Project description:The study investigated the influence of resilience and dispositional optimism on, first, emotional distress and, second, the intention to self-isolate, experienced by people with a lower and higher illness risk, during the lockdown imposed in Spain during the first COVID-19 wave. These effects were investigated against the background of the Health Belief Model (HBM). A convenience sample of N = 325 participants completed an online survey including an ad-hoc questionnaire measuring the HBM core factors: Perceived health threat (susceptibility and severity of getting infected), and perceived quarantine benefits and costs. Self-efficacy and perceived social pressure were also measured. Based on reviews regarding pandemic outbreaks, quarantine benefits were conceptualized as the perceived effectiveness and solidary contribution of self-isolating in line with the quarantine protocols. Quarantine "psychosocial" costs were conceptualized as a composite of perceived boredom, loneliness, and economic concerns. Findings revealed an asymmetrical pattern of results so that (i) people at higher risk were more distressed by the perceived severity of getting infected whereas people at lower risk were more distressed by the psychosocial costs. Moreover, (ii) resilience and optimism were more "protective" against distress within the lower and higher risk groups, respectively. In addition, (iii) quarantine benefits and self-efficacy promoted the intention to self-isolate within both groups. However, (iv) optimism hindered such intention. This finding is discussed in the light of links between dispositional optimism and optimistic bias; the underestimation of experiencing negative events, which can relax the perceived health risk. Based on these findings, communication campaigns should prioritize information about the effectiveness of the implemented preventive behaviors rather than the costs of not implementing them, and be cautionary in encouraging excessive optimism.
Project description:Somatic burden has become one of the most common psychological reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. This study examined the prevalence of somatic burden, latent profiles, and associated factors of somatic symptoms during the pandemic in a large sample of Russians. We used cross-sectional data from 10,205 Russians collected during October-December, 2021. Prevalence of somatic burden was assessed with the Somatic Symptom Scale-8. Latent profiles of somatic burden were identified using latent profile analysis. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine demographic, socioeconomic, and psychological associated factors of somatic burden. Over one-third (37%) of the Russians reported being somatised. We selected the three-latent profile solution with high somatic burden profile (16%), medium somatic burden profile (37%), and low somatic burden profile (47%). The associated factors of greater somatic burden were female gender, lower education, history of COVID-19 disease, refusing vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection, poorer self-rated health, greater fear of COVID-19 pandemic, and living in regions with higher excess mortality. Overall, this study contributes to knowledge about the prevalence, latent profiles, and associated factors of somatic burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be useful to researchers in psychosomatic medicine and practitioners in the health care system.
Project description:Optimism and self-efficacy have been associated with psychological health. Empathy has also been found to have a unique role in community health volunteering and promote positive functioning. This study investigated whether self-efficacy and optimism were associated with psychological health in terms of psychological and subjective well-being in healthcare volunteers. It also investigated whether empathy added to the explanation of psychological health, over and above that accounted for by self-efficacy and optimism. A convenience sample of 160 Italian clown doctors volunteering in various hospitals completed self-report measures of self-efficacy, optimism, empathy, psychological well-being, and subjective well-being. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that self-efficacy and optimism were associated with both outcomes and that aspects of empathy, such as others' perspective taking and personal distress for others' difficulties, added to the explanation of psychological health with opposite effects. The present study adds to previous research on the role of self-efficacy, optimism, and empathy for community health volunteers' psychological health. It also offers suggestions regarding the training for this type of volunteer.
