Purpose/objectivesTo describe the experiences of stigma and coping strategies among patients with lung cancer in China.Research approachQualitative.SettingThe oncology department at Liaocheng Peoples Hospital.ParticipantsA purposive sample of 17 patients experiencing stigma related to lung cancer voluntarily participated in data collection.Methodologic approachIndividual, semistructured qualitative interviews were chosen. Participants completed about a 30-min focused interview. Exploratory qualitative approach guided data analysis.FindingsThree main thematic elements emerged from the interview data:(1) sources of stigma, such as smoking, decreased ability to work, difficulties caring for self and family, damage to self-image, and cough and expectoration; (2) experiences of stigma, including feelings of stigma, remorse, loss of dignity, uselessness, social isolation, perceived exclusion, rejection, and discrimination; and (3) coping strategies, such as concealing the fact of sickness, reducing social activities, seeking medical assistance, adhering to treatment, and disclosing dissatisfaction.ConclusionsOur results indicate the presence of perceived stigma among patients with lung cancer. Future work should address the stigma associated with lung cancer and its related factors.InterpretationAs point-of-care providers, staff nurses are well positioned to develop effective interventions to help patients deal with stigma and to accomplish the goal of providing holistic nursing care.

Pre-operative visits and counselling by ICU nurses could reduce patient's anxiety levels following carotid endarterectomy.

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Purpose: Patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) have increased risk of depression and anxiety. Evidence suggests that a heightened inflammatory state may contribute to this association. Females experience more depression and higher inflammation levels than males. This study compared associations of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels with symptoms of depression and anxiety between men and women with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Method: Cross-sectional data including demographic and disease characteristics, symptoms of depression and anxiety, clinical data, and laboratory values were collected from 392 patients with T2DM recruited from a general hospital in Shandong Province, China. We evaluated associations between serum hs-CRP level and symptoms of depression and anxiety in males and females separately using multiple linear regressions and χ2 tests for trend. Results: Sex moderated the association between serum hs-CRP level and symptoms of depression ( B = .112 [ SE = 0.049]; p = .022) and anxiety ( B = .137 [ SE = 0.053]; p = .011). Among females, hs-CRP level was positively associated with depression ( B = .034, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [.006, .061]; p = .016, false discovery rate [FDR]-adjusted p = .020) and anxiety ( B = .041, 95% CI [.011, .071], p = .007, FDR-adjusted p = .007). Positive trends indicated a higher prevalence of clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety in higher serum hs-CRP categories in females. No associations were found in males. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate that associations between serum hs-CRP level and symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with T2D are sex-specific, with only females demonstrating a significant positive association.