Virtual Reality Distraction for Needle-Related Pain and Distress in Children: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

This international multicenter randomized controlled trial aimed to compare the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) distraction with an identical non-VR game in reducing needle-related pain and anxiety in children undergoing venous blood draw. The study involved 304 children aged 5-9 years undergoing a blood draw procedure, randomly allocated to one of three groups: VR distraction, non-VR distraction, and control group (usual care). The distraction task was based on the Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) paradigm, and the game was identical in design and gameplay for both VR and non-VR distraction groups. The primary outcome was self-reported pain intensity using the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R). Secondary outcomes included child distress, attention/distraction to the blood draw, and parent and medical staff satisfaction with procedure. Analyses were conducted using analysis of variance and multivariable linear regression models. The results showed that VR distraction and non-VR distraction performed similarly, showing large effect sizes compared with standard care. There was no significant difference between the two types of distraction. The study's findings suggest that VR and non-VR distraction are similarly effective in reducing needle-related pain and anxiety in children undergoing venous blood draw. This is the first well-powered study comparing modern VR distraction with an identical task displayed on a smartphone or monitor screen. The study's results have important implications for using VR in clinical settings and suggest that investing in expensive VR equipment for acute pain management may not be necessary. The study protocol was pre-registered on Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/frsyc.

Women's experiences of seeking healthcare for abdominal pain in Ireland: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that women's abdominal pain is more likely to be minimised or dismissed by healthcare professionals than men's. This can have a detrimental impact on health-related outcomes as well as quality of life. The aim of this study was to explore women's experiences of seeking healthcare for abdominal pain in Ireland. METHOD: A qualitative design and opportunity sampling approach were employed in this study. Fourteen women living in Ireland with experience of seeking healthcare for abdominal pain took part in one-to-one semi-structured interviews via video-conferencing software. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes were constructed from the data: [1] "Just Get on with It" - Normalisation and Invalidation; [2] "Bad Enough"? Costs of (Not) Seeking Help; [3] "Fight Your Case," Fight for Care; and [4] "Out of the Loop" - Systemic Barriers to Care. Perceived invalidation of pain by healthcare professionals was common, as was internalised normalisation of pain. This created challenges when negotiating pain management solutions. Despite functional interference, participants felt their pain needed to reach an extreme level of severity before seeking help. Costs of private healthcare were implicated in delayed help-seeking. Participants felt the onus was on them to fight for care. Social support and information-seeking facilitated participants in this fight while systemic issues were identified as barriers to adequate care. Despite their frustrations, participants expressed empathy for healthcare professionals operating in a flawed system. CONCLUSIONS: Participants described mostly negative experiences of seeking healthcare for abdominal pain, characterised by dismissal of symptoms and internalisation of normative views of women's pain as less worthy of care. These experiences reinforced participants' views that self-advocacy is essential to access care for their pain. There are systemic issues at play within the Irish healthcare system that limit women's ability to access abdominal pain management support. Education and training for healthcare professionals on the Gender Pain Gap and its implications for patient care, as well as clear referral pathways for women presenting with abdominal pain, may help to ensure more equitable healthcare delivery for individuals with abdominal pain in Ireland.

"It's changed forever": the lived experience of sexuality and sexual functioning in women with cauda equina syndrome (CES).

PURPOSE: To explore women's lived experiences of intimacy, sexuality and sexual functioning in the context of cauda equina syndrome (CES). METHODS: Ten women completed an in-depth semi-structured interview exploring the psychosocial impact of CES on their sexuality and data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). RESULTS: One superordinate theme was generated: "Sexuality forever altered, it's changed completely," reflecting the enduring impact of CES on women's sexuality. Five subordinate themes emerged reflecting a range of changed roles and relationships, primarily associated with loss of sexual identity and a sense that health professionals did not prioritize sexual functioning (1): Loss of worth as a sexual being: "Feel like a nothing" (2) Relationships have changed: "It's not a meeting of equals anymore" (3) Lack of professional support: "We don't like to talk about anything below the waist" (4) Challenges for motherhood: "What kind of future will they have with a mother like me…" and (5) Finding ways of coping: "Closed the door on it." CONCLUSION: Findings highlight the detrimental effect of CES, directly and indirectly, on women's sexuality. There is a need for a multidisciplinary approach to address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioural effects experienced in relation to sexuality as part of a rehabilitative process.

