Psychological Functional Impairment Research Articles

Exploring unmet needs and preferences of young adult stroke patients for post-stroke care through PROMs and gender differences

BackgroundStroke incidence among young adults of working age (under 65 years of age) has significantly increased in the past decade, with major individual, social, and economic implications. There is a paucity of research exploring the needs of this patient population. This study assessed: (1) young adult stroke patients' physical, psychological, and occupational functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL); and (2) post-stroke care preferences using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), with attention to gender differences.MethodsA cross-sectional pilot study was conducted. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected through chart review and data on occupational function, physical, psychological, and social wellbeing >90 days post-stroke through a self-reported survey. Descriptive statistics, gender-based, and regression analyses were conducted.ResultsThe sample included 85 participants. Participants reported impairments in both, occupational functioning, with 58.7% not returned to work (RTW), and HRQoL, specifically with social activities (37%), anxiety (34%), and cognitive function (34%). Women had significantly (p < 0.05) worse physical symptoms (sleep disturbance and fatigue), emotional health (depression, stigma, emotional dyscontrol) scores, and sense of self-identify post-stroke. Over 70% of participants preferred in-person post-stroke care led by health care providers and felt they would have benefited from receiving information on physical health (71.4%), emotional and psychological health (56.0%), RTW (38.1%), and self-identity (26.2%) post-stroke. Women preferred cognitive behavioral therapy (p = 0.018) and mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy (p = 0.016), while men preferred pharmacotherapy (p = 0.02) for psychological symptoms.ConclusionThis is the first study to report impaired HRQoL, psychological and occupational functioning using PROMs, with significant gender differences and preferences for post-stroke care delivery among young adult stroke patients at >90 days after stroke. The findings highlight the importance of needs, gender, and age-specific post-stroke education and interventions.

Efficacy of a digital lifestyle intervention on health-related QUAlity of life in non-small cell LUng CAncer survivors following inpatient rehabilitation: protocol of the QUALUCA Swiss multicentre randomised controlled trial

IntroductionNon-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survivors suffer from impaired physical and psychological functioning and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that persist after active treatment ends. Sustaining rehabilitation benefits, promoting...

Impairments in psychological functioning in refugees and asylum seekers.

Refugees are at increased risk for developing psychological impairments due to stressors in the pre-, peri- and post-migration periods. There is limited knowledge on how everyday functioning is affected by migration experience. In a secondary analysis of a study in a sample of refugees and asylum seekers, it was examined how aspects of psychological functioning were differentially affected. 1,101 eligible refugees and asylum seekers in Europe and Türkiye were included in a cross-sectional analysis. Gender, age, education, number of relatives and children living nearby, as well as indicators for depressive and posttraumatic symptoms, quality of life, psychological well-being and functioning, and lifetime potentially traumatic events were assessed. Correlations and multiple regression models with World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) 12-item version's total and six subdomains' scores ('mobility', 'life activities', 'cognition', 'participation', 'self-care', 'getting along') as dependent variables were calculated. Tests for multicollinearity and Bonferroni correction were applied. Participants reported highest levels of impairment in 'mobility' and 'participation', followed by 'life activities' and 'cognition'. Depression and posttraumatic symptoms were independently associated with overall psychological functioning and all subdomains. History of violence and abuse seemed to predict higher impairment in 'participation', while past events of being close to death were associated with fewer issues with 'self-care'. Impairment in psychological functioning in asylum seekers and refugees was related to current psychological symptoms. Mobility and participation issues may explain difficulties arising after resettlement in integration and exchange with host communities in new contexts.

Neurotechnological solutions for post-traumatic stress disorder: A perspective review and concept proposal.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety condition caused by exposure to severe trauma. It is characterised by nightmares, flashbacks, hyper-vigilance and avoidance behaviour. These all lead to impaired functioning reducing quality of life. PTSD affects 2-5% of the population globally. Most sufferers cannot access effective treatment, leading to impaired psychological functioning reducing quality of life. Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) is a non-invasive brain stimulation treatment that has shown significant clinical effectiveness in PTSD. Another treatment modality, that is, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy is also an effective intervention. However, both evidence-based treatments are significantly resource intensive as they need trained therapists to deliver them. A concept of a neuro-digital tool for development is proposed to put to clinical practice of delivering EMDR to improve availability, efficiency and effectiveness of treatment. The evidence in using new technologies to measure sleep, geolocation and conversational analysis of social media to report objective outcome measures is explored. If achieved, this can be fed back to users with data anonymously collated to evaluate and improve the tool. Coproduction would be at the heart of product development so that the tool is acceptable and accessible to people with the condition.

