25 results on '"Lau, BHP"'
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2. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger: Sense of coherence moderates growth from stress amidst the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak
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Cecilia L. W. Chan, Ng S, and Lau Bhp
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Stress (linguistics) ,Outbreak ,Psychology ,Social psychology ,Sense of coherence - Abstract
PurposeThis study explored the role of perceived severity of the pandemic, post-traumatic stress and sense of coherence in the development of post-traumatic growth from exposure to COVID-19 among Hong Kong citizens. MethodsA longitudinal online survey was launched during the first local outbreak in Spring 2020. Time 1 was collected at the peak of the outbreak (Mid-March to early-April) with measurements of post-traumatic stress, perceived severity, and sense of coherence; while Time 2 was conducted at the palliation of the outbreak (late-April to early May) with post-traumatic growth measured. Moderated mediation models were tested with SPSS PROCESS version 3.30. ResultsAmong the 327 participants who completed both T1 and T2 questionnaires, 28.4% exhibited probable post-traumatic stress disorder, while 18.0% experienced significant post-traumatic growth in at least one domain. Post-traumatic growth was more likely among people with higher socio-economic backgrounds and with family or close friends having experienced medical quarantine or being tested positive for SAR-CoV-2. The interaction between sense of coherence and post-traumatic stress significantly mediated the link relationship of perceived severity on post-traumatic growth, such that growth was more likely among participants with higher post-traumatic stress and sense of coherence. ConclusionEchoing with the transformational model, our findings highlight the importance of traumatic stress and adaptive coping resources in developing post-traumatic growth. Severe judgments of the novel and challenging pandemic could be conducive to growth, especially when the individuals possess high sense of coherence.
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- 2020
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3. De-Sexualizing Partner Notification: A Qualitative Study on Chinese Young Adults with Chlamydia
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Lau, BHP, Liu, L, Chan, CHY, Chan, CLW, Ong, JJ, Holroyd, E, Wong, WCW, Lau, BHP, Liu, L, Chan, CHY, Chan, CLW, Ong, JJ, Holroyd, E, and Wong, WCW
- Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chlamydia is common amongst the sexually active population in Hong Kong. As most cases are asymptomatic, partner notification may be helpful in controlling chlamydia. This study examined attitudes towards partner notification for chlamydia among Hong Kong Chinese youths in order to inform a culturally appropriate, patient-empowering sexual health service. METHODS: Sixteen individuals (aged 20 to 31) who received a confirmed diagnosis of chlamydia within the previous twelve months of data collection were recruited from two community-based organizations between June and December 2017. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted by a health psychologist. RESULTS: Nine participants notified a total of eleven current and ex-partners. Seven participants did not notify their sexual partner(s). Our findings revealed how participants struggled with the discrediting sexual aspect of their infection, and how de-sexualizing the infection and selected disclosure facilitated partner notification and social acceptance. Perceived stigma regarding chlamydia however did not dissipate with their disclosure. Participants did not perceive lasting impact of chlamydia on their well-being as they thought they have much control over whether and how to disclose to their (future) partners. All participants agreed there was a pressing need to raise public awareness on this silent but highly prevalent sexually transmitted infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings illustrate the complex struggle behind communicating about chlamydia to one's sexual partner and how strategizing the disclosure process served to circumvent embarrassment and foster testing of sexual partners.
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- 2021
4. Comparing the efficacy of integrative body-mind-spirit intervention with cognitive behavioral therapy in patient-caregiver parallel groups for lung cancer patients using a randomized controlled trial
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Lau, BHP, Chow, AYM, Ng, T-K, Fung, Y-L, Lam, T-C, So, T-H, Chan, JSM, Chan, CHY, Zhou, J, Tam, MYJ, Tsang, M-W, Cheng, NSY, Lim, PFM, Chow, S-F, Chan, CLW, Wong, DFK, Lau, BHP, Chow, AYM, Ng, T-K, Fung, Y-L, Lam, T-C, So, T-H, Chan, JSM, Chan, CHY, Zhou, J, Tam, MYJ, Tsang, M-W, Cheng, NSY, Lim, PFM, Chow, S-F, Chan, CLW, and Wong, DFK
- Abstract
Purposes/objectives: This paper reports the comparative efficacies of integrative body-mind-spirit intervention (I-BMS) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patient-caregiver parallel groups for Chinese patients with lung cancer.Design: Randomized controlled trial (RCT).Methods: One hundred and fifty-seven patient-caregiver dyads with no marked functional impairment were randomized into one of the two interventions with eight weekly patient-caregiver parallel groups. Assessments were conducted at baseline, within one, eight- and sixteen-weeks post-intervention. Effects of treatment group across time were analyzed by multilevel modeling.Findings: CBT led to greater reduction in emotional vulnerability than I-BMS. I-BMS resulted in greater increase in overall QoL and spiritual self-care, and more reduction in depression than CBT. Patients in both interventions experienced improvement in physical, emotional and spiritual, except social, domains of QoL.Conclusion: I-BMS was more efficacious for diverse domains of QoL, and CBT was more effective for emotional well-being, despite the relatively small between-group effect sizes.Implications for psychosocial providers/policy: (1) With the expanding repertoire of psychosocial interventions for families facing lung cancer, it has become imperative to investigate the comparative efficacies of empirically supported and culturally adapted interventions. (2) Our findings show that I-BMS was more effective for diverse domains of QoL, while CBT was more efficacious with emotional well-being, although both interventions led to significant improvements in physical, emotional and spiritual domains of patient QoL. (3) Patient-caregiver parallel groups have been shown to be effective for enhancing QoL of Chinese lung cancer patients. (4) Care professionals are encouraged to dispense interventions based on the idiosyncratic needs and preferences of the patients to maximize the treatment effects.
