Publications by authors named "Laura Mee"

It is critical to support adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with sickle cell disease (SCD) during transition to adult healthcare. We provide a systematic review of literature related to biopsychosocial influences on transition among AYAs with SCD. Data sources included studies published between January 2010 and May 2020.

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Background: It is widely assumed that pediatric solid organ transplantation results in better caregiver-reported outcomes, including reduced caregiver psychological distress and increased child health-related quality of life (HRQOL), yet little empirical evidence of this expectation exists. The current investigation aims to fill this gap and identify key clinical course factors predictive of caregiver-reported outcomes.

Methods: Forty-nine caregivers of children (M  = 10.

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Background: Integration of nonpharmacological therapies, such as cognitive and behavioral pain management strategies, is recommended to support comprehensive disease and pain management among children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD). The Comfort Ability Program for Sickle Cell Pain (CAP for SCP) introduces psychological and biobehavioral pain management strategies to children and adolescents with SCD. This study aimed to pilot the implementation of the CAP for SCP in a group setting to children and adolescents hospitalized for SCD pain examining feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness on improving pain knowledge and coping efficacy.

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Objective: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with solid organ transplants must attain responsibility for healthcare tasks during transition to adult healthcare. However, healthcare systems often initiate transfer based on age and not independence in care. This study examines specific responsibilities distinguishing AYA organ transplant recipients reporting readiness to transfer.

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Objective: To evaluate the factor structure, validity, and reliability of the Caregiver Medication Barriers to Adherence Scale (CMBAS), which assesses caregivers' barriers to facilitating medication adherence in adolescent and young adults (AYAs) with solid organ transplants.

Methods: The sample included 93 caregivers of AYAs ages 12-22 years who received a liver, kidney, or heart transplant. Caregivers completed the CMBAS and surveys to assess its validity, including internalizing symptoms, personality traits (i.

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Introduction: Better family adjustment following pediatric solid organ transplantation has been associated with a number of beneficial medical and psychosocial outcomes. Yet few studies have examined which pretransplant variables are associated with posttransplant family adjustment. This information can aid in identifying families that may need support going into the transplantation process and those who are at lower risk of worse posttransplant adjustment.

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This study examined patient-reported sleep quality in a single-center cross-sectional sample of adolescents with solid organ transplants and evaluated associations between sleep quality, psychosocial functioning (ie, depression/anxiety symptoms), and HRQOL. Health disparities associated with minority race/ethnicity and socioeconomic variables were also examined. Sixty-nine adolescents (M = 16.

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Background: The purpose of this study is to examine contributions to patient perceptions of transition readiness and satisfaction with care amongst adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with complex health conditions engaging in paediatric care.

Methods: Participants included 94 patients aged 14-20 years (M = 16.41, SD = 1.

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The current cross-sectional, single-center study aimed to examine sleep quality in a sample of adolescents awaiting solid organ transplantation and to explore associations between sleep quality and both health-related quality of life and barriers to adherence. Thirty adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years (M age = 15.26, SD = 1.

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Objective: To (a) examine levels of medication nonadherence in adolescent and young adult (AYA) solid organ transplant recipients based on AYA- and caregiver proxy-reported nonadherence to different medication types and the medication-level variability index (MLVI) for tacrolimus, and (b) examine associations of adherence barriers and AYA and caregiver emotional distress symptoms with reported nonadherence and the MLVI.

Method: The sample included 47 AYAs (M age = 16.67 years, SD = 1.

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This study aimed both to evaluate caregivers' perspectives of EF and transition readiness among adolescent transplant recipients and to examine the indirect effects of adolescent responsibility and parent involvement across domains of EF. Fifty-seven caregivers of adolescent solid organ transplant recipients participated in this study and completed measures of adolescent EF, transition readiness, responsibility in healthcare behavior, and parent involvement. Bootstrapping procedures were used to test indirect effects.

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Objective: The study aimed to examine parent personality factors as predictors of parent medication knowledge and parent-report of child medication adherence.

Method: Seventy-eight parents (Mage = 37.68, 87.

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The goal of this study was to compare pretransplant patient HRQOL, parent psychological functioning, and the impact of the patient's ongoing illness on the family between organ types (ie, kidney, liver, heart) and age-groups (ie, children, AYAs). The sample included 80 pediatric patients with end-stage organ disease who were evaluated for transplantation and their parents. Parents completed self- and proxy reports at patients' pretransplant evaluations.

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Objective: To examine the trajectories of caregiver psychological responses in the year following their child's hematopoetic stem cell transplant (HSCT), and whether cognitive and social processing strategies differentiated between trajectories.

