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Marano G, Mazza M. Territories of mourning: Addressing submerged problems of grief through multidisciplinary care. World J Clin Cases 2025; 13:98271. [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i16.98271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2024] [Revised: 12/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2025] [Indexed: 02/10/2025] Open
Abstract
Mourning and grief are natural responses to loss and can be especially complex and prolonged in the context of end-of-life care. Caregivers play a crucial role in supporting individuals through this difficult journey, often balancing their own grief with the need to provide care. This paper explores the experiences of mourning and grief in hospice settings, with a focus on the emotional challenges faced by both patients and caregivers during the grieving process. Psychological support plays a crucial role at the end of life in a multidisciplinary care approach. By addressing the complex interplay between biological disease and psychological well-being, healthcare professionals can provide more comprehensive and compassionate care. A deep understanding of mourning and elaboration of grief would improve the implementation of suitable support interventions and facilitate collaboration among family members and healthcare teams, ultimately improving the quality of end-of-life care and promoting the well-being of both patients and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Marano
- Department of Neurosciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome 00168, Italy
| | - Marianna Mazza
- Department of Neurosciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome 00168, Italy
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Tretter F, Löffler-Stastka H. Cognitive dissonance and mindset perturbations during crisis: "eco-socio-psycho-somatic" perspectives. World J Psychiatry 2024; 14:215-224. [PMID: 38464764 PMCID: PMC10921281 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i2.215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Mandatory and restrictive health regulations during the corona pandemic caused psychic disorders in many people, which even led to clinically relevant mental disorders. At the same time, there was gradually a polarization of opinions among the population. In order to improve future pandemic management, an integrative understanding of these psychosocial processes therefore seems useful. Here we start theoretically with the mental effects of inconsistencies of the information environment by referring to concepts such as the theory of cognitive dissonance. In a next step, we use the psychodynamic theory to understand the affective-motivational defense mechanisms underlying these cognitive states and processes. However, a broader theoretical framework of psychoanalysis seems to make sense, because self-referential processing also influences the style of thinking. For this reason, we use a more comprehensive psychological systems theoretical framework model to integrate these different perspectives. This integrative view refers in part to basic knowledge of health psychology regarding the resistance of unhealthy ways of thinking and behaviors and the possibilities for interventions for change. We then extend this model to a broader picture that also covers the relationship between men and their environment. This results in the perspective of a multidimensional socioecological theoretical framework, which as a heuristic reference model and related to other ecological approaches could also be helpful for various theoretical questions for public health, and could provide a better public understanding of health issues. In line with this perspective, we hypothesize that with regard to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the acceptance of public health narratives could be increased if a more consistent picture of the scientific descriptions and explanations of the pandemic - similar to the model proposed - could be provided, which would enable the understanding of the origin, course and countermeasures, and thus could have positive collective psycho-hygienic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Tretter
- Department of Systems Medicine and Healthcare Systems, Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science, Vienna 1040, Austria
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Panagiotides NG, Zimprich F, Machold K, Schlager O, Müller M, Ertl S, Löffler-Stastka H, Koppensteiner R, Wadowski PP. A Case of Autoimmune Small Fiber Neuropathy as Possible Post COVID Sequelae. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4918. [PMID: 36981826 PMCID: PMC10049708 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20064918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is reported to induce and augment autoimmune processes. Moreover, postinfectious effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are still poorly understood and often resemble symptoms of the acute infection phase. A patient with swollen extremities was presented to the Department of Angiology at the Medical University of Vienna with complaints of muscle and joint pain, paresthesia, and arterial hypertension with intense headache. Prior to these complaints, she had been suffering from various symptoms since November 2020, following a SARS-CoV-2 infection in the same month. These included recurrent sore throat, heartburn, dizziness, and headache. Paresthesia and muscle and joint pain started in temporal relation to a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Since the patient was suffering from severe pain, intensive pain management was performed. Skin and nerve biopsies revealed autoimmune small fiber neuropathy. The patient's condition could be related to COVID-19, as her first symptoms began in temporal relation to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, in the disease course, antinuclear (ANA) and anti-Ro antibodies, as well as anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies, could be detected. Together with the symptoms of xerophthalmia and pharyngeal dryness, primary Sjögren's syndrome was diagnosed. In conclusion, though biopsy results could not distinguish a cause of the disease, SARS-CoV-2 infection can be discussed as a likely trigger for the patient's autoimmune reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel G. Panagiotides
- Division of Angiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (N.G.P.); (O.S.); (M.M.); (S.E.); (R.K.)
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Fritz Zimprich
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Klaus Machold
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Oliver Schlager
- Division of Angiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (N.G.P.); (O.S.); (M.M.); (S.E.); (R.K.)
| | - Markus Müller
- Division of Angiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (N.G.P.); (O.S.); (M.M.); (S.E.); (R.K.)
| | - Sebastian Ertl
- Division of Angiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (N.G.P.); (O.S.); (M.M.); (S.E.); (R.K.)
- Division of Internal Medicine II, Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen, 4600 Wels-Grieskirchen, Austria
| | | | - Renate Koppensteiner
- Division of Angiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (N.G.P.); (O.S.); (M.M.); (S.E.); (R.K.)
| | - Patricia P. Wadowski
- Division of Angiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (N.G.P.); (O.S.); (M.M.); (S.E.); (R.K.)
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