Jundishapur Journal of Chronic Disease Care
Volume:12 Issue: 3, Jul 2023

The global outbreak of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in significant mental and emotional distress, including anxiety, among healthcare workers due to the nature of the disease and its rapid spread.

This study aimed to investigate the association between spiritual health and anxiety in nurses caring for patients with COVID-19.

This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on all nurses who worked at hospitals affiliated with the Alborz University of Medical Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. A total of 153 nurses were selected using convenience sampling, and they completed the Paloutzian & Ellison standard spiritual health questionnaire and Beck Anxiety Inventory, both electronically and offline. Descriptive and inferential statistics, such as the Pearson and Spearman correlation and multiple regression, were employed to analyze the data. All statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 26.

Most nurses (99.3%) had average to high levels of spiritual health, and only 0.7% had low spiritual health. Most (54.9%) reported no or mild anxiety. An inverse correlation was observed between spiritual health and anxiety (P < 0.001, r = -0.464). Additionally, a significant negative correlation was found between religious health (P < 0.001, r = -0.321) and existential health (P < 0.001, r = -0.496) dimensions of spiritual health and COVID-19-related anxiety. The results of multiple regression analysis demonstrated that anxiety levels could be predicted by spiritual health and its dimensions.

The present study suggests nurses can manage their anxiety through good spiritual health. Hospital managers and officials should take measures to strengthen nurses’ spiritual well-being and reduce their anxiety levels.

Considering the importance of perceived social support and adherence to treatment in improving the treatment process of mood disorders, our aim was to determine the degree of adherence to treatment and its relationship with perceived social support in patients with mood disorders.

This was a cross-sectional correlational study performed on 120 patients with mood disorders recruited by the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using the treatment adherence questionnaire developed by Heydari et al. and the multidimensional scale of perceived social support. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software using descriptive indices, Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and independent t-test.

The results revealed that the average age of the participants was 39.54 ± 13.13 years. Patients with mood disorders had a moderate level of treatment adherence and perceived social support (mean ± SD of 51.53 ± 8.31 and 54.75 ± 11.23, respectively). The Pearson correlation test indicated a significant association between the treatment adherence level and perceived social support among patients with mood disorders (P < 0.001), meaning that with an increase in the level of adherence to treatment, the level of perceived social support increased as well.

Perceived social support has a significant impact on treatment adherence in patients with mood disorders. Larger studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to confirm our findings.

The rate of treatment adherence in patients with schizophrenia is lower than average, and they have insufficient insight in this regard.

The present study was designed to assess the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioral therapy (GCBT) in the improvement of insight and treatment adherence in schizophrenic patients.

In this randomized controlled trial, accomplished in Shiraz Psychiatric Hospital, Shiraz, Iran, from October 2021 to January 2022, 22 eligible participants were assigned to either intervention, therapist’s attention placebo, and control groups via simple randomization. In the intervention group, a treatment program was performed in seven 90-minute sessions based on a treatment protocol adapted from Robert Paul Lieberman’s 16-session community return program. The therapist’s placebo group also watched documentaries for seven sessions. The control group received only their usual treatments, which included a visit to a psychiatrist. The data were gathered using the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire and the Medication Adherence Rating Scale at three different time points.

At baseline, the mean scores of insight and medication adherence were not significantly different between all the groups. After the intervention, the results showed significant differences in insight levels (P = 0.001) and medication adherence (P = 0.003). Three months after the intervention, the results showed significant differences in insight levels and medication adherence (P = 0.001). The differences in the mean scores of insight levels and medication adherence in post-intervention and 3-month follow-up were only significant in the intervention group (P = 0.001).

Basedonthe evidencefromthis study, GCBTisaneffective treatment for improving insightandmedication adherence in schizophrenic patients. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the use of GCBT to increase compliance with drug treatment.

Useful communication between patients and nurses and improvement of the quality of care occur following partnership care, resulting in an improvement in the general condition of patients.

Regarding the cancer patients’ need for education and the important role of nurses in education and care, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of nursing interventions based on the partnership care model on the life expectancy of cancer patients in teaching hospitals of Shahrekord.

The present quasi-experimental study was conducted on 60 cancer patients in Shahrekord educational hospitals in 2021. The subjects of this study were first selected according to inclusion criteria and then randomly divided into the intervention and control groups by random allocation software. The educational intervention based on the partnership care model was carried out in four individual stages, including the creation of motivation, preparation, involvement, and evaluation. The researcher used demographic information questionnaires and Schneider’s Life Expectancy Questionnaire as data collection instruments. Using SPSS 24 software and independent t-test, chi-square test, and analysis of variance, themeanscores before, 48 hours after intervention, and two months after intervention were compared.

There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of meanlife expectancy scores before the intervention (P > 0.82), but the scores immediately and two months after the intervention showed a statistically significant difference between the control and intervention groups (P < 0.001).

Implementing the educational intervention based on the partnership care model can increase the life expectancy of cancer patients. Due to this program’s effectiveness, low cost, and safety, hospital managers are recommended to use this program to promote health and enhance the patient’s knowledge.

In addition to pervasive pain, patients with fibromyalgia also complain about impaired cognitive functions, anxiety, and depression.

