Communication Self-efficacy Research Articles

Simulation-based training program on patient safety management: A quasi-experimental study among new intensive care unit nurses

BackgroundPatient safety is an essential responsibility of nurses. However, newly graduated nurses experience patient safety incidents due to a lack of patient safety competency. In particular, intensive care unit nurses provide care to critical patients, making it difficult for new nurses to maintain patient safety. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the patient safety competency of newly graduated nurses working in the intensive care unit. ObjectivesTo analyze the effects of a simulation-based training program on patient safety management on the patient safety competency, patient safety management activity, communication self-efficacy, and teamwork of newly graduated nurses working in an intensive care unit. DesignA quasi-experimental study. SettingsThe study was conducted at a university in Korea. ParticipantsA total of 44 newly graduated nurses working in the intensive care unit of a university hospital. MethodsA simulation-based training program on patient safety management was applied to the experimental group (n = 22), while only the usual hospital training program was used for the control group (n = 22). A structured questionnaire survey comprising Patient Safety Competency Self-Evaluation, Patient Safety Management Activities, the Korean version of the self-efficacy questionnaire, and K-self assessment of teamwork was conducted at baseline test (T1), post test (T2), and follow-up test (T3). Data were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA. ResultsThe experimental group showed significantly higher patient safety competency, patient safety knowledge, and patient safety skills, along with higher communication self-efficacy scores than the control group (p < .05) after the intervention and at four weeks after the intervention. ConclusionsThe simulation-based training program on patient safety management effectively improved the patient safety competency, patient safety knowledge, and patient safety skills as well as communication self-efficacy of newly graduated nurses working in an intensive care unit.

Developing Scientific Communication Skills Using Primary Literature in an Undergraduate Cell Biology Course.

Being able to communicate scientifically is an important skill for students graduating with a science degree. Skills used in future graduate school and careers for science majors include oral and written communication, as well as science literacy and being able to create figures to display information. There is a consensus that these skills should be taught throughout an undergraduate science curriculum; however, many instructors have cited insufficient time to cover skills and develop materials to effectively incorporate these skills, especially into lower-level content-focused courses. Here, we present an active curriculum that can easily be incorporated into any content-focused undergraduate Cell Biology course. The curriculum is designed around scientific literature that engages students in a multitude of active learning activities to develop different types of scientific communication skills. This curriculum not only develops student skills and self-efficacy in scientific communication, it also engages them in course content and stimulates their interest in research. While making changes to a course to include scientific communication can be difficult, making small changes, such as addition of this curriculum to an already-existing content-focused course, could make a big difference in the skills and attitudes of early undergraduate science students.

Communication competence, self-efficacy, and spiritual intelligence: evidence from nurses

IntroductionCommunication skills and acceptable levels of spiritual intelligence (SI) are the prerequisites of the nursing profession, which can significantly impact the individual and organizational performance of nurses. This study aimed to investigate the competency and self-efficacy of communication and its relationship with the SI of nurses.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 and included 312 nurses working in a COVID-19 hospital in the south of Iran. The data collection instruments were the Standard Communication Competence Scale, Communication Self-Efficacy, and SI Questionnaires. Data were analyzed with SPSS software version 23 using descriptive and inferential statistics, and t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression were performed at 5% significance level.ResultsThe mean scores of nurses’ communication competence, communication self-efficacy, and SI were 89.11 ± 7.32 out of 180, 64.45 ± 5.61 out of 120, and 147.13 ± 11.26 out of 210, respectively. A direct and significant correlation was observed between competence (r = 0.527, p<0.001) and communication self-efficacy (r = 0.556, p<0.001) with spiritual intelligence. The dimensions of spiritual intelligence, including the ability to deal with and interact with problems, self-awareness, love and affection, general thinking and doctrinal dimension, and dealing with moral issues, were identified as predictors of nurses’ communicative competence and self-efficacy (p<0.05). There was a positive and significant correlation between nurses’ competence and self-efficacy with their age (p<0.05). The nurses’ mean communication competence and self-efficacy score were different regarding their level of education and the number of shifts (p<0.05). The mean scores of self-efficacy revealed a statistically significant difference between the participants’ gender and the number of patients under observation (p<0.05). Moreover, the nurses’ SI significantly correlated with age, and the mean scores of this intelligence had statistically significant differences regarding gender (p<0.05).ConclusionThe nurses’ communication competence and self-efficacy were at a moderate level. Considering the correlation and predictive role of SI and its dimensions, it is recommended to promote problem-solving skills, improve self-awareness, and pay attention to moral standards to nurture communication competence and self-efficacy among nurses.

