Psychological distress of breast cancer survivors during the Covid-19 pandemic and related factors: a controlled study

OBJECTIVE: Although the prevalence of breast cancer is high among women, survival rates are increasing. How-ever, breast cancer survivors (BCS) continue to experience various psychological problems after their treatments and are also exposed to additional stressors, such as the current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study was to examine the psychological distress and related factors (social support, intolerance of uncertainty, coping strategies) of BCS during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of breast cancer diagnosis in this process. METHODS: This study included 95 BCS and 87 healthy women. Sociodemographic Information Form and depression anxiety stress scale, social support scale, intolerance of uncertainty scale, and coping strategies short form scales were administered to the participants. T tests and regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between the variables. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of depression and anxiety, but the stress of BCS was lower than that of healthy women. In the regression analysis, the diagnosis of breast cancer was not a predictor for depression and anxiety, but it was a significant predictor for stress. Com-mon predictors of increased depression, anxiety, and stress were decreased social support, increased uncertainty intolerance, and increased emotion-focused coping. CONCLUSION: Focusing on the development of intolerance of uncertainty, social support, and problem-focused coping strategies of psychological interventions for women BCS during epidemics such as COVID-19 may reduce their psychological distress while maintaining and increasing their psychological well-being.Publisher's VersionQ4WOS:00107176180000

Havacılık Psikolojisi: Kavramlar, Araştırmalar, Uygulamalar

Hava yolu pilotları genellikle stresli ve tehlikeli koşullar altında uçmak zorunda olduklarından pilot adaylarının seçiminde psikolojik özelliklerin değerlendirilmesi kritik önem taşır. Psikolojik özellikler açısından pilotluk mesleğine uygun adayların seçilmesi, daha sonra trajik kazaların yaşanma riskini azaltır. Ayrıca, doğrudan uçak kazalarına neden olmasalar bile, psikolojik özellikler pilotun performansını düşürebilir ve potansiyel olarak yıkıcı sonuçlarla uçuş güvenliğini tehdit edebilir. Bu nedenle, hava yolu işletmecileri için en iyi pilotları işe almak ve eğitmek, psikolojik özelliklerin yanı sıra adayların iş performansını belirleyen bilgi, beceri ve yeteneklerin doğru ve eksiksiz bir şekilde değerlendirilmesine bağlıdır. Pilotların kasıtlı davranışları sonucu meydana geldiği ileri sürülen uçak kazalarıyla birlikte pilot seçiminde psikolojik değerlendirmenin önemi daha iyi anlaşılmıştır. Pilotların ciddi psikolojik sorunlarından kaynaklandığı düşünülen kazaların yanı sıra, alkol-ilaç-uyuşturucu kullanımı, yorgunluk, uykusuzluk, duygusal sorunlar, durum farkındalığı eksikliği, iletişim sorunları gibi pilot hatalarından kaynaklanan çok sayıda kaza bulunmaktadır. Pilot adaylarının seçiminde psikolojik değerlendirme genellikle adım adım uygulanan prosedürler dizisinden oluşur. Pilot seçiminde standart bir psikolojik değerlendirme biyografik veri formlarını, bilişsel, psikomotor yetenek testlerini, kişilik testlerini, bireysel ve grup mülakatını kapsar. Pilot seçiminde bu değerlendirme sonuçlarının birlikte ele alınarak karar verilmesinin, daha doğru bir yaklaşım olacağı akılda tutulmalıdır

The Effect of Body Image Concerns, Anxiety, and Depression on Sexual Problems in Gynecological Cancer Patients

Gynecological cancers and their treatments directly affect the female genitals. Therefore, gynecological cancers are one of the cancer types where sexual dysfunctions are most common. Sexual problems can be a normal result of treatment processes and of cancer, as well as a reflection of the psychological difficulties experienced by individuals during the disease process. The disease itself and the treatments applied can cause psychiatric problems such as body image concern, depression, anxiety, decreased selfesteem, sleep disorders, and sexual dysfunction affect the quality of life negatively. The psychological treatment methods include psychoeducation, group therapy, sexual counseling, marriage counseling, structured psychotherapy, and brief psychosexual interventions. Psychiatric symptoms should be considered to emerge following treatment and quality of life and sexual functions may be adversely affected in gynecological cancer patients, and a multidisciplinary approach including psychological treatment and symptom management should be provided for the effective treatment of sexual difficulties

A Challenging Issue for both Patients and Physicians: Breaking Bad News in Oncology

Providing the patients with negative information about diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, in other words breaking bad news, is a complicated process for both the patient and the physician. The oncologists often should break the bad news to patients and their relatives. Bad news in the field of oncology often includes the following processes: telling the diagnosis of cancer, providing information about recurrence or metastasis according to the prognosis of the disease, saying that there is nothing left to do medically, and ultimately telling the relatives of the patient the death of the patient. A negative diagnosis or a negative improvement in prognosis should be explained to the patient (sometimes to the patient's relative) with care, empathic and sensitive attitude because a person is emotionally vulnerable while receiving bad news about his/her health or health of a relative. We will focus, in this article, on the importance of breaking bad news as part of clinical practice in oncology, and we will briefly introduce the protocols developed for the proper conduct of breaking bad news and provide information about what the physician should do in the process of breaking bad news by considering the basic features of breaking bad news protocols