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- 2020
5. Efficacy of Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Group Intervention for Parents of Children With Eczema: A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Clinical Trial
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Fung, Y-L, Leung, H-T, Chan, CHY, Lau, BHP, Chan, CLW, Fung, Y-L, Leung, H-T, Chan, CHY, Lau, BHP, and Chan, CLW
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Objectives: This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of a psychosocial intervention developed based on the Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit (IBMS) model that aimed to enhance the well-being of parents of children with eczema. Methods: Ninety-one families were randomly allocated to either the six-session intervention group (n = 48) or the wait-list control group (n = 43) and completed the randomized trial. For both groups, a range of psychosocial outcome measures were taken before the intervention (T0), postintervention (T1), and 6 weeks after the intervention (T2). Results: Relative to the control group, the intervention group was significantly improved over time in their levels of perceived stress, depression, and a number of holistic well-being measures, including nonattachment, afflictive ideation, and general vitality. Discussion: The results provided empirical support for an IBMS-informed psychosocial intervention in reducing stress and depression and enhancing well-being among parents of children with eczema.
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- 2020
6. Protocol for Psychosocial Interventions Based on Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit (IBMS) Model for Children with Eczema and Their Parent Caregivers
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Fung, YL, Lau, BHP, Tam, MYJ, Xie, Q, Chan, CLW, Chan, CHY, Fung, YL, Lau, BHP, Tam, MYJ, Xie, Q, Chan, CLW, and Chan, CHY
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Purpose: Eczema is a pediatric skin disease that affects the psychosocial well-being of both children and their parent caregivers. This paper outlines a protocol for an experimental study that evaluates the effectiveness of a psychosocial empowerment program for children with eczema and their parent caregivers. Method: A multi-center randomized controlled trial is proposed, where parent-child dyads are randomized into two arms: an intervention group and wait-list control group. The intervention is delivered to participants in a parallel group format based on the Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit model which focuses on holistic well-being. Quality of life is measured before and after the intervention is provided, and five weeks after the intervention has been completed. Discussion: The suggested model fills a research gap in existing interventions, and provides new knowledge by evaluating the effectiveness of a tailored psychosocial intervention, delivered in group settings, for parent-child dyads affected by eczema.
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- 2019
7. ICC-dementia (International Centenarian Consortium - dementia): An international consortium to determine the prevalence and incidence of dementia in centenarians across diverse ethnoracial and sociocultural groups
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Brodaty, H, Woolf, C, Andersen, S, Barzilai, N, Brayne, C, Cheung, KSL, Corrada, MM, Crawford, JD, Daly, C, Gondo, Y, Hagberg, B, Hirose, N, Holstege, H, Kawas, C, Kaye, J, Kochan, NA, Lau, BHP, Lucca, U, Marcon, G, Martin, P, Poon, LW, Richmond, R, Robine, JM, Skoog, I, Slavin, MJ, Szewieczek, J, Tettamanti, M, Viña, J, Perls, T, Sachdev, PS, Brodaty, H, Woolf, C, Andersen, S, Barzilai, N, Brayne, C, Cheung, KSL, Corrada, MM, Crawford, JD, Daly, C, Gondo, Y, Hagberg, B, Hirose, N, Holstege, H, Kawas, C, Kaye, J, Kochan, NA, Lau, BHP, Lucca, U, Marcon, G, Martin, P, Poon, LW, Richmond, R, Robine, JM, Skoog, I, Slavin, MJ, Szewieczek, J, Tettamanti, M, Viña, J, Perls, T, and Sachdev, PS
- Abstract
Background: Considerable variability exists in international prevalence and incidence estimates of dementia. The accuracy of estimates of dementia in the oldest-old and the controversial question of whether dementia incidence and prevalence decline at very old age will be crucial for better understanding the dynamics between survival to extreme old age and the occurrence and risk for various types of dementia and comorbidities. International Centenarian Consortium - Dementia (ICC-Dementia) seeks to harmonise centenarian and near-centenarian studies internationally to describe the cognitive and functional profiles of exceptionally old individuals, and ascertain the trajectories of decline and thereby the age-standardised prevalence and incidence of dementia in this population. The primary goal of the ICC-Dementia is to establish a large and thorough heterogeneous sample that has the power to answer epidemiological questions that small, separate studies cannot. A secondary aim is to examine cohort-specific effects and differential survivorship into very old age. We hope to lay the foundation for further investigation into risk and protective factors for dementia and healthy exceptional brain ageing in centenarians across diverse ethnoracial and sociocultural groups. Methods: Studies focusing on individuals aged ≥95 years (approximately the oldest 1 percentile for men, oldest 5th percentile for women), with a minimum sample of 80 individuals, including assessment of cognition and functional status, are invited to participate. There are currently seventeen member or potential member studies from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. Initial attempts at harmonising key variables are in progress. Discussion: General challenges facing large, international consortia like ICC-Dementia include timely and effective communication among member studies, ethical and practical issues relating to human subject studies and data sharing, and the challenges related to data harmonisa
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- 2016
8. Posttraumatic growth modulates the response to negative emotions related to COVID-19: An event-related potentials study.
