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Introduction: Lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is associated withfatigue, poor mental and poor gastrointestinal health during the first threemonths after colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. Research indicates thatmaintaining usual activities has a positive impact on HRQoL after treatmentfor CRC. Illness perceptions have been associated with HRQoL in other cancerdiseases, and self-efficacy has been associated with HRQoL in gastrointestinalcancer survivors. Our knowledge about illness perceptions and selfefficacyin relation to maintaining everyday activities and HRQoL followingCRC treatment is incomplete. Aim: To explore associations between HRQoL,fatigue, mental health, gastrointestinal health, illness perceptions and selfefficacyin relation to maintaining everyday activities, three months after surgicalCRC treatment. A further aim was to test the Maintain Function Scale ina CRC population. Method: The study was cross-sectional. Forty-six personsparticipated. Data were collected using questionnaires. Descriptive and analyticalstatistics were used. Results: Persons who were more fatigued, depressed,worried, and had more diarrhea were more likely to report lowerHRQoL. Increased fatigue and diarrhea were associated with decreasedHRQoL. Concerning illness perceptions, persons who reported negative emotionsand negative consequences of CRC were more likely to report lowerHRQoL. Persons scoring higher on self-efficacy were more likely to reporthigher HRQoL. Increased self-efficacy was associated with increased HRQoL.The Maintain Function Scale was suitable for assessing self-efficacy in relationto maintaining everyday activities. Conclusions: Nursing support toimprove self-efficacy and illness perceptions and to minimize symptomsduring recovery should have a favorable impact on HRQoL.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was twofold: 1) to measure changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), two dimensions of illness perceptions (i.e., consequences and emotional representations), fatigue and self-efficacy in persons treated for CRC during the first year after surgical treatment, and 2) to study how fatigue, illness perceptions and self-efficacy measured at 3 months affect HRQoL at 12 months post-surgery. BACKGROUND: There are fluctuations in HRQoL during the first year after treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC), and fatigue may negatively influence HRQoL. Illness perceptions (consequences and emotional representations) and self-efficacy have been shown to be associated with HRQoL in other cancer diagnoses. Concerning CRC, there is a lack of knowledge concerning how illness perceptions and self-efficacy change during recovery, and how these variables and fatigue at 3 months relate to HRQoL at 12 months. DESIGN: A prospective longitudinal design. METHODS: Thirty-nine persons surgically treated for colorectal cancer, of whom 17 had a colostoma, participated. HRQoL, fatigue, illness perceptions and self-efficacy were assessed using QLQ-C30, the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire and the Maintain Function Scale. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used. RESULTS: No changes were reported in levels of HRQoL, fatigue, or illness perceptions. Self-efficacy was lower at 12 months compared to 3 months. Fatigue and one dimension of illness perceptions mediated the effect of self-efficacy at 3 months on HRQoL at 12 months. CONCLUSION: Persons treated for CRC who have lower self-efficacy 3 months post-surgery are inclined to have more negative illness perceptions concerning emotions and to experience more fatigue. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses need to support persons with fatigue and negative illness perceptions concerning emotions and to bolster their self-efficacy, i.e., carry out follow-up consultations focusing on, First published: 26 March 2018

Introduction: After treatment for myocardial infarction (MI) quite a few persons will experience different symptoms, including fatigue, during the recovery phase. The aim of the present study was to construct the multidimensional Post-Myocardial Infarction Fatigue (PMIF) scale, based on empirical data gathered in coronary heart disease contexts. Methods: The construction of the post-MI fatigue scale was conducted in seven steps, ending in a psychometric evaluation of the internal structure of the scale, using confirmatory factor analysis, as well as testing of convergent and discriminant validity, using correlational analysis, in a sample of 141 persons treated for MI. Results: The results showed that the PMIF scale represents three dimensions: physical, cognitive and emotional fatigue. It was also found that the scale is suitable for summing the items to obtain a total score representing a post-MI global fatigue dimension. Conclusion: The PMIF is a brief and easily completed scale for identifying persons experiencing post-MI fatigue. Early identification of fatigue, together with health behavior support, might prevent progression toward a more severe state of fatigue., Vid tillfället då artikeln submittades till tidskriften ansågs tidskriften ha god vetenskaplig status.

After colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, people reorganize life in ways that are consistent with their understanding of the illness and their expectations for recovery. Incapacities and abilities that have been lost can initiate a need to reorient the self. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have explicitly focused on the concept of self-reorientation after CRC treatment. The aim of the present study was therefore to explore self-reorientation in the early recovery phase after CRC surgery. Grounded theory analysis was undertaken, using the method presented by Charmaz. The present results explained self-reorientation as the individual attempting to achieve congruence in self-perception. A congruent self-perception meant bringing together the perceived self and the self that was mirrored in the near environs. The results showed that societal beliefs and personal explanations are essential elements of self-reorientation, and that it is therefore important to make them visible.

