Understandings of spirituality and its role in illness recovery in persons with schizophrenia and mental-health professionals: a qualitative study

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The associations between diurnal cortisol patterns, self-perceived social support, and sleep behavior in Chinese breast cancer patients

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Discrepancy in Spirituality among Patients with Schizophrenia and Family Care-Givers and Its Impacts on Illness Recovery: A Dyadic Investigation

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Will I be able to work during my treatment?

Meeting Theme: Better Health through Behavior Chang

Towards a holistic approach to spiritual healthcare for people with schizophrenia

Medical and behavioral treatments are the predominant types of rehabilitation services for people with schizophrenia. Spirituality in people with schizophrenia remains poorly conceptualized, thereby limiting knowledge advancement in the area of spiritual health care services. To provide a framework for better clinical and research practices, we advocate a holistic approach to investigating spirituality and its application in spiritual health care services of people with schizophrenia

Spirituality in family caregiving of schizophrenia: the role of attachment to divinity

Meeting Theme: Advancing the National Prevention Strategy Through Behavioral Medicine InnovationBackground: Taking care of a schizophrenic family member involves lots of uncertainties and loneliness which create huge burden to the caregivers. Spirituality is often viewed as an internal coping resource to buffer the effects of uncertainty on psychological well-being, but how the caregivers of people with schizophrenia make use of this resource is rarely studied. This exploratory qualitative study aimed to explore how family caregivers of schizophrenia utilized their spiritual resources to cope with the burden of caregiving. Method: 11 family members of patients with early-stage schizophrenia, who identified themselves as the main caregivers, were recruited from an outpatient clinic of a hospital in Hong Kong. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate their spiritual and caregiving experiences. Data were collected and analyzed according to the principles of grounded theory. Results: The caregiving experience was described as exhausting and lonely. The indefinite cause of the illness induced a sense of losing control over their lives, and created lots of wonders and worries. The uncertainty towards future and the stigma attached to the illness made the sharing of their experiences become uneasy, thus giving rise to a feeling of loneliness. Participants laid emphasis on the attachment to divinity when coping with the burden of caregiving. The unconditional faith in divinity acted as a consolation which provided a psychological shelter for participants to rely on. This created a perception of being loved, cared, accompanied and protected, giving them confidence and courage to confront the adversities without further questioning. Participants also indicated that the attachment to divinity to certain extent became a guidance which informed them what roles they should play during patients’ recovery. Conclusion: Attaching to divinity helped moderate the negative impacts of caring for a schizophrenic family member. The findings not merely indicated the importance of spirituality in family caregiving of schizophrenia, but also demonstrated a necessity of taking care of caregivers’ spiritual needs because it may indirectly benefit the patients as the caregiver is the primary source of care

Gender Difference in Schizophrenic Symptomatology and Subjective Stress of Chinese Adults with Schizophrenia in a Long-stay Residential Setting

Objectives: Males showed a higher risk of schizophrenia. This study aimed to explore the manifestation of schizophrenia between genders, focusing on schizophrenic symptomatology and perceived stress in Chinese adults with schizophrenia at long-term care residential setting. Results of the present study yield implications for effective health care strategies for this population. Methods: A total of 146 Chinese in-patients (80 males and 66 females), aged 24 to 69 (mean ± standard deviation [SD], 53.97 ± 8.54) years, participated in this crosssectional study. Independent sample t-tests were performed to explore potential gender differences in symptomatology and perceived stress. Schizophrenia symptomatology was indexed by positive and negative symptom, gender psychopathology subscales of the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), while subjective stress was indicated by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results: Results indicated difference on measures of subjective stress (t(138) = –2.15, p ≤ 0.05), negative symptoms (t(138) = 4.82, p ≤ 0.01), and general psychopathology (t(138) = 3.55, p ≤ 0.01) between males and females. Males reported higher level of negative symptoms (mean ± SD, 21.12 ± 7.64) and general psychopathology (38.43 ± 14.43), but lower level of subjective stress (14.93 ± 6.67) when compared with females (15.38 ± 11.81; 38.43 ± 14.34; 17.35 ± 6.60). Conclusions: The present study replicated existing gender differences findings in schizophrenia. Males present more negative symptoms, while females reported higher prevalence of perceived stress. The study allows better understanding of illness presentation between the genders, which implies the need for developing gender-specific health care treatments in achieving better functioning outcome

Factors associating with Independent Daily Living of Adults with Schizophrenia in a Residential Rehabilitation Setting: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives: The ability to live independently is an important aspect of rehabilitation of schizophrenia. This study aimed to explore the factors associating with independent daily living of adults with schizophrenia. Methods: Adopting a cross-sectional study design, 146 schizophrenic patients (80 men and 66 female, aged 24-69 years, mean age = 53.97 years) living in a residential care setting were interviewed. Variables measured included negative symptoms (measured by the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale [PANSS]), self-perceived stress (measured by the Self-Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]), daily functioning (measured by the Bartha’s index of Activity of Daily Living [ADL]), and demographic data. Results: Results showed that level of ADL was negatively associated with age (β = –0.204, p ≤ 0.05) and perceived stress (β = –0.382, p ≤ 0.01); and positively associated with the dominance of positive symptoms (β = 2.17, p ≤ 0.05). Higher level of daily living functioning was associated with those who were of younger age, self-perceived as less stressful, and those who experienced predominantly positive symptoms. Conclusions: The ability to live independently is associated with younger, lower stress level, and the predominance of positive symptoms over negative symptoms. The findings might be due to the fact that negative symptoms are associated with cognitive deficient, which impairs tasks of independent daily living. Unlike positive symptoms, which can be easily managed by medication, management of negative symptoms requires timely psycho-social care. The findings imply the need for a paradigm shift in rehabilitation; whereas priority has to be given to management of negative symptom