Religion involvement and quality of life in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Latin-America

The Effect of Spirituality on the Subjective Recovery of Psychiatric Patients

Spiritual well-being is among the factors that affect subjective recovery. This study aimed to explore the relationship between subjective recovery and spiritual well-being among psychiatric patients and to identify the factors that affected their subjective recovery. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 96 patients admitted to the psychiatry clinic of a hospital. It was found that the patients had high subjective recovery assessment levels and medium levels of spiritual well-being. There was a positive association between the patients' subjective recovery assessments and their spiritual well-being, and spiritual well-being was a significant predictor of the subjective recovery level. It is recommended that mental health professionals focus on serving patients through a holistic healthcare approach and enhancing patients' subjective recovery levels through applications that will strengthen the spiritual dimension.

A cross-sectional study of the determinants of missed nursing care in the private sector: Hospital/unit/staff characteristics, professional quality of life and work alienation

AIM

To analyse missed nursing care in a sample of private hospitals.

BACKGROUND

The nursing research on understanding and preventing missed nursing care, a critical element in omitted patient safety, is increasing.

METHODS

This is a descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional study. Data were collected from 897 nurses working in 25 private hospitals in Turkey through an online survey, which included an Introductory Information Form, MISSCARE Survey, Professional Quality of Life and Work Alienation Scales.

RESULTS

The most frequently missed nursing care was ambulation, and the least was patient assessment. Measurements of the missed nursing care statistically differed in terms of nurses' gender, weekly work hours, overtime work and perception of nurse adequacy, and the hospital's accreditation status. There was a correlation between the missed nursing care and Powerlessness subscale of work alienation.

CONCLUSION

Nurses missed less complex care more frequently, and long working hours and inadequacy of nurses increased missed care. There is no correlation between the professional quality of life and missed care.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Nurse managers should plan actions to reduce nursing workloads and the instances of missed nursing care. Furthermore, they should develop solutions to make nursing care meaningful and allow nurses to feel empowered.

Calidad de vida en pacientes con esquizofrenia de origen Aymara en la zona Centro-Sur de los Andes

El objetivo de este estudio consistió en comparar la calidad de vida (CV) de pacientes con esquizofrenia pertenecientes al grupo étnico aymara de los Andes Centro-Sur, con pacientes no Aymara. En este estudio transversal participaron 253 pacientes de tres clínicas de salud mental en Chile, Perú y Bolivia. Se recogieron datos sociodemográficos y características clínicas. La calidad de vida se evaluó utilizando el Cuestionario S-QoL18. Los análisis comparativos exploraron las diferencias de QoL entre los pacientes Aymara y no Aymara. Los participantes de origen Aymara tuvieron puntuaciones de CV más bajos en comparación con los pacientes no Aymara para el Índice total, las relaciones familiares y la dimensión de vida sentimental. Los ingresos familiares mensuales y la duración del trastorno fueron significativamente más bajos en los pacientes Aymara. Nuestro estudio soporta la hipótesis de una peor CV en pacientes aymaras con esquizofrenia.

Parenting children with Down syndrome: Societal influences

Most studies of parenting children with Down syndrome (DS) have been conducted in industrialized countries. They suggest that sensitive communication on the part of professionals, and social support, can lead to acceptance and positive adjustments in the family. This study examined the impact of a diagnosis of DS on Ecuadorian families, in particular at how the diagnosis had been communicated and received, as well as the feelings and experiences which followed. Despite considerable progress in recent years, Ecuador is still marked by discriminatory attitudes which affect children with disabilities and their families, and by the persistence of widespread poverty. This qualitative study, conducted in Cuenca, Ecuador's third largest city, is based on a focus group discussion and four in-depth interviews with Ecuadorian parents of DS children attending a specialist center in the city. The study shows that, reflecting the effects of status differences and lack of appropriate training, professionals rarely communicate a DS diagnosis in an appropriate manner. Further, it is shown that lack of social support, and the widespread stigmatization confronting children with DS and their families, hinder development of positive and empowering adjustments that would best serve the child's and the family's interest.

Quality of life in Chinese patients with schizophrenia treated in primary care

In China, maintenance treatment for clinically stable patients with schizophrenia is usually provided by primary care physicians. This study examined the quality of life (QOL) in patients with schizophrenia treated in primary care and explored the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with QOL. Altogether, 612 patients with schizophrenia treated in 22 randomly selected primary care services in China formed the study sample. QOL, psychotic and depressive symptoms, extra-pyramidal symptoms and insight were assessed using standardized instruments. Data analyses were conducted with the one sample t-test and multiple linear regression analyses. Compared with the normative data for the Chinese general population, significantly lower scores in physical and mental QOL domains were found in the patient group. Older age, being unemployed, major medical conditions, no smoking, more severe depressive and negative symptoms, more frequent insomnia, and suicidality were independently associated with poor physical QOL. Male gender, more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms, more frequent insomnia, and suicidality were independently associated with poor mental QOL. Patients with schizophrenia treated in primary care had lower level of QOL in comparison with general population. Effective measures need to be implemented to improve their QOL.

Quality-of-life and spirituality

Spirituality has been identified as an important dimension of quality-of-life. The objective of this study was to review the literature on quality-of-life and spirituality, their association, and assessment tools. A search was conducted of the keyterms 'quality-of-life' and 'spirituality' in abstract or title in the databases PsycINFO and PubMed/Medline between 1979-2005, complemented by a new search at PUBMED from 2006-2016. Quality-of-life is a new concept, which encompasses and transcends the concept of health, being composed of multiple domains: physical, psychological, environmental, among others. The missing measure in health has been defined as the individual's perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value system in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. There is consistent evidence of an association between quality-of-life and religiosity/spirituality (R/S), through studies with reasonable methodological rigour, using several variables to assess R/S (e.g. religious affiliation, religious coping, and prayer/spirituality). There are also several valid and reliable instruments to evaluate quality-of-life and spirituality. Further studies are needed, however, especially in Brazil. Such studies will provide empirical data to be used in planning health interventions based on spirituality, seeking a better quality-of-life. In the last 10 years, research is consistently growing about quality-of-life and spirituality in many countries, and also in many areas of health research.