Affect School for chronic benign pain patients showed improved alexithymia assessments with TAS-20

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alexithymia is a disturbance associated with psychosomatic disorders, pain syndromes, and a variety of psychiatric disorders. The Affect School (AS) based on Tomkins Affect Theory is a therapy focusing on innate affects and their physiological expressions, feelings, emotions and scripts. In this pilot study we tried the AS-intervention method in patients with chronic benign pain.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The AS-intervention, with 8 weekly group sessions and 10 individual sessions, was offered to 59 patients with chronic non-malignant pain at a pain rehabilitation clinic in Sweden 2004-2005. Pre and post intervention assessments were done with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), the Visual Analogue Scale for pain assessment (VAS-pain), the European Quality of Life health barometer (EQoL) and the Stress and Crisis Inventory-93 (SCI-93). After the group sessions we used Bergdahl's Questionnaire for assessing changes in interpersonal relations, general well-being and evaluation of AS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The AS intervention was completed by 54 out of 59 (92%) patients. Significant reductions in total TAS-20 post-test scores (p = 0.0006) as well as TAS-20 DIF and DDF factors (Difficulties Identifying Feelings, and Difficulties Describing Feelings) were seen (p = 0.0001, and p = 0.0008) while the EOT factor (Externally Oriented Thinking) did not change. Improvements of HAD-depression scores (p = 0.04), EQoL (p = 0.02) and self-assessed changes in relations to others (p < 0.001) were also seen. After Bonferroni Correction for Multiple Analyses the TAS-20 test score reduction was still significant as well as Bergdahl's test after group sessions. The HAD, EQoL, SCI-93, and VAS-pain scores were not significantly changed. The AS-intervention was ranked high by the participants.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This pilot study involving 59 patients with chronic benign pain indicates that the alexithymia DIF and DDF, as well as depression, social relations and quality of life may be improved by the Affect School therapeutic intervention.</p

Proximity morality in medical school – medical students forming physician morality "on the job": Grounded theory analysis of a student survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The value of ethics education have been questioned. Therefore we did a student survey on attitudes about the teaching of ethics in Swedish medical schools.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Questionnaire survey on attitudes to ethics education with 409 Swedish medical students participating. We analyzed > 8000 words of open-ended responses and multiple-choice questions using classic grounded theory procedures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this paper we suggest that medical students take a proximity morality stance towards their ethics education meaning that they want to form physician morality "on the job". This involves comprehensive ethics courses in which quality lectures provide "ethics grammar" and together with attitude exercises and vignette reflections nurture tutored group discussions. Goals of forming physician morality are to develop a professional identity, handling diversity of religious and existential worldviews, training students described as ethically naive, processing difficult clinical experiences, and desisting negative role modeling from physicians in clinical or teaching situations, some engaging in "ethics suppression" by controlling sensitive topic discussions and serving students politically correct attitudes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found that medical students have a proximity morality attitude towards ethics education. Rather than being taught ethics they want to form their own physician morality through tutored group discussions in comprehensive ethics courses.</p

Reincentivizing – a new theory of work and work absence

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Work capacity correlates weakly to disease concepts, which in turn are insufficient to explain sick leave behavior. With data mainly from Sweden, a welfare state with high sickness absence rates, our aim was to develop an explanatory theory of how to understand and deal with work absence and sick leave.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used classic grounded theory for analyzing data from >130 interviews with people working or on sick leave, physicians, social security officers, and literature. Several hundreds of typed and handwritten memos were the basis for writing up the theory.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this paper we present a theory of work incentives and how to deal with work absence. We suggest that work disability can be seen as hurt work drivers or people caught in mode traps. Work drivers are specified as work capacities + work incentives, monetary and non-monetary. Also, people can get trapped in certain modes of behavior through changed capacities or incentives, or by inertia. Different modes have different drivers and these can trap the individual from reincentivizing, ie from going back to work or go on working. Hurt drivers and mode traps are recognized by driver assessments done on several different levels. Mode driver calculations are done by the worker. Then follows employer, physician, and social insurance officer assessments. Also, driver assessments are done on the macro level by legislators and other stakeholders. Reincentivizing is done by different repair strategies for hurt work drivers such as body repair, self repair, work-place repair, rehumanizing, controlling sick leave insurance, and strengthening monetary work incentives. Combinations of these driver repair strategies also do release people from mode traps.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Reincentivizing is about recognizing hurt work drivers and mode traps followed by repairing and releasing the same drivers and traps. Reincentivizing aims at explaining what is going on when work absence is dealt with and the theory may add to social psychological research on work and work absence, and possibly inform sick leave policies.</p

