Psychological Domains Research Articles

Clinical Efficacy and Tolerability of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.) in Psychological Well-Being: A Review

Background: There is renewed interest in the use of ancient herbal remedies for their potential health benefits, particularly in the psychological domain. One herb that is receiving growing attention is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) which has received considerable interest for its influence on the brain. Lemon balm boasts an array of phytochemicals, including rosmarinic acid, citral, oleanolic acid, and ursolic acid, which are believed to underpin these effects on psychological well-being. Pharmacological evidence from animal and cellular work reveals that lemon balm and its components may modulate several brain signalling pathways, including GABAergic, cholinergic, and serotonergic systems. Results/Conclusions: Although further robust randomised controlled trials using lemon balm are required, existing research indicates that lemon balm holds promise as a calming agent exhibiting both anxiolytic and anti-depressant properties and can elicit cognitive and sleep-quality enhancement.

Factors associated with quality of life among newly diagnosed acute ischemic stroke patients: a community-based case-control study.

Stroke burden is expected to increase and surviving a bout of stroke may leave one with a chronic or disabling outcome decreasing significantly the quality of life of the sufferer. The study aimed to explore the association between quality of life (QoL) in stroke and non-stroke individuals in a predominantly agricultural community. A community-based case-control study was conducted among 154 cases aged 18 and 75 diagnosed with incident stroke. Controls were 554 non-stroke individuals (n = 554) recruited from a community where cases resided. Cases and controls were matched for age, gender and residential area. Using a self-reported questionnaire of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle habits were measured in association with QoL. Statistical analyses included multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Significant predictors associated with low-medium QoL were having a larger waist circumference (aOR = 1.619, 95%CI [1.003-2.612]) and being a farmer (aOR = 2.976, 95%CI [1.143-7.750]) but having a current smoking habit and being male were at lesser odds with low-medium QoL (aOR = 0.381, 95%CI [0.191-0.757]) and (aOR = 0.564, 95%CI [0.323-0.985]) respectively. In all domains, women were at a higher risk of low-medium QoL while in physical health and environment domains, it was having a larger waist circumference. In both physical health and psychological domains, being married was protective to low-medium QoL so also being age 39 or younger and having a higher education in social relationship domain. Waist circumference, occupation, smoking habit and gender are associated with low-medium QoL. Addressing the influence of such factors could create an additional therapeutic line in the primary prevention of stroke in at-risk populations.

An evaluation of the performance of stopping rules in AI-aided screening for psychological meta-analytical research.

Several AI-aided screening tools have emerged to tackle the ever-expanding body of literature. These tools employ active learning, where algorithms sort abstracts based on human feedback. However, researchers using these tools face a crucial dilemma: When should they stop screening without knowing the proportion of relevant studies? Although numerous stopping rules have been proposed to guide users in this decision, they have yet to undergo comprehensive evaluation. In this study, we evaluated the performance of three stopping rules: the knee method, a data-driven heuristic, and a prevalence estimation technique. We measured performance via sensitivity, specificity, and screening cost and explored the influence of the prevalence of relevant studies and the choice of the learning algorithm. We curated a dataset of abstract collections from meta-analyses across five psychological research domains. Our findings revealed performance differences between stopping rules regarding all performance measures and variations in the performance of stopping rules across different prevalence ratios. Moreover, despite the relatively minor impact of the learning algorithm, we found that specific combinations of stopping rules and learning algorithms were most effective for certain prevalence ratios of relevant abstracts. Based on these results, we derived practical recommendations for users of AI-aided screening tools. Furthermore, we discuss possible implications and offer suggestions for future research.

