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Biomedical subjects

F I Fawzy

Publications and source records attributed to F I Fawzy.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Psychosocial interventions for patients with cancer: what works and what doesn't.

With the successes that have been achieved in cancer care leading to patients surviving longer, the need for a variety of psychosocial intervention models is posing a new challenge to the field. This article reviews the general categories of interventions used most commonly: (1) education; (2) coping; (3) emotional support; and (4) psychotherapy. It provides a theoretical model for designing psychosocial interventions, and provides guidelines for assessing what works and what doesn't.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Effects of depressed mood versus clinical depression on neuropsychological test performance among African American men impacted by HIV/AIDS.

The utility of self-report measures in identifying those at risk for depressive disorder and the adverse impact of depression versus depressed mood and HIV serostatus on neuropsychological (NP) test performance were examined in a large sample (N = 243) of gay and bisexual African American men. Results indicate high rates of depression relative to recent population estimates, regardless of methodology, but that the use of standard cut-scores for self-report inventories may significantly overestimate psychiatric morbidity. Limited independent effects of serostatus or depression on NP test performance were observed. More importantly, a complex set of adverse effects of depression and its interaction with serostatus which varied according to the methodology used to assess depression were observed. These findings are discussed in light of ongoing controversy regarding the relative influence of depression on neuropsychological functioning among people living with HIV/AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

Critical review of psychosocial interventions in cancer care.

The need for a large variety of psychosocial interventions is enhanced as increasing numbers of patients with cancer have longer survival. This article reviews the four interventions used most commonly: (1) education, (2) behavioral training, (3) individual psychotherapy, and (4) group interventions. It examines the outcomes of each type of intervention. This comprehensive review of the intervention literature reveals the availability of a wide range of options for patients with cancer and their potential psychological and physical health benefits.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

A short-term psychoeducational intervention for patients newly diagnosed with cancer.

The psychological and medical problems encountered by cancer patients are numerous and unique. The diagnosis of cancer frequently produces psychological distress. A review of the literature and the authors' clinical and research experience suggest that cancer patients may benefit from a variety of psychological intervention programs. A structured, psychiatric intervention consisting of health education, stress management/behavioral training, coping (including problem-solving techniques), and psychosocial group support offers the greatest potential benefit for patients newly diagnosed or in the early stages of their treatment. Early-stage interventions that encourage active behavioral coping and active cognitive coping rather than avoidance or passive acceptance of the illness can be helpful psychologically. These active behavioral and cognitive coping behaviors, which can be learned, can attenuate the psychological distress caused by stressful illness, decrease the amount of psychosocial adjustment to the illness needed, improve overall quality of life, and may also be associated with longer survival times.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Malignant melanoma. Effects of an early structured psychiatric intervention, coping, and affective state on recurrence and survival 6 years later.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated recurrence and survival for 68 patients with malignant melanoma who participated in a 6-week structured psychiatric group intervention 5 to 6 years earlier, shortly after their diagnosis and initial surgical treatment. We also explored the role of several factors as possible predictors of outcome. DESIGN: This was a randomized controlled experimental study. The Cox proportion hazards regression model was used to quantify the relationship between treatment and the outcomes adjusted by the covariates (age, sex, Breslow depth, tumor site, baseline Profile of Mood States Total Mood Disturbance, baseline active-behavioral coping, baseline natural killer cell activity, and treatment [ie, group intervention]). The stepwise procedure was used for covariate selection. RESULTS: For control patients, there was a trend for recurrence (13/34) and a statistically significant greater rate of death (10/34) than for experimental patients (7/34 and 3/34, respectively). We found that being male and having a greater Breslow depth predicted greater recurrence and poorer survival. Analysis of multiple covariates found that only Breslow depth and treatment (ie, group intervention) were significant. Adjusting for Breslow depth, treatment effect remained significant. Finally, baseline affective distress and baseline coping were significant psychobehavioral predictors for recurrence and survival. Surprisingly, higher levels of baseline distress as well as baseline coping and enhancement of active-behavioral coping over time were predictive of lower rates of recurrence and death. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric interventions that enhance effective coping and reduce affective distress appear to have beneficial effects on survival but are not proposed as an alternative or independent treatment for cancer or any other illness or disease. However, the exact nature of this relationship warrants further investigation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Surgeons' personalities: the influence of medical school.

Does medical school shape surgeons' personalities? This research retrospectively compares personality test results of 17 surgical and 44 non-surgical specialists trained at the same medical school. Fifty-five standardized personality measures at two developmental periods (the outset and the conclusion of medical school) revealed no pronounced differences between surgeons and other specialists. Interviews with 30 academic doctors (10 surgeons, 10 anaesthesiologists and 10 psychiatrists) explore the apparent discrepancy between personality tests scores and commonly held opinions that surgeons' personalities differ from other doctors.

