Patrick Callaghan

Applying the Transtheoretical Model of Change to exercise in young Chinese people.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to test the application of the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) in relation to exercise behaviour of 298 Hong Kong Chinese undergraduates. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used. Respondents completed measures of stages of change, self-efficacy, processes of change, decisional balance, exercise and demographic data. RESULTS: Significant effects for stage of change were found for self-efficacy, pros, exercise and nine of the 10 processes of change. In general, scores on these variables were found to increase across the stages although post hoc tests revealed slightly different patterns of significant differences. Cons were not found to differ significantly across stages of change. The relationship between self-efficacy and processes of change was dependent on stage of change. CONCLUSIONS: The results support some of the assumptions of the TTM but raise questions about the predicted relationships between stages of change and processes of change and between self-efficacy and processes of change at each stage of change. The practical implications of the findings for the development of interventions to improve young peoples exercise levels are discussed.

A survey of stress, job satisfaction and burnout among haemodialysis staff.

BACKGROUND Burnout, psychological distress and job satisfaction experienced by healthcare workers in general are well documented in the literature; however, there is a paucity of research that focuses on the experiences of haemodialysis staff. METHOD The study investigates burnout, psychological distress and job satisfaction in a sample of 50 haemodialysis staff from two units in one National Health Service (NHS) trust in London, England, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). RESULTS The majority of staff did not experience burnout or psychological distress and were satisfied with their jobs. However, some participants had low personal accomplishment and were dissatisfied with certain areas of their jobs. Age and length of haemodialysis experience were associated with burnout, job satisfaction and psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS Older staff and staff with a greater length of service in haemodialysis have higher levels of burnout, psychological distress and job dissatisfaction.

Comparisons of psychotropic drug prescribing patterns in acute psychiatric wards across Europe

ObjectiveTo compare prescribed daily doses (PDDs) of psychotropic drugs in several European centres.MethodA one-day census of psychotropic drug prescriptions to 613 patients in 39 acute psychiatric wards in ten countries.ResultsPatients in Spain were on most drugs; patients in Germany were on the fewest. Chlorpromazine equivalents in Denmark, England, Germany and Spain were at high levels as were diazepam equivalents in Belgium, Finland, The Netherlands and Norway. Newer anti-psychotics were used in the majority of centres, although older anti-psychotics were used commonly in three centres.ConclusionThe high doses of psychotropic drugs patients receive in some centres may be having little additional therapeutic effect and could increase their risk of side effects. The use of older anti-psychotics in some centres may be causing side effects that could be reduced by using newer anti-psychotics.

The effect of pre-operative psychological interventions on post-operative outcomes in Chinese women having an elective hysterectomy

OBJECTIVE To test the effect of cognitive interventions with information given pre-operatively on post-operative outcomes in Chinese women undergoing elective hysterectomies. DESIGN An experimental design. The experimental group (n=48) received cognitive distraction and cognitive reappraisal with information, the control group (n=48) received information only. OUTCOME MEASURES Post-operative anxiety (Chinese State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and mean arterial blood pressure), post-operative requests for analgesia (drug record), post-operative pain (visual analogue scale) and satisfaction (Chinese Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire). RESULTS Cognitive distraction and reappraisal with information produced lower post-operative anxiety and pain scores and higher levels of satisfaction than information only. Post-operative analgesic requests did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive distraction and reappraisal with information, when used with women undergoing a hysterectomy may have significant clinical benefits.