People living with HIV (PLWH) frequently encounter mental health symptoms. Yet, a notable gap exists regarding the divergence in core mental health symptoms among PLWH across developed and developing regions. This study aims to explore the differences in mental health symptom networks among PLWH in both developed and developing regions.
A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in China from April 2022 to April 2023. Six designated HIV hospitals enrolled 2436 participants, including 1430 PLWH from developed regions and 1006 PLWH from developing regions. The study assessed 40 mental health symptoms across six dimensions: somatization symptoms, negative affect, cognitive processes, cognitive function, interpersonal communication, and social adaptation among PLWH.
The diverse developed regions exhibited varying mental health symptoms among PLWH, particularly concerning their core symptoms. In the developed regions of China, PLWH predominantly experience core symptoms centered around “Sadness,” “Anger,” and “Distress.” In contrast, PLWH from developing regions tends to manifest core symptoms such as “Inability to integrate into society,” “Difficulty in managing daily work and study,” and “Hostility.”
The regional variation in mental health symptoms among PLWH underscores the disparities in their circumstances. This insight is crucial for crafting tailored intervention strategies for urban PLWH. In developed regions, psychological interventions such as catharsis and empathy are integral to clinical practice, while in less developed regions, family support interventions are paramount, given the limited social interactions available to PLWH.
This study was reported according to the STROBE checklist.
No patient or public contribution.
This study aims to develop an indicator system for assessing the humanistic care competencies of nurses in infectious disease hospitals and provide a scientific measurement tool to understand the current humanistic care competencies level of infectious disease nurses.
A mixed-methods design integrating qualitative interviews and a modified Delphi study.
Initially, we derived a list of potential indicators of humanistic care for nurses in infectious disease hospitals from literature reviews and interviews with a nominal group technique (n=41). Following this, 26 experts from across China participated in two Delphi rounds from May to July 2023. Then the indicators were screened, revised and supplemented using the boundary value method and expert opinions. Next, the hierarchical analysis method was utilised to determine the weights of the indicators.
The average effective response rate across the two Delphi rounds was 94%. The authority coefficients for the first and second rounds were 0.85 and 0.90, respectively, suggesting the experts were highly authoritative. There was a consistent rating among experts with a coordination coefficient for each indicator (p < 0.001). Ultimately, this study identified 4 primary indicators, 8 secondary indicators, and 35 tertiary indicators. The four primary indicators and their weights are basic care competency (0.158), therapeutic care competency (0.544), spiritual care competency (0.158) and safety care competency (0.140).
This research provides a scientifically rigorous and comprehensive framework to evaluate the humanistic care competencies of nurses in infectious disease hospitals in China. This system will serve as an effective tool for evaluating the humanistic care competencies of nurses in specialized infectious disease hospitals in China and other overseas regions.
This study provides a new tool to assess the humanistic care competencies of nurses in infectious disease hospitals. Form an effective humanistic care competencies index system that can be used to build and develop the need for nurses to possess different aspects of humanistic care competencies tailored to infectious disease patients in hospitals.
No patients or public contribution.
This study aims to develop dynamic networks and examine the longitudinal relationships of mental health symptoms among persons living with HIV (PLWH).
A longitudinal study.
We collected data between October 2022 and December 2022 using Wenjuanxing (Questionnaire Star), an online survey platform. The study tracked weekly data across 10 sessions, involving 123 PLWH in Beijing, China. A total of 40 mental health symptoms with six dimensions (somatization symptoms, negative affect, cognitive processes, cognitive function, interpersonal communication and social adaptation) were included in the symptom network, which consists of temporal, contemporaneous and between-person networks.
In the temporal network, ‘feeling inferior to others’ had the largest in-strength value, whereas ‘suicidal ideation’ exhibited the largest out-strength value. In the contemporaneous network, ‘feeling inferior to others’ showed the highest bridge strength, indicating it had the most connections to other mental health symptoms.
We found that ‘feeling inferior to others’ had the highest number of predictors, with up to seven mental health symptoms potentially triggering this particular symptom. Additionally, ‘suicidal ideation’ emerged as a powerful predictor, influencing the greatest number of mental health symptoms across five dimensions.
Our study enhances the understanding of the sequential development and consequences of mental health symptoms among PLWH, which may provide an important basis for designing precise mental health symptom management interventions.
This study was reported according to the STROBE checklist.
No patient or public contribution.
To identify and reach consensus on dimensions and criteria of a competence assessment instrument for health professionals in relation to the process of evidence-based healthcare.
A two-round Delphi survey was carried out from April to June 2023.
Consensus was sought from an expert panel on the instrument preliminarily established based on the JBI Model of Evidence-Based Healthcare and a rapid review of systematic reviews of relevant literature. The level of consensus was reflected by the concentration and coordination of experts' opinions and percentage of agreement. The instrument was revised significantly based on the combination of data analysis, the experts' comments and research group discussions.
Sixteen national and three international experts were involved in the first-round Delphi survey and 17 experts participated in the second-round survey. In both rounds, full consensus was reached on the four dimensions of the instrument, namely evidence-generation, evidence-synthesis, evidence-transfer and evidence-implementation. In round-one, the instrument was revised from 77 to 61 items. In round-two, the instrument was further revised to have 57 items under the four dimensions in the final version.
The Delphi survey achieved consensus on the instrument. The validity and reliability of the instrument needs to be tested in future research internationally.
Systematic assessment of nurses and other health professionals' competencies in different phases of evidence-based healthcare process based on this instrument provides implications for their professional development and multidisciplinary team collaboration in evidence-based practice and better care process and outcomes.
This study addresses a research gap of lacking an instrument to systematically assess interprofessional competencies in relation to the process of EBHC. The instrument covers the four phases of EBHC process with minimal criteria, highlighting essential aspects of ability to be developed. Identification of health professionals' level of competence in these aspects helps strengthen their capacity accordingly so as to promote virtuous EBHC ecosystem for the ending purpose of improving global healthcare outcomes.
This study was reported in line with the Conducting and REporting of DElphi studies (CREDES) guidance on Delphi studies.
No patient or public contribution.