Family Interactions Among African American Prostate Cancer Survivors

Prostate cancer affects African Americans at a higher rate than any other ethnic group in the United States. Prostate cancer does not only affect the man with the disease but also affects those individuals who are closest to him, such as his family and friends. Open communication is valuable in coping with stressors that are affiliated with chronic illnesses. This article focuses on family and friend social support of men with prostate cancer. Data analysis revealed that support from family members and friends plays an important role in how men cope with their treatment and recovery from prostate cancer. Originally published Family and Community Health, Vol. 31, No. 3, July-Sep 200

Author's personal copy Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effects of Gentle Hatha Yoga for Women With Major Depression: Findings From a Randomized Controlled Mixed-Methods Study

This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common, debilitating chronic condition in the United States and worldwide. Particularly in women, depressive symptoms are often accompanied by high levels of stress and ruminations, or repetitive self-critical negative thinking. There is a research and clinical imperative to evaluate complementary therapies that are acceptable and feasible for women with depression and that target specific aspects of depression in women, such as ruminations. To begin to address this need, we conducted a randomized, controlled, mixed-methods community-based study comparing an 8-week yoga intervention with an attention-control activity in 27 women with MDD. After controlling for baseline stress, there was a decrease in depression over time in both the yoga group and the attention-control group, with the yoga group having a unique trend in decreased ruminations. Participants in the yoga group reported experiencing increased connectedness and gaining a coping strategy through yoga. The findings provide support for future large scale research to explore the effects of yoga for depressed women and the unique role of yoga in decreasing rumination. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. One of the most common and debilitating health conditions in the United States and worldwide is major depression, considered in this paper to include major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymia Depression is a complex disorder that can be difficult to treat successfully. Many women with depression express frustration about the usual care, citing reasons such as inadequate symptom management, unacceptable side effects, and inadequate methods for coping Although depression is characterized by a depressed mood, many women experience a variety of psychological, cognitive, and physical symptoms beyond the depressed mood (APA, 2000). For example, up to half of all women with a diagnosis of depression may experience "anxious depression," typified by excessive rumination

Effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid Supplementation in Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Objective: To examine whether 3 months of lipoic acid (LA) supplementation improved walking tolerance and delayed claudication pain onset in peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Design: Randomized, double-blind, controlled study. Setting: General Clinical Research Center. Subjects: Twenty-eight (28) participants (15 men, 13 women) with PAD (ankle brachial index range 0.9-0.4, mean age 73.2 Ϯ 1.6 years). Intervention: LA (600 mg/day) or placebo for 3 months. Outcome measures: Walking tolerance was assessed by 6-minute walk test distance, 4-meter walk time, initial claudication pain time (ICT) and distance (ICD), and peak claudication pain. Serum was assessed for inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP]) and oxidative stress (lipid hydroperoxides) as potential mechanisms for changes in walking tolerance. Results: ICT increased 34.4% and 15%, ICD was reduced by 40.5% and 18%, and peak claudication pain ratings were reduced by 93% and 7% in LA and placebo groups, respectively. Although the improvements in peak pain and ICT achieved significance within the LA group (both p Ͻ 0.05), the interactions of group by time were not found to be significant (p Ͼ 0.05). Oxidative stress and CRP measures were not different between groups by month 3 (p Ͼ 0.05). There were no serious side-effects associated with the LA. Conclusions: LA may confer pain relief during exercise. However, longer and larger trials are warranted to determine long-term effects of LA alone or combined with other interventions on PAD symptoms. 57

Family Interactions Among African American Prostate Cancer Survivors

Prostate cancer affects African Americans at a higher rate than any other ethnic group in the United States. Prostate cancer does not only affect the man with the disease but also affects those individuals who are closest to him such as his family and friends. Open communication is valuable in coping with stressors that are affiliated with chronic illnesses. This article focuses on family and friend social support of men with prostate cancer. Data analysis revealed that support from family members and friends plays an important role in how men cope with their treatment and recovery from prostate cancer. Originally published Family and Community Health Vol. 31 No. 3 July-Sep 200