5613868 THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT ON PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY IN HEALTH COMMUNICATION AMONG CHILDREN WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE

Background: Health communication has been associated with self-reported overall health-related quality of life (HRQL) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). Yet, we know little about what mechanisms contribute to patients’ perceived self-efficacy in health communication. Studies have shown associations between social support from parents and better overall HRQL for children with SCD. Social support from parents (or other adults) may also be associated with health communication. Aims: To study the direct association of social support from parents and teachers with perceived self-efficacy in health communication in a sample of pediatric patients with SCD. Methods: Youth with SCD between ages 7-16 years completed the parent and teacher subscales of the Social Support Scale for Children (e.g., “Other kids have parents who do want to listen to their children’s problems.”) and the PedsQL SCD Module. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine associations between perceived social support from parents and teachers and health communication (PedsQL SCD Module Communication I domain; e.g., “It is hard to tell the doctors and nurses how I feel.”). Higher scores on the social support scale indicates more social support from parents, and higher scores on the PedsQL SCD Module Communication I domain reflects greater ease in talking to medical providers about their health. Results: The current study included 21 pediatric patients diagnosed with SCD in the US (M = 11.38 [SD = 2.78] years), with an almost equal number of girls (n = 11) and boys (n = 10). Reported SCD genotypes included HbSS (n = 14), HbSC (n = 6), and HbS-beta0 thalassemia (n = 1). The results of the multiple regression indicated that the model explained 30.6% of the variance and that social support was positively and significantly associated with perceived self-efficacy in health communication, F(2,17) = 3.75, p <.05. While social support from the parent significantly contributed to the model (B = 27.70, p <.05), social support from the teacher did not (B = -12.26, p =.12). Conclusion: Findings suggest that social support from parents can have a significant impact on patients’ perceived self-efficacy in health communication. Results from this study could inform interventions aimed at addressing social support from parents as a way to enhance children’s comfort in communicating with health care providers about their SCD. Future studies should explore potential moderating and mediating variables affecting the association between social support from parents and health communication to aid in developing and tailoring behavioral interventions.

헬스리터러시가 주관적 건강인식에 미치는 영향에서 환자의 의료진에 대한 커뮤니케이션 자기효능감의 매개효과

Objectives: This study investigated the mediating effect of patient communication self-efficacy on the relationship between their health literacy and self-rated health. Methods: The design of this research is a cross-sectional study based on self-administered questionnaires. Sample for this study is 1,141 individuals aged 19 to 60 living throughout the country. Data were analyzed through mediation analysis using the Hayes SPSS Process macro. Results: The results revealed that patient’s health literacy had a significant positive effect on their self-efficacy in communicating with the medical staff. This, in turn, had a significant positive effect on their self-rated health. Additionally, patient communication self-efficacy mediated the relationship between their health literacy and self-rated health. Conclusion: The findings highlight the significance of improving patient communication self-efficacy and health literacy to increase positive health outcomes. Healthcare professionals should strive to improve patients’ communication skills and provide adequate health literacy education to improve health outcomes.

Cultural Adaptation of a Health Literacy Toolkit for Healthcare Professionals Working in the Primary Care Setting with Older Adults.

