Stroke in young women: An interpretative phenomenological analysis
Stroke among adults of working age is increasing. We aimed to explore the experience of stroke among young women in Ireland. In total, 12 women (aged between 18 and 50 years) participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four super-ordinate themes were identified: stroke as an illness of later life (‘obviously it’s for older people’), post-stroke selves, a desire for peer support and the impact of stroke on relationships. Findings indicate the importance of addressing the specific needs of younger stroke patients from admission to recovery t...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Leahy, D. M., Desmond, D., Coughlan, T., ONeill, D., Collins, D. R. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Sleep-readiness signals in insomniacs and good sleepers
Sleep is preceded by physiological and behavioural events that inform the subject that it is time to sleep. Our hypothesis is that insomniacs do not adequately recognize such signals, thus missing the best time to go to bed. Eighty-seven chronic insomniac participants and 76 age-matched good sleeper controls were recruited. Semi-structured interviews focused on three aspects of nocturnal sleep: features, habitual activities and signals that they usually rely on in order to decide their readiness to sleep. The results showed that insomniacs relied more than good sleepers on external signals (time) than on bodily ones to dec...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Giganti, F., Guidi, S., Aboudan, S., Baiardi, S., Mondini, S., Cirignotta, F., Salzarulo, P. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
'You have to die first: Exploring the thoughts and feelings on organ donation of British women who have not signed up to be donors
Four White British women who had not signed up to be organ donors were interviewed in depth to investigate their feelings on organ donation. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to reveal how the ability to detach from the body affects the acceptance of organ donation, how organ donation can trigger difficult thoughts and how the family can be used to explain not having signed up. The findings confirm previous empirical evidence but also offer original insight on the discrepancy between attitudes and behaviours, how fears can inhibit action and the importance of communicating organ donat...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Nizza, I. E., Britton, H. P., Smith, J. A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Resilience, age, and perceived symptoms in persons with long-term physical disabilities
This study examined resilience in a large sample of individuals with disabling medical conditions by validating the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, obtaining descriptive information about resilience and evaluating resilience as a mediator among key secondary symptoms and quality of life using structural equation modeling. Results indicated that the measure’s psychometric properties were adequate in this sample. Resilience was lowest among participants who were middle-aged or younger, and participants with depression. Resilience mediated associations between secondary symptoms and quality of life. (Source: Jou...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Terrill, A. L., Molton, I. R., Ehde, D. M., Amtmann, D., Bombardier, C. H., Smith, A. E., Jensen, M. P. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
'Lets get wasted: A discourse analysis of teenagers talk about binge drinking
Teenage binge drinking is a significant health issue. To explore teenagers talk about binge drinking, four peer-group interviews were conducted with 20 teenagers, aged 16–18 years, with experience of excessive alcohol use. A discourse analysis showed that a ‘drinking is cool’ discourse constructed ‘getting wasted’ as an integral part of social life, while a ‘drinking as a social lubricant’ discourse described the behavioural functions of alcohol use. Participants also actively resisted an ‘alcohol is bad’ discourse, which acknowledges the risks of alcohol use. The findi...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Chainey, T. A., Stephens, C. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
'You cant be forcing food down 'em: Nursing home carers perceptions of residents dining needs
Malnutrition is a life-threatening condition among older people living in nursing care homes. This qualitative analysis of interview data from five care staff aimed to understand their perceptions of ‘caring for’ residents’ nutritional needs. Tensions in the delivery of care and institutionalisation and disempowerment were identified. Despite carers’ good intentions, they often failed to recognise the importance of the psychosocial aspects of mealtimes. Staff shortages, routine-driven, medically based working practices and residents’ resistance to institutionalisation emerged as barriers to qu...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Dunn, H., Moore, T. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
The effects of perceived stress on biological parameters in healthcare professionals: A systematic review
We synthesised evidence on biological correlates of psychological stress in hospital-based healthcare professionals, and examined whether there was evidence of consistent biological changes. Electronic databases were searched for empirical studies; 16 articles (0.6%) met the inclusion criteria. Evidence of a relationship between indices of psychological stress and biological parameters was limited and inconsistent. There was some evidence of a consistent relationship between natural killer cells and lymphocyte subpopulations. Considerable heterogeneity in the methods used was seen. Future prospective studies examining the ...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Dawe, K., Montgomery, A., McGee, H., Panagopoulou, E., Morgan, K., Hackshaw, L., Vedhara, K. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Psychosocial well-being after kidney transplantation: A matched-pair case-control study
This study aimed to compare 30 successful (>1 year) kidney transplantation recipients with 30 matched-pair healthy controls on psychosocial well-being. Independent of gender, age and time since transplantation, transplanted patients equalled healthy people in the intrapersonal domains but scored worse in the interpersonal domains of psychosocial well-being. Identifying aspects of life that remain impaired after kidney transplantation may assist the development of interventions targeted at improving patients’ adjustment. (Source: Journal of Health Psychology)
