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Unpaid carers in Wales: the creation of an e-cohort to understand long-term health conditions amongst unpaid carers in Wales
- Authors:
- HUANG Fangzhou, SONG Jiao, DAVIES Alisha R.
- Publisher:
- Public Health Wales
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 33
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
This is the first study in Wales providing a comprehensive assessment of the prevalence of physical and mental long-term health conditions and multimorbidity as managed in primary care amongst unpaid carers, and compared to a matched comparison group of non-carers in Wales. The study identified over 62,000 unpaid carers in Wales over the period 2011 to 2020, and described the health of this group. Key findings include: the proportion of individuals diagnosed with a long-term condition was higher amongst unpaid carers compared to non-carers, across 36 different conditions studied; anxiety and/or depression was the most commonly diagnosed long-term condition in both unpaid carers and non-carers, but was 1.8 times higher in unpaid carers; others conditions with a higher rate among unpaid carers than non-carers included, musculoskeletal disorders, cancer, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome; amongst unpaid carers, higher rates of anxiety and/or depression, epilepsy, irritable bowel syndrome and musculoskeletal disorders were amongst young carers; over three in 10 unpaid carers in Wales were living with multiple long-term conditions – unpaid carers were also more likely to be managing multiple conditions at a younger age; the association between caring and poor health was evident irrespective of deprivation. (Edited publisher abstract)
What factors are associated with patient self-reported health status among HIV outpatients? A multi-centre UK study of biomedical and psychosocial factors
- Authors:
- HARDING Richard, et al
- Journal article citation:
- AIDS Care, 24(7-8), July 2012, pp.963-971.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Patient self-reported outcomes are increasingly important in measuring disease, treatment and care outcomes. It is unclear what constitutes well-being using a combined biomedical and psychosocial approach for patients with antiretroviral therapy (ART) access. This study aimed to determine the variance within the visual analogue scale (VAS) measure of health status using the existing five dimensions of the EuroQOL-5D, to identify which domains have the greatest effect on self-reported health status and to identify associations with the VAS using both biomedical and psychosocial factors among HIV outpatients. Seven hundred and seventy eight patients in five UK clinics were recruited to a cross-sectional survey. Patients self-completed validated measures, with treatment variables extracted from file. On the EuroQOL-5D, nearly one-third had mobility problems, one-fifth self-care problems, one-third difficulty in performing usual tasks and one-half reported pain/discomfort. In addition to four dimensions of the EuroQOL-5D, poorer health status was associated with worse physical symptom burden, treatment optimism and psychological symptoms. Implications for practice are discussed.
The effect of animals on human health and well-being
- Author:
- WELLS Deborah L.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Issues, 65(3), 2009, pp.523-543.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper explores the evidence that pets can contribute to human health and well-being. The article initially concentrates on the value of animals for short- and long-term physical health, before exploring the relationship between animals and psychological health, focusing on the ability of dogs, cats, and other species to aid the disabled and serve as a "therapist" to those in institutional settings. The paper also discusses the evidence for the ability of dogs to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of specific chronic diseases, notably cancer, epilepsy, and diabetes. Mechanisms underlying the ability of animals to promote human health are discussed within a theoretical framework. Whereas the evidence for a direct causal association between human well-being and companion animals is not conclusive, the literature reviewed is largely supportive of the widely held, and long-standing, belief that "pets are good for us."
Domestic violence: a global perspective
- Author:
- FAWCETT Barbara
- Journal article citation:
- Hong Kong Journal of Social Work, 41(1-2), Winter 2007, pp.25-37.
- Publisher:
- World Scientific Publishing Company
- Place of publication:
- Singapore
Domestic Violence defined as intimate partner violence is differentially understood and responded to within and between countries and it frequently falls short of being seen as a human rights issue which requires government, community and professional responses. This article explores definitions and explanations of domestic violence that have been put forward and considers the associations that have been made between violence and abuse. It also reviews multi-country links between women's health and domestic violence and examines controversial issues surrounding fathers who have been domestically violent. It is argued that domestic violence is intrinsically related to gendered power imbalances which have different manifestations in different social and cultural contexts. However the view that violence is inevitable in certain situations is challenged.
Reliability of self-report of health in juvenile offenders
- Authors:
- KENNY D. T., GRANT J.
