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He Y, Liu Q, Turel O, He Q, Zhang S. Prosocial behavior predicts meaning in life during the COVID-19 pandemic: The longitudinal mediating role of perceived social support. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1115780. [PMID: 37006592 PMCID: PMC10060883 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1115780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic was an unexpected, long-term negative event. Meaning in life has been linked to better psychological adjustment to such events. The current study uses longitudinal data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic to discover whether perceived social support mediates the relationship between six dimensions of prosocial behavior (Altruistic, Anonymous, Public, Compliant, Emotional, and Dire) and meaning in life. A sample of Chinese college students (N = 514) was tracked at three time points (T1, T2, and T3) during the COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) was used for mediation analysis. The mediation effect was found in all the dimensions of prosocial behavior except for Public prosocial behavior. We also found a longitudinal, bidirectional association between perceived social support and meaning in life. The current study contributes to the growing literature on the significance of prosocial behavior in predicting meaning in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumei He
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
- Guangxi University and College Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Applied Psychology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Qun Liu
- The School of Marxism, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, China
| | - Ofir Turel
- School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Qinghua He
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Qinghua He
| | - Shuyue Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
- Guangxi University and College Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Applied Psychology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
- Ethnic Education Development Research Center of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guilin, China
- Shuyue Zhang
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2
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Fong TCT, Ho RTH, Yip PSF. Psychometric properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 among Hong Kong young adults in 2021: Associations with meaning in life and suicidal ideation. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1138755. [PMID: 36970263 PMCID: PMC10033692 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1138755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundYoung adults in Hong Kong are subject to elevated psychological distress given the societal stressors such as civil unrest and COVID-19 pandemic and suicide is a leading cause of death among them. The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) as a brief measure of psychological distress and its associations with meaning in life and suicidal ideation (SI) in young adults.Materials and methodsA mobile survey recruited a large and random sample of 1,472 young adults (Mean age = 26.3 years, 51.8% males) in Hong Kong in 2021. The participants completed the PHQ-4 and Meaning in Life Questionnaire–short form (MLQ-SF) for presence of meaning in life (MIL), SI, COVID-19 impact, and exposure to suicide. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the factorial validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of PHQ-4 and MLQ-SF across gender, age, and distress subgroups. Multigroup structural equation model evaluated and compared the direct and indirect effects of latent MIL factor on SI via latent PHQ-4 factor across distress groups.ResultsBoth MIL and PHQ-4 supported a 1-factor model with good composite reliability (Ω = 0.80–0.86) and strong factor loadings (λ = 0.65–0.88). Both factors showed scalar invariance across gender, age, and distress groups. MIL showed significant and negative indirect effects (αβ = −0.196, 95% CI = −0.254 to −0.144) on SI via PHQ-4. PHQ-4 showed a stronger mediating role between MIL and SI in the distress group (Δ = −0.146, 95% CI = −0.252 to −0.049) than the non-distress group. Higher MIL predicted higher likelihoods of help-seeking (Odds ratios = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.14–1.88).ConclusionThe present results support adequate psychometric properties in terms of factorial validity, reliability, convergent validity, and measurement invariance for the PHQ-4 in young adults in Hong Kong. The PHQ-4 demonstrated a substantial mediating role in the relationship between meaning in life and SI in the distress group. These findings support clinical relevance for using the PHQ-4 as a brief and valid measure of psychological distress in the Chinese context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ted C. T. Fong
- Centre on Behavioral Health, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Rainbow T. H. Ho
- Centre on Behavioral Health, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Paul S. F. Yip
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- *Correspondence: Paul S. F. Yip,
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Yu Y, He M. Perceived stress from interpersonal relations predicts suicidal ideation in Chinese university students: Roles of meaning in life and coping humor. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14106. [PMID: 36915534 PMCID: PMC10006672 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Existing studies emphasize that interpersonal relationships are closely associated with the increased risk of suicidal ideation (SI). However, the mechanism underlying this association remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated how and under what conditions the perceived stress from interpersonal relations links to SI. Also we explored the possible important roles of meaning in life and coping humor. A total of 1472 Chinese freshmen completed self-reported questionnaires of thwarted belongingness (TB), fear of negative evaluation (FNE), meaning in life, coping humor, and SI. Our results showed that SI was associated with more TB and FNE, and it was linked to less meaning in life and coping humor. Importantly, two dimensions of meaning in life mediated the associations between TB, FNE, and SI. Specifically, TB increased SI by destroying both presence of meaning and search for meaning while FNE increased SI by destroying presence of meaning, but not by search for meaning. Additionally, coping humor attenuated the effect of FNE on SI. Our findings highlight the protective roles of meaning in life and coping humor in the link between perceived stress from interpersonal relations and SI among Chinese university students. These results provide feasible advices for practitioners to carry out suicide prevention and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongju Yu
- Department of Social Work, School of International Law and Sociology, Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing 400031, China
| | - Min He
- Students' Affairs Devision, Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing 400031, China
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Costanza A, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Magnani L, Huguelet P, Serafini G, Pompili M, Amore M. Meaning-centered therapy in Ukraine's war refugees: An attempt to cope with the absurd? Front Psychol 2022; 13:1067191. [PMID: 36619113 PMCID: PMC9815542 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1067191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Psychiatry, Adult Psychiatry Service (SPA), University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy,*Correspondence: Andrea Amerio ✉
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Magnani
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Philippe Huguelet
