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Primary Themes (primary + themes)
Selected AbstractsAnother Breed of "Service" Animals: STARS Study Findings About Pet Ownership and Recovery From Serious Mental IllnessAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2009Jennifer P. Wisdom PhD This study elucidates the role of pets in recovery processes among adults with serious mental illness. Data derive from interviews with 177 HMO members with serious mental illness (52.2% women, average age 48.8 years) in the Study of Transitions and Recovery Strategies (STARS). Interviews and questionnaires addressed factors affecting recovery processes and included questions about pet ownership. Data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory method to identify the roles pets play in the recovery process. Primary themes indicate pets assist individuals in recovery from serious mental illness by (a) providing empathy and "therapy"; (b) providing connections that can assist in redeveloping social avenues; (c) serving as "family" in the absence of or in addition to human family members; and (d) supporting self-efficacy and strengthening a sense of empowerment. Pets appear to provide more benefits than merely companionship. Participants' reports of pet-related contributions to their well-being provide impetus to conduct more formal research on the mechanisms by which pets contribute to recovery and to develop pet-based interventions. [source] Complexity of Family Life Among the Low-Income and Working Poor: Introduction to the Special IssueFAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 2 2004Patricia Hyjer Dyk Like all families, low-income and working-poor families need economic stability, safety, good health, and engagement in the larger community. However, the complexity of their lives is greatly impacted by limited economic resources. Three primary themes are explored by the 12 articles in this special issue: competing stressors and tensions, effective parenting, and economic stability and financial decision making. Key findings and program and policy implications identified by each set of authors are discussed. This body of work provides research-based practice and policy suggestions to guide future efforts in partnering with families to strengthen their families and communities for successful enhancement of child well-being. [source] Controversies, Clarifications, and Consequences of Divorce's Legacy: Introduction to the Special CollectionFAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 4 2003Sanford L. Braver Recent publications describing long-term results of longitudinal investigations of divorced couples have stirred controversies because of substantial differences in findings. The current Special Collection was initiated to clarify some of the issues brought into controversy. Five primary themes are explored by the nine papers in this collection: How severe is the long-term effect of divorce on children? Why do various research findings on the long-term effect of divorce tend to disagree so substantially? Why is divorce considered a problem? What do children have to say about their experiences with divorce? And what, if anything, can be done to help the children of divorce? [source] Exploring the quality of dying of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the intensive care unit: a mixed methods studyNURSING IN CRITICAL CARE, Issue 2 2009Donna Goodridge Abstract Rationale for the study:, Improving the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care in critical care settings is a high priority. Patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are frequently admitted to and die in critical care units. To date, there has been little research examining the quality of EOL care for this unique subpopulation of critical care patients. Aims:, The aims of this study were (a) to examine critical care clinician perspectives on the quality of dying of patients with COPD and (b) to compare nurse ratings of the quality of dying and death between patients with COPD with those who died from other illnesses in critical care settings. Design and sample:, A sequential mixed method design was used. Three focus groups provided data describing the EOL care provided to patients with COPD dying in the intensive care unit (ICU). Nurses caring for patients who died in the ICU completed a previously validated, cross-sectional survey (Quality of Dying and Death) rating the quality of dying for 103 patients. Data analysis:, Thematic analysis was used to analyse the focus group data. Total and item scores for 34 patients who had died in the ICU with COPD were compared with those for 69 patients who died from other causes. Results:, Three primary themes emerged from the qualitative data are as follows: managing difficult symptoms, questioning the appropriateness of care and establishing care priorities. Ratings for the quality of dying were significantly lower for patients with COPD than for those who died from other causes on several survey items, including dyspnoea, anxiety and the belief that the patient had been kept alive too long. The qualitative data allowed for in-depth explication of the survey results. Conclusions:, Attention to the management of dyspnoea, anxiety and treatment decision-making are priority concerns when providing EOL care in the ICU to patients with COPD. [source] | ||||||||||