ABSTRACT
Issues related to psychological recovery following coronary bypass surgeries (CABG) have emerged in recent years. Other research has shown the effects of spiritual or religious activities on health and aging. However, little is known about the relationship of spiritual coping, including religious coping, to post-CABG adjustment. This study addressed multifactorial determinants of postoperative psychological recovery and the effects of private prayer, a form of spiritual coping, on the recovery of 151 older patients. Results show that most patients pray about their postoperative problems and that private prayer appears to significantly decrease depression and general distress one year post-CABG.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Aging/psychology , Convalescence/psychology , Coronary Artery Bypass/psychology , Religion and Psychology , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Analysis of Variance , Depression/prevention & control , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Middle Aged , Stress, Psychological/prevention & control , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
This research examined the role of self-care behavior of 151 patients (aged 40 to 80) on general psychological distress at one year after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. A tested hypothesis was that self-care practices would be associated with a lower level of distress one year after surgery. The results supported the beneficial effect of self-care on psychological adjustment, after controlling for the effects of the number of other chronic illnesses and post-CABG depression. The findings suggest that social work in health care and in-home care may help promote the psychosocial recovery process following surgery.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Attitude to Health , Coronary Artery Bypass/psychology , Self Care/psychology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Analysis of Variance , Chronic Disease , Coronary Artery Bypass/rehabilitation , Depression/etiology , Female , Health Care Surveys , Health Status , Humans , Male , Matched-Pair Analysis , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Sick Role , Social AdjustmentABSTRACT
This research investigated gender differences in psychological adjustment among patients (112 males, 39 females) one year after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Information regarding post-CABG depression, non-cardiac chronic conditions, and socioeconomic variables were obtained from a survey. Additional cardiac, surgical, and demographic data were retrieved from a hospital computer database. Women were more likely than men to experience postoperative depression, attributable to their poor health. Depression one year post-CABG was predicted by non-cardiac chronic illnesses, postoperative fatigue and shortness of breath and socioeconomic status.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Coronary Artery Bypass/psychology , Depression , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Sex Factors , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
This article describes the rationale, design and implementation of a support and education group for parents caring for disabled children in later life. In a supportive and informative environment, parents found peers facing similar challenges relating to the provision of care in light of their own aging, a lifetime of caregiving, and their concerns about their children's futures. The experience of this group intervention strategy provides insight into the needs and strengths of this neglected segment of the caregiving population and suggests implications for future research and practice.
Subject(s)
Caregivers/education , Parents/education , Self-Help Groups/organization & administration , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Caregivers/psychology , Child , Developmental Disabilities , Female , Humans , Intellectual Disability , Male , Middle Aged , Parent-Child Relations , Parents/psychology , United StatesABSTRACT
Gays and Lesbians Older and Wiser (GLOW), a support group sponsored by a geriatric medical clinic in the midwest, is described. GLOW has been meeting monthly for 7 years. Scheduling, professional involvement, and special attention to social support seem critical for the group's success. Older gay men and lesbians often have unique support needs that may not be met by either general services to the elderly or by gay organizations, which typically cater to a younger population. We conclude that carefully designed support groups can meet some support needs for this older population.
Subject(s)
Aging/psychology , Homosexuality, Female/psychology , Homosexuality, Male/psychology , Self-Help Groups , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Michigan , Middle Aged , Social SupportABSTRACT
The main determinants of rehospitalization of elderly people were studied with a longitudinal sample of 264 persons older than 60 years at a midwestern, urban, university-affiliated hospital. Path analysis was applied to survey data collected for this study. Seventeen percent of subjects were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Controlling for health and socioeconomic factors, the main determinant of readmission was the discharge placement; those placed back into the community for care in the home were more likely to be rehospitalized than those discharged to institutions. Contrary to predictions in the literature and the authors' expectations, patient involvement in discharge planning had no discernible effect on placement decisions and subsequent hospitalization. The implications of these findings for discharge planning by social workers are discussed.
Subject(s)
Frail Elderly , Geriatric Assessment , Patient Readmission , Social Work , Activities of Daily Living/psychology , Aged , Caregivers/psychology , Depression/psychology , Female , Frail Elderly/psychology , Humans , Internal-External Control , Long-Term Care/psychology , Male , Patient Discharge , Risk Factors , Social EnvironmentABSTRACT
Discharge planning involves making choices about the type and amount of posthospital care a patient will receive within the reality of resource constraints. Elderly patients discharged from an acute-care hospital vary in their reactions to this decision-making process and the degree to which they exert final control over the decision. Perceived lack of control over the decision is associated with posthospital psychological distress for patients with high levels of internal locus of control, but not for those whose expectations for internal control are low.
Subject(s)
Aged , Decision Making , Internal-External Control , Patient Discharge , Adaptation, Psychological , Hospitals , Humans , Nursing HomesSubject(s)
Aftercare/methods , Patient Participation , Aged , Decision Making , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Family , Humans , Middle Aged , Ohio , Patient DischargeABSTRACT
Workers assigned to cases of elder abuse experience significant problems related not only to the nature of the problem but also to their own feelings, biases, and attitudes about violence and the aging. This article examines the problems and suggests strategies for dealing with them.
Subject(s)
Elder Abuse/prevention & control , Social Work, Psychiatric , Aged , HumansABSTRACT
This paper explores the effect the elderly care recipient's contribution to the household has on his or her well-being as indicated by level of depression. The purposive sample consisted of 647 families referred from over 100 sources representing a total of 27 counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Results of a multiple regression analysis indicated that contributing to the household has a significant impact on the elder's level of depression. The effect was not significantly different for elders living with a caregiving spouse or child or grandchild. It was determined that aspects of the living arrangement did differentially affect the elder's level of depression in these two familial living situations. The elder seemed less depressed when the caregiving relationship with a child or grandchild was of longer duration, suggesting that dissatisfaction may abate with time.
Subject(s)
Depression/etiology , Health Status , Health , Parent-Child Relations , Age Factors , Aged , Family , Female , Humans , Male , Regression Analysis , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Current advances in discharge planning have focused on comprehensive assessment, levels of care, and reducing the length of hospital stays. However, evidence also indicates the importance of involving patients and their families in making decisions about long-term care. This article identifies nine factors related to the patients' involvement in decision making.
