Relationship between Thought Style, Emotional Response, Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG), and Biomarkers in Cancer Patients.

(1) Introduction: Cancer diagnosis has been related to depression, anxiety, and distress, as well as to post-traumatic growth (PTG). One of the mediating variables for emotional response is thought style (rumination, cognitive avoidance, and cognitive engagement). (2) Aim: To identify the relationship between thought style and emotional responses to cancer. A secondary aim was to identify the relationship between emotional responses and inflammatory immunological biomarkers. (3) Method: A total of 115 patients with cancer were included in the study. Before initiating cancer treatment, patients were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), distress thermometer, and Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Patients provided their most recent blood biometry. (4) Results: Rumination correlated with anxiety, depression, and distress. Cognitive avoidance correlated with PTG (-0.240) and distress (-0.209). Cognitive engagement correlated with PTG (0.393). Regarding thought style and biomarkers, a negative correlation was observed for absolute neutrophils with cognitive avoidance (-0.271) and rumination (0.305). Regarding biomarkers and emotional responses, there was a negative correlation between PTG and absolute lymphocytes (-0.291). There was also a correlation between PTG and neutrophils (0.357) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (0.295). (5) Conclusions: Thought style is related to the emotional response to a cancer diagnosis; rumination is related to depression, distress, and anxiety; and cognitive engagement is related to PTG. PTG is related to inflammation and immunological biomarkers.

Percepções de estudantes de medicina veterinária sobre a atuação na área da saúde: um estudo baseado na idéia de "estilo de pensamento" de Ludwik Fleck / Perceptions of veterinary medicine students about acting in the public health area: a study based on Fleck's idea of thought style

Como parte de um estudo de caso, que teve como objeto o curso de medicina veterinária da Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), calouros e formandos foram entrevistados com o objetivo de identificar suas impressões sobre as atividades no âmbito da medicina veterinária preventiva e saúde pública. Tendo como referencial o pensamento de Ludwik Fleck, estabeleceu-se uma correspondência entre os diversos campos de atuação na medicina veterinária e estilos de pensamento, utilizando essas categorias como instrumento de análise. Verificou-se que o ensino veterinário conduz à formação de um pensamento que não privilegia concepções com características coletivas e preventivas. No final do artigo, são feitas sugestões ressaltando a importância da integração entre os diversos campos de atuação da profissão na formação profissional com base nas Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional de 1996.

As part of a case study conducted in the undergraduate course of Veterinary Medicine of the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC), Brazil, freshmen and senior students were interviewed for identifying how they perceive their activities as refers to Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Public Health. Taking the ideas of Ludwik Fleck as a theoretical framework, a correspondence was established among the different fields of activity in Veterinary Medicine and the variations in "thought styles", a key idea in Fleck's epistemology, allowing for the definition of analytical categories. It was verified that the teaching in the field of veterinary medicine leads to a thought style giving little importance to collective and preventive concepts. In the end of the article, we emphasize the importance of integration between the different fields of actions of the profession for a better professional education based on the National Guidelines and Bases for Education of 19965.