The myofascial pain syndrome patients usually have characteristic personalities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological characteristics of myofascial pain syndrome patients. We reviewed medical records of fifty-four patients with myofascial pain syndrome for their Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Visual Analogue Scale, and psychological interview notes. On MMPI profile, the patients scored high in hypochondriasis, hysteria and depression scales, which are the triad of neurosis. According to stress factors and occupations, the psychologic responses were different. We have compared the severity of pain according to different life stress and occupations. VAS scores of the student group were higher statistically in the occupation comparison and of the marital problem group were higher in the life stress comparison. It is suggested that psychologic intervention on myofascial pain syndrome patients should be stressed for the management of pain.
Depression ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; Interview, Psychological ; Medical Records ; MMPI ; Myofascial Pain Syndromes* ; Occupations ; Psychology ; Rehabilitation ; Stress, Psychological ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to confirm the effects of autogenic training (AT) on stress response and heart rate variability in nursing school students experiencing stress related to clinical training. METHODS: The study was carried out from September 2012 to April 2013 in a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group using a pretest-posttest design. The participants were 40 nursing students in their third year at either of two nursing colleges. All consented to participate. Nineteen nursing students at one college were assigned to the experimental group and underwent the 8-week AT program, and the other 21 were assigned to the control group and did not undergo any training. Stress response was assessed by questionnaire and HRV was measured three times, that is, before the program, at the end of the program, and 6 months after the end of the AT program. RESULTS: A significant time/group interaction was found for stress response (F = 4.68, p = .012), a subjective indicator. However, no significant interaction was found for the objective indicators of heart rate variability, normalized low frequency (F = 2.59, p = .090), normalized high frequency (F = 2.59, p = .090), or low frequency to high frequency ratio (F = 1.38, p = .257). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that AT provides an acceptable approach to stress reduction in nursing students.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Autogenic Training/*methods ; Case-Control Studies ; Heart Rate/*physiology ; Humans ; Questionnaires ; Stress, Psychological/*rehabilitation ; Students, Nursing/*psychology ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 14-week mentoring program for first year nursing students and their ways of coping with stress and locus of control. METHODS: The study was designed as a quasi-experimental study. Sixty-six first year students (mentees) and 66 fourth year students (mentors) were eligible to be in the mentoring program. Mentors and mentees contacted each other weekly, as required, to provide information and support. In order to determine the efficiency of the mentoring program, a Locus of Control Scale, the Ways of Coping Inventory and Mentoring Assessment Form were filled out by mentees. RESULTS: In this study the mentoring program increased students' internal locus of control and active coping with stress. The increase in internal locus of control showed parallelism with students' behaviors of seeking social support. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that in nursing schools, the mentoring program be used as an additional program.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Internal-External Control ; Male ; *Mentors ; Program Evaluation ; Questionnaires ; *Social Support ; Stress, Psychological/*rehabilitation ; Students, Nursing/*psychology ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: This study was to determine the effects of abdominal breathing training using biofeedback on stress, immune response, and quality of life. METHOD: The study design was a nonequivalent control group pretest- posttest, quasi-experimental design. Twenty-five breast cancer patients who had completed adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled. The experimental group(n=12) was provided with abdominal breathing training using biofeedback once a week for 4 weeks. State anxiety, cancer physical symptoms, serum cortisol, T cell subsets(T3, T4, T8), NK cell and quality of life were measured both before and after the intervention. RESULT: Though state anxiety, cancer physical symptoms, and serum cortisol were reduced after 4 weeks of abdominal breathing training using biofeedback, there was no statistical significance. It showed, however, improvement in quality of life (p=.02), and T3(p=.04). CONCLUSION: Abdominal breathing training using biofeedback improves quality of life in breast cancer patients after a mastectomy. However, the mechanism of this beneficial effect and stress response requires further investigation with special consideration in subject selection and frequency of measurement. Nurses should consider this strategy as a standard nursing intervention for people living with cancer.
*T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; Stress, Psychological/psychology/therapy ; *Quality of Life ; Middle Aged ; Mastectomy/*psychology/rehabilitation ; Hydrocortisone/blood ; Humans ; Female ; *Breathing Exercises ; Breast Neoplasms/immunology/*psychology/surgery ; *Biofeedback (Psychology) ; Adult

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a comprehensive rehabilitation program on physical function, immune response, fatigue and quality of life in mastectomy patients. METHOD: The subjects included fifty-five patients with breast cancer (27 in the control group and 28 in the experimental group). The subjects in the experimental group participated in a comprehensive rehabilitation program for10 weeks, which was composed of 1 session of education, 2 sessions of stress management, 2 sessions of exercise, and 1 session of peer support group activity per week. RESULT: The results revealed anincrease in shoulder extension, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation of the affectedupper extremity, and in shoulder extension and abduction of the healthy upper extremity. Also an increase in quality of life and a decrease in fatigue were significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group. However, the results revealed that the natural killer cell ratio of the experimental group increased but there was no significant difference from that of the control group. CONCLUSION: The 10-week comprehensive rehabilitation program showed a large affirmative effect on physical function, fatigue and quality of life of breast cancer patients after a mastectomy.
Exercise Therapy ; Fatigue ; Female ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Mastectomy/psychology/*rehabilitation ; Middle Aged ; Movement ; Patient Education as Topic ; Quality of Life ; Shoulder Joint/physiopathology ; Stress, Psychological/therapy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a comprehensive rehabilitation program on physical function, immune response, fatigue and quality of life in mastectomy patients. METHOD: The subjects included fifty-five patients with breast cancer (27 in the control group and 28 in the experimental group). The subjects in the experimental group participated in a comprehensive rehabilitation program for10 weeks, which was composed of 1 session of education, 2 sessions of stress management, 2 sessions of exercise, and 1 session of peer support group activity per week. RESULT: The results revealed anincrease in shoulder extension, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation of the affectedupper extremity, and in shoulder extension and abduction of the healthy upper extremity. Also an increase in quality of life and a decrease in fatigue were significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group. However, the results revealed that the natural killer cell ratio of the experimental group increased but there was no significant difference from that of the control group. CONCLUSION: The 10-week comprehensive rehabilitation program showed a large affirmative effect on physical function, fatigue and quality of life of breast cancer patients after a mastectomy.
Exercise Therapy ; Fatigue ; Female ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Mastectomy/psychology/*rehabilitation ; Middle Aged ; Movement ; Patient Education as Topic ; Quality of Life ; Shoulder Joint/physiopathology ; Stress, Psychological/therapy

