Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important public health problem that is increasing at an alarming rate, worldwide. The most common type is permanent AF followed by the paroxysmal and persistent AF. Purpose. This study was aimed at exploring anxiety and depression and the associated factors in patients with permanent AF. Materials and Methods. The sample of the study included 170 AF patients. Data collection was performed by the method of interview using the “Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale” (HADS) to assess anxiety and depression and a questionnaire including patients' characteristics. Results. 70% of the participants were men, and 32.4% were above 70 years old. Furthermore, 34.9% of the patients had high levels of anxiety, and 20.2% had high levels of depression. Anxiety levels were statistically significantly associated with gender (p=0.022), age (p=0.022), educational level (p=0.025), years having the disease (p=0.005), and relations with nursing staff (p=0.040). Depression levels were statistically significantly associated with age (p=0.037), degree of information of the state of health (p < 0.001), years having the disease (p < 0.001), and relations with medical staff (p=0.041). Conclusions. Patients' characteristics are associated with anxiety and depression and need to be evaluated when treating this frequently encountered arrhythmia.
Current research often refers to cultural competence to improve health care delivery. In addition, it focuses on the cultural uniqueness of each health service user for optimal personalized care. This study aimed to collect self-assessment data from health professionals regarding their cultural competence and to identify their development needs. A mixed methods design was adopted using the Cultural Competence Self-assessment Checklist of the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society. This was translated into Greek, validated, and then shared with health professionals in Cyprus. Subsequently, a semi-structured interview guide was designed and utilized. This was structured in exactly the same question categories as the questionnaire. Data collection took place between October 2021 and May 2022, and convenience sampling was used to recruit 499 health scientists in Cyprus. The sample comprised doctors, nurses, psychologists, midwives, social workers, and physiotherapists. Subsequently, 62 interviews were conducted with participants from the same specialties. The results showed that (compared to other health professionals) nurses and psychologists are more sensitive to issues of cultural competence. It would appear that the more socially oriented sciences had better-prepared healthcare staff to manage diversity in context. However, there is a gap between knowledge and skills when comparing doctors to nurses; they seem to be more skilled and willing to intervene actively in cases of racist behavior or problem-solving. In conclusion, participants identified the importance of their cultural competence; they also realized the importance of optimal planning of personalized health care. There is a significant need for continuous and specialized cultural competence training for all health professions.
The aims of the present study were to evaluate the frequency of macrolide-resistant staphylococci in Cyprus and to examine the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of these isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution method and the macrolide resistance determinants were detected by PCR. The relatedness among the isolates was examined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Ninety-six (67.61%) of the 142 Staphylococcus aureus and 19 (59.4%) of the 32 coagulase-negative staphylococci were resistant to erythromycin. Among the 115 erythromycin-resistant staphylococci, 70 expressed the MLSB-inducible phenotype, 38 the MLSB-constitutive, and 7 the MS. The predominant genes associated with macrolide resistance were the ermA for S. aureus and the ermC for coagulase-negative staphylococci, detected in 90.62% and 47.37% of the isolates respectively. Dissemination of one clone carrying the ermA gene accounted for macrolide resistance in the majority of S. aureus isolates.
Mindfulness-based interventions have increasingly gained the interest of health professionals in the last decade, especially practices that are short, economical, easily accessible, and physically, cognitively, and psychologically compelling. Nurses of Emergency Departments are a special, dynamic, but at the same time vulnerable group of health professionals who work in shifts and face multiple challenges. Considering the recent literature and the fact that stress and a hostile work environment are the top ranked health professionals’ challenges, there is a need for a further study of the use of mindfulness. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the application of mindfulness on nurses in the Emergency Department on several factors related to daily nursing practice and that directly affect these specific health professionals. This experimental study was performed on 14 participating nurses in the Emergency Department of a Public General Hospital in Athens, randomized into two groups: a control and an intervention group. The data collection tools were two digital smart devices, participatory observation, and semi-structured interviews. By practicing mindfulness meditation, the participating nurses in the intervention group showed improvement in their cognitive functions (attention, thinking, memory, concentration), professional interpersonal relationships, personal satisfaction and communication with patients and caregivers, sleep rate, negative emotions, and behaviors. The findings suggest that the application of mindfulness practices should be considered an easy, affordable, economical, accessible, and effective method that nurses can use to strengthen and empower themselves, enjoying its multiple benefits. The effectiveness of the application of mindfulness remains an important issue for future research in other health professionals as well.
Background: Stroke is considered to be the third, most frequent cause of death and the leading cause of disability in Western societies. Apart from physical problems, stroke can cause psychological and social problems, too as post Stroke Depression (PSD) which is the most common emotional disorder that usually occurs in the first months, in about 1/3 of patients surviving after stroke.Aim: To describe the frequency of post stroke depression (PSD) and its effects on functional recovery of patients.Method: A systematic review was conducted on databases MEDLINE, PUBMED, CINAHL, and the web using Google Scholar.Results: Thirty articles were retrieved, from 2000 and onwards which met the selection criteria. According to the results, PSD is a common and serious complication after stroke. Approximately 1/3 of the patients have a type of depression in the first year after stroke, with the risk increasing, the first months of the onset of stroke. The researchers suggest that there is a collaborative relationship between stroke and depression, which leads to inability to perform activities of daily living and slows the rehabilitation of patients.Conclusion: Early detection of PSD and the implementation of appropriate therapeutic interventions in rehabilitation units help to speed up the recovery process and reintegration of patients into society.
Background: Depression is one of the major causes of morbidity and loss of productivity in the world. Regardless of age, ethnicity and gender, it is known that its impact increases after major stressful events. Other major causes are chronic diseases, such as heart failure. The condition shows greater frequency and prevalence today, because of the aging population, the growth of population dispersion and other risk factors like hypertension and diabetes as well as the increase in the life expectancy of sufferers, due to current therapeutic interventions. Thus, depression has become chronic and the challenge of fighting inevitably incurs psychosocial effects.Aim:This research paper (systematic review) aims to investigate the prevalence of depression in patients with heart failure in association with determinants.Method & Material: This is a systematic review. In particular, a literature search was conducted in the electronic databases ProQuest, PubMed, EBSCO and Google Scholar, using the key-words: heart failure, prevalence and depression.Results: A total of ten surveys met the selection criteria. According to the results on the prevalence of depression, a moderate to high prevalence among patients with heart failure is presented, as well as an increased risk of mortality and clinical manifestations. Depression increases in patients with heart failure, as age, gender and race affect it similarly compared to what has been observed in the general population. The NYHA class II and III in advanced age and people with a prior history of myocardial infarction show a strong positive correlation with depression, too.Conclusions: Mental health problems affect the entire sphere of activities of a patient. Management is feasible and guaranteed only in a controlled living environment. Nurses, having the privilege of close contact with patients, can promptly diagnose depression symptoms and intervene as members of an interdisciplinary team. In Cyprus, no other research studies exist concerning the assessment of the prevalence of depression in patients with heart failure.
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