Psychological Well-being Subscales Research Articles

Short-term effects of a non-dieting lifestyle intervention program on weight management, fitness, metabolic risk, and psychological well-being in obese premenopausal females with the metabolic syndrome

Lifestyle modification has been widely acknowledged as the primary treatment for the metabolic syndrome (MetS). We examined the short-term effects of a non-dieting lifestyle intervention program, within the theoretical psychological framework of self-determination theory (SDT), on metabolic fitness and psychological well-being among premenopausal, clinically obese women. A secondary analysis of a randomized, controlled, 3 month, intensive, community-based lifestyle intervention study was performed on 31 pre-menopausal obese women with the MetS (56.4% of original study sample). These participants had been randomly allocated to a non-dieting lifestyle intervention group (n = 17) or waiting list control (n = 14). Among participants who completed repeat anthropometric and cardiorespiratory fitness measurements after 3 months intervention, the lifestyle intervention group showed a significant improvement in VO2 (mL.kg(-1).min(-1)) compared with control (test for interaction, p = 0.003). No significant difference was found for body mass. Metabolic improvements were evident for diastolic blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in both groups. The lifestyle intervention group also showed significantly improved general psychological well-being compared with the control group (test for interaction, p = 0.0005). All of the psychological well-being subscales showed significant favourable changes in the intervention group as compared with controls. This short-term, non-dieting lifestyle intervention, consistent with the "Health at Every Size" (HAES) obesity treatment paradigm, significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness and psychological well-being. Metabolic risk tended to improve after 3 months intervention with no significant difference in the resolution of the MetS between intervention and control participants.

A Validation Study of the Dutch Version of the Quality of Life – Cancer Survivor (QOL-CS) Questionnaire in a Group of Prostate Cancer Survivors

The primary objective of this study was to validate the Dutch version of the Quality of Life-Cancer Survivor (QOL-CS) questionnaire using a group of Dutch prostate cancer survivors. The QOL-CS was specifically designed to measure the quality of life of long-term cancer survivors. We performed a population-based, cohort study of 784 prostate cancer survivors who were diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1994 and 1998. To determine the test-retest reliability, second questionnaires were sent to 109 participants, of whom 103 (94%) returned the forms. The quality of life in Dutch long-term prostate cancer survivors was adequately measured by the physical, psychological and social well-being subscale and can be used in order to measure the specific aspects of quality of life important to cancer survivors. However, as the subscale spiritual well-being showed a low internal consistency, which could be related to cultural background, it seems to be appropriate to evaluate the validity and reliability of the QOL-CS in other cultural settings.

Inner resources as predictors of psychological well-being in middle-income african american breast cancer survivors.

Although African American women are exposed to major life stressors such as breast cancer, many have high levels of psychological well-being (PWB). However, there are no current studies that describe the psychological effects of applying sense of coherence, hope, and spiritual perspective by African American breast cancer survivors. These three inner resources have each been positively associated with PWB or coping. This correlational study tested the Gibson Model of Inner Resources in 162 African American breast cancer survivors who completed the Abbreviated Herth Hope Index, Spiritual Perspective Scale, Sense of Coherence Scale (13-item) and the Quality of Life/Breast Cancer (PWB Subscale). Statistical analyses included correlation, multiple regression, and path analysis. Study findings supported the model. Sense of coherence significantly accounted for 37.5% and hope for 5.3% of PWB. Spiritual perspective did not significantly account for any of the variance, but there was an indirect path from spiritual perspective through hope to PWB. Sense of coherence and hope were direct predictors; however, spiritual perspective and hope together were predictors of PWB. Health professionals should consider strategies to enhance sense of coherence and hope when caring for African American breast cancer survivors. Qualitative research is indicated to further explore spirituality in this population.

The construct validity of the ASSET stress measure

AbstractThis paper investigates the construct validity of the psychological well‐being subscale of the ASSET (An Organizational Stress Screening Tool) stress measure. The data is taken from a study looking at the stress experienced by the social workers and supporting administration workers within a social work department of a UK local authority. The results indicate that the scale has good convergent validity with an existing measure of minor psychiatric disorders, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12). It is concluded that ASSET is a comprehensive stress measurement tool with clear benefits for both research and clinical and organizational practice surrounding the experience of work‐related stress. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Quality of life in the Canadian Implantable Defibrillator Study (CIDS)

