Informal care in social context: A social psychological analysis of participation, impact and intervention in care of the elderly

Concern about the provision and effects of care to elderly people by unpaid family, relatives and friends has arisen in the contexts of changing demographic structures of populations and, in Britain at least, explicit policy by Government which seeks to promote familial responsibility for the financial, physical and emotional needs of elderly populations. The present review examines the extent and nature of informal care to elderly people, assesses the evidence to support sociological models of care work participation and the extent to which such models are reflected in beliefs concerning care of elderly people and intentions to cease direct provision of care. Studies of the psychological impacts of care work and of interventions to modify carer wellbeing are critically reviewed. It is suggested that future psychological research should focus on modeling the modifiable psychological processes which explain variance in care work participation, impact and uptake of services, and on the impacts of changing social policy on social perception and wellbeing of elderly people

Anencephalus in Scotland 1961-72.

Data relating to the incidence of anencephalus for the 12-year period 1961-72 were abstracted from the Statistical Reviews of the Registrar General for Scotland. It was shown that considerable geographical variation is still apparent with the highlands having, in general, the lower incidences. In comparison with the earlier study of Edwards (1958), there were some changes: the incidence in the areas to the west had increased and that in those to the east decreased. During the 12-year period there was an overall decline in the incidence of the lesion; this was most marked in births to women under 20 years, and to those of social classes III, IV, and V. The decline was least apparent for births to women of high social class and the unmarried. It was shown that there was little seasonal variation in the time of delivery, but that even when the trend had been taken into account the yearly fluctuation was significantly different from that expected, with an excess of cases in 1961 and 1971