The lived experience of sexuality and sexual function is negatively affected in women with cauda equina syndrome (CES).Some women make positive adjustments in terms of alternative forms of intimate expression while others "close off" their sexuality as a coping response.Women perceive that sexuality and sexual function is not adequately addressed by health professionals.Rehabilitation should include a multidisciplinary focus on sexuality after CES.

Roles and competencies of the clinical psychologist in adult diabetes care-A consensus report.

AIMS: Psychological care is recognised as an integral part of quality diabetes care. We set out to describe the roles and competencies of the clinical psychologist as a member of the multidisciplinary adult diabetes care team, focused on secondary care. METHODS: The authors are clinically experienced psychologists involved in adult diabetes care, from Australia, Europe and North America, and active members of the international psychosocial aspects of diabetes study group. Consensus was reached as a group on the roles and competencies of the clinical psychologist working in adult diabetes secondary care, building both on expert opinion and a selective review and discussion of the literature on psychological care in diabetes, clinical guidelines and competency frameworks. RESULTS: The clinical psychologist fulfils multiple roles: (1) as a clinician (psychological assessment and therapy), (2) as advisor to the healthcare team (training, consulting), (3) as a communicator and promotor of person-centred care initiatives and (4) as a researcher. Four competencies that are key to successfully fulfilling the above-mentioned roles in a diabetes setting are as follows: (a) specialised knowledge, (b) teamwork and advice, (c) assessment, (d) psychotherapy (referred to as STAP framework). CONCLUSIONS: The roles and competencies of clinical psychologists working in diabetes extend beyond the requirements of most university and post-graduate curricula. There is a need for a comprehensive, accredited specialist post-graduate training for clinical psychologists working in diabetes care, building on the proposed STAP framework. This calls for a collaborative effort involving diabetes organisations, clinical psychology societies and diabetes psychology interest groups.

Targeting the endocannabinoid system for the management of low back pain.

Low back pain (LBP) is a major unmet clinical need. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for pain, including LBP. This review examines the evidence for the ECS as a therapeutic target for LBP. While preclinical studies demonstrate the potential of the ECS as a viable therapeutic target, clinical trials have presented conflicting findings. This review underscores the need for innovative LBP treatments and biomarkers and proposes the ECS as a promising avenue for their exploration. A deeper mechanistic understanding of the ECS in LBP could inform the development of new pain management strategies.

