The relationship between burden and well-being among caregivers of Italian people diagnosed with severe neuromotor and cognitive disorders

In studies on caregiving, high levels of perceived burden are commonly considered as synonymous with poor well-being. This study aimed at better disentangling the relationship between burden and well-being dimensions through their joint investigation. To this purpose, perceived well-being and social resources were evaluated among caregivers reporting different levels of burden. Participants were 91 caregivers (mean age = 50.4; SD = 9.6), parents of people diagnosed with severe neuromotor and cognitive disorders. Participants completed a semi-structured interview and a set of scaled questionnaires: Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Eudaimonic and Hedonic Happiness Investigation, Resilience Scale for Adults, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Participants were divided into two groups according to their perceived burden level, assessed through CBI. In both groups, the subjective components of burden accounted for the major fraction of the total burden level. Participants perceiving high burden reported higher levels of depression related emotions, lower life satisfaction and lower resilience than participants perceiving low burden. No group difference emerged in perceived meaningfulness and social support. A regression analysis showed that the best predictor of perceived burden was life satisfaction, followed to a lesser extent by resilience, while depression related emotions did not provide significant contribution. Findings suggest that the joint assessment of burden and well-being dimensions, that are co-existing in caregivers’ experience, allow for the identification of personal and relational resources that can be usefully included in interventions addressed to caregivers.     

Activity and psychological well-being in older people

Affective well-being and life satisfaction between the ages of 50 and 74 were investigated as a function of the frequency with which individuals undertook six types of activity, after control for potential confounding variables. Overall activity level (across all types) was significantly positively associated with both outcome variables. Activities in the Family and Social and in the Church and Charity domains were found to be important in this age-range, but other types of activity were less consistently associated with affective well-being or life satisfaction. Differences were observed in the frequency of some activity types between men and women and between people in employment, unemployment and retirement. However, associations between activity and psychological well-being did not vary between men and women, and differences in correlations with well-being between non-employed and employed individuals were significant only for aggregate indicators.     

The relationship between early personality and midlife psychological well-being: evidence from a UK birth cohort study

BACKGROUND: Individual differences in personality influence the occurrence, reporting and outcome of mental health problems across the life course, but little is known about the effects on adult psychological well-being. The aim of this study was to examine long range associations between Eysenck's personality dimensions and psychological well-being in midlife. METHODS: The study sample comprised 1,134 women from the 1946 British birth cohort. Extraversion and neuroticism were assessed using the Maudsley Personality Inventory in adolescence (age 16 years) and early adulthood (age 26). Psychological well-being was assessed at age 52 with a 42-item version of Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale. Analyses were undertaken within a structural equation modelling framework that allowed for an ordinal treatment of well-being and personality items, and latent variable modelling of longitudinal data on emotional adjustment. The contribution of mental health problems in linking personality variations to later well-being was assessed using a summary measure of mental health (emotional adjustment) created from multiple time-point assessments. RESULTS: Women who were more socially outgoing (extravert) reported higher well-being on all dimensions. Neuroticism was associated with lower well-being on all dimensions. The effect of early neuroticism on midlife well-being was almost entirely mediated through emotional adjustment defined in terms of continuities in psychological/ psychiatric distress. The effect of extraversion was not mediated by emotional adjustment, nor attenuated after adjustment for neuroticism. CONCLUSIONS: Individual differences in extraversion and neuroticism in early adult life influence levels of well-being reported in midlife.     

伴暴力行为精神分裂症主要照料者应付方式与总体幸福感特征及其关系研究

目的 探索伴有暴力行为的精神分裂症患者主要照料者的应付方式与总体幸福感.方法 通过连续取样的方式选取2014年1月至2016年12月在重庆市精神卫生中心住院治疗的487例伴暴力行为的精神分裂症住院患者主要照料者作为研究组,选取479例与暴力精神分裂症患者年龄、性别、受教育年限、病程相匹配的不伴有暴力的精神分裂症患者的主...     

Coping mediates the relationships between reminiscence and psychological well-being among older adults

Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have demonstrated an association between various functions of reminiscence and well-being in later adulthood. This study investigates to what extent the links between reminiscence (self-positive and self-negative functions) and psychological well-being (depressive symptoms, anxiety level and life satisfaction) are mediated by assimilative and accommodative coping. This mediational model was tested using structural equation modelling. The results support the hypothesis that coping completely mediates the links between reminiscence and psychological well-being. Specifically, self-positive reminiscences are related to improved psychological well-being via assimilative and accommodative coping, while, in contrast, self-negative reminiscences are associated to reduced psychological well-being through their negative relationships with both coping modes. These findings suggest that reminiscence contributes to psychological well-being in part because it promotes assimilative and accommodative coping, which are protective mechanisms through which the self-system constructs continuity and meaning over the life course.     