- Journal article citation:
- Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 2(2), August 2007, pp.127-141.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The aim of the present study was to investigate the accuracy of self-reports of juvenile offenders on physical factors (e.g. sleep difficulties, weight-related behaviours and weight perceptions), health risk behaviours (e.g. alcohol use), trauma history (e.g. physical and sexual abuse) and psychological factors (e.g. anxiety, suicidal and self-harm behaviours). Self-reports obtained via a Health Questionnaire from 242 incarcerated juvenile offenders were compared with standardized measures (body mass index, Adolescent Psychopathology Scale and Child Trauma Questionnaire) to investigate the reliability (via construct validity) and veracity of their self-report. Using kappa estimates and receiver-operating characteristic curves, results generally showed high agreement across measures, suggesting that self-report questions from the health survey could all be used reliably. The degree of accuracy indicated that young offenders are as reliable as clinical and community samples of adolescents in their self-report. These findings have implications for routine assessments and practice evaluations that rely on self-report as the method of data collection and as the basis for clinical formulation and treatment planning.
Seeing the benefits of learning
- Authors:
- FENSTEN Leon, BUDGE David
- Journal article citation:
- Adults Learning, 18(10), June 2007, pp.20-22.
- Publisher:
- National Institute for Adult Continuing Education
It is now widely acknowledged that education can be good for learners' mental and physical health. The authors look at some of the available evidence and highlights the limitations of the perspective.
Psychological disposition and self-reported health among the ‘oldest-old’ in China
- Authors:
- WU Zheng, SCHIMMELE Christoph M.
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 26(1), January 2006, pp.135-151.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study contributes to the understanding of the ageing process by investigating whether particular psychological dispositions among older people are associated with healthy ageing. The study's objective is to further our knowledge about what constitutes ‘health’ for the ‘oldest-old’ (people aged 80 or more years) in China. It is recognised that apart from the absence of disease, good health is a subjective experience, and it is posited that self-reported health is associated with psychological disposition, or in other words, that an individual's personal attitudes, motivations, and beliefs condition their perception of health and illness. Using data from China's Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (1998 and 2000 waves), the authors examine whether psychological disposition in 1998 had an independent effect on self-reported health in 2000. The study is based on a stratified random sample of 4,366 people aged 80 or more years. After introducing controls for health status and socio-demographic variables, the multivariate, longitudinal results demonstrate that a robust psychological disposition was indeed associated with good short-term, self-reported health. The findings also illustrate that the effect differed by age, for the relationship was significant for octogenarians and nonagenarians but insignificant for centenarians. Data limitations prevented an empirical investigation of the processes that underlie the relationship between psychological disposition and self-reported health.
Exploring the concept of alexithymia in the lives of people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- MELLOR Karen, DAGNAN Dave
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 9(3), September 2005, pp.229-239.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
Alexithymia is a construct that has attracted considerable research for people without learning disabilities. People with alexithymia have difficulties recognizing and describing emotions and have an externally oriented cognitive style. Alexithymia has been closely associated with a variety of mental health and somatic problems. However, the construct of alexithymia has not been considered in respect to people with learning disabilities. This article identifies parallels between the concept of alexithymia and the emotion recognition difficulties and external cognitive styles that have been identified in people with learning disabilities. The article further identifies that many developmental factors considered important in the aetiology of alexithymia are significantly present in the lives of people with learning disabilities and that the association between alexithymia and mental health identified in other populations may also be important for people with learning disabilities. We conclude that there is a strong argument that alexithymia should be a focus of further research for people with learning disabilities.
Problem and pathological gambling are associated with poorer mental and physical health in older adults
- Authors:
- ERICKSON Lauren, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20(8), August 2005, pp.754-759.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In this study 343 Adults aged 60 years and older attending senior centers, bingo sites and other community activities in Connecticut, USA completed a screening form containing the South Oaks Gambling Screen and the Short Form-12 Health Survey, to evaluate physical and mental health. Overall, 6.4% of the respondents were classified as problem gamblers and an additional 3.8% as pathological gamblers. Problem and pathological gamblers evidenced significantly greater physical and mental health problems than non-problem gamblers. These data suggest that about 10 percent of active older adults experience gambling problems, which are associated with poor physical and mental health.
Best boost forward
- Author:
- KITSON Carol
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, October 2005, pp.12-13.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Scotland's Paths to Health is a national initiative that aims to improve the physical and mental health of the nation, working in partnership with NHS health boards, local authority agencies, community health projects and the leisure sector. This article reports on the development and success of the scheme.