The Impact of Perceived Social Support on Anxiety, Depression and Severity of Pain and Burnout Among Turkish Females With Fibromyalgia

Social support in low-income women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome from a sub-urban and peri-urban areas of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain): a mixed method study

BACKGROUND

Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) can benefit form adequate social support to fight the consequences of their illness, but the extent to which this is available to those with low incomes who live in depressed areas of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore social support in low-incomes women with FMS in sub-urban and peri-urban areas of Tenerife.

METHODOLOGY

A sequential exploratory mixed method study was carried out from January 20, 2023, to June 10, 2023, at the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Association of Tenerife (AFITEN) using non-probability convenience sampling. Social support was analyzed quantitatively through MOS-SSS survey and Duke-UNC-11 questionnaire, while qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews to identify social support providers and analyze their satisfactions levels.

RESULTS

A total of 49 women, with a mean age of 57.80 years-old (SD = 13.25) were finally included in this study. MOSS-SSS and Duke-UNC-11 both indicated lower social support levels at 68.6 (SD =16.3) and 38.0 (SD = 9.74), respectively. The qualitative analysis revealed that partners and friends provided the most significant support with the highest satisfaction scores.

CONCLUSIONS

The socioeconomic status of low-income women with FMS living in sub-urban and peri-urban areas of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) influences on their social support, with the affective support and confidentiality being the most affected dimensions.

Parental neglect, anxious attachment, perceived social support, and mental health among Chinese college students with left-behind experience: A longitudinal study

The harm of childhood parental neglect to emerging adults' maladjustment has garnered empirical support. For college students who have left-behind experience (LBE), this relationship is rarely discussed and the psychological process underlying this relationship is not well understood. Using a longitudinal study and guided by the Risky Families model, this study aimed to explore the mediating roles of anxious attachment and perceived social support in the link between parental neglect and maladjustment of LBE college students. We used two-wave longitudinal data, with a time lag of 3 months, collected among Chinese college students with LBE in Chongqing (N = 391). The results revealed that parental neglect in wave one was positively associated with maladjustment (depression, anxiety, and stress) in wave two. Anxious attachment and perceived social support in wave two separately mediated the relationship between parental neglect in wave one and maladjustment in wave two. Anxious attachment and perceived social support in wave two only sequentially mediated the pathway from parental neglect to later depression. These findings emphasize the importance of anxious attachment and social support in resilience and have significant implications for LBE college students' social work practice in China.

A Two-Wave Study On The Associations Of Burnout With Depression And Anxiety: The Mediating And Moderating Role Of Perceived Family Support

Studies have shown strong associations between burnout and depression and burnout and anxiety but their exact interrelationships still remain unclear. Few studies have examined the psychosocial mechanisms that might underlie these two relationships. Non-work social factors such as perceived family support can affect mental health. The present study investigated the distinctiveness and the reciprocal associations between burnout and depression, and burnout and anxiety by collecting data twice over an 8 month interval. Perceived family support was examined as a mediating and a moderating factor underlying the two relationships. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, the Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale, and the Julkunen Family Support Scale were administered to employees of the general working population (N = 52). First, our results revealed moderate associations between burnout and depression, and burnout and anxiety, supporting the distinctiveness of burnout from the two psychological phenomena. Second, the exhaustion and cynicism burnout dimensions showed reciprocal associations with depression. Moreover, anxiety was found to be a consequence of cynicism while it presented reciprocal associations with the exhaustion dimension of burnout. Perceived family support did not mediate the burnout-depression and burnout-anxiety relationships. However, it moderated the depression-exhaustion relationship in a direction opposite from our hypothesis.

