Foster families : placement outcomes and psychlogical interventions

Foster care is a complex setting to provide therapeutic interventions due to the high rates of difficulty, poor outcomes and high numbers of professionals and carers involved. This systematic review aims to examine interventions that have been empirically assessed in foster care from a UK perspective. Twenty-nine papers describing nineteen interventions were included. It was found that there was good support for wraparound services and relational interventions, but little support for widely used carer training programmes. A need was identified to further research and implement wraparound services within the UK, and to empirically test interventions which may be efficacious with a foster care population.Key words: Foster care, Intervention, Systematic Review, Foster Care Service

The psychological impact of overactive bladder: a systematic review

This review aimed to provide an overview of the current research on the psychological impact of overactive bladder. A systematic search yielded 32 papers. It was found that people with overactive bladder tended to have greater levels of depression, anxiety and embarrassment/shame; difficulties with social life; impact on sleep and sexual relationships; and a lower quality of life than people without overactive bladder. A psychological impact on family members was also found. Psychological health should be considered an important aspect of managing overactive bladder and further research is required to determine how best to provide psychological care and support in this area

“I never thought I could do that…”: Findings from an Alexander Technique pilot group for older people with a fear of falling.

© 2017 Elsevier GmbH Introduction Fear of falling is a major problem facing the health care system. No clear evidence exists as to the most effective management approach although a need for both psychological and physical intervention is recognised. The Alexander Technique (AT) is primarily an educational holistic self-management approach which improves balance and has psychological benefits. This small scale mixed methods exploratory pilot study investigated changes following, and acceptability of, an AT group intervention for older people with a fear of falling. Methods Twelve volunteers aged ≥ 65 years with a fear of falling took part in a nine-week, 12 session AT group intervention. They completed a range of standardised measures at 4 time points (baseline, immediately pre and post intervention, and one month post intervention). A sub-group participated in a focus group discussion following the group intervention. Quantitative data were analysed using non-parametric statistics, with thematic analysis employed for qualitative data. Results The fear of falling primary outcome measure and other quantitative results were inconclusive, however focus group qualitative data suggested some profound changes with improvements in movement, mood and confidence. A combination of awareness and acceptance led participants to feel empowered to make adjustments to their activity. Participants found learning the AT enjoyable and were able to use it to advantage in everyday activities. Conclusions The intervention had a positive impact on falls-related and physical skills, and psychological well-being. This supports its potential as a useful intervention for older people with a fear of falling, larger scale studies are merited

When is better really better? Individuals' experiences of treatment for OAB with anticholinergic medication

Overactive bladder (OAB) has been found to have a number of psychological consequences, including anxiety, depression and shame. However, there is little research on how drug treatment, which has been found to be effective at reducing physical symptoms, impacts on these psychological effects. This study aimed to examine patients’ experiences of anticholinergic treatment for OAB, and the impact of both OAB and its treatment on psychological well-being. A cross-sectional, qualitative interview design with a secondary care outpatient sample was used. The approach was idiographic and sought to understand the detailed complexities and nuances of patient experiences. This small-scale qualitative study found that, even where there had been symptom reduction, patients did not feel ‘better’, and found it difficult to let go of worries and fears around OAB. These findings suggest that a person with OAB may need support even after a ‘successful’ treatment, as OAB continues to be at the centre of patients’ lives

Foster families : placement outcomes and psychlogical interventions

Foster care is a complex setting to provide therapeutic interventions due to the high rates of difficulty, poor outcomes and high numbers of professionals and carers involved. This systematic review aims to examine interventions that have been empirically assessed in foster care from a UK perspective. Twenty-nine papers describing nineteen interventions were included. It was found that there was good support for wraparound services and relational interventions, but little support for widely used carer training programmes. A need was identified to further research and implement wraparound services within the UK, and to empirically test interventions which may be efficacious with a foster care population. Key words: Foster care, Intervention, Systematic Review, Foster Care Service

Interventions in foster and kinship care: A systematic review

Foster care is a complex setting in which to provide therapeutic interventions due to the high rates of difficulty, poor outcomes and high numbers of professionals and carers involved. This systematic review aims to examine interventions that have been empirically assessed in foster care. Thirty papers describing 20 interventions were included. It was found that there was good support for wraparound services and relational interventions, but little support for widely used carer training programmes. A need was identified to further research and implement wraparound services within the UK, and to empirically test interventions which may be efficacious with a foster care population

Supplemental Material - A conceptual model of the impact of including carers in museum programmes for people with dementia

Supplemental Material for A conceptual model of the impact of including carers in museum programmes for people with dementia by Debbie Kinsey, Noreen Orr, Rob Anderson and Iain Lang in Dementia</p

Supplemental Material - A conceptual model of the impact of including carers in museum programmes for people with dementia

Supplemental Material for A conceptual model of the impact of including carers in museum programmes for people with dementia by Debbie Kinsey, Noreen Orr, Rob Anderson and Iain Lang in Dementia</p

The mediating role of illness perceptions in psychological outcomes in overactive bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is condition, characterized by urinary urgency, frequency and incontinence, which has the potential to disrupt everyday life considerably. Although there is evidence that antimuscarinic treatment is effective at treating physical symptoms, there is currently no systematic exploration of psychological factors associated with OAB after treatment. This study aimed to examine the quality of life, relationships, sexual functioning, psychological wellbeing and illness perceptions of individuals with OAB after they have received treatment. And to determine whether an individual's psychological wellbeing is directly related to the severity of their symptoms, or whether their illness perceptions mediate this relationship. This study used a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based quantitative design with a secondary care outpatient sample who were diagnosed with OAB and had been either previously or currently prescribed drug treatment. Patients reported moderately severe OAB symptoms, with approximately a third reporting moderate/severe anxiety and 12% reporting severe depression. There was no direct relationship between symptom severity and psychological wellbeing (β=-0·03, t(31)=-0·96, p=0·34; β=-0·02, t(31)=-0·41, p=0·68) - this relationship was mediated by the patient's sense of personal control over their OAB (β=0·03 (SE = 0·02), 95% CI [0·004, 0·09]; β=0·02 (SE = 0·02), 95% CI [0·0008, 0·08]). Including interventions to improve personal control alongside drug treatment may improve treatment adherence and outcomes

Supplemental Material - A conceptual model of the impact of including carers in museum programmes for people with dementia

Supplemental Material for A conceptual model of the impact of including carers in museum programmes for people with dementia by Debbie Kinsey, Noreen Orr, Rob Anderson and Iain Lang in Dementia</p