Physical and Mental Health Status of Women whose Spouses Inject Drugs – A Cross-Sectional, Multisite Study

Substance use disorder impacts the lives of significant others, more especially the wives of individuals using substances. However, the physical and mental health issues among wives of people who inject drugs(PWID) are less studied. The current cross?sectional, multisite study assessed the physical and mental health of wives of 433 PWID across six sites in Delhi. The mean age of the participants was 32.7 years (standard deviation: 9.7). More than 50% of the participants reported menstrual problems, most commonly dysmenorrhea. Around 55.9% had adverse pregnancy outcomes(abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth). Around one out of four participants reported at least one specific sexually transmitted infection symptom. Around 11% were diagnosed with tuberculosis and 35% with a major medical illness in their lifetime. More than 90% of the participants had depressive and anxiety symptoms. The study showed that there is a huge burden of physical and mental health issues among the wives of PWID.

Relationship between mental health service demand, loneliness, anxiety and depression of rural left-behind women / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the correlation between psychological health service demand and loneliness and anxiety depression in rural left-behind women.Methods 260 left-behind wo nen in Hebei province were surveyed by psychological health service demand scale,UCLA loneliness scale,trait anxiety scale and the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale (CES-D).Results There were statistically significant differences between the only child and non-only child left-behind women in mental health service demand ((131.72±13.91) vs (122.94±14.76)),loneliness ((52.94±5.65) vs (49.864±5.90)) and anxiety ((50.97±6.38) vs (47.16±4.80)) (t=3.313,2.899,4.151,P＜0.01).The mental health service demand,loneliness,anxiety and depression of left-behind women were different in the age of marriage (F=6.196,9.441,5.257,4.221,all P＜0.01),husband go out time (F=2.761,27.020,4.550,2.830,all P＜0.05) and degree of farm work (F=12.142,6.403,4.115,5.366,all P＜0.001).The anxiety of left-behind women was positively correlated with service content,service demand and depression (r=0.138-0.221,P＜0.01).Depression was negatively correlated with mental health service demand and service teams (r=-0.352--0.223,P＜ 0.01).Loneliness was positively correlated with service content,anxiety and depression (r=0.177-0.262,P＜ 0.01).Multiple linear regression showed that husbands go out time (β=0.326),farm work in very heavy degree (β=-0.376) and relatively heavy degree (β=-0.281),depression (β=-0.194) had a predictive effect on mental health services.Conclusion The mental health service demand of left-behind women are affected by their age,whether the only child,the age of marriage,their husbands' go out time and the degree of heavy farm work.

The Effects of an Enneagram Program on Codependency, Anger, and Interpersonal Relationship in Wives of Alcoholics / 정신간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop an Enneagram program (EP) and examine the effects on codependency, anger and interpersonal relationship in wives of alcoholics. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group pre-posttest design was used. Participants were 26 wives of alcoholics (experimental group: 12, control group: 14). From March 17 to August 18, 2014, six two-hour sessions of EP were provided to the experimental group over six weeks. Data were collected using the Codependency Recovery Potential Survey (CRPS), Korean State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-K) and Relationship Change Scale (RCS). and analyzed using PASW 18.0 with Fisher's exact test, t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: The experimental group showed lower scores for codependency (Z=-2.17, p=.030) and anger (Z=-2.43, p=.015) than the control group. However, there was no significant difference in interpersonal relationship score between two groups. CONCLUSION: The EP for wives of alcoholics was effective in improving codependency and anger. A randomized clinical trial is needed to confirm the value of this EP.

Impactos do isolamento conjugal sobre a rotina da mulher do emigrado / Impacts of conjugal isolation on the routine of the emigrant’s wife / Los impactos del matrimonio en el aislamiento de rutina de la mujer del inmigrado

Segundo a literatura, o isolamento social tende a favorecer o surgimento de problemas relacionados à saúde física e emocional, independentemente de gênero, idade e estado civil. O presente estudo procura conhecer as implicações do processo emigratório sobre o cotidiano de mulheres residentes em Governador Valadares - MG cujos parceiros se encontram no exterior como imigrantes. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória na qual realizadas 247 entrevistas domiciliares com mulheres residentes na cidade de Governador Valadares cujos parceiros residem no exterior na condição de imigrantes há pelo menos três meses. Os dados revelaram que a partir deste isolamento as mulheres tornaram-se menos sociáveis, deixaram de participar de atividades usuais de lazer e distanciaram-se de amigos, enfraquecendo sua rede de apoio social. O isolamento conjugal, além de provocar significativas mudanças na rotina da mulher, produz mudanças em sua autopercepção e no modo de avaliação de seu relacionamento conjugal.

According to the literature, social isolation tends to favor the worsening of the physical and emotional health, regardless gender, age and marital status. This study searches to take knowledge of the migratory process implications on the women’s daily life, resident in Governador Valadares", who have their partners abroad as emigrants. It is an exploratory research, having been made 247 home interviews with resident women in Governador Valadares", whose partners live abroad as emigrants for a minimal period of three months. The data reveal that with this isolation women have become less sociable, stopped participating in common leisure activities, and set apart of friends, weakening their social support and net. The conjugal isolation, besides provoking significant changes in the woman’s routine, produces changes in their self-perception and in the way of evaluation of their conjugal relationship.