Cinnamon potential in alleviating early postmenopause symptoms: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract Objective Menopause is a substantial physical, mental, and emotional transition in a woman's life. Most women suffer symptoms during menopause, impacting their quality of life for a decade or more. This study aimed to determine the effect of cinnamon on the severity of postmenopause symptoms. Methods A randomized, triple-blind, parallel clinical trial was conducted on 60 postmenopausal women in the health centers of Hamadan, Iran. The study included women aged 45 to 60 years who were 1 to 3 years after their last menstrual period. The participants were assigned to two groups using a permuted block randomization method. The intervention group received a daily dose of one cinnamon capsule (1 g) for 2 months, whereas the control group received a placebo. The participants, researchers, and statistical analysts were all blinded. The study measured the severity of menopause symptoms using the Menopause Rating Scale before and 2 months later. Data were analyzed using Stata-13 software. Results Data from 59 individuals were analyzed. The analyses were adjusted for baseline Menopause Rating Scale scores. After the intervention, the severity of menopause symptoms was lower in the intervention group (13.95 ± 4.16) compared to the control group (16.64 ± 4.16) (P = 0.01), with an effect size of 0.65 (95% CI, 0.12-1.17). Additionally, the intervention group had lower scores for psychological symptoms compared to the control group (P = 0.006), with an effect size of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.21-1.27). Conclusions The consumption of cinnamon in postmenopausal women has been found to improve the severity of menopause symptoms, with a particular emphasis on the psychological domain.

Determining the Need for Palliative Care Patients with Multiple Sclerosis-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Multiple sclerosis is characterised by the manifestation of heterogeneous symptoms that affect daily functioning. Patients face physical impairment, psychological problems and socioeconomic changes. Depending on the form of the disease, they may have different needs, which are often unsatisfied and could be overcome by including palliative care in the treatment. Despite the above, not enough is known about this population's needs for palliative care. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the need for palliative care and assess the functional dependence level in daily living activities in patients with multiple sclerosis. The sample consisted of 120 patients from the Neurology Clinic of the University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Serbia. The following research instruments were used: a General questionnaire, Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral for Care, Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale and Barthel Index. The need for palliative care was expressed by 36.7% of patients, who expressed the most concern for the physical symptoms, independence and activity domains. Also, it was determined that the disease prevents patients from doing demanding physical tasks and that they are worried about multiple sclerosis. Almost a quarter of patients have had complete/severe dependence on other persons in performing daily activities. The most frequently reported physical symptoms by patients with MS were weakness, bladder problems, fatigue and different levels of dependence, while concerns related to sexual health, low mood and anxiety emerged as key challenges in the psychological domain. These findings underscore the importance of conducting needs assessments to guide the development of an appropriate palliative care model for MS patients.

Long-Term Weight Loss and Attendance Outcomes Following Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: An Evaluation of The Cleveland Clinic Behavioral Rating System.

Interdisciplinary guidelines recommend preoperative psychological evaluation before metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS). The Cleveland Clinic Behavioral Rating System (CCBRS) has been developed to evaluate the psychological state of individuals undergoing MBS. However, its predictive value concerning long-term weight loss and follow-up attendance has not been extensively studied. This study aims to assess the predictive value of the CCBRS regarding weight loss and follow-up attendance up to 5years after MBS. In this cohort study (n = 1236), psychologists administered the CCBRS to each patient prior to MBS in addition to the standard psychosocial-behavioral screening. The CCBRS consists of nine psychological domains and is scored on a five-point Likert scale, from "poor" to "excellent." Linear mixed models and ordinal regression analysis were used to analyze the percentage total weight loss over time and follow-up attendance up to 5years after surgery. A total of 1086 patients underwent subsequent MBS. Significant differences in weight loss and follow-up attendance were observed between some CCBRS groups compared to the reference group "excellent." However, these differences were not consistent across all groups within any given domain. In this cohort, the predictive value of the CCBRS for weight loss and follow-up attendance up to 5years after MBS was limited. It is important to consider certain limitations, such as considerable loss to follow-up. Nevertheless, the CCBRS remains valuable for structured psychological assessments by helping to identify patients' strengths and areas needing improvement.

