Effectiveness of educational and psychological survivorship interventions to improve health-related quality of life outcomes for men with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a common treatment for prostate cancer, has debilitating impacts on physical and psychological quality of life. While some interventions focus on managing the physical side effects of ADT, there is a paucity of interventions that also address psychosocial and educational needs. The objective of this systematic review was to identify psychological and educational survivorship interventions targeting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes in men on ADT. DESIGN: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials. DATA SOURCES: Web of Science, Cochrane, EBSCO Host, PubMed, SCOPUS from inception (1984) to 28 January 2023. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Psychological and/or educational survivorship interventions targeting HRQoL outcomes for men on ADT; minimum 80% of participants on ADT; used a validated HRQoL outcome measure; published in English in a peer-reviewed journal. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data extraction using pre-specified study criteria was conducted. Heterogeneity of eligible studies precluded a meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 3381 publications were identified with eight meeting the criteria. Interventions were either psychological with a cognitive behavioural approach (n=4), or educational with (n=2) or without (n=2) psychoeducational components.Two studies reported a statistically significant improvement using a specific HRQoL measure. Most studies were not adequately powered and/or included small sample sizes limiting the conclusions that can be drawn on effectiveness. The most effective interventions were (i) individually based, (ii) educational with a psychoeducational component, (iii) supplemented with information packages and/or homework and (iv) included personalised needs assessments. CONCLUSION: There is a paucity of literature reporting psychological and educational survivorship interventions targeting HRQoL outcomes for men on ADT. What is urgently needed are person-centred survivorship interventions that are flexible enough to identify and address individual needs, taking into account the impact ADT has on both physical and psychological quality of life. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD4202230809.

Psychometric Characteristics of the Brazil Mood Scale among Youth and Elite Athletes Using Two Response Time Frames.

Regular assessment of the mood construct as an indicator of psychological wellbeing is used in Brazil to screen athletes for risk of mental health issues. The present study tested the psychometric characteristics of the Brazil Mood Scale (BRAMS) using both "right now" and "past week" response time frames and investigated between-group differences in mood based on athletes' sex, age, and social vulnerability. Participants were 898 athletes (511 male, 387 female, age range: 12-44 years) from eight sports. The factorial validity of the BRAMS was supported using both response time frames independently and in a multi-sample analysis. Subscale reliability was supported for both time frames. Fatigue, depression, and tension scores were higher using the "past week" time frame than the "right now" time frame. Males reported higher vigor scores than females, and younger participants (<18 years) reported lower scores for anger and depression than older participants (18+ years). No significant differences in mood (p > 0.05) were found between participants identified as socially vulnerable and those who were not socially vulnerable. Findings supported the psychometric integrity of the BRAMS and its use as a screening measure for psychological wellbeing among youth and elite athletes in Brazil.

Physical activity and mental well-being under COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional multination study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 lockdowns have reduced opportunities for physical activity (PA) and encouraged more sedentary lifestyles. A concomitant of sedentariness is compromised mental health. We investigated the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations (USA, UK, France, and Australia). METHODS: An online survey was administered in the second quarter of 2020 (N = 2541). We measured planned and unplanned dimensions of PA using the Brunel Lifestyle Physical Activity Questionnaire and mental health using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Steps per day were recorded only from participants who used an electronic device for this purpose, and sedentary behavior was reported in hours per day (sitting and screen time). RESULTS: In the USA and Australia samples, there was a significant decline in planned PA from pre- to during lockdown. Among young adults, Australians exhibited the lowest planned PA scores, while in middle-aged groups, the UK recorded the highest. Young adults exhibited the largest reduction in unplanned PA. Across nations, there was a reduction of ~ 2000 steps per day. Large increases in sedentary behavior emerged during lockdown, which were most acute in young adults. Lockdown was associated with a decline in mental health that was more pronounced in women. CONCLUSIONS: The findings illustrate the deleterious effects of lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations. Australian young and lower middle-aged adults appeared to fare particularly badly in terms of planned PA. The reduction in steps per day is equivalent to the non-expenditure of ~ 100 kcal. Declines in mental health show how harmful lockdowns can be for women in particular.

Influence of sex, age, and education on mood profile clusters.

In the area of mood profiling, six distinct profiles are reported in the literature, termed the iceberg, inverse iceberg, inverse Everest, shark fin, surface, and submerged profiles. We investigated if the prevalence of the six mood profiles varied by sex, age, and education among a large heterogeneous sample. The Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) was completed via the In The Mood website by 15,692 participants. A seeded k-means cluster analysis was used to confirm the six profiles, and discriminant function analysis was used to validate cluster classifications. Significant variations in the prevalence of mood profiles by sex, age, and education status were confirmed. For example, females more frequently reported negative mood profiles than males, and older and more highly educated participants had a higher prevalence of the iceberg profile than their younger and lesser educated counterparts. Findings suggest that refinement of the existing tables of normative data for the BRUMS should be considered.

Mood Responses Associated With COVID-19 Restrictions.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in more than half the world's population being placed in lockdown to stem the spread of the virus. The severe restrictions imposed in many nations had the potential to significantly influence the physical and psychological well-being of those affected. The aim of the current study was to investigate mood responses during the period of restrictions from March to June, 2020. Mood responses of 1,062 participants (386 male, 676 female) were collected using the Brunel Mood Scale, hosted on the In The Mood website www.moodprofiling.com. The mean pattern of mood responses reflected an inverse iceberg profile, characterized by significantly elevated scores for tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion, and below average scores for vigor; a profile associated with increased risk of mental health issues. Females reported more negative mood scores than males. Participants in the ≤25 age group reported the most negative profiles whereas those in the ≥56 age group reported the least negative profiles. Mood differences related to education status were also evident. Finally, mood scores fluctuated over time, with profiles being most negative during April and June. Overall, results confirmed significant mood disturbance during the period of COVID-19 restrictions, representing increased risk of psychopathology.