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland,Department of Psychiatry, Adult Psychiatry Service (SPA), University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
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Wang M, Wang H, Wei Z, Wang Y, Sun L. Association between Workplace Violence and Depressive Symptoms among Primary Healthcare Professionals in Shandong, China: Meaning in Life as a Moderator. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15184. [PMID: 36429908 PMCID: PMC9690923 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Workplace violence (WPV) is common in healthcare settings. However, the association between WPV and depressive symptoms has not been explored among primary healthcare professionals, especially in China. The assumption of the moderating effort of meaning in life on the association has also not been tested. The purposes of the study are to investigate the relationship between WPV and depressive symptoms and identify the moderating role of meaning in life among primary healthcare professionals in China. METHODS In this study, we collected 2530 valid questionnaires. The participants were composed of primary healthcare professionals in Shandong province, China. WPV, meaning in life (including presence of life and search for life), depressive symptoms, and some social-demographic variables were evaluated. The SPSS macro was used to build the moderating relationship. RESULTS WPV was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (β = 9.09, p < 0.001), and meaning in life was negatively associated with WPV and depressive symptoms (β = -0.13, p < 0.05) among primary healthcare professionals in China. For primary healthcare professionals with low presence of life, presence of life aggravated the relationship. CONCLUSIONS The current study has verified the association between WPV and meaning in life, and the relationship between WPV and depressive symptoms has been supported among primary healthcare professionals in China. Meaning in life and presence of life as moderators play crucial roles in the relationship between WPV and depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqi Wang
- Centre for Health Management and Policy Research, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Health Economics and Policy Research, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Haipeng Wang
- Centre for Health Management and Policy Research, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Health Economics and Policy Research, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Zhen Wei
- Centre for Health Management and Policy Research, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Health Economics and Policy Research, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- Centre for Health Management and Policy Research, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Health Economics and Policy Research, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Long Sun
- Centre for Health Management and Policy Research, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Health Economics and Policy Research, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
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7
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Steger MF. Meaning in life is a fundamental protective factor in the context of psychopathology. World Psychiatry 2022; 21:389-390. [PMID: 36073697 PMCID: PMC9453886 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Steger
- Center for Meaning and PurposeColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA,Optentia Research UnitNorth‐West UniversityVanderbijlparkSouth Africa
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Chytas V, Costanza A, Mazzola V, Luthy C, Galani V, Bondolfi G, Cedraschi C. Possible Contribution of Meaning in Life in Patients With Chronic Pain and Suicidal Ideation: Observational Study. JMIR Form Res 2022; 6:e35194. [PMID: 35699974 PMCID: PMC9237781 DOI: 10.2196/35194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic pain is associated with an elevated risk of suicidal ideation (SI). Objective We aimed to examine if the presence or the search for Meaning in Life (MiL) are associated with less SI and explore whether MiL profiles emerge in our cohort. These profiles can be described as high presence–high search, high presence–low search, low presence–low search, and low presence–high search. Methods In this observational study, we recruited 70 patients who were referred to the Multidisciplinary Pain Center of the Geneva University Hospitals and who answered positively to question 9 on the Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd Edition, investigating SI. Patients who agreed to participate in the study were further investigated; they participated in a structured diagnostic interview to screen for psychiatric diagnoses. During this interview, they completed the Meaning in Life Questionnaire and the semistructured Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) to assess the characteristics and severity of SI. Results There was a statistically significant correlation between the presence of MiL subscale and the SSI. These 2 scales had a negative and statistically highly significant correlation (R=–.667; P<.001). The results also showed a negative and statistically highly significant correlation between the score of the search for MiL and the SSI (R=–.456; P<.001). The results thus pointed to the presence of MiL as a potential protective factor against the severity of SI, while the search for MiL is also a possible resiliency factor, although to a lesser extent. The profile low presence–low search grouped the vast majority (47%) of the patients; in these patients, the mean SSI score was 14.36 (SD 5.86), much higher compared with that of the other subgroups. Conclusions This study’s results point to MiL as a concept of interest regarding devising psychotherapeutic interventions for chronic pain patients in order to reduce the suicidal risk and more accurately determine patients’ suffering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios Chytas
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Viridiana Mazzola
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Luthy
- Division of General Medical Rehabilitation, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vasiliki Galani
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Guido Bondolfi
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christine Cedraschi
- Division of General Medical Rehabilitation, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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9
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Costanza A, Vasileios C, Ambrosetti J, Shah S, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Serafini G, Piguet V, Luthy C, Cedraschi C, Bondolfi G, Berardelli I. Demoralization in suicide: A systematic review. J Psychosom Res 2022; 157:110788. [PMID: 35334350 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.110788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In psychiatric literature, few original studies exist on the topic of demoralization in suicide. In this review, we aim to identify original studies on suicidal ideation (SI)/suicidal behavior (SB) and demoralization in populations of community-dwellers and patients with somatic or psychiatric disorders. METHODS We employed a systematic approach that followed PRISMA guidelines, searching through four major electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Science Direct, and PsychINFO) for relevant titles/abstracts published from January 1980-June 2021. We included original studies that explicitly mentioned the investigation of a potential association between SI/SB and demoralization. RESULTS A total of 18 studies met our inclusion criteria. Their synthesis revealed that demoralization can be associated with SI/SB in a wide range of populations (community dwellers, patients with somatic or psychiatric disorders) and lead to significantly higher suicide risk (odds ratios of >6 were encountered in community dwellers experiencing