Healthcare professionals' health literacy (HL) knowledge and skills influence their interaction with older adults. Healthcare professionals, when effectively communicating with older adults, can empower and enhance patients' skills to make informed decisions about their health. The study aimed to adapt and pilot test a HL toolkit to enhance the HL skills of health professionals working with older adults. A mixed methodology of three phases was used. Initially, the healthcare professionals' and older adults' needs were identified. Following a literature review of existing tools, a HL toolkit was selected, translated, and adapted into Greek. The HL toolkit was introduced to 128 healthcare professionals as part of 4 h webinars; 82 healthcare professionals completed baseline and post assessments, and 24 healthcare professionals implemented it in their clinical practice. The questionnaires used included an interview on HL knowledge, communication strategies, and self-efficacy using a communication scale. HL and communication strategies knowledge (13 items) and self-efficacy in communication (t = -11.127, df = 81, p < 0.001) improved after the end of the HL webinars, and improvement was retained during the follow-up after 2 months (H = 8.99, df = 2, p < 0.05). A culturally adapted HL toolkit was developed to support the needs of healthcare professionals working with older adults, taking into consideration their feedback in all phases of the development.

A Pilot Study of Psychosexual Functioning and Communication in Women Treated for Advanced Stages of Cervical Cancer After the Diagnosis

IntroductionThe purpose of this pilot study was to examine relationships between body image, perceived stress, partner and patient-provider sexual communication, and sexual functioning in women with advanced stages of cervical cancer (CC) after the cancer diagnosis.MethodsIn this pilot study, cancer patients (n = 30) and healthy women (n = 30) were compared. A study was conducted from January to March 2022. Sexual functioning and its predictors were assessed using the 6-item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-6), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Sexual Communication Self-Efficacy Scale (SCSES), the self-administered questionnaire contributing the patient-provider sexual communication, and the Body Esteem Scale (BES). The data was collected from January to June 2022.ResultsWomen with cervical cancer after the diagnosis reported impaired sexual functioning, which was associated with self-efficacy in sexual communication, feeling comfortable discussing sexual issues with a healthcare provider, perceived stress, and body image. Compared to the control group, CC patients had significantly lower sexual functioning (mean 8.83 vs 19.23; p < 0.001).ConclusionsSexual functioning in women with CC is significantly impaired even after the diagnosis and is associated with psychosocial variables. The expanded study will include other predictors of sexual functioning and quality of life in women with CC on the larger group of patients.Policy ImplicationsAs cancer becomes a more chronic disease that affects even younger individuals, social policy should promote the sexuality issues in cancer patients, as it is an integral part of every person’s life, regardless of health status or age.

Effects of a Pretend Play Intervention on Health-Related Quality of Life in Children With Cancer: A Swedish-German Study.

Background: Cancer diagnosis can lead to massive physical, emotional, and social burdens on children and their families. Although children have the right to be informed and participate in their care, research shows that children's views are often not considered in care situations. Thus, it is essential to strengthen children's communication and self-efficacy (SE) to convey desires and needs. The present study explores whether a play intervention is associated with improved health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and SE for communication in care situations. We hypothesize that HrQoL and SE for communication will increase from the beginning to after the pretend play intervention. Methods: Children with cancer from Germany and Sweden were enrolled. The pretend play intervention consisted of six to 10 play sessions. A heterogenic selection of questionnaires was used to measure children's HrQoL and SE before the first pretend play session and after the last play intervention. Results: Nineteen families were included in the presented analyses, including 14 self-reports of children and 19 proxy reports of parents. We found improvements in child-reported communication, and emotional and psychosocial well-being using generic and cancer-specific HrQoL measurements. Further, children's SE in care situations improved during the play intervention. Parents also reported minor improvements in the physical dimensions in both generic and chronic-generic HrQoL, along with improvements in independence. Discussion: Overall, the cancer-specific pretend play intervention offers young children with cancer a secure environment and can contribute to their well-being, and communication skills, during or after cancer treatment.