Dissociating the impact of alexithymia and impaired self-awareness on emotional distress and aggression after traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Alexithymia, a deficit in identifying and describing feelings, is prevalent in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Sometimes referred to as "emotional unawareness," we sought to investigate whether alexithymia after TBI was related to, or distinct from, impaired self-awareness (ISA) and whether the two predicted differentiable emotional and aggression profiles. Further, the mediating role of frontal system behaviors (disinhibition, dysexecutive function, apathy) was explored. METHOD: Participants with TBI (N = 40) from diverse backgrounds completed self-report measures of alexithymia, emotional distress, aggression, and frontal system behaviors. For the assessment of ISA, significant other ratings were obtained to identify discrepancies from self-ratings. Data were analyzed quantitatively using independent samples t tests, correlations, partial correlations, and simple mediation. RESULTS: There was a negative correlation between alexithymia and ISA. Alexithymia, but not ISA, was associated with higher expressions of emotional distress and aggression even after controlling for the effects of ISA via partial correlations. Exploratory analyses found that frontal system behaviors mediated the relationships between alexithymia and aggression and alexithymia and emotional distress. CONCLUSIONS: Alexithymia is more accurately conceptualized as an emotional processing deficit than an awareness deficit. Indeed, self-awareness may be a prerequisite for the ability to identify alexithymic tendencies. Negative psychological effects of alexithymia are compounded by poorer executive function and disinhibition and call for the development of TBI-specific alexithymia screening tools and interventions. Alexithymia interventions are best delivered in conjunction with rehabilitation of emotion regulation and executive function. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Factors associated with weight loss and health gains in a structured lifestyle modification programme for adults with severe obesity: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Individual responses to behavioural weight loss interventions can vary significantly, and a better understanding of the factors associated with successful treatment might help to target interventions for those who will benefit the most. We sought to identify demographic and clinical characteristics that predicted intervention "success" (defined as ≥5% weight loss) and other health gains in patients with severe obesity attending a ten-week structured lifestyle modification programme. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of all 1122 patients (751 (66.9%) female, mean age 47.3 ± 11.9 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 46.7 ± 7.8 kgm-2) referred from our hospital-based obesity clinic, who started the structured lifestyle programme between 2012-2019. We compared routine clinical measures such as weight, fitness, blood pressure, lipids and HbA1c at baseline and follow-up. We also used validated questionnaires to quantify anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life. Results: Of 1122 patients who started, 877 (78.2%) completed the programme and attended for follow up. Of these, 12.8% lost ≥5% body weight. The amount of weight lost was a strong and consistent predictor of improvements in metabolic, cardiovascular, and mental health, even after adjusting for age, sex, programme attendance and baseline fitness. Older age, male sex, being physically active and having lower anxiety and depression scores at baseline predicted greater weight loss. Younger age, depression and longer wait time to start the intervention were associated with drop-out. Conclusions: In adults with severe obesity completing a structured lifestyle modification programme, older age and good mental health were associated with programme completion and attaining ≥5% weight loss. The magnitude of weight lost was a strong predictor of improvements in cardiovascular, metabolic and mental health associated with programme completion.

Acute stress symptoms 1-2 weeks after stroke predict the subsequent development of post-traumatic stress symptoms: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To date no research has examined the potential influence of acute stress symptoms (ASD) on subsequent development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in stroke survivors. Our objective was to examine whether acute stress symptoms measured 1-2 weeks post-stroke predicted the presence of post-traumatic stress symptoms measured 6-12 weeks later. DESIGN: Prospective within-groups study. METHODS: Fifty four participants who completed a measure of acute stress disorder at 1-2 weeks following stroke (time 1) and 31 of these participants completed a measure of posttraumatic stress disorder 6-12 weeks later (time 2). Participants also completed measures of stroke severity, functional impairment, cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, pre-morbid intelligence and pain across both time points. RESULTS: Some 22% met the criteria for ASD at baseline and of those, 62.5% went on to meet the criteria for PTSD at follow-up. Meanwhile two of the seven participants (28.6%) who met the criteria for PTSD at Time 2, did not meet the ASD criteria at Time 1 (so that PTSD developed subsequently). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that the presence of acute stress symptoms at baseline was predictive of post-traumatic stress symptoms at follow-up (R2 = .26, p < .01). Less severe stroke was correlated with higher levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms at Time 2 (rho = .42, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of early assessment and identification of acute stress symptoms in stroke survivors as a risk factor for subsequent PTSD. Both ASD and PTSD were prevalent and the presence of both disorders should be assessed.

The experiences and views of adults with intellectual disabilities accessing digital mental health interventions: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Technology is ubiquitous in all aspects of daily life and research interest in the topic of digital mental health interventions (DMHI) for people with intellectual disabilities is growing. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated technology use in delivering mental health supports. METHOD: This review used a qualitative systematic literature review methodology with the aim of collating the views and experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities accessing DMHI. The electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and SCOPUS were searched in March 2022. RESULTS: Five studies were selected in this review, and three major narrative themes were generated, each with sub-themes: (1) User experience with DMHI (personal experience, digital experience); (2) Relationships fostered through technology (interpersonal support, relating to virtual characters, computer as skilled helper); (3) Psychological benefits (new skills development, personal autonomy development). CONCLUSION: This review highlights that, although there is a diversity of views and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities, the evidence suggests that DMHI has potential to support this population given the right opportunities. Findings also point to the benefit of technology as a complement to therapy, but not necessarily as a replacement to in-person therapeutic encounters.