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Ng S, Xie W, Gao J, Wang M, Leung H, Li H, Sik HH, Lau BHP, and Chan CLW
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- Humans, Female, Male, Adult, Young Adult, SARS-CoV-2, Brain physiopathology, COVID-19 psychology, Evoked Potentials physiology, Emotions physiology, Electroencephalography, Posttraumatic Growth, Psychological
- Abstract
There is increasing interest in identifying how posttraumatic growth (PTG) impacts emotional processing following traumatic events (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic). Previous research suggests that high PTG levels may lead to enduring changes in positive emotional processing. Despite this fact, little is known regarding brain activation and responses to stressful emotional stimuli. The present study utilised event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate whether individual differences in emotional responses toward neutral and negative emotional stimuli related to COVID-19 are related to self-reported PTG levels. A total of 77 participants were analysed: 21 in the high PTG group and 56 in the control group. The amplitude of the N2 was smaller in the high PTG group compared to the control group under both negative and neutral conditions. When viewing the negative emotion pictures (vs. neutral pictures), the N2 amplitude significantly decreased for the high PTG group in the right occipital and frontal-parietal areas, whereas no significant change was observed among the control group. In the time window Late Positive Potential (LPP) 600-1000 ms, emotional stimuli and the group interaction were significant. Viewing negative pictures (vs. neutral pictures) decreased the LPP 600-1000 ms amplitudes for the control group, mainly originating from the brain's frontal regions. However, there were no such significant differences for the PTG group. Due to the limited sample size and cultural differences, the applicability of these results to other regions or countries needs to be verified. The presented findings suggest that the impact of PTG during emotional response is reflected in both bottom-up (evidenced by the early ERP components) and top-down (evidenced by the later ERP components) processes. Individuals with high PTG may use a meditation-related emotional regulation strategy of acceptance at the basic stage and non-judgement at a later stage., (© 2024 The Author(s). Stress and Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
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- 2024
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9. Challenges and Implications for Menopausal Health and Help-Seeking Behaviors in Midlife Women From the United States and China in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Web-Based Panel Surveys.
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Lau BHP, Tang CSK, Holroyd E, and Wong WCW
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- Humans, Female, United States epidemiology, Adult, Middle Aged, Aged, Pandemics, Menopause, Internet, Help-Seeking Behavior, COVID-19 epidemiology
- Abstract
Background: The global population of women of menopausal age is quickly increasing. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an accelerated increase in the use of telehealth services, especially technological solutions targeting women's health. Understanding the factors behind midlife women's help-seeking behaviors amidst the pandemic will assist in the development of person-centered holistic telehealth solutions targeting menopausal and postreproductive health., Objective: This study aimed to compare the factors underlying help-seeking for menopausal distress among midlife women in the United States and China., Methods: We conducted 2 web-based panel surveys in the United States using Amazon Mechanical Turk and in China using Credamo between July and October 2022. A total of 1002 American and 860 Chinese women aged between 40 and 65 years took part in the survey. The survey was designed based on the Health Belief Model with questions related to their menopausal knowledge, perceived severity of menopausal symptoms, perceived susceptibility to menopausal distress, perceived benefits of help-seeking, perceived COVID-19- and non-COVID-19-related barriers against help-seeking, self-efficacy, and motivation to seek help. Structural equations models were fitted for the data using full information maximum likelihood to manage missing data., Results: Knowledge was not directly related to help-seeking motivation in both samples. Among the Chinese sample, knowledge was negatively related to perceived severity but positively related to COVID-19-related barriers; in turn, higher perceived severity, benefits, COVID-19-related barriers, and self-efficacy and lower non-COVID-19-related barriers were related to more motivation to seek help. In the US sample, knowledge was negatively related to perceived severity, susceptibility, benefits, barriers (COVID-19- and non-COVID-19-related), and self-efficacy; in turn, higher self-efficacy, COVID-19-related barriers, and benefits were associated with more help-seeking motivation. The factors explained 53% and 45.3% of the variance of help-seeking motivation among the American and Chinese participants, respectively., Conclusions: This study revealed disparate pathways between knowledge, health beliefs, and the motivation for help-seeking among American and Chinese midlife women with respect to menopausal distress. Our findings show that knowledge may not directly influence help-seeking motivation. Instead, perceived benefits and self-efficacy consistently predicted help-seeking motivation. Interestingly, concern over COVID-19 infection was related to higher help-seeking motivation in both samples. Hence, our findings recommend the further development of telehealth services to (1) develop content beyond health education and symptom management that serves to enhance the perceived benefits of addressing women's multidimensional menopausal health needs, (2) facilitate patient-care provider communication with a focus on self-efficacy and a propensity to engage in help-seeking behaviors, and (3) target women who have greater midlife health concerns in the postpandemic era., (©Bobo Hi Po Lau, Catherine So Kum Tang, Eleanor Holroyd, William Chi Wai Wong. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org), 26.01.2024.)
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- 2024
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10. Multiphase optimization of a multicomponent intervention for informal dementia caregivers: a study protocol.