Artificial intelligence in virtual reality simulation for interprofessional communication training: Mixed method study

BackgroundVirtual reality simulations are shown to be an effective approach for interprofessional nurse-physician communication training. However, its scalability is constrained by unequal medical-nursing cohort size, rendering a great challenge for all nursing students to form an interprofessional team with medical students. With the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), an AI medical team player can be integrated into virtual reality simulations for more nursing students to engage in interprofessional team training. ObjectivesTo describe the development of a novel AI-enabled virtual reality simulation (AI-enabled VRS) and to evaluate nursing students' competencies and experiences in communicating with an AI medical doctor. MethodsA mixed-methods design using a one-group pretest-posttest design and focus group discussions were employed in the evaluation phase. Nursing students from a university were recruited to undertake the 2-hour AI-enabled VRS. Pre-test and post-tests were administered to evaluate the participants' communication knowledge and self-efficacy. Survey questionnaires were administered to examine their experiences with the virtual reality environment and the AI doctor. Five focus group discussions were conducted to gain deeper insight into their learning experiences. ResultsThe participants demonstrated significant improvements in communication knowledge and interprofessional communication self-efficacy after the learning. They reported positively on the acceptability, feasibility and usability of the AI-enabled VRS. The subscale of “human-like” feature of the AI medical doctor was rated the lowest. Three themes surrounding participants' experiences of the virtual learning emerged: “relate to the real world”, “artificial intelligence versus human intelligence” and “complement with face-to-face learning”. ConclusionsThis study demonstrates initial evidence on the potential of AI-enabled VRS in fostering nursing students' learning on interprofessional communication skills. The findings have also provided insights on how to improve the AI-enabled VRS, in particular, the expressiveness of the AI pedagogical agent and facilitating more dialogue trainings with learner-agent conversations.

Can teaching serious illness communication skills foster multidimensional empathy? A mixed-methods study

BackgroundTo investigate the impact of a serious illness communication skills training course on medical students’ attitudes regarding clinical empathy, self-efficacy in empathic communication, and learning on different dimensions of empathy.MethodsA mixed-methods design was used. A blended learning Serious Illness Communication Skills Training (SI-CST) course was delivered to sixth-year medical students. Students (n=185) completed questionnaires with the 20-item Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) and self-rated preparedness level for five empathic communication tasks at baseline (T1), six weeks (T2), and three-to-six months post-training (T3). Written reflections on key lessons learned were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsTotal JSE scores significantly improved from T1 to T2 (111.4 vs 113.9, P=.01) and from T1 to T3 (111.4 vs 113.9, P=.01). There was an increase in Standing in Patient’s Shoes subscale of the JSE with an effect size of 0.56 whereas the Perspective-Taking and Compassionate Care subscales showed no significant changes. Self-rated preparedness for all five empathic communication tasks significantly improved from T1 to T2 (P ≤ .001) and from T1 to T3 (P ≤ .001) with large effect sizes (1.09-1.41). Four key themes emerged from the qualitative analysis. They were appreciating the important role of empathy in clinical care (moral empathy), learning skills in detecting and understanding patient emotions (cognitive empathy), learning skills in responding to emotion with empathy (behavioral empathy), and appreciating that communication skills can be improved with continual practice and self-reflection.ConclusionsOur results revealed that SI-CST improved medical students’ empathic attitudes and self-efficacy in empathic communication. Qualitative results found learning on the cognitive, behavioral and moral dimensions of empathy.

Starting the Conversation: randomized pilot trial of an intervention to promote effective clinical communication about sexual health for gynecologic cancer survivors.

Gynecologic cancer survivors often hesitate to raise sexual health concerns with their clinicians. We pilot tested Starting the Conversation (STC), a theory-guided intervention aimed at facilitating survivors' clinical communication about sexual health. Survivors (N = 32) were randomized 2:1 to STC (23-min video and accompanying workbook grounded in social cognitive theory that provides information and skills training for communicating with providers about sexual concerns, and resource guide) or control (resource guide only). Feasibility was assessed through enrollment, retention, and intervention completion rates (benchmarks: 60%, 80%, 70%); acceptability was assessed through post-intervention program evaluations (benchmark: 75%). Preliminary effects were assessed for sexual health communication (self-reported after next clinic encounter), self-efficacy for clinical communication about sexual health (post-intervention and 2-month follow-up), and sexual activity and anxiety/depressive symptoms (2-month follow-up). All feasibility/acceptability benchmarks were surpassed; 76% enrolled, 97% retained, ≥ 95% used intervention materials, and 100% endorsed STC as acceptable. Positive STC effects were seen for increases in self-efficacy (Cohen's d's = 0.45 at post-intervention; 0.55 at follow-up). In STC, 35% and 45% of women raised or asked about sexual health concerns during the post-intervention clinic visit, respectively, versus 0 and 27% in the control arm. Other measures showed little change. Data support the STC intervention as feasible and acceptable, with promising effects for gynecologic cancer survivors' communication about sexual health concerns. Because sexual health communication is relevant across the treatment trajectory, we included both on-treatment and post-treatment survivors. While this may be a limitation, it could also enhance sample generalizability. A larger trial is needed to determine efficacy. Communication about sexual health is important yet lacking for cancer survivors. Patient-focused interventions may help address concerns and improve survivors' health outcomes.

