A project in Alabama takes a down-to-earth approach in teaching patients to think differently and cope more effectively with chronic pain. It may alleviate depression, too.
The big “C” – cancer — can cause panic and feelings of helplessness. These feelings, however, often are shared beyond the patients being screened or treated for the disease. Employers often are unsure of how to help their employees who have been diagnosed with cancer and desire to remain at work during treatment or return to work after care.
Most current approaches to patient care are focused on patients’ symptoms, limitations, and weaknesses. This approach can guide medical treatment, but it does not unleash the transformative power of people’s positive personal strengths that can help patients to live a fulfilling life despite having multiple chronic illnesses. A growing body of research points to the potential of bringing patient-identified personal strengths (PIPS) into illness management to achieve better patient-centered outcomes.
The residents of urban centers suffer from many health and social problems. In East Baltimore (EB), many barriers frustrate residents’ aspirations to achieve health and well-being. Community-based organizations (CBO) can help but reach only a fraction of potential clients. Hospitals, providers, and community members often are unaware of available medical and community-based services. Community engagement can improve understanding and use of healthcare services, thereby improving patient outcomes.
Why is this important? Nearly 800,000 Americans receive mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure in the intensive care unit (ICU) each year. Afterward, more than 60% of both patients and their family caregivers suffer from psychological distress, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for longer than a year after discharge. Patients and families told us that they need help with their distress because it worsens their quality of life.
The mortality rate among people with serious mental illness (SMI) is two to three times that of the general population (DeHert et al., 2011), meaning that those with a serious mental illness die, on average, 25 years earlier than those without a SMI (Parks et al., 2006). There is evidence that these deaths are largely attributed to preventable medical conditions, many of which are more common in the SMI population.
Is a Patient Navigation Program More Helpful than a Referral Program for Reducing Depression and Improving Quality of Life among Women Living in Neighborhoods with Few Resources?
Background: Socioeconomically disadvantaged (SD) women are at elevated risk for depression and poor treatment engagement and outcomes. Many use obstetric/gynecology (OB/GYN) practices as their primary resource for physical and mental health care. Yet their depression most often goes unrecognized and unaddressed within OB/GYN, and, when addressed, engagement and outcomes are poor. Patients at the greatest risk include those with multiple biomedical and psychosocial problems, trauma exposure, healthcare barriers, and experiencing a lack of empowerment over one’s own health.
Major depression, plus other chronic illness such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and heart failure is common among low-income, culturally diverse safety net care patients. Unfortunately, many of these patients are uncomfortable about either asking their doctor questions about their illness and treatment options and their illness self-care or informing their doctors about their treatment preferences.
