Kinesitherapy for Knee Osteoarthritis Patients Physical and Psychological Health Based on "Traditional Chinese Exercise" Management Modalities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Traditional Chinese exercise ("TCE" management modalities), including but not limited to Tai Chi, Baduanjin, and Yijinjing, has a good effect on improving the physical function of patients with knee osteoarthritis, but less attention has been paid to the impact on the psychological health of patients, and currently there is insufficient evidence to support it. We conducted this study to provide a systematic synthesis of best evidence regarding the physical and mental health of patients with knee osteoarthritis treated by traditional Chinese exercise. Literature on the effectiveness of traditional Chinese exercise (Tai Chi, Baduanjin, Yijinjing, Qigong, etc.) versus conventional therapy (muscle-strength training of the lower extremity and aerobic training, wellness education, quadriceps strengthening exercises, etc.) on Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), visual analog scale (VAS), Short Form-36 (SF-36), Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) from Pubmed, Web of Science, Ovid Technologies, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), Wanfang Database, and SinoMed were collected from their inception to April 2022. Thirty-three studies with 2621 cases were included in this study. The study's results indicated that compared with conventional therapy, traditional Chinese exercise had more advantages on patients' WOMAC score, significantly reducing patients' overall WOMAC score (SMD = -0.99; 95% CI: -1.38, -0.60; p < 0.00001) and relieving pain (SMD = -0.76; 95% CI: -1.11, -0.40; p < 0.0001) in patients with KOA. It also has advantages over conventional therapy in improving mental component score (MCS) (SMD = 0.32; 95% CI: -0.00, 0.65; p = 0.05) and physical component score (PCS) (SMD = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.62; p = 0.02). Compared with conventional therapy, traditional Chinese exercise can significantly reduce the effect on timed up and go test (TUG) score (SMD = -0.30; 95% CI: -0.50, -0.11; p = 0.002), beck depression inventory (DBI) score (SMD = -0.62; 95% CI: -1.03, -0.22; p = 0.002), and increase the impact on Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score (SMD = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.83; p < 0.00001). The findings of this study indicated that traditional Chinese exercise improved body function and mental health in patients with knee osteoarthritis significantly. More high-quality clinical evidence-based data was needed to confirm the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese exercise on the physical and mental health in KOA patients.

Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy-based interventions for improving the psychological health of parents of children with special health care needs: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effectiveness of ACT-based interventions on improving the mental health of parents of children with SHCN compared to active/inactive controls and to investigate the characteristics/components of the effective interventions in the included studies.

METHODS

Eight databases were searched from inception to 14 February 2023. We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ACT-based interventions for parents of children with SHCN published in English or Chinese journals and dissertations reporting at least one parental mental health outcome postintervention.

RESULTS

Fourteen RCTs were included. The results indicated significant improvements of ACT-based interventions in the stress (Hedges' g = -0.36), depressive symptoms (g = -0.32), anxiety (g = -0.29), distress (g = -0.29), psychological flexibility (g = 0.51), mindful awareness/mindfulness abilities (g = 0.41), and confidence/self-efficacy (g = 0.30) of parents, as well as in the emotional and behavioural problems (EBP; g = -0.39) of their children with SHCN postintervention, with moderate to high certainty of evidence. Furthermore, the optimal components of ACT-based interventions, including the intervention approaches (ACT combined with another parenting technique/program), active participants (only involving parents), delivery mode (in-person) and format (group-based format), and desirable number of sessions (4-8 sessions), were identified to inform the design of future interventions/studies.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights the positive effects of ACT-based interventions on mental health, psychological flexibility, mindful awareness/mindfulness abilities, and confidence/self-efficacy in parents and EBP in children with SHCN. Since group-based ACT combined with a parenting technique/program was identified as the optimal effective strategy, its effects could be further examined in larger-scale RCTs with parents and children with SHCN with diverse ethnic and sociodemographic characteristics.

Self-Esteem Trajectories After Occupational Injuries and Diseases and Their Relation to Changes in Subjective Health: Result From the Panel Study of Workers' Compensation Insurance (PSWCI)

BACKGROUND

Occupational injuries and diseases are life events that significantly impact an individuals' identity. In this study, we examined the trajectories of self-esteem among victims of occupational injury and disease and their relation to health.

METHODS

The Panel Study of Workers' Compensation Insurance conducted annual follow-ups on workers who had experienced occupational injury or disease. A total of 2,000 participants, who had completed medical care, were followed from 2013 to 2017. Growth mixture modeling was utilized to identify latent classes in the self-esteem trajectory. Additionally, logistic regressions were conducted to explore the association between trajectory membership, baseline predictors, and outcomes.

