Selected psychosocial predictors of treatment adherence among Individuals with Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain (Published)
One of the most challenging problems facing health care professionals globally is patients’ non-adherence to treatment programs. This study therefore investigated the role of anxiety, depression, self-efficacy and social support on treatment adherence.Ninety-two purposively selected individuals diagnosed with mechanical low back pain (mean age =37.45 ± 5.48) participated in this cross-sectional survey. A 95-item battery of scales (questionnaire) was used in measuring participants’ bio-data, level of anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, social support, pain self-efficacy and treatment adherence. Descriptive (means; SD; and %) and inferential (multiple regression and ANOVA) statistics were employed in analysis, with three hypotheses tested at p<0.05. Anxiety, depression, self-efficacy and social support jointly predicted cognition (R=.57; R2=.33;F(4,87)=10.64; p<.01), behavioral (R = .29; R2 =.08; F (4,87) = 1.97; p<.05) and therapy satisfaction (R = .29; R2 =.08; F (4,87) = 1.94;p<.05) domains of treatment adherence. Self-efficacy independently predicted behavioral (β=.59) and therapy satisfaction (β=.25) domains of treatment adherence (β=.25). Self-efficacy, social support, anxiety and depression are jointly pertinent in forecasting the cognition, treatment satisfaction and behavioural domains of treatment adherence among low back pain patients. Attention to these psychological factors would be needful in the management of treatment adherence among patients with low back pain
Keywords: Anxiety, Depression, Self-Efficacy, Social Support, Treatment adherence, low back pain
WHAT IT MEANS TO WORK HARD FOR CAREER PROGRESSION: A STUDY OF CORPORATE MANAGERS IN GHANA (Published)
Managerial career success is largely a function of two important career experiences: human capital, including hard work, and organizational support sponsorship. Whereas attracting and obtaining sponsorship reflects a more political explanation for career success, hard work represents a merit based and psychological explanation. However, little attention has been given to research that explores internally generated facets and psychological factors of hard work which facilitate career success. Using qualitative approach, this study was therefore conducted to explore managers’ conceptualization of hard work for career progression and success. Fifty-eight managers drawn from twelve public and private organizations in Ghana completed an open ended questionnaire on what it means to work hard for their career progression. Thematic content analysis of the data showed that four main themes underlie hard work for career progression: motivation and goal/achievement orientation; work capability/efficacy; work commitment/perseverance; and investing maximum input/extra effort. Findings are discussed within the frameworks of career achievement motivation, goal setting, self-efficacy and self-regulation theories.
Keywords: : Human Capital, Career Development, Ghana, Self-Efficacy, self-development, self-regulation