Source Of Emotional Distress Research Articles

The lived experience of receiving and providing antenatal care during the Covid-19 crisis in Southern Europe: An exploratory qualitative study

ObjectiveThe Covid-19 pandemic led to a reorganization of antenatal care including the cancellation or shift into telemedicine of consultations and restrictions to the presence of an accompanying person. The aim was to explore healthcare professionals’ and women’s lived experience of such reorganisation consequences on the quality of care and specific challenges they faced, with a particular emphasis on telemedicine and equity. MethodsExploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions of women and healthcare providers in New Aquitaine (France) and in the Basque Country (Spain). We collected data from a purposive sampling of women (n = 33) and professionals (n = 19) who had received or provided antenatal care in hospitals and ambulatory facilities between March 2020 and December 2021. Participants’ narratives were thematically analysed to identify themes that were subsequently contextualised to the two territories. ResultsAntenatal care professionals and pregnant women experienced strong emotions and suffered from organizational changes that compromised the quality and equity of care. The pandemic and associated restrictions were sources of emotional distress, fear and loneliness, especially among more disadvantaged and isolated women. Among professionals, the lack of adequate means of protection and the multiple changes in caring protocols generated burnout, feeling of abandonment and emotional distress. ConclusionsThe Covid-19 experience should serve to critically consider the unexpected consequences of reorganising healthcare services and the need to meet patients’ needs, with a particular consideration for disadvantaged groups. Future scenarios of telemedicine generalisation should consider a combination of in presence and remote consultations ensuring antenatal care quality and equity.

Perspectives of Black Immigrant Women on Mental Health: The Role of Stigma.

Background:Black immigrants are a major growing segment of the United States population. The intersection of race, gender, and migration places black immigrant women at the confluence of multiple social determinants of health, and thus, black immigrant women experience ongoing mental health disparities. Understanding their perspectives, mental health needs, and associated stigma is critical to promoting positive mental health outcomes.Methods:We conducted five focus groups (N = 22) among women from two black immigrant community organizations from February 2019 to June 2019. We used an inductive driven thematic analysis to identify codes and themes related to mental health and the role of stigma.Results:Overall five core themes associated with mental health and associated stigma concepts were found: The critical role of trusted sources and confidentiality, Conceptualization of mental illness and anticipated discrimination, Acculturative influence and migration as a source of emotional distress, Spirituality as a source of support and source of stigma, and Management of mental illness and addressing stigma.Conclusion:The conceptualization of mental illness and the associated stigma may be rooted in cultural and religious belief systems among black immigrants. Cultural beliefs and biopsychosocial models can coexist positively without interrupting the pathway toward optimized engagement in mental health care. Our mental health systems need to take these factors into consideration to implement programs that effectively serve black immigrant women's mental health needs.

The Impact of Stress-Coping Strategies and the Severity of Psoriasis on Self-Esteem, Illness Acceptance and Life Satisfaction.