RESULTS

Three distinct trajectory classes were identified. Total 65.8% of the samples (n = 1,316) followed an increasing self-esteem trajectory, while 31.1% (n = 623) exhibited a constant trajectory, and 3.1% (n = 61) showed a decreasing trajectory. Individuals with an increasing trajectory were more likely to have a higher educational attainment (odds ratio [OR], 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-2.88), an absence of a moderate-to-severe disability rating (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.25-0.96), no difficulty in daily living activities (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75-0.88), and were economically active (re-employed: OR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.52-3.98; returned to original work: OR, 4.46; 9% CI, 2.65-7.50). Those with a decreasing self-esteem trajectory exhibited an increased risk of poor subjective health (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 0.85-4.85 in 2013 to OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.04-13.81 in 2017), whereas individuals with an increasing trajectory showed a decreased risk (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.43-0.68 in 2013 to OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.33-0.57 in 2017).

CONCLUSION

Our findings emphasize the diversity of psychological responses to occupational injury or disease. Policymakers should implement interventions to enhance the self-esteem of victims.

Characterizing the Influence of Exposure to Military Sexual Trauma and Intimate Partner Violence on Mental Health Outcomes among Female Veterans

Military sexual trauma (MST) has deleterious long-term psychological consequences. Among female U.S. military members, MST is associated with increased risk for future interpersonal victimization, such as experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). Few studies have investigated the implications of the cumulative effects of IPV and MST on psychological functioning. This study examined rates of co-exposure to MST, IPV, and their cumulative impact on psychological symptoms. Data were collected from 308 female Veterans (FVets; age: M = 42, SD = 10.4) enrolled in an inpatient trauma-focused treatment program in a Veterans Administration (VA) hospital. Data were collected at program admission on symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and current suicidal ideation. Lifetime trauma exposure was assessed using semi-structured interviews that identified adverse childhood events (ACEs) and combat theater deployment as well as MST and IPV. Group differences on psychological symptoms were examined among those exposed to MST, IPV, MST + IPV, and compared to FVets with ACEs or combat exposure, but no other adulthood interpersonal trauma (NAIT). Half of the sample (51%) reported experiencing both MST and IPV, approximately 29% reported MST, 10% reported IPV, and 10% reported NAIT. FVets in the MST + IPV group had worse PTSD and depression symptoms than either the MST or IPV groups. The NAIT group had the lowest scores on these measures. There were no group differences in current suicidal ideation; however, 53.5% reported at least one previous suicide attempt. FVets in this sample reported significant lifetime exposure to MST and IPV, with the majority having experienced MST + IPV. Exposure to MST + IPV was associated with greater PTSD and depression symptom severity, yet an overwhelming proportion reported current and past suicidal ideation regardless of trauma exposure history. These results demonstrate the importance of assessing for lifetime interpersonal trauma history when developing and providing mental and medical health interventions for FVets.

Improved Physical and Mental Health After a Combined Lifestyle Intervention with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Obesity

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a multifactorial, chronic, progressive disease associated with decreased health-related quality of life, comorbidities, and increased mortality risk. Lifestyle interventions, focusing on dietetics, physical exercise, and behavioral therapy, are a cornerstone of therapy. Despite this very multidisciplinary treatment approach, the definition of treatment success is often based only on a weight loss of ≥ 5%. However, the heterogeneous nature of obesity may necessitate a more comprehensive approach to assessing treatment effects.

OBJECTIVES

Here, we describe changes in physiological, psychological, and behavioral health after a multidisciplinary combined lifestyle intervention (CLI). Additionally, we investigated whether these changes were related to weight loss.

METHODS

This prospective observational longitudinal study comprised 96 adults with obesity (73 women, 81 Caucasian) participating in a CLI at the Obesity Center CGG, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The 1.5-year intervention comprised multidisciplinary professional guidance towards a healthy diet, increased physical activity, and included cognitive behavioral therapy. Physiological health outcomes, psychological well-being, eating behavior, and physical activity were assessed after ten weeks and 1.5 years and compared to baseline.

RESULTS

An average of 5.2% weight loss (-6.0 kg) was accompanied by a mean 9.8% decrease in fat mass (-5.9 kg; both P < 0.001) and significant improvements in metabolism, hormonal status, and immune parameters (all P < 0.05). Moreover, we observed decreased psychopathology, increased quality of life, and decreased disordered eating (all P < 0.05). Weight loss correlated with most metabolic changes (all P < 0.05) but not with most psychological/behavioral changes.

CONCLUSIONS

Combined lifestyle intervention in patients with obesity was accompanied by significant improvements in body weight and body composition along with cardiometabolic, endocrine, immunological, psychological, and behavioral improvements. Interestingly, most changes in psychological and behavioral health occurred independently of weight loss. Obesity treatment success should be evaluated based on a combination of physical and patient-reported outcomes rather than weight loss alone.

