This study was conducted to examine the relationship between cancer patients’ spiritual needs and their quality of life and depression levels.

This cross-sectional, exploratory study was conducted between March 2023 and November 2024. The study population consisted of cancer patients hospitalized in medical oncology departments at a university hospital in eastern Turkey. The sample consisted of 250 patients, determined by power analysis. To collect data, the “Demographic Information Form,” “Spiritual Needs Assessment Scale,” “EORTC QLQ-C30 Version 3.0 Quality of Life Scale,” and “Beck Depression Scale” were used to evaluate the patients’ sociodemographic characteristics and disease process.

There was a weak, negative, statistically significant relationship between patients’ spiritual needs and the subdimensions of the quality of life scale, specifically the general perceived health status (r = −0.297, p < 0.001), physical (r = −0.446, p < 0.001), role (r = −0.423, p < 0.001), emotional (r = −0.472, p < 0.001), cognitive (r = −0.458, p < 0.001) and social (r = −0.443, p < 0.001) functions, and finally, a weak positive correlation was found between the symptoms experienced (r = 0.376, p < 0.001) and depression levels. Additionally, a weak positive correlation between spiritual needs and depression level (r = 0.374, p < 0.001) was identified. Functional areas, depression, education level, diagnosis duration, and symptoms were identified as variables predicting spiritual needs.

In conclusion, it was determined that as the spiritual needs of cancer patients increased, their quality of life decreased and the severity of depression increased.

Medical advances have extended the lives of adults with CHD, but transitioning to adult healthcare remains challenging. Identifying factors related to lapses in care is crucial for adult females due to their unique healthcare needs.

We examined the relationships among length of lapses in primary care and cardiology services with quality of life and perceived health status for adult females with CHD.

A convergent mixed-methods design was used to examine thirty adult females with CHD, aged 21–30. Descriptive statistics and correlational analysis were used to examine perceived health status and quality of life based on lapse of care durations. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data.

A 12-month or greater lapse in care occurred in 46.7% of participants for cardiology and 60% for primary care, and 30.0% lacked an established adult primary care provider. Participants cited healthcare system barriers, provider shortages, and difficult transitions from paediatric providers as contributing factors to lapses in care. Despite lapses, most participants reported similar or better physical health scores than the general population. However, those with either no or prolonged lapse in cardiology care had lower mental health scores. Participants with primary care lapses greater than 6 months reported better quality-of-life scores than those with uninterrupted care.

Significant gaps, which contribute to lapses of care, persist in transition care for females with CHD. Findings highlight the need for structured transition planning, improved primary care access, and an integrated primary-specialty care model to improve transition.

This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire for Colorectal Cancer for Serbian patients.

The prospective cohort study was conducted at the Clinic for Digestive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, and included 150 Serbian-speaking colorectal adenocarcinoma patients undergoing colorectal surgery. The translation process involved rigorous forward and backward translations, pilot testing with patients, and statistical analysis for psychometric validation, including internal consistency, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, concurrent validity, and known-groups validity.

Results showed good internal consistency across most scales (Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.769 to 0.855), with excellent split-half reliability (0.872). Convergent and discriminant validity analyses confirmed the questionnaire’s capacity to measure constructs it was theoretically related. The significant correlations were observed between corresponding scales and items of EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-CR29 questionnaires. Known-groups analysis demonstrated the tool’s ability to distinguish between patient groups based on tumor location, stoma presence, and neoadjuvant therapy.

The Serbian version of the EORTC QLQ-CR29 is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the quality of life in Serbian colorectal cancer patients, reflecting its potential for widespread clinical application.

The study was conducted to determine the relationship between spirituality and the quality of life among women with breast cancer.

This study utilized descriptive correlational research and a purposive sampling technique that involved women with breast cancer. Patients with breast cancer from particular breast cancer societies and organizations in Manila made up the sample. A total of 123 participants were included in the study. The Spiritual Index of Well-Being (SIWB) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire were used to collect the needed data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to determine the relationship between spirituality and quality of life among women with breast cancer.

A high level of spirituality and quality of life were found among the participants. Overall, the mean score of the SIWB among the participants was 4.48 (±0.670), while the quality of life score was 62.6 (±10.9). A significant negative correlation was found between spirituality and quality of life (r = -0.127, p = 0.031), while significant positive correlations were noted between quality of life and self-efficacy (r = 0.683, p < 0.001) and life schemes or meaning in life (r = 0.704, p < 0.001).

Although spirituality and quality of life had a negative correlation, the subscales of self-efficacy and life scheme had high positive correlations, indicating the complex dimensions of spirituality. In addition to providing coping strategies, spirituality offers patients the emotional, social, and existential support they need to deal with the unknowns of illness.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a well-established intervention for treatment-resistant depression. However, its effects on patient-reported outcomes, such as quality of life (QoL), have not been fully characterized, especially among older adults. This study compares the impact of rTMS on QoL in younger (<60 years) versus older (≥60 years) adults with major depressive disorder.

We analyzed data from 531 participants with depression (ages 18–89 years) from two randomized clinical trials (THREE-D and FOUR-D). All participants received either unilateral or bilateral rTMS or theta burst stimulation. QoL was assessed using the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire – Short Form at baseline, end of treatment, and 12-week follow-up, and compared between younger adults (age < 60 years; n = 360) and older adults (age ≥ 60 years, n = 171). The clinical relevance of the changes was evaluated through effect sizes, using a predefined threshold of 12 points as the minimal clinically important difference, and comparisons with community norms.