Pain management recommendations during the progression of SARS-CoV-2 infection

COVID-19, an infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, had a devastating impact on people's lives. The pandemic placed a heavy burden on healthcare systems and impacted the care of patients, including those with pain. This narrative review aims to highlight the challenges in managing pain and fever resulting from COVID-19 and pre-existing conditions, and to discuss the role of over the counter analgesics as a key part of the COVID-19 treatment regimen. As most patients with COVID-19 are being managed in the outpatient setting, lifestyle interventions and over the counter analgesics are readily available options to effectively treat pain and fever, which can help to decrease the burden on the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Revealing the Role of Social Support on Cognitive Deficits in Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Despite the relevance of cognitive deficits in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and the attempts to elucidate the influence of the disorder symptoms in the cognitive decline reported by patients, no studies have explored the specific role of social support on cognition in FMS. Social support has been shown to be an essential modulator factor on cognitive performance in other diseases. Sixty-four women with FMS and 32 healthy women participated in the study and completed questionnaires pertaining to anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, clinical pain, and social support, along with a neuropsychological battery assessing verbal memory, organization, strategic and planning abilities, self-regulation, processing speed, attention, and cognitive flexibility. Results showed that FMS patients exhibited lower values in all social support dimensions in comparison with healthy individuals, especially in the socializing dimension. Despite the lower social support observed in FMS, all social support dimensions showed a positive impact on verbal memory, organization and planning abilities, strategic planning, self-regulation, processing speed, attention, and cognitive flexibility in these patients. In fact, social support was associated with greater correct responses and processing speed and minor number of errors in all the neuropsychological battery tests. Socializing was the main predictor of organization and planning abilities, strategic planning, and self-regulation. In sum, results suggest that social support may be a key factor in buffering the cognitive decline observed in FMS. Designing psychoeducation programs and intervention programs directed not only to FMS patients but also relatives, health care workers, and the general population might be essential to improve the social support of FMS patients and positively impact on patient's cognitive status.

A Controlled Community Study of Distress and Resilience in Women Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

This study examines psychological and physical influences on the distress and well-being of patients with chronic rheumatic diseases. The study aims were to (1) evaluate the relative contribution of objective disease activity and psychological factors on the wellbeing of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); (2) to compare the psychological distress of SLE patients to fibromyalgia (FM) patients and healthy controls, and to (3) characterize subgroups of patients by performing cluster analysis using psychological variables. Participants were ascertained from closed forums and social media channels resulting in 41 women with a diagnosis of SLE, 47 with a diagnosis of FM, and 77 healthy controls (HC). Hierarchical linear regression for well-being of SLE patients found that most of the variance was accounted for by social support. Cluster analysis performed on the entire sample identified two clusters, a distressed group tending to Type D personality, anxiety and depression, low in well-being and social support, and a resilient group; the proportion of resilient individuals was highest in the HC intermediate in the SLE group and lowest in the FM group. The importance of psychological variables vs disease severity in these two rheumatic diseases for wellbeing is demonstrated by these results. The results suggest that psychological interventions that enhance the experience of social support in medical settings, might benefit patients with both diseases, and be of particular importance to the well-being of patients who are more distressed.

Association between post-stroke psychological disorders, activity limitations and health-related quality of life in chronic stroke survivors in Benin

PURPOSE

To evaluate the association between depression/anxiety and activity limitations and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in chronic stroke survivors in Benin.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and seventy-six chronic stroke survivors (113 males; mean age (±SD): 56.5 (±10.5) years old) were included. We used the Barthel index (BI) to assess activity limitations. Participants were screened for depression and anxiety symptoms using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS). Euroqol-5 Dimensions-3 Levels (EQ-5D-3L) including a Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) was used to assess HRQoL. Multivariate linear regressions were performed to determine the impact of psychological disorders on activity limitations and HRQoL.

RESULTS

Depression (β=-0.54; p < 0.0001) and anxiety (β=-0.35; p < 0.0001) were negatively associated with activity limitations (R²=0.60). Similar patterns of association were observed with HRQoL (β≤-0.28; p < 0.0001; R² ≥0.40). Inversely, occupational status showed positive association with EQ-5D-3L summary index scores (β = 0.21; p = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

Depression and anxiety had a negative impact on activity limitations and HRQoL in Beninese chronic stroke survivors. This call for action to integrate psychological interventions as part of rehabilitation programs in low and middle-income countries.Implications for rehabilitationPost-stroke depression and anxiety are quite common among stroke survivors in sub-Saharan Africa.Post-stroke depression and anxiety negatively impact activities and health-related quality of life in chronic stroke survivors in sub-Saharan Africa.Managing these post-stroke psychological disorders is necessary to promote the functional recovery and social reintegration of stroke survivors in their communities.

