Structural and reliability analysis of quality of relationship index in cancer patients

Aging and Neuropsychiatric Disease: A General Overview of Prevalence and Trends

The increasing trend of life-expectancy is becoming a significant demographic, societal and economic challenge. Currently, global number of people above sixty years of age is 900 million, while United Nations expect this number to rise to over 1.4 billion in 2030 and over 2.5 billion by 2050. Concordant to this trend, numerous physiological changes are associated with aging and brain-related ones are associated with neuropsychiatric diseases. The main goal of this chapter is to identify the most important neuropsychiatric diseases to assess in older patients to help to promote health and prevent diseases and complications associated with chronic illness, as these changes are progressive and require important psychological and setting-related social adjustments. Findings identify several health-aspects highly present in elderly: stroke, white matter lesions, dementia rise with age, changes in levels of neurotransmitters and hormones, depression as well as the bereavement following loss of the loved one, and the most common neurodegenerative disease—Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s. In conclusion, studying the aging process should include all developmental, circumstantial, and individual aspects of aging. This offers opportunities to improve the health of elderly by using a wide range of skills and knowledge. Thus, further studies are necessary to elucidate what can be done do to improve the aging process and health of elderly in the future.

Influence de la précarité sociale et du soutien social perçu, sur le retour au travail des femmes ayant un cancer du sein, dans l’année suivant le début des traitements adjuvants

L’objectif est d’étudier les liens entre précarité sociale, soutien social perçu et retour au travail (RAT) dans la première année suivant le début des traitements adjuvants du cancer du sein. Soixante-huit patientes incluses au début des traitements adjuvants (T0) ont été suivies à 3 (T1) et 12 mois (T2). Le soutien informatif des amis à T0 favorise le RAT à T1. La précarité et le soutien négatif à T0 et T2 sont des freins au RAT à T2. La prise en charge du RAT doit être proposée et adaptée dès le début des traitements.

Posttraumatic growth in breast cancer survivors and their husbands based on the actor-partner interdependence model

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to verify actor and partner effects, by examining the effects of self-esteem, relationship quality, and subjective distress on posttraumatic growth in breast cancer survivors and their spouses, and involved a structural analysis of descriptive cause-and-effect relationships to verify the suitability of the actor-partner interdependence model.

METHODS

A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from breast cancer survivors and their spouses at outpatient centers, wards, and patient meetings in 4 general hospitals in Seoul between April 13 and September 20, 2015. Data for 336 individuals (168 couples) were analyzed. The suitability of the hypothetical model was assessed via SPSS Win 21.0 and AMOS 21.0. Actor and partner effects on posttraumatic growth in breast cancer survivors and their spouses were examined.

RESULTS

Self-esteem, relationship quality, and subjective distress exerted significant actor effects, and subjective distress exerted a significant partner effect on posttraumatic growth in breast cancer survivors. Relationship quality and support exerted significant actor effects, and self-esteem, relationship quality, and subjective distress exerted significant partner effects on posttraumatic growth in spouses.

CONCLUSIONS

Posttraumatic growth in breast cancer survivors was influenced by not only relationship quality and spouses' self- esteem but also subjective distress; therefore, solidarity between breast cancer survivors and their spouses was important and should be maintained to provide healthy relationship support and enhance posttraumatic growth. Further, health care providers should include spouses in health-related education and involve them in interventions and family support programs for couples.

Social support and social control in the context of cancer patients' exercise: A pilot study

Social support is an important factor for exercise among cancer patients, but too much control might elicit reactance and lead to detrimental effects. In this pilot study, 56 dyads (cancer patient + relative) filled out a questionnaire assessing social support, social control, and reactance. After 4 weeks (T2), patients' exercise was assessed with a 7-day recall. About half of the patients did not engage in any self-reported exercise behavior. Relative-reported support was the only variable associated with exercise behavior at T2. Perceived control (r = .4) but not perceived support was significantly correlated with reactance. Male patients reported more support, but were also more prone to reactance.