The variation characteristics of fecal microbiota in remission UC patients with anxiety and depression.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with relapsed disease are most likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. Increasing data indicates that psychological issues can change the composition of intestinal flora. Thus, we aim to seek the variation of intestinal microbiota composition in remission UC patients with anxiety and depression in Northwest China. In this study, 45 UC patients in remission were enrolled. The incidence of anxiety was 33.3%, and the prevalence of depression was 22.2%. There was no statistical difference in the alpha diversity of fecal microbiota, while beta diversity had a significant difference between the anxiety group and the non-anxiety group and the depression group and the non-depression group. Species composition analysis results showed that the ratio of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacilales significantly decreased. At the same time, the proportion of Escherichia-Shigella and Proteus_mirabilis increased in the anxiety group, and the ratio of Faecalibacterium and Bifidobacterium significantly decreased. In contrast, Escherichia-Shigella increased in the depression group at the gene levels. Anxiety and depression still exist in UC patients even in the remission period. We first identify that the proportion of probiotics decreases while the proportion of pathogens increases in UC patients with anxiety and depression. These findings may provide a new pathophysiological mechanism for the recurrence of disease caused by impaired psychological function and a new method for the treatment strategy of UC patients with psychological issues.

Resistance, Ambivalence and Change: People with Drug and Alcohol Addiction

When people with drug and alcohol addiction drop out of treatment, they may experience impaired psychological, physical, and mental functioning, emotional distress, and return to intense drug use. Some of the reasons for dropping out of treatment are related to the personal characteristics of the clients, their family background, and the therapeutic intervention that may not be well suited to the client's needs.

The physiology of growth hormone (GH) in adults: translational journey to GH replacement therapy.

The fact that growth hormone (GH) plays an important role in health after the cessation of growth requiring replacement therapy in adult life has only been recognised in the last three decades. This has only been made possible by recombinant technology providing GH supplies required to undertake investigations in the physiology of GH action and the benefits of replacement therapy in patients identified by rigorously validated diagnostic tests for GH deficiency (GHD). Human studies have revealed important regulatory roles in substrate metabolism, sodium homeostasis, body composition, and physical function. GH-induced anabolism is achieved by stimulating amino acid incorporation into protein while reducing oxidative loss simultaneously enhancing lipid utilisation by stimulating fatty acid oxidation and reducing lipid storage. Sodium and fluid retention are enhanced by activating the renin-angiotensin system and distal renal tubular reabsorption. GH stimulates the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems that underpin muscle and cardiovascular function. These pleiotropic actions explain the clinical picture of increased adiposity, reduced lean mass, and impaired physical and psychological function in the GHD adult, all of which are reversed when GH is replaced. Women require a greater replacement dose of GH than men. This is because androgens enhance while oestrogens attenuate GH action. The oestrogen effect is route-dependent, occurring with oral delivery blunting the liver-mediated actions of GH by directly inhibiting GH receptor signalling, global experience spanning over 30 years has attested to the safety, efficacy, and benefits of replacement therapy for adults with GHD.

Abstract P257: Self-Perception of Mental and Physical Health Are Significant Predictors of Activities of Daily Living

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and death worldwide. Stroke results in impaired physical, psychological, and social functions. This study examined the extent to which self-perception of physical and mental health, conditions manageable by behavioral intervention (MBI), and medical conditions contribute to activities of daily living (ADL) performance post-stroke among adults aged 65 and above. Methods: Data from the 2017 Medicare Health Outcomes Survey Cohort 19 were analyzed. The outcome variable was defined as, being able to independently perform basic ADL such as bathing, dressing, eating, getting in and out of the chair, walking, and using the toilet. Stepwise binary logistic regression was used to identify risk factors that predict overall ADL performance. Results: A total of 9,531 older adults with stroke were included in the study, 56.97% of whom were females. Overall, 58.6% had some difficulty or were unable to perform ADLs post-stroke. In the final model, self-perception of physical (OR=0.89, 95% CI=0.883, 0.896) and mental (OR=0.961, 95% CI=0.954, 0.968) health and older (74+) age (OR=1.7, 95% CI=1.452,1.895) were associated with difficulty in self-perception of ADL. A 12.2% increase in explained variance after adding medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc. to demographic factors; a 13.6% increment in explained variance after adding conditions MBI such as obesity, smoking, pain, etc.; and a 10.5% increment after adding self-perception of mental and physical health was obtained. The final model explained 39.4% of the total variance in the self-perception of ADL. Conclusion: Not only conditions manageable by behavior interventions, and medical conditions predict performance, but self-perceptions of mental and physical health have an impact on ADL. The significant association between self-perception and ADL found in this study signals the need for new avenues for interventions for persons with stroke with respect to their ability to perform self-care activities. These findings can inform future work that identifies and addresses psychosocial and behavioral risk factors that contribute to ADL.