코치의 자기효능감 척도개발

The purpose of this study is to develop a reliable and valid scale to help coaches objectively recognize their self-efficacy and to measure self-efficacy more reliably to enable various program development. Which can be used in related research on self-efficacy for coaches in the future. First, the development of a self-efficacy scale for coaches was conducted through three steps: preliminary question selection process, scale development process, and test reliability and validity. Three components with 25 questions were selected: emotional self-efficacy, relationship self-efficacy, and communication self-efficacy. Second, reliability and validity were verified through Cronbach's α coefficient and model fit index of the self-efficacy for coaches scale. In conclusion, the three components developed as a result of this study are important factors constituting the self-efficacy for coaches based on self-efficacy and coaching as a theoretical background.

Conceptualizing Health Communication and its Impact on Patient Outcomes in Oncology Outpatient Settings: A Mixed-Methods Study

ObjectivesInformed by the dual process theory of supportive message, the aim of this study is to systematically describe symptom communication, including its relationship with patient outcomes. Data SourcesThis is a mixed-methods study with an exploratory design. By examining symptom communication that occurred in oncology and hospice outpatient clinics, the qualitative phase employed conversation analysis to validate a typology of interaction patterns. The subsequent quantitative phase examined the relationship between interaction patterns and patient outcomes. ConclusionA total of 52 cancer patients’ outpatient communications with their health care providers were included in the analysis. Ten unique interaction patterns were identified and defined. Among the 10 interaction patterns, some patterns are significantly associated with critical patient outcomes, including satisfaction, health communication self-efficacy, and symptom agreement between patients and their health care providers. This study represents one of the few mixed-methods studies to examine the patterns of real outpatient symptom communications and link them to concrete patient outcomes. Implications for Nursing PracticeOur results present various interaction patterns that are commonly used in medical encounters and suggest that using some patterns affects critical patient outcomes.

Vicarious learning and communication self-efficacy: A pediatric end-of-life simulation for pre-licensure nursing students.

End-of-life clinical experiences, particularly in pediatrics, are quite limited for pre-licensure nursing students. Though effective, end-of-life simulations can be costly, require facilitators trained in palliative and end-of-life care, and are restricted by limited space and time availability. Such barriers prompt the question as to whether there is an effective alternative to simulation by which students can gain improved self-efficacy in therapeutic communication during pediatric end-of-life situations. Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory and work exploring self-efficacy posits that vicarious learning provides learners opportunities to gain experience and knowledge through observation of peers in simulated settings. This study evaluated the effectiveness of vicarious versus active learning on pre-licensure nursing students' perceived self-efficacy in providing therapeutic communication during a pediatric end-of-life situation. Data were collected over three time points - pre-simulation, post-simulation, and post-debriefing - using a modified Self-Efficacy in Communication Scale. Learners in both groups had significant improvement in self-efficacy across all time points. Only two items had significant differences between vicarious and active learner groups, but the effect was minor. Vicarious learning presents as a viable pedagogical approach for providing pre-licensure nursing students important learning opportunities related to pediatric end-of-life simulations during both the scenario and debriefing.

