Exploring the potential of the process drama convention of dramatised poetry to enhance anger-management skills in adolescent girls

This article investigates the way the methodology of process drama, and specifically the convention of dramatised poetry, can enhance the anger-management skills of adolescent girls. The article presents findings from a recent study that set out to teach anger-management skills to adolescent girls using process drama conventions. The argument explores the notion of process drama propounded by the prominent applied drama scholar Cecily O’Neill (1995) and the applicability of this methodology for stimulating the perception, awareness and identification of various forms of anger as prerequisites to anger management in adolescent girls. As the adolescent girl finds herself at the crossroads of childhood and adulthood, emotions of frustration and anger towards parents and peer groups often surface. It is therefore beneficial for her to be empowered with the insight and skills required to identify and manage her anger. The fictitious world within process drama creates a safe space where sensitive issues can be explored without uncovering personal issues. Poetry is, in many instances, loaded with emotional content and can therefore be used as a vehicle for considering emotional issues that would otherwise not be possible. This article therefore reports on a multidiscipline research project, namely the dramatisation of poetry, as a convention of the methodology of process drama, to enhance anger management, as an emotional competence in the 14- to 15-year-old adolescent girl.http://www.tandfonline.comtoc/rthj202016-05-30hj201

Linguistic dual tasking reduces emotionality, vividness and credibility of voice memories in voice-hearing individuals:Results from a controlled trial

Dual taxation of the working memory during recall is an effective strategy to reduce the emotionality and vividness of visual intrusive memories and potentially changes dysfunctional beliefs associated with the memories. This study tested the hypothesis that dual tasking decreases emotionality, vividness and credibility of auditory intrusive images (i.e., memories of auditory hallucinations) with a two-level (time: pre and post; condition: dual tasking and recall only) within-subjects design. Thirty-seven voice-hearing participants selected two negative voice-hearing experiences. They recalled one of these experiences while performing a lingual dual task (i.e., language game on smartphone app) and recalled one memory without a dual task (in counterbalanced order). During the pre-test and post-test, emotionality and vividness of the voice-hearing memories were rated, as well as the credibility of the voice statements. There was a significantly greater decrease in emotionality, vividness and credibility during dual tasking than during recall only. This study provides proof of principle that the salience and credibility of the content of auditory hallucinations can be reduced by dual tasking; the clinical implications are also discussed

The scope of costs in alcohol studies: Cost-of-illness studies differ from economic evaluations

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alcohol abuse results in problems on various levels in society. In terms of health, alcohol abuse is not only an important risk factor for chronic disease, but it is also related to injuries. Social harms which can be related to drinking include interpersonal problems, work problems, violent and other crimes. The scope of societal costs related to alcohol abuse in principle should be the same for both economic evaluations and cost-of-illness studies. In general, economic evaluations report a small part of all societal costs. To determine the cost- effectiveness of an intervention it is necessary that all costs and benefits are included. The purpose of this study is to describe and quantify the difference in societal costs incorporated in economic evaluations and cost-of-illness studies on alcohol abuse.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>To investigate the economic costs attributable to alcohol in cost-of-illness studies we used the results of a recent systematic review (June 2009). We performed a PubMed search to identify economic evaluations on alcohol interventions. Only economic evaluations in which two or more interventions were compared from a societal perspective were included. The proportion of health care costs and the proportion of societal costs were estimated in both type of studies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The proportion of healthcare costs in cost-of-illness studies was 17% and the proportion of societal costs 83%. In economic evaluations, the proportion of healthcare costs was 57%, and the proportion of societal costs was 43%.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The costs included in economic evaluations performed from a societal perspective do not correspond with those included in cost-of-illness studies. Economic evaluations on alcohol abuse underreport true societal cost of alcohol abuse. When considering implementation of alcohol abuse interventions, policy makers should take into account that economic evaluations from the societal perspective might underestimate the total effects and costs of interventions.</p

Cost-effectiveness of counseling and pedometer use to increase physical activity in the Netherlands: a modeling study

Background: Counseling in combination with pedometer use has proven to be effective in increasing physical activity and improving health outcomes. We investigated the cost-effectiveness of this intervention targeted at one million insufficiently active adults who visit their general practitioner in the Netherlands.Methods: We used the RIVM chronic disease model to estimate the long-term effects of increased physical activity on the future health care costs and quality adjusted life years (QALY) gained, from a health care perspective.Results: The intervention resulted in almost 6000 people shifting to more favorable physical-activity levels, and in 5100 life years and 6100 QALYs gained, at an additional total cost of EUR 67.6 million. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was EUR 13,200 per life year gained and EUR 11,100 per QALY gained. The intervention has a probability of 0.66 to be cost-effective if a QALY gained is valued at the Dutch informal threshold for cost-effectiveness of preventive intervention of EUR 20,000. A sensitivity analysis showed substantial uncertainty of ICER values.Conclusion: Counseling in combination with pedometer use aiming to increase physical activity may be a cost-effective intervention. However, the intervention only yields relatively small health benefits in the Netherlands

