Therapeutic Presence: Its Contribution to the Doctor-Patient Encounter

The state of transience, and its influence on the wish to die of advanced disease patients: insights from a qualitative phenomenological study

BACKGROUND

The experience of Wish to Die is common in patients living with Advanced Disease. It has been studied worldwide and qualitative studies have contributed to the understanding of the complexity of the phenomenon of the WTD but a deeper understanding on the individual's views is still needed. The objective of this study was to identify common characteristics of the experience of wish to die in advanced disease.

METHODS

A phenomenological study was carried out with multicenter participation of patients with advanced disease who had expressed their wish to die to health professionals. Semi-structured interviews were employed to obtain an in-depth perspective of each patient's lived experience. A phenomenological analysis of the data collected was performed to describe and explore the characteristic aspects of the phenomenon under study.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients with advanced disease were interviewed. Most of them had cancer. In the analysis of the patients' accounts of their experiences, three common characteristics were identified: a) experiencing a state of transience; b) the attempt to reconnect with oneself; and c) additional disease-related aspects that influence the wish to die. Patients expressed the need for a safe space to address the wish to die and the importance of receiving care that considers both 'being' and 'doing'.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with advanced disease and wish to die experience a state of transience where the patient lives and ephemeral state of existence. Interventions focused on reinforcing the intrinsic value of the individual emerge as essential components of a compassionate accompaniment of those facing the wish to die.

Mindfulness training for community-based psychotherapists: a feasibility study

BACKGROUND

While mindfulness training's feasibility has been assessed in many health care settings, the feasibility of teaching mindfulness to psychotherapists of various orientations for both self- and patient-care has not been explored. The objectives of this feasibility assessment were to determine the degree to which clinic psychotherapists were willing to complete a skills-based mindfulness training program; evaluate the acceptability of integrating mindfulness interventions into an urban community mental health clinic; examine the training's influence on both personal mindfulness practice and integration into patient care; and explore the impact of a support group following the training.

METHODS

Data on six aspects of feasibility were gathered through quantitative surveys, semi-structured qualitative interviews, and group observation and feedback, analyzed using grounded theory.

RESULTS

Sixteen therapists and one administrator attended at least one session of this voluntary program and responded to the associated surveys. At 1-year post-training, 7 participants had attended one or more group support sessions, and 4 more than 50% of sessions. The following factors were identified as contributing to the training's success: significant interest on the part of clinic staff to receive the training; diversity of the teaching staff, buy-in from clinic administration, provision of meditation scripts, role-play exercises, the variety of practices taught, and case presentations. Therapists indicated that the training helped them create a personal mindfulness practice, and several proceeded to integrate mindfulness into client sessions. A bi-weekly support group organized after the training encompassed group practice, discussion, case presentations, and information about trauma-sensitive mindfulness. Clinicians identified the following challenges to integrating mindfulness into sessions: lack of scripts in client languages other than English, the unacceptability of mindfulness to some clients' religious beliefs, the lack of appropriateness for clients facing ongoing psychosocial crises, the lack of interest on the part of some clients, and the time constraints posed by brief therapy sessions.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that such training may be feasible in community mental health settings given support from leadership and the presence of qualified facilitators within the organization. Adaptations to the training based on participant feedback can inform a larger scale trial that compares our protocol with another intervention in the treatment of a psychological disorder or condition identified by the participants as having responded favorably to the program.

Representações sociais de mulheres sobre cateterização venosa para procedimento anestésico-cirúrgico

Introdução: A cateterização venosa é essencial para procedimentos anestésico-cirúrgicos, com características compatíveis com estabilidade, volume de fluxo em curtos espaços de tempo e grosso calibre a fim de evitar trauma vascular. Objetivo: Identificar as representações sociais de mulheres sobre punção venosa para fins anestésico-cirúrgicos à luz dos estressores de Neuman. Materiais e métodos: Estudo qualitativo por abordagem estrutural das representações sociais realizada em um serviço de cirurgia, Brasil. Amostra de seleção completa (n=180) com delineamento temporal composta por mulheres (idade ≥18 anos) submetidas à punção venosa durante procedimentos anestésico-cirúrgicos. Utilizou-se técnica de evocação livre de palavras com o termo indutor “pegar veia para anestesia e cirurgia”. Realizou-se análise prototípica empregando o software EVOC2003. Os requisitos ético-legais foram atendidos. Resultados: As mulheres tinham de 20 a 39 anos (63%) e 10 a 13 anos de escolaridade (56,1%). No possível núcleo central constam sentimentos (“dor” e “medo-sem-medo”) em oposição à área de contraste “(in)certeza-habilidade-profissional” e “tranquila-fácil” e com elementos objetivados superativados alocados na primeira periferia, retratando estressores intrapessoais, interpessoais e extrapessoais. Discussões: A dor, enquanto objeto representacional, remeteu à função justificadora quando aproximada da agulha, reafirmando o surgimento de medo, nervosismo e da ansiedade (estressores). Conclusões: Dor, medo, ansiedade e nervosismo foram estressores identificados nas representações sociais que necessitam ser monitorados terapeuticamente por meio de relações interpessoais de confiança entre profissional-usuário, aliando a performance do desempenho, sendo necessário inserir a educação permanente para profissionais que puncionam vasos.

Presence, resilience, and compassion training in clinical education (PRACTICE): Evaluation of a mindfulness-based intervention for residents

BACKGROUND

Residents’ well-being tends to decline in the course of training, yet research on preventive and restorative interventions for residents is limited. Mindfulness-based interventions have been successfully employed to support well-being in practicing physicians, but their impacts on residents are not well established.

OBJECTIVE

This paper describes the structure, content, and evaluation of a pilot mindfulness-based intervention program designated PRACTICE (presence, resilience and compassion training in clinical education) that was designed specifically to support resident well-being.

METHODS

A combined sample of 14 postgraduate year one residents from two residency training programs participated in a four-session (8 h) mindfulness-based intervention in the Fall/Winter of 2018. Participants were surveyed before, after, and at 3 months postintervention, on measures of wellness (Professional Fulfillment Index) and mental health (Patient Health Questionnaire-4), along with measures of program engagement.

RESULTS

Participants demonstrated a significant reduction in burnout at the conclusion of the program. Depression and anxiety screening scores also trended toward improvement. However, participants were not able to sustain these gains. Three months after the conclusion of the program wellness measures had returned to preintervention levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study support the use of mindfulness-based interventions in resident wellness programs. The lack of an enduring effect indicates the need for a maintenance phase intervention.