"His Main Problem Was Not Being in a Relationship With God": Perceptions of Depression, Help-Seeking, and Treatment in Evangelical Christianity

Approaches to a crisis in early pregnancy: an explorative qualitative study of medical students and doctors in training in Ireland, using a story completion model

A crisis in early pregnancy can be due to an unplanned pregnancy or a suspected abnormality. Pregnant people have the right to unbiased and comprehensive advice of all options from healthcare providers. Using story completion models (SCM), the aim of this qualitative study was to explore the attitudes of medical students and doctors in training towards crisis pregnancy, specifically two scenarios: early unplanned pregnancy and fatal fetal abnormality (anencephaly). Participants were invited from medical students attending University College Dublin (UCD) and trainees in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) from July to December 2022. SCM involve giving the consenting participant an introduction to a hypothetical situation that acts as the beginning of a story and asking them to complete it. Stories were compiled and analysed using thematic analysis. Research Ethics Committee approval was given by both UCD and the RCPI. The standards for reporting of qualitative research guidelines were followed. Eight doctors in training and six medical students consented to participate in the study; all but two medical students completed both stories to the required word count, giving 25 stories for analysis. For both situations, stories described a variety of approaches, all of which were based on the person, or couples wishes, from continuing in pregnancy to deciding to end the pregnancy. SCM allowed detailed analysis of potentially sensitive subjects such as pregnancy options. This study showed that participating medical students and doctors in training recognise that pregnant people have the right to all choices in crisis pregnancy.

The relationship between spiritual health, quality of life, stress, anxiety and depression in working women

Background

While there are benefits to women entering the workforce, there are also drawbacks, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, which can lower quality of life. However, some research indicates that women's spiritual health may be a protective factor in these situations. This study is to explore the relationship between spiritual health and quality of life, stress, anxiety, and depression among a population of women working in health care centers, given the existence of such a relationship among women.

Methods

In 2022, 500 women who worked in health centers in Izeh City, Iran, participated in this cross-sectional survey. The clustered census sampling approach was used for the sample. The research participants completed a 12-item quality of life questionnaire on spiritual health, stress, anxiety, and depression as part of the data gathering process. The data were examined using independent t tests, one-way variance, and Pearson correlation after being entered into SPSS-24.

Results

Of the participants, 18% were single and 68% were married. In terms of depression, stress, and anxiety, the mean and standard deviation were 8.26 ± 5.78, 11.26 ± 4.89, and 7.91 ± 0.98, respectively. The quality of life had a mean and standard deviation of 30.82 ± 3.56. Women who were unmarried and had more work experience reported a considerably greater quality of life (p < 0.05). The findings indicated that stress and spiritual health (p = 0.001), anxiety and spiritual health (p = 0.032), and depression and spiritual health (p = 0.024) all had a significant and inverse association. Furthermore, a strong and positive correlation was found (p = 0.001) between spiritual health and quality of life.

Conclusion

The study's conclusions demonstrated a clear link between spiritual health and life satisfaction, suggesting that working women's quality of life may be raised by treatments that support spiritual health. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated a significant inverse relationship between spiritual health and the psychological variables of stress, anxiety, and depression. This suggests that by understanding the factors influencing mental health and the role of spiritual health moderator, it may be possible to improve the psychological state of employed women.

The "what, why, and how?" of story completion in health services research: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

The story completion method provides a different way of doing qualitative research. We note the emergent popularity of this method in health-related research, while much remains to be negotiated in terms of best practices for such studies. This scoping review aims to provide a synthesis on how researchers have used the story completion method in health services research. We offer implications for research and practice for further discussion by the scholarly community.

METHODS

We used the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Six databases were searched for published literature till March 1, 2023: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SAGE Journals Online databases, and SAGE Research Methods. We included primary studies of any study design using the story completion method in health services research.

RESULTS

A total of 17 studies were included. Findings suggest that the story completion method is useful for research on sensitive topics, and affords the use of comparative study designs and large sample sizes which may be difficult with conventional qualitative research methods. More than 80% of included studies used story completion as the sole method. However, the data collected from this method were limited in terms of the inferences that can be drawn; and richness of participant responses may vary widely. Less than 30% of included studies reported piloting of the story stems. Most studies were conducted online and analyzed qualitatively, though the story stem design and sample size varied widely.

CONCLUSION

The story completion method, with its attendant affordances for larger sample sizes, comparative study designs, and streamlined data collection is an innovative and useful stand-alone or adjunct qualitative method for health services research.