The Impact of Illness Perceptions and Coping on the Association Between Back Pain and Health Outcomes in Patients Suspected of Having Axial Spondyloarthritis: Data From the SPondyloArthritis Caught Early Cohort.

Objective: To investigate whether illness perceptions and coping influence the relationship between back pain and health outcomes in patients suspected of having axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Methods: In the SPondyloArthritis Caught Early cohort, regression models were computed at baseline, with back pain intensity (range 0-10) as the determinant and health-related quality of life, the physical component summary score (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey, or work productivity loss as outcomes. Subsequently, using Leventhal's Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation, illness perceptions and, thereafter, coping were added to the models.

Smokers' identity and quit advice in general practice: General practitioners need to focus more on female smokers.

Objective: We examined smoker and non-smoker self-identities among smokers visiting their general practitioner (GP) for other reasons than smoking cessation counselling. We determined whether identity impacted on patients' appreciation of GP-initiated conversations about smoking and quit advice, and subsequent quit attempts, and examined the role of gender.

Methods: Secondary analyses of a cluster-randomised controlled trial in which baseline and 12-month follow-up data were collected among 527 daily (n=450) and non-daily smokers (n=77).

The partner's perspective of the impact of pituitary disease: Looking beyond the patient.

People with pituitary disease report impairments in quality of life. The aim of this study was to elucidate the impact of the pituitary condition on the lives of partners. Four focus groups of partners of people with pituitary disease (Cushing's disease, non-functioning adenoma, acromegaly, prolactinoma) were conducted.

Illness Perceptions and Outcomes in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Is Coping a Mediator?

Purpose: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often experience severe impairment in different life domains. Psychological factors, such as illness perceptions and coping, may play a role in the adjustment to IBD as indicated by mental and physical health, activity, and work impairment. The present study aimed at examining the assumption of the Common Sense Model (CSM) that coping mediates the relationship between illness perceptions and adjustment in patients with IBD.

The development and validation of the Leiden Bother and Needs Questionnaire for patients with pituitary disease: the LBNQ-Pituitary.

Background: Patients report persisting impairment in quality of life (QoL) after treatment for pituitary disease. At present, there is no questionnaire to assess (a) whether patients with pituitary disease are bothered by these consequences, and (b) their needs for support.

Objective: To develop and validate a disease-specific questionnaire for patients with pituitary disease which incorporates patient perceived bother related to the consequences of the disease, and their needs for support.

Quality of life (QoL) impairments in patients with a pituitary adenoma: a systematic review of QoL studies.

Purpose: Pituitary adenomas give rise to physical and psychological symptoms, which may persist after biochemical cure. Growing attention has been paid to quality of life (QoL) in these patients. We aimed to systematically analyze QoL assessment methods and QoL outcome in these patients.

Use of action planning to increase provision of smoking cessation care by general practitioners: role of plan specificity and enactment.

Background: Strategies are needed to help general practitioners (GPs) promote smoking cessation as recommended by guidelines. This study examines whether the quality of action planning among GPs improves their provision of smoking cessation care.

Methods: The effectiveness of a 1-h training programme was examined in a cluster randomised controlled trial in which 49 GPs participated.

Back/joint pain, illness perceptions and coping are important predictors of quality of life and work productivity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a 12-month longitudinal study.

Background And Aims: Back and joint pain are the most common extraintestinal symptoms reported by patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We assessed the impact of back/joint pain, illness perceptions, and coping on quality of life (QOL) and work productivity in patients with IBD.

Methods: Our cohort included 155 IBD patients with and 100 without arthropathy.

Self-management in patients with COPD: theoretical context, content, outcomes, and integration into clinical care.

In this narrative review, we put self-management in the context of a 50-year history of research about how patients with COPD respond to their illness. We review a definition of self-management, and emphasize that self-management should be combined with disease management and the chronic care model in order to be effective. Reviewing the empirical status of self-management in COPD, we conclude that self-management is part and parcel of modern, patient-oriented biopsychosocial care.

Sequence-analysis of video-recorded practitioner-patient communication about smoking in general practice: do smokers express negative statements about quitting?

Objective: To examine the extent to which smokers express negative statements about quitting and the extent to which these statements influence general practitioners' (GPs') and practice nurses' (PNs') (dis)continuation of guideline-recommended smoking cessation care.

Methods: Fifty-two video-consultations were observed (GP-consultations: 2007-2008; PN-consultations: 2010-2011). Dialogues were transcribed verbatim and professionals' and patients' speech units were coded and analysed using sequential analyses (n=1424 speech units).