Coping with dysmenorrhea: a qualitative analysis of period pain management among students who menstruate.

BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhea, or period pain, affects up to 95% of menstruating individuals and is a common cause of educational absenteeism among students who menstruate worldwide. Evidence suggests that students may lack sufficient knowledge about their menstrual health, which may impede self-management. The aim of the current study was to explore pain management strategies used by students in Ireland with painful periods and to identify their unaddressed needs across physical, psychological, educational, and social domains. METHODS: This study used a qualitative, interpretive design and opportunity sampling approach to collect and interpret individual accounts of dysmenorrhea from third-level students in Ireland. Data from 21 students were collected using semi-structured online one-to-one interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Analysis resulted in the construction of five themes: (1) Pain management is self-directed trial-and-error, (2) Home as safe haven, (3) Prioritising productivity over pain, (4) We're missing an option between 'normalise' and 'medicalise', and (5) Cycle of censorship and concealment. Overall, limited formal education on dysmenorrhea and prevailing negative attitudes towards menstruation create an unsupportive environment for students to learn adequate coping skills. Beyond education, menstrual stigma may also restrict the availability of clear management guidance in domestic and medical spheres. Experiences of dysmenorrhea were also influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, where work-from-home measures were viewed favourably by individuals with dysmenorrhea. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that students in Ireland are inadequately prepared to cope with dysmenorrhea. The current findings have substantial implications for evaluating and reforming current menstrual education standards, in addition to clarifying the negative effects of social stigma on menstrual health literacy.

Oral microbiome diversity: The curious case of Corynebacterium sp. isolation.

Oral microbiome sequencing efforts revealed the presence of hundreds of different microbes. Interindividual differences at strain and species resolution suggest that microbiome diversity could lead to mechanistically distinct gene regulation as well as species-related differences in phenotypes. Commonly, gene regulation and related phenotypes are studied in a few selected strains of a particular species with conclusions that are mostly generalized. The aim of this study was to isolate several species of Corynebacterium using an established protocol that led to the previous isolation of C. durum. Characterization of C. durum interspecies interactions revealed a specific mechanism for chain elongation in Streptococcus sanguinis that was the result of corynebacterial fatty acid production and secretion. While the protocol was successfully applied to isolate what we presumed to be additional Corynebacterium based on several phenotypic traits that seem to be identical to C. durum, genome sequencing of the newly isolated strains placed them closer to Actinomyces. Both Corynebacterium and Actinomyces are suborders of the Actinobacteridae and related species. Our study suggests to take several comprehensive strategies into consideration when taxonomically identifying closely related microorganisms. Furthermore, it seems to be important to test common core phenotypes in bacterial ecology to understand the behavior of specific groups of microbes, rather than simply relying upon genome sequence homology to establish relationships in the microbiome.

Chronic pain self-management in middle-aged and older adults: A collective intelligence approach to identifying barriers and user needs in eHealth interventions.

