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Background: Endometriosis is a challenging chronic condition with a significant impact on women's well-being. This systematic review of systematic reviews aims to assess the evidence investigating the intricate interplay between endometriosis and quality of life (QoL). Methods: A systematic review was performed for English-language studies up to January 2022 to identify systematic reviews with and without meta-analysis analyzing quantitative or qualitative data The following databases were searched: Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Participants/population were women with endometriosis, and the outcomes included were all reported outcomes evaluating the impact of endometriosis on women's QoL (PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021289347). Results: 15 systematic reviews were identified. 8 included meta-analysis: 4 explored the prevalence of mental health problems, and 1 analyzed, respectively, the overall impact of endometriosis, headache migraine, and sexual function. 7 articles reported on the mental consequences, and three sexual functioning. One was a qualitative review. The impact of the relationships with the healthcare system was analyzed in 3 reviews. Pain is a hallmark of endometriosis. Infertility and sexual problems are also frequent. Depression, anxiety, and stress represent significant contributors to lessening women's QoL. Women have frustrating relationships with the healthcare system: the complex and long diagnostic process, lack of treatment effectiveness, and persistence of symptoms contribute to emotional challenges. Negative cognitive patterns developed by women with emotional distress, such as catastrophizing and fear-avoidance behaviors, amplify the experience of pain. Conclusion: The limitations of this review are the high degree of heterogeneity of papers that include many factors, including comorbidities, and use of medical care that may impact QoL, and that most of them were cross-sectional. Endometriosis is a chronic disease that significantly impacts all domains of women's lifes. Pain, infertility, and stress linked with depression, and anxiety significantly influence QoL. Women are dissatisfied with the care they receive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dyspareunia (pain during sex) is a common condition that causes physical and emotional stress for many women. This condition can be caused by various factors, including physical, hormonal, inflammatory, viral, neoplastic, psychological, and traumatic events. Anatomical causes include pelvic floor muscular weakness, uterine retroversion, hymenal remnants, and pelvic organ prolapse. The etiology of this condition is complex, causing it to be often overlooked. Objectives: The main aim of this study was to conduct a qualitative exploratory study and provide a comprehensive description of the knowledge and attitudes held by gynecologists in Kazakhstan on the medical validity, diagnosis, and treatment of dyspareunia. Design: This is an exploratory-descriptive qualitative study. Methods: Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 10 physicians. They were identified as obstetrics and gynecology specialists, gynecologic oncologists, and outpatient gynecologists. The average number of years spent practicing their specialty is 15.7, with the shortest being 4 years and the longest being 35 years. All the participants are female. Braun and Clarke's six-stage, step-by-step methodology was used for the thematic analysis. Results: Findings suggest that gynecologists in Kazakhstan have knowledge of the most common causes of dyspareunia, although they still often attribute women's distress to psychological rather than physical factors. It was found that due to stigma and mutual embarrassment open dialogue about sexual health was lacking between patients and physicians. In addition, gynecologists describe difficulties discussing symptoms and performing intimate examinations due to time constraints and a lack of privacy at state facilities. Conclusion: To knowledgeably diagnose and treat patients with dyspareunia, gynecologists recommend further training to acquire the requisite evidence-based knowledge and competencies. Plain Language Summary: An Exploratory-Descriptive Qualitative Study of Kazakhstani Gynecologists ' Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Dyspareunia Background: Dyspareunia (pain during sex) is a common condition that causes physical and emotional distress in many women. Biological and psychological factors contribute to the onset of this condition, making diagnosis and management difficult for physicians. This painful condition can have a significant impact on women's physical, emotional, and psychological well-being, as well as their close relationships. Why was the study conducted? A thorough understanding of dyspareunia's causes, risk factors, and treatment techniques is required for effective management of the condition, but little research has been conducted in Kazakhstan on gynecologists' understanding of and attitudes toward dyspareunia. What did the researchers do? A qualitative study used online semi-structured interviews with gynecologists in Kazakhstan. What did the researchers find? The findings show that participating gynecologists are aware of the most common causes of dyspareunia, although they frequently attribute the condition to psychological rather than physical causes. It was found that due to stigma and mutual embarrassment, patients and participants did not engage in open discourse about sexual health. Furthermore, gynecologists have difficulty initiating discussions about women's sexual health and performing intimate examinations due to consultation time restrictions and a lack of privacy at state facilities. What do the researchers conclude? Additional training is recommended to gain the necessary evidence-based knowledge and competencies to accurately diagnose and treat patients with dyspareunia, and to address the lack of treatment protocols for dyspareunia in Kazakhstan, clinical guidelines published worldwide, including those issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, may be considered for use in Kazakhstan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the experiences of frontline professionals in Kazakhstan. Although studies of frontline workers have been conducted worldwide, it is imperative that caution should be exercised when extrapolating findings from disparate societies and generalizing them to Central Asian countries. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore and describe the firsthand experiences, perceptions, and knowledge gained from the experience of Kazakh frontline physicians and nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. An exploratory-descriptive qualitative (EDQ) study was conducted over the course of a year in COVID-19 hospitals in Kazakhstan, with physicians (n = 23) and nurses (n = 7). Each participant was interviewed three times between May 2021 and May 2022. Braun and Clarke's six-step method was used for the thematic analysis. Three overarching themes and subthemes were identified: (1) Longitudinal Journey ("Nobody knew, nobody understood, nobody was ready"; "It's just life"); (2) Facets of Professionalism ("In my lifetime this is something unique"; "Who else if not us"; "We survived the war and the enemy"); and (3) Facets of Resilience ("God's providence"; "A good word heals too"). In light of the lack of research that has previously been conducted in Kazakhstan, the results of this study offer important new insight into the experiences of medical professionals during the COVID-19 epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an overview of research findings on long-term effects on healthcare workers mental health and factors associated with positive or negative changes. Medline and PubMed databases were searched for observational longitudinal studies and 18 papers were included in the review (PROSPERO: CRD42021260307). 12 articles indicated negative changes over time and six studies revealed a positive trend in a variety of mental health outcomes (anxiety, depression, insomnia, and others). Female sex, younger age, nursing occupation, frontline work, longer working hours and concerns about contracting COVID-19 were identified to be associated with negative changes. Conversely, a supportive environment, access to psychological resources, provision of sufficient personal protective equipment and availability of COVID-19 tests were linked to positive changes. Therefore, our findings can assist governmental and institutional authorities with effective interventions to improve psychological care for healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]