Psychological Morbidity in Endometriosis: A Couple's Study.

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease that impacts more than 176 million women worldwide, having a strong impact on psychological morbidity. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of psychological morbidity, in women with endometriosis, taking into consideration the duration of the couple's relationship and the duration of the disease and also examined whether women's sexual satisfaction had an impact on their psychological morbidity (actor effect) and on their sexual partners' psychological morbidity (partner effect) and vice versa. Participants were 105 women and their partners, who answered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI-4) and the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (GMSEX). The results revealed a direct effect between the perception of symptom severity, marital satisfaction, and women's psychological morbidity. Sexual activity and the presence of infertility had an indirect effect on the relationship between sexual satisfaction, diagnosis duration, and psychological morbidity, respectively. Finally, women's sexual satisfaction had a direct effect on their own and their partner's marital satisfaction that predicted less psychological morbidity, in both. Thus, a multidisciplinary intervention focused on the couple's sexual and marital relationship is needed to promote psychological well-being in this population.

Integralidade e longitudinalidade da atenção primária à saúde da mulher: uma análise de três municípios amazônicos / Integrality and longitudinality of primary care for women's health: an analysis of three amazonian municipalities

O estado do Amazonas abrange municípios ribeirinhos que, devido a suas peculiaridades, são um desafio para organização da Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS). Este estudo objetivou avaliar os atributos essenciais de integralidade e longitudinalidade da APS da mulher em idade reprodutiva em três municípios amazônicos, pois doenças preveníveis pela APS apresentam alta incidência nessa população. Esta é uma pesquisa transversal, de caráter exploratório e abordagem quantitativa, que utilizou o instrumento Avaliação da Atenção Primária (PCATool) Versão Adulto para entrevistar 857 mulheres. Os resultados foram insatisfatórios na avaliação dos dois atributos, longitudinalidade e integralidade, com diferenças significativas entre os municípios. Na avaliação da APS sobre questões de relevância epidemiológica para saúde da mulher amazônica os resultados demonstraram que os serviços de assistência pré-natal e a realização de exame preventivo para o câncer de colo de útero estavam disponíveis para cerca de 90% das mulheres. O aconselhamento para testagem de HIV foi relatado por mais de 60% das mulheres entrevistadas. Assim, este estudo identificou limites e desafios da Atenção Primária a Saúde da mulher nesses municípios, reforçando a importância de processos avaliativos como instrumentos de melhor gerenciamento das políticas públicas em saúde.

The State of Amazonas has riparian municipalities that, due to their peculiarities, are a challenge for the organization of Primary Health Care (PHC). This study aimed to evaluate the integral attributes and longitudinality of PHC to Women's Health in reproductive age in three municipalities of the state, because diseases preventable by PHC are present at high incidence in this population. This is a cross-sectional, exploratory and quantitative study that used the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCATool) instrument - Adult version - to interview 857 women. The results were unsatisfactory in the evaluation of the two attributes, longitudinality and Integrality, with significant differences between the municipalities. In the PHC evaluation on issues of epidemiological relevance for the health of Amazonian women, the results showed that prenatal care and preventive examination for cervical cancer were available for about 90% of the women. Counseling for HIV testing was reported by more than 60% of the women interviewed. Therefore, this study identified the limits and challenges of Primary Health Care for Women in these municipalities, reinforcing the importance of evaluation processes as tools for better management of public health policies.

Predictors and moderators of quality of life in caregivers of amputee patients by type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The amputation of a foot or a leg is one of the complications caused by diabetes that creates fear. After the amputation, the patient becomes dependent on a caregiver, who is often not prepared for this new phase of life. Knowing the factors that influence care delivery in caregivers of amputee type 2 diabetes patients is important from an heuristic point of view, since very few studies have focused on this population. OBJECTIVES: This study analysed the predictors and moderators of quality of life, in caregivers of amputee patients due to type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This study has a cross-sectional design. All ethical standards were followed in the conduct of this study. The sample comprised 101 caregivers who answered the following instruments: Carer's Assessment of Managing Index, Burden Assessment Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, Revised Impact of Events Scale, Family Assessment Device, Family Disruption from Illness Scale and the Short Form Health Survey-36. RESULTS: The practice of physical activity, lower burden, better family functioning and less traumatic symptoms were predictors of better mental quality of life. Having no chronic disease and less physical symptoms predicted better physical quality of life. Duration of care moderated the relationship between traumatic symptoms and mental quality of life, but not with physical quality of life. Receiving help in caregiving moderated the relationship between traumatic symptoms and mental quality of life. The limitations of this study include the exclusive use of self-report instruments and the fact that the caregivers who have participated in this study were those who accompanied the patient to the hospital. CONCLUSION: In order to promote physical quality of life, future intervention programmes should consider the presence of chronic disease in the caregiver and the duration of care, as well as the caregivers' physical symptoms.

Psychological morbidity, burden, and the mediating effect of social support in adult children caregivers of oncological patients undergoing chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the association between psychological morbidity, social support, and demographic and clinical variables in adult children of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Special attention was given to the variable level of parental dependency. The main predictors of caregiving burden were tested, as well as the mediating role of social support in the relationship between psychological morbidity and burden. METHODS: A total of 214 adult children caregivers of parents with cancer were recruited in Northern Portugal central hospitals. Caregivers completed Portuguese versions of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Satisfaction with Social Support Scale, and Burden Assessment Scale. RESULTS: Significant associations among psychological, demographic, and clinical variables were found. Adult children with a greater perception of parent's dependency showed more distress, higher posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, greater caregiving burden, and less satisfaction with social support. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed the main predictors of caregiver burden to be as follows: being a woman, caregiving duration, having a dependent parent, more distress and PTSD symptoms, and poorer social support. Social support was found to be a partial mediator in the relationship between psychological morbidity and caregiver burden. CONCLUSIONS: Results underscore the importance of perceived parental dependency in offspring's caregivers. Findings support the multidimensional issues associated to burden in this specific population, stressing satisfaction with social support as an important mediator between distress/PTSD and burden. Implications for further research as well as limitations of the present study are discussed. Psychosocial interventions should focus on caregivers' social resources to facilitate psychological well-being.