BackgroundWhile night shifts are crucial for patient care, they threaten doctors' well-being and performance. Knowledge of how the impact of night shifts differs for doctors is needed to attenuate... Show moreBackgroundWhile night shifts are crucial for patient care, they threaten doctors' well-being and performance. Knowledge of how the impact of night shifts differs for doctors is needed to attenuate the adverse effects of night shifts. This study aimed to obtain more precise insight into doctors' feelings surrounding night shift by: identifying profiles based on doctors' alertness, contentedness and calmness scores before and after night shifts (research question (RQ) 1); assessing how doctors' pre- and post-shift profiles change (RQ2); and determining associations of doctors' demographics and shift circumstances with alertness, contentedness and calmness change (RQ3).MethodsLatent Profile Analysis using doctors' pre- and post-shift self-rated alertness, contentedness and calmness scores was employed to identify pre- and post-shift profiles (RQ1). A cross-tabulation revealed pre- and post-shift profile changes (RQ2). Multiple regressions determined associations of demographics (i.e. age, sex, specialty) and night shift circumstances (i.e. hours worked pre-call, hours awake pre-call, shift duration, number of consecutive shifts, total hours of sleep) with alertness, contentedness and calmness change (RQ3).ResultsIn total, 211 doctors participated with a mean age of 39.8 & PLUSMN; 10 years; 47.4% was male. The participants included consultants (46.4%) and trainees (53.6%) of the specialties surgery (64.5%) and obstetrics/gynaecology (35.5%). Three pre-shift (Indifferent, Ready, Engaged) and four post-shift profiles (Lethargic, Tired but satisfied, Excited, Mindful) were found. Most doctors changed from Ready to Tired but satisfied, with alertness reducing most. Age, specialty, sleep, shift duration and the number of consecutive shifts associated with alertness, contentedness and calmness changes.ConclusionsThe results provided nuanced insight into doctors' feelings before and after night shifts. Future research may assess whether specific subgroups benefit from tailored interventions. Show less
Dijxhoorn, A.F.; Raijmakers, N.; Linden, Y. van der; Leget, C.; Brom, L. 2022
Objectives. Many aspects of palliative care, such as managing (complicated) symptoms, conductinggoals-of-care conversations, and repeated exposure to loss, can be stressful to clinicians.Previous... Show moreObjectives. Many aspects of palliative care, such as managing (complicated) symptoms, conductinggoals-of-care conversations, and repeated exposure to loss, can be stressful to clinicians.Previous research on the emotional impact of providing palliative care was mainlydone in specialist settings. However, the majority of palliative care is provided by clinicianswho are not specialized in palliative care, and can be supported by palliative care specialistsonly when needed. Therefore, this study aimed to gain insight into the emotional impactof providing palliative care on clinicians, both palliative care generalists and specialists.Methods. A qualitative interview study among 21 clinicians (11 doctors and 10 nurses) workingin hospitals, home care, or nursing homes in the Netherlands was conducted. BetweenFebruary and June 2019, 13 palliative care generalists and 8 specialists were interviewed.Interviews were thematically analyzed by two researchers.Results. All clinicians considered the emotional impact of providing palliative care to be substantialand experienced both positive and negative aspects of providing palliative care. Severalaspects of providing palliative care can support or undermine emotional stability. These socalledfacilitators and barriers, such as practicing self-care and complexity of palliative care,were found at three different levels: individual, team, and organization.Significance of results. Although clinicians experience providing palliative care as meaningfuland valuable, the emotional impact is considerable. Negative and positive aspects often coexist.Further insight into the dynamics and magnitude of the emotional impact of providingpalliative care is needed in order to create a healthy working environment and develop adequateinterventions. Show less
Objective: To examine the relationship between risk factors for low patient activation and change in patient activation, well-being, and health outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus ... Show moreObjective: To examine the relationship between risk factors for low patient activation and change in patient activation, well-being, and health outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Method: A longitudinal prospective study was conducted with measurements at baseline and 20-week follow-up among 603 people with T2DM participating in a group-based walking intervention. Patient activation and risk factors were assessed using online questionnaires. Health outcomes were assessed in participants' general practices. Results: No association was found between risk factors for activation and change in patient activation. Patient activation significantly increased (t(602) = 2.53, p = 0.012) and was associated with an increase in emotional well-being (beta = 0.22), exercise behavior (beta = 0.17), general diet behavior (beta = 0.20), and a reduction in BMI (beta = -0.28), weight (beta = -0.29), and HbA1c (beta = -0.27). Conclusion: Favorable changes in patient activation, self-management, well-being, and health outcomes occurred during a walking intervention, despite highly prevalent risk factors for low activation and less engagement in self-management. Practice implications: Group-based walking interventions might empower people with T2DM to begin taking a larger role in their self-care and improve (mental) health outcomes. Vulnerable groups of patients (with multiple risk factors for low activation) can change and presumably need this kind of interventions to be able to change. Show less
Dalmaijer, E.; Leeuwen, M. van; Putte, E. van de 2021
The aim of this article is to show what a linguistic-stylistic approach can offer for the study of correlations between language use and well-being, in which quantitative and qualitative analysis... Show moreThe aim of this article is to show what a linguistic-stylistic approach can offer for the study of correlations between language use and well-being, in which quantitative and qualitative analysis go hand in hand. As a case study, we investigate whether there are differences in the language used by recovered and non-recovered adolescents who followed the online FitNet treatment for chronic fatique syndrome (CFS). More specifically, we analyzed whether there are differences between both groups in their use of five linguistic means that hide agency. Our results indicate that this is the case indeed: non-recovered patients used these linguistic means more often than recovered patients. In addition, both patient groups show a different development during the therapy: while non-recovered patients increased their use of these stylistic phenomena during the treatment, recovered patients decreased their use of these same phenomena. As such, our study shows that there is indeed a correlation between the use of certain formulations in the language used by patients with CFS and (a change in) their well-being. It is argued that the linguistic means that we investigated, could not have been analysed with a purely computational approach, and that a linguistic-stylistic approach is thus of added value for studying correlations between language use and recovery. Show less
Boomsma, C.; Pahl, S.; Jones, R.V.; Fuertes, A. 2017
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects of the Dutch "Skills for Life" programme on students' health behaviours, bullying behaviour and suicidal ideation.Design/methodology... Show morePurpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects of the Dutch "Skills for Life" programme on students' health behaviours, bullying behaviour and suicidal ideation.Design/methodology/approach - The effectiveness of the "Skills for Life" programme on health behaviour outcomes was evaluated at three points in time in using a cluster randomized controlled study design with a follow-up of 20 months. In total, 27 schools and 1,394 students were included.Findings - The programme was judged to be well implemented in just under half of cases. The outcome results for the experimental group (EG) compared with controls present a complex picture at the three different time points used for evaluation. There was a clearly positive effect on levels of alcohol consumption and a clearly negative effect on smoking across time. There was a mixed picture over time for suicide ideation and for bullying including sexual bullying (although the prevalence rates for bullying were low and thus results should be treated with caution). There were generally more positive impacts on students with lower educational levels including less suicidal ideation and less bullying.Research limitations/implications - Limitations were the dropping out of several schools during the study and the low level of fidelity of the curriculum. Social emotional learning (SEL) programs can be part of a health promoting school framework but should be more tailored to disadvantaged school populations.Originality/value - The findings indicate that students with a less optimal starting position, when it comes to health related behaviours, benefit most from a SEL programme. This indicates that schools with disadvantaged school populations could benefit most from a Health Promoting School approach. Show less
Pauwels, E.K.J.; Volterrani, D.; Mariani, G.; Kostkiewics, M. 2014
