ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Especially during admission the detection of cognitive deficits relevant to everyday life should burden patient and examiner as little as possible. The 6item screener (SIS) takes approximately 1 min, is easy to learn, does not require any material and is independent of the patient's visual and fine motor skills. The test was first published in 2002 by Callahan who approved the present German translation. OBJECTIVE: We checked the convergent and discriminant validity, reliability and sensitivity to change of the German translation among geriatric patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 165 patients in an acute geriatric department performed the SIS (4 times), the mini mental state examination (MMSE, 2 times), clock-drawing test according to Shulman (2 times), the Regensburg verbal fluency test (2 times) and the Montgomery-Åsberg depression rating scale within a period of 16 days. The overall judgment of a physician blinded to the test results served as the reference standard. RESULTS: The SIS closely correlated with the medical judgment (-0.729). The retest reliability was 0.705 and the internal consistency 0.821 (Cronbach's alpha). The sensitivity to detect cognitive deficits relevant to activities of daily living was 100% if a threshold of 5 points was chosen. The achievement of maximum points largely rules out even mild cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: The SIS is a valid, reliable short cognitive test. Using a threshold of 5 points the SIS detects cognitive deficits relevant to daily living with a higher sensitivity than the MMSE with a threshold of 25. When the maximum score is achieved there are no medical indications for further cognitive assessment of clinically unremarkable geriatric patients. The brevity and simple application of the SIS also enable its application outside geriatric wards.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis , Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Psychometrics/statistics & numerical data , Wechsler Memory Scale/statistics & numerical data , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Alzheimer Disease/epidemiology , Alzheimer Disease/psychology , Cognitive Dysfunction/epidemiology , Cognitive Dysfunction/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Germany , Humans , Male , Mass Screening , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
Background: Total hip arthroplasty is one of the most successful operations in medicine. The clinical result after surgery and compliance during rehabilitation are influenced by the patient's expectations. There is a lack of a validated German instrument to record these expectations in a standardised manner. Patients: 193 patients from the Dresden Hip Register with osteoarthritis of the hip were surveyed with respect to their expectations before the operation. The study sample consists of 108 women and 85 men. The average age of the patients was 59.7 years, with a standard deviation of 12.2 years. Methods: The Hospital for Special Patient Expectations Survey was translated into German and culturally adapted. In addition, the RKI demographic core data set, the HADS-D, LOT-R and the SCL-(K-)9 were collected to validate the instrument. In the statistical analysis, four main factors could be distinguished. These were "everyday activities", "pain relief and improvement in function", "medication and social participation" and "gait improvement". Results: Patients were predominantly married. 20â% of the women were widowed. 20â% had received higher education. Almost half of the patients were retired, 30â% were employed, 15.1â% self-employed and 7.3â% were unemployed. For most of the items, patients expected major improvements up to normalisation of their health. There were many different answers to several items, such as the question on occupation. For sporting and sexual activities no high expectations were given. The average expectation of the whole sample shows major differences to individual expectations. Men showed higher expectations for medication, social participation and gait improvement than did women. There were lower expectations for everyday activities, medication and social participation and gait improvement for older patients. Summary: The German version of the HSS patients expectation survey was validated. The instrument is useful in the preoperative setting to give the surgeon a first impression on the patient's expectations.
Subject(s)
Anticipation, Psychological , Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/psychology , Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/statistics & numerical data , Osteoarthritis, Hip/surgery , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/psychology , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , Educational Status , Employment/psychology , Employment/statistics & numerical data , Female , Germany/epidemiology , Humans , Male , Marital Status/statistics & numerical data , Middle Aged , Osteoarthritis, Hip/epidemiology , Osteoarthritis, Hip/psychology , Psychometrics/methods , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Sex Distribution , TranslatingABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Concomitant disorders at the time of surgery in addition to psychological and socioeconomic patient characteristics may influence treatment outcomes in hip arthroplasty. OBJECTIVES: To describe the impact of these factors on perioperative complications and postoperative results in terms of function, quality of life, and patient satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review of relevant clinical studies, meta-analyses, and presentation of our own results. RESULTS: Comorbidities in general, especially in combination, increase the perioperative risk profile. Socioeconomic factors (education, professional qualifications, social deprivation) in addition to psychological variables (depression, distressed personality) can have a major impact on postoperative functional outcomes and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: It is of crucial importance to avoid inequalities in the provision of joint replacement for patients with hip osteoarthritis and co-existing risk factors. Preventive strategies should be implemented to reduce the negative impact of comorbidities on treatment outcome. Personalized communication and education may be helpful in avoiding unrealistic patient expectations before hip replacement.