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Kwok JYY, Cheung DSK, Zarit S, Cheung KS, Lau BHP, Lou VW, Cheng ST, Gallagher-Thompson D, and Chou KL
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- Humans, Prospective Studies, Social Support, Self-Help Groups, Quality of Life, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Caregivers psychology, Dementia diagnosis, Dementia therapy, Dementia psychology
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Background: Family caregiver interventions are essential to support dementia caregiving. However, such interventions are typically complex and consist of multiple components. Existing evidence rarely delineates the effectiveness and interactions between individual components. To optimise intervention, we adopt the multiphase optimisation strategy (MOST) to test the implementation fidelity and determine the effect of each component and the interactions between each component and the corresponding outcome., Methods: A prospective, assessor-blinded, randomised clinical trial with fractional factorial design using the MOST principle. Two hundred fifty family dementia caregivers will be randomised to one of 16 experimental conditions in a fractional factorial design involving six intervention components: (1) dementia and caregiving education; (2) self-care skills; (3) behavioural symptom management; (4) behavioural activation; (5) modified mindfulness-based cognitive therapy; and (6) support group. The first one is the core component, and the five remaining will be examined. Physical health, caregiver burden, stress, psychological well-being, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and social support will be assessed over the 12-month study period. Following the intention-to-treat principle, linear mixed models and regression analyses will be used to examine the specific effect of the five components and their two-way interactions to propose the most effective combination., Discussion: This is the first study adopting the multiphase optimisation strategy to identify the most active and engaging components of a psychological intervention for caregivers of patients with dementia. In view that dementia caregiver interventions are increasingly diversified and complex, such knowledge is important to maximise the intervention efficacy and allow the intervention to be implemented within an efficient timeframe and dosage. The optimisation of caregiver support interventions is critical to enhance the health outcomes of caregivers and care recipients, thereby, delaying possible institutionalisation and reducing the costs of long-term dementia care., Trial Registration: This study was retrospectively registered in the WHO Primary Registry - Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2300071235). (Protocol date 30/10/2020; version identifier 2020-2021-0045). Registered on 9 May, 2023., Reporting Method: SPIRIT guideline was followed., Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public involvement., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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11. A self-administered moxibustion-cum-massage intervention for older adults with chronic pain in the community: A randomized controlled trial.
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Yin MXC, Chan JSM, Lau BHP, Leung PPY, Gao S, Yuen LP, Chan CLW, and Ng SM
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- Humans, Aged, Research Design, Massage methods, Chronic Pain therapy, Moxibustion methods
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Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of a simple, self-administrable moxibustion-cum-massage intervention for relieving chronic pain and improving psychological well-being for older adults in the community., Design: A randomized controlled trial., Setting: Seventy-eight participants with chronic pain were randomly assigned to the intervention and waitlist control groups., Interventions: Participants received two moxa sticks a day to use the moxibustion-cum-massage procedure with the help of trained volunteers or caregivers for five consecutive days., Main Outcome Measures: Participates' pain level, sleep quality, depression and subjective well-being were measured before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and one week after the intervention (T2)., Results: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant group × time interaction effect in subjective well-being with a medium effect size. Regarding within-group effects in the intervention group at post-intervention (T1), the subjective pain level was significantly reduced with a small effect size, while sleep quality and depression significantly improved with large effect sizes. The control group showed no significant within-group effects in these variables. Maintenance effects at follow-up (T2) were not significant., Conclusion: Despite the short intervention timeframe of five days, the study revealed preliminary evidence that the moxibustion-cum-massage intervention can be an effective, self-administrable pain relief regime for older adults. A longer period of intervention time is suggested for future studies., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest statement The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. No conflict of interest exists in the submission of this manuscript, and the manuscript has been approved by all authors for publication. I would like to declare on behalf of my co-author that the work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. Declarations of interest None., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
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- 2023
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12. Correlates of Taiwanese Gay and Bisexual Men's Family-Building Preferences: A Mediation Analysis.
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Lau BHP, Forth MW, and Huang YT
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- Bisexuality, Child, Homophobia, Humans, Male, Mediation Analysis, Homosexuality, Male, Sexual and Gender Minorities
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This study investigated the role of filial piety, internalized homophobia, and desire for genetic relatedness with one's child in gay and bisexual men's family-building choice. A sample of 1,023 Taiwanese gay and bisexual men with a desire to have a child was recruited to complete an online survey that included the Contemporary Filial Piety Scale, the Chinese Internalized Homophobia Scale, and questions about desire for genetic relatedness with a child and acceptance of adoption and surrogacy. Mediation models, with desire for genetic relatedness as a mediator, were tested. The results show that those who chose surrogacy-only were older and had higher socio-economic status than those who selected adoption-only and both options. Filial piety and internalized homophobia were positively associated with the acceptance of surrogacy-only over adoption-only and both options. Desire for genetic relatedness mediated these relationships. This finding elucidates how sociocultural factors shape family-building preferences among gay and bisexual men.
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- 2022
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13. Understanding the societal factors of vaccine acceptance and hesitancy: evidence from Hong Kong.
