Big Five Personality Model-based study of death coping self-efficacy in clinical nurses: A cross-sectional survey

Background

Specific personality traits may affect the ability of nurses to deal with patient death. The relationship between personality and death coping self-efficacy (DCS) has rarely been investigated in the palliative care setting. In this study, we explored the associations between different personality profiles and DCS in clinical nurses from general wards and ICU.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of 572 Chinese nurses was conducted between August and September 2020, by way of a self-administered questionnaire.

Results

Among the Big Five Personality Traits, in nurses the score was highest for conscientiousness and lowest for neuroticism. With regard to DCS, nurses scored highly on the intention of hospice care. The Big Five Personality Traits were found to explain 20.2% of the overall variation in DCS. Openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness were significantly associated with DCS in nurses.

Conclusions

Nursing managers should pay attention to differences in personality characteristics and provide personalized and targeted nursing education. This should improve nurses’ DCS, enrich their professional development and promote high quality palliative care for patients and their families.

Neuroticism is associated with higher antenatal care utilization in obstetric low-risk women

INTRODUCTION

Elevated neuroticism is associated with higher health care utilization in the general population. This study aimed to investigate the association between neuroticism and the use of publicly financed antenatal care in obstetric low-risk women, taking predisposing and need factors for health care utilization into consideration.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Participants comprised 1052 obstetric low-risk women (no chronic diseases or adverse pregnancy conditions) included in several obstetrics/gynecology studies in Uppsala, Sweden. Neuroticism was self-rated on the Swedish universities Scales of Personality. Medical records of their first subsequent pregnancy were scanned for antenatal care use. Associations between antenatal care use and neuroticism were analyzed with logistic regression (binary outcomes) or negative binomial regression (count outcomes) comparing the 75th and 25th neuroticism percentiles. Depending on the Akaike information criterion the exposure was modeled as either linear or with restricted cubic splines. Analyses were adjusted for predisposing (sociodemographic and parity) and need factors (body mass index and psychiatric morbidity).

RESULTS

After adjustment, women with higher neuroticism had more fetal ultrasounds (incidence rate ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.16), more emergency visits to an obstetrician/gynecologist (incidence rate ratio = 1.22, 95% CI 1.03-1.45) and were more likely to visit a fear-of-childbirth clinic (odds ratio = 2.71, 95% CI 1.71-4.29). Moreover, they more often consulted midwives in specialized antenatal care facilities (significant J-shaped association).

CONCLUSIONS

Neuroticism was associated with higher utilization of publicly financed antenatal care in obstetric low-risk women, even after adjusting for predisposing and need factors. Future studies should address the benefits of interventions as a complement to routine antenatal care programs to reduce subclinical anxiety.

Comparison of Treatment Rates of Depression After Stroke Versus Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Data

OBJECTIVE

Depression after stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) is common but often assumed to be undertreated without reliable evidence being available. Thus, we aimed to determine treatment rates and investigate the application of guidelines in these conditions.

METHODS

Databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Scopus were systematically searched without language restriction from inception to June 30, 2017. Prospective observational studies with consecutive recruitment reporting any antidepressant treatment in adults with depression after stroke or MI were included. Random-effects models were used to calculate pooled estimates of treatment rates.

RESULTS

Fifty-five studies reported 32 stroke cohorts (n = 8938; pooled frequency of depression = 34%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 29%-38%) and 17 MI cohorts (n = 10,767; pooled frequency of depression = 24%, 95% CI = 20%-28%). In 29 stroke cohorts, 24% (95% CI = 20%-27%) of 2280 depressed people used antidepressant medication. In 15 MI cohorts, 14% (95% CI = 8%-19%) of 2381 depressed people used antidepressant medication indicating a lower treatment rate than in stroke. Two studies reported use of psychosocial interventions, indicating that less than 10% of participants were treated.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the high frequency of depression after stroke and MI and the existence of efficacious treatment strategies, people often remain untreated. Innovative strategies are needed to increase the use of effective antidepressive interventions in patients with cardiovascular disease.