Subject(s)
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/psychology , Depression/psychology , Mental Disorders/psychology , Osteoarthritis, Hip/psychology , Osteoarthritis, Hip/therapy , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/psychology , Comorbidity , Depression/complications , Humans , Mental Disorders/complications , Osteoarthritis, Hip/complications , Physician-Patient Relations , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sting challenge with a live insect remains the best test for proving the efficacy of immunotherapy in Hymenoptera allergy. OBJECTIVE: We studied the impact of tolerated sting challenge on quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, data were collected via self-report questionnaires completed by consenting patients with Hymenoptera venom allergy on venom immunotherapy before and after a sting challenge. RESULTS: The study population comprised 100 adult patients (82 with yellow jacket allergy and 18 with honeybee allergy) who participated between September 2009 and November 2010. After the sting challenge, the score on the Vespid Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire revealed a statistically significant improvement (mean [SD] change, 0.73 [0.98]; P < .0001; 95% CI, 0.52-0.94). This improvement was independent of the patients' gender and age and the severity of the initial anaphylactic reaction. A statistically significant improvement was documented in 2 subgroups of the Short Form 36 Health Survey (physical functioning, mean change, -5.78 [25.23]; P = .038; 95% CI, -11.22 to -0.34; vitality, mean change -4.29 [12.49]; P =.002; 95% CI, -7.02 to -1.57). CONCLUSIONS: Sting challenge results in a significant improvement in disease-specific quality of life and subgroups of general quality of life in patients allergic to Hymenoptera venom receiving established venom immunotherapy.
Subject(s)
Arthropod Venoms/immunology , Desensitization, Immunologic/methods , Hymenoptera/immunology , Insect Bites and Stings/therapy , Quality of Life , Adolescent , Adult , Animals , Child , Female , Humans , Insect Bites and Stings/psychology , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
We examined the course and the prevalence of a high fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in patients undergoing allogeneic PBSC transplantation (hematopoietic SCT (HSCT)) before HSCT (N=239), 100 days after (n=150, and 12 months after allogeneic HSCT (n=102). The Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF), the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used. Pre-HSCT 36% of patients, 100 days after HSCT 24% of patients, and 1 year after HSCT 23% of patients fulfilled the criteria for high FCR (FoP-Q-SF cutoff=34). Being married (b=2.76, P=0.026), female gender (b=4.45, P<0.001) and depression (b=4.44, P<0.001) were significantly associated with FCR at baseline. One hundred days after HSCT, depression significantly predicted FCR (b=6.46, P<0.001). One year following HSCT, female gender (b=6.61, P=0.008) and higher depression were (b=4.88, P=0.004) significant predictors for FCR. Over the three assessment points, patients with high FCR had a significantly lower quality of life compared to patients with low FCR in physical functioning (P=0.019), role functioning (P=0.003), emotional functioning (P<0.001), cognitive functioning (P=0.003), social functioning (P<0.001) and global quality of life (P<0.001). Our data provide evidence that FCR is a prevalent problem in patients with hematological malignancies and has a significant adverse impact on health-related quality of life.