Longitudinal study of changes observed in quality of life, psychological state cognition and pulmonary and functional capacity after COVID-19 infection: A six- to seven-month prospective cohort.

AimsTo investigate the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL), symptoms, psychological and cognitive state and pulmonary and physical function of nonhospitalised COVID‐19 patients at long‐term, and to identify factors to predict a poor HRQoL in this follow‐up.BackgroundStudies have focused on persistent symptoms of hospitalised COVID‐19 patients in the medium term. Thus, long‐term studies of nonhospitalised patients are urgently required.DesignA longitudinal cohort study.MethodsIn 102 nonhospitalised COVID‐19 patients, we collected symptoms at 3 months (baseline) and at 6–7 months (follow‐up) from diagnosis (dyspnoea, fatigue/muscle weakness and chest/joint pain), HRQoL, psychological state, cognitive function, pulmonary and physical function. This study adhered to the STROBE statement.ResultsHRQoL was impaired in almost 60% of the sample and remained impaired 6–7 months. At 3 months, more than 60% had impaired physical function (fatigue/muscle weakness and reduced leg and inspiratory muscle strength). About 40%–56% of the sample showed an altered psychological state (post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety/depression), cognitive function impairment and dyspnoea. At 6–7‐months, only a slight improvement in dyspnoea and physical and cognitive function was observed, with a very high proportion of the sample (29%–55%) remained impaired. Impaired HRQoL at 6–7 months was predicted with 82.4% accuracy (86.7% sensitivity and 83.3% specificity) by the presence at 3 months of muscle fatigue/muscle weakness (OR = 5.7 (1.8–18.1)), PTSD (OR = 6.0 (1.7–20.7)) and impaired HRQoL (OR = 11.7 (3.7–36.8)).ConclusionA high proportion of nonhospitalised patients with COVID‐19 experience an impaired HRQoL, cognitive and psychological function at long‐term. HRQoL, PTSD and dyspnoea at 3 months can identify the majority of patients with COVID‐19 who will have impaired quality of life at long‐term.Relevance to clinical practiceTreatments aimed at improving psychological state and reducing the fatigue/muscle weakness of post‐COVID‐19 patients could be necessary to prevent the patients’ HRQoL from being impaired at 6–7 months after their reported recovery.

Emotion network density in burnout

BackgroundHealth care workers are often affected by burnout, resulting in reduced personal well-being and professional functioning. Although emotional exhaustion is considered a core component of burnout, little is known about the dynamics of emotions and their relation to burnout. We used network analysis to investigate the correlation between the density of a negative emotion network, a marker for emotional rigidity in person-specific networks, and burnout severity.MethodsUsing an ecological momentary assessment design, the intensity of negative emotions of forty-three health care workers and medical students was assessed five times per day (between 6 am and 8 pm) for 17 days. Burnout symptoms were assessed at the end of the study period with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Multilevel vector autoregressive models were computed to calculate network density of subject-specific temporal networks. The one-sided correlation between network density and burnout severity was assessed. The study protocol and analytic plan were registered prior to the data collection.ResultsWe found a medium-sized correlation between the negative emotion network density and burnout severity at the end of the study period r(45) = .32, 95% CI = .09–1.0, p = .014).ConclusionsThe strength of the temporal interplay of negative emotions is associated with burnout, highlighting the importance of emotions and emotional exhaustion in reaction to occupational-related distress in health care workers. Moreover, our findings align with previous investigations of emotion network density and impaired psychological functioning, demonstrating the utility of conceptualizing the dynamics of emotions as a network.