Reclassification of items in the Leicester Cough Questionnaire: Correlation analysis

BackgroundThe Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) is a validated tool for assessing cough that has three domains (physical, psychological, and social), with eight, seven, and four items, respectively. However, the assigned domain may not accurately reflect the characteristics of an item. This study aimed to reclassify the items in the Korean version of the LCQ (K-LCQ) to improve the coherence in each domain. MethodsData of patients with chronic cough from 16 centers who completed the K-LCQ were retrospectively analyzed. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was used to assess the correlations between items and their domains. Principal component analysis was performed to recategorize the K-LCQ items. ResultsThe correlation analysis of the data from 255 patients demonstrated that certain items such as tiredness, embarrassment, and interference with daily work or overall life enjoyment showed strong or very strong correlations with all three domains. Cough bout frequency showed the weakest correlation with the physical domain, despite being included in that domain, and had stronger correlations with the psychological and social domain. The principal component analysis led to the reclassification of six items: one from the physical to psychological, two from the social to psychological, and three from the psychological to social domain. The within-domain correlation coherence was higher in the new classification than in the original. Validation using an independent cohort of 203 patients yielded similar results. ConclusionsThe new classification of the K-LCQ items showed improved within-domain correlation coherence.

Predictive Blood Biomarkers of Targeted Intervention for Chronic Mental Health Symptoms following Traumatic Brain Injury.

The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of predictive blood biomarkers for responsiveness to targeted treatments for chronic psychological issues years after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Targeted Evaluation Action and Monitoring of TBI was a prospective 6-month interventional trial of participants with chronic TBI sequelae (n = 95). Plasma biomarkers were analyzed pre-intervention: glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), tau, hyperphosphorylated tau Thr231 (p-Tau), von Willebrand factor (vWF), brain lipid-binding protein (BLBP), ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1), vascular endothelial growth factor-a (VEGFa), and claudin-5 (CLDN5). Clinical outcomes included the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). Regression models were built for change in PCL5/BSI-18. Biomarkers and covariates were included. Two models were built to identify responders (improved beyond the minimum clinically important difference). The model to predict change in PCL5 (R2=0.64; p < 0.001) included vWF (p = 0.032), BLBP (p = 0.001), tau (p = 0.002), VEGFa (p = 0.015), female sex (p = 0.06), and military status (p = 0.014). The model to predict change in BSI-18 (R2=0.42; p = 0.003) included vWF (p = 0.042), VEGFa (p = 0.09), BLBP (p = 0.01), CLDN5 (p < 0.001), female sex (p = 0.012), and military status (p = 0.004) as predictors. The model to differentiate participants who improved for PCL5 (R2=0.68; p < 0.001; AUC = 0.93) included vWF (p = 0.02), VEGFa (p = 0.008), and BLBP (p = 0.006). The model to differentiate participants who improved for BSI-18 (R2=0.25; p = 0.04; AUC = 0.75) included UCH-L1 (p = 0.03), GFAP (p = 0.06), and vWF (p = 0.03). Combinations of pre-intervention blood biomarkers were able to differentiate responders from nonresponders in both post-traumatic stress and overall psychological health domains.

Emotion topology: extracting fundamental components of emotions from text using word embeddings.

This exploratory study examined the potential of word embeddings, an automated numerical representation of written text, as a novel method for emotion decomposition analysis. Drawing from a substantial dataset scraped from a Social Media site, we constructed emotion vectors to extract the dimensions of emotions, as annotated by the readers of the texts, directly from human language. Our findings demonstrated that word embeddings yield emotional components akin to those found in previous literature, offering an alternative perspective not bounded by theoretical presuppositions, as well as showing that the dimensional structure of emotions is reflected in the semantic structure of their text-based expressions. Our study highlights word embeddings as a promising tool for uncovering the nuances of human emotions and comments on the potential of this approach for other psychological domains, providing a basis for future studies. The exploratory nature of this research paves the way for further development and refinement of this method, promising to enrich our understanding of emotional constructs and psychological phenomena in a more ecologically valid and data-driven manner.