Subject(s)
Hematologic Neoplasms/therapy , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/methods , Transplantation Conditioning/methods , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Hematologic Neoplasms/pathology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology , Prospective Studies , Quality of Life , Transplantation, Homologous , Young AdultABSTRACT
Background: Sting challenge with a live insect remains the best test for proving the efficacy of immunotherapy in Hymenoptera allergy. Objective: We studied the impact of tolerated sting challenge on quality of life. Patients and Methods: In this prospective study, data were collected via self-report questionnaires completed by consenting patients with Hymenoptera venom allergy on venom immunotherapy before and after a sting challenge. Results: The study population comprised 100 adult patients (82 with yellow jacket allergy and 18 with honeybee allergy) who participated between September 2009 and November 2010. After the sting challenge, the score on the Vespid Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire revealed a statistically significant improvement (mean [SD] change, 0.73 [0.98]; P <.0001; 95% CI, 0.52-0.94). This improvement was independent of the patients' gender and age and the severity of the initial anaphylactic reaction. A statistically significant improvement was documented in 2 subgroups of the Short Form 36 Health Survey (physical functioning, mean change, -5.78 [25.23]; P =.038; 95%CI, -11.22 to -0.34; vitality, mean change -4.29 [12.49]; P =.002; 95% CI, -7.02 to -1.57). Conclusions: Sting challenge results in a significant improvement in disease-specific quality of life and subgroups of general quality of life in patients allergic to Hymenoptera venom receiving established venom immunotherapy (AU)
Antecedentes: La prueba de repicadura con insecto vivo continúa siendo la exploración más adecuada para determinar la eficacia de la inmunoterapia en la alergia a himenópteros. Objetivo: Estudiar el impacto que produce sobre la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud, una prueba de repicadura bien tolerada. Métodos: Se trata de un estudio prospectivo, en el que una muestra consecutiva de pacientes alérgicos a himenópteros y en tratamiento con inmunoterapia, respondieron un conjunto de cuestionarios auto-administrados antes y después de la prueba de repicadura. Resultados: Un total de cien pacientes con alergia a himenópteros (82 avispa y 18 abeja) participaron en el estudio, que se realizó entre septiembre del 2009 y noviembre del 2010. La puntuación del cuestionario VQLQ mejoró de forma significativa tras la prueba de repicadura (media del cambio 0.73, SD 0.98, p < 0.0001, 95% IC: 0.52-0.94). Esta mejoría era independiente del sexo, edad o de la gravedad de la reacción anafiláctica inicial por la que se instauró el tratamiento. También se observó una mejoría significativa en dos de los dominios del cuestionario genérico SF 36 (función física, media del cambio -5.78, SD 25.23, p = 0.038, 95% IC: -11.22- -0.34; vitalidad, media del cambio -4.29, SD 12.49, p = 0.002, 95% IC: -7.02- -1.57). Conclusiones: La prueba de repicadura bien tolerada se asoció a un incremento de la calidad de vida de los pacientes con alergia a himenópteros, y en tratamiento con inmunoterapia. La mejoría se documentó tanto por un cuestionario específico para la enfermedad (VQLQ) como en algunos dominios del cuestionario genérico SF-36 (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Hymenoptera/pathogenicity , Immunotherapy , Quality of Life , Insect Bites and Stings , HypersensitivityABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: For patients with severe kidney failure, the only alternative to transplantation today is an enduring dialysis treatment. But dialysis is associated with manifold physical and social restrictions. The study analyses the psychosocial consequences of the chronic disease of renal insufficiency: Does chronic kidney failure increase the patients' risk to sink into poverty? SAMPLE/METHODS: In the year 2006 625 dialysis patients participated in an enquiry in 77 dialysis centres in Germany. The newly developed questionnaire included 19 items about social situation, treatment conditions, and quality of life. The response rate was 54.3%. The analyses were calculated using descriptive statistics and discriminatory analyses. RESULTS: 51.8% of the patients lived in the new German federal states (the former GDR), 44.9% are female. The mean age of the sample was 62.2 years. 57.5% of the participants were married or cohabited. There was at least one person aged younger than 18 years in 12% of the households. 54.8% of the respondents had a German CSE, 25.3% had a German Remedial School Certificate of Completion, and 12.4% had a German Abitur (German university entrance qualification). At the time of the enquiry, 60.2% of the patients were below the poverty level (60% of the mean income in Germany). Important impact factors for an existence above the poverty level were the number of persons per household and the age of the participants. The more persons per household, the greater was the risk to be below the poverty level. Households with more than two persons had a significantly higher risk to be below the poverty level (OR=63.3). Persons aged younger than 50 years had a significantly higher risk to be below the poverty level than those aged 50 years or older (OR=2.0). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic renal insufficiency is associated with a higher poverty risk if the patients feature specific attributes. Although living alone is often regarded as a poverty risk because larger households usually have more opportunities to save costs, due to our findings patients living together with several persons in a household are at higher risk to sink into poverty. They are younger or middle-aged and have responsibility to support children or partners. A higher poverty risk results from the fact that they are at a younger age when their dialysis starts and usually receive a lower employment disability pension. The results correspond with data of the German Federal Statistical Office, which show that the number of paupers is greater within younger age groups. Relevant for prevention seems to be the impact of the physician on a possible further occupation of dialysis patients.