financial hardship or isolation). Moreover, demoralization alone (about half the patients who were demoralized did not meet the criteria for an affective disorder nor were they clinically depressed) or together with depression has been identified as a major risk factor for SI/SB. Regarding the crucial issue of progression from SI to SA, in the context of the "ideation-to-action" frame, some authors found that the interaction of demoralization and over-arousal could be a useful predictor for this progression, while others found that depression alone was sufficient to differentiate attempters from non-attempters or the interaction with shutdown (helplessness and low positive emotions). CONCLUSION These results emphasize the possibility to identify demoralization as an independent risk factor for suicide. In patients with psychiatric disorders, the association between demoralization and SI/SB may be transnosographic. Overall, from the clinical implications perspective, our findings highlight that: i. Assessment of demoralization may contribute to a more comprehensive suicide risk detection. This appears particularly relevant in Emergency Departments (EDs) where heterogeneous population typologies are usually admitted and a clinical diagnosis of depression is often difficult to be defined. ii. Additionally, since meaninglessness is considered one of the demoralization subcomponents, meaning-centered psychotherapeutic approaches prove to be indicated and they can be initiated already at the EDs upon first contact with the patient. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland; Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Chytas Vasileios
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre (MPC), University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland
| | - Julia Ambrosetti
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Emergency, Emergency Psychiatric Unit (UAUP), Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sanam Shah
- Paris-Saclay University, UVSQ, Univ. Paris-Sud, Inserm U1018, Paris, France
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Valérie Piguet
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre (MPC), University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland
| | - Christophe Luthy
- Division of General Medical Rehabilitation, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), Switzerland; Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christine Cedraschi
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre (MPC), University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland; Division of General Medical Rehabilitation, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), Switzerland; Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Guido Bondolfi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland; Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention (SPLIC), Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Isabella Berardelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Thomas A, Bohr Y, Hankey J, Oskalns M, Barnhardt J, Singoorie C. How did Nunavummiut youth cope during the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative exploration of the resilience of Inuit youth leaders involved in the I-SPARX project. Int J Circumpolar Health 2022; 81:2043577. [PMID: 35331088 PMCID: PMC8959525 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2022.2043577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated how COVID-19 has affected the wellness of a group of Inuit youth leaders in Nunavut in the context of their involvement with an ongoing mental health research initiative, the Making I-SPARX Fly in Nunavut [I-SPARX] project. The study had three goals: (1) to understand how the pandemic has affected I-SPARX leaders’ perceived involvement in the I-SPARX Project; (2) to build knowledge around how the pandemic has impacted the daily life and wellbeing of youth in Nunavummiut communities; and (3) to acquire a culturally specific understanding of their coping mechanisms and resilience strategies through the lens of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). Nine Inuit youth were interviewed virtually about their participation in I-SPARX, their life during the pandemic, and their coping strategies. Their comments were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Pandemic challenges, the utility of I-SPARX teachings and participation, and culturally and community-embedded pathways to resilience were discussed. The implications of COVID-19 on Inuit youth in remote communities are not fully understood. The current study illuminates their experiences of the pandemic to inform future research on ways in which Inuit youth might be supported in situations, such as a global pandemic, that restrict their traditional resilience-enhancing activities and create social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina Thomas
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yvonne Bohr
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Hankey
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Megis Oskalns
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jenna Barnhardt
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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11
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Boring BL, Maffly-Kipp J, Mathur VA, Hicks JA. Meaning in Life and Pain: The Differential Effects of Coherence, Purpose, and Mattering on Pain Severity, Frequency, and the Development of Chronic Pain. J Pain Res 2022; 15:299-314. [PMID: 35140515 PMCID: PMC8820455 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s338691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Meaning in life is consistently associated with better health outcomes across a range of mental and physical domains. However, meaning in life is a complex construct involving three distinct facets: coherence, purpose, and mattering. While these facets have been studied individually in relation to pain, they have not been assessed concurrently to parse out their potential distinct contributions to pain outcomes. We sought to identify the unique relationships of these individual facets of meaning with pain experiences and specify the components associated with pain-related resilience. Methods The associations of coherence, purpose, and mattering with pain outcomes were examined across three studies. Study 1 used data from the Midlife in the United States National Survey to determine associations between facets and the frequency of various recently experienced pains, and the development of chronic pain nine years later. Study 2 cross-sectionally observed the association between facets and recent pain severity in young adults. Using a diary-type approach, Study 3 captured fluctuations of pain severity in relation to the facets across the span of four weeks. Results Coherence was uniquely associated with less headache, backache, joint, and extremities pain frequency in Study 1, over and above purpose and mattering, controlling for other health variables. Coherence was also associated with lower odds of developing chronic pain. In Study 2, coherence was associated with less pain severity and fully mediated the relationship between global meaning in life and pain. Study 3 found that coherence predicted the most unique variance in weekly pain fluctuations. Conclusion Across three studies and timescales, coherence was uniquely associated with fewer and less severe pain experiences over and above purpose and mattering. These findings provide support for the value of coherence as a resilience factor in the context of pain and suggest a potential benefit for coherence-specific interventions in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon L Boring
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Correspondence: Brandon L Boring, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, 4235 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA, Email
| | - Joseph Maffly-Kipp
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Vani A Mathur
