| 1. |
- Larsen, Joacim, et al.
(author)
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Symptom occurrence, symptom intensity, and symptom distress in patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell transplantation
- 2004
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In: Cancer Nursing. - Baltimore Maryland : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 0162-220X .- 1538-9804. ; 27:1, s. 55-64
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The main aim of this study was to investigate the patients' self-reported symptom occurrence, symptom intensity (SI), and symptom distress (SD) from admission for stem-cell transplantation (SCT) until discharge from the ward. Forty-three patients participated and data were collected at 7 different time-points by using the self-administered Symptom Frequency, Intensity, and Distress questionnaire for SCT (SFID-SCT). The results showed that symptom occurrence followed a curve on which the highest frequencies of symptoms were reported from the day of the SCT (T2) until the end of the protective care period (T5). The mean SI and SD scores became higher when the number of reported symptoms increased. Between T2 and T5, 33% to 54% of the patients reported >10 simultaneous symptoms. Symptoms reported by more than 50% of the patients during T2-T5 were tiredness, loss of appetite, mouth dryness, nausea, sleeping disturbances, diarrhea, and changes of taste. Loss of appetite, tiredness, and mouth dryness were, in descending order, the 3 symptoms reported as most intense and distressing. A statistically significantly higher SD-score was found for the patients undergoing allogeneic SCT on the day before start of the conditioning regimen, as compared to the patients undergoing autologous SCT. Patients reporting no anxiety on admission were found to have higher, mean SD-scores at the end of the hospital stay than anxious patients. The SFID-SCT questionnaire was found to give useful information not only about symptom occurrence but also about SI and SD. To use an instrument that distinguishes between these aspects of the symptom experience may help health care professionals to support the patients through the SCT-process.
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| 2. |
- Carlsson, Marianne, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of quality of life/life satisfaction in women with breast cancer in complementary and conventional care
- 2004
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In: Acta Oncologica. - OSLO : TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 43:1, s. 27-34
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim was to study the perceived quality of life/life satisfaction in a sample of women with breast cancer who were treated in a hospital with alternative/complementary care and the same variables in individually matched patients who received only conventional medical treatment. A non-randomized controlled trial design with repeated measurements was used. Sixty women with breast cancer treated with anthroposophic medicine (ABCW) and 60 with conventional medicine (CBCW) were included and 36 matched pairs took part on all occasions. The quality of life was measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LSQ). The comparisons were calculated as effect sizes (ES). The women in the ABCW group reported small or moderate effects, expressed as ES, on their quality of life/life satisfaction compared to their matched "twins'' in the CBCW group at the 1-year follow-up in 15 out of 21 scales/factors. It was concluded that the women who had chosen anthroposophic care increased their perceived quality of life/life satisfaction according to the methodology of the study.
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| 3. |
- Hertzberg, Annika, et al.
(author)
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"Relatives are a Resource, but..." : Registered Nurses' Views and Experiences of Relatives of Residents in Nursing Homes
- 2003
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In: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - : Blackwell. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 12:3, s. 431-441
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Registered Nurses (RNs) working in nursing homes in Sweden have obligations towards the residents' relatives, besides the care of residents. Relatives' involvement and satisfaction with the care partly depend on their contacts and communication with the staff. • This study aimed to explore and describe RNs' views and experiences of relatives of residents who live in nursing homes. • Open interviews were conducted with 19 RNs at three nursing homes. The verbatim-transcribed interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis. • Relatives were seen as a resource (with some restrictions) and nice, although demanding. The RNs saw relatives as part of their work - a part that could be time-consuming and had low priority. • Interviewees noticed a difference between young and old relatives, and between female and male relatives. • A large proportion of accounts could be related to issues about communication and interpersonal relationships with relatives. • Building a trusting relationship with relatives may result in them being involved in residents' care and thus giving the nurses time rather than consuming time.
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| 4. |
- Hertzberg, Annika, et al.
(author)
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Staff activities and behaviour are the source of many feelings : relatives' interactions and relationships with staff in nursing homes
- 2001
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In: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - : Blackwell Science. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 10:3, s. 380-388
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Family members do not give up their involvement in the life of their older relatives when they move to an institution. Relatives feel that it is they who take the initiative to establish a working relationship with the staff at the nursing home. Relatives want more spontaneous information from staff, particularly about residents' dairy fives, and there is a need for relatives to have opportunities to talk with staff under relaxed conditions. Staff behaviour and activities towards residents and relatives are a source of many feelings for relatives. Relatives' understandings of the challenges faced by staff are not communicated to staff, nor are positive or negative experiences explicitly passed on to staff.
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| 5. |
- Larsen, Joacim, et al.
