Connection Betwixt Mental Health Outcomes and Quality of Existence in Cancer - Research Paper Example

Relationship between Optimism, Mental Health Outcomes, and Quality of life in Cancer Patients and Survivors Name Institution Date Relationship between Optimism, Mental Health Outcomes, and Quality of life in Cancer Patients and Survivors Abstract The purpose of this research is to explore relationships between people’s current beliefs, feelings and behavior, especially: the primary orientation in time (i.e. time-perspective), mindfulness, motivation, self-efficacy and optimism levels, practice of health behavior (e.g. exercise, relaxation), and your recent feelings and experiences (e.g. perceived stress, anxiety, depression), physical health, and QOL as regards cancer patients. Introduction Cancer is one of the crucial diseases that affect people in the world. The essence and duality of work among many people suffering from cancer has been depicted to surround a number of concepts that are multicultural in the society. The effects of the disease range from those that are physical to those related to the physical and/or demographic characteristics of a person. From the study, it is relevant to note that there is a close relationship between optimism, mental outcomes, and quality of life in cancer patients and survivors. When people are diagnosed with cancer, they often receive no information about how to best deal with the disease. Some even receive no treatment; with the only option being to “watch and wait.” There are numerous lay and professional papers and books espousing the best way to live with, and survive cancer, but few of the approaches have ever been empirically tested (Scheier et, al., 2003). Currently, there are two dominant approaches in the cancer psychology literature; one suggesting the importance of optimism, and the other stressing the importance of mindfulness and/or accepting the cancer (Nortvedt & Riise, 2003). Rather than assert the correctness of either approach, in this study, we will test a comprehensive model that incorporates both approaches. Thus, we hypothesize there can be three possible responses to lymphoma/WM as follows: Some people will respond by showing a primary orientation towards the future, rely on their usual optimism to motivate them, and show an active, solution-focused engagement with the illness; Others will show a primary orientation to the present, e.g. living in the present moment, and respond to the disease using mindful-awareness or acceptance, e.g. not dwelling on the illness. The first strategy is expected to be associated with high anxiety levels, since some people who focus on the future can also worry about future outcomes. However, both of these responses are expected to be associated with generally positive mental health outcomes, such as less depression and better quality of life (QOL); However, people who focus on negative experiences in their past are expected to respond more pessimistically to the illness, resulting in worse mental health outcomes and QOL. Study aims The study research is conducted in order to statistically examine the relationship between dispositional optimism levels, experiences of mental health (e.g. stress, anxiety, & depression) and quality of life, in a sample of people with a rare form of NHL called Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (Magnan & Mood 2003). Hypotheses H1: Higher optimism levels will be associated with the experience of lower levels of psychological stress; H2: Higher optimism levels will be associated with the experience of lower levels of anxiety; H3: Higher optimism levels will be associated with the experience of lower levels of depression, and; H4: Higher optimism levels will be associated with the experience of higher levels of quality of life, relative to those with lower optimism levels. Materials In the study, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were used to evaluate levels of psychological stress, anxiety, and depression; the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General [Version 4] (FACT) was used to assess quality of life; and the Life Orientation Test-revised (LOT-R) was used to assess dispositional optimism (Fisk et, al.,1994). Method Participants The study was conducted with full human research ethics committee approval. Potential participants were recruited via an advertisement placed on an international lymphoma support website. Three-hundred-eight people clicked on the study URL and entered the study information webpage, but only 106 agreed to participate in the study. All participants were diagnosed with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma called Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia, at least two-years ago (Cella et, al., 1993). The participants were 43 females and 63 males who ranged in age from 32 to 84years.They were diagnosed with the lymphoma between two to 20 years ago. Most were currently in remission or had stable disease, and most were not currently taking prescribed medication or treatment for their lymphoma. Measures Participants were asked about their age, gender, marital status, and employment status. They were also asked about their current remission status (i.e. remission/stable disease vs. relapse) and whether they were currently receiving treatment for their lymphoma. Stress, anxiety, & depression. Respondents were asked to complete the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) which consists of three subscales measuring depression (DASS-D), anxiety (DASS-A) and stress (DASS-S); each subscale has seven items. Participants were asked to respond to each item using 4-point Likert response scales ranging from 0 (did not apply to me at all) to 3 (applied to me very much/most of the time), with high scores indicating greater stress and distress. Reported internal consistency reliabilities for the DASS-21 subscales are high with Cronbach’s alphas of .92 (DASS-D), .81 (DASS-A), and.86 (DASS-S) (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). In this study, the internal consistencies were acceptable to high, with Cronbach’s alphas of .89 (DASS-D), .67 (DASS-A), and .87 (DASS-S). Quality of life (QOL) Respondents were asked to complete the 27-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General Version 4 (FACT-G; Cella et al. 1993), which measures health-related QOL. The FACT-G asks respondents to indicate how true each statement has been for them over the past week, using 5-point Likert type response scales ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (very much), with high scores indicating higher QOL. The internal consistency of the total FACT-G was shown to be high with a Cronbach’s alpha of.87 in cancer patients (Magnan & Mood, 2003). In this study, the FACT-G internal consistency was also high with a Cronbach’s alpha of .89). Dispositional optimism The Life Orientation Test (LOT) was developed to assess individual differences in generalized optimism versus pessimism. Respondents were asked to complete the 10-item LOT-R scale by rating 10 statements, using 5-point Likert response scales ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with high values indicating greater dispositional optimism. The reported internal consistency for the scale is high with a Cronbach’s alpha of .80 (Scheier et, al., 1994). In this study, the internal consistency was also high with a Cronbach’s alpha of .83). Procedure After reading information about the study, participants were asked to tick a box to indicate their agreement and consent to participate in the study. They were then asked to complete an online questionnaire that asked them about their recent experiences of psychological stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, dispositional optimism, medical details, and demographics (Sharrack & Hughes, 1999). Participants were indirectly recruited to the study via an advertisement placed on an international lymphoma support website (Sharrack Hughes, 1999). They were informed about the voluntary nature of their participation that they were free to withdraw from the study at any time, and that their responses would be stored confidentially (Brown et, al., and 2009). They indicated their consent to participate in the study by ticking a box, prior to commencing the online survey (Amato et, al., 2001). The survey asked them about demographics and medical details, and their recent experiences of stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and dispositional optimism (Vickrey et, al., 1995). Statistical analyses were conducted using the Predictive Analytic Software (PASW/SPSS) Statistics version 18 for Macintosh (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).Materials (Ravnborg et, al., 1997). Results Means and Standard Deviations of QOL Scores for Low Versus High Groups of Disability, Depression and Fatigue Quality of Life Variable M SD Disability Low 73.52 20.48 High 64.74 20.90 Depression Low 77.43 15.18 High 59.93 23.25 Fatigue Low 79.45 14.50 High 59.02 21.90 Discussion An analysis of the data determined that the total quality-of-life (QOL, FACT-G) score was negatively skewed, and the DASS stress, anxiety and depression scores were positively skewed; such that most study participants reported high levels of QOL, and low levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. However, the dispositional optimism score (LOT-R) was normally distributed (Beck, 1996). Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistics fall key study variables except for optimism were significant (p Read More