Project description:ObjectiveIndividuals experience chronic pain differently, not only based on different clinical diagnosis, but also on differing degrees of influence by biopsychosocial pain modulators. We aimed to cluster chronic pain patients into distinct subgroups based on psychosocial characteristics and pain intensity, and subsequently examined group differences in pain-related interference approximately one year later.MethodsIn this observational, longitudinal study, patients with chronic pain (N = 94) completed validated assessments of psychosocial characteristics and pain intensity at the beginning of COVID-related social distancing (April-June, 2020). One year later (May-June, 2021), patients completed a follow-up survey with assessments of pain interference, loneliness, social support, mindfulness, and optimism.ResultsA cluster analysis, using psychosocial factors and pain intensity, empirically produced three patient groups: 1) PsychoSocial Predominant (PSP), characterized by high psychosocial distress and average pain intensity; 2) Pain Intensity Predominant (PIP), characterized by average psychosocial distress and high pain intensity; and 3) Less Elevated Symptoms (LES), characterized by low psychosocial distress and low pain intensity. At the 1-year follow-up, patients in the PSP and PIP clusters suffered greater pain interference compared to the LES cluster, while the PSP cluster also reported greater loneliness, and lower mindfulness and optimism.ConclusionsAn empiric psychosocial-based clustering of patients identified three distinct groups, which differed in pain interference. Patients with high psychosocial modulation of pain at the onset of social distancing (PSP cluster) suffered not only greater pain interference, but also greater loneliness and lower levels of mindfulness and optimism, suggesting some potential behavioral targets for this group in the future.
Project description:The COVID-19 outbreak had a negative impact on psychological status among elderly subjects, negatively affecting their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Psychological factors that promote resilience might beneficially contribute also to promoting a better HRQoL among elderly subjects. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the contribution of dispositional optimism and expressive flexibility on the HRQoL of elderly outpatients during the COVID-19 outbreak. The outpatients were recruited from October 2018 to October 2019, and then followed-up during April 2020, by evaluating their HRQoL. The baseline sample consisted of 141 elderly outpatients (mean age 80.31 ± 6.84 years); the final number of outpatients included in the follow-up evaluation was 104 (mean age 80.26 ± 6.39). Univariate and multivariate linear regressions were developed to explore significant associations with the physical and mental component of HRQoL. Baseline dispositional optimism was a predictor of the mental component of HRQoL at follow-up; the flexible suppression of emotional expression was a predictor of the physical component of HRQoL at follow-up. From a psychogeriatric perspective, the accurate assessment of psychological factors, such as dispositional optimism and expressive flexibility, might help physicians and psychologists to recognize additional patients' vulnerabilities during the current emergency.
Project description:ObjectivesThe plethora of self-administered questionnaires to assess positive psychosocial factors complicates questionnaire selection. This study aimed to identify and reach consensus on the most suitable self-administered questionnaires to assess resilience, optimism, pain acceptance and social support in people with pain.DesignA three-round modified Delphi study.ParticipantsForty international experts.MethodsIn Round 1, the experts suggested questionnaires deemed appropriate to assess resilience, optimism, pain acceptance and/or social support. In Round 2, experts indicated whether they considered the suggested questionnaires to be suitable (Yes/No/Don't know) to assess these psychosocial factors, taking into consideration content, feasibility, personal experience and the measurement properties which we provided for each questionnaire. Questionnaires that were considered suitable by the majority of experts (≥60%) were retained for Round 3. In Round 3, the suitability of each questionnaire was rated on a 0-10 Likert scale. Consensus was reached if ≥75% of experts rated the questionnaire ≥7.ResultsFrom the 67 questionnaires suggested in Round 1, one questionnaire could be recommended per domain. For resilience: Pain Resilience Scale; for optimism: Revised Version of the Life Orientation Test; for pain acceptance: 8-item and Revised Versions of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire; for social support: Emotional Support Item Bank of the PROMIS tool. Consensus for these questionnaires was also reached in a sensitivity analysis which excluded the ratings of experts involved in the development, translation and/or validation of relevant questionnaires.ConclusionWe advocate the use of these recommended questionnaires so data can be compared and pooled more easily.
