Variance In Psychosocial Adjustment Research Articles

Psychosocial adjustment and its influencing factors among head and neck cancer survivors after radiotherapy: A cross-sectional study.

Psychosocial adjustment is an important issue in patients' long-term survival. Understanding psychosocial adjustment and its influencing factors in head and neck cancer survivors after radiotherapy is essential to help them return to society and lead a normal life. The purpose of this study was to describe the level of psychosocial adjustment and explore its influencing factors in head and neck cancer patients. Between May 2019 and May 2022, 253 head and neck cancer survivors at a tertiary hospital in northeast China were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. The research instruments comprised the Demographic and Clinical Characteristics Questionnaire, the Self-report Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS-SR), the General Self-efficacy Scale (GSES), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and the M.D. Anderson Symptom Survey-head and neck Questionnaire (MDASI-H&N). The mean PAIS-SR score was 42.31±16.70 (moderate). The multiple regression model revealed that 73.2% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment was explained by marital status (β = -0.114, P=0.005), return to work or not (β = -0.275, P<0.01), self-efficacy (β = -0.327, P<0.01), subjective support (β = -0.106, P=0.043), utilization of support (β = -0.172, P<0.01), and trouble with symptoms in daily life (β = 0.138, P=0.021). The psychosocial adjustment of head and neck cancer survivors after radiotherapy is an issue that needs to be addressed, and medical staff should develop effective, individualized interventions to improve their psychosocial adjustment by increasing their social support, improving their self-efficacy and strengthening symptom management according to their actual situation.

Factors associated with psychosocial adjustment in working-age colorectal cancer survivors: A cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThis study aimed to describe the level of psychosocial adjustment and identify factors associated with psychosocial adjustment in working-age colorectal cancer survivors. MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 212 colorectal cancer survivors visiting a cancer clinic at a specialized oncology hospital in China. Socio-demographic characteristics, disease-related characteristics, status of returning to work, Work Ability Index scores, M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory for Gastrointestinal Cancer scores, and self-reported Psychological Adjustment to Illness Scale scores were collected from all participants. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis, which were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). ResultsParticipants reported a medium level of psychosocial maladjustment (35.73 ​± ​19.68), with 19.3% of participants experiencing severe maladjustment, 29.7% experiencing moderate maladjustment, and 50.9% experiencing mild maladjustment, respectively. Age, gender, marital status, having a child, education level, having a stoma, comorbidities, return to work, work ability, and symptom distress were entered into a multiple linear regression analysis. The strongest factor influencing the level of psychosocial adjustment was work ability (β ​= ​−0.393, P ​< ​0.001), followed by symptom distress (β ​= ​0.380, P ​< ​0.001) and an education level of college or above (β ​= ​0.150, P ​= ​0.027). These variables accounted for 46.1% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. ConclusionsColorectal cancer survivors with low work ability, high symptom distress, and an education level of college or above are at a high risk for psychosocial maladjustment. Nursing interventions for psychosocial adjustment should attach increased importance to the work status and symptom distress of colorectal cancer survivors.

Relationship between cancer stigma, social support, coping strategies and psychosocial adjustment among breast cancer survivors.

The purpose of this study was to examine the magnitude of cancer stigma, social support, coping strategies and psychosocial adjustment among breast cancer survivors and to identify the factors associated with patients' psychosocial adjustment. Few studies have examined the association between cancer stigma and adaptation outcomes, which are considered interpersonal stressors for breast cancer survivors. A correlational, cross-sectional research design was used. This study was designed based on the stress-coping theory of Lazarus and Folkman. This descriptive cross-sectional study included 158 breast cancer survivors who visited a Korean tertiary hospital. Data collection was performed using a structured questionnaire and electronic medical records between March-May 2018. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, independent t test, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, partial correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis and were performed with the SPSS WIN 25.0 program. This study adheres to STROBE guidelines. Cancer stigma had the strongest association with psychosocial adjustment among Korean breast cancer survivors, followed by social support and coping strategies. These variables accounted for approximately 44% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. Cancer stigma had the strongest association with psychosocial adjustment. Healthcare professionals should assess patients' cancer stigma to develop patient-tailored stigma management programmes. Interventions to alleviate cancer stigma should be developed, and social support and coping strategies for breast cancer survivors should be considered in clinical oncology settings.