Subject(s)
Dialysis/economics , Dialysis/statistics & numerical data , Family Characteristics , Kidney Failure, Chronic/economics , Kidney Failure, Chronic/rehabilitation , Poverty/economics , Poverty/statistics & numerical data , Age Distribution , Female , Germany/epidemiology , Humans , Kidney Failure, Chronic/epidemiology , Male , Prevalence , Risk Assessment , Risk Factors , Sex Distribution , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: For many concerned people unemployment leads to impairments of health, and above all, mental impairments. However, appropriate interventional measures are utilized by only few unemployed people. This study addresses the question, what need for professional psychosocial counselling exists depending on unemployment experience and job insecurity. METHODS: 387 young adults (54.4% female) with a mean age of 33.2 years were asked in 2006 in the context of the 20th wave of the Saxony Longitudinal Study (Sächsische Längsschnittstudie) about unemployment experience, perceived job insecurity and the subjective need for professional psychosocial counselling. Furthermore, the global psychological distress was assessed as an indicator for the objective need for psychosocial support. RESULTS: Over 70% of the participants have had experience with unemployment so far. On average women are unemployed for longer periods than men. Current unemployment [Odds Ratio 7.14; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.28-15.54] proves to be, apart from the threat of loosing of one's job (Odds Ratio 5.26; 95% CI 3.34-8.28), the strongest predictor for mental burdens. However, the subjective need for psychosocial counselling is independent of these employment-related characteristics. 12.7% of the respondents claimed to have had a need for counselling in the last year. Significant predictors for professional counselling support are sex (Odds Ratio 2.08; 95% CI 1.23-3.55) and the mental burdens (Odds Ratio 2.84; 95% CI 1.50-5.38). CONCLUSION: Unemployment leads to objective mental burdens for the concerned people, but subjectively not to an increased need for psychosocial support. Therefore, it is necessary to communicate this health risk to the concerned in an appropriate way and to submit appropriate, low-threshold counselling offers.
Subject(s)
Employment/psychology , Employment/statistics & numerical data , Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Mental Disorders/prevention & control , Social Support , Unemployment/psychology , Unemployment/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Germany/epidemiology , Humans , Male , Mental Disorders/psychology , PrevalenceABSTRACT
This is a report on the findings of the effectiveness of the "Viersener Modell", a inpatient systemic child psychiatry model. The therapy effects were recorded, by means of self and therapists assessment, in several relevant areas of change. The index clients (ic) show typical characteristics of a child psychiatry population. The ic (n = 43) and also their parents (37 mothers and 22 fathers) showed significant improvement on the level of psychiatric symptoms, individual problems and in general experience and behavior. The psychiatric symptoms that were conspicuous by both ic and parents at the beginning of therapy, were mainly inconspicuous at the end of the treatment (effectsize (es): icfemale, n = 28 = .82, icmale, n = 15 = .22, motherswithout partner(accompanying) = .20, motherswith partner(accompanying) = .44, fathers = .44). There was no essential improvement in the quality of the couples relationship, on the other hand the relationships were not clinically conspicuous at the beginning of therapy. Family members and therapists assessed quality of the treatment results and process mainly in accordance with our hypothesis. While the therapists noticed a significant improvement in the functioning of the family relationships (es = .87) at the end of the therapy, the parents (reported no difficulties in family functioning at the beginning of therapy) reported no essential improvement of family relationships in the follow-up questionnaire (n = 32). The improvement of the problems and the assessment of the quality of the treatment results remained stable over an eight month period.
