Background: Caring for children with cancer can be a stressful experience for parents and may have negative effects on their physical and psychological well-being. Although evidence has shown that resilience is associated with positive psychological well-being, few interventions have been specifically designed to enhance the resilience of parents of children with cancer. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a mobile device–based resilience training program in reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing resilience and quality of life (QoL) in parents of children with cancer. Methods: Parents of children diagnosed with cancer were recruited from the pediatric oncology wards of 3 tertiary hospitals in China. The participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (52/103, 50.5%) to undergo an 8-week mobile device–based resilience training program or to the control group (51/103, 49.5%) to receive an 8-week program of placebo information. The study outcomes included resilience, depressive symptoms, and QoL, as measured by the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Short Form of the 6-Dimension Health Survey, respectively. All data were collected at baseline and at 2 and 6 months of follow-up. The data analysis followed the intention-to-treat principle. A generalized estimating equation was used to examine the effects of the intervention. Results: The participants were mostly female (72/103, 69.9%), and their mean age was 33.6 (SD 5.2) years. The participants in the experimental group showed significantly higher levels of resilience (mean 67.96, SD 15.8 vs mean 58.27, SD 19.0; P<.001) and lower levels of depressive symptoms (mean 40.17, SD 9.9 vs mean 46.04, SD 10.9; P<.001) than those in the control group at 6 months of follow-up. The intervention showed statistically significant effects in improving resilience (β=6.082; P=.01) and decreasing depressive symptoms (β=−2.772; P=.04) relative to the control group. The QoL score in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group at 6 months of follow-up (mean 0.79, SD 0.2 vs mean 0.76, SD 0.3; P=.07); however, no statistically significant intervention effect was detected (β=.020; P=.38). Conclusions: The mobile device–based resilience training program effectively enhanced resilience and alleviated depressive symptoms in parents of children with cancer. It is highly recommended that health care professionals incorporate this resilience training program when providing psychological care to parents of children with cancer. Trial Registration: Clinical.Trials.gov NCT04038242; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04038242
This study explored the relationships among resilience, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. We selected a stratified random sample of 1816 Form 1 students from all 18 districts of Hong Kong. This study revealed that about 21 percent adolescents are experiencing some depressive symptoms. Our results contribute novel findings to the literature showing that resilience is a strong indicator of adolescents at a higher risk of depression and increasing adolescents’ resilience to psychological distress is crucial to enhance their mental well-being. It is crucial to develop interventions that can enhance resilience and promote positive mental well-being among adolescents.
1 August 2019 in European Journal of Oncology Nursing
Background: A clinical handover is an essential nursing practice that ensures patient safety. However, most newly graduated nurses struggle to conduct clinical handovers as they lack sufficient communication skill competence and self-efficacy in this practice. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of a blended learning programme on the communication skill competence and self-efficacy of final-year nursing students in conducting clinical handovers. Methods: A randomised controlled design was used. A convenience sample of 96 final-year baccalaureate nursing students at a local university. Data were collected in 2020. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 50) that received a blended learning programme with face-to-face training and an online module on handover practice, or a waitlist control group (n = 46) that received only face-to-face handover training during the study period and an online module immediately after the completion of data collection. The primary outcome was the communication skill competence and the secondary outcome was the self-efficacy of the participants in conducting clinical handovers. An analysis of covariance was used to examine the between-subjects effects on self-efficacy and communication skill competence in conducting clinical handovers after controlling for the significantly correlated variables. A paired sample t-test was used to determine the within-subjects effects on self-efficacy. Results: The participants in the experimental group had significantly higher communication skill competence (p < 0.001) than those in the waitlist control group. Although both groups showed a significant improvement in self-efficacy, the mean scores of the experimental group were higher than those of the waitlist control group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the efficacy of a blended learning approach in improving the communication skill competence and self-efficacy of final-year nursing students in conducting clinical handovers. Nurse educators should incorporate a blended learning approach into the nursing curriculum to optimise the content of training programmes for teaching nursing students in conducting clinical handovers. Trial registration: The study protocol was registered in the Registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05150067; retrospective registration; date of registration 08/12/2021).
Background: Evidence has shown that survivors of pediatric brain tumors have more negative psychological sequela, particularly depression, than do survivors of other childhood cancers. This study examined the efficacy of a musical training program in reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing self‐esteem and quality of life in Hong Kong Chinese pediatric brain tumor survivors.Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial, two‐group pretest and repeated posttest, between‐subjects design was conducted to 60 pediatric brain tumor survivors (8‐5 years old). Participants in the experimental group received a weekly 45‐min lesson on musical training for 52 weeks. Participants in the control group received a placebo intervention. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were self‐esteem and quality of life at 12 months. Data were collected at baseline and 6 and 12 months after the intervention began.Results: Participants in the experimental group reported statistically significant fewer depressive symptoms (P < 0.001), higher levels of self‐esteem (P < 0.001), and better quality of life (P < 0.001) than the control group at 12‐month follow‐up.Conclusions: This study provides evidence that musical training is effective in reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing self‐esteem and quality of life in Hong Kong Chinese pediatric brain tumor survivors. These results indicate that musical training is not only a leisure activity but also carries therapeutic effects in promoting psychological well‐being and quality of life in pediatric brain tumor survivors.