Pathways Into Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Modeling the Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Problems, and Gender.

Trait Emotional intelligence (Trait EI) can be understood as a personality trait related to individual differences in recognition, processing, and the regulation of emotionally charged information. Trait EI has been considered a variable of great importance in determining psychosocial adjustment. However, most research on Trait EI has focused on adult and adolescent populations, while very few studies have explored its influence on children. The aim of this study was to analyze possible pathways into psychosocial adjustment in children by examining the combined effects of Trait EI and emotional and social problems. It also aimed to assess the possible mediating role of gender in this relationship. A total of 268 Spanish children participated in this study, ranging in age from 8 to 12 years (mean age = 10.09, SD = 1.32, 45.10% male). Selected measures were applied through a web-based survey called DetectaWeb. The regression and mediation/moderation analyses confirmed that psychosocial adjustment in children was determined by Trait EI directly and by emotional and social problems in an indirect way. Together, the three variables explained 46% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment, although Trait EI was the most powerful predictor (44%), demonstrating incremental validity over and above social and emotional problems. In addition, gender was shown to be a moderating variable between Trait EI and psychosocial adjustment; for girls specifically, lower Trait EI scores were a determinant of lower levels of psychosocial adjustment, regardless of emotional and social problems. It can be concluded that the identified pathways provide keys for emotional education interventions aimed at promoting psychosocial adjustment, well-being, and good mental health among children. Our findings support the buffer role of Trait EI against maladjustment risk in children, but more clearly in girls.

Influences of facial disfigurement and social support for psychosocial adjustment among patients with oral cancer in Taiwan: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo explore the influences of facial disfigurement and social support for psychosocial adjustment in patients with oral cancer.DesignA cross-sectional design was used for the study.Participants and settingA convenience sample of...

Exploratory analysis of pilot data: Trends of gadget use and psychosocial adjustment in pre-schoolers

Current mobile media presence in the lives of young children are at an all-time high prompting the need for studies to examine this phenomenon. The current study aims to describe the trends of gadget use and to explore the relationship between gadget use duration and psychosocial adjustment variables among Malaysian pre-schoolers. The respondents of the current study were 27 parents of pre-schoolers and a majority of the sample were Malays (96.3%). Mean age of parents in this study for mothers (M=35.58, SD=4.45) and fathers (M=36.42, SD=4.58). This study employed the gadget use survey and the Malay version of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). It was found that the most commonly available and used device was smartphones and that children mainly used mobile devices for leisure purposes such as watching videos and playing games. An alarming number of children, more than 40%, did not adhere to AAP recommendation of less than 2 hours of media usage daily. A key finding was that the functional relationship between psychosocial adjustment variables and duration of use is curvilinear in nature. However, with a small sample size, caution must be applied, as the findings might not be transferrable to the population.

Text message intervention improves objective sleep hours among adolescents: the moderating role of race-ethnicity

ObjectivesThis 10-day study aimed to (1) assess the effectiveness of a text message–based sleep intervention and (2) determine whether the intervention was equally effective for non-Hispanic whites and racial-ethnic minority adolescents. ParticipantsParticipants were 46 (50% female) adolescents (13-18 years; mean=15.75 years old, SD=0.98) from a public high school in the Midwest. InterventionParticipants were randomly assigned to a control or text message intervention condition. Only participants in the intervention condition received 2 text messages outlining individualized bedtime goals daily, for 8 weekdays. MeasurementsAll participants attended a sleep lecture, wore a sleep monitor, and completed baseline and exit surveys that assessed demographics, subjective sleep, lifestyle, and psychosocial adjustment variables. ResultsResults of a 2 (intervention, control) × 2 (pre-intervention, postintervention) analysis of variance test revealed no significant intervention × time interaction effect (F1,38=0.020, P=.889) in the full sample. This effect, however, was significantly moderated by race-ethnicity: Results indicated a significant intervention × time × race interaction (F1,36=8.050, P=.007, partial η2=.183) such that the intervention significantly improved sleep hours (by approximately 1 hour) only among non-Hispanic whites (and not among adolescents of racial-ethnic minority status). ConclusionsAdolescents from racial-ethnic minority groups may face significant barriers that interfere with their ability to successfully alter their sleep-wake patterns and maximize sleep hours.

