scholarly journals MSAS Global Distress Index

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony D Mancini ◽  
Maren Westphal ◽  
Paul Griffin

High-intensity disaster can harm psychological functioning. Could moderate-intensity disaster improve psychological and attachment functioning through its effects on social functioning? We used a prospective quasi-experimental cohort design to investigate this possibility among college students. Hurricane cohort participants (N = 209) completed assessments before, two weeks, and six weeks after Hurricane Sandy. Two matched comparison cohorts (Ns > 140) were assessed four months and one year later. The hurricane cohort, in contrast to matched comparison cohorts, reported increased social support, reduced global distress, reduced negative emotion, and reduced attachment avoidance at the end of the semester. Increased social support mediated the relationship between hurricane cohort and reduced global distress, negative emotion, attachment avoidance, and attachment anxiety, and increased positive emotion and self-esteem at six weeks post-storm. The results suggest moderate disaster exposure can benefit short-term social, psychological, and attachment functioning, underscoring the critical role of the social context in stress adaptation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (29_suppl) ◽  
pp. 68-68
Author(s):  
Antoine Nafez Finianos ◽  
Jeanny B. Aragon-Ching ◽  
Ehab El Bahesh ◽  
Richard Amdur ◽  
Jenifer Bires ◽  
...  

68 Background: Distress is a non-stigmatic description of emotional, physical, spiritual or psychiatric stressors experienced by patients (pts) diagnosed with cancer. We sought to determine the prevalence of distress in different cancer population of pts seen in our cancer center as they are commencing chemotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively examined data using the Distress Thermometer (DT) based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and assessed a single encounter on 240 consecutive patients undergoing their first chemotherapy session. Univariate associations were examined between specific problems and overall distress levels with a 2-tailed between-group t-test. Problem area scores were computed for each subject by taking the mean number of problems rated positive within each area, and associations between each problem area score and distress was examined using Spearman correlations. Results: Among the 240 patients in the sample, mean age was 60 ± 14, 61% were female, and 82% had solid tumors. The overall mean distress, based on the DT reading, was 3.6 ± 3.0. Specific problems reported by the largest number of patients included worry (n = 85), nervousness (n = 79), fatigue (n = 70), sleep (n = 66), and fears (n = 57). Of these, all but fatigue were significantly associated with global distress in univariate analysis. When mean problems per area were calculated, and correlated with global distress, each problem area (practical, emotional, family, physical) had a significant univariate association with global distress, with emotional problems having the highest correlation (r = .52, p < .0001). The only predictors with significant independent associations to predict global distress in the general linear model were emotional problems (p = .0001) and family problems (p = .0062), independent of age, sex and tumor types. Conclusions: In cancer patients undergoing distress screening as they receive their first chemotherapy, emotional and family problems appear to have the highest correlation with distress. Improvement of supportive care services geared towards the betterment of these symptoms is of paramount importance in improving outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Cozzolino ◽  
Giovanna Celia ◽  
Laura Girelli ◽  
Pierpaolo Limone

This study aims to evaluate the effects of an innovative mind-body practice named the brain wave modulation technique (BWM-T) on stress, anxiety, global distress, and affect. The technique was administered online through a web-based video conferencing platform. The intervention started on week four of the first quarantine in Italy (week commencing 30th March 2020), for a duration of 4 weeks and ended before lockdown measures were loosened. 310 people participated in the study, mean age 28.73 years old (SD = 9.16), 77.8% women. Of these, about half were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the other half served as controls. Participants completed online psychological tests before and after the intervention. 266 people (144 experimental, 122 controls) completed the post-intervention tests. Consistent with our hypothesis, the study’s findings indicate a reduction in the levels of stress, anxiety, global distress, and negative affect in the experimental group, compared to the control group. Moreover, the experimental group also showed higher levels of positive affect, compared to controls after the intervention. The present findings add to the current literature in suggesting that the BWM-T reduced stress not only when administered face-to face but also when administered online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, we also noted that the BWM-T has an effect on anxiety, global distress, and affect, which we had not investigated in previous studies.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva R. Serber ◽  
Shenelle A. Edwards-Hampton ◽  
Brooke Yeager ◽  
Mark Clair ◽  
Marian Taylor ◽  
...  

Psychosocial factors of cardiovascular disease receive a preponderance of attention. Little attention is paid to psychosocial factors of pulmonary disease. This paper sought to describe psychosocial characteristics and to identify differences between cardiac and pulmonary patients entering a phase II rehabilitation program. Parametric and nonparametric analyses were conducted to examine scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) and the CAGE-D, administered at entry as standard clinical care. Participants were 163 cardiac and 63 pulmonary patients. Scores on the BSI-18 “chest pain” item indicated that more cardiac patients report chest pain than pulmonary patients. Among all subjects, chest pain ratings were positively related to anxiety, depression, and global distress. There were equivocal proportions of anxiety and somatization in patient groups. Pulmonary patients were more likely to endorse clinically significant levels of depression and global psychological distress than cardiac patients. Cardiac patients were significantly more likely to screen positively on the CAGE-D than pulmonary patients. Findings show a relationship between symptoms of chest pain and psychological distress. Despite equivalent proportions of anxiety and somatization between groups, a greater proportion of pulmonary patients reported symptoms of depression and global psychological distress, while more cardiac patients reported chest pain. Further research is needed to examine this paradigm.