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Joshua A Hicks
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
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12
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Dursun P, Alyagut P, Yılmaz I. Meaning in life, psychological hardiness and death anxiety: individuals with or without generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 41:3299-3317. [PMID: 35035188 PMCID: PMC8742667 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02695-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a widespread psychiatric disorder. According to the transdiagnostic approach, death anxiety can underpin predominantly somatic manifestations of GAD. Personal resilience factors such as a sense of a meaningful life, and psychological hardiness, which can protect people from developing clinical symptoms, may be lower in individuals with GAD. So far, there has been no study examining the role of meaning in life dimensions, death anxiety, and hardiness in individuals with GAD in Turkey. Thus, we aimed to investigate to what extent the GAD sample differs from the non-anxious control group in terms of death anxiety, meaning in life dimensions, and hardiness. Secondly, we examined how conceptually predicted death anxiety by meaning in life dimensions and hardiness regardless of diagnosis, age, and gender. Just before the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, we could only recruit 38 individuals with GAD and 31 non-anxious control subjects. The Death Anxiety Scale, The Meaning in Life Questionnaire and the Psychological Hardiness Scale were administered to all the participants. The one-way MANOVA results with Bonferroni adjustment revealed that individuals with GAD significantly differed from the control group in every way. Hierarchical regression analysis displayed that the presence of meaning made the most significant contribution in predicting death anxiety. In conclusion, existential issues such as death anxiety, hardiness, and meaningful life can be emphasized for the treatment of GAD, and the presence of meaning is the most crucial antidote to avoid death anxiety in all individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinar Dursun
- Department of Psychology, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Pinar Alyagut
- Department of Philosophy, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Itır Yılmaz
- Antalya Manavgat State Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Antalya, Turkey
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13
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Costanza A, Macheret L, Folliet A, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Serafini G, Prada P, Bondolfi G, Sarasin F, Ambrosetti J. COVID-19 Related Fears of Patients Admitted to a Psychiatric Emergency Department during and Post-Lockdown in Switzerland: Preliminary Findings to Look Ahead for Tailored Preventive Mental Health Strategies. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2021; 57:medicina57121360. [PMID: 34946305 PMCID: PMC8707997 DOI: 10.3390/medicina57121360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: While the impact on mental health of 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) has been extensively documented, little is known about its influence on subjective fears. Here, we investigate the COVID-19 impact and its related restrictions on fears of patients admitted to a psychiatric Emergency Department (ED) during and post-lockdown. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study on 1477 consultations at the psychiatric ED of the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG) was performed using a mixed-methods analysis. The first analysis section was qualitative, aiming to explore the type of fears, while the second section statistically compared fears (i) during lockdown (16 March 2020–10 May 2020) and (ii) post-lockdown (11 May 2020–5 July 2020). Fears were also explored among different patient-age sub-groups. Results: 334 patients expressed one/more fears. Both in lockdown and post-lockdown, fears mostly pertained to “containment measures” (isolation, loneliness). When compared lockdown vs. post-lockdown, fears about “work status” (deteriorating, losing work) prevailed in lockdown (p = 0.029) while “hopelessness” (powerless feeling, inability to find solutions) in post-lockdown (p = 0.001). “Self around COVID-19” (dying, getting sick) fear was relatively more frequent in youth (p = 0.039), while “hopelessness” in the elderly (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Collectively, these findings highlight that lockdown/post-lockdown periods generated temporally and demographically distinct COVID-19 related fears patterns, with special regard to youth and elderly, two particularly vulnerable populations when faced with sudden and unexpected dramatic events. For this reason, the particular ED “front-line service” status makes it a privileged observatory that can provide novel insights. From a mental health perspective, these latter can be translated into pragmatic, more personalized prevention strategies to reinforce specific resilience resources and mitigate the current and long-term pandemic’s impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-22-379-59-00
| | - Laura Macheret
- Emergency Psychiatric Unit (UAUP), Department of Emergency and Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (L.M.); (A.F.); (J.A.)
| | - Aline Folliet
- Emergency Psychiatric Unit (UAUP), Department of Emergency and Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (L.M.); (A.F.); (J.A.)
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Paco Prada
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention (SPLIC), Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (P.P.); (G.B.)
| | - Guido Bondolfi
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention (SPLIC), Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (P.P.); (G.B.)
| | - François Sarasin
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Emergency, Emergency Medicine Unit, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;
| | - Julia Ambrosetti
- Emergency Psychiatric Unit (UAUP), Department of Emergency and Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (L.M.); (A.F.); (J.A.)
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14
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Experience of Vulnerable Women Narrated through the Body-Mapping Technique. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182413094. [PMID: 34948703 PMCID: PMC8701214 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Vulnerable women are considered a priority in public policies and research agendas. It is necessary to understand better the specificities of their daily lives and the meanings they attribute to their experiences, as this undoubtedly contributes to more grounded and culturally appropriate practices. Additionally, innovative techniques in qualitative research are demanded in academia. This narrative research study was carried out with fourteen women from a Brazilian socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhood. We used the body-mapping technique to investigate the experiences of women with mental health disorders or psychosocial distress. The aim was to analyze the self-perception about daily stressors and discuss the feasibility of this technique to facilitate this group’s storytelling. Data collection was performed through focus groups, guided by the body-mapping technique steps, and supplemented with individual interviews. Interpersonal conflicts and violence were the main stressors. These strongly impacted the well-being of these women and their children. Some important personal qualities and resilience were identified. Body-mapping played a fundamental role in facilitating storytelling. It amplified the linguistic possibilities for participants to express their feelings and promoted reflections about the present, past, and glimpses into the future.