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Lau BHP, Yuen SWH, Yue RPH, and Grépin KA
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- COVID-19 Vaccines, Hong Kong, Humans, Pandemics prevention & control, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Vaccination, COVID-19, Vaccines
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Objectives: Vaccination is considered to be an important public health strategy for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides subjective evaluations of the vaccine and the health threat, societal factors have been seen as crucial to vaccination decisions. Based on a socioecological perspective, this study examines the role of societal factors in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Hong Kong., Study Design and Method: An online survey was fielded between 25 and 28 June 2021, collecting 2753 complete responses. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine how subjective evaluations of the vaccine (summarised by the 5C model - Confidence, Collective responsibility, Constraints, Complacency and Calculation), threat perception, interpersonal influences and institutional trust contribute to explaining three types of decision - acceptant (vaccinated, scheduled or indicated 'Yes'), hesitant (unvaccinated and indicated 'Maybe' on intention) and resistant (unvaccinated and indicated 'No')., Results: A total of 43.2%, 21.7% and 35.1% of respondents were acceptant, hesitant and resistant. Although the 5C model remained useful in explaining vaccination decisions, respondents were heavily influenced by the decisions of their family, although they were less influenced by friends. Second, respondents tended to accept the vaccine when they had a weaker perception that the act is supportive of the government and were less resistant if they had stronger institutional trust., Conclusion: Under the low-incidence and low-trust environment such as Hong Kong, vaccination decisions are heavily influenced by family's decision and the perception of vaccination as socially and politically desirable. Our findings highlight the importance of a nuanced conception of interpersonal and political influence towards vaccine acceptance/hesitancy., (Copyright © 2022 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
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- 2022
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14. Generativity and Gendered Pathways to Health: The Role of Human, Social, and Financial Capital Past Mid-Life.
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Chen YC, Hung N, Lau BHP, Choy Yung RMP, Fung ESM, and Chan CLW
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- Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Hong Kong, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Gender Identity, Social Capital
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Generativity has recently received increasing attention as a key contributor to healthy aging. Personal resources and social expectations are shown to influence the desire to be generative and that generativity affects later-life health. However, whether generativity has a mediating role in linking its driving factors and health, and how gender may affect these pathways, is underexplored. Cross-sectional online data from 1085 Hong Kong residents aged 45+ were collected between November and December 2020. Latent variable path analysis was used to examine the mediating effect of generativity between human, social, and financial capital, and physical and mental well-being. Gendered pathways were investigated using multi-group analysis. Results showed that human, social, and financial capital contributed to better health through generativity, and gendered pathways were observed. Human capital had a stronger effect on generativity for men, but for women, social capital was vital for increased generativity and consequently improved health. Findings suggested that health benefits of generativity depend on different capital drivers and differ by gender. Implications for program development that aim to facilitate health should include generativity components that maximize physical and psychosocial engagement so that individuals can reap the health benefits through contributions to others.
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- 2022
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15. Post-traumatic Growth in the First COVID Outbreak in Hong Kong.
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Lau BHP, Chan CLW, and Ng SM
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Post-traumatic growth (PTG) emerges from highly stressful situations. The coronavirus (COVID) pandemic may qualify as one. This study investigated the PTG among Hong Kong citizens during the first outbreak in spring 2020, shortly after a large-scale social movement subsided. A longitudinal online survey was launched during the peak (Time 1) and the palliation (Time 2) of the outbreak. Among the 327 participants who completed both waves, 28.4% exhibited probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Time 1, while 18.0% reported significant PTG in at least one domain in Time 2. The interaction between the sense of coherence (SOC) and post-traumatic stress mediated the relationship between Time 1 perceived outbreak severity and Time 2 PTG, such that PTG was more likely among participants with higher post-traumatic stress and SOC. PTG was also associated with a weaker contingency between Time 1 and Time 2 perceived outbreak severity. Echoing the transformational model, our findings show that both experienced stress and coping resources are essential for PTG to emerge. We also demonstrated how PTG might lead to more flexible risk perceptions according to the development of the outbreak., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Lau, Chan and Ng.)
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- 2021
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16. Resilience in the Storm: Impacts of Changed Daily Lifestyles on Mental Health in Persons with Chronic Illnesses under the COVID-19 Pandemic.
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Lau BHP, Cheung MKT, Chan LTH, Chan CLW, and Leung PPY
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- Adult, Anxiety, Chronic Disease, Depression epidemiology, Hong Kong epidemiology, Humans, Life Style, Mental Health, Pandemics, SARS-CoV-2, Stress, Psychological, COVID-19, Resilience, Psychological
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Studies have shown individuals with chronic illnesses tend to experience poorer mental health compared to their counterparts without a chronic illness under the COVID-19 pandemic. The pervasive disruption on daily lifestyles due to social distancing could be a contributing factor. In this study, we collaborated with local patient support groups to explore the psychological adjustment among a group of community-dwelling individuals with chronic illnesses under the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. We collected responses from 408 adults with one or more chronic illnesses using an online survey. Results show that about one in four participants experienced moderate to high levels of depression (26.0%), anxiety (26.2%) and stress (20.1%) symptoms measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and the World Health Organisation-Five Well-Being Index. While 62.3% (gatherings) to 91.9% (contact with others) of participants reported changes in their daily lifestyles, these changes-both an increase and a decrease-were related to poorer mental health. The relationship was mediated by psychological resilience, measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, with an estimate of indirect effect of -0.28 (95% confidence interval -0.44 to -0.10). In light of our findings, we urge social and healthcare professionals to support chronic illness patients to continue their daily lifestyles such as exercises and social contacts as much as possible by educating the public on feasible and practical preventive measures and enhance the psychological resilience of community-dwelling patients with scalable and efficacious psychological interventions.
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- 2021
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17. De-Sexualizing Partner Notification: A Qualitative Study on Chinese Young Adults with Chlamydia.