Motivation-targeted activity of teachers of a marine higher education institution in the paradigm of forming future navigators’ communicative self-efficiency

The article raises the problem of actualization of the motivation-targeted activity of lecturers of a maritime higher education institution in the context of the formation of cadets’, future navigators’ communicative self-efficacy. The expediency of updating the motivation-targeted activity in this aspect is substantiated, the definition of its goals is presented. It is proved that an important component of navigators’ professional activity is the system composed of a set of diverse communications. The definition of the phenomenon "self-efficacy" and cadets’, future navigators’ communicative self-efficacy has been given. The close relationship between the level of achievement motivation and success in its life activity is emphasized, as well as its influence on the process of development of communicative self-efficacy. Conceptual directions for determining the essence of achievement motivation (G. Murray, D. McClelland, J. Atkinson, J. Heckhausen, etc.), Ukrainian scientists (S. Zaniuk, S. Makarenko, O. Pavlik, et al.), its role in the formation of the phenomenon under study, communicative self-efficacy of future navigators. The significance of activation of an active reflexive position among cadets has been determined. The structure of the achievement motivation is given. The expediency of using such methodological accompaniments as: keeping reflexive diaries and using a reflexive workshop in the educational process of a maritime institution of higher education is indicated. The importance of conducting "Professional consulting" for actualisation of the self-concept (I-concept), motivation for the successful achievement of the goals of the future professional activity, communicative self-efficacy, how the use of this method and its interactive form contributes to the active development of a positive attitude and interest of cadets in performing tasks related to communication in its various manifestations, in the optimization of the educational process of a maritime institution of higher education.

Investigating pre-service EFL teachers’ attitudes and challenges of online teaching

Since teachers are the most responsible ones for integrating technology into their online teaching practices, understanding their attitudes and beliefs is of great importance. This study thus investigated pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ attitudes and perceived challenges of teaching online language courses. To this end, a questionnaire with three categories on teachers’ values and attitudes, beliefs, and communication self-efficacy and one on perceived online teaching challenges with five categories of attitudinal, pedagogical, interactional, supportive, and technical were administered to 100 MA students of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST). Five open-ended questions were also administered to gain more insight into their attitudes and perceived challenges of online teaching. The results indicated that pre-service teachers were interested in online teaching and believed that online teaching could help learners develop their English language knowledge, and that the advances in online information technologies could provide great opportunities for language teaching and learning. The results also revealed that categories on the attitude scale were ranked as communication self-efficacy, teachers’ values and attitudes, and their beliefs. Considering perceived challenges of online teaching, Internet connection, lack of teacher professional development courses for effective online teaching, and lack of previous online learning experiences were found to be the most frequent challenges. The dimensions of challenges were hierarchically ranked as technical, pedagogical, interactional, supportive, and attitudinal. The findings could shed light into designing and developing professional development courses for student teachers who are willing to teach online language courses.

Assessing the readiness of medical students for blended learning model using virtual reality

Background: Assessing students’ learning readiness has become more important to establish on-target learning and teaching environments, particularly since blended learning and online learning are widely implemented in medical education. This study aims (1) to examine the reliability and validity of Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS) and (2) to identify the levels of online learning readiness for blended learning methods using virtual reality and its associations. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 102 fifthyear medical students was conducted. The data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to investigate the relationships among dimensions of OLRS. Results: The VN-version of the OLRS scale consists of 16 items in four dimensions, namely Self-directed learning - SDL, Motivation for learning - MFL, Computer &amp; Internet self-efficacy - CIS, Online communication self-efficacy - OCS. Confirmatory factor analysis indicates the model fit of the OLRS scale in a blended learning course context. The composite reliability and construct validity of the scale was found to be within the acceptable range. Students showed high readiness for blended learning course, of which SDL was the dimension having the highest score of readiness, followed by MFL and CIS dimensions. There were positive correlations across all dimensions of OLRS (p&lt;0.001). Statistically significant associations were found between gender, health professional orientation, computer self-efficacy and their experience of medical education environment and dimensions of OLRS. Conclusion: The results indicate that the OLRS is a reliable and valid measurement tool in the assessment of online learning readiness levels of blended learning course using virtual reality. It is recommended to develop a reliable scale to assess the perceptions and readiness of instructors undertaking the move to blended teaching. Key words: confirmatory factor analysis, blended learning, Online Learning Readiness Scale, virtual reality, medical education

Communication in home care-A feasibility study of an educational intervention in self-efficacy and job satisfaction.

