draw on the key literature in this field as identified by psychiatric, medical and social sciences databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, OVID, Medline) available up to January 2012, with the aim to conduct a narrative review which explores: the aetiological relationship between depression and CHD; its association with HRQOL; the relationship between CHD, depression and vocational functioning; and the impact of depression treatment on these outcomes. Key recommendations are made regarding the management of this prevalent co-morbidity in clinical settings
Exploring Spontaneous Imitation in Infancy: A Three Generation Inter-Familial Study
No full textWith the aim to advance our understanding regarding the role of the extended family interactional context for early mother-infant communication, we compared spontaneous early imitative exchanges in dyadic interactions between mothers and infants (Group 1, N = 26) who had no frequent contact with maternal grandmothers, to imitations in two familial subgroups (Group 2, N = 48): (a) dyadic interactions of infants with their mothers, and (b) with their grandmothers–persons who had frequent contact with the infant. Spontaneous dyadic interactions of infants with their mothers and grandmothers were video-recorded at home from the 2nd to the 10th month of their life. Both comparisons provided evidence of similar frequency of imitative exchanges and developmental trajectories of infant imitations, but also differences in the structure of imitation, the kinds of imitated behaviors and the temporal patterns of imitative components. In the frame of the theory of Innate Intersubjectivity, we assume that differential early family interaction may be related to variations in three fundamental dimensions of infant-significant other communication: “kinematics” (temporal patterns), “physiognomics” (spatial patterns or forms) and “energetics” (force or effort). These variations may affect the child’s ability for regulation and negotiation of interpersonal challenges within and outside the family context
Perception and Expression of Emotional Suffering in Cancer Patients: The Role of Somatic Depressive Symptoms
No full textTo date there is no agreement on the usefulness of physical symptoms to express a mood disorder diagnosis in psychoncology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of somatic, affective and cognitive clusters in mood disorders in oncological comorbidity. 151 consecutive in-patients of the Surgical Oncology Unit of S. Giovanni Battista Hospital (Turin, Italy) were evaluated for depression using the HADS and the MADRS. In addition, behavioural, somatic and cognitive clusters of the MADRS were analysed, comparing depressed and non-depressed patients, subdivided according to the HADS-D scores. Since the HADS does not consider the somatic symptoms of depression this comparison allowed us to evaluate the relevance of the three different clusters for depressive symptoms. According to the HADS, 57.4% of patients scored above the cut-off (≥ 8) for depression and 47,3% scored above the cut-off (≥ 8) for anxiety. As for the MADRS, 44% of patients scored between 0-9, indicating the absence of depression, 43.7% were found to have mild/moderate depressive symptoms and 12.3% showed severe mood depression. Comparison between patients above and below the cut-off of HADS-D showed significant differences in all the three clusters (p < 0.01). In addition, more relevant differences were observed in the affective and somatic clusters than in the cognitive cluster. Results of the present study suggest the importance of somatic symptoms in the perception and expression of psychological suffering in cancer patients
The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Norms for Swedish Parents of Children Aged 10-13 Years
No full textThis study evaluated the internal consistency and factor structure of the Swedish version of the 10-item Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and its relation to family warmth and conflict, marital satisfaction, and parental discipline strategies, in addition to obtaining norms from the general population of parents of children aged 10-13 years. The ERQ has two subscales measuring an individual’s use of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression as emotion regulation strategies. A random non-referred sample of parents of 1433 children aged 10-13 years completed the ERQ and other questions targeting the family functioning and couple adjustment (Warmth/Conflict in the family; Dyadic Adjustment Scale-short form) and parental strategies (Parent Practices Interview). The results indicated adequate internal consistencies (Cronbach’s alpha) of the two subscales (cognitive reappraisal .81; expressive suppression .73). Confirmatory factor analysis resulted in close to acceptable fit (RMSEA = 0.089; CFI = 0.912; GFI = 0.93). Norms are presented as percentiles for mothers and fathers. The ERQ cognitive reappraisal scale correlated positively with marital adjustment (DAS), family warmth, appropriate discipline (PPI), and negatively with harsh discipline (PPI). The ERQ expressive suppression subscale was negatively correlated with marital satisfaction (DAS) and family warmth, and positively with harsh discipline (PPI). To conclude, this study showed the adequate reliability and construct validity of the ERQ in a large sample of Swedish parents. Specific use of suppression or reappraisal as a parental emotion regulation strategy was related to couple satisfaction, warmth in the family and employment of adequate discipline strategies in expected direction
Using Rasch Measurement to Create a Quality of Sleep Scale for a Non-Clinical Sample Based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
No full textOriginally, the aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties and the appropriateness of the Greek version of the PSQI for a non-clinical sample. However, the scale was deemed not to be appropriate and results suggested some major modifications (study 1). The modified scale was administered to a second sample of Cypriots and was shown to be unidimensional and to have a high degree of reliability (study 2). The items define a theoretical linear quality of sleep continuum of increasing difficulty and cover a wide range of that continuum. Furthermore, a 3-point (instead of the original 4-point) Likert scale was shown to be optimal and the scale was found to be appropriate for a non-clinical sample. The resulting scale is suitable for research purposes in studies regarding quality of sleep in academia, medicine and marketing. It could be used either for individuals or for large scale samples