Vitamin D3 as possible diagnostic marker of Eating Disorders

Abstract Purpose Eating Disorders (EDs) refer to a group of psychiatric conditions in which disorderly food intake results in impaired psychological functioning or physical health. Nowadays, these disorders represent an increasing problem in modern society. There are no universally validated clinical parameters to confirm, disprove or simply help to identify EDs except for diagnostic criteria on psychiatric basis. The aim of this study was the assessment of Vitamin D3 level in patients with EDs to understand if it might be a valid clinical biochemistry parameter useful as prognostic marker. Methods The sample consists of 28 female patients, who suffer from EDs. Blood samples were examined in terms of blood count, glucose, cholesterol and Vitamin D3 levels. The other clinical biochemistry parameters were analysed to understand if the Vitamin D3 was the only altered parameter. Results The parameters that appear altered are glycemia, cholesterol and, in particular, Vitamin D3. Significant results were obtained comparing controls with restrictive-type anorexia nervosa (p value= 0,003) and with purging-type anorexia nervosa (p value= 0,007). Conclusion There are currently no universally validated and diagnostic reliable clinical biochemistry parameters for EDs but, in the light of the findings, but our research indicates the potential use of Vitamin D3 as a biomarker for anorexia nervosa. Level of evidence Level III: Evidence obtained from a single-center cohort study.

Not social transition status, but peer relations and family functioning predict psychological functioning in a German clinical sample of children with Gender Dysphoria.

Research provides inconclusive results on whether a social gender transition (e.g. name, pronoun, and clothing changes) benefits transgender children or children with a Gender Dysphoria (GD) diagnosis. This study examined the relationship between social transition status and psychological functioning outcomes in a clinical sample of children with a GD diagnosis. Psychological functioning (Child Behavior Checklist; CBCL), the degree of a social transition, general family functioning (GFF), and poor peer relations (PPR) were assessed via parental reports of 54 children (range 5-11 years) from the Hamburg Gender Identity Service (GIS). A multiple linear regression analysis examined the impact of the social transition status on psychological functioning, controlled for gender, age, socioeconomic status (SES), PPR and GFF. Parents reported significantly higher scores for all CBCL scales in comparison to the German age-equivalent norm population. Peer problems and worse family functioning were significantly associated with impaired psychological functioning, whilst the degree of social transition did not significantly predict the outcome. Therefore, claims that gender affirmation through transitioning socially is beneficial for children with GD could not be supported from the present results. Instead, the study highlights the importance of individual social support provided by peers and family, independent of exploring additional possibilities of gender transition during counseling.

Trauma‐focused counselling and social effectiveness skills training interventions on impaired psychological functioning of internally displaced adolescents in Nigeria

AbstractTrauma‐focused counselling (T‐FC) and social effectiveness skills training (SEST) were used on impaired psychological functioning of early adolescents in IDP Camps in Nigeria. The factorial quasi‐experimental design was adopted. While the cluster sampling technique was used to select 60 participants from the IDP camps and were randomly assigned to T‐FC (20), SEST (20) and control (20) groups, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (α = .81) was used to screen the participants for impaired psychological functioning and adolescents' psychosocial functioning inventory scale (α = .90) was used for data collection. Analysis of covariance was used for data analysis. The two interventions significantly improved psychological functioning of displaced adolescents that was impaired [F(2,57) = 239.29; partial ῆ2 = 0.89]. It was concluded that T‐FC and SEST were found to be potent on impaired psychological functioning of adolescents in internally displaced camps in North‐Central Nigeria.

Określenia chorób w dziewiętnastowiecznym poradniku medycznym Józefa Zmijewskiego

This article characterizes disease entities noted in medical handbook “Method of curing with the means not used before” […], written by Józef Zmijewski in 1888 in terms of semantics, genetic relationships and structural linguistics. These disease entities have been derived from the source text because of their general character meaning they can be used to define many diseases. The terms characterize diseases based on their place and method of origin, the course of the disease, impairment of psychological functions, tissues and internal organs. They also indicate patient characteristics like age and sex. Many of these terms are noted in Polish dictionary of medical terminology from 1881 (46.9%) and in Polish medical dictionary from 1905 (40.6%) but they gain medical meaning only when used with words such as: choroba [-y], cierpienie [-a], dolegliwość [-i] or with specific names of disease entities, e.g.: skórne choroby, cierpienia nerwowe, dolegliwości moczowe, febra zastarzała, tryper zastarzały, febra starcza. Most names are native units (84.4%). These are words inherited form pre-Slavic languages or created based on polish language, e.g.: dziedziczny, gorączkowy, piorunujący, sercowy, dziecięcy, kobiecy. Only 15.6% pf the terms are based on other linguistic roots, e.g. gastryczny, chroniczny, epidemiczny. Majority of these terms are one-word structures (93.75%) expressed by adjectives and adjectival participles (90.6%), ending with -ny, -owy, -ty. As an exception there is a noun in genitive: (choroby) skóry. Only 6.25% are pronominal expressions: (choroby) z ojca; z rodziców.