Quality of life after hospitalization for COVID-19

Objective: To analyze quality of life (QoL) and associated factors in individuals after hospitalization due to COVID-19. Method: Cross-sectional study of patients hospitalized for COVID-19. The WHOQOL-BREF instrument was used for QOL analysis. A multiple linear regression model was used to evaluate the QOL of the stakeholders. Results: The highest mean QOL was observed in the social relationships domain (14.97 ± 3.43), followed by the psychological (14.53 ± 2.07), environmental (14.20 ± 2.49) and physical domains (12.75 ± 2.10). For each additional year of age, there was an increase of 0.44 points in the physical domain, 0.06 in the social relationship domain and 0.49 in the environmental domain. Individuals earning up to 2 times the minimum wage had a reduction of 1.60 points in the environmental domain; retired or a pensioner had a reduction of 1.84 points in the physical domain score, 1.40 in the psychological domain score and 2.62 in the social domain score in the ICU had a negative impact of 1.52 points on the scores in the social relationship domain. Conclusions: After hospitalization for COVID-19, individuals presented a good perception of their QOL. Demographic, social and clinical aspects influenced the perception of QOL, which indicates the need for the adoption and implementation of public policies aimed at minimizing these differences.

Association of psychosocial factors with sleep quality among aging adults in India: Moderating role of functional limitations and negative feelings

ABSTRACT Sleep is one of the vital factors in physiological and psychological health and well-being. Good quality of sleep is essential for healthy aging and functioning. However, there is a lack of understanding of the role of psychosocial factors in sleep quality among aging adults in India. Further, with an increasing proportion of aging population in India, it becomes critical to understand the determinants of sleep quality among aging adults. The present study also explored the moderating role of negative feelings and functional limitations between psychosocial factors and sleep quality. The study used secondary data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) wave –1 (2017–2018). A sample of 16,152 middle-aged and older adults was included in the study. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and moderation analysis were conducted to get an insight into the impacts of the predictors on individuals’ sleep quality. The results of the study suggest lower everyday discrimination (β = -.065, 99% CI [-.083, -.048]), good life satisfaction (β = -.009, 95% CI [-.017, -.002]), lower negative feelings (β = .1, 99% CI [.091, .109]), and functional limitations (β = .22, 99% CI [.197, .244]) was associated with good sleep quality. Furthermore, negative feelings and functional limitations acted as moderators in unadjusted models, while only functional limitations acted as moderators between life satisfaction and sleep quality, spirituality, and sleep quality in the fully adjusted model. This study implies the need for various measures to improve the sleep quality of aging adults by focusing on physical, psychological, and social domains of health and well-being.

Caring for Hindu patients at the end-of-life: A narrative review.

This paper reviews the existing literature to identify specific challenges that may arise in the context of providing palliative and end-of-life (EOL) care for Hindu patients in the physical, psychological, and spiritual domains. We offer practical strategies where appropriate to mitigate some of these challenges. We review how the Hindu faith impacts EOL decision-making, including the role of the family in decision-making, completion of advance directives, pain management, and decisions around artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The PubMed, MEDLINE Complete, Cochrane, and Embase databases were searched for articles using the search strings combinations of keywords such as Palliative care, Hindu, Hinduism, End of Life Care, India, Spirituality, and South Asian. Once inclusion criteria were applied, 40 manuscripts were eligible for review. Our results are organized into the following 4 sections - how Hindu religious or spiritual beliefs intersect with the physical, psychological, and spiritual domains: and decision-making at the EOL. Hindu beliefs, in particular the role of karma, were shown to impact decision-making regarding pain management, ANH and CPR, and advance directive completion. The complexity of Hindu thought leaves a significant role for interpretation and flexibility for individual factors in decision-making at the EOL.

