Health Psychology

The purpose of the paper is to analyse the impact ageism may have on providing healthcare to elderly people. The article investigates the consequences of ageism in medical settings, where the elderly are particularly vulnerable to discrimination, distinguishing ageism from appropriate practice variation as well as giving suggestions to improve the situation. The paper analyses research published worldwide on selected issues connected with ageism with special attention to medical professionals’ attitudes and ageist behaviours of the elderly’s environment in a situation of their disability or illness. Firstly, the relation of ageism to other forms of stereotyping is outlined. Then, the threats of positive ageism are elaborated. The next section is devoted to self-stereotyping of the elderly and its impact on their functioning. Then, the paper discusses medical professionals’ attitudes and ways to measure them, as well as educational interventions that may alter them. Finally, the article refers effective ways of adjusting health promotion messages to the needs of older adults. Ageism bases on mechanisms similar to sexism and racism, but there are some remarkable differences. Positive ageism may be compassionate, however, might be harmful when intruding into an elderly person’s decisions. Self-stereotyping may be described with a model of a vicious cycle. Contact with the elderly is found to be useful in changing medical staff’s attitudes. Family-centred messages are most effective when it comes to health promotion among older adults. Studies on ageism prove that negative convictions about the elderly are harmful and affect their functioning. Inclusion of the elderly should be applied in social contexts as well as in science, as the elderly are often missed out in research samples.

"ABSTRACT


Objective: My objective was to investigate the experiences of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.

Method: I did a qualitative study based on interview data. Fourteen women with metastatic breast cancer were recruited into a larger study of online support group use. Participants were interviewed by phone.

Results: The women indicated that they experience distress because of concerns about body image, declines in aspects of their sexual lives, and worries about the effect of stress on their illness. The stress that worries these women comes from fear of dying, fear of disease progression and debilitation, the loss of their future, and practical concerns. The women were also likely to experience a decline in daily activity after being diagnosed with metastatic disease. They become less active because of the physical symptoms of the illness and the side effects of treatments, the medicalization of their lifestyle, their desire to avoid stressful situations, the constraints imposed by their social world, and the need to maintain disability benefits. Although women are often in need of emotional and material support from others after they are diagnosed, social support can decrease, both because women find it difficult to be open about the difficulties they face and because the responses of others are not adequately supportive. Distress and declines in daily activity and social support can feed into each other to create a vicious circle.

Significance of results: This paper makes a significant contribution to the literature by providing a rich description of how metastatic breast cancer affects women. Further research, with more diverse samples, is needed in this understudied area."

Įžanga. Didėjantis pacientų įtraukimas į savo sveikatos priežiūrą ir jos vertinimą yra svarbus šiuolaikinės sveikatos paslaugų plėtros ir jos kokybės aspektas (1-5). Laikomasi požiūrio, kad pirminės sveikatos priežiūros kokybė apima tiek klinikinę (techninę) kokybę, tiek tarpasmeninių santykių tarp gydytojo ir paciento kokybę. Ypatingai akcentuojama į pacientą centruota ir orientuota sveikatos priežiūra. Vis dėlto netrūks ta ir debatų apie tai, kas yra į pacientą orientuota sveikatos priežiūra, kaip gali būti išmatuota jos raiška ir kokybė. Viena iš siūlomų prieigų – laikyti, jog vertę klinikinei praktikai kuria konsultacijos kokybė.
Įvairūs tyrimai visame pasaulyje atskleidžia, kad gydytojai vis dar neretai nutraukia savo pacientus, vis dar dažnai vyrauja į gydytoją centruota konsultacija, kai gydytojas dominuoja ir priima visus esminius su gydymu ir/ar sveikatos palaikymu susijusius sprendimus. Tačiau toks požiūris kuria žemą paciento savivertę, o ypatingai tam jautrūs vyresniojo amžiaus pacientai. Tokių pacientų konsultavimui paternalistinį bendravimą ir biomedicininį požiūrį į problemą turi keisti holistinis požiūris ir centruota į pacientą konsultacija. Šiuolaikinis požiūris į pacientą orientuotos konsultacijos atžvilgiu, gerosios praktikos aspektų išryškinimas paskatino paciento įgalinimo koncepcijos atsiradimą.
Kas yra laikoma pacientų įgalinimu. Pirma, tai į pacientą centruotos sveiaktos priežiūros procesas, antra – tai paciento įtraukimo į sprendimų dėl jo sveikatos priėmimo ir atsakomybės už savo sveikatą rezultatas.
Tarptautinėje praktikoje egzistuoja sukurti pacientų įgalinimo instrumentai, suteikiantys galimybę įvertinti konsultacijos kokybę, gydytojo ir paciento bendravimo efektyvumą bei kitus faktorius, skatinančius ir stiprinančius paciento į(si)galinimo procesą.
Tikslas. Atlikti pilotinį tyrimą validuojant pacientų įgalinimo instrumentą Lietuvoje.