Background: Single ventricle defects are among the most complex congenital heart defects and the development of advanced surgical procedures in recent decades has created the first generation of adolescents and young adults living with this condition. Yet little is known about how these individuals experience life and what impact the heart defect has on their life in general. Objective: The aim was to illuminate and gain a deeper understanding of adolescents' and young adults' experiences of living with a surgically palliated univentricular heart. Design: Seven open-ended in-depth interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed according to the henomenological hermeneutical method. All adolescents and young adults operated before 1995 according to the Fontan procedure or the total cavo-pulmonary connection procedure at one pediatric cardiology unit were included in the study. They were 17-32 years of age (median age 22 years). Results: The interpretation of the interview transcripts showed that the participants experienced living with a surgically palliated univentricular heart in terms of feeling exceptional, strong, and healthy. This was supported by two structural analyses, where three themes emerged: happiness over being me, focusing on possibilities, and being committed to life. Conclusion: Living with a Fontan circulation included negative experiences but the analyses clearly demonstrated a feeling of being strong and healthy. An appreciation of having survived and being committed to life was found to be an integral part of the development of the interviewees' existential growth. This probably strengthens them further in their ability to balance expectations and hurdles in life. This study provides valuable insights into the experience of patients after the Fontan procedure and the importance of a positive health care environment throughout their lives.

BACKGROUND:Cardiac self-efficacy is a person's belief in his/her ability to manage the challenges posed by a coronary disease, and its role has been evaluated in several coronary populations using the Cardiac Self-Efficacy Scale (CSE Scale). Self-efficacy has an important role in person-centred care, however there is a lack of appropriate instruments that evaluate person-centred interventions.AIM:The purpose of this study was to validate the CSE Scale by examining its psychometric properties as a first step in evaluating a person-centred care intervention in persons with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).METHODS:The study sample consisted of 288 persons (72 women, 216 men) who completed the Swedish version of the CSE Scale two months after hospitalisation for an ACS event. Construct validity was psychometrically evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. Additionally, convergent and discriminant validity were tested using correlation analyses.RESULTS:The results revealed that the CSE Scale was represented by three dimensions (control symptoms, control illness and maintain functioning). The analyses also showed that the CSE Scale is suitable for providing a total summary score that represents a global cardiac self-efficacy dimension. Evaluation of convergent and discriminant validity showed the expected correlations.CONCLUSION:The CSE Scale is a valid and reliable measure when evaluating self-efficacy in patients with ACS. It also seems to be a useful tool to promote person-centred care in clinical practice since it may offer useful guidance in the dialogue with the patient in the common creation of a personal health plan., Published online before print August 22, 2014

Surviving a myocardial infarction (MI) can be a stressful event entailing challenges in daily life during the recovery period. Experiencing fatigue symptoms post-MI has been described as bothersome and occurs in nearly half of patients four months and two years after MI. The aetiology of fatigue disorder is unclear, but research has shown that fatigue plays an important role in the relationship between stress and perceived poor health. Previous findings indicate that having access to an easily administered stress measurement is worthwhile both in the clinic and in research. The single-item measure of stress symptoms has not been validated in persons treated for MI. The aim was to validate the single-item measure of stress symptoms and to explore its association with fatigue in a sample of persons treated for MI. Methods: 142 respondents completed the questionnaires of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20, the single-item measure of stress symptoms and the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PPS-10) two months post-MI. Correlation analysis and t-tests were used to validate the single-item stress measure and its association with post-MI fatigue. Results: The convergent validity of the single-item measure of stress symptoms was confirmed. In analyses of relations between stress and fatigue, it was found that the single-item stress measure was strongly associated with both the global fatigue score and all four fatigue dimension scores (general, physical and mental fatigue as well as reduced activity). Conclusion: The single-item measure of stress symptoms was found to be a valid measure of post-MI stress. Also, the measure was useful in assessing associations between stress and fatigue and could therefore indicate that post-MI fatigue experiences should be further explored in full using multidimensional fatigue assessmen, Ingår i avhandling

Background and Purpose: Fatigue after myocardial infarction is a frequent and distressing symptom in the early recovery phase. The purpose of this study is to psychometrically evaluate the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20). Methods: The MFI-20 was evaluated using Rasch analysis. Results: The result showed that the MFI-20 can be used to obtain a global score reflecting an underlying unidimensional trait of fatigue; a transformation of the summarized raw scale scores into interval scale scores could be made. Also, 4 of the 5 original dimensions separately fitted the Rasch model. Conclusions: Calculation of a global score increases the possibility of identifying persons experiencing fatigue after myocardial infarction, and using the MFI-20 dimension scores increases the possibility of determining each person's specific fatigue profile.

Illness is constituted by subjective experiences of symptoms and their psychosocial consequences. Illness perceptions concern people’s lay beliefs about understandings and interpretation of a disease and expectations as to disease outcome. Our knowledge about illness perceptions and coping in relation to the cancer care context among persons with colorectal cancer (CRC) and their partners is incomplete. The aim of the present study was to explore illness perceptions in relation to contemporary cancer care settings among CRC survivors and partners. The present research focused on illness rather thandisease, implying that personal experiences are central to the methodology. The grounded theory method used is that presented by Kathy Charmaz. The present results explore illness perceptions in the early recovery phase after being diagnosed and treated for cancer in a contemporary cancer care setting. The core category outlook on the cancer diagnosis when quickly informed, treated, and discharged illustrates the illness perceptions of survivors and partners as well as the environment in which they were found. The cancer care environment is presented in the conceptual category experiencingcontemporary cancer care settings. Receiving treatment quickly and without waiting was a positive experience for both partners and survivors; however partners experienced the information as massive and as causing concern. The period after dischargewas being marked by uncertainty and loneliness, and partners tended to experience non-continuity in care as more problematic than the survivor did. The results showed different illness perceptions and a mismatch between illness perceptions among survivors and partners, presented in the conceptual category outlook on the cancer diagnosis. One illness perception, here presented among partners, focused on seeing the cancer diagnosis as a permanent life-changing event. The other illness perception, here presented among survivors, concentrated on lea