Mental and physical health of spouse caregivers: the role of personality
Female; Humans; Male; Aged; Sick Role; Personality Inventory; Stress; Non-U.S. Gov't; P.H.S.; Research Support; U.S. Gov't; Adaptation; Psychological; Caregivers/psychology; Arousal; Psychological/complications; Alzheimer Disease/psychology; Dementia/psychology; Neurotic Disorders/psychology
Although personal resources of caregivers, such as coping skills and social support, have been shown to be important in understanding caregiver stress and health outcomes, personality traits have not previously been considered. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the personality traits of neuroticism and dispositional optimism and mental and physical health outcomes. It was predicted that personality would have direct effects, and indirect effects through perceived stress, on health outcomes. Participants were spouse caregivers of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Results showed that neuroticism and optimism were significantly related to mental and physical health. Furthermore, neuroticism had significant direct effects on all of the health outcomes, and substantial indirect effects, through perceived stress, on mental health outcomes. Optimism showed stronger indirect than direct effects on all health outcomes. These findings demonstrate the importance of including personality of the caregiver in theoretical and empirical models of the caregiving process.
1992
Hooker K; Monahan D; Shifren K; Hutchinson C
Psychology And Aging
1992
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1037//0882-7974.7.3.367" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">10.1037//0882-7974.7.3.367</a>
Self-injury in Lesch-Nyhan disease
Adolescent; Adult; Aggression/px [Psychology]; Arousal; Child; behavioral problems; Lesch-Nyhan syndrome; trajectory; characteristics; self-injury
UNLABELLED: Parents of 40 patients with Lesch-Nyhan disease completed a questionnaire detailing developmental history, life course, management, medication, factors influencing variability and topography of self-injury. Several conclusions were reached. Characteristics: Biting was the predominant form, perhaps only because of the difficulty of preventing it. There was considerable variability in self-injury which was strongly related to stress rather than to operant influences. Even though patients could not inhibit self-injury they could predict it and request restraints. Aggression against others was as prevalent as self-injury. MANAGEMENT: Stress reduction, teeth extraction, and physical restraint were the most commonly used management techniques. Behavior modification was of limited efficacy. Benzodiazepines were the most commonly used medications for controlling self-injury. OUTCOME: The severity of self-injury did not change over years. Age of onset was a predictor of outcome. The earlier the age of onset the worse the self-injury eventually became. The discussion describes research strategies, suggests dimensions along which self-injury can be classified, and highlights behavior not commonly described in patients with Lesch-Nyhan disease.
Anderson L T; Ernst M
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
1994
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/bf02172213" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1007/bf02172213</a>
Sense of coherence, life stress, and psychological distress: a prospective methodological inquiry
Female; Humans; Male; Adult; Prospective Studies; Middle Aged; Problem Solving; Life Change Events; Internal-External Control; Psychometrics; Personality Inventory; Reference Values; Adaptation; Psychological; Anxiety/psychology; Arousal; Depression/psychology
Antonovsky (1987) has proposed the Sense of Coherence (SOC) as a global perceptual predisposition in responding to life stress. Composed of comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness, this construct has been associated with more adaptive coping in previous cross-sectional studies. This prospective study (N = 95) investigated the association of SOC (assessed by Antonovsky's measure) with life stress and symptoms. SOC was correlated negatively with life stress and symptoms and appeared to mitigate the impact of life stress. SOC was not found to be a buffer variable. Implications of these findings are presented, as are methodological issues that concern Antonovsky's measure.
Flannery Jr RB; Flannery GJ
Journal Of Clinical Psychology
1990
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/1097-4679(199007)46:4%3C415::aid-jclp2270460407%3E3.0.co" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">10.1002/1097-4679(199007)46:4%3C415::aid-jclp2270460407%3E3.0.co</a>