Exercise has the potential to decrease negative side effects, lower societal medical costs, and increase quality of life. Exposure to physical exercise increased participation and led the way for a variety of pilot testing movement-based interventions with a diverse, rural, clinical mental health patient population in treatment for numerous clinical diagnoses. The original research (Reuille-Dupont, 2015) is briefly outlined before a discussion of theory used to determine and perform movement-based interventions for psychological and physical health goal treatments. Throughout the paper, psychological and exercise science theory and research are overlaid to explain the physical implications and psychological shifts of movement-based treatment. It is important to understand common terminology to engage clients and other health care practitioners in movement-based treatment for psychological and physical health. In addition, as specialists in understanding the body’s role in experience, it is the somatic psychologist’s responsibility to promote and advocate for “exercise as medicine” when possible. Included are visuals to help outline and overlap the disciplines for better understanding, increased awareness, and expanding the language somatic psychologists need to engage in multidisciplinary healthcare teams.

Keywords: physical movement treatment, movement for mental health, exercise science, somatic psychology

In order to better cope with the pressures and stresses of the current day, modern psychology is anxiously seeking to find new therapies to address the increasing disorders within the human psyche. In the process new fields of research, such as humanistic and transpersonal psychology, curiously appear to borrow more and more from the wisdom of the ages. This volume, containing eighteen articles by noteworthy expositors of the perennial philosophy such as Huston Smith, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Frithjof Schuon, presents the spiritual psychology of the wisdom traditions as a much-needed antidote to the current impasse in modern psychology.

Some Endorsements for Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy:

“[Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy] is more than an anthology. It is a wisely crafted collection of classic and contemporary scholarship noting that what many are seeking is what has always been, a perennial philosophy, that remains foundational. As one of the authors, Tage Lindbom, properly notes, ‘Secularization is a fish in troubled waters.’ This book claims the waters and is essential reading for all those who may have forgotten or are simply ignorant of the rich foundation provided by the perennial philosophy.”
—Ralph W. Hood, Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association, co-founder of The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion and co-author of The Psychology of Religion

“A necessary and bracing critique of the assumptions and limitations of contemporary Western psychology, this generous volume is also a passionate call and learned guide towards a truer perspective that embraces man's spiritual nature.”
—Gabor Maté, M.D., and author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

“Knowing the nature of the mind is perhaps the most difficult undertaking, especially in today’s world. To comprehend the nature of mind one needs to turn to the domain of religion and spirituality. Yet the truth of the mind and its complexity cannot explicitly be defined in words. Inner or transcendent wisdom sees the mind’s own nature without the duality of the seer. Suchness (tathatā) of mind is only experiential and not expressible. The words used to describe thought are themselves a product of thought, which is conditioned and limited. Thus, differences and contradictions are unavoidable. Therefore, a comparative study of different viewpoints and commentaries is immensely important to awaken the inner intelligence to see the mind as it is. Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy: Studies in Comparative Religion edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is an outstanding effort in this direction.”
—Samdhong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister (Kalon Tripa) of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, author of Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World: Tibetan Buddhism and Today’s World

“The rise of psychology has impacted the study and practice of spirituality, the experiences and attitudes relevant to ultimate human values that transcend ordinary behavior. Each chapter of this remarkable book demonstrates this interaction in a unique and provocative way. But rather than using psychology to reduce and ‘psychologize’ spiritual topics, its authors demonstrate how directives from the spiritual traditions can enhance and even illuminate the enduring importance of psychology in the 21st century.”
—Stanley Krippner, Saybrook University, co-author of Spiritual Dimensions of Healing

“The work at hand is a thinking and debating man’s delight. If you have any interest at all in attempting to include an educated and enlightened view of man’s higher functions in your purview of the world, you will learn from and enjoy this collection of essays. If you already have some knowledge in this area, brace yourself: you may see some of your favorites sharply criticized. A thought-provoking work.”
—Bruce W. Scotton, University of California, San Francisco, co-editor of Textbook of Transpersonal Psychiatry and Psychology