Using theatre in education in a traditional lecture oriented medical curriculum

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lectures supported by theatrical performance may enhance learning and be an attractive alternative to traditional lectures. This study describes our experience with using theatre in education for medical students since 2001.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The volunteer students, coached by experienced students, were given a two-week preparation period to write and prepare different dramatized headache scenarios during three supervised meetings. A theatrical performance was followed by a student presentation about history taking and clinical findings in diagnosing headache. Finally, a group discussion led by students dealt with issues raised in the performance. The evaluation of the theatre in education lecture "A Primary Care Approach to Headache" was based on feedback from students.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>More than 90% of 43 responding students fully agreed with the statement "Theatrical performance made it easier to understand the topic". More than 90% disagreed with the statements "Lecture halls were not appropriate for this kind of interaction" and "Students as teachers were not appropriate". Open-ended questions showed that the lesson was thought of as fun, good and useful by most students. The headache questions in the final exam showed results that were similar to average exam results for other questions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Using theatrical performance in medical education was appreciated by most students and may facilitate learning and enhance empathy and team work communication skills.</p

On-the-Job Ethics – Proximity Morality Forming in Medical School: A grounded theory analysis using survey data

On-the-job-ethics exist in all businesses and can also be called proximity morality forming. In this paper we propose that medical students take a proximity morality stance towards ethics education at medical school. This means that they want to form physician morality “on the job” instead of being taught ethics like any other subject. On-the-job-ethics for medical students involves learning ethics that is used when practicing ethics. Learning ethics includes comprehensive ethics courses in which quality lectures provide ethics grammar useful for the ethics practicing in attitude exercises and vignette reflections in tutored group discussions. On-the-job-ethics develops professional identity, handles diversity of religious and existential worldviews, trains students described as ethically naive, processes difficult clinical experiences, and desists negative role modeling from physicians in clinical or teaching situations. This grounded theory analysis was made from a questionnaire survey on attitudes to ethics education with 409 Swedish medical students participating. We analyzed over 8000 words of open-ended responses and multiplechoice questions using classic grounded theory procedures, but also compared questionnaire data using statistics such as multiple regression models. The paper gives an example of how grounded theory can be used with a limited amount of survey data

Psychoeducation against depression, anxiety, alexithymia and fibromyalgia : a pilot study in primary care for patients on sick leave

Objectives: Feasibility testing of a psychoeducational method -The Affect School and Script Analyses (ASSA)–in a Swedish primary care setting. Exploring associations between psychological, and medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS). Design: Pilot study. Setting: Three Swedish primary care centers serving 20,000 people. Intervention: 8 weekly 2-hour sessions with a 5–7 participant group led by two instructors - followed by 10 individual hour-long sessions. Subjects: Thirty-six patients, 29 women (81%), on sick-leave due to depression, anxiety, or fibromyalgia. Outcome measures: Feasibility in terms of participation rates and expected improvements of psychological symptoms and MUPS, assessed by self-report instruments pre-, one-week post-, and 18 months post-intervention. Regression coefficients between psychological symptoms and MUPS. Results: The entire 26-hour psychoeducational intervention was completed by 30 patients (83%), and 33 patients (92%) completed the 16-hour Affect School. One-week post-intervention median test score changes were significantly favorable for 27 respondents, with p 80% participation rates, and clear improvements of self-assessed psychological symptoms and MUPS. The ASSA intervention thus showed adequate feasibility in a Swedish primary care setting.Key Points A pilot study of a psychoeducational intervention–The Affect School and Script Analyses (ASSA)–was performed in primary care • The intervention showed feasibility for patients on sick-leave due to depression, anxiety, or fibromyalgia • 92% completed the 8 weeks/16 hours Affect School and 83% completed the entire 26-hour ASSA intervention • 9 of 11 self-reported measures improved significantly one-week post intervention • 7 of 11 self-reported measures improved significantly 18 months post-intervention

Reincentivizing Work: A grounded theory of work and sick leave

Work capacity has a weak correlation to disease concepts, which are insufficient to explain sick leave behavior. With data mainly from Sweden, a welfare state with high sickness absence rates, our aim was to develop an explanatory theory of work and sick leave.We used classic grounded theory for analyzing data from 130 individual interviews of people working or on sick leave, physicians, social security officers, and literature. More than 60,000 words and hundreds of typed and handwritten memos were the basis for the writing up of the theory. In this paper we present a theory of “reincentivizing work”. To understand incentives we define work disability as hurt work drivers or work traps. Work drivers are specified as work capacities + work motivators, monetary and non-monetary. Incentives are recognized when hurt work drivers are assessed and traps identified. Reincentivizing is done by repairing hurt work drivers and releasing from traps. In our theory of reincentivizing work, hurt work drivers and traps are recognized and then repaired and released. The theory may add to social psychological research on work and sickness absence, and possibly inform future changes in sick leave policies

