1,720,967 research outputs found
Constructivist approach in genetic counseling: medical, psychological and familiar implications into patient-centered approach
Get PDFAim of the present Doctoral thesis entitled ‘Constructivist approach in genetic counseling: medical, psychosocial and familiar implications into patient-centered approach’ was to investigate the scientific landscape of the role of biopsychosocial approaches in the context of genetic counseling.
The thesis is articulated in 2 parts: theoretical and scientific sections.
The Theoretical Section exploited the research perspective in the genetic counseling pointing out the focus how to put the discoveries from genetic research to use in healthcare. Aim was to describe the produced potential new ways of predicting risk, of diagnosis, and disease prevention and treatment. Particularly, the genetic counseling process was analyzed in its several aspects:
- providing information about test options
- assessing psychological well-being
- helping patients and families communicate about genetic risk
- facilitating adaptation to grief and loss, interpreting results
- assisting with decision-making and referrals
The application of the biopsychosocial model seems essential in the context of genetic counseling: health as the result of multiple interacting biological, psychological, and social factors, and recognizes that behavior can be explained in terms of multiple contexts or levels of organization that mutually influence each other.
Considering the genetic counseling might ask for individual adaptive dynamics, psychological distress seemed to be a matter of debate that was the starting point of experimental investigation of the thesis.
The Scientific Section was structured on three studies based on the primary endpoint to contribute to model the psychological and behavioral implications to boost the efficiency of genetic counseling by multidisciplinary approach. Aim of Scientific Section was to highlight the relevance of clinical setting based on a patient-centered approach, tailoring clinical practice on the integration of physical, mental, and social factors to patients’ and relatives’ wellbeing, to enhance healthcare and patient lives. Scope was to investigate the genetic counseling impact in the disclosure toward to health management and Quality of Life of patients.
During the PhD program n.3 studies have been conducted as follow:
Study 1. BRCA genetic result disclosure for women with breast cancer: influence of +/- predisposition genetic mutation (observational study design)
Study 2. Patient perspective in perceived comparative genetic mutation risk: an exploratory review (review study design)
Study 3. Perceived cancer risk and genetic counselling: a biopsychological perspective to boost lifestyle medicine (observational study design)
General objective of observational studies (n.1 and n.3 of the above list) was to examine a) the psychological impact of disclosure of BRCA genetic result, b) the emotional health of patients and, c) the role of cancer worry in the psychological dimensions of patients undergoing genetic testing
Perceived cancer risk and genetic counseling: A biopsychological perspective
Get PDF: In Italy, genetic testing is becoming a regular part of clinical practice in public healthcare. The clinical implications are that probands' educational level and relatives' ages for cascade genetic screening should be considered during counseling. The study aimed to investigate the role of cancer worry in the psychological dimensions of patients undergoing genetic testing and to analyze its moderating effect thereon. We conducted an observational study based on a sample of 55 patients aged between 19 years and 73 years. The sample was classified into two groups based on genetic-testing indications: oncological diagnosis eligible for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) genetic testing and patients eligible for family cascade testing by known genetic mutation in HBOC. A psychological battery was applied after the first scheduled genetic counseling. Our findings highlighted the relevance of cancer worry in the management of genetic counseling. The influence of cancer worry on dysphoria traits is that patients/relatives undergoing genetic testing feel vulnerable. Genomic medicine oriented to the biopsychosocial (BPS) approach in the counseling process could be the driving force for efficient and integrated genomic-risk assessment
Early career researchers and mental health: Observational study of challenge and wellbeing
Get PDFAbstract Background Early career researchers (ECRs) are a strategic sector in the academic community because they represent a scientific incubator for future academic scholars. Recently, growing evidence suggests that relevant doctoral researchers work under elevated levels of stress and frustration and that this has a significant impact on their personal health and research output and their future career development. This study aimed to analyse the well‐being and mental health within ECR, focusing on coping strategies for stress, and to contribute and exploit a conceptual framework tailored to the academic context considering the specifics and challenges of academia. Methods Participants were 134 young early career academics (mean age = 30.6; SD = 4.38; range = 25–40 years) enrolled via institutional email. A 94‐item questionnaire was created using Survey Monkey and distributed between October and December 2022. The survey assessment was based on three parts: (1) sociodemographic data, (2) psychological assessment, and (3) research skills design. Results Our findings highlighted a general trend toward negative psychological dimensions in ECRs: PhD students and research contracts appeared to be stressed, anxious, and depressed. Moreover, they had segmented ECRs: PhD students showed higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than research contracts, highlighting reduced positive outcomes in psychological dimensions, as well as lower ability to manage emotional experiences and then to be perseverant for long‐term goals and motivation. Our findings highlight that mental health in ECRs is a challenge that needs to be addressed in academia. Conclusions New and innovative ways of encouraging help‐seeking must be developed and implemented to address policy changes, communication activities, training, and health‐promotion activities through the circulation of experience, sharing actions, and strategies to foster healthy academics by raising awareness, implementing interventions, or engaging professionals concerning mental health in academia
