Search

Narrative medicine is a patient-centered educational approach that promotes humanistic engagement of medical practitioners; it offers a unique framework for understanding medical encounters and promotes empathic connections through enhancement of observation, listening, and reflection. The andragogy of narrative medicine uniquely engages adult learners and may enhance academic learning. This article explores the evidence for narrative medicine and discusses its unique applications and potential within psychiatry. An adaptable narrative medicine curriculum is proposed for use in a 4-year psychiatric residency curriculum to allow for easy adoption of narrative medicine as an underutilized best educational practice.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients often experience deficits in positive psychological well-being (PPWB) due to intensive treatment and follow-up care. Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) that promote PPWB via deliberate and systematic exercises (e.g., writing a gratitude letter) have consistently improved PPWB in medical populations, yet have never been studied in early HSCT recovery. In this single-arm, proof-of-concept study, we assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a novel eight-session, telephone-delivered PPI in early HSCT recovery. A priori, we defined feasibility as >50% of eligible patients enrolling in the study and >50% of participants completing 5/8 sessions, and acceptability as mean ease and utility scores of weekly participant ratings of PP exercises as 7/10. Of 45 eligible patients, 25 (55.6%) enrolled, 20 (80%) completed baseline assessments, 15 (75%) started the intervention, and 12 (60%) completed the intervention and follow-up assessments. The intervention was feasible (55.6% of eligible participants enrolled; 60% of baseline assessment completers finished 5/8 sessions) and led to very small-to-medium effect-size improvements in patient-reported outcomes. A novel, eight-week, telephone-delivered PPI was feasible and acceptable in allogeneic HSCT recipients. Larger, randomized studies are needed to examine the efficacy of PPIs for improving outcomes in this population.

Although the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) drastically altered the daily lives of much of the world--requiring masking, additional sanitation behaviors, and social isolation-patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) were already experts in these precautionary behaviors. HSCT provides a potential cure for some hematologic malignancies. However, it entails a protracted hospitalization, substantial physical side effects, and a decline in psychological well-being and quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic has tightened many of the already strict procedures put in place for HSCT patients in order to protect their vulnerable immune systems, which could lead to more distress. Alternatively, exposure to this public health crisis may unlock the lives of HSCT survivors for their communities and healthcare providers to further inspire HSCT care built on a stronger foundation of empathy.

Background Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) receiving intensive chemotherapy face a life-threatening illness, isolating hospitalization, and substantial physical and psychological symptoms. However, data are limited regarding risk factors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in this population. Methods The authors conducted a secondary analysis of data from 160 patients with high-risk AML who were enrolled in a supportive care trial. The PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version was used to assess PTSD symptoms at 1 month after AML diagnosis. The Brief COPE and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia were to assess coping and quality of life (QOL), respectively. In addition, multivariate regression models were constructed to assess the relation between PTSD symptoms and baseline sociodemographic factors, coping, and QOL. Results Twenty-eight percent of patients reported PTSD symptoms, describing high rates of intrusion, avoidance, and hypervigiliance. Baseline sociodemographic factors significantly associated with PTSD symptoms were age (B = -0.26; P = .002), race (B = -8.78; P = .004), and postgraduate education (B = -6.30; P = .029). Higher baseline QOL (B = -0.37; P ≤ .001) and less decline in QOL during hospitalization (B = -0.05; P = .224) were associated with fewer PTSD symptoms. Approach-oriented coping (B = -0.92; P = .001) was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms, whereas avoidant coping (B = 2.42; P ≤ .001) was associated with higher PTSD symptoms. Conclusions A substantial proportion of patients with AML report clinically significant PTSD symptoms 1 month after initiating intensive chemotherapy. Patients' baseline QOL, coping strategies, and extent of QOL decline during hospitalization emerge as important risk factors for PTSD, underscoring the need for supportive oncology interventions to reduce the risk of PTSD in this population.

BACKGROUND Social support is crucial for successful recovery after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and has the potential to affect patient quality of life (QOL) and health outcomes. However, there are limited data on the relationship between a patient's perception of his or her social support and these outcomes. METHODS The authors conducted a secondary analysis of 250 autologous and allogeneic HSCT recipients enrolled in 2 supportive care trials at Massachusetts General Hospital from April 2011 through February 2016. They assessed social support as a patient's perception of his or her social well-being via the social well-being subscale of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy. The authors used multivariate regression analyses to examine the relationship between pretransplant social well-being and QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Treatment Outcome Index), psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptoms (PTSD Checklist), fatigue (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue), and health care utilization (hospitalizations and days alive and out of the hospital) 6 months after HSCT. RESULTS Participants were on average 56.4 years old (SD, 13.3 years); 44% (n = 110) and 56% (n = 140) received autologous and allogeneic HSCT, respectively. Greater pre-HSCT social well-being was associated with higher QOL (B = 0.10; 95% CI, 0.06-0.13; P < .001), lower psychological distress (B = -0.21; 95% CI, -0.29 to -0.12; P < .001), and lower PTSD symptoms (B = -0.12; 95% CI, -0.19 to -0.06; P < .001). Pre-HSCT social well-being was not significantly associated with fatigue or health care utilization 6 months after HSCT. CONCLUSIONS Patients with higher pre-HSCT perceptions of their social support reported better QOL and lower psychological distress 6 months after HSCT. These findings underscore the potential for social support as a modifiable target for future supportive care interventions to improve the QOL and care of HSCT recipients.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically transformed the U.S. healthcare landscape. Within psychiatry, a sudden relaxing of insurance and regulatory barriers during the month of March 2020 enabled clinicians practicing in a wide range of settings to quickly adopt virtual care in order to provide critical ongoing mental health supports to both existing and new patients struggling with the pandemic's impact. In this article, we briefly review the extensive literature supporting the effectiveness of telepsychiatry relative to in-person mental health care, and describe how payment and regulatory challenges were the primary barriers preventing more widespread adoption of this treatment modality prior to COVID-19. We then review key changes that were implemented at the federal, state, professional, and insurance levels over a one-month period that helped usher in an unprecedented transformation in psychiatric care delivery, from mostly in-person to mostly virtual. Early quality improvement data regarding virtual visit volumes and clinical insights from our outpatient psychiatry department located within a large, urban, tertiary care academic medical center reflect both the opportunities and challenges of virtual care for patients and providers. Notable benefits have included robust clinical volumes despite social distancing mandates, reduced logistical barrieres to care for many patients, and decreased no-show rates. Finally, we provide clinical suggestions for optimizing telepsychiatry based on our experience, make a call for advocacy to continue the reduced insurance and regulatory restrictions affecting telepsychiatry even once this public health crisis has passed, and pose research questions that can help guide optimal utilization of telepsychiatry as mainstay or adjunct of outpatient psychiatric treatment now and in the future.