Physical and Psychological Impairments As Practical Frailty Markers in Elderly AML Fit for Intensive Chemotherapy; Interim Data of a Prospective Cohort Study

Background The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) typically refers to a multidimensional assessment designed to evaluate an older person's functional ability, physical health, cognition, psychological health, nutritional status, and social support. There is a significant heterogeneity in terms of their underlying health and resilience to the burden of disease and treatments in elderly AML (eAML). To date, a few have evaluated the predictive value of CGA among newly diagnosed eAML. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential clinical value of CGA as a screening test for frailty in eAML. We designed a comprehensive CGA battery with measures which previously validated, standardized, and widely used. This study is a single-center prospective observational cohort study focused on discriminating between those older patients who are fit for intensive therapies and those who are vulnerable and may experience excess toxicity. Patients and method This prospective cohort study is to investigate the predictive values of each domain of CGA to discriminate vulnerable patients in eAML fit for intensive chemotherapy. Between November 2016 and July 2019, we enrolled newly diagnosed eAML patients aged ≥60 years considered fit for intensive chemotherapy, who had adequate performances and organ functions. All the enrolled patients were administered various questionnaires for an initial CGA and functional evaluation divided into 3 categories; (1) Social and Nutritional support (OARS and MNA), (2) Psychological (MMSE-KC, SGDS-K, PHQ-9, NCCN distress thermometer, MADRS, and KNU-DESC), and (3) Physical function (ECOG, KIADL, SPPB, Handgrip strength, and PTA by professional ENT evaluation). Results Seventy-seven patients were enrolled, in whom the median age of 64 years (range, 60-74), 58.4% were males, and 93.5% and 77.9% of patients had on ECOG score of 0~1 and HCT-CI score of 0~2, respectively. All enrolled patients were treated with intensive chemotherapy, and 62.3% achieved the first complete remission. Three patients experienced early death within 60 days (3.9%). During induction chemotherapy, the median recovery period for neutrophil and platelet counts was 26 (range, 24-29) and 30 (range, 27-33) days, respectively. The median hospitalization days for induction chemotherapy were 32 days (range, 21-104), and infection and GI complications (NCI-CTC-AE based any grade 79.2% and 67.5% respectively) were the most common complications primarily affecting tolerance to the initial chemotherapy. The grade III to IV infection, GI complications, hepatopathy, and acute kidney injury developed in 67.5%, 42.9%, 37.7%, and 16.9% of patients, respectively. Physical impairments were significantly associated with a higher incidence of infection (intact vs. any impairments; 46.4% vs. 79.6%, p=0.003), of which handgrip strength was most accurate tool to predict infection risk (p =0.032), and a trend of more GI complications (intact vs. any impairments; 28.6% vs. 51.0%, p=0.056), resulting in prolonged hospitalization (intact vs. any impairments; 32.2±1.7 days vs. 37.5±2.1 days, p=0.088) for the period of induction chemotherapy. Psychological impairment (intact vs. any impairments; 30.9±1.3 days vs. 38.2±2.1 days, p=0.005), particularly cognitive dysfunction measured by MMSE-KC (p=0.033), was also significantly associated with prolonged hospitalization. Conclusions This data demonstrates that a significant proportion of eAML fit for intensive chemotherapy based on performance status and comorbidity had social, nutritional, physical, psychological impairments by initial CGA assessments. These interim data focusing on early events suggest that impaired physical and/or psychological functions would be useful to identify eAML with intolerance to intensive chemotherapy. This ongoing exploratory prospective study will enroll more eAML patients (targets number=100) and further follow up currently enrolled patients, which will give us invaluable data to develop practical frailty marker and a new model for fitness for intensive chemotherapy. Disclosures Kim: Takeda: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Il-Yang co.: Research Funding. Lee:Achillion: Research Funding; Alexion: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Kim:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Astellas: Consultancy, Honoraria; Hanmi: Consultancy, Honoraria; AGP: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; SL VaxiGen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy; Amgen: Honoraria; Chugai: Honoraria; Yuhan: Honoraria; Sanofi-Genzyme: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Handok: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Otsuka: Honoraria; BL & H: Research Funding.