Depression differed by midnight cortisol secretion, alexithymia and anxiety between diabetes types: a cross sectional comparison

Abstract Background Increased prevalence of depression is found in both type 2 diabetes (T2D) and type 1 diabetes (T1D). Melancholia and atypical depression differ by cortisol secretion and clinical features. The aim was to compare the clinical presentation of T1D and T2D patients in relation to self-reported depression, self-reported anxiety, alexithymia, obesity, and midnight salivary cortisol (MSC). Methods Comparative cross-sectional design. The participants were consecutively recruited from one hospital diabetes outpatient clinic: 24 T2D patients (31–59 years) and 148 T1D patients (32–59 years). Self-reported depression, anxiety and alexithymia were assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. MSC, HbA1c, anthropometrics and data from medical records were collected. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Comparisons of prevalence between diabetes types showed for T2D/T1D: depression 25%/12% (P = 0.10); high MSC (≥9.3 nmol/L) 38%/22% (P = 0.13); alexithymia 25%/13% (P = 0.12); anxiety 38%/35% (P = 0.82). The prevalence of high MSC did not differ between depressed and non-depressed T2D patients (17% vs. 44%, P = 0.35), but differed between depressed and non-depressed T1D patients (53% vs. 18%, P = 0.003). The alexithymia prevalence differed between depressed and non-depressed T2D patients (67% vs.11%, P = 0.018), and between depressed and non-depressed T1D patients (47% vs. 11%, P 70 mmol/mol (AOR 6.4), and high MSC (≥9.3 nmol/L) (AOR 4.8). Conclusions The depressed T2D patients had traits of atypical depression, without associated high MSC (≥9.3 nmol/L) and anxiety, but the association with alexithymia was strong. The depressed T1D patients had traits of melancholia with associated high MSC and anxiety. The obesity prevalence was high in depressed T2D patients and low in depressed T1D patients

Abdominal obesity in type 1 diabetes associated with gender, cardiovascular risk factors and complications, and difficulties achieving treatment targets : A cross sectional study at a secondary care diabetes clinic

Background: Abdominal obesity is linked to cardiovascular diseases in type 1 diabetes (T1D). The primary aim was to explore associations between abdominal obesity and cardiovascular complications, metabolic and inflammatory factors. The secondary aim was to explore whether achieved recommended treatment targets differed between the obese and non-obese participants. Methods: Cross sectional study of 284 T1D patients (age 18-59 years, men 56%), consecutively recruited from one secondary care specialist diabetes clinic in Sweden. Anthropometrics, blood pressure, serum-lipids and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were collected and supplemented with data from the patients' medical records and from the Swedish National Diabetes Registry. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference men/women (meters): ≥1.02/≥0.88. Hs-CRP was divided into low-, moderate-, and high-risk groups for future cardiovascular events ( 3 to ≤8.9 mg/l). Treatment targets were blood pressure ≤ 130/≤ 80, total cholesterol ≤4.5 mmol/l, LDL: ≤ 2.5 mmol/l, and HbA1c: ≤5 2 mmol/mol (≤ 6.9%). Different explanatory linear, logistic and ordinal regression models were elaborated for the associations, and calibrated and validated for goodness of fit with the data variables. Results: The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 49/284 (17%), men/women: 8%/29% (P 70 mmol/mol (> 8.6%) (AOR 2.7), systolic blood pressure (per mm Hg) (AOR 1.05), and triglycerides (per mmol/l) (AOR 1.7), were associated with abdominal obesity. Sub analyses (n = 171), showed that abdominal obesity (AOR 5.3) and triglycerides (per mmol/l) (AOR 2.8) were associated with increasing risk levels of hs-CRP. Treatment targets were obtained for fewer patients with abdominal obesity for HbA1c (8% vs 21%, P = 0.044) and systolic blood pressure (51% vs 68%, P = 0.033). No patients with abdominal obesity reached all treatment targets compared to 8% in patients without abdominal obesity. Conclusions: Significant associations between abdominal obesity and gender, cardiovascular disease, and the cardiovascular risk factors low-grade inflammation, systolic blood pressure, high HbA1c, and triglycerides, were found in 284 T1D patients. Fewer patients with abdominal obesity reached the treatment targets for HbA1c and systolic blood pressure compared to the non-obese