“This book, superbly edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos, is a masterful critique of the field of psychology and its loss of the sacred ground in which it once was rooted. It offers depth psychologists an opportunity to contemplate timeless truths echoed through the centuries by perennial philosophers who have always claimed psyche is subordinate to Spirit. Although ignored in depth psychology’s early years due to prejudice and lack of understanding, this is a message today’s psychotherapists must take seriously. Human beings need a deeper and wider transpersonal vision of who and what we are, which the saints and sages of the world’s spiritual traditions have always pointed to. In psychotherapy with a therapist committed to such a vision, patients penetrate into their unconscious depths and not infrequently awaken to the Ground of all Being. Their suffering itself occurred because they had turned away from Spirit. Above all, this volume passionately calls upon depth psychology to remember its origin in the perennial wisdom at the core of the great religions. There is something of a polemic in these pages. It deserves to be considered by depth psychologists of all persuasions.”
—Bryan Wittine, Transpersonal psychologist and Jungian psychoanalyst

“This anthology from Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is a must reference for anyone who is interested in psychology and its relationship to spirituality, and in developing an inclusive dialogue between disciplines that favor an integral outlook on the person and his or her potential. Selections in this anthology will inspire us to reexamine the metaphysical underpinnings of psychology, and remind us how important it is to rise above science’s attempt to reduce the human being to an epistemic object.”
—Sangeetha Menon, National Institute of Advanced Studies (Bangalore, India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Beyond Experience: Consciousness in Bhagavad Gita

“This anthology has some of the most discerning essays and reviews on spirituality and psychology, which provide much-needed care and caution to all those engaged in bringing them together or who wish to do so in future. Therefore, it is a must-read for all those who teach, research, consult, or study in such frontier areas as transpersonal psychology, states of consciousness, mind-body relation, holistic health, Indian psychology, and so on. It will be an invaluable textbook for courses in these and other related areas. I congratulate the editor of the book.”
—Kiran Kumar K. Salagame, University of Mysore (India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Psychology of Meditation: A Contextual Approach

“One of the finest collections of essays on the Perennial Philosophy—a must-read for all psychologists who are engaged with spirituality and transpersonal psychology. The essays which critique modern psychology (including transpersonal psychology, and the framework of Carl Jung), in the light of the Perennial Philosophy are a revelation and make compelling reading. The book serves as a corrective to the excesses of modern psychology, and to this end Sotillos has done a commendable job. I for one will include the book in some of the graduate courses that I teach.”
—Suneet Varma, University of Delhi, co-editor of Foundations of Indian Psychology

“To its credit modern science by-and-large is becoming more cognizant of the essential connection between spirituality and psychological health and well-being and most of all its positive implications within the field of psychology. While there is ample data to document this in a plethora of academic journals and books, this new book Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy adds a novel contribution to the dialogue between psychology and spirituality, which captures many nuances that for the most part go unnoticed within these discussions, and last but not least, it provides a keen eye of discernment to understand this intricate relationship on a deeper level that is crucially needed. This work will be a valuable asset to students and long term mental health practitioners and professors alike who seek to better understand the relationship between psychology and spirituality.”
—Harold G. Koenig, Duke University, Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, co-author of The Handbook of Religion and Health

This milestone text provides a comprehensive and state-of-the art overview of perfectionism theory, research, and treatment from the past 25 years, with contributions from the leading researchers in the field. The book examines new theories and perspectives including the social disconnection model of perfectionism and the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism. It also reviews empirical findings, with a special focus on stress, vulnerability, and resilience, and examines perfectionism in specific populations. Finally, it considers how perfectionism relates to physical health and psychophysiological processes and introduces new approaches to effective prevention and treatment. By increasing our understanding of perfectionism as a complex personality disposition and providing a framework for future explorations, this landmark publication aims to promote further research in this field. It will be invaluable reading for academics, students, and professionals in personality psychology, clinical and counselling psychology, applied psychology and related disciplines.

