Review
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Birthe Loa Knizek, Johnny Andoh-Arthur, Joseph Osafo, James Mugisha, Eugene Kinyanda, Charity Akotia, Heidi Hjelmeland
Summary: This study focuses on the cultural interpretations of the dominant religion, Christianity, in Ghana and Uganda, and how it affects attitudes toward suicidal behavior and coping possibilities for those affected by suicide. Religion is seen as a protective coping force in dealing with stressful life events.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Ramya Tadipatri, Amir Azadi, Madison Cowdrey, Samuel Florian Fongue, Paul Smith, Evangelia Razis, Maria Boccia, Yumna Ghouri, Paula Zozzaro-Smith, Ekokobe Fonkem
Summary: The survey among physicians in Sub-Saharan Africa revealed that about 48% of them felt comfortable in providing palliative care consultations. However, 52% believed that palliative care is only appropriate when there is irreversible deterioration, and 49% do not have access to liquid opioid agents. Cultural beliefs held by patients or families were identified as a barrier to adequate palliative care treatment.
JOURNAL OF PAIN AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Normarie Torres Blasco, Rosario Costas Muniz, Carolina Zamore, Laura Porter, Maria Claros, Guillermo Bernal, Megan Johnson Shen, William Breitbart, E. M. Castro
Summary: This study aims to culturally adapt a psychosocial intervention protocol called 'Caregivers-Patients Support to Latinx coping advanced-cancer' (CASA) by combining two evidence-based interventions and adapting them to improve the sense of meaning and communication among patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Giulio Formoso, Massimiliano Marino, Monica Guberti, Roberto Giuseppe Grilli
Summary: The study investigated the use of anticancer drugs and palliative care services in the last month of life among cancer patients in Northern Italy. The results showed an inverse association between drug therapy and palliative care, with variability across different regions. The findings are consistent with previous studies.
Review
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Margarida Almeida, Catarina Ramos, Laura Maciel, Miguel Basto-Pereira, Isabel Leal
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the association between meaning in life, meaning-making, and posttraumatic growth in the context of cancer. The results indicate a significant moderate correlation between meaning in life and posttraumatic growth. Future research should further explore this relationship.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Anat Laronne, Leeat Granek, Lori Wiener, Paula Feder-Bubis, Hana Golan
Summary: Pediatric palliative care is an evolving field in Israel, with pediatric oncologists facing challenges in differentiating between palliative care and standard pediatric oncology care. The findings highlight the importance of continued development of pediatric palliative care to reduce the suffering of children and their families. Pediatric oncologists require more resources and access to explicit knowledge of both primary and specialized pediatric palliative care.
SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Qinqin Cheng, Yinglong Duan, Hongling Zheng, Xianghua Xu, Khalid Khan, Jianfei Xie, Yongyi Chen
Summary: The study found that the majority of cancer patients in Mainland China have limited knowledge of palliative care, but most support it and prefer to receive care and die at home. They also wish to know their diagnosis or prognosis, and prioritize improving quality of life over extending life expectancy.
Article
Oncology
Kendra L. Rieger, Thomas F. Hack, Miriam A. Duff, Heather J. Campbell-Enns, Christina H. West
Summary: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of cancer patients participating in a mindfulness-based expressive arts group intervention and to identify individual and contextual factors influencing their experiences. Findings revealed that mindfulness facilitated participants in letting go of rumination and calming their minds, allowing them to fully engage in arts activities. The combination of mindfulness and the arts created a unique healing space where individual work was nested within group processes.
SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Sylvie Fortin, Josiane Le Gall, Antoine Payot, Michel Duval
Summary: In the hospital setting, decision-making processes can be complex, with factors such as patient, caregivers, and scientific knowledge all playing a role. Even in the face of potential death, action may still be sustained through the intricate relationship between science, caregiver, and care receiver.
MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Hellen Luiza Meireles Silva, Pedro Henrique Martins Valerio, Cristiano Roque Antunes Barreira, Fernanda Maris Peria
Summary: This study explored the religious experiences of cancer patients in palliative care, finding that their surrender to the divine and belief in its power brought them meaning in life and a sense of hope and value.