IntroductionThe visibility of skin lesions is a significant burden for patients with psoriasis, who experience social hostility as well as many emotional and psychological problems. The recurrent nature of cutaneous manifestations and their location are also a source of emotional distress, which in turn is one of the main factors that intensifies skin lesions in these patients. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the severity of psoriasis and stress-coping strategies on general psychometric measures in the affected patients.MethodsThe study used a short demographic questionnaire, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), and four standardised general psychometric tools: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) and Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS). A total of 111 patients participated in the study.ResultsThe mean PASI score was 14.0 (12.1–15.9). The mean SWLS score was below average, i.e., 18.5 (17.3–19.7), and the SES score—26.8 points (26.1–27.5)—indicated self-esteem slightly above average among patients with psoriasis. The mean stress-coping level measured with CISS was 53.6 (51.9–55.2) for the task-oriented strategy (TOS), 46.2 (43.8–48.6) for the emotion-oriented strategy (EOS) and 50.1 (48.5–51.8) for the avoidance-oriented strategy (AOS). Higher PASI was associated with lower illness acceptance among men (r = 0.48) and lower self-esteem among women (r = 0.44). The level of life satisfaction was lower in respondents with higher PASI scores (mainly in the group of women, r = 0.44).ConclusionsHigher severity of psoriasis (PASI) and greater frequency of emotion-oriented stress-coping mechanisms (CISS) are factors that negatively affect the overall psychophysical condition of respondents.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Psychosocial Distress and Social Burdens Experienced by Cancer Patients at Cancer Diseases Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Background: Cancer diagnosis has been reported in some studies to have a significant psychosocial impact on both the patients and their caregivers. The estimated prevalence of psychosocial distress is between 35% and 55%. Commonly encountered psychological issues include and are not limited to fear, anxiety, and emotional distress. Many sources of emotional distress in patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported to include poorly controlled symptoms arising from a lack of access to symptom control services and treatment. Social distress is associated with social isolation, separation from family and loss of employment. Cancer patients and society have been reported to experience anxiety, despair, and stress due to the COVID-19 restrictions on community movement and hospital appointment rescheduling. The objective of this study was to explore psychosocial distress and social burdens experienced by cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive phenomenological design was employed to describe “lived experiences of patients with Cancer” during the COVID-19 Pandemic. A total of 20 participants with Cancer and COVID-19 positive were purposefully selected and interviewed. Thematic analysis was utilized for data analysis by the use of themes generated from participants’ responses. Findings: Five major themes emerged: fear, self-isolation compliance, anxiety, low income and emotional distress. The findings of the study indicated that participants experienced fear, emotional distress and anxiety when diagnosed with COVID-19. Conclusion: The experiences of psychosocial distress and social burdens were a result of a lack of psychosocial support by both caregivers and health care workers. This study recommends appropriate health education concerning psychosocial support for cancer patients and the need to have appropriate clinical protocols and materials in allaying anxiety and fear in cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Army Public School Terrorist Attack - Perceptions and Experiences of school children of Karachi.

Objectives:To explore the experiences and perceptions of school children of Karachi after the Army Public School (APS) attack.Methods:It was a qualitative transcendental phenomenological study. Data collection started nine months after the attack, in September 2015, and continued till November 2019. Study participants were school children from Army, Government, and Private schools. The sampling strategy was convenience. Data collection of 53 students was done by focus group discussions and in depth interviews. Data analysis was performed using the phenomenological analytical techniques of Colaizzi.Results:Inductive analysis of the qualitative data gave rise to three themes - The journey beyond fear, Response of parents and schools and Role of media.Conclusion:The study concluded that the APS attack was the source of emotional distress and fear for the school children of Karachi as they personalized the event due to the nature of the attack. Immediately after the incident, they were in anger, grief, and fear, which altered their daily life activities and caused apprehensions in socializing and attending school. However, later they became highly motivated to study and gained courage. This motivation is revenge from terrorists as they wanted to keep children away from schools.

Inequality and psychological well-being in times of COVID-19: evidence from Spain

Using two novel online surveys collected in May and November 2020, we study the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on Spanish households. We document a large and negative effect on household income. By May 2020, the average individual lived in a household that had lost 16% of their pre-pandemic monthly income. Furthermore, this drop was highly unequal: while households in the richest quintile lost 6.8% of their income, those in the poorest quintile lost 27%. We also document that the pandemic deepened the gender-income gap: on average, women experienced a three-percentage point larger income loss than men. While this is consistent with previous findings in the literature, in this paper we document that this effect is driven by women from middle-income households with kids. Finally, we provide evidence that Spanish individuals experienced moderate declines in their levels of psychological well-being. This effect is not different for individuals living in rich or poor households, but the reasons behind well-being losses do differ: richer individuals are more concerned about loss of contact with dear ones, while low-income individuals are more likely to mention loss of income and employment as a key source of emotional distress.

It's part of who I am: The impact of congenital heart disease on adult identity and life experience

As clinical care and research in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) increasingly include a focus on quality of life, hearing and reflecting on our patients’ experiences must be a priority. The objective of this study was to describe how living with this chronic illness has affected the adult lives of patients living with ACHD. We conducted a qualitative study of 25 participants in which we asked about the impact of ACHD on their quality of life. We used thematic analysis to analyze the interview data and identified themes reflecting patients’ reported experiences. Study participants were a mean age of 38 years (range 21–63 years) and reported good functional status. ACHD was characterized as simple (24%), moderate (32%), or complex (44%). Three major themes arose: 1) impact of ACHD on identity, including perception of “normal,” self-esteem, and motivation; 2) sources of emotional distress; and 3) influence on adult decision-making, including careers and relationships. Living with ACHD impacts important aspects related to self-perceived quality of life. Addressing these concerns is important to providing comprehensive, patient-centered ACHD care.