The development of a humor styles questionnaire for younger children

AbstractDespite the adaptation of the humor styles questionnaire for older children a measure suitable for children below the age of eleven was needed. The current research involved three separate studies leading to the creation of the humor styles questionnaire for younger children (HSQ-Y), suitable for those aged 8–11 years. Study one involved the development of a measure to assess aggressive and affiliative humor. Subsequently, study two involved the adaptation of the measure to include all four humor styles, which was administered to children alongside a measure of friendship quality. To provide further validation for the HSQ-Y as a measure, study three involved the administration of the HSQ-Y twice over a three-week period and peer reports of the four humor styles. Several measures of psychosocial adjustment were also included. The HSQ-Y was found to be a reliable and valid measure of the four humor styles in children aged 8–11 years. Associations between the humor styles and psychosocial adjustment variables were also found, supporting the discriminant validity of the measure.

Factors influencing peritoneal dialysis patients' psychosocial adjustment

The specific aims of this study were as follows: (1) to describe psychosocial adjustment in adults with end-stage renal disease who underwent maintenance peritoneal dialysis; (2) to explore the influence of demographics, clinical variables, symptom distress and social support on psychosocial adjustment and (3) to determine predictive factors of psychosocial adjustment. Proper psychosocial adjustment is important for patients with end-stage renal disease to cope with multiple stressors of their disease and to balance their lives within the restrictions imposed by peritoneal dialysis treatment. Knowledge on psychosocial adjustment in patients receiving long-term peritoneal dialysis has been limited. The study was based on a predictive correlational design. One hundred peritoneal dialysis patients were recruited from outpatient peritoneal dialysis clinics of a general hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. Data were collected with the study questionnaires, including the Physical Symptom Distress Scale, the Social Support Scale and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale - self-report. The mean score on the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale was 359.7 (SD = 40.0), indicating that these participants were moderately struggling in adjusting to their illness. Symptom distress, family social support and financial status explained 38.3% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment (F3,96 = 21..5, p < 0.001). The level of psychosocial adjustment in peritoneal dialysis patients is suboptimal. Overall, the patients with high physical symptom distress, weak family social support and poor financial status reported deficient psychosocial adjustment to their illness. The findings of this study are relevant to the understanding of preconditions that enable peritoneal dialysis patients to successfully adjust to the disease and its diverse consequences. Patients with insufficient income, higher symptom distress and less family social support have a greater risk of psychosocial maladjustment. Medical professionals may use these variables to identify higher risk groups for early intensive intervention.

Psychosocial Adjustment between Younger and Older Breast Cancer Survivors

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the differences in psychosocial adjustment between younger (age≤50) and older (age>50) breast cancer survivors , and to explore the role of sociodemographic and disease-related variables in predicting psychosocial adjustment between younger and older breast cancer survivors. Methods: A total of 262 women participated in this study. A self-reported questionnaire, the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self Report Korean version (PAIS-SR Korean version), was used. Data were analyzed with SAS/WIN 9.1 for descriptive statistics using the t-test, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The psychosocial adjustment score of younger breast cancer survivors was significantly higher than that of older breast cancer survivors. Significant predictors influencing psychosocial adjustment in younger breast cancer survivors were marital state, menopausal cause, immune therapy, and self-help group, and these predictors account for 48% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. Significant predictors influencing psychosocial adjustment in older breast cancer survivors were stage of cancer, monthly income, marital state, and menopausal cause. These predictors accounted for 35% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. Conclusion: The findings indicate the importance of counseling and educational programs to improve the psychosocial adjustment according to breast cancer survivors’ age.

Social Cognition and Its Relation to Psychosocial Adjustment in Children With Nonverbal Learning Disabilities

The current study examined social cognitive skills in children with nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD) compared to normally achieving (NA) children. The relation between social cognitive skills and psychosocial adjustment was also investigated. There were no group differences on children’s ability to represent orally presented social vignettes. Children with NLD were less able to recognize self-generated competent/assertive responses as the best solutions to a problem, expected fewer positive and more negative outcomes for examiner-provided competent responses, and showed a trend toward more frequently judging a story character as being mean. A social problem solving factor predicted unique variance in psychosocial adjustment beyond variance accounted for by nonverbal intelligence and nonverbal social cue interpretation. Results are discussed within a framework for which social cognitive deficits more broadly defined than encoding and interpreting nonverbal social cues contribute to the psychosocial adjustment problems of children with NLD.