BMC PALLIATIVE CARE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Joep Leerssen
Summary: This article discusses how human culture evolves over time and generations, showcasing the complexity of cultural operations and the two-way interaction between the 'etic' substance and 'emic' function in cultural exchanges. Furthermore, the article explores the reconciliation of evolutionary approaches with the characteristics of human culture, as well as the application of the concept of culture to evolutionary modeling.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Romel Jonathan Velasco Yanez, Ana Fatima Carvalho Fernandes, Samuel Miranda Mattos, Thereza Maria Magalhaes Moreira, Regia Christina Moura Barbosa Castro, Erilaine de Freitas Corpes, Luis Carlos Lopes-Junior
Summary: This study aims to map and synthesize the available evidence on palliative care for women with breast cancer and to discuss the review results with stakeholders. It will consist of a scoping review phase and a focus group discussion phase with stakeholders.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Katharine E. Brock, Nicholas P. DeGroote, Anna Roche, Annika Lee, Karen Wasilewski
Summary: The Supportive Care Clinic (SCC) has been successful as an embedded pediatric palliative care (PPC) service in pediatric oncology, achieving significant growth in outpatient visits and improving end-of-life care for children with cancer.
JOURNAL OF PAIN AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Piret Paal, Anne Mueller, Woukelyne Gil, Gil Goldzweig, Frank Elsner
Summary: This study examines the current state of palliative care in Israel, including its cultural and political characteristics, and the opportunities, goals, and obstacles of advancing palliative care in the country. Participants perceive palliative care as an integrative healthcare service that should be available to all patients regardless of age and background.
JOURNAL OF RELIGION & HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Naveen Salins, Sean Hughes, Nancy Preston
Summary: Children with cancer are rarely referred to palliative care and the referral process is often delayed, with oncologists and haematologists playing a key role. Improved knowledge on palliative care referral in paediatric oncology settings may enhance collaboration between paediatric oncology and paediatric palliative care.
CURRENT ONCOLOGY REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Nursing
Laura Booi, Judith Sixsmith, Habib Chaudhury, Deborah O'Connor, Melanie Young, Andrew Sixsmith
Summary: This study highlights the challenges faced by care aides in LTRC settings and the societal ageism, gendered nature of care work, and the tension between relational connections and economic profit. It emphasizes the importance of supporting care aides in their essential role in providing high-quality care, with suggestions including improved training, autonomy, and reducing stigma.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING
(2021)
Article
Gerontology
Ryan Woolrych, Judith Sixsmith, Jamuna Duvvuru, Adriana Portella, Mei Lan Fang, Deborah Menezes, James Henderson, Jenny Fisher, Rebecca Lawthom
Summary: Research on older people in India, Brazil, and the United Kingdom reveals how they construct places from social, community, and cultural dimensions, and how they negotiate place in everyday life to establish place attachment, belonging, and identity. Age-friendly interventions need to consider the changing physical, social, and cultural dimensions of aging and place, requiring integrated place-making practices to support older people to age in suitable places across rapidly transforming urban contexts globally.
Article
Gerontology
Deborah Menezes, Ryan Woolrych, Judith Sixsmith, Meiko Makita, Harry Smith, Jenny Fisher, Soledad Garcia-Ferrari, Rebecca Lawthom, James Henderson, Michael Murray
Summary: The global ageing population presents both opportunities and challenges for designing urban environments that support ageing in place. The World Health Organization's Global Age-Friendly Cities movement emphasizes the need for communities to optimize health, participation, and security to enhance quality of life as people age. To ensure that age-friendly urban environments promote active ageing, cities and communities must support older adults' rights to access and move around the city and actively involve them in the transformation of the city.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Justus Onu, Tonia Onyeka, Ngozichukwu Nneka Unaogu, Alhassan Datti Mohammed, Kehinde Okunade, Sunday Oriji, David Agom, Dorothy Ekewuba, Cajetan Okwudili Alumona, Chidiebere Peter Echieh, Adaeze Ozoagu
Summary: This study investigated the psychological and behavioral responses of frontline healthcare workers in Nigeria during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. It found that a significant portion of individuals exhibited clinically significant anxiety symptoms, with nurses bearing the highest burden. Factors such as perceived likelihood of a second wave, self-preparedness, gender, and job position were significant predictors of anxiety responses.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN AFRICA
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Tonia C. Onyeka, Justus U. Onu, David A. Agom
Summary: This review explores the psychosocial aspects of adult cancer patients in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), identifying research gaps and making recommendations for future research, policy, and practice. The review includes 83 studies across 15 countries, covering areas such as psychosocial needs, psychiatric disorders, coping strategies, suicidality, psychometrics, and psychosocial interventions. Despite sufficient research on psychosocial needs and psychiatric disorders, there is a significant gap in research on psychosocial interventions.