Oral nutritional supplements for preventing surgical site infections: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common healthcare-associated infections. Under-nutrition is an important risk factor for SSIs and can lead to delayed wound healing and longer hospital stays. Oral nutritional supplements are prescribed to reduce the risk of infection and improve health status, but data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have shown mixed results. Thus, the objective of our planned systematic review is to evaluate oral nutritional supplements on preventing SSIs in adult surgical patients METHODS: RCTs conducted in adult surgical patients who receive oral nutritional support will be included. The primary outcome will be the incidence of SSIs (within 30 days of surgery or within 90 days for joint replacement surgery). Secondary outcomes will be changes in nutritional status, mortality, health-related quality of life and costs. Literature searches will be conducted in several electronic databases (from inception onwards): MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Grey literature will be identified through searching clinical trial registers and dissertation databases. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles and abstract data. The study methodological quality (or bias) will be appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. If feasible, we will conduct random effects meta-analysis where appropriate. DISCUSSION: This systematic review will evaluate the evidence for pre- and post-surgical intervention with oral nutritional supplements in adults. Findings from this planned review may inform subsequent nutritional interventions for hospitalised patients who undergo surgery. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020140954.

A re-examination of the individual differences approach that explains occupational resilience and psychological adjustment among nurses.

AIMS: This study re-examines the validity of a model of occupational resilience for use by nursing managers, which focused on an individual differences approach that explained buffering factors against negative outcomes such as burnout for nurses. BACKGROUND: The International Collaboration of Workforce Resilience model (Rees et al., 2015, Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 73) provided initial evidence of its value as a parsimonious model of resilience, and resilience antecedents and outcomes (e.g., burnout). Whether this model's adequacy was largely sample dependent, or a valid explanation of occupational resilience, has been subsequently un-examined in the literature to date. To address this question, we re-examined the model with a larger and an entirely new sample of student nurses. METHODS: A sample of nursing students (n = 708, AgeM ( SD ) = 26.4 (7.7) years), with data examined via a rigorous latent factor structural equation model. RESULTS: The model upheld many of its relationship predictions following further testing. CONCLUSIONS: The model was able to explain the individual differences, antecedents, and burnout-related outcomes, of resilience within a nursing context. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The results highlight the importance of skills training to develop mindfulness and self-efficacy among nurses as a means of fostering resilience and positive psychological adjustment.

Face-to-face instruction combined with online resources improves retention of clinical skills among undergraduate nursing students.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that online resources used to develop clinical skills among students in the healthcare professions can produce equivalent learning outcomes to traditional face-to-face training methods. Whether clinical competence is retained equally well for online and face-to-face training methods is not yet established. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to compare retention of competence in using an IV infusion pump among nursing students trained in its use using three different protocols. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental design was used. SETTING: The study was conducted in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at a regional university in Queensland, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 102 first year nursing students (female=89, male=13) enrolled in a medications course, ranging in age from 18 to 44years. METHODS: Three groups of participants were trained in the use of an IV infusion pump and competence was assessed following a 26-week period of no access to the pump. Group 1 participants (ONL; n=34) were trained online using an Intravenous Pump Emulator (IVPE); Group 2 participants (ONC; n=38) were trained on campus using an actual IV pump in a traditional face-to-face setting; Group 3 participants (ONL+ONC; n=30) were trained both on campus using the actual IV pump and online using the IVPE. RESULTS: As hypothesised, no significant differences in learning outcomes, measured by assessment scores out of 80 points, were found between the ONL (M=68.7±5.9) and ONC (M=65.5±11.5; p>0.05) groups. The ONL+ONC group recorded the highest mean assessment score (M=70.0±5.0) and completed the assessment task significantly faster (p<0.001) than the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that nursing students retained clinical competence in preparing and administrating IV infusions better when face-to-face and online learning were combined.

Online intravenous pump emulator: As effective as face-to-face simulation for training nursing students.

BACKGROUND: The expansion of online education for nursing students has created the challenge of finding innovative ways to teach clinical skills. An online intravenous pump emulator (IVPE) modelled on actual IV pumps used in clinical healthcare settings was developed to facilitate online education delivery. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were to implement the online IVPE and evaluate student learning outcomes and perceptions of device use. DESIGN: A mixed method, quasi-experimental design was used. SETTING: The study was conducted in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at a regional university in Queensland, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 179 first year nursing students enrolled in a medications course, ranging in age from 18 to 44years, of whom 150 were female. METHODS: Participants were assigned to one of three groups and trained in the use of IV infusion pumps. Group 1 (n=57) were trained online using the IVPE (ONL); Group 2 (n=73) were trained on-campus using an actual IV pump (ONC); Group 3 (n=49) were trained both on-campus using the actual IV pump and online using the IVPE (ONL+ONC). Competence in using the actual IV pump was assessed for all participants at the conclusion of the training period. RESULTS: No significant differences in learning outcomes, measured by assessment scores out of 80 points, were found between the ONL (M=65.5±9.2) and ONC (M=62.0±14.8; p>.05) groups. Significantly better learning outcomes were evident for the ONL+ONC group (M=68.7±4.9) compared to the ONC group (p<.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that the nursing students became more competent in the skill of preparing and administrating IV infusions when face-to-face and online learning were combined.