Clinical Research Directory

Preparation for Sports Retirement: Study Protocol

Background: This article presents the protocol for a randomised controlled trial designed to develop and evaluate a psychoeducational intervention aimed at preparing high-performance athletes for the challenges and opportunities presented by the transition to retirement from sport. The protocol was developed through a literature review and consultations with experts in sports psychology and career transition. Methods: The study will be conducted at the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Salamanca (Spain). High-performance athletes aged 30 or older who are close to retirement or who have retired in the last five years will be recruited. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups: the intervention group, which will undergo a psychoeducational programme consisting of 12 sessions over 3 months; and the control group, which will receive a minimum educational programme of one session. All participants will complete initial and final assessments, as well as a 3-month follow-up, collecting sociodemographic data and applying various psychological, social and health assessment instruments. Discussion: This protocol describes a comprehensive psychoeducational intervention aimed at improving quality of life and attitudes towards retirement from sport, increasing life satisfaction, psychological flexibility, perceived social support, general health, self-efficacy and self-regulation, and reducing negative stereotypes associated with the end of a sporting career. The evidence generated will guide future interventions, policies, and educational programmes to promote a healthy, active, and satisfying transition to the post-sport stage.

The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-Based Psychoeducation on Cognitive Flexibility and Rumination in the Elderly

This study aimed to investigate the effect of psychoeducation on rumination and cognitive flexibility in elderly individuals residing in nursing homes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-based psychoeducation has recently been applied to multiple specific groups around the world and in our country. In general, executive functioning skills and, more specifically, cognitive flexibility appear to be important for the ability to use certain CBT techniques; however, considering that these skills naturally decline with age, further research is needed. It is anticipated that the results of this study will contribute to applications in the field of psychiatric nursing.

Psychoeducation Program for Parents of Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Having and caring for a child with disabilities brings emotional, social and economic difficulties for many families. Families may experience many physiological and psychological problems due to the stress and anxiety they experience. In addition, it is seen that families with children with disabilities give up their existing roles, reduce their participation in social activities, and reach stagnation in their social lives. Mothers are affected psychologically more than fathers and feel lonely. It is stated that mothers believe that they cannot afford everything in the face of the responsibilities they carry and accordingly, they experience emotional and psychological problems such as stress, anxiety, depression, absent-mindedness, forgetfulness and tantrums. Living with a child with a disability causes family members to experience different emotions as mentioned above; families may frequently experience fear, anxiety, guilt, anger and depression. It is reported that mothers of children with DMD experience depression, anxiety about the future and uncertainty more than mothers of healthy children. Families of children with DMD reported that they felt tired and fatigued during the process of caring for the child and had difficulties in participating in social activities and allocating time for themselves. Most of these families stated that they needed psychological and social support. Therefore, it is important to address the psychiatric aspects of families with children with DMD during the disease process. Parental health contributes positively to the health and adaptation of the family in general. Examining the psychiatric symptoms caused by the problems experienced by families related to DMD and how they cope with this stress will be useful in evaluating and addressing these families. In addition, the social support that families with children with disabilities receive from their immediate environment and institutions is also an important issue. It has been reported that social support from relatives, friends, neighbors, organizations and communities increases the psychological resilience levels of families, they feel that they are not alone in the face of problems, and their anxiety levels decrease. In the literature, it is generally mentioned that when the culture of pediatric care is supportive and family-oriented, the care of the patient will undergo a change when transitioning from pediatric care to the adult period. However, studies evaluating the problems experienced by families in the care of patients with DMD, psychiatric symptoms, ways of coping with stress and perceived social support are insufficient. It is important to evaluate the problems experienced by parents in the families of children with DMD in developing skills to cope with the disease process and disease-related problems, and then to provide training in these areas. Because if parents, who are in the role of caregivers, are equipped with knowledge and skills in this context, they will provide better care and be more useful to their children with DMD. In line with this information, the aim of this study was to evaluate the problems experienced by parents of children with DMD, psychiatric symptoms, coping skills with stress and the level of social support they perceive and to implement a psychosocial support-based psychoeducation program related to these areas.

The Effect of Psychosocial Skills Focused Group Psychoeducation in Schizophrenia Patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of psychosocial skills-oriented group psychoeducation on functional recovery, treatment adherence and mental well-being in patients with schizophrenia. This research will be conducted in Giresun Community Mental Health Center. The study was planned as a randomized controlled pretest-posttest design. In addition to the Sociodemographic Information Form prepared by the researchers, the Functional Recovery Scale in Schizophrenia, the Modified Morisky Treatment Adherence Scale and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale will be used to collect the data. The sample size was calculated as 34 people (experimental group= 17, control group= 17). Forms and scales will be applied to the experimental and control groups before psychoeducation and scales will be applied again to both groups after psychoeducation.