Christine Rini

Maternal prenatal anxiety and corticotropin-releasing hormone associated with timing of delivery

Objective: The high rate of preterm births is an imposing public health issue in the United States. Past research has suggested that prenatal stress, anxiety, and elevated levels of maternal plasma corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) are associated with preterm delivery in humans and animals. Studies to date have not examined all three variables together; that is the objective of this paper. Methods: Data from 282 pregnant women were analyzed to investigate the effect of maternal prenatal anxiety and CRH on the length of gestation. It was hypothesized that at both 18 to 20 weeks (Time 1) and 28 to 30 weeks gestation (Time 2), CRH and maternal prenatal anxiety would be negatively associated with gestational age at delivery. CRH was also expected to mediate the relationship between maternal prenatal anxiety and gestational age at delivery. Results: Findings supported the mediation hypothesis at Time 2, indicating that women with high CRH levels and high maternal prenatal anxiety at 28 to 30 weeks gestation delivered earlier than women with lower CRH levels and maternal prenatal anxiety. Women who delivered preterm had significantly higher rates of CRH at both 18 to 20 weeks gestation and 28 to 30 weeks gestation (p < .001) compared with women who delivered term. Conclusions: These findings are the first to link both psychosocial and neuroendocrine factors to birth outcomes in a prospective design. ANOVA = analysis of variance; BIPS = Behavior in Pregnancy Study; CRH = corticotropin-releasing hormone; HPA = hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; SNS = sympathetic nervous system.

The interpersonal process model of intimacy: The role of self-disclosure, partner disclosure, and partner responsiveness in interactions between breast cancer patients and their partners

This study evaluated H. Reis and P. Shavers (1988) interpersonal process model of intimacy in a sample of 98 women with breast cancer and their partners. Couples engaged in two discussions and rated self- and partner disclosure, perceived partner responsiveness, and intimacy experienced. A mediational model was tested in which partner responsiveness mediated the association between disclosure and intimacy. For patients, perceived responsiveness partially mediated the association between partner disclosure and intimacy, but self-disclosure was not significantly associated with responsiveness or intimacy. For partners, perceived responsiveness mediated the association between self-disclosure and perceived partner disclosure and intimacy. For breast cancer patients, partner disclosure predicted patient feelings of intimacy, because this type of disclosure was associated with greater feelings of acceptance, understanding, and caring. These findings may have implications for interventions to improve relationship closeness among couples coping with breast cancer.

Randomized Clinical Trial of Telephone-Administered Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Reduce Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Distress Symptoms After Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation

PURPOSE A significant number of survivors of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) report enduring adverse effects of treatment, including illness-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and general distress. We report results of a randomized clinical trial that tested the effects of a 10-session, telephone-administered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention on PTSD, depression, and distress symptoms. METHODS Survivors who had undergone HSCT 1 to 3 years earlier (N = 408) were assessed for study eligibility. Those who met study eligibility criteria (n = 89) completed a baseline assessment that included a clinical interview and self-report measures of PTSD symptoms (the primary outcome) and depression and general distress (the secondary outcomes). Next, they were randomly assigned to CBT or an assessment-only condition. Survivors in the CBT group completed 10 individual telephone-based CBT sessions (T-CBT) that included strategies to reduce PTSD symptoms, depression, and general distress. Follow-up assessments occurred at 6, 9, and 12 months after the baseline assessment. RESULTS Linear mixed-model analyses revealed that, compared with HSCT survivors in the assessment-only condition, survivors who completed T-CBT reported fewer illness-related PTSD symptoms, including less avoidance (P < .001) and fewer intrusive thoughts (P < .05) as well as less general distress and fewer depressive symptoms (P < .05) even after controlling for potential demographic and medical covariates. These results were consistent across the three follow-up assessments. CONCLUSION A brief, telephone-administered CBT intervention developed for HSCT survivors is an efficacious treatment for reducing illness-related PTSD symptoms and general distress.

Distress among women receiving uninformative BRCA1/2 results: 12‐month outcomes

Objective: Few data are available regarding the long‐term psychological impact of uninformative BRCA1/2 test results. This study examines change in distress from pretesting to 12‐months post‐disclosure, with medical, family history, and psychological variables, such as pretesting perceived risk of carrying a deleterious mutation prior to testing and primary and secondary appraisals, as predictors.

Posttraumatic growth, social support, and social constraint in hematopoietic stem cell transplant survivors

The relation between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and aspects of the social context, such as social support and social constraint, continues to be unclear in cancer survivors. Social cognitive processing theory is a useful framework for examining the effect of the social context on PTG. In theory, support interactions may either facilitate or hinder cognitive processing and thus lead to different PTG outcomes. The current study tested the hypothesis that emotional support and instrumental support would each explain a unique amount of the variance in PTG in distressed hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors. Additionally, it was predicted that social constraint on cancer‐related disclosure would be negatively associated with PTG.

