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Female Spouses (female + spouse)
Selected AbstractsSECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, SHARING OF TRAUMATIC REMINISCES, AND MARITAL QUALITY AMONG SPOUSES OF HOLOCAUST CHILD SURVIVORSJOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 4 2001Rachel Lev-Wiesel In this study, we examined the issue of secondary traumatic stress (STS) among spouses of Holocaust survivors who were children during the World War II. STS is defined as comprising the same components as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), except that the person evidencing the symptoms has not actually been exposed to the traumatic event(s), but has developed them as a result of caring for someone with PTSD. Participants were 90 couples who completed self-report questionnaires regarding posttraumatic symptoms, psychological distress, and marital quality. The results showed that about one-third of the spouses suffered from some degree of STS symptoms. Secondary traumatic stress symptoms and psychological distress among spouses were significantly related to hostility, anger, paranoia, and interpersonal sensitivity in the survivor, but unrelated to whether the survivor had shared his/her reminiscences with the spouse. Female spouses were found to suffer more distress than male spouses, especially when their partner suffered high levels of PTSD. The results suggest that STS is, to a large degree, related to the demands of living with a symptomatic survivor, possibly more than to the empathic element thought to be central to this syndrome. [source] The informant questionnaire on cognitive decline in the elderly (IQCODE) is associated with informant stressINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 11 2009Harald A. Nygaard Abstract Objective To study the association between informant stress and appraisal of patients' cognitive functioning as reported by the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly,IQCODE. Methods Routinely collected data from a geriatric outpatient department (207 dyads) during the years 1995,1998 were analysed. Relative stress scale (RSS) has been categorised for possible low, intermediate and high risk of psychiatric morbidity and caregivers were combined to four groups (female and male spouses and female and male non-spouses, respectively). The relationship between IQCODE (dependent) and categorised RSS and informant groups and patient age was further studied by means of the general linear model (GLM,UNIANOVA). Results In general, spouses reported better cognitive functioning than non-spouses. There was a significant association between IQCODE and RSS (p,<,0.001), and the composite variable informant group and informant gender (p,<,0.001). The main effect of the interaction term RSS,×,informant group,+,informant gender was not significant. Post hoc test, however, revealed a significant effect of the interaction term RSS,×,female spouses (p,<,0.001) on IQCODE. Conclusion IQCODE is associated with informant stress. Categorisation of RSS score into groups of low, intermediate and high risk for psychiatric morbidity can be a valuable contribution to a more meaningful application of RSS in general practice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Coping strategies and health-related quality of life among spouses of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, haemodialysis, and transplant patientsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2000Ragny Lindqvist RN PhD Coping strategies and health-related quality of life among spouses of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, haemodialysis and transplant patients In the study reported here 55 spouses of patients living with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were investigated with respect to coping strategies and health-related quality of life. Findings from the study were compared to two random samples of the Swedish general population (n = 454, and n = 1200). The study design was correlational and comparative. Coping was measured by the Jalowiec Coping Scale, and quality of life (QoL) by the Swedish Health-Related Quality of Life Survey (SWED-QUAL). Data were analysed using a number of statistical tests including Pearson's product moment correlations, Student's t -test and two way ANOVAs. The combined sample of spouses used significantly more optimistic and palliative coping than the general population, but less confrontative, self-reliant, evasive and emotive coping. In the study fatalistic, evasive and emotive coping was associated with low perceived efficiency in handling various aspects of the partners' situation. The male spouses used significantly less optimistic, supportive and palliative coping than did the female spouses. The spouses of transplant patients had better overall quality of life than the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis spouse groups, most likely due to the lower age of the former group. The study findings suggest that emotive, evasive and fatalistic coping are less than optimal ways to deal with problems occasioned by the partner's treatment. [source] Asymmetrical transmission of human herpesvirus 8 among spouses of patients with Kaposi sarcomaBRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2009A. Dupuy Summary Background, Among heterosexuals, the sexual transmission of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) has not been established. Objectives, To assess HHV8 seroprevalence in spouses of patients with classic and endemic Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and to suggest possible routes of transmission. Methods, A case,control study was carried out in a teaching hospital among spouses of human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients with KS (cases , exposed subjects) and controls who did not have KS nor were related to patients with KS (nonexposed subjects). HHV8 seroprevalence in spouses of patients with KS was compared with HHV8 seroprevalence in controls matched for age, gender and place of birth. Other serology tests were compared between cases and controls. Among heterosexual couples, HHV8-seropositive and HHV8-seronegative spouses were compared for possible risk factors for virus transmission. Results, HHV8 seroprevalence was significantly higher among spouses of patients with KS (13 of 22; 59%) than among matched controls (19 of 58; 33%; P = 0·043). Among heterosexual couples, five of five (100%) male spouses were HHV8 positive vs. six of 15 (40%) female spouses (P = 0·04). There was no significant difference between HHV8-seropositive and HHV8-seronegative spouses for all other factors screened for among heterosexual couples. Conclusions, Being a spouse of a patient with KS is a risk factor for HHV8 seropositivity. Our results suggest that female-to-male HHV8 transmission could be more efficient than male-to-female transmission among couples including a patient with KS. Transmission could involve distinctive behaviours, or currently unknown biological properties of HHV8. 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