Infertility and Psychological and Social Health of Iranian Infertile Women: A Systematic Review

Objective: Infertility influences various emotional, psychological, social, and relational aspects of women's lives. By employing a systematic review on the papers published in this field, this study aimed to identify the consequences of infertility on psychological and social health of women in Iran. Method : This was a descriptive study, conducted through a systematic review according to the directions denoted by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) in 2018. To investigate the entirety of the published studies on the sociopsychological consequences of women's infertility in Iran, various databases, including Comprehensive Human Science Portal, Scientific Information Databases (SID), Magiran, National Library and Archives of I. R. IRAN, Noormags, MEDLIB, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Medline, and ProQuest, were explored for the studies published between 1991 and 2018. The selected papers were evaluated according to the content analysis method. Results: Out of the 53 papers investigated, 27 were published in domestic journals (51%), while the remaining 26 papers were published in international journals and were in English (49%). The results revealed that sociopsychological consequences of women's infertility are categorized in 6 main categories: (1) quality of life, (2) depression, (3) anxiety, (4) social support, (5) violence, and (6) sexual function. Conclusion: The results of this study can be used to design psychocognitive interventions and assist women in decreasing the emerging psychological pain and pressure.

Associations between traumatic brain injury from intimate partner violence and future psychosocial health risks in women

OBJECTIVE

The effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) incurred during military service are widely studied; however, less is known about TBI resulting from intimate partner violence ("IPV-related TBI"). Women Veterans are at high risk for IPV, yet no research has examined future psychosocial health risks associated with IPV-related TBI history in this population.

METHODS

We examined psychiatric and physical health outcomes, as well as IPV, in a sample of women Veterans who, at Time 1, reported IPV-related TBI with (n = 13) or without (n = 20) persistent symptoms; that is, symptoms such as memory problems, balance problems or dizziness, sensitivity to bright light, irritability, headaches, and sleep problems that began or got worse immediately following the IPV-related TBI and occurred within the past week. These women completed web-based surveys 18 months later (Time 2), which included validated measures of psychiatric and physical health symptoms as well as past-year IPV. We conducted linear regressions to model whether T1 IPV-related TBI with persistent symptoms predicted worse health outcomes at T2, in comparison to T1 IPV-related without persistent symptoms.

RESULTS

Controlling for significant covariates (i.e., military sexual trauma; MST), IPV-related TBI with persistent symptoms at Time 1 was associated with significantly worse outcomes at Time 2 across all health outcome domains (sr² range: 0.12-0.37). After controlling for MST and probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at Time 1, IPV-related TBI with persistent symptoms at Time 1 remained significantly associated with worse Time 2 symptoms of insomnia, depression, and physical health (sr² range: 0.12-0.25).

CONCLUSION

Women who experience IPV-related TBI with persistent symptoms are at higher risk for worse psychosocial health outcomes 18 months later. Findings necessitate screening IPV survivors for TBI with persistent symptoms and tailoring TBI and psychosocial interventions to reduce risk for ongoing health sequelae.

Mid- and long-term effects of family constellation seminars in a general population sample: 8- and 12-month follow-up

In a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT), short-term efficacy of family constellation seminars (FCSs) in a general population sample was demonstrated. In this article, we examined mid- and long-term stability of these effects. Participants were 104 adults (M = 47 years; SD = 9; 84% female) who were part of the intervention group in the original RCT (3-day FCS; 64 active participants and 40 observing participants). FCSs were carried out according to manuals. It was predicted that FCSs would improve psychological functioning (Outcome Questionnaire OQ-45.2) at 8- and 12-month follow-up. Additionally, we assessed the effects of FCSs on psychological distress, motivational incongruence, individuals' experience in their personal social systems, and overall goal attainment. Participants yielded significant improvement in psychological functioning (d = 0.41 at 8-month follow-up, p = .000; d = 0.40 at 12-month follow-up, p = .000). Results were confirmed for psychological distress, motivational incongruence, the participants' experience in their personal social systems, and overall goal attainment. No adverse events were reported. This study provides first evidence for the mid- and long-term efficacy of FCSs in a nonclinical population. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Psychological health and marital adjustment in Iranian employed veterans and veterans receiving disability pension

Background:

Human society has witnessed disasters and wars that left many consequences on families as well as social and individual life of the victims.

Objectives:

In this research, we compared the psychological health and marital adjustment in Iranian employed veterans with veterans receiving disability pension.

Patients and Methods:

The study participants were all of the veterans of Isfahan city registered in Veterans and Martyr Foundation who were receiving disability pension, were still working, or had not received any disability pension yet. A total of 330 veterans were selected by randomized systematic sampling. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) questionnaire and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) were completed by the participants. The data were analyzed by Chi square test, independent samples t test, and Mann-Whitney U test.

Results:

Almost half of the veterans did not demonstrate any psychopathology and half of them were diagnosed with borderline or serious psychopathology. Veterans receiving disability pension had more mental problems in comparison with the employed veterans. Veterans receiving disability pension had higher scores in psychosomatic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, phobias, psychoticism, and total scales (general symptom index, GSI) in comparison with the employed veterans. Employed veterans and veterans receiving disability pension did not differ significantly regarding DAS scores.

Conclusions:

Occupational condition has an important effect on mental health of veterans.