Towards a better quality of life (QoL) for patients with pituitary diseases: results from a focus group study exploring QoL.

Purpose: Patients treated for pituitary adenomas generally report a reduced quality of life (QoL). At present, the patient's perspective of QoL has not been fully addressed and this, and further insight in potential determinants of QoL in pituitary diseases is required to design strategies to improve QoL. We aimed to define patients' perceived QoL and to identify potential factors they perceive to contribute to QoL.

Illness representations as mediators of the relationship between dispositional optimism and depression in patients with chronic tinnitus: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Both dispositional optimism and illness representations are related to psychological health in chronic patients. In a group of chronic tinnitus sufferers, the interplay between these two variables was examined. Specifically, it was tested to what extent the relationship between dispositional optimism and depression is mediated by more positive illness representations.

Perceived discomfort levels in healthy children participating in vaccine research.

When assessing the risks of a research protocol, review boards need to consider not only the possible harms but also the expected discomfort levels caused by the various study procedures. However, data on how children experience various study procedures are scarce. This study assessed perceived discomfort levels in 671 healthy children aged 0-2 years under-going vaccinations, venipunctures, and nasopharyngeal swab taking.

One-hour training for general practitioners in reducing the implementation gap of smoking cessation care: a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: This study examined the effectiveness of low-intensity, practice-tailored training for general practitioners (GPs) aimed at personal and organizational barriers that arise when routinely asking patients' smoking status, advising to quit, and arranging follow-up.

Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial with 49 GPs and 3,401 patients (677 smokers). Two patient groups participated: 2,068 patients (433 smokers) at baseline and 1,333 patients (244 smokers) postintervention.

When the ringing in the ears gets unbearable: Illness representations, self-instructions and adjustment to tinnitus.

Objective: Chronic tinnitus can severely impair a person's quality of life. The degree of impairment, however, is not closely related to tinnitus loudness. Applying the common sense model (CSM) of self-regulation of health and illness, this study investigated to what extent psychological factors, i.

Psychological aspects of adductor spasmodic dysphonia: a prospective population controlled questionnaire study.

Objective: To examine psychosocial concomitants, illness perceptions, and treatment perceptions in patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia.

Design: Prospective controlled cohort study.

Setting: A tertiary care facility.

Illness representations of depression and perceptions of the helpfulness of social support: comparing depressed and never-depressed persons.

Background: Interactions between depressed persons and persons within their social network are often characterized by misunderstanding and unsuccessful social support attempts. These interpersonal problems could be fostered by discrepancies between depressed and never-depressed persons' illness representations of depression and/or discrepancies in the perceived helpfulness of supportive behaviors.

Methods: Illness representations of depression (IPQ-R) and perceptions of the helpfulness of different social support behaviors (ISU-DYA and ISAD) were assessed in 41 currently depressed persons and 58 persons without a history of depression.

Using the common sense model of illness perceptions to examine osteoarthritis change: a 6-year longitudinal study.

Objective: To examine the association between changes in common sense models and changes in functional status over a 6-year follow-up in patients with osteoarthritis.

Design: At baseline and follow-up, osteoarthritis outpatients (N = 241) recruited from a university medical center completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R), the Australian/Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand Index, and the Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Also, their physician-assessed pain intensity, and biomedical, and clinical measures of medical severity of osteoarthritis were recorded.

Quality of life after pulmonary embolism: validation of the PEmb-QoL Questionnaire.

Background: Even though quality of life (QoL) has become a key component of medical care, there is no instrument available that specifically measures QoL after pulmonary embolism (PE). Recently, the Pulmonary Embolism Quality of Life (PEmb-QoL) Questionnaire has been developed to address this gap.

Objective: To evaluate the validity of the PEmb-QoL questionnaire.

Illness cognitions in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: predicting quality of life outcome.

Goals Of Work: This paper presents an observational study of the longitudinal effects of cancer treatment on quality of life (QoL) in patients treated for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and evaluated the contribution of patients' baseline illness cognitions to the prediction of QoL 2 years after diagnosis.

Patients And Methods: One hundred seventy-seven patients eligible for primary treatment for HNSCC completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised at baseline and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire-30 at baseline, at 1-year and 2-year follow-ups.

Main Results: Compared to baseline, patients reported better emotional functioning at both follow-ups (p < 0.

Illness perceptions in patients with osteoarthritis: change over time and association with disability.

Objective: To investigate changes in illness perceptions in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and the association of those changes with disability, and to determine the predictive value of illness perceptions in disability.

Methods: Illness perceptions and disability were measured at baseline and after 6 years in 241 patients with OA at multiple sites (mean age 59.0 years, 82.