Positive Mental Health and Mental Health Literacy of Informal Caregivers: A Scoping Review

Translation and Cultural Adaptation of an E-Health Program to Promote Positive Mental Health Among Family Caregivers in Portugal

Introduction: Caring for a dependent individual, particularly over an extended period, places significant strain on family caregivers, often leading to adverse physical, mental, emotional, social, and economic outcomes for both caregivers and those they care for. Common challenges include anxiety, depression, loneliness, and diminished overall well-being. E-health applications have emerged as effective tools to support family caregivers by promoting positive mental health through online interventions, enhancing problem-solving skills, autonomy, interpersonal relationships, self-control, and a prosocial attitude. Methods: This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Spanish "Program to Promote Positive Mental Health through the Cuidadoras Crónicos Manual" into the Portuguese context, supporting its implementation as a smartphone application. The process involved translation, back-translation by two native experts, and refinement through a focus group with eight participants. The study adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines. Results: The translation and back-translation processes identified several adjustments, which informed discussions in the focus group. Three key themes emerged: (i) conceptual and semantic equivalence, (ii) optimisation of content, and (iii) relevance and timeliness of the manual. Conclusions: The Spanish manual for promoting positive mental health among family caregivers was successfully translated and culturally adapted into European Portuguese. Validated through expert input, this marks the first version of the manual tailored to Portuguese caregivers, using Positive Mental Health models to support caregivers of individuals with chronic conditions.

The effect of creative drama education given to nursing students on mental health literacy levels: A randomized controlled study

AIM

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of education provided to nursing students on MHL levels.

METHODS

The study had a randomized pre-test post-test parallel control group design. Fifty-six (n = 56) first-year nursing students. In this study, CONSORT flow diagram was applied. The data collection forms consist of a personal information form and Mental Health Literacy Scale. In the statistical analysis Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used.

RESULTS

Creative drama education was found to be significantly more effective than classroom education in increasing scores on the mental health literacy scale, including sub-dimensions for awareness of mental disorders, ability to access information, and stigma in nursing students (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Classroom education and creative drama are effective in changing mental health literacy scales. It is recommended to spread the use of creative drama, which is one of the artistic and interactive educational techniques in nursing education.

The impact of WeChat online education and care on the mental distress of caregivers and satisfaction of elderly postoperative colorectal cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

WeChat-based nursing interventions alleviate mental distress. This study intended to investigate the effect of WeChat online education and care (WOEC) on the mental health of caregivers and the satisfaction of elderly postoperative colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

METHODS

In total, 92 elderly postoperative CRC patients and 92 caregivers were randomly separated into the WOEC group (46 patients and 46 caregivers) and the control care group (46 patients and 46 caregivers). Caregivers received corresponding intervention for 8 weeks. Beck depression inventory (BDI) and beck anxiety inventory (BAI) of caregivers, and self-report satisfaction (SRS) of patients were assessed.

RESULTS

In caregivers, BDI scores at 8 weeks after enrollment (W8) (P = 0.024) and BAI score at W8 (P = 0.009), depression severity at W8 (P = 0.036), as well as anxiety severity at 4 weeks after enrollment (W4) (P = 0.028) and W8 (P = 0.047) were declined in the WOEC group versus the control care group. Regarding patients, SRS scores at W4 (P = 0.044) and W8 (P = 0.025), the satisfaction degree at W4 (P = 0.033) and W8 (P = 0.034), as well as the satisfied and very satisfied rates at W4 (P = 0.031) and W8 (P = 0.029) were elevated in the WOEC group versus the control care group. By subgroup analyses, WOEC exhibited favorable effects on reducing mental stress in caregivers of patients with eastern cooperative oncology group performance status at enrollment <3, and in caregivers with an education level of high school & university and above.

CONCLUSION

WOEC effectively relieves mental stress in caregivers of elderly postoperative CRC patients, and also elevates satisfaction in these patients.

Predictors of quality of life in primary caregivers of patients with heart failure: A model of health literacy and caregiving burden

BACKGROUND

Heart Failure (HF) is a chronic disease that impairs patients' ability to care for themselves. The accumulation of caregiving activities by caregivers to patients creates stress.

OBJECTIVES

This study intends to investigate the mediating role of caregiving burden in the relationship between health literacy and quality of life of caregivers.

METHODS

This study is a cross-sectional research conducted through a questionnaire survey. A convenience sampling method was employed to select 410 primary caregivers for the study.

RESULTS

The overall mean score for quality of life for caregivers of patients with HF was (49.30±9.64). The results showed that the caregiving burden mediated the relationship between health literacy and quality of life, with the mediating effect accounting for 39.04 % (P < 0.05) of the total effect.

CONCLUSION

Caregiving burden is a mediating variable in the relationship between health literacy and quality of life. Therefore, we offer some recommendations for healthcare professionals: ①We suggest that healthcare professionals provide relevant education and training to caregivers, as this can enhance their knowledge and skills in effectively managing the health condition of patients;②Healthcare professionals can also proactively assess the caregiver's burden level and design personalized support plans based on the assessment results.

Nursing Intervention to Improve Positive Mental Health and Self-Care Skills in People with Chronic Physical Health Conditions

The exponential increase in the number of people suffering chronic illness has become a problem for which healthcare services need a response. The inclusion of self-care and positive mental health as part of a strategy to promote health offers an opportunity for a reorganization oriented towards community spaces and group interventions. This study undertook the assessment of an intervention designed to optimize the agency of and capacity for self-care and positive mental health by utilizing activities drawn from the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC), specifically from Field 3 (Behavioral), and organized as a program called PIPsE. A quasi-experimental design was prepared with an intervention group (n = 22) and a control group (n = 22), in a primary care center in the Barcelona metropolitan area. The instruments used were two ad hoc questionnaires to collect sociodemographic and satisfaction information and two scales: the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale (ASA) and the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (PMHQ). The results obtained showed a significant increase in self-care capacity and both overall positive mental health and mental health by factors in the intervention group.