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Howard AF, Noga H, Parmar G, Kennedy L, Aragones S, Bassra R, Gelfer L, Lopez de Arbina E, Sutherland J, Allaire C, Oliffe JL, Currie LM, Yager H, Yong PJ. Web-Based Digital Storytelling for Endometriosis and Pain: Qualitative Pilot Study. JMIR Form Res 2023; 7:e37549. [PMID: 36917164 PMCID: PMC10131752 DOI: 10.2196/37549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endometriosis is a complex chronic disease characterized by pain, including painful sex, that can contribute to considerable sexual function, self-esteem, and relationship challenges. Digital storytelling is an arts-based, participatory methodology wherein individuals create and share their illness experiences in detailing their lived experiences. OBJECTIVE The study objective was to pilot-test a web-based digital storytelling workshop focused on endometriosis to understand storytellers' experiences of workshop participation. We assessed the feasibility of story cocreation and sharing, including the emotional impact of workshop participation, the acceptability of the workshop for the subject matter, and the storytellers' willingness to share their stories with broader audiences as a method for knowledge translation. METHODS This study used a community-based participatory methodology supplemented with patient-oriented research and integrated knowledge translation. Study participants, referred to as storytellers, cocreated 3- to 5-minute individual digital stories about their lived experiences of endometriosis during a web-based workshop (comprising five 2-hour sessions over 6 weeks) facilitated by The Center for Digital Storytelling. Data were collected through participant observations at the workshop, storyteller weekly reflective journals, and an end-of-workshop focus group interview with storytellers. These data were analyzed using a qualitative interpretive description approach. RESULTS A total of 5 women and 1 nonbinary storyteller aged 19 to 39 years who had experienced endometriosis for 4 to 22 years participated in the study. We characterized storytelling workshop participation and the acceptability of story cocreation by describing participants' experiences of opportunity, commitment, and connection; complex emotions that were healing; and a desire to share. Feasibility was demonstrated through 100% engagement in the workshops. All 6 storytellers reported feeling empowered by publicly sharing their cocreated digital stories through social media and the Sex, Pain & Endometriosis website. CONCLUSIONS Despite the complexities of the story-building process, the workshop and the cocreation and sharing of digital stories were feasible. The storytellers found that this process allowed for emotional healing and personal empowerment by offering a unique way to talk about painful sex, which also facilitated a connection among those in the workshop. The use of digital storytelling as a knowledge translation tool shows promise, and this approach also has potential as a therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Fuchsia Howard
- School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Women's Health Research Institute, British Columbia Women's Hospital & Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Heather Noga
- Women's Health Research Institute, British Columbia Women's Hospital & Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Gurkiran Parmar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lan Kennedy
- Endometriosis Patient Advisory Board, British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sarah Aragones
- Endometriosis Patient Advisory Board, British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Roop Bassra
- Endometriosis Patient Advisory Board, British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lauren Gelfer
- Endometriosis Patient Advisory Board, British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Edurne Lopez de Arbina
- Endometriosis Patient Advisory Board, British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jessica Sutherland
- Endometriosis Patient Advisory Board, British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Catherine Allaire
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,British Columbia Women's Centre for Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis, British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - John L Oliffe
- School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Nursing, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Leanne M Currie
- School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Holly Yager
- Reproductive Health and Fertility Counselling, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Paul J Yong
- Women's Health Research Institute, British Columbia Women's Hospital & Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,British Columbia Women's Centre for Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis, British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Yeterian JD, Dutra SJ. Psychologist veteran status as a predictor of veterans’ willingness to engage in psychotherapy. MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 35:50-57. [PMID: 37130560 DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2022.2066937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Many veterans experience difficulties with mental health and functioning, yet many do not seek treatment and dropout rates are high. A small body of literature suggests that veterans prefer to work with providers or peer support specialists who are also veterans. Research with trauma-exposed veterans suggests that some veterans prefer to work with female providers. In an experimental study with 414 veterans, we examined whether veterans' ratings of a psychologist (e.g., helpfulness, ability to understand the participant, likelihood of making an appointment) described in a vignette were impacted by the psychologist's veteran status and gender. Results indicated that veterans who read about a veteran psychologist rated the psychologist as more able to help and understand them, reported being more willing to see and more comfortable seeing the psychologist, and reported greater belief that they should see the psychologist, relative to those who read about a non-veteran psychologist. Contrary to hypotheses, there was no main effect of psychologist gender nor any interaction between psychologist gender and psychologist veteran status on ratings. Findings suggest that having access to mental health providers who are also veterans may reduce barriers to treatment-seeking among veteran patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie D. Yeterian
- Clinical Psychology Department, William James College, Newton, Massachusetts
| | - Sunny J. Dutra
- Clinical Psychology Department, William James College, Newton, Massachusetts
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Cole WR, Brockway JA, Fann JR, Ahrens AP, Hurst S, Hart T, Vuletic S, Bush N, Bell KR. Expressions of emotional distress in active duty military personnel with mild traumatic brain injury: A qualitative content analysis. MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2018.1503022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wesley R. Cole
- Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, GDHS, Intrepid Spirit, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
| | - Jo Ann Brockway
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jesse R. Fann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Angelica P. Ahrens
- Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, GDHS, Intrepid Spirit, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
| | - Samantha Hurst
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Tessa Hart
- Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
| | - Simona Vuletic
- National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
| | - Nigel Bush
- National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
- Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
| | - Kathleen R. Bell
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas
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Hamblen JL, Grubaugh AL, Davidson TM, Borkman AL, Bunnell BE, Ruggiero KJ. An Online Peer Educational Campaign to Reduce Stigma and Improve Help Seeking in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Telemed J E Health 2019; 25:41-47. [DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2017.0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Hamblen
- National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, Vermont
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Anouk L. Grubaugh
- Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, South Carolina
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Tatiana M. Davidson
- Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, South Carolina
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - April L. Borkman
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Brian E. Bunnell
- Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, South Carolina
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
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Self-stigma in PTSD: Prevalence and correlates. Psychiatry Res 2018; 265:7-12. [PMID: 29679793 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Self-stigma is the internalization of negative societal stereotypes about those with mental illnesses. While self-stigma has been carefully characterized in severe mental disorders, like schizophrenia, the field has yet to examine the prevalence and correlates of self-stigma in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thus, we assessed self-stigma in veterans diagnosed with PTSD and compared with veterans with schizophrenia. We further examined associations between PTSD, depressive symptoms and self-stigma in the PTSD sample. Data came from two larger studies of people with PTSD (n = 46) and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (n = 82). All participants completed the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMIS). Results revealed that people with schizophrenia report more experiences of discrimination as a result of stigma than do those with PTSD, but these diagnostic groups did not differ for other subscales. In the PTSD group, feelings of alienation positively correlated with PTSD and depressive symptoms; other subscales positively correlated with depressive symptoms only. Taken together, results suggest a significant level of self-stigma exists among veterans with PTSD, and that self-stigma has an effect on PTSD and commonly comorbid symptoms, like depression. Future work should investigate whether current self-stigma interventions for other groups could be applicable for those with PTSD.
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