Filial Piety and Psychosocial Adjustment in Hong Kong Chinese Early Adolescents

Is the Confucian concept of filial piety relevant for understanding contemporary Chinese children’s psychological well-being? This study of 231 Hong Kong Chinese fifth and sixth graders demonstrated that parental warmth and two facets of children’s filial piety belief were uniquely associated with life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social competence. Following the dual filial piety model, results distinguished children’s reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety beliefs. In particular, there were significant positive associations of reciprocal filial piety with life satisfaction and social competence and significant negative associations of authoritarian reciprocal filial piety with self-esteem and social competence, even statistically controlling for children’s ages, grade levels, and perceived parental warmth. Results suggested that children’s filial piety belief is a theoretically important aspect of Chinese values and beliefs that is uniquely associated with a variety of psychosocial adjustment variables and should be explored cross-culturally.

Perceived Romantic Competence, Importance of Romantic Domains, and Psychosocial Adjustment

This study investigated romantic competence during late adolescence, including preliminary psychometric properties of a new measure and its concurrent association with psychosocial adjustment. Six aspects of perceived romantic competence (romantic appeal, sexual competence, communication with partners, maintenance of relationships, establishing equivalent power balance in relationships, and feeling accepted by romantic partners) were hypothesized to predict unique variance in psychosocial adjustment. Self-report data were collected from 586 college students, a primarily female and European American sample. Results revealed that four domains predicted variance in psychosocial functioning. In addition, participants' valuing of both maintaining romantic relationships and positive partner characteristics moderated the effects of perceived competence on self-worth.

Psychosocial educational effectiveness criteria and their relation to teaching in primary education

In this study, we examine to what extent psychosocial student outcomes in primary school children vary between classes, and whether elements of teaching can explain some of this variation. Starting with a sample of 379 kindergarten children out of 24 classes, academic achievement and behaviour problems were assessed in 2 consecutive years. Additionally, a set of teaching characteristics was measured in the first grade. Academic as well as behavioural adjustment variables displayed around 20% of class-level variance. The teaching variables seemed to explain more of the variance in psychosocial adjustment than they did in academic achievement. The findings emphasise the importance of psychosocial educational effectiveness for research as well as for teaching.

Psycho-Social Predictors of Perceived Discrimination Among Adolescents of Immigrant Background: A Portuguese Study

The aims of this study are to find out the degree of perceived discrimination among adolescents with an immigrant background in Portugal and the acculturation and psycho-social adjustment characteristics that influence the perception of ethnic discrimination. The study sample consisted of 313 adolescents from Angola, Cape Verde and India. Their mean age was 15 years and their mean duration of stay in Portugal was 8.2 years. Respondents were asked to complete a questionnaire with several measures, including demographic information, perceived discrimination, acculturation attitudes, language usage, in-group social interaction, ethnic identity, self-esteem, symptom outcomes, stressful experience adaptation, and behaviour problems. Adolescents from Cape Verde reported greater perceived discrimination than Angolans and Indians. Within each one of the four sets of variables taken into account (demographics, acculturation attitudes, intercultural contact and adaptation) significant predictors of perceived discrimination were found. The results indicate the importance of acculturation and psycho-social adjustment variables in the perception of discrimination.

Impact of Transplant-Related Stressors and Feelings of Indebtedness on Psychosocial Adjustment Following Kidney Transplantation

Forty-seven patients answered a questionnaire about stress, feelings of indebtedness toward the donor, and psychosocial adjustment following kidney transplantation. The combination of age, general life stress, and transplant-related stress explained 47% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. Areas of adjustment most influenced by this combination of predictors included attitudes toward health care, domestic, vocational, social adjustment, and psychological distress. Younger patients endorsed higher levels of transplant-related stress and higher levels of psychological distress. Moderate to intense feelings of indebtedness toward the donor were common but were unrelated to psychosocial adjustment posttransplant.

