Spirituality is a crucial yet complex element of holistic nursing care, particularly when providing care for older adults with depression. In Thailand, depression poses a significant mental health challenge. Thai cultural values are deeply interwoven with individuals' beliefs, making spirituality a critical factor in addressing the care of older adults with depression. This study aimed to explore how older adults with depression experience spirituality and construct meaning from it in their daily lives.
An interpretative phenomenological study.
In-depth interviews of 30 older Thai adults living with depression (aged 60–85 years) from an outpatient psychiatric clinic in southern Thailand were conducted using semi-structured interview questionnaires. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was employed. Data were collected from June to August 2024.
Five themes emerged from the phenomenological data analysis: (1) elusiveness of spiritual meaning, (2) holding oneself together through inner power, (3) finding acceptance through faith in a higher power, (4) family ties shaping peace and despair, and (5) being guided and cared for.
This study highlights that older adults with depression perceive spirituality as essential for their well-being. Personal practices, such as meditation and chanting, played a key role in strengthening spirituality and reducing the risk of relapse in depressive symptoms, which are distinct for each older adult. Understanding spirituality's role in mental health guides nurses to develop strategies for providing more empathetic spiritual care.
Nurses must address depression in older adults through individualized practices to effectively empower their inner strength and coping mechanisms. Understanding each individual's spiritual practices is essential to help them harness their inner strength when coping with depression.
Parents of adolescents with a mental disorder describe having overwhelming feelings regarding the psychiatric diagnosis, which they respond to with grief. Existing research indicates that these parents face unique challenges, such as self-blame and stigma. Parents are crucial in adolescent care, and healthcare professionals should find interventions that educate parents about the disorder, treatment and symptom management. The aim of this study was to explore and describe parents' experiences in having an adolescent with a mental disorder admitted to the psychiatric unit of a public hospital in Gauteng, South Africa.
The study used Heidegger's interpretive phenomenological design.
A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual method was used. Data were collected through semi-structured telephonic interviews with 10 parents who had an adolescent with a mental disorder admitted to a public hospital in Gauteng, South Africa. Tesch's thematic coding steps were used for data analysis.
The themes arising from the findings reflected (1) parents experienced that their lives were stuck amid grief for the loss of what their adolescent child used to be, and anxiety about what the future holds, (2) parents experienced that when they reached out for professional help, the healthcare system failed them due to a lack of guidance, information and support, (3) parents experienced that they prayed for divine intervention as a coping strategy, and (4) parents experienced stigma from the community.
The findings illustrate the need for psychiatric nurses to facilitate the mental health of parents of adolescents with a mental disorder. Furthermore, positive attitudes among parents are improved once they are empowered and receive the necessary support, and stigmatization will also be reduced. It is recommended that further research be conducted to explore the effectiveness of emotional and professional support in addressing the challenges parents experience with an adolescent who has a mental disorder.
This paper contributes knowledge to nursing practice by exploring the experiences of parents who have an adolescent with a mental disorder in the South African context.
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are essential for evidence-based nursing care. However, the quality of reporting and adherence to methodological standards in Latin American nursing journals remains unclear. This study evaluates the characteristics, reporting quality, and potential risk of bias of RCTs published in Latin American nursing journals.
To assess the reporting compliance and risk of bias of RCTs published in Latin American nursing journals.
Meta-research study.
A comprehensive handsearch of 29 Latin American nursing journals was performed covering publications from 2000 to 2024. Identified RCTs were assessed for adherence to CONSORT reporting guidelines and evaluated for risk of bias. Outcomes were classified using the COMET taxonomy. A descriptive analysis was performed.
A total of 6377 references were screened, identifying 34 eligible RCTs, most published after 2018. The median CONSORT compliance was 19 reported items (IQR 16–22). High compliance (> 90%) was observed in abstract reporting items, study objectives, and participant selection criteria. However, critical methodological features such as randomization procedures, blinding, and protocol registration showed low adherence (< 40%). Risk of bias was mostly rated as having “some concerns”, largely due to insufficient reporting. According to the COMET taxonomy, the most frequently reported outcome domains were “Delivery of care” and “Physical functioning”.