Association of Alterations in Intestinal Microbiota With Impaired Psychological Function in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in Remission

Depression and anxiety are frequent comorbidities with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Alterations to the intestinal microbiome promote not only intestinal inflammation but also psychologic function. We studied the interactions between the composition ofthe intestinal microbiota and psychological outcomes in patients with IBD in Switzerland. We performed a prospective study of psychological comorbidities and quality of life (QoL) in 171 participants in the Swiss IBD Cohort Study with IBD in remission. Participants complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Questionnaire, the 36-Item Short Form Survey, and the IBD QoL Questionnaire. Microbes were collected from intestinal biopsies and analyzed by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Microbiomes of patients with higher perceived stress had significantly lower alpha diversity. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with beta diversity. We found a negative correlation between psychological distress and abundance of Clostridia, Bacilli, Bacteroidia, and Beta- and Gamma-proteobacteria. Psychological distress was also associated with decreases in operational taxonomic units from the lineages of Lachnospiraceae, Fusobacteriaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Veillonellaceae, Alcaligenaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, and Bacteroidaceae families. The relative abundance of Bifidobacterium in patients with Crohn's disease and Desulfovibrio in patients with ulcerative colitis correlated with depression, whereas abundance of Sutterella, RF 32, and Lactococcus correlated with quality of life in patients with Crohn's disease. We identified correlations between the composition of the intestinal microbiota in patients with IBD and remission, psychological well-being, and QoL. Further studies should investigate how intestinal inflammation, the microbiome, and microbial metabolites affect psychological well-being and whether these components are mono- or bi-directionally linked.

What Are the Participants' Perspectives of Taking Melatonin for the Treatment of Nocturia in Multiple Sclerosis? A Qualitative Study Embedded within a Double-Blind RCT.

Background Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder caused by neurodegeneration within the central nervous system. It results in impaired physical, cognitive, and psychological functioning and can also lead to lower urinary tract symptoms including nocturia. While clinical trials have suggested an association between nocturia and melatonin secretion, to our knowledge, no qualitative research has been conducted on the experience of taking melatonin to treat nocturia in progressive MS within a clinical trial. Methods 17 semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted as part of a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled, crossover, clinical trial with consenting adults with MS. Interviews explored participants' experiences of nocturia associated with MS and their experience of taking melatonin as a trial treatment for nocturia versus a placebo. Data was analysed using a thematic analysis. Results Themes on the experience of nocturia revealed participants' understandings of nocturia, the impact it had on their night, and increased daily fatigue. Themes on the intervention showed perceived improvements to nocturia, sleep, and energy and negative effects including lethargy, a lack of significant change, and physical side effects including vivid dreams. Conclusion This qualitative exploration revealed an association between nocturia and increased levels of fatigue during the day by those with MS. However, perspectives towards the effectiveness of melatonin as a potential treatment varied as both placebo and melatonin were perceived as having very similar effects.

Preoperative Emotional Distress Negatively Impacts Patient-reported Outcomes Following Foot and Ankle Surgery