The polypill in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: cost-effectiveness in the Dutch population

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of the polypill in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. DESIGN: A health economic modeling study. SETTING: Primary health care in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Simulated individuals from the general Dutch population, aged 45-75 years of age. INTERVENTIONS: Opportunistic screening followed by prescription of the polypill to eligible individuals. Eligibility was defined as having a minimum 10-year risk of cardiovascular death as assessed with the SCORE function of alternatively 5%, 7.5%, or 10%. Different versions of the polypill were considered, depending on composition: 1) the Indian polycap, with three different types of blood pressure lowering drugs, a statin, and aspirin; 2) as 1) but without aspirin; 3) as 2) but with a double statin dose. In addition, a scenario of (targeted) separate antihypertensive and/or statin medication was simulated. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Cases of acute myocardial infarction or stroke prevented, QALYs gained, and the costs per QALY gained. All interventions were compared with usual care. RESULTS: All scenarios were cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio between €7,900-12,300 per QALY compared with usual care. Most health gains were achieved with the polypill without aspirin and containing a double dose of statins. With a 10-year risk of 7.5% as threshold, this pill would prevent approximately 3.5% of all cardiovascular events. CONCLUSIONS: Opportunistic screening based on global cardiovascular risk assessment followed by polypill prescription to those with increased risk offers a cost-effective strategy. Most health gain is achieved by the polypill without aspirin and a double statin dose

Learn 2 Move 16-24: Effectiveness of an intervention to stimulate physical activity and improve physical fitness of adolescents and young adults with spastic cerebral palsy; a randomized controlled trial

Background: Persons with cerebral palsy (CP) are at risk for developing an inactive lifestyle and often have poor fitness levels, which may lead to secondary health complications and diminished participation and quality of life. However, persons with CP also tend not to receive structural treatment to improve physical activity and fitness in adolescence, which is precisely the period when adult physical activity patterns are established.Methods: We aim to include 60 adolescents and young adults (16-24 ye

Cytoreductive Surgery with the PlasmaJet Improved Quality-of-Life for Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer Patients

Background: Knowledge of quality-of-life after cytoreductive surgery is important to counsel patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer prior to surgery. The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of the PlasmaJet Surgical device during cytoreductive surgery has an effect on the quality-of-life of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods: Data included in this prospective observational study were derived from the PlaComOv study, in which patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer were randomly assigned to have cytoreductive surgery with or without adjuvant use of the PlasmaJet. Quality-of-life was measured before surgery and one, six, 12, and 24 months after surgery with three questionnaires: the EORTC QLQ-C30, QLQ-OV28, and EQ-5D-5L. Results: Between 2018 and 2020, 326 patients were enrolled in the trial. The overall response rate was high, with the lowest response rate at 24 months of 77%. At 6 months, quality-of-life was higher in the intervention group (95%CI 0.009; 0.081, p = 0.045). At 12 months, quality-of-life was higher in the intervention group with fewer symptoms of fatigue, appetite loss, and diarrhea (95%CI 0.6; 10,0, p = 0.027); similarly, patients in the intervention group reported a better body image (95%CI −14.2; −3.0, p = 0.003) and a higher score on the visual analog scale (95%CI 1.99; 11.15, p = 0.005). At 24 months postoperatively, no further difference was found between the two groups except for pain (95%CI −12.9; −0.8, p = 0.027) and body image (95%CI −13.808; −0.733, p = 0.029). A higher quality-of-life in the intervention group was partially explained by the mediator ‘surgery outcome’. Conclusions: This study demonstrated knowledge of patients’ quality-of-life until two years after cytoreductive surgery. The use of the PlasmaJet Surgical device during cytoreductive surgery leads to a higher quality-of-life than conventional surgery with electrocoagulation alone. Even after adjustment for the mediator of surgical outcome, a higher quality-of-life was seen in patients who had surgery with the use of the PlasmaJet device.</p

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells in thrombosis-on-a-chip devices

A microfluidic thrombosis-on-a-chip platform was developed to compare the pro-thrombotic response of healthy and inflamed monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells (hiPSC-ECs). Inflammation was induced by exposing the endothelial cells (ECs) to an inflammatory cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α). After human whole blood perfusion at an arterial shear rate, the platelet coverage and average clot size were determined. Healthy endothelium showed a lower platelet coverage than inflamed endothelium. A minor difference was measured for both platelet coverage and average clot sizes on inflamed HUVECs versus hiPSC-ECs