Profiles of Risk and Resilience in Chronic Pain: Loneliness, Social Support, Mindfulness, and Optimism Coming out of the First Pandemic Year

Objective

Individuals experience chronic pain differently, not only because of different clinical diagnoses, but also because of differing degrees of influence from biopsychosocial pain modulators. We aimed to cluster patients with chronic pain into distinct subgroups based on psychosocial characteristics and pain intensity, and we subsequently examined group differences in pain-related interference approximately 1 year later.

Methods

In this observational, longitudinal study, patients with chronic pain (n = 94) completed validated assessments of psychosocial characteristics and pain intensity at the beginning of COVID-19–related social distancing (April to June 2020). One year later (May to June 2021), patients completed a follow-up survey with assessments of pain interference, loneliness, social support, mindfulness, and optimism.

Results

A cluster analysis, using psychosocial factors and pain intensity, empirically produced three patient groups: 1) psychosocial predominant (PSP), characterized by high psychosocial distress and average pain intensity; 2) pain intensity predominant (PIP), characterized by average psychosocial distress and high pain intensity; and 3) less elevated symptoms (LES), characterized by low psychosocial distress and low pain intensity. At the 1-year follow-up, patients in the PSP and PIP clusters suffered greater pain interference than patients in the LES cluster, while patients in the PSP cluster also reported greater loneliness and lower mindfulness and optimism.

Conclusions

An empirical psychosocial-based clustering of patients identified three distinct groups that differed in pain interference. Patients with high psychosocial modulation of pain at the onset of social distancing (the PSP cluster) suffered not only greater pain interference but also greater loneliness and lower levels of mindfulness and optimism, which suggests some potential behavioral targets for this group in the future.

Depression and Perceived Social Support among Unemployed Youths in China: Investigating the Roles of Emotion-Regulation Difficulties and Self-Efficacy

In recent years, the issue of youth unemployment has begun to emerge in China. Unemployed young people are at high risk of depression and other mental health problems. The present study investigates influential factors related to depression and examines the possible mediating effects of difficulties in emotion regulation and self-efficacy between perceived social support and depressive symptoms among unemployed youths in China. Through community recruitment, 511 unemployed young people from Shanghai participated in this cross-sectional survey. The results demonstrate that the prevalence of probable depression in the sample was 49.3% (95% CI: 45.0-53.7%). Moreover, we found that both the perceived social support and self-efficacy were significant negative predictors of depression, whereas difficulties in emotion regulation were positive predictors of depression. In addition, the analysis results indicate that difficulties in emotion regulation and self-efficacy partially mediate the relationship between perceived social support and depression. Overall, this cross-sectional study reveals that depression and mental health problems among China's unemployed youths are concerning while identifying emotion-regulation difficulties as a risk factor for these and social support and self-efficacy as protective factors, all of which warrant our attention in preventing and intervening with cases of youth depression.

Multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatments for patients with fibromyalgia: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a pathology that causes physical, psychological, and social problems. For this reason, it requires treatment that involves all of these elements. The main of study is to examine multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment (MRT) in fibromyalgia and to identify healthcare approaches developing effective MRT tools for the treatment of FM.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

In this systematic review, we searched the following databases: CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Cuidatge, Cuiden, ENFISPO, IBEC and IME.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Of 356 articles found we selected 13 to analyze and summarize. We created 4 different categories: 1) multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment focusing on health education and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); 2) multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment that includes dietetics; 3) multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment adapted to the patients' characteristics; 4) multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment based on physical exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identifies the most effective treatments that may be usefully applied in many different rehabilitation contexts. These include all treatments that incorporated an education (ED) program to patients and an exercise program complete with aerobic exercise (AE), stretching (SE), relaxation (RE), strengthening (TE), endurance (EN), and which includes the entire body and biofeedback. Furthermore, many approaches also include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for self-management such as occupational therapy, moderation, acceptance, commitment, motivation to change and forgiveness.

The effect on the anxiety level of the social support given to multiple sclerosis patients

PURPOSE

This is a descriptive study aiming at determining the effect on the anxiety level of the social support given to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study was conducted with 123 MS patients. The data were collected the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A).