The relationship between religious coping, psychological distress and quality of life in hemodialysis patients

ObjectiveNo studies have evaluated the relationship among religious coping, psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with End stage renal disease (ESRD). This study assessed whether positive religious coping or religious struggle was independently associated with psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in hemodialysis patients.MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited a random sample of 170 patients who had ESRD from three outpatient hemodialysis units. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected. Patients completed the Brief RCOPE, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument—Abbreviated version (WHOQOL-Bref).ResultsPositive or negative religious coping strategies were frequently adopted by hemodialysis patients to deal with ESRD. Religious struggle correlated with both depressive (r = 0.43; P < .0001) and anxiety (r = 0.32; P < .0001) symptoms. These associations remained significant following multivariate adjustment to clinical and socio-demographic data. Positive religious coping was associated with better overall, mental and social relations HRQoL and these associations were independent from psychological distress symptoms, socio-demographic and clinical variables. Religious struggle was an independent correlate of worse overall, physical, mental, social relations and environment HRQoL.ConclusionIn ESRD, religious struggle was independently associated with greater psychological distress and impaired HRQoL, while positive religious coping was associated with improved HRQoL. These data provide a rationale for the design of prospective and/or intervention studies targeting religious coping in hemodialysis populations.     

A positive association between physical health practices and psychological well-being

The association between psychological well-being (PWB) and health practices (HP) has not been explored. PWB is associated with age, income, education, and physical health. Physical health has been shown to relate to seven HP: sleep, physical exercise, breakfast, snacking, relative body weight, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between PWB and these seven physical health practices. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional health survey of 6320 persons. PWB was measured as an overall score, with positive feelings and negative feelings as subscores. Each of the three PWB measures was related to favorable health practices. The clinical significance of this relationship remains to be determined. In addition, PWB was noted to improve with age. Although one cannot infer causal relations from cross-sectional data, physical health practices may be important mediators of the mind-body interaction.     

Gender, coping, and psychological well-being in spouses of older adults with chronic dementia

Relationships among gender, types of coping strategies, and psychological well-being were examined in 61 spousal caregivers of older adults with chronic dementia. Gender emerged as a significant correlate of well-being (with women reporting higher levels of distress), although not of related coping strategies. Implications for research into interactions among biological, psychological, and social factors contributing to women's psychological distress are discussed.     

The relationship between psychological distress and knowledge of disease among hemophilia patients and their families: A pilot study

As part of a large scale, comprehensive study of the psychosocial functioning of hemophilic patients and their families, 12 pilot families were assessed using objective measures of psychiatric symptomatology and general knowledge of hemophilia. Although the small number of subjects in this pilot study precludes any detailed statistical analyses, some preliminary findings are presented concerning the level of psychological distress reported by patients and their family members and the subjects' level of general knowledge about hemophilia. Of most interest was the presence of significant negative correlations between knowledge of hemophilia and extent of self-reported psychological distress for mothers and patients under 15 yr of age. Maintenance of this relationship with a larger sample would have important implications for patient and family education.     

Coping and psychological adjustment among people with multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVE: This study was concerned with examining the coping and psychological adjustment of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and determining how they were different in these dimensions from people from the general population. The role of severity and duration of illness as well as levels of social support on coping style and adjustment were also evaluated. METHOD: The participants were 381 (144 men, 237 women) people with MS and 291 (101 men, 190 women) people from the general population. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that people with MS (particularly men) were less likely to adopt coping styles related to problem solving and seeking support and demonstrated poorer levels of adjustment on all dimensions. Adopting a wishful thinking coping style, as well as a lack of problem-focused coping or failure to seek social support, was also more likely to be associated with poorer psychological adjustment for both men and women with MS. Levels of health impairment were only minimally related to psychological adjustment, particularly for men. DISCUSSION: These findings highlight the importance of developing educational programs that include strategies to adopt more problem-focused coping strategies, so that people with MS can more readily adjust to their illness.     

The relationship between coping strategies and interrogative suggestibility

Interrogative suggestibility refers to the tendency of individuals to accept suggestive information in an interrogative context. Within the criminal justice system, this factor has substantial implications in relation to the obtaining of written statements, admissions from suspects, and, most importantly, false confessions. Gudjonsson and Clark (1986) have developed a theoretical model of suggestibility, and contend that suggestibility is mediated by an individual's cognitive abilities, mental state and personality characteristics. In particular, they emphasise the role of coping strategies, positing that active/problem‐focused coping strategies lead to greater resistance to suggestive information whilst avoidant/emotion‐focused strategies lead to increased susceptibility to accepting suggestive information. The current study evaluated this aspect of Gudjonsson and Clark's (1986) model, using the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (Gudjonsson, 1984) and the COPE (Carver, Scheier & Weintraub, 1989) inventory. Additionally, it was evaluated whether dispositional or situational coping strategies would be a better predictor of interrogative suggestibility. Sixty‐one participants completed both measures in the belief that they were participating in an investigation into memory. The results failed to support the hypothesized relationship between methods of coping and levels of interrogative suggestibility. Additionally, neither situational nor dispositional coping strategies were found to better predict interrogative suggestibility. The results are discussed in terms of Gudjonsson's (1988) previous findings and current theories on coping behaviour.     

The relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and psychological wellbeing among adolescents

BACKGROUND: Previous studies examining the relationship between physical activity levels and broad-based measures of psychological wellbeing in adolescents have been limited by not controlling for potentially confounding variables. The present study examined the relationship between adolescents' self-reported physical activity level, sedentary behaviour and psychological wellbeing; while controlling for a broad range of sociodemographic, health and developmental factors. METHODS: The study entailed a cross-sectional school-based survey in ten British towns. Two thousand six hundred and twenty three adolescents (aged 13-16 years) reported physical activity levels, patterns of sedentary behaviour (TV/computer/video usage) and completed the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). RESULTS: Lower levels of self-reported physical activity and higher levels of sedentary behaviour showed graded associations with higher SDQ total difficulties scores, both for boys (P < 0.001) and girls (P < 0.02) after adjustment for age and town. Additional adjustment for social class, number of parents, predicted school examination results, body mass index, ethnicity, alcohol intake and smoking status had little effect on these findings. CONCLUSIONS: Low levels of self-reported physical activity are independently associated with diminished psychological wellbeing among adolescents. Longitudinal studies may provide further insights into the relationship between wellbeing and activity levels in this population. Ultimately, randomised controlled trials are needed to evaluate the effects of increasing physical activity on psychological wellbeing among adolescents.     

The relationship of optimism, pain and social support to well-being in older adults with osteoarthritis

Improving the psychological well-being of individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) is an important concern because the condition is highly prevalent and has no known cure. Few studies have assessed the joint contribution of social, personality, and physical factors in relation to well-being for OA patients. In a cross-sectional sample of older adults with OA (n = 73, 73% female), we assessed the role of support perceptions, optimism and pain in depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Greater optimism and support were significantly related to both greater life satisfaction and lower depressive symptoms. Further, optimism partially mediated the relationship of pain to life satisfaction, while support partially mediated the role of pain in depressive symptoms. The interplay of these variables in relation to well-being is discussed in the context of chronic illness and older adulthood.     

The relationship between severity of dementia and subjective well-being

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between cognitive deficits and self-reported subjective well-being (depression, life satisfaction, and perceived social support). Sixty-three participants who suffered from mild to moderate dementia were interviewed with standardized measurements of subjective well-being. Reliability and validity of the instruments were satisfactory. Zero-order correlations showed significant correlations between depression, life satisfaction, and perceived social support. Cognitive functioning correlated negatively with perceived social support. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the interaction of physical diseases and cognitive functioning produced a significant change in depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Participants with mild dementia reported more depressive symptoms and less life satisfaction than persons with more severe dementia, if there were few constraints on physical health.     

The role of coping in maintaining the psychological well-being of mothers of adults with intellectual disability and mental illness

BACKGROUND: Mothers who have a child with intellectual disability (ID) or mental illness face a lifetime of caregiving responsibilities and challenges. The present study investigated changes over time in how mothers cope with the challenges of caring for an adult child with disabilities and the effects of changes in coping on maternal well-being. METHODS: A sample of 246 ageing mothers of adults with ID and 74 mothers of adults with mental illness was drawn from two parallel longitudinal studies of later-life caregiving. RESULTS: There was considerable variability at the individual level in the degree to which mothers changed over time in their use of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. For both groups, an increase in their use of emotion-focused coping led to declining levels of well-being. For the parents of adults with ID, an increase in their use of problem-focused coping resulted in a reduction in distress and an improvement in the quality of the relationship with their adult child. For the parents of adults with mental illness, an increase in the use of problem-focused coping had no effect on levels of distress, but led to an improved relationship with their adult child. CONCLUSIONS: The present study underscores the importance of coping in the lives of older mothers of adults with disabilities.     

Improvement in psychological well-being of people with aphasia and their families: Evaluation of a community-based programme

Abstract

The York-Durham Aphasia Centre comprises a community-based programme for people with aphasia and their families. It offers long-term support and service at any time post-stroke or head injury. This evaluation focused on improvement in psychosocial well-being in the clients and their family members as a measure of programme effectiveness. Trained programme volunteers administered Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale to 35 clients twice, at 6 months apart. Twelve family members also self-administered the scale twice. Voluuteers handled the administration well, and aphasic clients were able to complete the scale with little difficulty. Both clients and family members showed positive change in five of six dimensions of psychological well-being. This improvement in both groups may be related to the direct attention the programmes give to psychosocial well-being and communication, the overall environment of the centre, and the test administration itself. The positive change in these aphasic clients of varying ages and time post-stroke means that imporovement in psychological well-being is possible regardless of time post-stroke and age. There are important implications for health and social service system planning, and more specifically for programme planning for people with aphasia and their families.