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Aging & Mental Health Apr 2023Research suggests that the death of a spouse has an adverse effect on a widow(er)'s cognition. However, little research has examined how the marital context before...
Research suggests that the death of a spouse has an adverse effect on a widow(er)'s cognition. However, little research has examined how the marital context before widowhood and gender influence this association. Guided by the social ambivalence and disease (SAD) model, this study examined the associations between spousal loss and cognition , with moderating effects of gender and pre-loss marital quality. We analyzed a national longitudinal data, Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), specifically MIDUS 2 (2004-2005) and MIDUS 3 (2013-2014). The analytic sample consisted of (1) 146 participants who experienced the death of their spouse between MIDUS 2 and MIDUS 3 and (2) 144 age- and gender-matched comparison participants who did not lose their spouse during the period. Adverse influence of widowhood on cognition was more pronounced among bereaved men than bereaved women. Widowed individuals whose relationships with their deceased spouse were ambivalent had poorer cognition than widowed individuals who had aversive relationships with their deceased spouse. Findings suggest that the influence of spousal death on cognitive functioning depends on gender and pre-loss marital quality, emphasizing the importance of considering pre-loss marital relationship and gender dynamics in developing efficient interventions for the widowed.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; United States; Marriage; Cognition; Spouses; Affect; Gender Identity; Widowhood
PubMed: 35696361
DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2022.2084715 -
BMC Palliative Care Nov 2022In palliative care, caring for spouses suffering from incurable diseases can provoke a range of reactions in informal caregivers that are part of the grieving process,...
BACKGROUND
In palliative care, caring for spouses suffering from incurable diseases can provoke a range of reactions in informal caregivers that are part of the grieving process, as well as other reactions and ways of coping with a current role, which is often challenging. Anticipatory grief occurs before death and is often present in people who face the eventual loss of a loved one or their own death. This study aimed to gain insight into the anticipatory grief of informal caregivers who are providing at-home palliative care for their ill spouse. Our research questions focus on investigating the meanings caregivers ascribe to the experience of providing palliative care and the impending loss of a spouse.
METHODS
A qualitative study was conducted in Zagreb, Croatia, from April to June of 2021. Eight participants took part in the study. Participants in the study were informal caregivers of a spouse suffering from an incurable, terminal disease that receives at-home palliative care. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Transcripts were analyzed by interpretive phenomenological analysis.
RESULTS
The analysis provided several meanings that represent caregivers' experiences and coping strategies. The caregivers bravely face the challenges of "living with an illness" by maintaining optimism, strong cohesion with their partner and a sense of joint destiny. They tend to repress their own personal needs and feelings while carrying the burden of care. Caregivers tend to stay positive and focus on living in the present by taking an active role in providing care for the ill spouse and family.
CONCLUSIONS
Anticipatory grief presents emotional, cognitive, and spiritual challenges to spouse caregivers in palliative care. The contribution of this study was to gain insight into the meaning that caregivers ascribe to the experience and challenges they face while providing everyday care for their ill spouse. Confirming prior results, the experiences are generally similar to all caregivers, pointing to the need for substantial improvement in the quality of the support and help from the healthcare workers and other experts who provide palliative care and support for the patients' family members.
Topics: Humans; Caregivers; Croatia; Grief; Palliative Care; Spouses
PubMed: 36397096
DOI: 10.1186/s12904-022-01093-1 -
Journal of Speech, Language, and... Aug 2016Individuals with hearing loss engage in auditory training to improve their speech recognition. They typically practice listening to utterances spoken by unfamiliar...
PURPOSE
Individuals with hearing loss engage in auditory training to improve their speech recognition. They typically practice listening to utterances spoken by unfamiliar talkers but never to utterances spoken by their most frequent communication partner (FCP)-speech they most likely desire to recognize-under the assumption that familiarity with the FCP's speech limits potential gains. This study determined whether auditory training with the speech of an individual's FCP, in this case their spouse, would lead to enhanced recognition of their spouse's speech.
METHOD
Ten couples completed a 6-week computerized auditory training program in which the spouse recorded the stimuli and the participant (partner with hearing loss) completed auditory training that presented recordings of their spouse.
RESULTS
Training led participants to better discriminate their FCP's speech. Responses on the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (Dillon, James, & Ginis, 1997) indicated subjectively that training reduced participants' communication difficulties. Peformance on a word identification task did not change.
CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that auditory training might improve the ability of older participants with hearing loss to recognize the speech of their spouse and might improve communication interactions between couples. The results support a task-appropriate processing framework of learning, which assumes that human learning depends on the degree of similarity between training tasks and desired outcomes.