Meeting them where they are: Using the Internet to deliver behavioral medicine interventions for pain

Pharmacological and interventional pain medicine treatments are emphasized in the routine treatment of chronic pain despite strong evidence for the efficacy and safety of behavioral approaches. Most medical professionals have not incorporated behavioral pain treatments into their practices. Internet-based interventions have the potential to increase clinical use of these treatments. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of current Internet-based behavioral pain management interventions, focusing on three broad intervention categories: therapist-guided interventions, unguided (automated) interventions, and pain-relevant applications for mobile platforms. Examples of each category are discussed, revealing a high degree of variation in approaches, user interfaces, and components as well as variability in the degree to which these interventions have been subjected to empirical testing. Finally, we highlight key issues for research and clinical implementation, with the goal of advancing this field so that it can meet its potential to increase access to evidence-based behavioral medicine treatments for chronic pain.

Effectiveness of Partner Social Support Predicts Enduring Psychological Distress after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

OBJECTIVE Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors who are 1 to 3 years posttransplant are challenged by the need to resume valued social roles and activities--a task that may be complicated by enduring transplant-related psychological distress common in this patient population. The present study investigated whether transplant survivors who receive adequate social support from their spouse or intimate partner experience lower distress. METHOD Effects of receiving a greater quantity of partner support (a common approach to studying enacted support) were compared with effects of receiving more effective partner support (i.e., support that more closely matches their needs in terms of its quantity and quality). Men and women (N = 230) who were 1 to 3 years posttransplant completed measures of partner support quantity (Manne & Schnoll, 2001), partner social support effectiveness (Rini & Dunkel Schetter, 2010), and psychological distress (Brief Symptom Inventory; Derogatis & Spencer, 1982). Potential medical and sociodemographic confounds were controlled in analyses. RESULTS As hypothesized, survivors reported less distress when they received more effective partner support (p < .001). Quantity of partner support was not associated with distress (p = .23). An interaction revealed that when partner support was effective, the quantity of support survivors received was not associated with their distress (p = .90); however, when partner support was ineffective, receiving a greater quantity of partner support was associated with substantially elevated distress (p = .002). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that clinical approaches to addressing or preventing enduring distress after HSCT should target features of partner support related to its appraised effectiveness.

Pre-bereavement meaning and post-bereavement distress in mothers of children who underwent haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to explore the association of meaning-making with psychological adjustment to bereavement among mothers of children who had undergone haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). DESIGN A prospective research design was used. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the relations between pre-bereavement variables (distress, searching for meaning, and finding meaning) and distress post-bereavement. METHODS Thirty-five mothers of children who had undergone HSCT were interviewed at the time of their childs HSCT and 3 months post-bereavement. RESULTS Mothers who reported searching for meaning at HSCT reported greater post-bereavement distress, and mothers who reported finding meaning at HSCT reported less post-bereavement distress. Distress at HSCT and the number of days between the time of death and the post-bereavement time point were also found to be significant predictors of post-bereavement distress. CONCLUSIONS This study provides partial support for the role of meaning in adjustment to loss.

Social and behavioral research in genomic sequencing: approaches from the Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research Consortium Outcomes and Measures Working Group

The routine use of genomic sequencing in clinical medicine has the potential to dramatically alter patient care and medical outcomes. To fully understand the psychosocial and behavioral impact of sequencing integration into clinical practice, it is imperative that we identify the factors that influence sequencing-related decision making and patient outcomes. In an effort to develop a collaborative and conceptually grounded approach to studying sequencing adoption, members of the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research Consortium formed the Outcomes and Measures Working Group. Here we highlight the priority areas of investigation and psychosocial and behavioral outcomes identified by the Working Group. We also review some of the anticipated challenges to measurement in social and behavioral research related to genomic sequencing; opportunities for instrument development; and the importance of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches. This work represents the early, shared efforts of multiple research teams as we strive to understand individuals’ experiences with genomic sequencing. The resulting body of knowledge will guide recommendations for the optimal use of sequencing in clinical practice.Genet Med 16 10, 727–735.

Social correlates of distress following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: Exploring the role of loneliness and cognitive processing

This study investigated whether loneliness and cognitive processing explain the influence of negative (social constraints) and positive (emotional support) relationship qualities on cancer survivors’ distress. Participants were 195 cancer survivors who had undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Path analysis supported the hypothesis that loneliness and cognitive processing would mediate the association between social constraints and distress. Only loneliness mediated the association between emotional support and distress – an indirect effect significant only when support came from family and friends rather than a partner. Findings suggest that addressing social constraints may enhance cancer survivors’ adjustment.