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Lau BHP, Liu L, Chan CHY, Chan CLW, Ong JJ, Holroyd E, and Wong WCW
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- Adolescent, Child, Preschool, China epidemiology, Contact Tracing, Hong Kong epidemiology, Humans, Infant, Sexual Partners, Young Adult, Chlamydia Infections epidemiology, Sexually Transmitted Diseases
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Background: Chlamydia is common amongst the sexually active population in Hong Kong. As most cases are asymptomatic, partner notification may be helpful in controlling chlamydia. This study examined attitudes towards partner notification for chlamydia among Hong Kong Chinese youths in order to inform a culturally appropriate, patient-empowering sexual health service., Methods: Sixteen individuals (aged 20 to 31) who received a confirmed diagnosis of chlamydia within the previous twelve months of data collection were recruited from two community-based organizations between June and December 2017. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted by a health psychologist., Results: Nine participants notified a total of eleven current and ex-partners. Seven participants did not notify their sexual partner(s). Our findings revealed how participants struggled with the discrediting sexual aspect of their infection, and how de-sexualizing the infection and selected disclosure facilitated partner notification and social acceptance. Perceived stigma regarding chlamydia however did not dissipate with their disclosure. Participants did not perceive lasting impact of chlamydia on their well-being as they thought they have much control over whether and how to disclose to their (future) partners. All participants agreed there was a pressing need to raise public awareness on this silent but highly prevalent sexually transmitted infection., Conclusions: Our findings illustrate the complex struggle behind communicating about chlamydia to one's sexual partner and how strategizing the disclosure process served to circumvent embarrassment and foster testing of sexual partners.
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- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Psycho-social factors associated with mental resilience in the Corona lockdown.
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Veer IM, Riepenhausen A, Zerban M, Wackerhagen C, Puhlmann LMC, Engen H, Köber G, Bögemann SA, Weermeijer J, Uściłko A, Mor N, Marciniak MA, Askelund AD, Al-Kamel A, Ayash S, Barsuola G, Bartkute-Norkuniene V, Battaglia S, Bobko Y, Bölte S, Cardone P, Chvojková E, Damnjanović K, De Calheiros Velozo J, de Thurah L, Deza-Araujo YI, Dimitrov A, Farkas K, Feller C, Gazea M, Gilan D, Gnjidić V, Hajduk M, Hiekkaranta AP, Hofgaard LS, Ilen L, Kasanova Z, Khanpour M, Lau BHP, Lenferink DB, Lindhardt TB, Magas DÁ, Mituniewicz J, Moreno-López L, Muzychka S, Ntafouli M, O'Leary A, Paparella I, Põldver N, Rintala A, Robak N, Rosická AM, Røysamb E, Sadeghi S, Schneider M, Siugzdaite R, Stantić M, Teixeira A, Todorovic A, Wan WWN, van Dick R, Lieb K, Kleim B, Hermans EJ, Kobylińska D, Hendler T, Binder H, Myin-Germeys I, van Leeuwen JMC, Tüscher O, Yuen KSL, Walter H, and Kalisch R
- Subjects
- Adult, COVID-19 prevention & control, Cross-Sectional Studies, Disease Transmission, Infectious prevention & control, Europe, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Multivariate Analysis, Protective Factors, Regression Analysis, Social Support, Young Adult, COVID-19 psychology, Mental Health, Resilience, Psychological, Social Factors, Stress, Psychological prevention & control
- Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is not only a threat to physical health but is also having severe impacts on mental health. Although increases in stress-related symptomatology and other adverse psycho-social outcomes, as well as their most important risk factors have been described, hardly anything is known about potential protective factors. Resilience refers to the maintenance of mental health despite adversity. To gain mechanistic insights about the relationship between described psycho-social resilience factors and resilience specifically in the current crisis, we assessed resilience factors, exposure to Corona crisis-specific and general stressors, as well as internalizing symptoms in a cross-sectional online survey conducted in 24 languages during the most intense phase of the lockdown in Europe (22 March to 19 April) in a convenience sample of N = 15,970 adults. Resilience, as an outcome, was conceptualized as good mental health despite stressor exposure and measured as the inverse residual between actual and predicted symptom total score. Preregistered hypotheses (osf.io/r6btn) were tested with multiple regression models and mediation analyses. Results confirmed our primary hypothesis that positive appraisal style (PAS) is positively associated with resilience (p < 0.0001). The resilience factor PAS also partly mediated the positive association between perceived social support and resilience, and its association with resilience was in turn partly mediated by the ability to easily recover from stress (both p < 0.0001). In comparison with other resilience factors, good stress response recovery and positive appraisal specifically of the consequences of the Corona crisis were the strongest factors. Preregistered exploratory subgroup analyses (osf.io/thka9) showed that all tested resilience factors generalize across major socio-demographic categories. This research identifies modifiable protective factors that can be targeted by public mental health efforts in this and in future pandemics.
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- 2021
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19. Comparing the efficacy of integrative body-mind-spirit intervention with cognitive behavioral therapy in patient-caregiver parallel groups for lung cancer patients using a randomized controlled trial.