Background The primary aim of this study was to compare quality-of-life outcome between patients randomized to implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy and patients randomized to amiodarone treatment in the Canadian Implantable Defibrillator Study (CIDS). A secondary aim was to evaluate the effects on quality-of-life outcomes of receiving shocks from the device. Methods Quality of life was assessed in 317 English-speaking participants by use of the Rand Corporation's 38-item Mental Health Inventory (MHI) and the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Assessments were done in the hospital at baseline and with mailed questionnaires after 2, 6, and 12 months of follow-up. Sixty-two percent of patients completed the follow-up assessments at 6 and 12 months. Results Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed significant time by treatment group interaction effect on total MHI and the psychological distress and psychological well-being sub-scales, and on 5 of the 7 NHP scales (energy, physical mobility, emotional reactions, sleep disturbance, and lifestyle impairment) (P <.05). Emotional and physical health scores were shown to improve significantly in the ICD group and were either unchanged (emotional health) or deteriorated (energy and physical mobility) in the amiodarone-treated group by means of post-hoc comparisons. Quality of life did not improve in the subgroup of patients in the ICD-treated group who received ≥5 shocks from their device. Conclusion Quality of life is better with ICD therapy than with amiodarone therapy. The beneficial quality-of-life effects from an ICD are not evident in patients who receive numerous shocks from their device. (Am Heart J 2002;144:282-9.)

Psychological Well-Being in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Relationship to ‘Disease’ Variables and Affective Disturbance

Background: Resilience is likely to be important in understanding psychological responses to chronic physical illnesses. This study aimed to examine one measure of resilience – Ryff’s operationalized measure of psychological well-being (PWB) – in rheumatoid arthritis. It was hypothesized that PWB would be influenced by age and gender in the same way as in community samples, and that the absence of current mood disorder would be associated with high PWB. Methods: Rheumatology clinic outpatients (n = 104) were assessed for pain, disease activity, disability, depression and anxiety. PWB was assessed using Ryff’s six-subscale model. The measured variables were used in a logistic regression analysis to model the absence of clinically important mood disorder. Results: The expected variations in PWB according to age and gender were largely absent, with the overall findings suggesting that chronic illness in general, rather than arthritis in particular, affects PWB. Significant bivariate correlations were found between depression and pain, disease activity, disability and all six PWB subscales. However, in the regression analysis, only the PWB environmental mastery subscale and self-rated disability made significant contributions to the absence of mood disturbance, and their inclusion in the regression model correctly classified 81% of the total sample. Conclusions: These results require replication in a longitudinal study, but indicate the potential value of using PWB among people with rheumatoid arthritis to screen for individuals who may be particularly vulnerable to developing depression. It might be appropriate to target such people with focused psychological interventions.

Community based rehabilitation after severe traumatic brain injury: a randomised controlled trial

Objective: Evaluation of multidisciplinary community based outreach rehabilitation after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: A randomised controlled trial compared outreach treatment (mean of two sessions a week for 27.3...

Natural history of prostatism: Worry and embarrassment from urinary symptoms and health care-seeking behavior

Objective. To assess the interrelationships among psychosocial symptoms of worry and embarrassment about urinary function, prevalent urinary symptoms, psychological well-being, and health care-seeking behavior in a population-based cohort of men. Methods. A cohort of 2,119 men aged forty to seventy-nine years, randomly selected from the Olmsted County, Minnesota population between December 1989 and March 1991, were administered a previously validated questionnaire that elicited information about the frequency of urinary symptoms, the degree to which they were perceived as a bother, and if the participant had seen a doctor in the previous twelve months for evaluation of any of these urinary symptoms. Psychological well-being was assessed by a subset of the Psychological General Well-Being Index, and sociodemographic information was also sought. Results. Urinary symptom indices (measured by American Urological Association frequency and bother scores and psychological general well-being subscales) were significantly associated with worry and embarrassment about urinary symptoms in bivariate analyses. Multiple logistic regression analyses demonstrated that men with moderate or severe urinary symptoms or impaired psychological well-being were more likely to be worried or embarrassed about their urinary symptoms than men with mild symptoms. Furthermore, men who were worried about their urinary function were more likely to have sought medical care for their symptoms than men who were not worried. The association between health care-seeking behavior and embarrassment was especially strong among men with little bother associated with their urinary symptoms. Conclusions. Worry and embarrassment about urinary symptoms reflect quality-of-life issues that appear important in the health care-seeking behavior of men with prostatism. The results underscore findings that prevalent urinary symptoms alone do not determine a man's health care-seeking behavior, and treatment for psychosocial symptoms may be beneficial in some men with symptoms of prostatism.