Psychometric properties of Persian version of the Caregiver Burden Scale in Iranian caregivers of patients with spinal cord injury

Purpose: To investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS) in caregivers of patients with spinal cord injury.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. After a forward–backward translation, the CBS was administered to 110 caregivers of patients with spinal cord injury (men?=?60, women?=?50). Factor structure was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis. The Internal consistency and test–retest reliability of the CBS were examined using Cronbach’s α and the intraclass correlation coefficient, respectively. Construct validity was assessed by examining the relationship among CBS and the World Health Organization Quality of Life, and the Beck Depression Inventory.

Results: The results of confirmatory factor analysis provided support for a five-factor model of CBS. All subscales of CBS revealed acceptable internal consistency (0.698–0.755), except for environment subscale (0.559). The CBS showed adequate test–retest reliability for its subscales (0.745–0.900). All subscales of CBS significantly correlated with both Beck Depression Inventory and World Health Organization Quality of Life, confirming construct validity.

Conclusions: The Persian version of the CBS is a valid and reliable measure for assessing burden of care in caregivers of patients with spinal cord injury.

• Implications for Rehabilitation

• Spinal cord injury leads to depression, high levels of stress and diminished quality of life due to the high physical, emotional, and social burdens in caregivers.

• Persian version of the Caregiver Burden Scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing burden in Iranian caregivers of patients with spinal cord injury.

     

Attachment organization in Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

Attachment organization in a combat-related PTSD sample was investigated and compared with previously published clinical and non-clinical samples. The association between insecure attachment and unresolved mourning classification (U-loss) and between U-loss and PTSD symptoms was investigated. Vietnam combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD and in treatment (N = 48) were administered the Adult Attachment Interview, the SCID-IV, and CAPS. The PTSD sample was like non-clinical samples in the incidence of secure attachment (50%), but were more commonly unresolved. Veterans with insecure attachment organizations were more likely than those with secure attachment to be classified U-loss. U-loss classification was associated with greater likelihood of comorbid anxiety disorders and PTSD avoidance/numbing symptoms. The results suggest that while insecure attachment organization is associated with unresolved mourning in response to loss, it is not differentially associated with combat-related PTSD. The relationship between U-loss and PTSD is discussed in light of current literature.     

The viability of the Parenting Representations Interview for assessing and measuring change in parents of adolescents

Parents’ representations include parents’ views of their adolescent, of their own parenting and of the parent–adolescent relationship. Two longitudinal studies of parents and their adolescent sons and daughters support the validity of scales coding mothers in the Parenting Representations Interview-Adolescence (PRI-A). The studies, conducted in Israel during the transition from home to military service, demonstrated that three dimensions derived from the PRI-A: positive representations of adolescents, negative emotionality and inadequate boundaries were associated with adolescents’ AAI variables, relatedness-autonomy behaviors with mothers, and with other indicators, such as adolescents’ wellbeing, romantic intimacy and individuation. Examining parenting representations could help practitioners pinpoint targets for intervention and evaluate the changes that families go through during psychotherapy, as well as the therapeutic process and its outcomes. The findings support the viability of the PRI for use in attachment based interventions for adolescents.     

The physical and mental burden of dry eye disease: A large population-based study investigating the relationship with health-related quality of life and its determinants

PurposeThis large cross-sectional population-based study investigated the relationship between dry eye disease (DED) and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL).MethodsDry eye and HR-QoL were assessed in 78,165 participants (19–94 yrs, 59.2% female) from the Dutch population-based Lifelines cohort, using the WHS and the SF36 questionnaire, respectively. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between DED and below median Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) score, corrected for age, sex, education, BMI, and 52 comorbidities.ResultsOverall, 8.9% of participants had DED. Participants with DED had an increased risk of low PCS (OR 1.54 (95% CI 1.46–1.62)) and MCS scores (OR 1.39 (95% CI 1.32–1.46)), corrected for age and sex. This risk remained significant after correction for comorbidities (P < 0.0005). Increasing DED symptom frequency was associated with decreasing HR-QoL (P < 0.0005). Undiagnosed DED subjects had a significantly increased risk of low mental HR-QoL with increasing dry eye symptoms compared to diagnosed subjects (P < 0.0005). Compared to allergic conjunctivitis, glaucoma, macular degeneration and retinal detachment, DED showed the highest risk of low HR-QoL. Compared to other common systemic and chronic disorders, such as depression, rheumatoid arthritis, and COPD, DED was distinctive by having a substantial reduction in both PCS and MCS.ConclusionDED is associated with substantial reductions in both physical and mental HR-QoL, also after correction for associated comorbidities. Not having a diagnosis is associated with worse mental HR-QoL in subjects with severe DED. Our results underline the importance of recognizing dry eye as a serious disorder.     

Behandling af klimakterielle gener med opipramol (Insidon)

Committed and voluntary patients were interviewed about their experience of psychiatric care. They were interviewed twice: at discharge or 3 weeks after admission and 4-8 months later. Only a few of the patients thought that they should not have been admitted, but many of them thought they had been admitted too late and discharged too early. Sixty-five per cent of the committed patients and 35% of the voluntary patients understood that they had been subjected to compulsory procedures. The law states that the patients must take part in the planning of the treatment concerning themselves; even so, half of them had the feeling of not being allowed to do so. Only 40% of the patients would like to receive the same treatment again. At the second interview 85% of the committed patients stated that it is necessary to have an opportunity to command people and that doctors are very well adapted to make the decision. Only 4% thought that a lawyer should decide.