The impact of personality factors on delay in seeking treatment of acute myocardial infarction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Early hospital arrival and rapid intervention for acute myocardial infarction is essential for a successful outcome. Several studies have been unable to identify explanatory factors that slowed decision time. The present study examines whether personality, psychosocial factors, and coping strategies might explain differences in time delay from onset of symptoms of acute myocardial infarction to arrival at a hospital emergency room.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Questionnaires on coping strategies, personality dimensions, and depression were completed by 323 patients ages 26 to 70 who had suffered an acute myocardial infarction. Tests measuring stress adaptation were completed by 180 of them. The patients were then categorised into three groups, based on time from onset of symptoms until arrival at hospital, and compared using logistic regression analysis and general linear models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No correlation could be established between personality factors (i.e., extraversion, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness) or depressive symptoms and time between onset of symptoms and arrival at hospital. Nor was there any significant relationship between self-reported patient coping strategies and time delay.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We found no significant relationship between personality factors, coping strategies, or depression and time delays in seeking hospital after an acute myocardial infraction.</p

Barn som lever i familjer där någon av föräldrarna har en psykisk sjukdom

Barn som lever i familjer med förälder som har en svår psykisk sjukdom har en speciell situation. Dock framgår tydligt av befintlig forskning att alla barn i denna situation inte upplever situationen som annorlunda än andra barn. Följande kapitel försöker belysa några faktorer och aspekter som är viktiga att ta i beaktande när vi möter dessa barn, samt också aspekter som kan vara värdefulla för att stödja denna barngrupp i olika hälsorelaterade strategier

Low satisfaction with sex life among people with severe mental illness living in a community

Background/Objectives Research on sex lives of people with severe mental illness (SMI) most often focuses on dysfunction and the side-effects of medication. We wished to determine how people with SMI experience sex and assess satisfaction with it in a broader evaluation of quality of life. Methods Data was gathered using mixed methods, including a reliable psychometric quality of life instrument and in-depth interviews. Results Sex life showed the lowest rating of all quality of life domains, with men indicating lower satisfaction with sexual life than women. Low satisfaction also correlated with lower scores on the total quality of life index. Sex life for people with SMI was seen to be of secondary importance. Discussion/Conclusion The area of sex showed the lowest experienced satisfaction rating of all measured domains of quality of life. Our interview-based study verified that intimate relationships and sexual experiences are considered unattainable among those suffering from SMI. Programs to increase the possibility sustaining a sex life might need to be added to existing recommendations for people with SMI living in a community

Familjeinterventioner

När någon familjemedlem får en svår psykisk sjukdom påverkar detta både relationen mellan den sjuke personen och hans/hennes familjemedlemmar och relationerna inom familjen som system och det omgivande samhället. Förklaringsmodeller för uppkomst av psykiska sjukdomar har skiftat genom tiderna, och därmed också synen på anhörigas roll. Under vissa tider har anhöriga setts som en medverkande part i sjukdomsutvecklingen, medan man under andra perioder och då särskilt de senaste decennierna, har sett anhöriga som en viktig grupp som ger ett värdefullt bidrag i vården av den sjuke. Studier har visat att merparten av vuxna personer som för första gången insjuknar i en schizofrenisjukdom återvänder till sin familj efter avslutad vård och att detsamma gäller patienter utskrivna från en psykiatrisk vårdavdelning. Detta kapitel kommer att belysa den börda som det innebär att ha en vuxen person med psykisk sjukdom i familjen och vad detta innebär för övriga familjemedlemmar. Vidare kommer också familjens delaktighet i vårdsituationen och familjemedlemmarnas behov av stöd att belysas. Inledningsvis bör poängteras att forskningen relaterande till situationen för de anhöriga till personer med psykisk sjukdom utgått från situationen när någon familjemedlem har en svår psykos- eller depressionssjukdom och inte specifikt belyser situationen vid psykisk funktionsnedsättning

Children’s Representatives in Psychiatric Services - what is the Outcome?

Background: Psychiatric services have established children’s representatives in an effort to support children of mentally ill patients. Method: Twenty-two specially-designated children’s representatives and 19 other staff members were asked how they conceived the role of children’s representatives and if those representatives had the responsibility of identifying children of mentally ill patients. Discussion: Children’s representatives expressed difficulty in functioning as advocates for children whose parents were being treated for mental illness. Members of the psychiatric staff, although aware their patients had children, seldom met them, since they focused on the adults. Conclusions: More than one-third of all patients seeking psychiatric care have children, yet children’s representatives and other staff members seldom meet them. While in principle instituting a corps of children’s representatives may remedy this situation, an attempt to translate such a programme into practice indicates that obstacles persist. Our findings show that much remains to be done by way of clarifying the role of children’s representatives and the benefits they might bring. Other providers of psychiatric services considering a similar initiative might make it a priority to educate their entire staff on the needs of children of severely mentally ill patients. This would enable all psychiatric personnel to have the capacity to support those of their clients who are parents and, at the same time, include their children, thus securing the integrity of the family