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Lau BHP, Chow AYM, Ng TK, Fung YL, Lam TC, So TH, Chan JSM, Chan CHY, Zhou J, Tam MYJ, Tsang MW, Cheng NSY, Lim PFM, Chow SF, Chan CLW, and Wong DFK
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- Aged, China, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Patients statistics & numerical data, Quality of Life, Treatment Outcome, Caregivers psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy methods, Interpersonal Relations, Lung Neoplasms psychology, Lung Neoplasms therapy, Mind-Body Therapies methods, Patients psychology
- Abstract
Purposes/objectives: This paper reports the comparative efficacies of integrative body-mind-spirit intervention (I-BMS) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patient-caregiver parallel groups for Chinese patients with lung cancer. Design: Randomized controlled trial (RCT). Methods: One hundred and fifty-seven patient-caregiver dyads with no marked functional impairment were randomized into one of the two interventions with eight weekly patient-caregiver parallel groups. Assessments were conducted at baseline, within one, eight- and sixteen-weeks post-intervention. Effects of treatment group across time were analyzed by multilevel modeling. Findings: CBT led to greater reduction in emotional vulnerability than I-BMS. I-BMS resulted in greater increase in overall QoL and spiritual self-care, and more reduction in depression than CBT. Patients in both interventions experienced improvement in physical, emotional and spiritual, except social, domains of QoL. Conclusion: I-BMS was more efficacious for diverse domains of QoL, and CBT was more effective for emotional well-being, despite the relatively small between-group effect sizes. Implications for psychosocial providers/policy: (1) With the expanding repertoire of psychosocial interventions for families facing lung cancer, it has become imperative to investigate the comparative efficacies of empirically supported and culturally adapted interventions. (2) Our findings show that I-BMS was more effective for diverse domains of QoL, while CBT was more efficacious with emotional well-being, although both interventions led to significant improvements in physical, emotional and spiritual domains of patient QoL. (3) Patient-caregiver parallel groups have been shown to be effective for enhancing QoL of Chinese lung cancer patients. (4) Care professionals are encouraged to dispense interventions based on the idiosyncratic needs and preferences of the patients to maximize the treatment effects.
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- 2020
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20. Examining the Moderating Role of Patient Enablement on the Relationship Between Health Anxiety and Psychosomatic Distress: A Cross-Sectional Study at a Traditional Chinese Medicine Outpatient Clinic in Hong Kong.
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Chan CHY, Lau BHP, Chan THY, Leung HT, So GYK, and Chan CLW
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Background: Little research effort has been devoted to examining the role of patient enablement in alleviating health anxiety in primary care. In this study, we examined the role of patient enablement as a moderator in the relationship between health anxiety, psychological distress, and treatment seeking in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)., Methods: The participants were 634 patients of a government-subsidized Chinese medicine outpatient clinic in Hong Kong. They were asked to complete a series of questionnaires on patient enablement, health anxiety, anxiety, depression, physical distress, annual clinic visits, and service satisfaction and provided various demographic details. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and general linear models were used to analyze the data., Results: We found that patient enablement correlated positively with service satisfaction. Patient enablement also interacted significantly with health anxiety in affecting indices of psychological distress (depression, anxiety) and treatment seeking (annual visits). Among highly enabled patients, the positive association between health anxiety and indices of psychological distress was weakened, and they also showed more health anxiety-driven treatment seeking as measured by annual clinic visits., Conclusion: These findings suggest a moderating mechanism by which patient enablement weakens the relationship between health anxiety on psychological well-being and increases treatment-seeking behavior in TCM. Practitioners are encouraged to provide sufficient information to patients to foster self-care and disease self-management using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)., (Copyright © 2020 Chan, Lau, Chan, Leung, So and Chan.)
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- 2020
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21. Preferred problem solving and decision-making role in fertility treatment among women following an unsuccessful in vitro fertilization cycle.
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Chan CHY, Lau BHP, Tam MYJ, and Ng EHY
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- Adult, Anxiety psychology, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Hong Kong, Humans, Infertility, Female therapy, Marriage psychology, Physician-Patient Relations, Sexual Partners psychology, Decision Making, Fertilization in Vitro psychology, Infertility, Female psychology, Patient Preference psychology, Problem Solving
- Abstract
Background: While the literature on healthcare decision-making has long focused on doctor-patient interaction, fertility treatment is an exception, characterized by a triangular interplay between the doctor, the woman and her partner. This study examined treatment decision-making preferences of women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, following an unsuccessful IVF cycle, especially their preferred level of doctor and spousal involvement., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 246 Chinese women undergoing IVF recruited from an assisted reproduction clinic of a university-affiliated hospital in Hong Kong. Data collection was conducted between January 2014 and August 2015., Results: Most participants preferred sharing the decision-making tasks with their doctors (92%). In the doctor-patient relationship, passive roles were associated with higher marital satisfaction, presence of religious affiliation and secondary infertility, while autonomous roles were related to female-factor infertility. Fifty-two percent of participants anticipated sharing decision-making, while 46% preferred handing over the decision to their husbands. Preference for a passive rather than a shared role in the spousal relationship was related to a higher husband's age, greater marital satisfaction and higher anxiety., Conclusions: In brief, women tended to prefer sharing decision-making tasks with their doctor as well as actively engaging their partner in making decisions about fertility treatment. This study adds to our understanding of women's role preference and level of involvement in infertility treatment decision-making by providing quantitative evidence from women's experience. It highlights the importance of healthcare professionals in facilitating shared decision-making among couples.
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- 2019
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22. Gratitude in infertility: a cross-sectional examination of dispositional gratitude in coping with infertility-related stress in women undergoing IVF.