This study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP) in depression and the severity of symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia.

This was an experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group with a 3-month follow-up. The statistical population covered all female patients with fibromyalgia visiting the Rheumatology Clinic of Rasool Akram Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Basedoninclusion criteriaandtheconvenience samplingmethod, 36 individualswereselectedandrandomlyassigned to 3 groups (2 experimental groups and a control group). Each experimental group received treatment (i.e., MBSR, eight 120-minute sessions, or ISTDP, eight 120-minute sessions). The research instruments included the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition and the Combined Index of Severity of Fibromyalgia. The results were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).

The results showed that both interventions, namely MBSR and ISTDP, effectively reduced depression and the severity of symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia (P < 0.001). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and ISTDP were also significantly different in terms of effectiveness, with ISTDP being more effective with a longer-term follow-up effect (P < 0.001).

Mindfulness-based stress reduction and ISTDP were effective and practical methods for reducing depression and the severity of fibromyalgia symptoms. It is recommended that psychotherapists and counselors adopt these approaches to reduce depression and the severity of fibromyalgia symptoms in patients and help improve and reduce their symptoms.

Concern about body image is one of the important psycho-social issues of hemodialysis women patients, which reduces their quality of life. Identifying the most appropriate treatment is important in providing patients services.

The present study was conducted on the effect of metacognitive therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy on the body image concerns of hemodialysis women patients.

This study was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The population consisted of all hemodialysis patients referred to the hemodialysis department of two hospitals affiliated with the Alborz University of Medical Science. The sample size was 54 people. Non-random sampling was done until the sample size was complete. Then, by simple random sampling, people were divided into three groups of 18 people: Two intervention groups and one control group. Data collection tools were a demographic information form and a body image concern inventory (BICI), completed by interview. To analyze the data, MANCOVA, ANOVA, chi-square, and repeated measurements were used, and they were analyzed by SPSS v-21.

A statistically significant difference was found in the mean scores of total body image concern in the stage before the interventions (metacognitive therapy) and (acceptance and commitment therapy), after the interventions, and three months after the interventions (P < 0.05). A statistically significant difference was observed in the mean scores of body image concern in the interventions and control groups in the next phase of the intervention and three months later (P < 0.05).

Metacognitive therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy reduced body image concerns in female hemodialysis patients. Therefore, these two interventions are recommended to reduce the body image concerns of female dialysis patients.

The experiences of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) can be used as one of the important components to develop and provide humane and holistic care tailored to the needs and preferences of these patients.

The current study was conducted to explain the experiences of brain injury patients hospitalized in the ICU.

This was a qualitative study using conventional content analysis. The participants included brain injury patients with a history of hospitalization in the ICU and were selected using a purposive sampling method. At least 3 months after discharge from the ICU, face-to-face unstructured in-depth interviews were conducted with the participants to explore their experiences regarding hospitalization in the ICU. Finally, the collected datawereanalyzed basedonthe content analysismodelof GraneheimandLundman.

Data analysis indicated 238 compact semantic units (initial codes). Based on their similarities and differences, these codes were organized into 22 subcategories, 6 categories, and 2 themes, including “the suffering body and soul” and “illumination in the dark”.

The results of this study showed that hospitalization in the ICU is a very difficult and unpleasant experience for brain injury patients due to enduring an immense amount of physical and mental suffering. The ICU care and treatment team can moderate this unpleasant experience to some extent by paying careful attention to the physical and mental needs of these patients. The results of the present study can serve as a clinical manual for providing humane and holistic care tailored to the needs and preferences of brain injury patients hospitalized in the ICU.

Hepatitis B and C are now recognized worldwide as dangerous infectious diseases which impose many physical and economic problems on individuals, families, and society.

This research was designed to demonstrate the trends of hepatitis B and C in the south of Fars province, southern Iran, from 2015 to 2021.

The current research was a cross-sectional analytical study. All patients infected with hepatitis B and C from 2015 to mid-2021 were enrolled, and their information was registered in the health department of the Larestan Faculty of Medical Sciences. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to determine hepatitis B and C incidences.

A total of 306 cases of hepatitis B and 128 cases of hepatitis C were registered. Themean age of the individuals with hepatitis B was 40.15 ± 18.95 years, and that of those with hepatitis C was 45.12 ± 13.31 years. The overall incidence of hepatitis B and C was estimated at 18.44 and 7.71 per 100,000 population, respectively. The highest incidence of hepatitis B was observed, with 50.91 and 26.01 per 100,000 population in 2019 and 2018, respectively, and the lowest incidence was reported in 2016 (1.46 cases per 100,000 population). The highest incidence of hepatitis C, with 17.94and15.01 per 100,000 people, wasreported in 2018and2019, respectively, and the lowest incidence (0.36 per 100,000 population) was in 2016. The finding of the Cochrane-Armitage trend test for both types of hepatitis B and C indicated that the trend of hepatitis incidence from 2015 to 2021 had significantly increased (P Trend < 0.001).

In general, the incidence of hepatitis B and C has increased significantly; therefore, it is necessary to implement preventive and control programs.