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Confidence in communicating with patients with cancer mediates the relationship between rehabilitation therapists’ autistic-like traits and perceived difficulty in communication

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 January 2018

Chinatsu Hayashibara ,
Masatoshi Inagaki ,
Maiko Fujimori ,
Yuji Higuchi ,
Masaki Fujiwara ,
Seishi Terada ,
Hitoshi Okamura ,
Yosuke Uchitomi  and
Norihito Yamada
Chinatsu Hayashibara
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama, Japan
Masatoshi Inagaki*
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
Maiko Fujimori
Affiliation:
Division of Cohort Consortium Research, Epidemiology and Prevention Group, Center for Public Health Sciences, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan Division of Health Care Research, QOL Research Group, Center for Public Health Sciences, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
Yuji Higuchi
Affiliation:
Taiyo Hills Hospital, Okayama, Japan
Masaki Fujiwara
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama, Japan
Seishi Terada
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama, Japan
Hitoshi Okamura
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Yosuke Uchitomi
Affiliation:
Innovation Center for Supportive, Palliative and Psychosocial Care, National Cancer Center Hospital, and QOL Research Group, Center for Public Health Sciences, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
Norihito Yamada
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama, Japan
*
Author for correspondence: Masatoshi Inagaki, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Hospital, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan. E-mail: [email protected].
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Abstract

Objective

Recently, rehabilitation therapists have become involved in cancer rehabilitation; however, no communication skills training that increases the ability to provide emotional support for cancer patients has been developed for rehabilitation therapists. In addition, no study has examined associations between rehabilitation therapists’ communication skills and their level of autistic-like traits (ALT), which are in-born characteristics including specific communication styles and difficulty communicating with patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether confidence in communicating with patients mitigates communication difficulties experienced by rehabilitation therapists who have high levels of ALT.

Method

Rehabilitation therapists who treat patients with cancer completed self-administered postal questionnaires anonymously. Scores were obtained on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient short form, confidence in communication, and communication difficulties. We used covariance structure analyses to test hypothetical models, and confirmed that confidence in communication mediates the relationship between ALT and perceived communication difficulties.

Results

Participants included 1,343 respondents (49.6%). Autism-Spectrum Quotient scores were positively correlated with communication difficulties (r = 0.16, p < 0.001). The correlation was mitigated by confidence in communication in the fit model. However, higher confidence in creating a supportive atmosphere was associated with more difficulty in communication (r = 0.16, p < 0.001).

Significance of results

Communication difficulty was linked to rehabilitation therapists’ ALTs. By increasing confidence in areas of communication other than creation of a supportive atmosphere, ALT-related difficulties in communication may be ameliorated. Confidence to create supportive environments correlated positively with difficulty. Communication skills training to increase confidence in communication for rehabilitation therapists should be developed with vigilance regarding ALT levels.

Keywords

Communicationcommunication difficultyautistic-like traitsconfidencerehabilitation therapist
Type
Original Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , April 2019 , pp. 186 - 194
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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