Project description:Previous research has identified a number of variables that constitute potential risk factors for victimization and revictimization. However, it remains unclear which factors are associated not only with childhood or adolescent victimization, but specifically with revictimization. The aim of this study was to determine whether risk recognition ability and other variables previously associated with revictimization are specifically able to differentiate individuals with childhood victimization only from revictimized individuals, and thus to predict revictimization.Participants were N = 85 women aged 21 to 64 years who were interpersonally victimized in childhood or adolescence only, interpersonally revictimized in another period of life, or not victimized. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine whether risk recognition ability, sensation seeking, self-efficacy, state dissociation, shame, guilt, assertiveness, and attachment anxiety predicted group membership.The logistic regression analysis revealed risk recognition ability, attachment anxiety, state dissociation, and self-efficacy as significant predictors of revictimization. The final model accurately classified 82.4% of revictimized, 59.1% of victimized and 93.1% of non-victimized women. The overall classification rate was 80%.This study suggests that risk recognition ability, attachment anxiety, self-efficacy, and state dissociation play a key role in revictimization. Increased risk recognition ability after an interpersonal trauma may act as a protective factor against repeated victimization that revictimized individuals may lack. A lack of increased risk recognition ability in combination with higher attachment anxiety, lower self-efficacy, and higher state dissociation may increase the risk of revictimization.
Project description:Mice were immunized with either formalin fixed Influenza A/PR/8/34 (Killed PR8), the 2006-2007 seasonal influenza vaccine, the 2007-2008 seasonal influenza vaccine, a sublethal infection (live PR8) or mock immunized (PBS). Array data was used to distinguish the immunogens from each other and predict which of the three inactivated vaccines would be protective against A/PR/8/34 challenge. two replicates of each peptide was printed on 1 CIM_10kv3 peptide microarray. One microarray were tested for each sample. Image was qualified using in-house metrics for quality assurance.
Project description:Tumor mutational burden (TMB) has recently been identified as a biomarker of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in many cancers, including melanoma. Co-assessment of TMB with inflammatory markers and genetic mutations may better predict disease outcomes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential for TMB and somatic mutations in combination to predict the recurrence of disease in advanced melanoma. A retrospective review of 85 patients with stage III or IV melanoma whose tumors were analyzed by next-generation sequencing was conducted. Fisher's exact test was used to assess differences in TMB category by somatic mutation status as well as recurrence locations. Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox-proportional regression model were used for survival analyses. The most frequently detected mutations were TERT (32.9%), CDKN2A (28.2%), KMT2 (25.9%), BRAF V600E (24.7%), and NRAS (24.7%). Patients with TMB-L + BRAFWT status were more likely to have a recurrence [hazard ratio (HR), 3.43; confidence interval (CI), 1.29-9.15; P = 0.01] compared to TMB-H + BRAF WT. Patients with TMB-L + NRASmut were more likely to have a recurrence (HR, 5.29; 95% CI, 1.44-19.45; P = 0.01) compared to TMB-H + NRAS WT. TMB-L tumors were associated with local (P = 0.029) and in-transit (P = 0.004) recurrences. Analysis of TMB alone may be insufficient in understanding the relationship between melanoma's molecular profile and the body's immune system. Classification into BRAFmut, NRASmut, and tumor mutational load groups may aid in identifying patients who are more likely to have disease recurrence in advanced melanoma.
Project description:Background Academic self-efficacy (ASE) has been found to be an important motivator for academic success among nursing students. The associations between ASE, resilience and social support have not been fully explored among nursing students, especially those in their first year who are learning online. Objectives To explore a) the associations between ASE, resilience and social support among first-year nursing students learning in an online learning environment; and b) students' views regarding the difficulties they have encountered and the available assistance. Design and methods A cross-sectional survey design on a sample of 222 undergraduate first-year Israeli nursing students. Questions were uploaded in the format of a commercial internet survey provider (Qualtrics.com) and distributed through the university's online learning platform. Results Positive correlations were found between ASE and resilience and social support. Significant differences were found in the research variables according to the students' gender, cultural group and their perceived difficulty in studies. Resilience, social support, perceived difficulty in studies and being a female explained 31% of the students' variance in ASE. Conclusions Nurse educators should develop and promote strategies to enhance students' resilience and perceived social support. These have the potential to significantly improve students' ASE also in online environments. In addition, faculty should promote the preparation of online learning environments in accordance with students' needs and proficiencies.