Subject(s)
Child Psychiatry/standards , Family Therapy/methods , Inpatients , Mental Disorders/therapy , Parent-Child Relations , Adolescent , Adolescent Psychiatry/standards , Adult , Child , Family Therapy/statistics & numerical data , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Germany , Humans , Inpatients/statistics & numerical data , Male , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Middle Aged , Models, Psychological , Prospective Studies , Surveys and Questionnaires , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
In a prospective multicenter study of Crohn disease patients, the influence of psychotherapy on the course of the disease and on psychosocial variables (anxiety, depression, life satisfaction and data of the PSKB) was studied. Psychodynamic oriented psychotherapy was provided in addition to a standardized medical treatment and took place during the first year of the two-year observation period. 108 of 488 patients were recruited and randomly assigned to the psychotherapy and the control group. 84 patients completed the somatic and 81 the psychosocial follow up. 23% of the control group and 30% of the psychotherapy group showed episode-free courses, 29% and 17% respectively underwent surgery (worst outcome group). The ranking and comparisons of the disease course showed no significant difference (p = 0.125) between psychotherapy and control group. The psychosocial variables also showed no differences between these groups. Subjectively, the patients report favourable effects to psychotherapy.
Subject(s)
Crohn Disease/therapy , Psychotherapy , Adolescent , Adult , Crohn Disease/surgery , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Retrospective and prospective studies have been undertaken to assess physicians' practice-patterns by studying cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) case summaries. Most summaries reveal similar influences by the physician, patient and situation-related variables on the patterns of resuscitation. The initiation of resuscitation efforts is addressed frequently, but, very few studies discuss the topic of termination of resuscitation. Prehospital emergencies are addressed very rarely. The objective of this study was to introduce a new methodological approach towards initiation and termination of resuscitation efforts in prehospital situations. The subject studied were the physicians' decisions concerning initiation/withholding, termination/withdrawal and the resulting early survival rates. The result is termed the "Resuscitation decision index" (RDI). The "RDI" could be a tool allowing comparisons on a quantitative level, between different EMS systems or disciplines and giving an insight into the decision process. The "RDI" can enhance audit of resuscitation. The process of decision-making can be used to help future theoretical decision-making strategies.
Subject(s)
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Physicians , Resuscitation Orders/psychology , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Sex Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , Survival AnalysisABSTRACT
PURPOSE: In the treatment of cancer the subjective evaluation of therapy induced side effects and quality of life must be considered. Adjuvant intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy is regarded as highly effective but associated with significant side effects. To clarify whether these side effects significantly impact on patient satisfaction with life, a prospective survey of the health related quality of life and side effects was performed during an intravesical BCG treatment course. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Symptoms and side effects were recorded daily during the 6-week instillation period in 30 patients. The quality of life was determined before, during and after intravesical therapy with the assistance of a self-reported questionnaire. RESULTS: Due to a detailed subjective assessment of side effects, the course of local symptoms could be characterized with great reliability. Although side effects occurred, satisfaction with life in the patients studied was high and was not impaired during the treatment. The incidence of side effects correlated well with patient subjective evaluation of quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of side effects and quality of life, as presented in this pilot study, can assist in the quantification of localized symptoms in intravesical therapy could contribute to the comparability of clinical studies. With regard to intravesical BCG immunotherapy, our results suggest that the specific side effects do not seriously impair satisfaction with life in these patients.