Objectives: eHealth refers to health services and health information delivered or enhanced through the internet and related technologies. The number of eHealth interventions for chronic pain self-management is increasing. However, little evidence has been found for the overall efficacy of these interventions for older adults. The aim of the current study was to use a Collective Intelligence approach to identify the barriers and specific user needs of middle-aged and older adults using eHealth for chronic pain self-management. Methods: A Collective Intelligence workshop was conducted with middle-aged and older adults to generate, clarify, select, and structure ideas in relation to barriers to eHealth use and specific design requirements for the purposes of chronic pain self-management. Prior to attending the workshop, participants received a trigger question requesting the identification of five barriers to eHealth use for chronic pain self-management. These barriers were categorised and presented to the group along with barrier-related scenarios and user need prompts, resulting in the generation of a set of ranked barriers and a set of user needs. Results: A total of 78 barriers were identified, from which six categories emerged: Content, Support, Technological, Personal, Computer Literacy and Accessibility. Additional idea-writing and group reflection in response to these barriers revealed 97 user needs. Conclusion: This is the first study to use Collective Intelligence methods to investigate barriers to eHealth technology use and the specific user needs of middle-aged and older adults in the context of chronic pain self-management. The results of the current study provide a platform for the design and development of enhanced eHealth interventions for this population.

Improving pain-related communication in children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability.

The communication of pain in individuals with co-morbid Autism Spectrum Disorder and intellectual disability (ASD-ID) is largely unexplored. The communication deficits associated with ASD-ID can result in nonverbal behavior such as self-injurious behavior, aggression, irritability, and reduced activity as a means to communicate that pain is present. The objective of this study was to determine whether a behavioral-based educational intervention could increase the pain-related communication of children with ASD-ID who experience pain frequently. Specifically, the study aimed to determine if children with ASD-ID can label the location of their pain or quantify pain severity and request pain relief. The sample included three children with ASD-ID who experienced pain frequently. The intervention utilized educational materials and behavioral reinforcements and the intervention was conducted using a series of case studies. Pain was assessed daily by caregivers using the Non-Communicating Children's Pain Checklist-Postoperative (NCCPC-PV) and the ability of the individual to identify and express pain was recorded using the Wong Baker FACES Pain (WBFPS) Scale. Challenging behavior was recorded based on frequency count. The results indicated that all participants displayed the ability to independently respond to a question about how they were feeling by vocalizing the location of pain or indicating their level of pain on the WBFPS and requesting pain relief. The results suggest a role for behavioral-based educational interventions to promote communication of pain in people with ASD-ID.

Are psychological interventions efficacious for adults with migraine? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of psychological interventions in studies of adults with migraine, in reducing pain, and functional and psychosocial difficulties. BACKGROUND: A recently published Cochrane Review showed no strong evidence for psychological intervention for adults with migraine. However, this review was limited by stringent inclusion criteria, potentially resulting in low power. The current review examines the stability of these findings. METHODS: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases were systematically searched from inception to July 31, 2021. Reviewers independently conducted the search and extraction process. Risk of bias was conducted, and we provide GRADE ratings of our confidence in the evidence. We included 39 randomized controlled trials in the meta-analyses (n = 3155); 31 included data on migraine only and eight combined data from adults with migraine or tension-type headache (TTH). RESULTS: In contrast to the Cochrane Review, for studies including adults with migraine only, we found psychological interventions had a small to medium beneficial effect on improving migraine frequency, pain intensity, and disability post-treatment, compared to controls (Cohen's d range 0.23 to 0.33), and disability at follow-up (d = 0.44). We found no evidence of a beneficial effect on quality-of-life post-treatment, or mood at post-treatment or follow-up. Our sensitivity analyses on studies with mixed headache populations (migraine and combined migraine/TTH) found a similar magnitude of effects for most outcomes (d range 0.25 to 0.36), except for mood, which produced a small to medium beneficial effect (d = 0.32). CONCLUSION: We found evidence that adults with migraine may benefit from psychological intervention, and psychological treatment may equally benefit adults with a range of headache conditions. However, as with previous reviews, quality of the evidence was low, findings should be cautiously interpreted, and this field would benefit from future high-quality trials.