To explore the feasibility of evaluating a novel educational intervention on person-centered communication for nursing assistants (NAs) in home care. A feasibility study with pre- and post-assessments. Feasibility was assessed pre- and post-intervention, including evaluation of data collection procedures, completion rates and missing data in two questionnaires: Self-efficacy Questionnaire measuring communication skills and Measure of Job Satisfaction, analysed descriptively and statistically. The questionnaires were feasible and acceptable for the NAs to complete and understand. The pre- and post-assessments showed 83% and 61% completion rates, respectively, and a low proportion of missing data. Barriers for not participating in data collection were stress caused by staff shortages and high workload. Preliminary analysis of the questionnaires showed no significant difference pre- and post-intervention, even though an overall tendency of increased communication self-efficacy was observed. The NAs' self-efficacy ratings also revealed a ceiling effect.

Profiles of women’s adjustment after cancer based on sexual and psychosocial wellbeing: results of a cluster analysis

BackgroundSexual wellbeing is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of overall wellbeing for women across cancer diagnoses.ObjectiveWe identified profiles of women cancer survivors by sexual and psychosocial outcomes and compared groups for differences in relevant outcomes and individual characteristics.MethodsPartnered women treated for cancer (n = 226; M age = 51.1 (12.6); 54% breast cancer; 86% White) completed a cross-sectional survey assessing sexual and psychosocial wellbeing. K-means cluster analysis modeled subgroups (clusters) with similar response patterns on measures of sexual wellbeing (sexual function, distress, sexual communication, and self-efficacy for communication), psychosocial wellbeing (quality of life (QOL), anxiety and depressive symptoms), and time since treatment. ANOVAs with Tukey post-hoc analyses and chi-square analyses tested cluster mean differences.ResultsThree distinct clusters of women differed by levels of adjustment in sexual and psychosocial wellbeing: higher-adjustment (32.7%), intermediate (37.6%), and lower-adjustment (29.6%). Significant differences among the clusters were found for all outcomes, with largest effect sizes for sexual distress (η2p = 0.66), sexual communication (η2p = 0.51), sexual satisfaction (η2p = 0.44), and anxiety and self-efficacy for communication (η2p = 0.32). The intermediate adjustment group was characterized by lower adjustment on measures of sexual and relationship function, and better adjustment on measures of QOL and mood.ConclusionsFindings suggest that for women cancer survivors, measures of sexual and psychosocial wellbeing can model distinct profiles to inform targeted interventions to meet women’s needs. Evidence-based targeted interventions could lead to better sexual function, and ultimately to better QOL and overall wellbeing.Implications for practiceA stepped intervention approach to sexual health care for women with cancer, where content and format depend on degree of sexual and psychosocial adjustment after cancer, may be most appropriate. Interdisciplinary teams may address sexual, emotional, and relationship functioning.

The Role of Interpersonal Communication in Mental Health Literacy Interventions for Young People: A Theoretical Review

ABSTRACT School-based mental health literacy (MHL) programs can increase knowledge, reduce stigma, and encourage help-seeking behaviors in school-aged children. Yet, MHL intervention effects are inconsistent and unsustainable over time, and scholars have called for more theoretical work to address these limitations. The purpose of this theoretical review is to investigate how theory is utilized in MHL interventions, explore the interpersonal communication processes integrated in MHL interventions, and uncover the theoretical assumptions made in MHL interventions about interpersonal communication. We identified 27 articles for inclusion and utilized both content and interpretive analyses. Findings suggest that very few MHL interventions are based in theory; interpersonal communication is a central component within MHL programming; and numerous assumptions are made about interpersonal communication within MHL interventions that need to be addressed theoretically and empirically. Accordingly, we recommend that MHL intervention content and delivery practices are grounded in interpersonal communication theory related to disclosure and social support (seeking and provision). Additionally, teaching disclosure and social support skills may be a productive way for MHL interventions to help students build self-efficacy in communication about mental health for themselves and others.