Fragilidade diagnosticada em idosos da cidade de Santa Maria - caracterização sociodemográfica e clínica

Introduction: The characterization of fragility in the elderly is essential for guiding specific interventions, ultimately improving the effectiveness of care and fostering preventive strategies. Objective: This study aimed to characterize a community of elderly residents in Santa Maria, RS, regarding their fragility. Materials and Methods: A non-probabilistic intentional sampling method was used, selecting participants served by the geriatrics department at the Santa Maria University Hospital and those residing in long-term care institutions in the city. Inclusion criteria considered age, preserved gait, and verbal comprehension, excluding individuals with physical limitations. A questionnaire was utilized to gather sociodemographic data, and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) was employed to assess fragility during the period from August to September 2023, following the approval of the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Santa Maria. Descriptive statistics and comparisons between groups were tested using the Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or chi-square test (p &lt; 0.05). Results: The results indicated significant differences in the physical, psychological, and social domains between fragile (n=26) and non-fragile (n=23) groups, as well as variations in age, marital status, polypharmacy, and use of walking aids. Conclusion: The differences identified highlight the comprehensive influence of fragility on the lives of the elderly, emphasizing the importance of early detection to enhance quality of life. It underscores the necessity for integrated approaches to address the challenges associated with aging.

Women's environmental quality of life is key to their overall quality of life and health: Global evidence from the WHOQOL-100.

Gender inequalities in health-related quality of life (QoL) are generally few and small, even in large surveys. Many generic measures limit assessment to QoL overall and its physical and psychological dimensions, while overlooking internationally important environmental, social, and spiritual QoL domains. Unique cross-cultural legacy data was collected using four WHOQOL-100 surveys of adults living in 43 cultures world-wide (17,608 adults; ages 15-101). It was first used to examined gender profiles of its five QoL international domains, and their component facets. Few significant gender differences (p < .001) were found. Women reported higher spiritual QoL than men on faith, and spiritual connection facets specifically. Men reported higher physical and psychological QoL domains than women. We aimed to identify those QoL dimensions that contribute to women's overall QoL in health, as this information could inform gender inequalities interventions in health. Environmental QoL explained a substantial 46% of women's overall QoL and health (n = 5,017; 17 cultures) (stepwise multiple regression adjusted for age, education, and marital status covariates). Five environmental QoL facets contributed significantly to this result; home environment offered most explanation. Age band analysis was conducted to understand when interventions might be best timed in the lifespan to improve women's QoL. Younger women (< 45 years) reported the poorest QoL across the lifetime, and on every domain. After 45, all domains except physical QoL increased to very good at about 60, and high levels were sustained beyond 75, especially environmental QoL. Global findings show that assessing environmental, social, and spiritual QoL domains are key to fully understanding women's QoL and health. These assessments should be prioritized in surveys that aim to improve international conservation, and public health policies.

The quality of life of primary caretakers of children with cerebral palsy

ABSTRACT Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a heterogeneous group of disorder affecting the development of movement and posture, which is permanent nonprogressive. Previous studies in different regions have shown links between caregivers’ mental health and children’s well-being. However, the lack of such detailed research for the caretakers of children with CP and correlation of quality of life affected the type and severity of the condition; this necessitates the development of a new study to assess caregivers’ quality of life. Aim: Quality of life among caregivers of disabled children is an important concern in healthcare. We aim to evaluate the quality of life among caregivers of children with CP and to assess the factors affecting the caregivers’ quality of life, namely, age, gender, type, and gross motor function in children with CP. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional observational study, conducted over a period of 6 months. It included the caregivers of children with CP at a tertiary care hospital of Mumbai. Data were collected using the WHO BREF questionnaire. The children were divided into two groups (2 to 7 years and 7 to 12 years). The qualities of life of the caretakers of these two groups were compared in four domains, namely, physical, psychological, social, and environmental. Results: The study included 50 participants. Mothers (80%) and fathers (10%) were the primary caregivers. Caretakers of the children with cerebral palsy showed significant affected quality of life as calculated from WHO QOL BREF score in both age groups (2–7 and 7–12 years) and in all domains. Overall, the most affected domain in our study was of psychological health and the least affected domain was of the environmental domain. Conclusion: This study provides a snapshot of the impact of having a child with cerebral palsy on the lives of the caregivers Most of the caregivers in the study were mothers, and quality of life was affected in all domains mainly in psychological and physical domains. The study showed that there is a need for interventions in caregivers which can have an indirect impact on the children with CP.