Being a parent of a child with Down's arthritis: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

PURPOSE: To explore the parental impact and experiences of caring for a child with Down's arthritis (DA), an aggressive, erosive form of arthritis affecting children with Down syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten mothers of children with DA were interviewed via telephone. Interviews were guided using a semi-structured non-directive topic guide and ranged from 17 to 242 minutes in duration. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was the method of analysis. RESULTS: Three superordinate themes were identified: "Struggle for Help," "Mothers Know Best," and "Daily Impacts." Common challenges included issues around child pain, communication, and challenges in accessing diagnoses and relevant healthcare services. Parents portrayed a reality characterised by ongoing struggles, particularly parents of nonverbal children and those living further from paediatric rheumatology services. Connecting with other parents of children with DA provided a vital source of emotional and informational support. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide novel insight into the experience of being mother of a child with DA, highlighting regional healthcare disparities, the need for upskilling of healthcare professionals, and for increased public awareness. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of DA on fathers and siblings. Findings can contribute to development and provision of supports to children with DA and their families.Implications for RehabilitationHealthcare professionals need to be upskilled in the treatment of, and communication with, children with Down syndrome with chronic illnesses and their families.A specialised stream of care for children with Down's arthritis (DA) within paediatric rheumatology services may facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment and minimise risk of future complications.Formalised support services for children with DA and their families are needed to minimise emotional distress.

The Role of Attachment Style, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Dissociation in Migraine.

Migraine and chronic migraine are caused by a combination of modifiable and non-modifiable genetic, social, behavioral and environmental risk factors. Further research of possible modifiable risk factors for this headache disorder is merited, given its role as one of the leading causes of years lived with disability per year. The first aim of this online cross-sectional study was to investigate the psychosocial risk factors that predicted chronic migraine and severe migraine-related disability in 507 Irish and UK participants, focusing specifically on childhood maltreatment, attachment and tendency to dissociate, or experience depressed mood and/or anxiety. Additionally, this study aimed to examine variables that mediated the relationships between these psychosocial risk factors and migraine chronicity or severe migraine-related disability. Adjusted binary logistic regression revealed that shutdown dissociation (Odds Ratio [OR] 4.57, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 2.66-7.85) and severe physical abuse (OR 4.30, 95% CI 1.44-12.83 had significant odds of predicting migraine chronicity, while depression (OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.86-5.77) significantly predicted severe migraine-related disability. Mediation analyses indicated that shutdown dissociation mediated the relationship between seven predictor variables and both chronicity and severe disability including possible predisposing factors emotional abuse, physical neglect, avoidant attachment and anxious attachment. These findings suggest that early life stressors (such as childhood trauma and avoidant attachment style), shutdown dissociation and depression may impact on migraine trajectory. To investigate whether these psychosocial factors are risk factors for migraine chronicity or disability, prospective research should be conducted in this area to account for fluctuations in migraine chronicity over time.

[Challenges in pain assessment and management among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities : German version]. / Herausforderungen der Schmerzerfassung und -therapie bei Personen mit Intelligenzminderung und Entwicklungsstörungen : Deutsche Fassung.

INTRODUCTION: Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) include conditions associated with physical, learning, language, behavioural, and/or intellectual impairment. Pain is a common and debilitating secondary condition compromising functional abilities and quality of life. OBJECTIVES: This article addresses scientific and clinical challenges in pain assessment and management in individuals with severe IDD. METHODS: This Clinical Update aligns with the 2019 IASP Global Year Against Pain in the Vulnerable and selectively reviews recurring issues as well as the best available evidence and practice. RESULTS: The past decade of pain research has involved the development of standardized assessment tools appropriate for individuals with severe IDD; however, there is little empirical evidence that pain is being better assessed or managed clinically. There is limited evidence available to inform effective pain management practices; therefore, treatment approaches are largely empiric and highly variable. This is problematic because individuals with IDD are at risk of developing drug-related side effects, and treatment approaches effective for other populations may exacerbate pain in IDD populations. Scientifically, we are especially challenged by biases in self-reported and proxy-reported pain scores, identifying valid outcome measures for treatment trials, being able to adequately power studies due to small sample sizes, and our inability to easily explore the underlying pain mechanisms due to compromised ability to self-report. CONCLUSION: Despite the critical challenges, new developments in research and knowledge translation activities in pain and IDD continue to emerge, and there are ongoing international collaborations.