2021 ◽  
pp. 014616722199048
Author(s):  
Anthony D. Mancini ◽  
Maren Westphal ◽  
Paul Griffin

High-intensity disaster can harm psychological functioning. Could moderate-intensity disaster improve psychological and attachment functioning through its effects on social functioning? We used a prospective quasi-experimental cohort design to investigate this possibility among college students. Hurricane cohort participants ( N = 209) completed assessments before, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks after Hurricane Sandy. Two matched comparison cohorts ( Ns > 140) were assessed 4 months and 1 year later. The hurricane cohort, in contrast to matched comparison cohorts, reported increased social support, reduced global distress, reduced negative emotion, and reduced attachment avoidance at the end of the semester. Increased social support mediated the relationship between hurricane cohort and reduced global distress, negative emotion, attachment avoidance, and attachment anxiety, and increased positive emotion and self-esteem at 6 weeks poststorm. The results suggest moderate disaster exposure can benefit short-term social, psychological, and attachment functioning, underscoring the critical role of the social context in stress adaptation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. e2117295
Author(s):  
Ishwaria M. Subbiah ◽  
Maira M. Charone ◽  
Jason Roszik ◽  
Ali Haider ◽  
Marieberta Vidal ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 227-227
Author(s):  
Gabriel Lopez ◽  
Carol A Eddy ◽  
Wenli Liu ◽  
Yisheng Li ◽  
Minxing Chen ◽  
...  

227 Background: Exercise has shown benefits for cancer prevention and contributes to improved treatment-related outcomes. We reviewed characteristics of cancer patients referred for physical therapist-led exercise counseling at a comprehensive cancer center and its effects on self-reported symptoms and quality of life. Methods: Patients presenting for outpatient exercise counseling from February 2016 to May 2017 completed the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS; 0-10 scale, 10 most severe) pre/post-encounter and PROMIS10 global health assessment pre-encounter. ESAS individual items and subscales of Physical Distress (PHS), Psychological Distress (PSS), and Global Distress (GDS) were analyzed. We used paired t-tests to compare: (1) ESAS symptoms before and after each encounter and (2) ESAS and PROMIS10 scores at baseline and first follow-up. Results: Of 350 participants, most were female (77.7%), white (66.3%), and had breast (43%) cancer; 31% had at least one follow-up visit with the physical therapist. Symptom scores at baseline (frequency; mean) included poor sleep (68.2%; 3.5), poor well-being (67.4%; 3.2), and fatigue (64.7%; 3.1). Examination of pre- to post-exercise counseling outcomes revealed statistically, and clinically significant improvement in GDS (-3.32, SD 6.52, p<0.001). On follow-up, statistically and clinically significant improvements were observed for ESAS measures of fatigue (-1.22, p=0.01), GDS (-4.81, p=0.01), and PHS (-3.1, p=0.03) and PROMIS10 global health, mental health, and physical health scores (all p’s<0.05). Conclusions: Patients presenting for exercise counseling had a low to moderate symptom burden and experienced significant improvement in global distress after one encounter. Longitudinal evaluation revealed improvement in global health and fatigue. Additional research is needed to learn more about patient selection and timing of exercise counseling interventions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 100-100
Author(s):  
Gabriel Lopez ◽  
Santhosshi Narayanan ◽  
Amie J Christie ◽  
Catherine Powers-James ◽  
M. Kay Garcia ◽  
...  

100 Background: Tai chi and qi gong are movement-based, mind-body approaches offered as part of an integrative oncology program at a comprehensive cancer center. We explored the effects of tai chi and qi gong group class participation on cancer patient and caregiver self-reported symptoms. Methods: Patients and caregivers attending a tai chi and/or qi gong group class completed the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) immediately before and after participation. The ESAS assessed 10 symptoms (scale 0-10, 10 worst possible); ESAS subscales analyzed included global (GDS), physical (PHS), and psychosocial (PSS). Descriptive statistics; Chi-Squared test, Fisher’s exact test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for data analysis. Results: 304 participants (Oct 2017-April 2019; 184 patients, 120 caregivers; 72% women, 60% white; mean age 58) were included in the analysis. For patients (symptom reduction by class type: tai chi -4.5 SD 7.6; qi gong -6.1 SD 7.9) and caregivers (tai chi -3.7 SD 6.3; qi gong -4.0 SD 7.8), both class types contributed to clinically and statistically significant improvement (ESAS GDS decrease ≥3; p’s ≤0.0001) in global distress. Patients (-2.07 SD 5.49) and caregivers (-2.34 SD 3.71) participating in tai chi experienced clinically and statistically significant improvement in physical distress (ESAS PHS decrease ≥2; p’s ≤0.0001). For the individual symptom of well-being, we observed clinically and statistically significant improvement for caregivers participating in qi gong (-1.2 SD 2) and patients participating in tai chi (-1.0 SD 1.8) (p’s ≤0.0001). For fatigue, patients (-1.4) and caregivers (-1.0) participating in qi gong experienced clinically and statistically significant improvement (p’s ≤0.0001). Conclusions: Patients and caregivers participating in both class types experienced significant improvement in physical and global distress. Additional research is warranted to learn more about how differences in class content (tai chi vs qi gong) and participants may contribute to observed differences in symptom change.


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