Supportive Care Needs of Young Adults With Endometriosis: An Open-Ended Online Survey and Exploration of Unmet Needs.

The aim of this study is to identify and explore the unmet needs of adolescents and young adults living with endometriosis. An open-ended online survey was conducted, with questions derived from prior research looking at areas of unmet need in healthcare, career and work, financial, information, psychological, social and cultural domains. Self-selecting 18-25 year olds with surgically diagnosed endometriosis (self-reported) currently living in Australia were included as participants. Invitation to participate in an open-ended online survey was shared through the social media of Australian endometriosis organisations and the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne. Surveys were analysed qualitatively through template analysis. Recording of the unmet supportive care needs of this population was carried out. One hundred and thirty-one respondents fit the eligibility criteria of being aged 18-25 years (median age 23 years). Most were born in Australia (94%), university-educated (54%) and lived in a metropolitan setting (69%). There was a range of unmet needs that were presented across education, work, healthcare and relationships. Group-specific challenges were identified: doctors either over- or underemphasising future fertility; disrupted sexual and romantic life due to painful sex; managing pain in the classroom and workplace where periods are taboo; and being gender-queer in gynaecological medical spaces. The increasingly young age at which patients are receiving an endometriosis diagnosis precipitates a shift in patient care. The treatment decisions that are being made must be reflective of the unique needs of the adolescents who carry the burden of the disease. Clinicians are advised to be aware of and discuss needs with their patients. The nine open-ended questions in this survey were developed from data from a preliminary series of interviews with endometriosis patients in a tertiary women's healthcare centre. In asking these data-informed questions to the online endometriosis community, patients across broader sociocultural demographics and disease states (including less symptomatic endometriosis) have provided a broader understanding of their supportive care needs.

The association between loneliness and frailty among community-dwelling older adults in five European countries: a longitudinal study.

Loneliness is described as the subjective experience of unfulfilled personal and social needs, with emotional and social domains. Frailty is a state of vulnerability to stressors, which is often characterised by impairment in the physical, psychological and/or social domain. This study aims to examine the bidirectional association between loneliness and frailty across the different domains. The study included 1735 older adults from the Urban Health Centres Europe project. Loneliness was assessed using the six-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Frailty was assessed by the Tilburg Frailty Indicator. Multivariate linear regression and cross-lagged panel models were used to explore the associations between the social and emotional loneliness dimensions and overall, physical, psychological and social frailty. A bidirectional association existed between overall loneliness and overall frailty (loneliness to frailty: β = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.15; frailty to loneliness: β = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.004, 0.10). Higher levels of overall loneliness at baseline were associated with higher levels of psychological frailty at follow-up (β = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.10). The reverse association was not significant. A bidirectional association existed between overall loneliness and social frailty (loneliness to social frailty: β = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.10; social frailty to loneliness: β = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.09). This study confirms the importance of addressing loneliness among older adults. Interventions that increase social support, exercise engagement and promote healthy behaviours may be effective in reducing the risk of frailty among older adults and simultaneously preventing loneliness.

A scoping review capturing financial experiences of cancer survivors: Are we on the same page?