RESULTS

The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support total score average was 57.18 ± 18.5, and the HAM-A total score average was 20.33 ± 10.42. A negative weak significant relationship was found between the MSPSS total score average and the HAM-A total score and its sub-dimensions.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

MS nurses should plan their anxiety management accordingly by giving holistic care and evaluating social support mechanisms.

The health-related quality of life of patients with musculoskeletal disorders after the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

To verify changes in the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with musculoskeletal disorders after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to assess the relationship between the patients’ change in several activities of daily living and in the HRQOL to discover factors related to the deterioration in HRQOL.

Methods

A multi-centre cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered between November 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, in Japan. The participants included those who visited the orthopaedics clinic within the survey period and had experienced the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Japan and the first stay-at-home order issued by the government. Patients’ HRQOL at the two different time points (pre-outbreak and post-second wave of COVID-19) was assessed with the EuroQoL-5 dimensions 5-level (EQ-5D).

Results

The survey was completed by 1254 patients (average age: 52.5 ± 21.9 years; 644 women). Among them, 431 patients (34.3%) reported a decrease in the EQ-5D index after the pandemic. The largest decrease was in the pain domain followed by the mobility domain. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the patients with decreased regular exercise habits were significantly related to deterioration in HRQOL compared with those with stable regular exercise (adjusted odds ratio = 1.76, p < 0.001) independently from age, sex, and change of symptoms.

Conclusions

Up to 35% of patients with musculoskeletal disorders reported deterioration of HRQOL after the COVID-19 pandemic. Pain and mobility rather than anxiety were the two leading factors of the HRQOL decrease. The decrease in regular exercise was related to the HRQOL decrease.

Coronaphobia in patients with fibromyalgia

Objectives

This study aims to evaluate the level of coronaphobia caused by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and to compare the results in patients without FMS.

Patients and methods

Between August 2020 and October 2020, a total of 61 patients who were admitted to our outpatient clinic were included. The patients were divided into two groups as Group 1 (n=30; 2 males, 28 females; mean age: 43.2±9.3 years; range, 21 to 61 years) consisting of patients who were newly diagnosed or under follow-up for FMS and Group 2, the control group, (n=31; 4 males, 27 females; mean age: 49±10.7 years; range, 25 to 66 years) consisting patients who presented with any locomotor system complaint and were not diagnosed with FMS. Sociodemographic data of the patients and comorbidities were recorded. All the patients in both groups completed the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S).

Results

The C19P-S total score and psychological, psychosomatic, social, and economic subscale scores were statistically significantly higher in the FMS group than the control group (p<0.05).

Conclusion

Our study results suggest that FMS patients have more concerns in this extraordinary global pandemic situation. Early detection of coronaphobia and timely psychological support are critical for individuals prone to psychological disorders, such as FMS.

Psychological and Sleep Effects of Tryptophan and Magnesium-Enriched Mediterranean Diet in Women with Fibromyalgia

Anxiety, mood disturbance, eating and sleep disorders, and dissatisfaction with body image are prevalent disorders in women with fibromyalgia. The authors of this study aimed to determine the effects of tryptophan (TRY) and magnesium-enriched (MG) Mediterranean diet on psychological variables (trait anxiety, mood state, eating disorders, self-image perception) and sleep quality in women with fibromyalgia (n = 22; 49 ± 5 years old). In this randomized, controlled trial, the participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the placebo group. The intervention group received a Mediterranean diet enriched with high doses of TRY and MG (60 mg of TRY and 60 mg of MG), whereas the control group received the standard Mediterranean diet. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire, Body Shape Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Profile of Mood States (POMS-29) Questionnaire, Eating Attitudes Test-26, and Trait Anxiety Inventory were completed before and 16 weeks after the intervention. Significant differences were observed between groups after the intervention for the mean scores of trait anxiety (p = 0.001), self-image perception (p = 0.029), mood disturbance (p = 0.001), and eating disorders (p = 0.006). This study concludes that tryptophan and magnesium-enriched Mediterranean diet reduced anxiety symptoms, mood disturbance, eating disorders, and dissatisfaction with body image but did not improve sleep quality in women with fibromyalgia.