Bibliotherapy: Reading OVID During COVID.

An epidemic of an infectious disease such as COVID-19 is often a source of emotional distress, even among those who have not been directly exposed to the disease. The period following the acute phase of the coronavirus epidemic and the mitigation measures will likely be hardest for medical professionals in terms of psychological impact. Bibliotherapy is a systematic intervention regarding the use of carefully selected reading materials in order to help persons to cope with stress and personal problems. This therapy can be used easily during the pandemic. The review of evidence shows that this kind of intervention can be helpful in educational and clinical contexts. During the crisis, it can be an alternative to video and film entertainment and a transition from serious medical journal clubs to a softer medical humanities experience. In this article, we summarized the historical background of bibliotherapy. We also proposed a reading list from different times, and cultures relating to pandemic, quarantine, symptoms, confinement, and social impacts (e.g., Camus, Moravia, London, Le Clezio etc.). Bibliotherapy can be a way for doctors and healthcare workers fighting on the frontline of the pandemic to find psychological support and for debriefing. Bibliotherapy can help individuals that need support for emotional distress during the pandemic to verbalize their feelings and emotions and identify new ways of addressing problems.

The Bureaucratic Violence of the Health Care System for Pregnant Immigrants on the United States-Mexico Border

Using the concept bureaucratic violence, this article explores how health care bureaucracy contributes to harm for pregnant immigrants on the United States-Mexico border. The term bureaucratic violence captures how even when laws and health policies are not targeting a specific group, bureaucracy can do this work instead, causing systematic harm. Prenatal care in the United States captures this dynamic. In many states, prenatal coverage is available for low-income women regardless of immigration status. Yet, the bureaucratic routes for gaining access to coverage create latent forms of exclusion and fear, leading women to delay or not seek prenatal care or to experience anxieties over seeking care. In-depth interviews with pregnant and postnatal immigrant women revealed that threats of changes to bureaucratic procedures via the likely public charge rule was shaping the use of pregnancy-related public benefits. Even when women applied for these programs, they faced bureaucratic barriers and described bureaucratic monitoring as a source of emotional distress. These patterns can have detrimental effects on maternal and infant health outcomes. Bringing attention to bureaucratic violence can emphasize to health practitioners the struggles immigrants face in seeking prenatal care and the need for additional measures to support pregnant immigrants.

The effect of coping strategy on quality of life in patients with NSCLC.

BackgroundA cancer diagnosis is a source of emotional distress. The aim of the study was to evaluate coping strategies in patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma and to assess how coping strategies along with other factors affect their quality of life.Patients and methodsA total of 185 patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma were enrolled in this observational, cross-sectional study. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Strategies for coping with cancer were assessed using a shortened version of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MiniMAC) scale. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Short Form-8 Health Survey.ResultsRespondents (mean age: 62.84±9.6 years) most often emerged as using a fighting strategy, whereas a sense of helplessness was the strategy used least often. Overall, 65% of the respondents were revealed to have a medium level of constructive style of coping, whereas 62% had a medium level of destructive style. The coping style of nearly 50% of the respondents was predominantly constructive. Patients whose coping style was predominantly constructive had a significantly higher level of quality of life than patients whose coping style was predominantly destructive or whose results showed a balance between the two coping styles. Lung cancer patients had higher scores on the mental functioning scale (mental component summary = 50.20±39.26) than on the physical functioning scale (physical component summary = 40.07±28.58).ConclusionThe majority of lung cancer patients use effective strategies for coping with the disease, which correlates with a better quality of life; a compromised quality of life is associated with a destructive coping style. Physicians should endeavor to promote positive, constructive, problem-oriented strategies of coping, especially in patients with a compromised quality of life, where the disease is advanced and when there are comorbidities.