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15
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Costanza A, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Magnani L, Serafini G, Amore M, Merli R, Ambrosetti J, Bondolfi G, Marzano L, Berardelli I. "Hard to Say, Hard to Understand, Hard to Live": Possible Associations between Neurologic Language Impairments and Suicide Risk. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11121594. [PMID: 34942896 PMCID: PMC8699610 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11121594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In clinical practice, patients with language impairments often exhibit suicidal ideation (SI) and suicidal behavior (SB, covering the entire range from suicide attempts, SA, to completed suicides). However, only few studies exist regarding this subject. We conducted a mini-review on the possible associations between neurologic language impairment (on the motor, comprehension, and semantic sides) and SI/SB. Based on the literature review, we hypothesized that language impairments exacerbate psychiatric comorbidities, which, in turn, aggravate language impairments. Patients trapped in this vicious cycle can develop SI/SB. The so-called “affective prosody” provides some relevant insights concerning the interaction between the different language levels and the world of emotions. This hypothesis is illustrated in a clinical presentation, consisting of the case of a 74-year old woman who was admitted to a psychiatric emergency department (ED) after a failed SA. Having suffered an ischemic stroke two years earlier, she suffered from incomplete Broca’s aphasia and dysprosody. She also presented with generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms. We observed that her language impairments were both aggravated by the exacerbations of her anxiety and depressive symptoms. In this patient, who had deficits on the motor side, these exacerbations were triggered by her inability to express herself, her emotional status, and suffering. SI was fluctuant, and—one year after the SA—she completed suicide. Further studies are needed to ascertain possible reciprocal and interacting associations between language impairments, psychiatric comorbidities, and SI/SB. They could enable clinicians to better understand their patient’s specific suffering, as brought on by language impairment, and contribute to the refining of suicide risk detection in this sub-group of affected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-22-3797111
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (L.M.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (L.M.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Magnani
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (L.M.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (L.M.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (L.M.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberto Merli
- Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Center, Department of Mental Health, 13900 Biella, Italy;
| | - Julia Ambrosetti
- Emergency Psychiatric Unit (UAUP), Department of Psychiatry and Department of Emergency, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;
| | - Guido Bondolfi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention (SPLIC), Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;
| | - Lisa Marzano
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London NW4 4BT, UK;
| | - Isabella Berardelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
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Mahlomaholo PM, Wang H, Xia Y, Wang Y, Yang X, Wang Y. Depression and Suicidal Behaviors Among HIV-Infected Inmates in Lesotho: Prevalence, Associated Factors and a Moderated Mediation Model. AIDS Behav 2021; 25:3255-3266. [PMID: 34095985 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03330-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Depression and suicidal behaviors are two common psychiatric problems observed among people living with HIV. The situation is worse among HIV-infected inmates. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of depression and suicidal behaviors among HIV-infected inmates, and to clarify the mechanisms underlying the impact of HIV-related stigma on suicidal behaviors. The data from 402 HIV-infected inmates in Lesotho showed the prevalence of depression and suicidal behaviors was 53.0% and 8.2%. Female and institution maladaptation were risk factors for depression, and the risk factor for suicidal behaviors was non-participation of institution activities. Moreover, HIV-related stigma indirectly increased inmates' suicidal behaviors through elevated depression. Such indirect effect was stronger for inmates with a lower level of meaning in life. These findings indicate more concern should be given to high-risk subgroups, and both depression and meaning in life are intervention targets for suicide prevention among HIV-infected inmates.
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17
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Costanza A, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Escelsior A, Serafini G, Berardelli I, Pompili M, Amore M. When Sick Brain and Hopelessness Meet: Some Aspects of Suicidality in the Neurological Patient. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS-DRUG TARGETS 2021; 19:257-263. [PMID: 32525785 PMCID: PMC7569280 DOI: 10.2174/1871527319666200611130804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurological diseases expose individuals to a higher risk of suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior, including completed suicides and suicide attempts. They also represent a paradigmatic arena to study the etiopathogenic mechanisms underlying suicidality because they are emblematic of the heterogeneity and complexity of mutual interrelationships characterizing this issue. On the one hand, neurological diseases imply strictly biological impairments that are postulated to be the basis of vulnerability to suicide or result in the need for treatments for which a suicidal risk has been hypothesized. On the other hand, they question some subjective experiences of neurological patients, up to near existential positions. Often, in fact, they are accompanied by severe hopelessness. The latter may originate in, particularly for the most severe neurological diseases, the absence of curative treatments, unpredictable disease progression that leads to acute relapses or chronicity, a decrease in autonomy or selfidentity, progressive social isolation, a sense of becoming useless, and perception of feeling stigmatized. This may ultimately cause a slip into experiencing an absurd condition. At the confluence of neurobiology and hopelessness, frequent psychiatric comorbidities may play a primary role. To conclude, neurological patients require special attention from clinicians in form of openly verbalizing and exploring the suicidal thematic, inquiring about protective and risk factors, and promptly initiating both a psychopharmacological treatment and, where possible, psychological support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.,Mood Disorders Program, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Escelsior
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Isabella Berardelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
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18
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Costanza A, Chytas V, Piguet V, Luthy C, Mazzola V, Bondolfi G, Cedraschi C. Meaning in Life Among Patients With Chronic Pain and Suicidal Ideation: Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Form Res 2021; 5:e29365. [PMID: 34003136 PMCID: PMC8214181 DOI: 10.2196/29365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with chronic pain have elevated risk of suicidal ideation and behavior, including suicide attempts and completed suicides. In most studies, associations between chronic pain and suicidal ideation/suicidal behavior are robust even after adjusting for the effect of sociodemographics and psychiatric comorbidity. However, to refine the risk profile of these patients, further exploration of other possible risk and protective factors is necessary. OBJECTIVE There is a common clinical observation that experiencing chronic pain often requires a revision of life goals and expectations, and hence, it impacts the existential domain including one's perception of the meaning in life (MiL). This study aimed to characterize the main domains that constitute the personal MiL, including the "presence of" and "search for" constructs, in a group of patients with chronic pain and suicidal ideation. METHODS Seventy participants were enlisted by ongoing recruitment through a larger project anchored in daily clinical practice at the