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has drastically disrupted cancer care, potentially exacerbating patients' distress levels. Patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may be especially vulnerable to this pandemic stress. However, the associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with distress, fatigue, and quality of life (QoL) are not well understood in this population. In a cross-sectional analysis of data from 205 patients undergoing HSCT enrolled in a supportive care trial, we compared baseline pre-HSCT distress symptoms (depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), fatigue, and QoL between enrollees before (ie, March 2019-January 2020) and during (ie, March 2020-January 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic. We used linear regression models adjusting for sociodemographics and cancer diagnosis to examine the associations between enrollment period and patient-reported outcomes. We used semistructured qualitative interviews in 20 allogeneic HSCT recipients who were ≥3-months post-HSCT to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their recovery post-HSCT. One hundred twenty-four participants enrolled before COVID-19, and 81 participants enrolled during the pandemic. The 2 cohorts had similar baseline demographics and disease risk factors. In multivariate regression models, enrollment during COVID-19 was not associated with pre-HSCT symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, fatigue, or QoL impairment. COVID-19-era participants reported themes of negative (eg, increased isolation) and positive (eg, engagement with meaningful activities) implications of the pandemic on HSCT recovery. We found no differences in pre-HSCT distress, fatigue, or QoL in patients undergoing HSCT before or during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, patients in early recovery post-HSCT report both negative and positive implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in their lives.

Background: Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) receiving intensive chemotherapy face a life-threatening illness, experience a prolonged, isolating hospitalization, and endure substantial physical and psychological symptoms. Some patients with AML experience traumatic stress as a result of their diagnosis and illness course. As traumatic stress reactions can negatively impact patients' QOL, mood, and clinical outcomes, it is essential to understand the extent of this trauma, its clinical manifestations, and risk factors to inform targeted management strategies. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), characterized by experiencing a traumatic event, is a common stress related disorder in cancer populations. Despite the potential link between AML and PTSD, data are limited regarding risk and risk factors of PTSD symptoms in this population. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of 160 patients with high-risk AML hospitalized to receive intensive chemotherapy. We used the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version to assess PTSD symptoms at one month after diagnosis of AML. We used the Brief COPE, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia at baseline and week-2 during hospitalization to assess coping and quality of life (QOL), respectively. We then used multivariate regression models to assess the relationship between PTSD symptoms at one month and patient baseline sociodemographic factors, coping, and QOL. Results: Twenty-eight percent of patients reported clinically significant PTSD symptoms, describing high rates of intrusion (92%), avoidance (100%), and hypervigilance (97%). Among those who did not have clinically significant PTSD symptoms, 27%, 26%, and 23% of patients reported clinically significant intrusion, avoidance, and hypervigilance symptoms, respectively. In adjusted analyses, higher baseline QOL (B= -.22, p= Conclusion: A substantial proportion of patients with AML report clinically significant PTSD symptoms at one month after initiating intensive chemotherapy. These findings highlight the need to routinely screen, assess, and manage PTSD symptoms in all patients with AML. Patients' baseline QOL, coping strategies, and extent of QOL decline during hospitalization are important risk factors for PTSD symptoms, underscoring potential intervention targets in future studies to reduce the impact of PTSD in this population. Disclosures LeBlanc: Heron: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Otsuka: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Medtronic: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Welvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; American Cancer Society: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Duke University: Research Funding; NINR/NIH: Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; UpToDate: Patents & Royalties; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; CareVive: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Flatiron: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Helsinn: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hobbs:Merck: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Celgene/BMS: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Jazz: Honoraria; Bayer: Research Funding; Constellation: Honoraria, Research Funding. Brunner:Novartis: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Forty-Seven Inc: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Research Funding; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Luger:Daiichi-Sankyo: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Acceleron: Honoraria; Agios: Honoraria; Loxo Oncology: Honoraria; Onconova: Research Funding; Kura: Research Funding; Hoffman La Roche: Research Funding; Ariad: Research Funding; Biosight: Research Funding. Bhatnagar:KITE: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; KaryoPharm Therapuetics: Research Funding; Cell Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astellas: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.