Education, Medical, Undergraduate↗
PubMed1992

The need for multidisciplinary training in counseling the medically ill. Report of the training committee of the Linda Pollin Foundation.

Training for medical counselors requires that medicine and psychiatry give up the position that counseling is only a negligible offshoot that almost any professional can readily do. Instead, counseling can be considered a generic concept that covers a wide variety of interventions designed to help patients cope with the complications and consequences of their chronic illness. This report outlines the principles and scope of training for consideration in the area of counseling the medically ill and reviews the current status of training programs in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, social work, and nursing. Recommendations are made for future directions, including role clarification for disciplines, building a credible research base, provision of guidelines and possible accreditation, and incorporating medical counseling into training fellowships.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1991

Quality of life research in oncology. Past achievements and future priorities.

The status of quality of life research in oncology is assessed, and priorities for future research with regard to conceptual and theoretical developments, focus and content of research, research designs and practical strategies for research implementation, and transferring information to clinical practice and medical policy decision-making are identified. There is general agreement that quality of life is a subjective and multidimensional construct, yet comprehensive theoretical models have not been developed and applied fully. We recommend that future research be based on conceptual models that explicate the interrelationships among quality of life domains throughout the stages of cancer care. These models, and the longitudinal research that follows from them, should attend specifically to cross-class and cross-cultural issues to avoid overgeneralization from theory and research that are based largely on the views of the majority culture. We encourage the inclusion of this theory-based quality of life assessment as a standard component of clinical trials. Success in this endeavor will require additional standardization of quality of life measures for use across a range of cancer patient populations, including the development of age-specific norms and instruments designed to assess the entire family system.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Bereavement in AIDS.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

A structured psychiatric intervention for cancer patients. I. Changes over time in methods of coping and affective disturbance.

We evaluated the immediate and long-term effects on psychological distress and coping methods of a 6-week, structured, psychiatric group intervention for postsurgical patients with malignant melanoma. The intervention consisted of health education, enhancement of problem-solving skills, stress management (eg, relaxation techniques), and psychological support. In spite of good prognosis, most patients had high levels of psychological distress at baseline, comparable with other patients with cancer. However, at the end of brief psychiatric intervention, the experimental subjects (n = 38), while not without some distress, exhibited higher vigor and greater use of active-behavioral coping than the controls (n = 28). At 6 months' follow-up, the group differences were even more pronounced. The intervention-group patients then showed significantly lower depression, fatigue, confusion, and total mood disturbance as well as higher vigor. They were also using significantly more active-behavioral and active-cognitive coping than the controls. These results indicate that a short-term psychiatric group intervention for patients with malignant melanoma effectively reduces psychological distress and enhances longer-term effective coping.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

A structured psychiatric intervention for cancer patients. II. Changes over time in immunological measures.

We evaluated the immediate and long-term effects on immune function measures of a 6-week structure psychiatric group intervention for patients with malignant melanoma. Along with a reduction in levels of psychological distress and greater use of active coping methods, the following immune changes were seen at the 6-month assessment point in the intervention-group patients (n = 35) compared with controls (n = 26): significant increases in the percent of large granular lymphocytes (defined as CD57 with Leu-7) and natural killer (NK) cells (defined as CD16 with Leu-11 and CD56 with NKH1) along with indications of increase in NK cytotoxic activity; and a small decrease in the percent of CD4 (helper/inducer) T cells. At the 6-week follow-up point, the majority of these changes were not yet observable. The results indicate that a short-term psychiatric group intervention in patients with malignant melanoma with a good prognosis was associated with longer-term changes in affective state, coping, and the NK lymphoid cell system. Affective rather than coping measures showed some significant correlations with immune cell changes.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

The relationship between medical and psychological status in newly diagnosed gay men with AIDS.

We assessed current medical and psychological status in 50 homosexual/bisexual males who were within 3 months of the diagnosis of AIDS. Subjects had typically impaired cellular immunity, relatively well-maintained physical performance capacity, and reported surprisingly good current health status, in spite of significant numbers of medical symptoms. While as a group they reported moderate levels of psychological distress, intact self-esteem, and a high quality of life, a significant minority reported high psychological distress, low self-esteem, and low quality of life. Psychological distress was correlated with subjective, but not objective, measures of current health status.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

Structured group intervention model for AIDS patients.

We have gathered and analyzed data on 50 gay men with AIDS before and after a ten-week structured group intervention aimed at reducing psychological distress and improving coping skills. Among the major findings have been information relating coping strategies to depression and anxiety, information about the support networks of people with AIDS, and the relationships between coping strategies, support networks and psychological mood states. We have also found that structured group interventions comprised of problem solving techniques, health education, relaxation training and emotional support are helpful in reducing anxiety and depression and in teaching people more positive ways of coping with their illness.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