Multidisciplinary Pain Center of the Geneva University Hospitals. It was an observational mixed method study. Data were recorded through both validated quantitative questionnaires and qualitative open-ended questions. RESULTS The total sample consisted of 70 patients. Responses to questionnaires showed a depressive episode in 68 (97%) patients and anxious disorders in 25 (36%) patients. With a score threshold for positive MiL of 24, the mean score for the "presence of" construct was 20.13 (SD 8.23), and 63% (44/70) of respondents had a score <24. The mean score for the "search for" construct was lower at 18.14 (SD 8.64), and 70% (49/70) of respondents had a score <24. The "presence of" and "search for" constructs were significantly positively correlated (R=0.402; P=.001). An open question addressed the "presence of" construct by inviting the respondents to cite domains they consider as providing meaning in their life at the present time. All patients responded to this question, citing one or more domains. The three main dimensions that emerged from content analysis of this qualitative section were as follows: the domain of relationships, the domain of personal activities, and pain and its consequences on MiL. CONCLUSIONS The study results provide insights into patients with chronic pain and suicidal ideation, including the domains that provide them with meaning in their lives and the impact of pain on these domains with regard to suicidal ideation. The main clinical implications concern both prevention and supportive/psychotherapeutic interventions. They are based on a narrative approach aiming to explore with the patients the content of their suffering and the MiL domains that they could identify to mitigate it, in order to restructure/reinforce these domains and thus possibly reduce suicidal ideation. Specifically, a focus on maintaining the domains of interpersonal relationships and personal activities can allow patients to ultimately escape the biopsychosocial vicious cycle of chronic pain-induced deep moral suffering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vasileios Chytas
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Valérie Piguet
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Luthy
- Division of General Medical Rehabilitation, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Viridiana Mazzola
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Guido Bondolfi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christine Cedraschi
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.,Division of General Medical Rehabilitation, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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19
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Costanza A, Radomska M, Bondolfi G, Zenga F, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Serafini G, Amore M, Berardelli I, Pompili M, Nguyen KD. Suicidality Associated With Deep Brain Stimulation in Extrapyramidal Diseases: A Critical Review and Hypotheses on Neuroanatomical and Neuroimmune Mechanisms. Front Integr Neurosci 2021; 15:632249. [PMID: 33897384 PMCID: PMC8060445 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2021.632249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a very well-established and effective treatment for patients with extrapyramidal diseases. Despite its generally favorable clinical efficacy, some undesirable outcomes associated with DBS have been reported. Among such complications are incidences of suicidal ideation (SI) and behavior (SB) in patients undergoing this neurosurgical procedure. However, causal associations between DBS and increased suicide risk are not demonstrated and they constitute a debated issue. In light of these observations, the main objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive and unbiased overview of the literature on suicide risk in patients who received subthalamic nucleus (STN) and internal part of globus pallidum (GPi) DBS treatment. Additionally, putative mechanisms that might be involved in the development of SI and SB in these patients as well as caveats associated with these hypotheses are introduced. Finally, we briefly propose some clinical implications, including therapeutic strategies addressing these potential disease mechanisms. While a mechanistic connection between DBS and suicidality remains a controversial topic that requires further investigation, it is of critical importance to consider suicide risk as an integral component of candidate selection and post-operative care in DBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy
| | - Michalina Radomska
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Guido Bondolfi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention (SPLIC), Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Zenga
- Department of Neurosurgery, University and City of Health and Science Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.,Mood Disorders Program, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Isabella Berardelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Khoa D Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States.,Tranquis Therapeutics, Palo Alto, CA, United States.,Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
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20
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Increasing meaning in life (MiL) among people experiencing disease or adversity may improve coping and resilience. The purpose of this review is to characterize the effects of MiL interventions. DATA SOURCE A systematic search of PubMed, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar was conducted encompassing the following parameters: meaning in life, purpose in life, or sense of purpose with randomized controlled trials. STUDY INCLUSION & EXCLUSION CRITERIA Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions with at least one outcome that measured improvement in MiL and were published in English between January 2000 and January 2020. DATA EXTRACTION & SYNTHESIS 33 randomized controlled trials (k = 35) were identified. Data were coded by authors and a research assistant for intervention type, control group type, and risk of bias. The random effects model of Review Manager 5.3 was used to produce SMD and evaluate heterogeneity. RESULTS The effect size for studies with a passive control group was SMD = 0.85 (95% CI 0.54 to 1.17) and for studies with an active control group was SMD = .032 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.55). Mindfulness programs produced the largest effect size (1.57) compared to passive controls, while narrative programs produced the largest effect relative to active controls (0.61). There was considerable heterogeneity in most estimates. CONCLUSION Several interventions increase MiL, including some that are relatively brief and do not require licensed professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Manco
- 129532Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sherry Hamby
- Department of Psychology, 7303University of the South, Sewanee, TN, USA
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21
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Predictors of Mental Health Status among Older United States Adults with Pain. Behav Sci (Basel) 2021; 11:bs11020023. [PMID: 33562841 PMCID: PMC7914608 DOI: 10.3390/bs11020023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor mental health is common among older adults with pain, resulting in high economic burden and impaired quality of life. This retrospective, cross-sectional database study aimed to identify characteristics associated with good mental health status among United States (US) adults aged ≥50 years with self-reported pain in the last four weeks using a weighted sample of 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. Hierarchical multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify statistically significant predictors of good (versus poor) perceived mental health status. From a weighted population of 57,074,842 individuals, 85.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 84.4%, 86.7%) had good perceived mental health. Good mental health was associated most strongly with physical health status (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 9.216, 95% CI = 7.044, 12.058). Employed individuals were 1.7 times more likely to report good mental health versus unemployed (AOR = 1.715, 95% CI = 1.199, 2.452). Individuals who had completed less than high school education (AOR = 0.750, 95% CI = 0.569, 0.987) or who reported having a limitation (AOR = 0.513, 95% CI = 0.384, 0.684) were less likely to report good mental health. These key characteristics can be utilized to predict mental health status, which may be investigated to better manage concurrent pain and poor mental health.
