British journal of health psychology
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Br J Health Psychol · Feb 2020
Classism and dehumanization in chronic pain: A qualitative study of nurses' inferences about women of different socio-economic status.
Class-based dehumanization in health is poorly investigated. Beliefs about social class are often shared across cultures, with people of lower socio-economic status (SES) being typically dehumanized. This study specifically examined how nurses' perceptions of pain patients' SES were associated with (more or less) dehumanizing inferences about their pain and different treatment recommendations. ⋯ Findings reveal the role of class-based cultural belief systems in pain care, showing how nurses' recognition of low SES is associated with dehumanizing inferences and recommendations, which may contribute to reproducing pain care disparities. Theoretical implications of these findings for social and health psychology are drawn. Statement of contribution What is already known on the subject? • Psychosocial research on health and pain care disparities has paid more attention to the role of race/racism and gender/sexism than the role of social class/classism; Belief systems about social class are shared across cultures; people from lower SES are often dehumanized by being denied competence, civility, and self-determination; Class-based dehumanization may influence the relational and technical aspects of clinical encounters but little is still known about these processes. What does this study add? Drawing upon a mixed-methods approach, this study provides novel findings on class-based dehumanization inferences made by female nurses on female chronic pain patients; Nurses perceived the lower SES patient with fewer Uniquely Human traits, that is, less competent, with more pain-related disability, and recommended her more psychoeducation. Class-based dehumanization processes may contribute to reproducing pain care disparities and may prove to be important targets for intervention development.
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Br J Health Psychol · Nov 2019
Randomized Controlled Trial'We're all in the same boat': A qualitative study on how groups work in a diabetes prevention and management programme.
Although many health interventions are delivered in groups, it is unclear how group context can be best used to promote health-related behaviour change and what change processes are most helpful to participants. This study explored participants' experiences of attending type 2 diabetes prevention and management programme, and their perceptions of how group participation influenced changes in diet and physical activity. ⋯ This study highlights the role of individual and group processes in facilitating health-promoting behaviour change, and the importance of group context and optimal facilitation in promoting engagement with the programme. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Many health interventions, including programmes to help prevent or manage diabetes and facilitate weight loss, are delivered in groups. Such group-based behaviour-change interventions are often effective in facilitating psychological and behaviour change. There is considerable research and theory on individual change processes and techniques, but less is known about which change processes and techniques facilitate behaviour change in group settings. What does this study add? This study contributes to our understanding of how participating in group-based health programmes may enhance or impede individual behaviour change. It identified individual (intrapersonal) and group (interpersonal, facilitated through group interaction) change processes that were valued by group participants. The findings also show how these change processes may be affected by the group context. A diagram summarizes the identified themes helping to understand interactions between these key processes occurring in groups. The study offers an insight into participants' views on, and experiences of, attending a group-based diabetes prevention and management programme. Thus, it helps better understand how the intervention might have helped them (or not) and what processes may have influenced intervention outcomes. Key practical recommendations for designing and delivering group-based behaviour-change interventions are presented, which may be used to improve future group-based health interventions.
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Br J Health Psychol · Nov 2019
Comparative StudyA cross-cultural comparison of the roles of emotional intelligence, metacognition, and negative coping for health-related quality of life in German versus Pakistani patients with chronic heart failure.
Low emotional intelligence (EI) may predispose individuals to applying maladaptive coping strategies. This may maintain anxious worrying, which is highly prevalent in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and may affect mental (MCS) and physical component summaries (PCS) of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). ⋯ The current findings support culture-independent validity of the metacognitive model but also reveal major cultural differences regarding the application and effect of specific maladaptive coping strategies. This has important implications for caregivers in a cross-cultural context and highlights the need for culture-specific tailoring of psychosocial interventions. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Worry, an integral component of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and highly comorbid in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, contributes to anxiety and resulting stress as evident from metacognitive model of GAD. In addition, previous literature has also established the protective role of emotional intelligence (EI) against stress, thus maintaining quality of life. What does this study add? Cross-cultural (Pakistan vs. Germany) validation of the metacognitive model of GAD. Supportive evidence for the metacognitive model in patients with CHF. Mediation of maladaptive metacognitions and negative coping in the relationship of low trait EI and low health-related quality of life.
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Br J Health Psychol · Nov 2019
Observational StudyThe role of parental acute psychological distress in paediatric burn re-epithelialization.
Following a paediatric burn, parents commonly experience high levels of acute psychological distress, which has been shown to increase child psychological distress as well as child procedural distress. The influence of psychological stress and perceived pain on wound healing has been demonstrated in several laboratory and medical populations. This paper investigates the influence of parental acute psychological distress and procedural behaviour on the child's rate of re-epithelialization, after controlling for child procedural distress. ⋯ Parental PTSS appears to be an important but under-recognized factor that may influence their child's burn re-epithelialization. Further investigation is required to understand the mechanisms contributing to this association. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Psychological stress delays wound healing, and this relationship has been found in paediatric burn populations with procedural pain. Parental psychological stress is often present after a child's burn and is related to the child's procedural coping and distress. What does this study add? Parental post-traumatic stress is related to delayed child burn re-epithelialization. This association is in addition to procedural pain delaying re-epithelialization.
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Br J Health Psychol · Nov 2019
Health care professionals' views on psychological factors affecting nutritional behaviour in people with motor neuron disease: A thematic analysis.
Motor neuron disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive muscle paralysis and typically leads to death within 3 years. As no cure is currently available, symptomatic management is the mainstay of treatment. ⋯ Health care professionals (HCPs) play a pivotal role in nutritional management of people with MND (pwMND) but, to date, their views on the psychological barriers faced by pwMND have not been explored. Such an exploration may identify ways in which the delivery of nutritional care for pwMND can be optimized.