Method: One hundred and eight caregivers randomized to the control condition of a cognitive-behavioral intervention study completed measures of distress, coping, and social support at baseline, 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year post HSCT of their child.

Results: The majority reported moderate or low anxiety, depression, or distress that decreased over time, but a small group demonstrated high anxiety, depression, or distress that persisted or increased over time.

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Objective: Providing care to one's child during and after a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a universally stressful experience, but few psychological interventions have been developed to reduce caregiver distress. The goal of this study was to test the efficacy of a brief cognitive-behavioral intervention delivered to primary caregivers.

Method: Two hundred eighteen caregivers were assigned either best-practice psychosocial care (BPC) or a parent social-cognitive intervention program (P-SCIP).

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Purpose: This substudy of an intervention trial aimed to describe barriers to participation in psychological care among primary caregivers of children who were about to undergo a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), including demographic and medical correlates.

Method: Three hundred and twelve primary caregivers of children undergoing HSCT who were approached to participate in a psychological intervention trial (n = 218 enrollees and 94 decliners) completed a measure of barriers to psychological care.

Results: The most frequently endorsed barriers to care were focusing on the child as priority, not wanting to leave the child's bedside, and already having adequate psychosocial support.

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OBJECTIVE : To evaluate levels of executive functioning in a sample of adolescent and young adult (AYA) transplant recipients, and to examine executive functioning in association with barriers to adherence and medication nonadherence.  METHOD : In all, 41 caregivers and 39 AYAs were administered self- and proxy-report measures.  RESULTS : AYA transplant recipients have significant impairments in executive functioning abilities.

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The Readiness for Transition Questionnaire- provider version (RTQ-Provider) was developed to evaluate adolescent patients' transition readiness and healthcare behaviors from the perspective of the healthcare provider. The RTQ-Provider is a parallel version of the RTQ-Teen and RTQ-Parent completed by patients and parents. This study seeks to evaluate the psychometric properties of the RTQ-Provider and its utility as a clinical transition planning tool.

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Solid organ transplantation requires ongoing adherence to immunosuppressants and other medications. Although adolescence is a risk factor for poor medication-taking, little is known about the patterns of adherence within individuals over time. This study aimed to examine the stability of adherence over time using three different assessment techniques.

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Objective: The current study used multiple statistical methods to determine empirically derived and clinically relevant cutoff scores on the Adolescent Medication Barriers Scale (AMBS) and Parent Medication Barriers Scale (PMBS) to detect adolescents and young adults with solid organ transplants who experienced medication nonadherence or negative medical outcomes.

Methods: Participants included 71 patients and 80 caregivers. Cutoff scores were determined via receiver operating characteristic curve analyses, t-test analyses, and the sensitivity and specificity of using certain cutoff scores.

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Although prior research has shown lower intellectual functioning across pediatric solid organ transplant recipients relative to matched siblings or norm comparisons, few studies have assessed intellectual and academic performance prior to transplant across organ groups. The current data examine intellectual and academic functioning in children being evaluated for kidney, liver, or heart transplant. This investigation included intellectual and academic testing data from 195 children and adolescents between the ages of six and 19 yr evaluated for solid organ transplantation.

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Objective: The aims of the study were to examine the prevalence of self-reported psychological distress, examine the prevalence of interview-rated psychiatric diagnoses, identify correlates of psychological distress and psychiatric diagnosis and examine racial/ethnic group differences on measures of psychological distress among primary caregivers of children preparing to undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).

Methods: Caregivers (N = 215) completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Impact of Events Scale, and a psychiatric interview assessing major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Regression analyses examined correlates of distress and psychiatric diagnosis.

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The current study examined whether cognitive and social processing variables mediated the relationship between fear network and depression among parents of children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Parents whose children were initiating HSCT (N = 179) completed survey measures including fear network, Beck Depression Inventory, cognitive processing variables (positive reappraisal and self-blame) and social processing variables (emotional support and holding back from sharing concerns). Fear network was positively correlated with depression (p < .

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Objective: Higher levels of barriers are related to lower medication adherence and negative medical outcomes in pediatric transplant recipients. Although total number of barriers appears to be stable over time, it is unclear whether the same is true for specific barriers. This study examined the frequency of endorsement and the stability of specific barriers over 18 months.

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Objective: This study assessed relationships among internalizing symptoms, barriers to medication adherence, and medication adherence in adolescents with solid organ transplants.

Method: The sample included 72 adolescents who had received solid organ transplants. Multiple mediator models were tested via bootstrapping methods.

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