The participants were 43 females and 63 males who ranged in age from 32 to 84years.They were diagnosed with the lymphoma between two to 20 years ago. Most were currently in remission or had stable disease, and most were not currently taking prescribed medication or treatment for their lymphoma. Measures Participants were asked about their age, gender, marital status, and employment status. They were also asked about their current remission status (i.e. remission/stable disease vs. relapse) and whether they were currently receiving treatment for their lymphoma.

Stress, anxiety, & depression. Respondents were asked to complete the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) which consists of three subscales measuring depression (DASS-D), anxiety (DASS-A) and stress (DASS-S); each subscale has seven items. Participants were asked to respond to each item using 4-point Likert response scales ranging from 0 (did not apply to me at all) to 3 (applied to me very much/most of the time), with high scores indicating greater stress and distress.

Reported internal consistency reliabilities for the DASS-21 subscales are high with Cronbach’s alphas of .92 (DASS-D), .81 (DASS-A), and.86 (DASS-S) (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). In this study, the internal consistencies were acceptable to high, with Cronbach’s alphas of .89 (DASS-D), .67 (DASS-A), and .87 (DASS-S). Quality of life (QOL) Respondents were asked to complete the 27-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General Version 4 (FACT-G; Cella et al. 1993), which measures health-related QOL.

The FACT-G asks respondents to indicate how true each statement has been for them over the past week, using 5-point Likert type response scales ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (very much), with high scores indicating higher QOL. The internal consistency of the total FACT-G was shown to be high with a Cronbach’s alpha of.87 in cancer patients (Magnan & Mood, 2003). In this study, the FACT-G internal consistency was also high with a Cronbach’s alpha of .89). Dispositional optimism The Life Orientation Test (LOT) was developed to assess individual differences in generalized optimism versus pessimism.

Respondents were asked to complete the 10-item LOT-R scale by rating 10 statements, using 5-point Likert response scales ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with high values indicating greater dispositional optimism. The reported internal consistency for the scale is high with a Cronbach’s alpha of .80 (Scheier et, al., 1994). In this study, the internal consistency was also high with a Cronbach’s alpha of .83). Procedure After reading information about the study, participants were asked to tick a box to indicate their agreement and consent to participate in the study.

They were then asked to complete an online questionnaire that asked them about their recent experiences of psychological stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, dispositional optimism, medical details, and demographics (Sharrack & Hughes, 1999). Participants were indirectly recruited to the study via an advertisement placed on an international lymphoma support website (Sharrack Hughes, 1999). They were informed about the voluntary nature of their participation that they were free to withdraw from the study at any time, and that their responses would be stored confidentially (Brown et, al.

, and 2009). They indicated their consent to participate in the study by ticking a box, prior to commencing the online survey (Amato et, al., 2001). The survey asked them about demographics and medical details, and their recent experiences of stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and dispositional optimism (Vickrey et, al., 1995). Statistical analyses were conducted using the Predictive Analytic Software (PASW/SPSS) Statistics version 18 for Macintosh (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).Materials (Ravnborg et, al., 1997). Results Means and Standard Deviations of QOL Scores for Low Versus High Groups of Disability, Depression and Fatigue Quality of Life Variable M SD Disability Low 73.52 20.

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