The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) has gained widespread popularity and acceptance, yet little is known about its effectiveness as a basis for health behavior intervention. A systematic review was conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of TTM interventions in facilitating health-related behavior change. Thirty-five electronic databases, catalogues, and internet resources were searched for relevant studies. In addition, the bibliographies of retrieved references were scanned for further relevant publications and authors were contacted for further information where necessary. Thirty-seven randomized controlled trials, targeting seven health-related behaviors, satisfied the inclusion criteria. Overall, the methodological quality of trials was variable, and there was limited evidence for the effectiveness of stage-based interventions as a basis for behavior change or for facilitating stage progression, irrespective of whether those interventions were compared with other types of intervention or with no intervention or usual care controls. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Street-level bureaucrats implementing public policies have a certain degree of autonomy – or discretion – in their work. Following Lipsky, discretion has received wide attention in the policy implementation literature. However, scholars have not developed theoretical frameworks regarding the effects of discretion, which were then tested these using large samples. This study therefore develops a theoretical framework regarding two main effects of discretion: client meaningfulness and willingness to implement. The relationships are tested using a survey among 1,300 healthcare professionals implementing a new policy. The results underscore the importance of discretion. Implications of the findings and a future research agenda is shown.

In this paper, we compare and contrast the theories of Structuralism, which was structuralism developed out of early attempts to establish psychology as a separate discipline from philosophy and biology, and Functionalism, which was developed by American psychologists in response to the theory of Structuralism.  Additionally, this discussion includes the contributions and relevance of these theories to contemporary psychology.

This paper discusses the introduction of behaviorism as a major contribution to the world of psychology by comparing and contrasting the contributions and perspectives of three of psychology’s “premiere figures” - Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, and B. F. Skinner

Trata-se na nova versão do IHS-Del-Prette,  atualizada em sua estrutura fatorial, ampliação de faixa etária e base normativa. Maiores detalhes sobre essa nova versão em http://www.rihs.ufscar.br/inventario-de-habilidades-sociais-2-ihs2-del-prette/
e https://www.pearsonclinical.com.br/ihs-inventario-de-habilidade-social2.html

People abused by angry discipline as children, may tend to abuse or overly punish other people or themselves for perceived wrongs in their adult life. In some individuals, aggressive personality traits may be genetically inherited. The aggressive personality may feel weakened by having guidelines or boundaries for anger. Anger is a normal human emotion, and these guidelines can help express anger in a healthy way.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the psycho-social factors such as self-esteem, stress, and family support that affect the depression in pregnant women. Methods: The participants were 149 pregnant women who were seen at the urban G and M woman hospital. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from January 10 to May 20, 2011, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Coefficients, and Stepwise Multiple Regression with SPSS/WIN 17.0 program. Results: Mean age was 31 years, and 28.9% of the participants reported depression. Depression in the pregnant women showed a negative correlation with self-esteem (r=-.47, p<.001) and family support (r=-.38, p<.001), but a positive correlation with stress (r=.42, p<.001). In addition, variables that predicted depression in pregnant women were general health condition, stress, self-esteem, communication with husband, and planned pregnancy (39.0%). Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate the need to screen pregnant women for depression. There is also a need for programs to prevent depression in pregnant women and assess risk considering psycho-social factors.

The challenge for this task force was to outline potential contributions of psychology to address the cancer problem, the second major cause of death and disability in the United States. The first section of this report provides general directions for behavioral and psychological research. These contributions span description, the study of mechanisms underlying psychological and behavioral responses, and efforts to reduce incidence, morbidity, and mortality. (For the reader unfamiliar with the literature, an accompanying article-Andersen, this issue-reviews previous accomplishments.) The present discussion is organized into disease-relevant intervals. Although the majority of topics fit within this division, certain themes (e.g., the importance of theory for the understanding and integration of empirical findings) are relevant to all. A second section addresses two important contexts for research and development: research training and funding. A final section provides a brief discussion of dissemination of psychological and behavioral findings. We have undoubtedly overlooked important topics; however, the overriding principle of this report is to provide a stimulus for discussion and future programmatic research efforts.

The authors used structural equation modeling to examine associations among perceptions of negative affect, social support, and quality of sleep in a sample of caregivers (n ϭ 175) and noncaregiver control participants (n ϭ 169). The authors hypothesized that caregiver status would be related to sleep quality directly and also indirectly by way of negative affect and social support. This hypothesis was partially supported in that caregiving was found to be indirectly related to sleep quality. However, after accounting for the indirect effects of negative affect and social support, the direct effect of caregiving on sleep quality was no longer statistically significant. The structural model accounted for approximately 43% of the variance in sleep quality. The present findings may be useful in the development of successful sleep interventions for caregivers.

