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Emotional Wellbeing (emotional + wellbeing)
Selected AbstractsMechanisms of behavior change in alcoholics anonymous: does Alcoholics Anonymous lead to better alcohol use outcomes by reducing depression symptoms?ADDICTION, Issue 4 2010John F. Kelly ABSTRACT Rationale Indices of negative affect, such as depression, have been implicated in stress-induced pathways to alcohol relapse. Empirically supported continuing care resources, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), emphasize reducing negative affect to reduce relapse risk, but little research has been conducted to examine putative affective mechanisms of AA's effects. Methods Using lagged, controlled, hierarchical linear modeling and mediational analyses this study investigated whether AA participation mobilized changes in depression symptoms and whether such changes explained subsequent reductions in alcohol use. Alcohol-dependent adults (n = 1706), receiving treatment as part of a clinical trial, were assessed at intake, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 months. Results Findings revealed elevated levels of depression compared to the general population, which decreased during treatment and then remained stable over follow-up. Greater AA attendance was associated with better subsequent alcohol use outcomes and decreased depression. Greater depression was associated with heavier and more frequent drinking. Lagged mediation analyses revealed that the effects of AA on alcohol use was mediated partially by reductions in depression symptoms. However, this salutary effect on depression itself appeared to be explained by AA's proximal effect on reducing concurrent drinking. Conclusions AA attendance was associated both concurrently and predictively with improved alcohol outcomes. Although AA attendance was associated additionally with subsequent improvements in depression, it did not predict such improvements over and above concurrent alcohol use. AA appears to lead both to improvements in alcohol use and psychological and emotional wellbeing which, in turn, may reinforce further abstinence and recovery-related change. [source] Churches that enhance spirituality and wellbeing,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOANALYTIC STUDIES, Issue 2 2010Robert B. Ellsworth Abstract From examining thousands of surveys from 174 congregations, we earlier identified 29 aspects of ministry with strong links to spiritual and emotional wellbeing and increased the number of people coming (Ellsworth & Ellsworth, International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, 6(1), 46,60, 2009). This paper explores what happened when church leaders strengthened these aspects. In examining over 12,000 surveys from 37 congregations that surveyed twice, we discovered that 20 of the 29 aspects had a major impact on changing more lives and attracting more people. This paper identifies and discusses the 20 ministry essentials that actually helped congregations experience higher levels of emotional wellbeing, spiritual growth, and/or attracted more people. We also explore the question; can congregant's emotional wellbeing impact people in the larger community? Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Pituitary disease , perspectives of patients and partnersJOURNAL OF NURSING AND HEALTHCARE OF CHRONIC ILLNE SS: AN INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009FRCNA, Trisha Dunning AM Aim. To explore experiences of pituitary disease of people with pituitary disease (PD) and their partners (PT). Background. Pituitary disease encompasses a range of hormonal abnormalities that produce a variety of signs and symptoms depending on the underlying cause. Design. A triangulated exploratory study. Methods. The study was conducted in three phases: (a) non-participant monitoring of an Internet pituitary chat room over four months; (b) in-depth structured interviews with PD attending a pituitary outpatient clinic (n = 8) and PT (n = 6), (c) focus groups (n = 12). Data were collected in 2005. Results. Four themes emerged from the discussion in each phase: ,need to be normal', ,emotional merry-go-round', ,damage to the self', and ,doctor ignorance'. Symptoms of pituitary disease were often mistaken for sinusitis, ,getting old before my time', hypochondria, stress, and ,something sinister changing the way I look'. Time to diagnosis varied from four weeks to 15 years. PD felt included in decision-making but partners relied on PD for information. Body image changes were significant making PD feel like a ,freak show for medical students' and the emotional distress persisted after treatment and ,cure'. The word ,tumour' caused significant stress and anxiety and depression was common. PD and PT felt general practitioners (GP) lacked information about pituitary disease. Conclusions. Pituitary disease has a major impact on psychological well-being. PD but not PT felt involved in decisions about their management. GPs may need more education about pituitary disease. The study adds important information about the emotional effects of pituitary disease and its treatment. Relevance to clinical practice. Pituitary disease is a generic term encompassing a range of underlying disease processes that often produce vague symptoms, often attributed to other causes, which delays diagnosis and treatment. Pituitary disease has a significant under recognised impact on people's mental and physical wellbeing and self-concept. Although the underlying hormonal imbalances associated with pituitary disease are largely reversible (cured), emotional distress persists. Regular monitoring of emotional wellbeing as well as medical and hormone status is warranted. [source] Psoriasis: is the impairment to a patient's life cumulative?JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 9 2010AB Kimball Abstract Psoriasis is associated with significant physical and psychological burden affecting all facets of a patient's life , relationships, social activities, work and emotional wellbeing. The cumulative effect of this disability may be self-perpetuating social disconnection and failure to achieve a ,full life potential' in some patients. Health-related quality of life studies have quantified the burden of psoriasis providing predominantly cross-sectional data and point-in-time images of patients' lives rather than assessing the possible cumulative disability over a patient's lifetime. However, social and economic outcomes indicate there are likely negative impacts that accumulate over time. To capture the cumulative effect of psoriasis and its associated co-morbidities and stigma over a patient's life course, we propose the concept of ,Cumulative Life Course Impairment' (CLCI). CLCI results from an interaction between (A) the burden of stigmatization, and physical and psychological co-morbidities and (B) coping strategies and external factors. Several key aspects of the CLCI concept are supported by data similar to that used in health-related quality of life assessments. Future research should focus on (i) establishing key components of CLCI and determining the mechanisms of impairment through longitudinal or retrospective case,control studies, and (ii) assessing factors that put patients at increased risk of developing CLCI. In the future, this concept may lead to a better understanding of the overall impact of psoriasis, help identify more vulnerable patients, and facilitate more appropriate treatment decisions or earlier referrals. To our knowledge, this is a first attempt to apply and develop concepts from ,Life Course Epidemiology' to psoriasis research. [source] | ||||||||||