(author)
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Symptom distress, functional status and health-related quality of life before high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell transplantation
- 2003
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In: European Journal of Cancer Care. - Oxford : Hindawi Limited. - 0961-5423 .- 1365-2354. ; 12:1, s. 71-80
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aims of this study were to describe how a group of patients with different malignant diseases perceived symptom distress (SD), functional status (FS) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) on admission to the hospital for stem-cell transplantation (SCT), to compare the obtained data regarding FS and HRQOL with similar data from two general-population groups, and to relate the results to disease- and treatment-specific data. Fifty-one patients participated in the study. Three instruments were used to collect data: SFID-SCT, SIP and SWED-QUAL. The majority of the patients (92%) reported ongoing symptoms even before the SCT with tiredness (67%) and anxiety (53%) as the two most commonly reported symptoms. Although tiredness and anxiety were reported to be the most frequently occurring symptoms, these symptoms were not considered to cause that much distress. Instead, vomiting, reduced mobility and fever, although less commonly occurring, were reported as highly distressing when present. Compared with the general-population groups, the patients reported significantly poorer FS and HRQOL but no statistically significant correlations were found between SD, FS or HRQOL and the time since the last chemotherapy cycle or cycles respectively. Patients with advanced disease and patients with multiple myeloma were found to report more SD and poorer FS and HRQOL.
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| 6. |
- Letterstål, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Postoperative mobilization of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm
- 2004
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In: Journal of Advanced Nursing. - : Wiley. - 0309-2402 .- 1365-2648. ; 48:6, s. 560-568
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim. This paper reports on a study which aimed to evaluate the effects of structured written preoperative information on patients’ postoperative psychological and physical wellbeing after surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).Background. The possible benefits of current booklets written by professionals on postoperative psychological and physical wellbeing in patients with AAA are unknown. Previous studies have shown that preoperative information has a favourable effect on both mood state and physical mobilization.Method. Fifty-two patients admitted for elective repair of AAA were selected consecutively and randomized to receive only verbal (control group), or verbal and written information in booklet form (experimental group). The booklet contained procedural and sensory information about the disease and its treatment. Two questionnaires were used to establish whether the booklet had any effect on perceived health, psychological and physical wellbeing postoperatively.Results. The two groups were similar regarding their perceived health but differed significantly regarding psychological wellbeing pre- and postoperatively. Patients in the experimental group were significantly sadder both pre- and postoperatively compared with those in the control group. Both groups were similar in postoperative physical wellbeing.Conclusion. This group of patients often has asymptomatic disease, with a short interval between diagnosis and major surgery. When patients receive an information booklet during this period, this seems to cause more worries than anticipated. Hence, a more supportive educational programme might benefit this patient group, both pre- and postoperatively.
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| 7. |
- Perseius, Kent-Inge, et al.
(author)
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Treatment of suicidal and deliberate self-harming patients with borderline personality disorder using dialectical behavioral therapy : the patients’ and the therapists’ perceptions.
- 2003
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In: Archives of Psychiatric Nursing. - : Saunders Elsevier. - 0883-9417 .- 1532-8228. ; 17:5, s. 218-227
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim was to investigate patients and therapists perception of receiving and giving dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). Ten deliberate self-harm patients with borderline personality disorder and four DBT-therapists were interviewed. The interviews were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. The patients unanimously regard the DBT-therapy as life saving and something that has given them a bearable life situation. The patients and the therapists are concordant on the effective components of the therapy: the understanding, respect, and confirmation in combination with the cognitive and behavioral skills. The experienced effectiveness of DBT is contrasted by the patient's pronouncedly negative experiences from psychiatric care before entering DBT.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Berglund, Johan, et al.
(author)
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5-y follow-up study of patients with neuroborreliosis
- 2002
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0036-5548 .- 1651-1980. ; 34:6, s. 421-425
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objective of this follow-up study was to determine the long-term outcome of strictly classified cases of neuroborreliosis treated with antibiotics. A one-year prospective population-based survey of Lyme borreliosis was conducted in southern Sweden, between 1992 and 1993. A total of 349 identified cases with suspected neuroborreliosis were followed up 5 years later. Medical records were reviewed and all participants filled in a questionnaire. Of those classified with definite neuroborreliosis 114/130 completed the follow-up, of whom 111 had completed the initial antibiotic treatment. Of the 114 patients followed up, 86 (75%) had recovered completely and 70 (61%) had recovered within 6 months. Residual neurological symptoms such as facial palsy, concentration disorder, paresthesia and/or neuropathy were reported by 28/114. No significant differences between different antibiotic treatments were observed in terms of occurrence of sequelae. To conclude, we found that 25% (95% confidence interval 17-33%) of the patients suffered from residual neurological symptoms 5 years post-treatment. However, the clinical outcome of treated neuroborreliosis is favourable as only 14/114 (12%) of the patients had sequelae that influenced their daily activity post-treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment would seem to be of great importance in order to avoid such sequelae.
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| 10. |
- Saboonchi, Fredrik, et al.
(author)
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Perfectionism, anger, somatic health, and positive affect
- 2003
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In: Personality and Individual Differences. - 0191-8869 .- 1873-3549. ; 35:7, s. 1585-99
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The associations between perfectionism, anger, somatic health, and positive affect were examined in 184 Swedish adults from a randomly selected population sample. Somewhat unexpectedly, trait anger was found to be associated with self-oriented perfectionism rather than with socially prescribed perfectionism. Both socially prescribed perfectionism and self-oriented perfectionism showed weak positive correlations with self-reported somatic complaints, particularly symptoms of tension and fatigue, and more clearly in women than in men, whereas other-oriented perfectionism appeared as a predictor of whether the participants were undergoing medical treatment or not. Finally, the results did not support the notion of self-oriented perfectionism representing a positive, adaptive dimension of perfectionism; on the contrary, this dimension was found to be negatively associated with positive affect.
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