Subject(s)
Adjuvants, Immunologic/adverse effects , BCG Vaccine/adverse effects , Quality of Life , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/therapy , Administration, Intravesical , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Patient Satisfaction , Pilot Projects , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
The cognitions of 20 emergency-physicians while working on a mobile resuscitation unit were examined by means of questionnaire in over 260 situations of resuscitation. A pattern of cognitions could be detected: Emergency physicians appear not to think very much during resuscitation. If there are thoughts, these usually concern the obvious, or what is immediately present in the situation, i.e. the patient or the patient's relatives; repression may also play a role. Cognitions which are reflective of self are rare and only develop late in the situation, depending on the surroundings and the amount of stress. The cognitions concerning the relatives are frequent in those situations with direct physician-relative contact. The physicians often report in retrospect having felt compelled to a decision for resuscitation by the presence of the relatives; nevertheless, the decision itself appears to be a result, rather, of their cognitions of the relatives. Distancing by means of cognition was ubiquitously employed as a coping strategy by physicians when in situations which were perceived as not having a positive outcome. Thoughts about "own death" or "about the patient" are specific, however, for certain groups of doctors. Results of the present investigation suggest that physicians have cognitions about relatives during the process of decision making, and cognitions about the patient during the resuscitation manoeuvre.
Subject(s)
Awareness , Physicians/psychology , Resuscitation/psychology , Thinking , Adult , Attitude to Death , Female , Heart Massage/psychology , Humans , Male , Pilot ProjectsABSTRACT
N = 109 patients with chronic renal failure were studied referring to somatic, psychological and social parameters, which are often discussed in psychonephrology. N = 25 of the patients were in the status of compensated retention, n = 43 were undergoing hemodialysis and n = 41 lived after transplantation. At the same time the treating physicians were asked to judge different criterias referring to the adaptation of the patients to the disease and treatment. Using a discriminant analysis, we were successful in predicting the quality of adaption in 75-85% using the patient variables. The results show, that each of the three treatment groups is to be considered separately, although some variables seem to have a generally strong prediction power: Serum level of Calcium, psychosomatic complaints and the extent of depressive disorder. Some aspects for further prospective studies and for the practical treatment are shown.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Kidney Failure, Chronic/psychology , Sick Role , Female , Humans , Kidney Failure, Chronic/rehabilitation , Kidney Transplantation/psychology , Male , Middle Aged , Quality of Life , Renal Dialysis/psychologyABSTRACT
In 30 families with a schizophrenic son conjoint family discussions which had been generated by Strodtbeck's "Revealed Differences Technique" were analyzed on the strength of the "Relationship-Scale" developed by Riskin and Faunce. All three members of the family triad (two parents and son) proved to be more hostile and rejecting than their parallels in a control group of families whose sons had been admitted because of an acute surgical condition. However, no significant difference could be ascertained in the sequential patterning of interaction assessed by means of time-series analysis. In both family groups Bernoulli processes predominated, i.e. there was no dependence between the sequentially recorded speech units. A 2-year follow-up of the schizophrenic patients showed a contradictory pattern of results. In families with re-hospitalized sons there was only a slight and statistically insignificant tendency towards more negative relationships but the sub-groups of families containing a schizophrenic son differed clearly on the level of sequential data; more families with re-hospitalized sons showed autoregressive (morphogenetic) or moving average (morphostatic) processes.
Subject(s)
Affective Symptoms/psychology , Communication , Parent-Child Relations , Schizophrenic Psychology , Adult , Female , Hostility , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Recurrence , Schizophrenia/therapyABSTRACT
186 patients undergoing hemodialysis and their partners were examined with a personality inventory (Giessen test) and a questionnaire which was specially developed for this purpose. The instrument was used to measure the social interaction between patient and partner. The Giessen test was applied in four versions: self-description, description by the partner, referring to the present, referring to the past. One of the main interests of the analyses was in finding dependencies of the variables upon the types of hemodialysis setting (unit, private unit, and at home). Various correlations were found.