Topics: Aged; Communication; Discrimination, Psychological; Female; Hearing Loss; Humans; Male; Spouses; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 27567016
DOI: 10.1044/2016_JSLHR-H-15-0171 -
The Gerontologist Nov 2022Interest in reminiscence activities for older adults has grown in recent years, but the benefits of co-reminiscence are not well-known. Drawing from a narrative identity...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Interest in reminiscence activities for older adults has grown in recent years, but the benefits of co-reminiscence are not well-known. Drawing from a narrative identity framework, this study examined older adult spouses' co-reminiscence about their first encounters. We hypothesized that perceived closeness and support increase when spouses co-reminisce and that greater perceptions of closeness and support after reminiscing relate to lower depressive symptoms and greater marital satisfaction in daily life.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
One hundred and one couples completed questionnaires measuring marital satisfaction and depressive symptoms at home and then participated in a laboratory session in which they co-reminisced about their first encounters. Self-reported perceived support and relationship closeness were obtained before and after reminiscence. t Tests and the Actor Partner Interdependence Model were used to examine hypotheses.
RESULTS
As hypothesized, closeness and perceived support increased from pre- to postreminiscence for husbands and wives. In addition, one's own relationship closeness after reminiscence was positively associated with own marital satisfaction (actor effect). One's perceived support after reminiscence was positively related to spouse's marital satisfaction and negatively associated with their spouse's depressive symptoms (partner effects).
DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
Findings suggest that co-reminiscence about early relationship development can boost feelings of closeness and support for older adults. Benefiting from co-reminiscence in this way also appears to indicate broader relationship and individual well-being. Brief co-reminiscence activities may nurture late-life relational well-being.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Spouses; Personal Satisfaction; Marriage; Emotions; Narration
PubMed: 35429275
DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnac053 -
Psycho-oncology Dec 2019Short sleep duration is a common problem for both advanced cancer patients and their spouse caregivers. Sleep and distress have been shown to be interdependent in... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
OBJECTIVE
Short sleep duration is a common problem for both advanced cancer patients and their spouse caregivers. Sleep and distress have been shown to be interdependent in patient-caregiver and spouse dyads, yet virtually, no work has explored the dyadic effects of psychological distress on sleep in advanced cancer patients and spouse caregivers. The goal of the present study was to examine the dyadic impact of anxiety and depression on sleep duration in a sample of advanced cancer patients and their spouse caregivers. It was hypothesized that, for both patients and caregivers, anxiety and depression in individuals would be associated with sleep duration in both themselves (actor effects) and in their spouses (partner effects).
METHOD
Advanced cancer patients and their spouse caregivers (N = 87 dyads) completed cross-sectional questionnaires assessing demographic variables, subjective health, subjective sleep duration, and anxiety and depression symptoms.
RESULTS
Controlling for sex, age, and subjective health, individuals' anxiety was negatively associated with their own and their partner's sleep duration. No significant actor or partner effects were found for depression.
CONCLUSIONS
Results provided partial support for hypotheses. Although past work has demonstrated links between subjective sleep disturbance and anxiety/psychological distress, this is one of the first studies to examine partner effects of distress on sleep disturbance in advanced cancer patients and spouse caregivers.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Anxiety; Caregivers; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Neoplasms; Sleep Wake Disorders; Spouses
PubMed: 31518026
DOI: 10.1002/pon.5229 -
Journal of Health and Social Behavior Mar 2016Multiple chronic conditions (i.e., multimorbidity) increase a person's depressive symptoms more than having one chronic condition. Little is known regarding whether...
Multiple chronic conditions (i.e., multimorbidity) increase a person's depressive symptoms more than having one chronic condition. Little is known regarding whether multimorbidity similarly increases the depressive symptoms of one's spouse and whether this depends on type of condition, gender, or both spouses' health status. Analysis of multiple waves of the Health and Retirement Study reveals husband's number of chronic conditions is positively related to wife's depressive symptoms when both spouses are chronically ill. The association between wife's chronic conditions and husband's depressive symptoms is weaker and less robust. Type of chronic condition also matters but which type depends on the gender and health status of both spouses. By highlighting key contexts where chronic conditions are connected to spousal depressive symptoms, this study identifies areas of vulnerability and urges researchers and clinicians to consider multimorbidity when designing and implementing interventions, along with gender, both spouses' chronic conditions, and condition type.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Depression; Female; Health Status; Humans; Male; Marriage; Middle Aged; Multiple Chronic Conditions; Retirement; Sex Factors; Spouses
PubMed: 26957134
DOI: 10.1177/0022146516628179 -
Supportive Care in Cancer : Official... Oct 2012This study examined attachment styles in patients with lung cancer and their spouses and associations between attachment styles and patient and spouse adjustment.
PURPOSE
This study examined attachment styles in patients with lung cancer and their spouses and associations between attachment styles and patient and spouse adjustment.
METHODS
One hundred twenty-seven patients with early stage lung cancer completed measures of attachment style, marital quality, self-efficacy, pain, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Their spouses completed measures of attachment style, marital quality, self-efficacy, caregiver strain, and mood.