"Thrust out of normality"-How adults living with cystic fibrosis experience pulmonary exacerbations: A qualitative study.

To explore the experience of pulmonary exacerbation from the perspective of adults with cystic fibrosis. While management of pulmonary exacerbations is a pillar of cystic fibrosis care, little is known of patients' perspectives. Understanding the patient's experience is essential for developing and evaluating interventions in support of patient self-management. Qualitative study with longitudinal study in a subsample. The study took place from 2015-2016 in a university hospital. Eighteen patients with cystic fibrosis were included who were ≥18years of age and had no solid organ transplant. Patients' experiences were explored through semistructured interviews and analysed using framework analysis. They each participated in one interview, with a subsample (N=7) being interviewed twice during and once after antibiotic therapy. Patients (11 men and 7 women; median age 29.5years, range 19-55years; median FEV1 45%, range FEV1 23%-105%) experienced pulmonary exacerbations as disruptions of their normality, which led to a substantial increase in their emotional distress. Exacerbations represented a period of threat and domination by CF; that is, symptoms and treatment consumed energy, restricted physical activity and daily life roles. "Noting change," "waiting until antibiotics help," "returning to normality" and "establishing a new normality" characterised their descriptions of the pulmonary exacerbation trajectory. Emotional distress was the major driver for patients' self-management, and personal goals and illness beliefs influenced also patients' self-management decisions. The experienced degree and source of emotional distress are drivers for self-management decisions in patients with cystic fibrosis who experience a pulmonary exacerbation. Our data provide new understanding that will be essential to informing clinical practice, future patient-reported outcomes measures and intervention development.

“It is not the diet; it is the mental part we need help with.” A multilevel analysis of psychological, emotional, and social well-being in obesity

ABSTRACTIn this research, we explored the psychological, emotional, and social experiences of individuals living with obesity, and perceptions of health care providers. We conducted a theoretical thematic analysis using two theoretical frameworks applied to transcripts from a previous qualitative study. Themes from a mental well-being framework were subsequently categorized under five environmental levels of the Social-Ecological Model (SEM). Key mental well-being themes appeared across all levels of the SEM, except the policy level. For the individual environment, one main theme was food as a coping mechanism and source of emotional distress. In the interpersonal environment, two themes were (a) blame and shame by family members and friends because of their weight and (b) condemnation and lack of support from health professionals. In the organizational environment, one main theme was inadequate support for mental well-being issues in obesity management programmes. In the community environment, one major theme the negative mental well-being impact of the social stigma of obesity. An overarching theme of weight stigma and bias further shaped the predominant themes in each level of the SEM. Addressing weight stigma and bias, and promoting positive mental well-being are two important areas of focus for supportive management of individuals living with obesity.

Understanding Adolescent Narratives About “Bullying” Through an Intersectional Lens: Implications for Youth Mental Health Interventions

This article is based on findings from a qualitative study with 27 adolescents in northern British Columbia, Canada. Our aim was to explore youths’ perspectives on the sources of emotional distress in their lives and how these are connected to peer-based aggression and victimization within their community. Our analysis of narrative findings suggests that youths’ narratives about bullying reflect intersecting and socially embedded configurations of “race,” neocolonialism, and place. We argue that mainstream approaches to addressing bullying as a relationship-based problem must be re-oriented to account for the role of the social or structural contexts of youths’ lives. By applying an intersectional lens, we make the case for a widening of the focus of interventions away from individual victims and perpetrators, toward a contextual approach that addresses how adolescents experience bullying as a site of health and social inequities in their community.

An exploration of the experience of self in the social world for men following traumatic brain injury

This study explores the lived experience of male survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in relation to perceived changes in their personal and social identity. The aim was to provide an understanding of the individuals' sense of self and sources of emotional distress and growth following injury. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine male survivors of TBI (aged 22–59 years). These men were 17 months to 21 years post-injury and were recruited through a UK holistic neuropsychological rehabilitation centre. Transcripts of their accounts were analysed using thematic analysis. Identified dominant themes related to the men's described experience of changes in self relating to their social world, were titled: “abnormality”, “hidden”, “the old-me–new-me” and “others treat me differently”. In response to these emotional experiences the themes of “self-criticism”, “need to be as others want me to be” and “withdrawal” emerged. The identified themes are considered alongside the alternative narrative of “positive growth” in relation to current understanding of identity and “self-conscious” emotions. Future research and clinical implications are suggested.