After rTMS treatment, both younger and older adults experienced statistically significant improvements in QoL, with medium to large effect sizes. The effect was sustained over 12 weeks of follow-up. At baseline, only 0.3% of younger adults and 2.3% of older adults reported normal QoL, which significantly increased to, respectively, 19.8 and 19.4% by the end of treatment, and 23.7 and 26.8% at the 12-week follow-up.

rTMS yielded acute and sustained clinically meaningful improvements in QoL, with similar effects among younger and older adults with depression. The magnitude of improvement was comparable to, or exceeded, that reported in antidepressant trials.

Strength-based approaches are increasingly common in neurodevelopmental research, but the positive characteristics that may be features of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remain underexplored. The extent to which people with ADHD recognize and use their personal strengths, and whether these play a role in their life outcomes, is also unknown. Tackling these gaps in the literature, we conducted the first study of self-reported strengths, strengths knowledge, and strengths use in ADHD.

Adults with (n = 200) and without (n = 200) ADHD were recruited online and rated their endorsement of 25 putative ADHD-related strengths. Participants also completed self-report measures assessing strengths knowledge, strengths use, subjective wellbeing, quality of life, and mental health. Using both Frequentist and Bayesian methods, we compared the groups and explored the associations of strengths knowledge and use with outcomes across both groups.

The ADHD group endorsed 10 strengths more strongly than the non-ADHD group, including hyperfocus, humor, and creativity, but reported similar endorsement for 14 of the strengths. Adults with and without ADHD did not differ on their strengths knowledge and use but, in both groups, increased strengths knowledge and, to some extent, greater strengths use were associated with better wellbeing, improved quality of life, and fewer mental health symptoms.

We conclude that, while adults with and without ADHD may have both similarities and differences in strengths, interventions that focus on enhancing people’s strength knowledge and promoting the everyday use of their personal strengths could have universal applications to improve wellbeing in adulthood.

Patients with locally advanced laryngeal malignancy may be offered total laryngectomy or chemoradiotherapy. Laryngeal dysfunction is a consequence of non-surgical treatment and can result in issues with airway, voice, and swallow.

Semi-structured qualitative interviews explore the experiences of patients who have undergone functional laryngectomy for non-functional larynx in one UK health board.

3 patients were identified and interviewed. Thematic Analysis generated four main themes: Preparation for treatment, Tipping Points, Post-Operative Quality of Life and Attitudes to Future Healthcare. These themes uncover the functional and psychological experiences of patients undergoing functional laryngectomy.

This study explores the many facets of the decision to undergo functional laryngectomy; namely recognising a patient’s tipping point and changes in attitudes towards surgical intervention. Ultimately this enhances our understanding of the rationale of patient’s choices, which can aid in the counselling of future patients.

Family caregivers (FCGs) may experience numerous psychosocial and practical challenges with interpersonal relationships, mental health, and finances both before and after their care recipient (CR) dies. The specific challenges affecting rural FCGs who often have limited access to palliative care services, transitional care, and other community resources are not well understood. The purpose of this paper is to quantify the challenges rural FCGs experienced immediately before the death of a CR and continuing into the bereavement period.

A secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial was conducted. The 8-week intervention included video visits between a palliative care research nurse and FCGs caring for someone with a life-limiting illness. Data were from structured interviews during nurse visits with FCGs in the intervention arm whose CR died during the intervention period.

Ninety (41.8%) of the 215 FCGs experienced the death of their CR. The majority of FCGs were female (58.9%), White (97.5%), spouses or partners (55.6%) and lived with the CR (66.7%). Most FCGs (84%) continued with intervention visits by the study nurse after the CR’s death. Visits resumed on average 7.2 days post-death. The majority of FCGs experienced challenges with grief/coping skills (56%) and interpersonal relationships/support systems (52%) both pre- and post-death of the CR. FCGs also experienced practical challenges with income/finance, housing, and communication with community resources both pre-and post-death.

Bereavement support should extend beyond a focus on grief to include practical challenges experienced by FCGs. Because challenges experienced in the bereavement period often begin before a CR’s death, there is benefit in continuity of FCG support provided by a known clinician from pre- to post-death. When given an option, many rural FCGs are open to bereavement support as early as a week after the death of a CR.

Benzodiazepines (BZ) are widely prescribed to patients with severe mental illnesses, yet their long-term impact on global health remains underinvestigated. While their symptomatic benefits are acknowledged, data on their associations with quality of life (QoL), metabolic comorbidities, and side effects are limited.

In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed clinical data from 1,248 patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (BD), or major depressive disorder at a psychiatric center in Marseille, France. Associations between BZ use and key outcomes – including QoL (Short Form Health Survey [SF-36], EuroQol-5 Dimensions [EQ-5D], and Schizophrenia Quality of Life Questionnaire - 18 items [SQoL-18]), metabolic parameters, and treatment side effects (Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser Side Effect Rating Scale [UKU scale]) – were examined using multivariate regression analyses.

BZ use was significantly associated with lower QoL scores on physical and mental health domains of the SF-36 (p < 0.001), increased impairment across EQ-5D dimensions, and reduced subjective well-being (SQoL-18, p = 0.043). BZ users also presented higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, BZ use was independently associated with a higher burden of side effects across UKU subscales, particularly in the psychiatric domain (emotional blunting, anxiety, and depressive symptoms; p = 0.003).

These findings suggest that BZ use in severe psychiatric disorders may be linked to a substantial multidimensional health burden, including reduced QoL, greater side effect profile, and increased metabolic risk. These results highlight the need for evaluation of long-term BZ use and the promotion of safer alternative treatments.