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Gremigni, P., Cappelli, G. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Gaining weight after taking orlistat: A qualitative study of patients at 18-months follow-up
Orlistat is currently the only prescribed form of pharmacological management for obesity and functions by reducing the amount of fat absorbed from food eaten. Although frequently prescribed, there is marked variability in outcomes. A total of 10 participants’ experiences of gaining weight after taking orlistat were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants attributed their failed weight loss to mechanisms of the medication, emphasised a medical model of obesity with barriers to their weight loss and other weight-loss methods which had also failed. Overall, their weight gain was considered an inevitable part of t...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Hollywood, A., Ogden, J. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Contextually appropriate emotional word use predicts adaptive health behavior: Emotion context sensitivity and treatment adherence
This study examined the relationship between emotion context sensitivity and treatment adherence in adults with the chronic illness Thalassemia. Emotional responses were measured by examining the frequency of positive and negative emotional words used to answer two interview questions that created two different emotional contexts. Consistent with previous research on adaptive and contextually appropriate emotions, negative emotion words were related to adherence in the context of the disease itself, while positive emotion words were related to adherence in the context of coping. (Source: Journal of Health Psychology)
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Harvey, M. M., Coifman, K. G., Ross, G., Kleinert, D., Giardina, P. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Brief report: The protective effects of school engagement for African American adolescent males
This study examined whether school engagement was protective with regard to externalizing behaviors, gang involvement, sexual debut, and unsafe sexual behaviors among African American adolescent males. Self-administered surveys were administered to 219 male students from an urban Chicago high school. Controlling for age and socioeconomic status, higher school engagement levels were associated with lower rates of aggressive behaviors, lower levels of gang involvement, delay of sexual debut, and lower levels of unsafe sexual behaviors. Findings support the development of school-based interventions designed to promote student...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - April 10, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Voisin, D. R., Elsaesser, C. Tags: Brief Report Source Type: research
Lifestyle and treatment adherence among overweight adolescents
This study evaluated the influence of overweight adolescents’ lifestyle on the adherence to weight control, and identifies their predictors. Participants were 94 adolescents, aged 12–18 years, attending a Paediatric Obesity Clinic. Lifestyle was assessed using the "Adolescent Lifestyle Profile" and treatment adherence through the "Therapeutic Adherence to Weight Control Questionnaire." Adherence to weight control was associated with various lifestyle domains. Several predictors were identified for lifestyle and adherence to weight control among overweight adolescents. A broad array of inter-correlations and pre...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - April 10, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Sousa, P., Gaspar, P., Fonseca, H., Gaspar, F. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Looking age-appropriate while growing old gracefully: A qualitative study of ageing and body image among older adults
Body dissatisfaction can be significantly detrimental to wellbeing. Little is known about older adults’ body image, despite the fact that ageing causes unique bodily changes and that sociocultural pressures to resist these changes abound. We conducted six focus groups with a UK community sample of White British and South Asian older adults aged 65–92 years. Thematic analysis highlighted four themes: appearance indicates capability and identity; physical ability trumps appearance; felt pressures to age ‘gracefully’ while resisting appearance changes; and gender and cultural differences. These finding...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - April 10, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jankowski, G. S., Diedrichs, P. C., Williamson, H., Christopher, G., Harcourt, D. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Self-esteem and illness self-concept in emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes: Long-term associations with problem areas in diabetes
This long-term prospective study examined whether illness self-concept (or the degree to which chronic illness becomes integrated in the self) mediated the pathway from self-esteem to problem areas in diabetes in emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes. Having a central illness self-concept (i.e. feeling overwhelmed by diabetes) was found to relate to lower self-esteem, and more treatment, food, emotional, and social support problems. Furthermore, path analyses indicated that self-esteem was negatively related to both levels and relative changes in these problem areas in diabetes over a period of 5 years. Illness self-concept...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - April 10, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Luyckx, K., Rassart, J., Aujoulat, I., Goubert, L., Weets, I. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Hypnotherapy for disability-related pain: A meta-analysis
Hypnotherapy can address the biopsychosocial aspects of disability-related pain, although the available evidence is limited in quality and quantity. Meta-analytic techniques were utilised to evaluate 10 controlled studies. Hypnotherapy produced significant short-term improvements in fatigue, pain experience and affect. However, a lack of significance was noted at 3- to 6-month follow-up. A beneficial effect size (dw = 0.53; confidence interval = 0.28–0.84) in comparison to control conditions was reported, although comparability with other cognitive-behavioural treatments could not be confirmed across the few studies ...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - April 10, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Bowker, E., Dorstyn, D. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