Según la literatura, el aislamiento social tiende a favorecer el surgimiento de problemas relacionados a la salud física y emocional, independientemente del género, edad y estado civil. El presente estudio busca conocer las implicaciones del proceso emigratorio sobre el cotidiano de mujeres residentes en Governador Valadares - MG cuyos parceros se encuentran en el exterior como inmigrantes. Se trata de una pesquisa exploratoria en la cual realizadas 247 entrevistas domiciliares con mujeres residentes en la ciudad de Governador Valadares cuyos parceros residen en el exterior en la condición de inmigrantes hace por lo menos tres meses. Los datos revelaron que a partir de este aislamiento las mujeres se conviertieron en menos sociables, dejaron de participar de actividades usuales de lazer y se distanciaron de amigos, enfraqueciendo su red de apoyo social. El aislamiento conjugal, además de provocar significativas mudanzas en la rutina de la mujer, produce mudanzas en su autopercepción y en el modo de evaluación de su relacionamiento conjugal.

Empowering women abused by their problem drinker spouses: effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention

Abstract: According to the National Survey of Addictions, in México nearly one in ten males (9.6%) inhabiting urban areas complies with the alcohol dependence criterion established in the DSM-IV Problem drinking men frequently drive their spouses to develop severe personality disorders and tolerate extremely degrading situations. Diverse interventions have been used to treat these problems. These include group counseling, and improving self-esteem. Family therapy has also been used to assess the extent to which these women actually influence their problem-drinking partner. Family education may promote self-sufficiency and assertiveness. Other results suggest that group training reduces the abused spouse's psychiatric symptoms. Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) operates on cognitive biases related to personal interaction and assertiveness. This includes effectively expressing desires, beliefs, needs, and opinions. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of an intervention designed to promote self-esteem, coping strategies and assertiveness in abused spouses of problem drinkers. Method A non-probabilistic random sampling procedure was used to select 35 women from two community centers. One produced 18 participants, and the other 17. All were spouses of problem drinkers, between 25 and 50 years of age and their schooling fluctuated from complete elementary school to college education and their socioeconomic level fluctuated from low to middle. A scheme similar to a multiple baseline design across two groups as well as an accidental control group, was used to evaluate the pertinent comparisons. Instruments used to collect data included the Assertion Inventory validated for Mexico by Guerra, the Coopersmith's Self-esteem Inventory, validated by Lara-Cantú, Verduzco, Acevedo and Cortés, The Coping Inventory and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The Wilcoxon statistical test was run on the data in order to establish the probability associated to the differences between pretest and post-test, follow-up 1, follow-up 2 and follow-up 3. Results revealed significant improving differences on assertiveness, coping responses and self-esteem.

Resumen: Según la Encuesta Nacional de Adicciones, uno de cada diez varones (9.6%) que habitan en zonas urbanas cumplen el criterio de dependencia al alcohol del DSM-IV. Este consumo crea intensos problemas familiares, incluidos trastornos de la personalidad en las esposas, las lleva a tolerar situaciones extremas y abate su desarrollo personal. El presente estudio usó algunas técnicas como las de Loughead, Kelly y Bartlett en consejo psicológico (counseling) en grupo. También se ha señalado que al inicio de este tipo de tratamientos se requiere fortalecer la autoestima, antes de tratar los problemas familiares. La terapia familiar ha evaluado si estas mujeres influyen sobre sus parejas. Otras terapias buscan generar autosuficiencia y asertividad. Asimismo, hay hallazgos que señalan que el entrenamiento en grupo disminuye los síntomas psiquiátricos en parejas de bebedores problema. Así, es necesario generar en la pareja del bebedor cambios cognitivos y conductuales, entre otros. El presente estudio evaluó una intervención cognitivo-conductual sobre asertividad, autoestima y afrontamiento para habilitar a la pareja del bebedor. Algunos abordajes se basan en la reducción de cogniciones irracionales y su efecto en emociones negativas y sus conductas desadaptativas. La asertividad incluye la habilidad de expresar deseos, creencias, necesidades y opiniones Así, el propósito del presente estudio fue examinar los efectos de una intervención cognitivo-conductual en la autoestima, afrontamiento y asertividad en cónyu ges de bebedores problema. Método Se emplearon un diseño similar al de línea base múltiple y una condición control accidental. Se comparó la preevaluación con la postevaluación y seguimientos a tres, seis y 18 meses. Se usaron los siguientes instrumentos: Inventario de Asertividad de Gambrill y Richey, en versión validada por Guerra, el Inventario de Autoestima de Coopersmith, validado por Lara-Cantú, Verduzco, Acevedo y Cortés; el Inventario de Afrontamiento, descrito por Orford, Natera, Davis, Nava, Mora, Rigby, Bradbury, Bowie, Copello y Velleman, y la entrevista Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) 5.00, descrita por Ferrando, Bobes-García, Gilbert-Rahola y Lecrubier. Se captaron 35 parejas de bebedores problema de dos centros, uno comunitario del sur de la Ciudad de México, y otro del Centro de Ayuda al Alcohólico y sus Familiares: 18 en uno y 17 en el otro. Sus edades oscilaron entre los 25 y 50 años, y su escolaridad de primaria terminada a profesional, con un nivel socioeconómico de bajo a medio. Tres sufrían depresión mayor y tres abusaban del alcohol (canalizadas a otros programas); tres dejaron el estudio por razones laborales y ocho se dieron de baja voluntaria, con lo que permanecieron 18 participantes. A los datos se les aplicó la prueba de Wilcoxon en las diferencias entre preevaluación, postevaluación y los seguimientos 1, 2 y 3. Los resultados revelaron mejorías clínica y estadísticamente significativas en asertividad, afrontamiento y autoestima.