Naturalizing digital and quality of life in chronic diseases: Systematic review to research perspective into technological advancing and personalized medicine
Get PDFThe increasing of chronic diseases and related health management are the main clinical and public health challenges. The long-term nature and the need for continuous monitoring in chronic disease management gave rise to early technological innovations (mobile Health) to improve care management plans, therapeutic adherence, and psychological support to the patient. This review aimed to map the literature on the impact of the use of wearable device on quality of life in patients with chronic diseases. We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE through PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus of all scientific literature published until January 2022. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 10 papers were included. This review pointed out the relevant focus on the use of wearable device in chronic disease patients highlighting the wearable device impact on several domains including quality of life, Self-Efficacy, Self-Management, and feelings on patients with chronic diseases. The available scientific literature related to the impact of the use of wearable device on quality of life and psychological features in patients with chronic diseases, general underline a need to develop professional healthcare guidelines and tailored intervention on patients with a chronic condition, using mobile Health solutions and trying to fill the lack of knowledge about the topic
Digital affinitiy and cognitive reserve: Salience for resilient aging in pandemic
Get PDFObjective: The study aimed to analyze the impact of technology in the older adults after acute pandemic regarding to the development of digital confidence. Method: A sample of n. 56 healthy older adults (N = 22 female, N = 34 male) aged 64 to 86 years (M = 73.7, SD = 6.40) participated in observational study. The sample was distributed in two groups: (a) pre-COVID and (b) post-COVID. Psychological battery was applied: Mini-Mental State Examination, Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Affinity for Technology Interaction Scale, and then Digital Mastery Questionnaire. Descriptive and (M)ANOVA statistical analyses have been applied. Results: Our results confirmed the increase in technology usage among elders, the higher use of smart devices and then more confident digital daily living; then, the improving of digital affinity for technology and higher adherence in seniors than older. In sex effect, men seemed developing higher digital confidence for digital experience, for access and use of financial online services than women. In the process of improvement by massive digital experience in daily living the cognitive reserve had relevant influence: elders with high level of cognitive reserve appeared to enhance own competence in digital mastery and affinity for technology. Conclusions: Our study highlighted the higher cognitive reserve being protective in older adults favoring the efficacy to the changing in daily living as well the develop of adaptive behaviors in order to achieve high Quality of Life
Mental health of young researchers in academia: Towards to growth perspective
Get PDFObjective: Young Researchers are a strategic sector in the research community because of the future academic scholars. Recently, growing evidence suggests mental health of young generation of researchers has a significant impact on their wellness, as well the related research output and their future career development. This study aimed to contribute and exploit a conceptual framework self-determination theory tailored to the academic context considering the specifics and challenges of academia. Methods: Participants were 134 young Early Career Academics (mean age = 30.6; SD = 4.38; range = 25–40 years) enrolled via institutional e-mail. Psychological assessment was conducted applying standardized tests evaluating depression, anxiety, stress, emotional regulation difficulties and grit trait. Results: Our findings highlighted a general trend toward negative psychological dimensions in young researchers: PhD students and Research contracts showed signs of depression, anxiety and stress. More, they highlighted reduced positive outcomes in psychological dimensions, as well as lower ability to manage emotional experiences and then to be perseverant for long-term goals and motivation. The balancing among examined psychological dimensions represents the perspective for mental health actions towards to personal growth related to successful academia experience. Conclusions: Policy changes, communication activities and health-promotion activities through the circulation of experience, sharing actions, and strategies could be the pillar for fostering healthy academics by raising awareness, implementing interventions, or engaging professionals concerning mental health in academia
Patient perspective in perceived comparative genetic mutation risk: An exploratory review
No full textThe genetic risk of chronic diseases represents a complex medical setting in which individuals need to adapt to health conditions that manage daily living towards to healthy behaviours. This exploratory review focused on psychological counselling for genetic risk diagnosis. This study aimed to address the psychological management of the impact of genetic risk on chronic diseases. We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Scopus for articles from May 2012 to August 2023. A descriptive analysis of the characteristics of the included studies was conducted. Based on the exclusion/inclusion criteria, the literature search yielded 250 studies. Seventeen full texts were assessed for eligibility and 207 articles were excluded. Observational (n = 15) and randomised clinical trials (n = 2) were examined. Most studies have been conducted on oncological diagnoses; the emotional dimensions examined have been worry, depression, anxiety and stress in most diseases. Psychological measures are based on self-reports and questionnaires; few studies have investigated the connections between quality of life, psychological traits and emotional dimensions. The complexity of clinics and from daily diagnostic and treatment practices to the everyday experience of those living with the risk of disease might be addressed in counselling settings to improve quality of life in genetic risk, increasing mental adaptation to tailored chronic conditions. Thus, the empowerment of communication of genetic risk information should be part of the general trend towards personalised medicine
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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