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Alington Mhungu, Judith Sixsmith, Emma Burnett
Summary: This scoping review examines the experiences of adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa living with HIV, highlighting the challenges they face and the gaps in research.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mei Lan Fang, Judith Sixsmith, Alison Hamilton-Pryde, Rayna Rogowsky, Pat Scrutton, Ro Pengelly, Ryan Woolrych, Rachel Creaney
Summary: This study aims to develop an intergenerational, age-friendly living ecosystem to enhance public health planning in response to evolving aging societies, ongoing digitalisation, and the circumstances of COVID-19. Through a participatory research approach, including virtual co-creation and surveys, opinions from 35-50 participants and data from 130 surveys were collected. The findings highlight the important characteristics of intergenerational, age-friendly places, including sensory factors, physical and digital factors, and socio-cultural factors. Through the co-creation process, a proof of concept and roadmap for public health planning were developed.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Review
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Judith Sixsmith, Meiko Makita, Deborah Menezes, Marianne Cranwell, Isaac Chau, Mark Smith, Susan Levy, Pat Scrutton, Mei Lan Fang
Summary: This study conducted a rapid realist review to explore the key components of age-friendly ecosystems that promote community participation among older adults. It synthesized evidence from different sources and found that age-friendly ecosystems are characterized by accessible physical environments, supportive social networks and services, and opportunities for meaningful engagement. The study also emphasized the importance of recognizing the diverse needs and preferences of older adults and involving them in the design and implementation of age-friendly ecosystems.
Review
Psychology, Clinical
Aikaterini Mentzou, Judith Sixsmith, Maggie P. Ellis, Josephine Ross
Summary: This scoping review examines the nature and scope of changes in the psychological self in people living with dementia. The study finds that while there are alterations in different manifestations of the self, it does not imply a complete loss of selfhood. Understanding these changes is crucial for addressing psychological symptoms and informing dementia care interventions.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW
(2023)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Albert Farre, Mei Fang, Beth Hannah, Meiko Makita, Alison McFadden, Deborah Menezes, Andrea Rodriguez, Judith Sixsmith, Nicola M. Gray
Summary: This study aimed to investigate and explore the use of digital technology in healthcare services in the UK, with explicit consideration of health inequalities. Data from 11 articles, covering 9 interventions, were analyzed. The findings suggest that digital health interventions can help address health inequalities, but the current evidence base is still underdeveloped.
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Judith Sixsmith
Summary: The development of AgeTech is crucial for improving the quality of life of older people, but it may also bring negative consequences and ethical challenges.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 15TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO ASSISTIVE ENVIRONMENTS, PETRA 2022
(2022)
Article
Nursing
David A. Agom, Judith Sixsmith, Jude Ominyi, Tonia C. Onyeka, Joy C. Agom
Summary: This study explores the impact of the physical environment on palliative and end-of-life care in a Nigerian hospital context. The findings reveal that the physical environment in Nigeria's hospitals is untidy and lacks adequate equipment, leading to a negative impact on the quality of care. Urgent action is needed to improve environmental and staffing conditions to enhance palliative and end-of-life care in Nigeria.
JOURNAL OF NURSING RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
Tharin Phenwan, Judith Sixsmith, Linda McSwiggan, Deans Buchanan
Summary: Research with People with Dementia (PwD) faces challenges due to disease symptoms and logistical issues. Internet-based methods have become a viable option during COVID-19, but require careful consideration of technical support and ethical concerns. Researchers must navigate practical, technical, and ethical challenges to effectively engage with PwD online.
QUALITATIVE REPORT
(2021)
Article
Gerontology
Ryan Woolrych, Judith Sixsmith, Jenny Fisher, Meiko Makita, Rebecca Lawthom, Michael Murray
Summary: The research explores how older adults construct and negotiate social participation in urban environments, finding that meaningful social participation in old age requires support from physical, psychological and social processes experienced in the home, outdoor spaces, and community facilities. The findings have significant implications for practice in age-friendly communities.
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
David Agom, Tonia Onyeka, Peace Iheanacho, Jude Ominyi
Summary: The scoping review on adult palliative care in Africa revealed individual, system, and relational barriers to the access and utilization of palliative care. The majority of studies reviewed used cross-sectional and retrospective study designs, highlighting the need for more qualitative research in this area. Future research could focus on exploring underlying factors to barriers and understanding ethno-religious perspectives on palliative care in Africa.
INDIAN JOURNAL OF PALLIATIVE CARE
(2021)