Information needs, expectations, and treatment preference of patients considering spinal surgery: A case-control survey.

STUDY DESIGN: Case-control survey. OBJECTIVES: To explore intrapersonal factors associated with decision of patients with degenerative back pain for surgery. METHODS: From September 2018 to May 2019 patients were invited to complete a questionnaire. Patients who decided on (case) and declined surgery (control) were later confirmed from medical records. RESULTS: Seventy-five patients were recruited. Male patients (75.0%, p = 0.019), those who were married (78.7%, p = 0.0045), and had spousal care-givers (89.2%, p < 0.0001) were more likely to decide for surgery. All patients who decided on surgery expressed need for information on "the severity of their spine conditions" (p = 0.039). Those who decided on surgery did not have as the high expectation on "to sleep more comfortably" as those who declined (4.71 vs. 4.91, p = 0.022). The predictive factors for surgery decision by logistic regression analysis were: male gender (OR = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.19-8.77, p = 0.021); married (OR = 5.231, 95% CI: 1.87-14.61, p = 0.002); with available spousal care-giver (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 0.198-3.89, p = 0.031); and those who preferred to treat/cure the spine disorder by pharmacological treatment (OR = 2.77, 95% CI: 1.02-7.50, p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: Patients who decided on surgery were likely to indicate need of medical information related to their condition. Patients were in hope of better relief of physical symptoms, especially related to sleep comfort. Patients would escalate their treatment from conservative to surgery when conservative treatments were no longer effective.

A Review of Supportive Interventions Targeting Individuals or Couples Undergoing Infertility Treatment: Directions for the Development of Interventions.

The purpose of this systematic review is to explore the types, content, and outcomes of different psychosocial approaches used in existing interventions for infertile individuals or couples. Relevant intervention studies published in English between 2000 and 2014 were searched using the electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINHAL Plus. A total of 23 articles were identified and included in this review. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and counseling were the most commonly adopted psychosocial interventions for infertile individuals or couples. After reviewing the various approaches, directions are given on the development of interventions for couples suffering from infertility.

The Impact of Infertility on the Psychological Well-Being, Marital Relationships, Sexual Relationships, and Quality of Life of Couples: A Systematic Review.

The purpose of this systematic review was to identify, with supporting evidence, the effect of infertility on couples. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINHAL Plus articles were searched for relevant studies (2000-2014) published in English. Twenty articles were included in this review. The results showed that infertility affected couples in the following four aspects of their life: psychological well-being, marital relationships, sexual relationships, and quality of life. There is evidence that infertility has a negative effect on the psychological well-being and sexual relationships of couples, but the evidence is inconclusive for the effect on marital relationships and quality of life.