INTRODUCTIONWe evaluated if there was significant stress in caregivers of elderly patients with osteoporotic hip fractures and determine any contributory factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODSA prospective cohort study was performed from June 2005 to June 2006 in a single tertiary hospital. Patients admitted during this period and their primary caregivers were interviewed on admission and at 6 months. Information on patient's demographics, comorbidities, functional and mental status, placement post-discharge and financial strain were noted. Caregiver stress was measured using the caregiver strain index (CSI). Relationships between key variables were analysed to derive possible correlations.

RESULTSThe study comprised caregivers of 76 patients with a mean age of 77 years (range, 50 to 95; SD, 11). Within 1 week of admission, 45 of the 76 caregivers (59.2%) were significantly stressed based on the CSI while at 6 months, 30 of the caregivers (50%) were significantly stressed. The mean CSI within 1 week of admission and at 6 months post-admission was 7.18 and 6.25 respectively (P = 0.042). The most significant contributory factor to stress was financial strain (P = 0.01) attributable to medical bills, rehabilitation costs and transport expenses.

CONCLUSIONThere is a significant amount of stress that is experienced by caregivers of elderly patients with hip fractures which commences from admission of the patient and it remains high at 6-months post-fracture. Financial strain has been found to be the only significant cause on both univariate and multivariate analysis. Adequate resources should be available to caregivers of patients with osteoporotic hip fractures.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Caregivers ; economics ; psychology ; Cost of Illness ; Female ; Hip Fractures ; etiology ; rehabilitation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis ; complications ; Prospective Studies ; Stress, Psychological

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between negative life events and quality of life of tinnitus patients, and explore the role of negative life events in psychological counseling and rehabilitation of tinnitus. METHOD: Sixty-one cases of tinnitus patients and 61 normal controls were tested with tinnitus handicap inventory and life event scale, scores were compared and the associated analysis was made. RESULT: Stimulating quantity of negative life events in the tinnitus group, compared with the control group was statistically different (Z = -2.56. P < 0.05). The incidence of negative life events in the tinnitus group compared with the control group was no statistically different (chi2 = 0.05, P > 0.05). The incidence of abnormal scores of negative life events compared with the control group was statistically different (chi2 = 16.68, P < 0.01). Positive correlation in tinnitus group was found between scores of negative life events and scores of tinnitus handicap inventory (r = 0.41, P < 0.01). The higher the score of negative life events, the lower the quality of life with tinnitus patients. CONCLUSION Severity of negative life events and tinnitus is closely related, and negative life events can reduce the quality of tinnitus patients life. We should pay more attention to negative life events in psychological counseling with tinnitus patients. The intervention in negative life events can improve the quality of life. providing the targeted and individualized theory basis for tinnitus psychological counseling and rehabilitation.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Life Change Events ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Stress, Psychological ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tinnitus ; psychology ; rehabilitation ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine whether a blended Infant MassageeParenting Enhancement Program (IMPEP) improved maternal psychosocial health outcomes (parenting stress, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, maternal attachment) and maternal-infant interaction among substanceaddicted mothers (SAMs) actively engaged in outpatient rehabilitation. METHODS: Designed as a randomized, three-group controlled trial testing two levels of psychoeducational intervention (IMPEP vs. PEP) and a control group (standard care parenting resources), the studywas conducted in two substance abuse centers in southeast Florida on a convenience sample of 138 recovering SAM-infant pairs. IMPEP or PEP classes were held weekly onWeeks 2e5, with data collected at baseline (Week 1),Week 6, andWeek 12 via structured interviews, observation (Observation Checklist onMaternal-Infant Interaction), and self-administered questionnaires (Abidin Parenting Stress Index, Beck Depression Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Muller's Maternal Attachment Inventory), analyzed descriptively and inferentially using Kruskall-Wallis analysis of variance and post hoc Wilcoxon rank sum and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: Both IMPEP and PEP groups had significantly increased Parenting Stress Index scores (decreased parenting stress) and decreased Beck Depression Inventory scores (decreased depressive symptoms) compared to controls at Week 12, whereas there were no clinically meaningful differences among study groups in Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Muller's Maternal Attachment Inventory, or Observation Checklist on Maternal-Infant Interaction scores. Only the IMPEP group showed significant improvements in both psychological and physical (waist-hip ratio) measures of parenting stress over time. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that infant massage blended into a structured parenting program has value-added effects in decreasing parenting stress and maternal depressive symptoms, but not on SAM's self-esteem, attachment, or maternal-infant interaction.
Adult ; Depressive Disorder/*prevention & control ; Female ; Florida ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Massage ; Maternal Behavior/*psychology ; Mother-Child Relations/*psychology ; Mothers/*education/*psychology ; Parenting/*psychology ; Program Evaluation ; Self Concept ; Stress, Psychological ; Substance-Related Disorders/*psychology/rehabilitation ; Young Adult