Reporting compliance and risk of bias of RCTs published in Latin American nursing journals presents significant gaps, particularly in key methodological domains. These shortcomings hinder transparency, reproducibility, and integration into evidence synthesis. Strengthening editorial policies and enforcing reporting standards could enhance the quality and reliability of published research in Latin American nursing journals.
Dementia resulting from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) complications significantly impacts older adults' quality of life, increasing suffering for both patients and their families. Numerous studies have identified self-management as a key factor in adopting appropriate health behaviors to prevent diabetes-related complications. However, internationally, there is insufficient empirical evidence for individual and family process factors predicting dementia prevention behaviors in older adults with T2DM. Therefore, we aimed to explore how dementia-preventive self-management behaviors (outcome dimension) are related to contextual and process dimensions based on the Individual and Family Self-Management Theory (IFSMT).
A cross-sectional observational study.
The 444 older adults with T2DM from six community hospitals in Chiang Mai completed valid and reliable self-reported measures, including a Socio-demographic Questionnaire, the Dementia Prevention of Individual and Family Self-Management Process Questionnaire (DP-IFSM-PQ), and the Dementia Preventive Self-Management Behavior Questionnaire (DPSMBQ). Data were analyzed using bivariate correlations, partial correlations, and multivariate linear regression with the stepwise method.
Most participants exhibited high levels of individual and family self-management processes and dementia-preventive self-management behaviors. Bivariate and partial correlation analyses revealed a significant association between DP-IFSM-PQ and DPSMBQ scores. Stepwise multiple linear regression identified self-efficacy, a subdomain of DP-IFSM-PQ, as the strongest predictor of DPSMBQ scores. Other significant predictors included awareness of dementia prevention among family members, neighbors, and the community; family income sufficiency; history of comorbidities; distance to the hospital; and knowledge and beliefs (a subdomain of the DP-IFSM-PQ). The regression model was statistically significant (F [1, 437] = 46.662, p = 0.000, Adjusted R 2 = 0.382).
Self-efficacy and knowledge and beliefs, based on IFSMT, are key predictors of dementia-preventive behaviors among older adults with T2DM. These predictors could be used as potential intervention components in a subsequent co-design study for promoting dementia preventive self-management behaviors in older adults with T2DM. The results also reinforce the importance of family members and healthcare providers in supporting older adults with T2DM to enhance their dementia prevention behaviors.
The study aims to assess the extent of compulsory citizenship behaviors (CCBs) and their impact on the nurses' subjective vitality based on self-determination theory.
CCBs are harmful to both nurses and organizations. These behaviors mean employees are expected to perform additional tasks outside their job descriptions. Although CCBs are highlighted within the recent nursing literature, empirical evidence of their effects is lacking.
This is descriptive cross-sectional research. The study included 244 staff nurses using a convenience sampling method who worked in two hospitals in Istanbul. Data were collected via a survey consisting of a personal information form, the compulsory citizenship scale, and the subjective vitality scale. STROBE guidelines were followed when reporting the study. Descriptive statistical analyses, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA test, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchical simple linear regression analyses were used.
The participants' mean scores for compulsory citizenship and subjective vitality were 3.34 out of 5 (SD = 1.05) and 4.15 out of 7 (SD = 1.36), respectively. Nurses' compulsory citizenship scores significantly differed according to their education level, income, and sector. Their subjective vitality scores statistically differed according to their income levels. Regression analysis revealed that CCBs were significant negative predictors of subjective vitality (β = −0.22, p < 0.01).
By examining the CCBs and subjective vitality relationship, the current study extended the existing knowledge by drawing attention to the destructive and harmful effects of CCBs on positive psychological sources of nurses' subjective vitality. CCBs negatively predicted subjective vitality.
Organizational factors such as CCBs, which leads to a lack of autonomy, affect nurses' well-being, thus affecting care quality and patient safety. As the International Council of Nurses mentioned, “Nurses cope with many physical, mental, emotional, and ethical challenges. It is essential that we address these challenges in a way that supports their overall health”. In this regard, managers and policymakers in hospitals should develop preventive cautions for CCBs. However, in-service training activities should be carried out to increase awareness about the harmful effects of CCBs on nurses' psychological well-being.