RESULTS
Analyses indicated that, among patients, those high in either attachment anxiety or avoidance had significantly higher levels of anxiety and poorer social well-being. Attachment avoidance was also significantly associated with higher levels of depression and poorer marital quality and functional well-being. Spouse avoidant attachment was significantly associated with patient reports of increased pain and poorer functional well-being, and spouse anxious attachment was associated with poorer patient marital quality. Among spouses, those high in attachment avoidance reported significantly higher levels of caregiver strain, anger, depressed mood, and poorer marital quality; those high in attachment anxiety reported higher anxious mood. Dyads in which both partners were insecurely attached had significantly poorer adjustment compared to dyads in which both partners reported secure attachment.
CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary findings raise the possibility that attachment styles of cancer patients and their spouses as individuals and as a dyad may be important factors affecting adjustment in multiple domains.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Aged; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Object Attachment; Quality of Life; Regression Analysis; Spouses; United States
PubMed: 22246596
DOI: 10.1007/s00520-011-1367-6 -
PloS One 2023Military healthcare studies have reported a wide range of mental health issues amongst military personnel. Globally, mental health issues are one of the main causes of...
INTRODUCTION
Military healthcare studies have reported a wide range of mental health issues amongst military personnel. Globally, mental health issues are one of the main causes of ill health. Military personnel have a greater prevalence of mental health issues than that of the general population. The impact of mental health issues can be wide and far reaching for family and carers. This systematic narrative review explores the military spouse experience of living alongside their serving or veteran partner with a mental health issue.
METHODS
The systematic review performed was based on the PRISMA guide for searching, screening, selecting papers for data extraction and evaluation. Studies were identified from CINHAL, ASSIA, Proquest Psychology, Proquest Nursing & Allied Health source, Proquest Dissertations & Theses, ETHOS, PsychArticles, Hospital collection, Medline, Science Direct Freedom Collection and hand searching of citations and reference lists.
RESULTS
Twenty-seven studies were included in the narrative synthesis. Five overarching themes from the experiences of military spouses' living alongside their serving/veteran partners mental health issue were identified: caregiver burden, intimate relationships, psychological/psychosocial effects on the spouse, mental health service provision and spouse's knowledge and management of symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS
The systematic review and narrative synthesis identified that the majority of studies focused on spouses of veterans, very few were specific to serving military personnel, but similarities were noted. Findings suggest that care burden and a negative impact on the intimate relationship is evident, therefore highlight a need to support and protect the military spouse and their serving partner. Likewise, there is a need for greater knowledge, access and inclusion of the military spouse, in the care and treatment provision of their serving partner's mental health issue.
Topics: Humans; Veterans; Military Personnel; Mental Health; Spouses; Mental Health Services
PubMed: 37200312
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285714 -
PloS One 2019Education of disease plays an important role in management of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, little is known about the link between the understanding of disease and...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Education of disease plays an important role in management of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, little is known about the link between the understanding of disease and the burden of care. This study was carried out to find the correlation between the burden of care and the understanding of disease in caregivers for PD patients.
METHODS
Non-demented patients with PD and their caregivers participated in structured interviews. Understanding of patients and caregivers was evaluated through newly-devised questions. The caregiver burden inventory was used to assess the burden of care.
RESULTS
A total of 142 pairs of patients and their caregivers were recruited. A correlation analysis showed that the burden of care was positively associated with low understanding of the disease by the caregiver. Daily care time and female patients were revealed to be independently associated with the burden of care through a multivariate analysis. Further analyses were performed in the caregiver group according to relationship with patients. The spouse group showed an increased burden of care and poor understanding compared to the offspring group. A multivariate analysis revealed that daily care time and understanding were independent predictors for the burden of care in the spouse group. There was no significant association in the offspring group.
CONCLUSION
The burden of care was associated with higher daily caregiving time and female gender of the patient, and was significantly increased in the spouse of the patient. In the spouse group, better understanding of the caregiver correlated with less burden of care.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Adult Children; Aged; Caregivers; Cost of Illness; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Parkinson Disease; Quality of Life; Sex Factors; Spouses; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 31150470
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217581 -
Australian and New Zealand Journal of... Dec 2001Violence against women is a significant public health issue. One form of violence against women, intimate partner abuse or domestic violence, is prevalent in Australia.... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Review
Violence against women is a significant public health issue. One form of violence against women, intimate partner abuse or domestic violence, is prevalent in Australia. In this article, we summarise the main theoretical and methodological debates informing prevalence research in this area. We explain why studies finding equivalent victimisation and perpetration rates between the sexes are conceptually and methodologically flawed and why coercion and control are fundamental to the definition and measurement of partner abuse. We conclude that while male victims of partner abuse certainly exist, male victims of other forms of male violence are more prevalent. A focus on gendered risk of violence in public health policy should target male-to-male public violence and male-to-female intimate partner abuse.
Topics: Australia; Coercion; Conflict, Psychological; Domestic Violence; Epidemiologic Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Prevalence; Public Health; Risk Factors; Sex Distribution; Spouses
PubMed: 11824982
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-842x.2001.tb00311.x