Negative thoughts in adults with congenital heart disease

Background: Many patients with congenital heart disease have persistent cardiac defects, psychosocial adjustment problems, and a poor quality of life. This study tested the relationship between negative thoughts and adaptation to congenital heart disease. Methods: Eighty-two adult out-Patients with congenital heart disease were divided on the basis of few, moderate or many negative thoughts. Group differences were tested in medical and psychosocial adjustment variables (including negative emotions), and quality of life. Results: Patients with many negative thoughts scored worse on psychosocial adjustment and quality of life, irrespective of severity of cardiac deviation, according to the cardiologist, New York Heart Association classification, number of passed and expected surgery, or use of medication. Conclusion: Negative affect in general, rather than negative thoughts is decisive in psychosocial adjustment and quality of life. Psychological intervention would be helpful for many patients.

Spirituality, Demographic and Disease Factors, and Adjustment to Cancer

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between demographic‐disease variables, spirituality, and psychosocial adjustment in a heterogeneous sample of patients with cancer.description of Study: Participants (N = 83) accrued through the Rhode Island Hospital and the American Cancer Society completed questionnaires, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships among disease and demographic factors, spirituality, and psychosocial adjustment to cancer.Results: Of five models tested, a mediational model received the strongest support (chi‐square(35)‐66.61; P = .005; comparative fit index = .90; root mean square error of approximation = .09), explaining 64% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. Being a woman, having a longer illness duration, and having a lower disease stage were related to greater levels of purpose in life and religious/existential beliefs, which, in turn, were associated with higher levels of family and social adjustment and psychological health.clinical Implications: The results indicate that spirituality can influence how patients with cancer adjust to their diagnosis and treatment and, thus, support the need for interventions that target spirituality to promote psychosocial adjustment in this population.

Spirituality, Demographic and Disease Factors, and Adjustment to Cancer

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between demographic-disease variables, spirituality, and psychosocial adjustment in a heterogeneous sample of patients with cancer. Participants (N = 83) accrued through the Rhode Island Hospital and the American Cancer Society completed questionnaires, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships among disease and demographic factors, spirituality, and psychosocial adjustment to cancer. Of five models tested, a mediational model received the strongest support (chi-square(35)-66.61; P = .005; comparative fix index = .90; root mean square error of approximation = .09), explaining 64% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. Being a woman, having a longer illness duration, and having a lower disease stage were related to greater levels of purpose in life and religious beliefs, which, in turn, were associated with higher levels of family and social adjustment and psychological health. The results indicate that spirituality can influence how patients with cancer adjust to their diagnosis and treatment and, thus, support the need for interventions that target spirituality to promote psychosocial adjustment in this population.

PREDICTORS OF LONELINESS AMONG ADOLESCENTS FROM PORTUGUESE IMMIGRANT FAMILIES IN SWITZERLAND

The aims of this study were to find out the degree of loneliness among Portuguese adolescents from immigrant backgrounds in Switzerland, and the factors that may predict the level of loneliness among them. Portuguese immigration to Switzerland is a recent phenomenon with relatively high rates of immigrants. Three hypotheses were tested: loneliness scores of Portuguese adolescents living in Switzerland are not different from those of Portuguese adolescents living in Portugal; variables within each one of the three sets taken into account – socio-demographic, intercultural contact and psychosocial adjustment – will be predictors of loneliness; and the variables of intercultural contact and psychosocial adjustment will be more predictive of loneliness than socio-demographic variables will be. The study sample consisted of 95 subjects (mean age = 16.1 years; SD = 1.84). The mean duration of sojourn in Switzerland for the sample was 7.2 years ( SD = 4.1). They were asked to fill in a questionnaire with several measures, including socio-demographic information, ethnic language proficiency, majority language proficiency, ethnic identity, majority identity, perceived discrimination, stressful experience, adaptation, mastery, self-esteem, symptoms outcome and loneliness. A control group involving 363 Portuguese youth was included in the study. The hypotheses were supported. There were no significant differences between Portuguese adolescents living in Portugal and in Switzerland in terms of level of loneliness. Socio-demographic, intercultural contact and psychosocial adjustment variables accounted for 35% of the variance explained. Majority language proficiency was the most important predictor of loneliness. Implications of the study for counsellors are suggested.