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Costanza A, Radomska M, Zenga F, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Serafini G, Amore M, Berardelli I, Ojio Y, Nguyen KD. Severe Suicidality in Athletes with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: A Case Series and Overview on Putative Ethiopathogenetic Mechanisms. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18030876. [PMID: 33498520 PMCID: PMC7908343 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18030876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) results from repetitive brain injuries and is a common neurotraumatic sequela in contact sports. CTE is often accompanied by neuropsychiatric symptoms, which could escalate to suicidal ideation (SI) and suicidal behaviour (SB). Nevertheless, fairly limited emphasis about the association between suicidality and CTE exists in medical literature. Here, we report two cases of retired professional athletes in high contact sports (boxing and ice hockey) who have developed similar clinical trajectories characterized by progressive neuropsychiatric symptoms compatible with a CTE diagnosis and subsequent SB in its severe forms (medical serious suicide attempt (SA) and completed suicide). In addition to the description of outlining clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging, and differential diagnosis elements related to these cases, we also hypothesized some mechanisms that might augment the suicide risk in CTE. They include those related to neurobiological (neuroanatomic/neuroinflammatory) dysfunctions as well as those pertaining to psychiatry and psychosocial maladaptation to neurotraumas and retirement from professional competitive activity. Findings described here can provide clinical pictures to improve the identification of patients with CTE and also potential mechanistic insights to refine the knowledge of eventual severe SB development, which might enable its earlier prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Michalina Radomska
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Geneva (UNIGE), 1206 Geneva, Switzerland;
| | - Francesco Zenga
- Department of Neurosurgery, City of Health and Science Hospital, 10126 Torino, Italy;
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Isabella Berardelli
- Suicide Prevention Center, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy;
| | - Yasutaka Ojio
- National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Community Mental Health Law, National Institute of Mental Health, Tokyo 187-8553, Japan;
| | - Khoa D. Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA;
- Tranquis Therapeutics, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
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Costanza A, Zenga F, Rudà R, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Serafini G, Amore M, Bondolfi G, Berardelli I, Nguyen KD. Suicidality in Patients with Brain Tumors: A Brief Literature Review with Clinical Exemplar. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2020; 56:725. [PMID: 33371470 PMCID: PMC7767493 DOI: 10.3390/medicina56120725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Background: Suicidality and brain tumors are two life-threatening conditions and, somewhat unexpectedly, the associations between them have scarcely been reported. Objective: In this study, we aimed to provide a brief literature review of epidemiological studies on suicidal ideation (SI) and suicidal behavior (SB) in patients with brain tumors. To illustrate various aspects of brain tumors that potentially underlie the emergence of suicidality, the review is supplemented with a clinical exemplar of a long-term survivor of brain tumor (glioblastoma) who experienced persistent SI. Furthermore, we discuss putative both neurobiological (including anatomical and immunological) and psychosocial mechanisms that might be accountable for the development of SI and SB in patients with brain tumors. Conclusions: While the etiology of this phenomenon appears to be multifactorial and still remains a subject of much debate, it is of critical importance to identify patients for which a psychiatric evaluation could recognize, in a timely manner, a possible suicide risk and alleviate the deep related suffering, by appropriate psychopharmacological and supportive and psychotherapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;
- Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
| | - Francesco Zenga
- Department of Neurosurgery, University and City of Health and Science Hospital, 10126 Torino, Italy;
| | - Roberta Rudà
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, University and City of Health and Science Hospital, 10126 Torino, Italy;
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16133 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16133 Genoa, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16133 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16133 Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16133 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16133 Genoa, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16133 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (G.S.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16133 Genoa, Italy
| | - Guido Bondolfi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Isabella Berardelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Khoa Dinh Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA;
- Tranquis Therapeutics, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
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Costanza A, Chytas V, Mazzola V, Piguet V, Desmeules J, Bondolfi G, Cedraschi C. The Role of Demoralization and Meaning in Life (DEMIL) in Influencing Suicidal Ideation Among Patients Affected by Chronic Pain: Protocol of a Single-Center, Observational, Case-Control Study. JMIR Res Protoc 2020; 9:e24882. [PMID: 33144275 PMCID: PMC7728536 DOI: 10.2196/24882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a significant risk factor for suicidal ideation (SI) and suicidal behavior (SB), including a 20%-40% prevalence rate of SI, a prevalence between 5% and 14% of suicide attempts, and a doubled risk of death by suicide in patients with chronic pain compared to controls. In most studies, associations between chronic pain and suicidality are robust, even after adjusting for the effect of sociodemographics and psychiatric comorbidity, and particularly for depressive conditions. A number of specific conditions that can modulate suicidality risk in patients with chronic pain have been investigated, but there is a need for their more specific characterization. Numerous recent studies have shown that demoralization and meaning in life (MiL) constructs affect suicidality as risk and protective factors, respectively. These constructs have been mainly investigated in patients with somatic illness and in community-dwelling individuals who may present with SI or SB independently of a psychiatric diagnosis of depression. However, a paucity of studies investigated them in suicidal patients affected by chronic pain. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this project is to investigate the relationship between demoralization and MiL on SI risk in patients with chronic pain. The secondary objectives are (1) to test whether demoralization can occur independently of depression in patients with chronic pain and SI, (2) to examine whether the expected association between demoralization and SI may be explained by a sole dimension of demoralization: hopelessness, (3) to examine whether the presence of MiL, but not the search for MiL, is associated with less SI, and (4) to explore whether previously described MiL profiles (ie, high presence-high search, high presence-low search, moderate presence-moderate search, low presence-low search, and low presence-high search) emerge in our cohort. METHODS This project is a single-center, observational, case-control study-the Demoralization and Meaning in Life (DEMiL) study-conducted by the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, the Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, and the Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention at the Geneva University Hospitals. Self- and hetero-administered questionnaires were conducted among patients and controls, matched by age and gender. The Ethics Committee of the Canton