Associations between self-reported anxiety and serum lipid, lipoprotein concentrations and platelets in healthy men

Objective: High blood cholesterol is one of the signifi cant risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Increased cholesterol levels contribute to atherosclerosis, which causes platelet aggregation and increases the risk of blood clots in the arteries. Previous research has investigated relationships of elevated serum cholesterol with anxiety disorders. The current study aims to assess levels of serum lipid, lipoprotein concentrations and platelets in individuals with high and low anxiety. Methods: Of a total of 1,038 subjects, 142 healthy men were randomly selected. All participants were asked to complete the Spielberger’s self-reported state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI). Participants with scores higher than 46 and lower than 34 were included in high anxiety group (n=28) and low anxiety group (n=69), respectively. Levels of fasting serum lipids, including total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides and platelets were compared between the two groups. The data were analyzed using independent samples t-test and correlation coeffi cient test. Results: The levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were signifi cantly higher in the high anxiety group (P<0.001). There were no signifi cant differences in the levels of triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and platelets. Conclusion

[ efficacy of adoption skills training on stress reduction and change of coping styles among couples who are applicants for having an adopted child]

Today, due to increased infertility in couples and a lack of guardianship of orphan children, much attention has been drawn on adoption. Purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of adoption skills training on stress reduction and improving coping styles of couples who are applicants for having an adopted child. Present study has semi-experimental design. The research community consisted of all couples who are adoptive applicants to have an adopted child and in 2009-2010 referred to the Welfare Organization of Khorasan Razavi. Couples who are eligible for the research criteria were selected by convenience sampling method. They filled in Cattle Anxiety Inventory and Lazarus and Folkman Coping Styles Inventory. 14 couples who had raw score greater than 35 in anxiety test and emotion oriented coping style in Coping Style Inventory were selected and allocated by random assignment method in control or experimental groups. Then eight sessions of adoption skills training were carried out for the experimental group. The control group passed the normal process of administrative stages. The rate of stress and coping styles of both groups were measured after treatment and the following six weeks performed to evaluate the passage of time on the experimental group. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and repeated measurements variance. There was a significant and positive difference in scores of two tests [Cattle Anxiety and Lazarus and Folkman coping styles] between two experimental and control groups [P

[Stress in mothers of hearing impaired children compared to mothers of normal and other disabled children]

Stress is associated with life satisfaction and also development of some physical diseases. Birth of a disabled child with mental or physical disability [especially deaf or blind children], impose an enormous load of stress on their parents especially the mothers. This study compared stress levels of mothers with hearing impaired children and mothers of normal children or with other disabilities. In this study, cluster random sampling was performed in Karaj city. 120 mothers in four groups of having a child with mental retardation, low vision, hearing impairment and with normal children with included. Family inventory of life events [FILE] of Mc Cubbin et al. was used to determine stress level in four groups of mothers. The results of this research indicated a significant difference [p<0.05] between stress levels of mothers with hearing impaired and mothers of other disabled and normal children in subscales of intra-family stress, finance and business strains, stress of job transitions, stress of illness and family care and family members "in and out". There was no difference between compared groups in other subscales. Since deafness is a hidden inability, the child with hearing impairment has a set of social and educational problems causing great stress for parents, especially to mother. In order to decrease mother's stress, it is suggested to provide more family consultation, adequate social support and to run educational classes for parents to practice stress coping strategies