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Lau BHP, Yao SH, Tam MYJ, Chan CLW, Ng EHY, and Chan CHY
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Study Question: Do sense of meaning and acceptance mediate the relationships between gratitude and infertility-related stress among women undergoing IVF?, Summary Answer: Among women undergoing IVF, the negative relationships between gratitude and infertility-related stress are explained by a general sense of meaningfulness and acceptance of life., What Is Known Already: Infertility experts increasingly call for a re-balancing of the deficit-based view of psychosocial adjustment in IVF, which has been heavily dominated by studies of risk factors and psychological distress. Attention has been given to strength-based perspectives that emphasize character strengths and personal growth. Gratitude has been found to be a potent protective factor in coping with life stressors; however, its salutary effects and protective processes for infertile women undergoing IVF are yet to be explored., Study Design Size Duration: This study utilized baseline data of a randomized controlled trial for mind-body interventions with 357 Hong Kong Chinese women. Data collection was conducted between January 2015 and December 2017., Participants/materials Settings Methods: Eligible women were approached by a research assistant immediately after their first medical consultation at an ART centre of a major university-affiliated hospital. Participants were asked to complete a battery of questionnaires, including the Gratitude Questionnaire-6, the Fertility Problem Inventory, and the Holistic Well-Being Scale. Mediation analyses were conducted with bootstrapped samples., Main Results and the Role of Chance: Of the 494 women who were approached, 357 (72.3%) provided informed consent and participated in the study. Results show that gratitude was negatively associated with all infertility-related stress domains ( r s = -0.19 to -0.36), and these relationships are mediated by acceptance and loss of sense of meaning. Further, the link between gratitude and relationship concerns is mediated by loss of sense of meaning in women with a definable cause of infertility (95% CI = [-0.31, -0.08]), but by acceptance among those with unexplained infertility (95% CI = [-0.33, -0.01])., Limitations Reasons for Caution: The cross-sectional nature of the study precluded inferences of causality. Self-selection and self-report biases could be present. Our findings may not be readily generalizable to women who do not intend to undergo psychosocial intervention for their infertility or ART., Wider Implications of the Findings: Our findings support the salutary effects of gratitude in coping with IVF and highlight the role of unexplained infertility in the coping process. These findings offer preliminary support to the use of psychosocial interventions in promoting gratitude, acceptance, and meaning reconstruction for reducing infertility-related stress in women undergoing IVF., Study Funding/competing Interests: This study was funded by the Hong Kong University Grant Council-General Research Fund (HKU27400414). All authors declare no competing interests., Trial Registration Number: HKUCTR-1984.
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- 2019
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23. Effectiveness of holistic group health promotion program on educational stress, anxiety, and depression among adolescent girls - A pilot study.
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Rentala S, Lau BHP, Aladakatti R, and Thimmajja SG
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Background: Academic stress is one of the major stresses among adolescents and it has been associated with poor mental health., Aim: Evaluate effectiveness of holistic intervention on educational stress among adolescent girls., Materials and Methods: Randomized controlled design was adopted and study was conducted at selected colleges of Dharwad city, India. 60 adolescent girls were randomly assigned to either experimental or control group. All subjects were initially assessed for educational stress, depression and anxiety. The experimental group subjects received 8 sessions of holistic intervention. No intervention was given to control group subjects. Post intervention assessments were done at the end of 1
st , 2nd and 3rd months., Results: Experimental group subjects showed statistically significant decrease in educational stress, depression and anxiety over 3 months follow-up compared to control group subjects., Conclusion: This study provided evidence of integrating a holistic intervention in reducing stress.- Published
- 2019
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24. Protocol for Psychosocial Interventions Based on Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit (IBMS) Model for Children with Eczema and Their Parent Caregivers.
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Fung YL, Lau BHP, Tam MYJ, Xie Q, Chan CLW, and Chan CHY
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Purpose : Eczema is a pediatric skin disease that affects the psychosocial well-being of both children and their parent caregivers. This paper outlines a protocol for an experimental study that evaluates the effectiveness of a psychosocial empowerment program for children with eczema and their parent caregivers. Method : A multi-center randomized controlled trial is proposed, where parent-child dyads are randomized into two arms: an intervention group and wait-list control group. The intervention is delivered to participants in a parallel group format based on the Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit model which focuses on holistic well-being. Quality of life is measured before and after the intervention is provided, and five weeks after the intervention has been completed. Discussion : The suggested model fills a research gap in existing interventions, and provides new knowledge by evaluating the effectiveness of a tailored psychosocial intervention, delivered in group settings, for parent-child dyads affected by eczema.
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- 2019
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25. Exemplary Care among Chinese Dementia Familial Caregivers.
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Lau BHP, Lou VW, and Cheung KSL
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Objective: This study investigates the feasibility of using the Exemplary Care Scale (ECS) among Chinese dementia familial caregivers, and reports its psychometric properties., Method: Back translation was used to develop the Chinese version of ECS (C-ECS). Three hundred and ninety-seven dyads of caregivers and their relatives with dementia responded to an assessment battery which included questions on care recipients' cognition, behavioral and psychological symptoms, daily activities assistance, social support, and caregiver well-being., Results: Results of an exploratory principal component analysis revealed two subscales in the 11-item C-ECS: considerate caregiving and preserving esteem. C-ECS and its subscales demonstrated sufficient reliability, as well as criteria-related validity through its association with care recipient's cognition and health, and caregivers' well-being and social support., Discussion: Our findings provide preliminary support to C-ECS as a reliable and valid measure of exemplary caregiving among Hong Kong Chinese familial dementia caregivers. In the light of the increasing importance of familial care in dementia care planning, we recommend the use of this brief scale in regular caregiver assessment in research and service delivery., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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- 2018
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