Biomedical subjects

Torill Christine Lindstrøm

Publications and source records attributed to Torill Christine Lindstrøm.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Coping with chronic pain.

Many models of pain give coping an important role in understanding adaptation to chronic pain. Among these, Lazarus and Folkman's cognitive-phenomenological model of stress and coping provides a theoretical framework to conceptualise stress phenomena and coping strategies related to chronic pain. Chronic pain often necessitates new coping skills. An understanding of the concept of coping and how the patients cope is therefore crucial for the success of rehabilitation. The current study examined how coping, as measured by the Ways of Coping Checklist, was related to medical variables, depression measured by the Short Zung depression rating scale, and Rosenberg's self-esteem scale. The study sample consisted of 88 people who were recruited for a multidisciplinary pain management programme. Data were collected as part of a routine pre-treatment evaluation. Results indicated that the most predominant stressors were related to family life and social activities. We also recognised on the one hand, appraising pain as a challenge was predictive of problem-focused coping, while on the other hand, appraising pain as a threat, experiencing depression, and reduced self-esteem were predictive of emotion-focused coping. Clinical implications of these results in nursing are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2005

Coping with a possible breast cancer diagnosis: demographic factors and social support.

AIM: This paper reports a study examining the relationships between demographic characteristics, social support, anxiety, coping and defence among women with possible breast cancer. BACKGROUND: Awaiting a possible breast cancer diagnosis is an anxiety-provoking situation that demands coping. Social support and demographic characteristics have been reported to influence coping and well-being, but the interconnection is insufficiently understood. DESIGN: A survey design was used, and self-administrated questionnaires were returned by a convenience sample of 117 women in Norway who had undergone breast biopsy. The data were collected from September 1998 to February 2000. INSTRUMENTS: The instruments consisted of: the Social Provisions Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Scale, Utrecht Coping List and Defence Mechanisms Inventory. In addition, data on age, level of education, employment, marital status, and household status were collected. RESULTS: Social support was positively related to instrumental-oriented coping and emotion-focused coping, unrelated to cognitive defence and defensive hostility. Educational level was positively related to instrumental-oriented coping. Educational level, employment and marital status were negatively related to cognitive defence. Educational level was the most important contributor to social support. Attachment and education were the most important contributors to instrumental-oriented coping, with education as the strongest predictor. CONCLUSION: Better coping was linked primarily to education, and secondly to attachment. Unemployment, low level of education and single/divorced/widowed status were related to greater use of cognitive defence. Women who used a defensive hostile style tended to receive poor social support. Nurses need to be aware of the influence of demographic characteristics on social support, coping and defence and to identify poor copers, as these patients are most in need of professional support.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2004

Health-related quality of life and pain beliefs among people suffering from chronic pain.

Chronic pain, when not effectively treated and relieved, may have a harmful effect on all aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQL). Furthermore, pain beliefs are considered an important mediating psychological factor in chronic pain. The present study focused on HRQL as measured by the Medical Outcomes Survey-Short Form (SF-36) and addressed possible relationships between pain beliefs as measured by the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory (PBAPI). The possible impact of background variables such as age, gender, social support, pain intensity, pain duration, and analgesics on HRQL were controlled for in the analyses. The study sample consisted of 81 people who were recruited from a multidisciplinary pain management program. Data were collected as the first part of a routine pretreatment evaluation. The chronic-pain patients reported lower scores on all dimensions of HRQL compared to normal controls and other patient groups. No significant association was found between pain beliefs and the physical health dimension of HRQL whereas gender, pain duration, and pain intensity were significant predictors of that dimension. In addition, one of the dimensions of pain beliefs (i.e., mystery) was found to be predictive of the mental health dimension of HRQL. Social support made an additional contribution to the explained variance in mental health. The implications of these results for assessing HRQL and pain beliefs in chronic pain are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Ambiguity leads to uncertainty: ambiguous demands to blood donors.

Blood donors must respond to standard control questions and comply to certain demands before donating blood, to exclude possible recent contamination. This study investigates whether donors had adequate knowledge about 'the immunological window period', and whether the standard questionnaire in use was understandable and clear. It was found that nearly 40% of the donors had inadequate knowledge about 'the immunological window period' and that 10-40% of the donors would respond in various ways to different interpretations of the formulations of the questionnaire, indicating that the questionnaire was ambiguous. It was concluded that these factors could increase the risk of donating on wrong conditions. Demands and control questions posed to donors must be void of ambiguous formulations and take proper account of actual human sexual behaviours and life styles. Finally, it is suggested that blood banks must offer practical solutions (such as a 'fake donation') for temporarily rejected donors in order to respect their private integrity.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

"It ain't necessarily so"... Challenging mainstream thinking about bereavement.

Traditional theories about grief and bereavement have been fundamentally and thoroughly challenged, primarily by Stroebe and Stroebe (1987), Wortman and Silver (1989), and Bonanno and Kaltman, (1999). In contrast to the old grief work perspective with its working through, depression, social disclosure of distress, and termination of the relationship to the dead, a completely different new perspective focusing on repression of depressive emotions and thoughts, display of positive emotions, moderate social disclosure, and continuation of the relationship to the dead has been proposed and scientifically supported. Still, the grief work perspective is very popular. In this article, both the old and the new views are challenged, and a more moderate perspective is suggested. Rational and irrational reasons for the old perspective's popularity are suggested. Consequences for therapeutic work (psychotherapy, counseling, nursing) are outlined. Finally, it is underlined that grief may be a meaningful, enrichening experience.

Adaptation, Psychological↗