Improved Quality of Life, Fitness, Mental Health and Cardiovascular Risk Factors with a Publicly Funded Bariatric Lifestyle Intervention for Adults with Severe Obesity: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle modification is the cornerstone of management for patients with severe and complicated obesity, but the effects of structured lifestyle programmes on quality of life, anxiety and depression scores and cardiovascular risk factors are not well-described. We sought to describe changes in self-reported quality of life and mental health-related outcomes as well as cardiovascular risk factors in patients completing a 10-week multidisciplinary lifestyle-modification programme. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of all patients referred from our bariatric service who completed the programme between 2013 and 2019. In addition to weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, HbA1c, lipid profile and functional capacity, we quantified health-related quality of life using the Dartmouth COOP Questionnaire and the European Quality of Life Questionnaire Visual Analogue Scale (EQVAS) and mental health using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: Of 1122 patients who started the programme, 877 (78.2%) completed it and were included in per protocol analyses. Mean age was 47.3 ± 11.9 years, 66.9% were female, 34.8% were in full- or part-time employment and 69.4% were entitled to state-provided medical care. BMI decreased from 47.0 ± 7.8 to 46.2 ± 7.8 kg m-2 and weight decreased from 131.6 ± 25.5 to 129.5 ± 25.4 kg (both p < 0.001). There were significant reductions in anxiety and depression scores and improvements in all Dartmouth COOP domains. The EQVAS score increased from 52 ± 22 to 63 ± 19 (p < 0.001). Small but statistically significant reductions in LDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and HBA1c were also observed. CONCLUSIONS: Adults with severe and complicated obesity completing a specialised bariatric lifestyle-modification programme showed significant improvements in self-reported mental health and quality of life, in addition to reductions in cardiovascular risk factors.

Exploring Parental Responses to Pre-schoolers' "Everyday" Pain Experiences Through Electronic Diary and Ecological Momentary Assessment Methodologies.

Objective: Parental influence during children's "everyday" pain events is under-explored, compared to clinical or experimental pains. We trialed two digital reporting methods for parents to record the real-world context surrounding their child's everyday pain events within the family home. Methods: Parents (N = 21) completed a structured e-diary for 14 days, reporting on one pain event experienced by their child (aged 2.5-6 years) each day, and describing child pain responses, parental supervision, parental estimates of pain severity and intensity, and parental catastrophizing, distress, and behavioral responses. During the same 2-week period, a subsample of parent-child pairs (N = 9) completed digital ecological momentary assessments (EMA), immediately after any chosen pain event. Children reported their current pain while parents estimated the child's pain and indicated their own distress. Results: "Everyday" pain events frequently featured minor injuries to the child's head, hands or knees, and child responses included crying and non-verbal comments (e.g., "Ouch!"). Pain events occurred less frequently when parents had been supervising their child, and supervising parents reported lower levels of worry and anxiety than non-supervising parents. Child sex was significantly associated with parental estimates of pain intensity, with parents of girls giving higher estimates than parents of boys. Child age was significantly associated with both the number of pain events and with parental estimates of pain intensity and child distress: the youngest children (2-3 years) experienced the fewest pain events but received higher pain and distress estimates from parents than older children. Hierarchal Linear Modeling revealed that parental estimates of pain severity were significant positive predictors of parental distress and catastrophizing in response to a specific pain event. Furthermore, higher levels of parental catastrophic thinking in response to a specific pain event resulted in increased distress, solicitousness, and coping-promoting behaviors in parents. The EMA data revealed that children reported significantly higher pain intensity than their parents. Conclusion: The electronic pain diary provided a key insight into the nature of "everyday" pain experiences around the family home. Digital daily reporting of how the family copes with "everyday" events represents a viable means to explore a child's everyday pains without disrupting their home environment.