Category: Other Introduction/Purpose: Prior work has demonstrated that greater preoperative emotional distress leads to worse outcomes in joint arthroplasty and spine surgery. However, there is limited data on the influence of impaired preoperative psychological function on foot and ankle outcomes. Modern tools like the Patient-Reported Outcomes Instrument Measurement System (PROMIS) can capture data such as emotional distress via the PROMIS anxiety domain. PROMIS anxiety queries symptoms of fearfulness, panic, and nervousness with scores strongly correlating to multiple legacy measures of anxiety. However, PROMIS anxiety as a surrogate for emotional distress has not been utilized in orthopedic research. We hypothesized that patients with greater preoperative emotional distress (i.e. higher PROMIS anxiety scores) would exhibit greater pain and less function than patients with lower anxiety following foot and ankle surgery. Methods: Elective foot and ankle surgeries from May 2016 – December 2016 were retrospectively identified. Patients with diabetes as well as those undergoing surgery for infection, trauma, or routine hardware removal were all excluded. PROMIS anxiety, pain interference (PI), physical function (PF), and depression scores were collected – data closest to surgery preoperatively and furthest from surgery postoperatively were used for analysis. Our study population was then grouped based on preoperative PROMIS anxiety, with scores greater than 60 indicating higher levels of emotional distress and scores below 60 indicating less impairment. A cutoff of PROMIS anxiety above 60 was selected as earlier studies have shown that threshold corresponds to clinically-significant amounts of anxiety based on traditional anxiety outcome measures. Additionally, PROMIS anxiety scores above 60 signify anxiety values one standard deviation or more away from the population average. Results: Patients with higher preoperative anxiety (average: 64.8, n=25) had greater preoperative pain and less function as compared to patients with less preoperative anxiety (average: 47.1, n=63) (PROMIS PI: 63.6 versus 59.1, P<0.01; PROMIS PF: 37.9 versus 41.7, P<0.05; respectively). Both groups of patients (i.e. high and low preoperative anxiety) demonstrated similar changes (P>0.1) in PROMIS PI and PF following surgery (? PROMIS PI: 5.1 versus 7.3;? PROMIS PF: 1.5 versus 3.0; respectively) at equivalent follow-up (5.7 versus 6.3 months, respectively). However, postoperatively, patients with higher preoperative anxiety had more residual pain and greater functional disability as compared to patients with less preoperative emotional distress (PROMIS PI: 58.5 versus 51.8, P<0.001; PROMIS PF: 39.4 versus 44.7, P<0.001; respectively). Conclusion: Evidence of preoperative emotional distress – as assessed by the PROMIS anxiety instrument – predicted worse pain and function at early surgical follow-up. Detecting patients at-risk for poorer surgical outcomes remains a topic of interest in orthopedics. Our data suggest that the PROMIS anxiety tool could be useful in identifying such patients. It would be helpful, then, to counsel individuals with higher preoperative emotional distress that – despite significant improvements – residual pain and functional disability may persist after surgery. Continued surveillance will be necessary to determine if these between-group differences remain at longer-term follow-up.

Ambient air quality and subjective stress level using Community Health Survey data in Korea.

OBJECTIVESAir pollution causes various disease in exposed populations, and can lead to premorbid health effects manifested as both physical and psychological functional impairment. The present study investigated the subjective stress level in daily life in relation to the level of air pollution.METHODSData from the Community Health Survey (2013), comprising 99,162 men, and 121,273 women residing in 253 healthcare administrative districts, were combined with air pollutant concentration modelling data from the Korean Air Quality Forecasting System, and were stratified by subjective stress levels into five strata for multiple logistic regression. Levels of exposure were divided into five quintiles according to the annual concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and were analyzed using a single-pollutant model using NO2 concentration only, and a multi-pollutant model adjusted for the concentration of particulate matter <10 μm in diameter.RESULTSAnalysis of men and women in various age groups showed the highest odds ratio (OR) for subjective stress level at the highest NO2 concentration quintile in men and women aged 30–64 years (men: 2.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.12 to 4.01; women: 1.82; 95% CI, 1.32 to 2.51). As the NO2 concentration quintile increased, the OR increased. Men showed higher ORs than women in all strata.CONCLUSIONSIn the present study, annual NO2 concentrations were found to be associated with subjective stress levels. This association was especially clear among socioeconomically active men and women aged 30-64 years.

The Relationship Between Trait Procrastination, Internet Use, and Psychological Functioning: Results From a Community Sample of German Adolescents.

Adolescents with a strong tendency for irrational task delay (i.e., high trait procrastination) may be particularly prone to use Internet applications simultaneously to other tasks (e.g., during homework) and in an insufficiently controlled fashion. Both Internet multitasking and insufficiently controlled Internet usage may thus amplify the negative mental health implications that have frequently been associated with trait procrastination. The present study explored this role of Internet multitasking and insufficiently controlled Internet use for the relationship between trait procrastination and impaired psychological functioning in a community sample of N = 818 early and middle adolescents. Results from multiple regression analyses indicate that trait procrastination was positively related to Internet multitasking and insufficiently controlled Internet use. Insufficiently controlled Internet use, but not Internet multitasking, was found to partially statistically mediate the association between trait procrastination and adolescents’ psychological functioning (i.e., stress, sleep quality, and relationship satisfaction with parents). The study underlines that adolescents with high levels of trait procrastination may have an increased risk for negative outcomes of insufficiently controlled Internet use.