“The median isn't the message”: How to communicate the uncertainties of survival prognoses to cancer patients in a realistic and hopeful way

This study investigated how doctors communicate the uncertainties of survival prognoses to patients recently diagnosed with life‐threatening cancer, and suggests ways to improve this communication. Two hundred thirty‐eight Norwegian oncologists and general practitioners (GPs) participated in Study 1. The study included both a scenario and a survey. The scenario asked participants to respond to a hypothetical patient who wanted to know how long (s)he could be expected to live. There were marked differences in responses within both groups, but few differences between the GPs and oncologists. There was a strong reluctance among doctors to provide patients with a prognosis. Even when they were presented with a statistically well‐founded right‐skewed survival curve, only a small minority provided hope by communicating the variation in survival time. In Study 2, 177 healthy students rated their preferences for different ways of receiving information regarding the uncertainty of a survival prognosis. Participants who received an explicitly described right‐skewed survival curve believed that they would feel more hopeful. These participants also obtained a more realistic understanding of the variation in survival than those who did not receive this information. Based on the findings of the two studies and on extant psychological research, the author suggests much‐needed guidelines for communicating survival prognoses in a realistic and optimistic way to patients recently diagnosed with life‐threatening cancer. In particular, the guidelines emphasise that the doctor explains the often strongly right‐skewed variation in survival time, and thereby providing the patient with realistic hope.     

The psychological experience of children with cerebral palsy

Many children with cerebral palsy face considerable challenges in their day to day life. Some will be highly dependent on those around them. While motor deficits are most commonly reported, children with cerebral palsy also experience higher rates of challenging behaviour, attention difficulties, social communication problems and to a lesser extent mood disorders in comparison to the general population. Personal risk factors for psychological distress include normal intellect, communication problems and less functional disability. Due to their need for higher levels of care and support, their parent's emotional state and parenting style also highly impacts on the child's development. Research groups have designed parenting interventions and mindfulness groups to support and enhance the parenting of young people with CP. This short article summarises what is known about the psychological experience of children and what interventions are helpful and evidence-based.     

基于微信的积极心理干预对护士工作倦怠及工作绩效的影响

目的探讨基于微信平台的"三件好事"积极心理干预对在职护士工作倦怠及工作绩效的影响。方法将73名存在工作倦怠症状的在职护士随机分为干预组33名和对照组40名。对照组无干预,干预组接受6个月的基于微信平台的"三件好事"积极心理干预。结果两组工作倦怠的干预效应、时间效应及交互效应具有统计学意义,两组工作奉献、任务绩效及人际促进维度的干预效应和交互效应具有统计学意义(P0.05,P0.01)。结论基于微信平台的"三件好事"积极心理干预有利于改善在职护士的工作倦怠,提升其主观感知的工作绩效。     

Addiction Mindsets and Psychological Processes of Quitting Smoking

Background: Lay belief systems about the malleability of human attributes have been shown to impact behavior change in multiple domains. Addiction mindset—i.e., beliefs about the permanence (vs. malleability) of addiction — may affect cigarette smokers’ ability to quit, but this has never been examined. Objectives: The aims of the present research were to develop a measure of addiction mindset (study 1) and examine its associations with various psychological aspects of quitting smoking (study 2). Methods: In Study 1, using factor analysis of current smokers’ and nonsmokers’ (n?=?600) responses to 22 items designed to measure addiction mindset, we developed a reliable six-item Addiction Mindset Scale (AMS). In Study 2, adult smokers (n?=?200) completed the AMS, and measures of a number of psychological processes related to smoking. Results: Higher scores on the AMS, indicative of the belief that addiction is malleable (referred to as a growth mindset), were positively and significantly associated with greater motivation to quit, greater commitment to quitting, greater self-efficacy to abstain, less attribution of failure to lack of ability to change addiction, and fewer self-reported barriers to cessation (all p’s < .05). Conclusions: The results of this study show a relationship between the beliefs about the permanence of addiction and psychological processes relevant to quitting smoking. The findings underscore the potential of future research exploring how addiction mindsets relate to successful smoking cessation as well as other types of addictive behavior and how they can be applied to change people’s behavior.     

The invisible nature of learning: Patient education in nursing

BackgroundLearning for patients and their families within nurses’ patient- and family-education practice is an important part of person- and family-centred care. Patients and their families must master health promotional or management strategies to optimise their health outcomes. Support is often provided by nurses, but how nurses facilitate each patient’s and their family’s learning, using cognitive learning principles, seems invisible in the nursing literature.AimThis discussion paper examines the important role of cognitive learning within nurses’ patient- and family-education practice. How learning is enabled, the differences between teaching and learning and the role of learning principles are discussed. Shortcomings are identified and possible ways to address these within nurses’ practice are considered.MethodsThe discussion draws on the limited current literature surrounding cognitive learning principles in nurses’ practice and nurses’ awareness of learning principles. Readers are encouraged to question their current conceptualisation of learning and their perceptions and use of learning principles in their practice.Findings and discussionThe learning process within nursing is overshadowed by explanations of teaching strategies, determinants of learning and the learning principles of one specific theorist. The principles of cognitive learning and their role in patient- and family-education are poorly described and possibly poorly understood. This creates a fundamental knowledge gap in nursing practice.ConclusionA significant rethink about the role of learning principles within nurses’ patient- and family-education practice is overdue. These principles need to be explored further by involving nurses, patients and their families to identify how nurses are perceiving and using learning principles in their practice.