348 Background: There is great variation in how post-treatment financial consequences have been conceptualized and measured. This scoping review characterized the terms and measures used to capture the financial experiences of post-treatment cancer survivors. Methods: Reported according to PRISMA-ScR, electronic searches for published literature were conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, Embase.com, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Central via Ovid, and ClinicalTrials.gov in March 2024. Eligible articles were U.S.-based empirical studies conducted with adult (≥18 years) cancer survivors (≥ 6 months post-treatment). Studies were managed using Covidence systematic review software. Results: Two coders screened 2452 titles and abstracts; 502 met inclusion criteria. Initial full-text review identified 127 articles for co-investigator assessment. Each article was evaluated for eligibility and quality by two investigators; 84 met criteria. Many terms were used, including financial hardship, burden, toxicity, stress/distress, worry, problems, impact, economic burden, difficulty, strain, and perceived financial security. Financial hardship and burden were most prevalent and often used interchangeably, categorized within material, psychological, and behavioral domains. Financial stress/distress , and financial worry , were consistently conceived as the psychological aspect of financial burden/hardship. Financial problems , strain , difficulty , impact , and economic burden were mainly measured using items pertaining to material/behavioral domains of financial consequences. Financial toxicity typically described the totality of effect of direct and indirect costs of cancer/treatment on one’s quality of life. Terms and definitions likely differed due to wide variation in the measures used; 47 measures were used. The most common tools included items from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Experiences with Cancer Survivorship Supplement (N= 20), the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (N= 13), and the National Health Interview Survey (N= 11). Conclusions: Findings suggest a general lack of consensus regarding the conceptualization and measurement of the financial experiences of cancer survivors. Financial hardship and burden were often used interchangeably, with financial toxicity capturing the greater encompassing effect of financial consequences of cancer. Future work is needed to arrive at a consensus that distinguishes between these critical outcomes.

Study skills needs to be more than mindmaps and flashcards

Our school career culminates in a set of exam results, but if students want to do well, attending lessons is not enough: the implicit expectation is that all students will reinforce learning independently outside of the classroom. Really effective learners employ effective independent study techniques, but when, how and where do they learn to do this? Currently there is no coherent consensus on how we should teach young people to become effective independent learners. Most schools, as far as it is possible to know given the scant research, do not teach study skills effectively – using one off sessions or PSHE sessions simply to teach strategies (Purdie &amp; Hattie, 1999 &amp; a very unscientific social media poll, 2024). Many students, as they move through the educational system, need to make significant behavioural changes to the way they learn independently To support students in this I have developed a curriculum that draws on a wide range of psychological domains to help students not only learn effective study techniques, but also to help them develop more helpful study habits. Whilst ever evolving and difficult to evaluate, the feedback from students and parents has convinced me that the course curriculum is impactful, enabling students to tackle independent study, revision and exams with confidence.

Reduction mammaplasty relieves depression in women with macromastia: A systematic review

A total of 71,364 breast reductions were performed in 2022, which demonstrates a 54% increase from 2019. Women most often seek breast reduction surgery for pain, but psychological symptoms may be equally distressing, particularly those who are younger. These women may also suffer low self-esteem, inhibitions in intimacy, and reluctance to exercise, which may contribute to depressive symptoms. A systematic review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines and registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023456884). Cochrane Library, Embase, and Pubmed were searched for RCTs in English irrespective of timeframe. The studies were screened using the RoB2 tool, and data was extracted using standardized tables. The search strategy yielded 84 references, and only three were eligible for inclusion. The sample size collectively amounted to 193. The tools used to assess depressive symptoms were the Beck Depression Inventory, a modification of this tool, and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Score. All three studies showed a significant reduction in depression scores. Breast hypertrophy may cause impairment in several key psychological domains including depression, which may be relieved with surgery. Standardized assessment tools and scoring systems may enable more comprehensive evaluation and potentially lead to guidelines defining broader criteria as indications for surgery. Further investigation into the differences between women who seek breast reduction surgery versus those who do not may provide insights into other contributing factors that may be at play. Further trials should be designed with longer durations of follow-up to investigate the long-term effects of breast reduction surgery.