of Geneva approved the scientific utilization of collected data (project No. 2017-02138; decision dated January 25, 2018). Data have been analyzed with SPSS, version 23.0, software (IBM Corp). RESULTS From March 1, 2018, to November 30, 2019, 70 patients and 70 controls were enrolled. Statistical analyses are still in progress and are expected to be finalized in November 2020. To date, we did not observe any unfavorable event for which a causal relationship with the collection of health-related personal data could be ruled out. Results of this study are expected to form the basis for possible prevention and psychotherapeutic interventions oriented toward demoralization and MiL constructs for suicidal patients with chronic pain. CONCLUSIONS The interest in exploring demoralization and MiL in chronic pain patients with SI arises from the common clinical observation that experiencing chronic pain often requires a revision of one's life goals and expectations. Hence, the impact of chronic pain is not limited to patients' biopsychosocial functioning, but it affects the existential domain as well. The major clinical implications in suicidal patients with chronic pain consist in trying to (1) delineate a more precise and individualized suicide risk profile, (2) improve detection and prevention strategies by investigating SI also in individuals who do not present with a clinically diagnosed depression, and (3) enhance the panel of interventions by broadening supportive or psychotherapeutic actions, taking into consideration the existential condition of a person who suffers and strives to deal with his or her suffering. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/24882.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy
| | - Vasileios Chytas
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Viridiana Mazzola
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Valérie Piguet
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jules Desmeules
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Guido Bondolfi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christine Cedraschi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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Costanza A, Di Marco S, Burroni M, Corasaniti F, Santinon P, Prelati M, Chytas V, Cedraschi C, Ambrosetti J. Meaning in life and demoralization: a mental-health reading perspective of suicidality in the time of COVID-19. ACTA BIO-MEDICA : ATENEI PARMENSIS 2020; 91:e2020163. [PMID: 33525223 PMCID: PMC7927501 DOI: 10.23750/abm.v91i4.10515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Consequences on mental health have been reported in general population, vulnerable individuals, psychiatric patients, and healthcare professionals. It is urgently necessary to study mental health issues in order to set priorities for public health policies and implement effective interventions. Suicidality is one of the most extreme outcomes of a mental health crisis. It is currently too early to know what the effect of COVID-19 will be on suicidality. However, authoritative commentary papers alert that most of the factors precipitating suicide are, and probably will be for a long time, present at several individual existence levels. A number of prevention measures and research considerations have been drawn up. A point of the latter, recommended by the International COVID-10 Suicide Prevention Research Collaboration, states that “the COVID-19 suicide research response should be truly multidisciplinary. This will foster research that addresses the different aspects and layers of risk and resilience […]. It will also foster research that informs prevention efforts by taking a range of perspectives” (Niederkrotenthaler et al., 2020). In this light, we would like to propose a reading perspective of suicidality that takes into account Meaning in Life (MiL) and demoralization. Both of the constructs were studied in heterogeneous populations with extreme life situations having led to a fracture between a “before” and an “after”, and play a role in affecting suicidality, respectively as resilience and risk factors. In clinical practice, during these unprecedent times, we wish that this more inclusive approach could: 1) contribute to prevention, by delineating more individualized suicidal risk profiles in persons conventionally non-considered at risk but here exposed to an extremely uncommon experience, 2) enrich supportive/psychotherapeutic interventions, by broadening the panel of means to some aspects constitutive of the existential condition of a person who is brutally confronted with something unexpected, incomprehensible and, in some ways, still unpredictable. (www.actabiomedica.it)
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Departement of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy.
| | - Sarah Di Marco
- Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy.
| | - Marta Burroni
- Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy.
| | - Francesco Corasaniti
- Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy.
| | - Patrizia Santinon
- Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy.
| | - Massimo Prelati
- Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy.
| | - Vasileios Chytas
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, University of Geneva and University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Christine Cedraschi
- Departement of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre (MPC), University of Geneva (UNIGE) and University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland; Division of General Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE) and University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland.
| | - Julia Ambrosetti
- Department of Psychiatry and Emergency Department, Emergency Psychiatric Unit (UAUP), Geneva University Hospitals, 1211 Geneva (HUG), Switzerland.
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Costanza A, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Serafini G, Amore M. Meaning in Life and Demoralization Constructs in Light of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide: A Trans-Theoretical Hypothesis for a Cross-Sectional Study. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2020; 13:855-858. [PMID: 33154680 PMCID: PMC7605968 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s279829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Following V. Frankl's (in the 1950s) and J. Frank's (in the 1970s) historical definitions of the constructs Meaning in Life (MiL) and demoralization, there have been a multitude of studies which have described them from different theoretical perspectives. These constructs are closely linked, with the lack of MiL as one of the subconstructs underlying the definition of demoralization. Numerous studies have shown that MiL and demoralization affect suicidality, as protective and risk factors, respectively. The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) is a more recent framework conceptualized by T. Joiner (in the 2000s) to provide an additional possible reading key in the effort to better understand suicidality. By analogy to a previous study by E. Kleiman & J. Beaver (2013), examining MiL and demoralization in suicidality through a perspective of the IPTS framework can be of considerable interest. This study showed, in a cohort of undergraduate students, that MiL mediated the relationship between two variables associated with IPTS (perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness) and suicidal ideation (SI). Taking into consideration future studies that these latter authors advocated, our aim is to verify this finding using a cross-sectional study. Differences in our approach would include a) studying a clinical population (suicidal patients attending an emergency department), b) analyzing relationships not only with SI but also with suicidal attempts (SA), and c) in consideration of the interconnection between MiL and demoralization, exploring also the possible role of demoralization as a mediator. The clinical implication lies in identifying multi-faceted targets that may be useful to mitigate suicidality risk in individuals, both in prevention and therapy intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Mood Disorders Program, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
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