The Story Plot of Living the Embarrassment of Hirsutism

Hirsutism is a complicating health challenge that impacts the lives of women. It is a condition characterized by unwanted, male pattern hair growth. Often times this hair is noted on the face, back, or chest (Dawber, 2005). This physical disorder impacts every aspect of life. Very few studies on the psychological impact of unwanted facial hair exist. Those that do suggest that unwanted facial hair has a detrimental impact on a woman's body image and quality of life; and is a source of emotional distress and social embarrassment (Blume-Peytavi et al., 2007).

Postlaryngectomy dysphagia masking as velopharyngeal insufficiency: a simple solution for an anterior neopharyngeal diverticulum

Postlaryngectomy dysphagia is a common occurrence and can be a source of emotional distress that results in a decrease in quality of life among a patient population that is already exposed to considerable morbidity. One etiologic source that is less commonly reported as a source for postlaryngectomy dysphagia, and perhaps overlooked, is an anterior neopharyngeal diverticulum. Herein, we describe a postlaryngectomy dysphagia caused by a neopharyngeal diverticulum masking as velopharyngeal insufficiency of liquids. The liquid dysphagia was immediately relieved via transoral endoscopic approach using the Harmonic scalpel to resect and simultaneously coagulate the posterior wall.

Psychological aspects of PSA testing

The process of PSA screening and subsequent monitoring of PSA levels may represent a great source of emotional distress to patients, the majority of whom are not adequately informed about the screening process and the implications of an abnormal result. The need remains for education of patients on the subject, but no consensus has been reached as to the content of information men should be offered. Helping patients to attribute a different meaning to a potentially stressful event can avoid the development of emotional distress, and physicians can have an important role in this process. Informing patients is essential to allow the development of positive coping styles, and establishing good doctor-patient communication leads to improved compliance and the improvement of patients' psychological wellbeing.

Feminist Relational Advocacy

This article describes a qualitative study of how low-income women who are struggling with symptoms of depression experience feminist relational advocacy, a new model that is informed by feminist, multicultural, and community psychology theories. Using qualitative content analysis of participant interviews, the authors describe the processes and outcomes of feminist relational advocacy from participants' perspectives; they also consider how emergent themes fit with principles of the model, including the importance of women's narratives, the inseparability of emotional and practical support, the centrality of the advocacy relationship, and oppression as a source of emotional distress. The article concludes with a discussion of the practice and research implications of the study, highlighting the possibilities of feminist relational advocacy as a new tool for counseling psychologists and the lessons for advocacy models in general.

‘There are orphans in Africa still looking for my hands’: African women refugees and the sources of emotional distress

This paper explores issues of emotional distress expressed by refugee women from Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea who now live in Western Australia. Qualitative data from interviews and focus groups are used to illustrate differences in understandings of distress, including depression and anxiety, and women’s understandings of the causes of, and solutions to, what have been defined by service providers as ‘mental health’ problems. The findings challenge Western biomedical approaches to dealing with prolonged grief and distress among migrant communities, which frequently reinforce disempowerment. We argue that it is the structural determinants of powerlessness that need to be addressed, rather than individual psyches.

Gender Differences in the Factors That Affect Self‐Assessments of Health

We hypothesized that women's self‐assessments of health (SAH) would decrease more than men's when participants considered the functional limitations of illness and non‐health‐related sources of emotional distress. We examined the effects of type of illness, illness‐produced limitations, and distress from illness‐ and nonillness‐related sources on men's and women's SAH. Women's SAH were significantly more responsive than men's to the affective and functionally limiting aspects of illness. This suggests that women include a broader range of illness factors unrelated to mortality when evaluating their own health and explains why men's SAH have been found to be more strongly related to mortality. Contrary to our hypothesis, men's SAH were significantly more responsive than women's to social sources of distress.