This study investigated primary and secondary stressors of distress in rheumatoid arthritis patients and partners, analysing data of 61 couples. Patients' disability was found to be a primary stressor of their distress. In addition, it also had an indirect effect on partners' distress through partners' primary stressor, perceived burden. Marital quality and negative transactions can be considered joint secondary stressors for partners, not for patients. An indication of an indirect effect of marital quality on patients' distress was found, through partners' burden. Using a multilevel model, which takes into account the dependence between patients' and partners' distress, 36% of the variance in patients' distress could be explained, whereas 68% of partners' distress variance was explained. More knowledge on how patient and partner influence each other's distress is needed to develop psychosocial interventions that will help patients and partners minimize their psychological distress and prevent deterioration of their marital quality.

Reports of stress and negative emotion may be important predictors of health outcomes. However, whether discrete emotions or stress measures are more useful, whether they contribute independently to outcome, and whether these variables relate to health equally across ethnic groups remain unclear. In the current study, 207 US-born European American, US-born African American, Black English-speaking Caribbean, and Dominican men aged 40 years and older completed measures of somatic symptomology, trait emotion, and stress. Sadness and stress independently predicted reports of somatic symptomology, even when examined concurrently, and with demographics controlled; trait anger did not predict somatic symptomology. Finally, and as expected, the relation between trait emotions and somatic symptomology varied across the groups. While levels of sadness were positively associated with somatic symptomology among US-born European American and Dominican men, they were negatively associated with symptoms among Black English-speaking Caribbean men, and the relation for anger also differed marginally across groups. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for differentiating among discrete emotions and stress as well as their interactions with ethnicity when examining reports of somatic symptomology. We suggest that the impact of psychological characteristics on health must be considered within cultural and ethnic contexts before they are fully understood.

There is really no such thing as a neutral communication. People being who they are with varying health-related goals and priorities react to healthcare communications differently. Understanding and planning for the factors that shape perception and how healthcare consumers react is essential to effective healthcare communications. The most effective communications must be developed with a sound understanding of the various goal-directed, health-related response patterns of the target audience, i.e., those factors that define the consumer&#39;s psychological set, shape their selective perception, and the likelihood that they will elaborate on and act on a message delivered through an advertisement or marketing communication.

The extent and predictors of weight change were assessed among sustained nonsmoking special intervention participants in the Lung Health Study. The intervention included a 12-session group program and 2-mg nicotine gum. At 12 months, female sustained quitters (SQs; n = 248) ...

BACKGROUND Recommendations suggest that all patients with diabetes who use insulin should home test their blood glucose. Recommendations for those not using insulin remain contradictory. These recommendations are in part based upon the assumption that people with diabetes cannot make an accurate estimate. AIM To explore whether people with diabetes can accurately estimate their blood glucose levels and to assess which factors explain variability in these estimates. DESIGN A cross-sectional design. SETTING One general practice in Oxfordshire, UK. PARTICIPANTS One hundred and fifteen consecutive patients with diabetes attending a diabetic clinic were invited to estimate their blood glucose level prior to having it routinely measured. RESULTS One hundred and four patients made estimates. Of these, 45 (43.3%) underestimated their blood glucose, 18 (17.3%) overestimated, and 41 (39.4%) made guesses that fell into the range defined as accurate. Of those not using insulin (n = 85), 37 (43....

Enacted and perceived HIV-stigma was examined among substance using young people living with HIV (YPLH) in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City (N = 147). Almost all YPLH (89%) reported perceived stigma and 31% report enacted experiences in the past three months; 64% reported experiences during their lifetime. The HIV-stigma questions were characterized by factors of avoidance, social rejections, abuse and shame. In multivariate models enacted stigma was associated with gay/bisexual identity, symptomatic HIV or AIDS, and bartering sex. Perceived stigma was associated with female gender, symptomatic HIV or AIDS, bartering sex, lower injection drug use, and fewer friends and family knowing serostatus. Gay/bisexual YPLH who were also HIV symptomatic or AIDS diagnosed experienced more HIV-stigma than their heterosexual peers.

Understanding how hostility may affect health risk is predicated on articulating its core physiological, psychological and social features. . Developments in the measurement of hostility. In: Friedman, H.S. (Ed.), Hostility, Coping and Health, pp. 13-31. American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C] emphasized the importance of cognitive, affective and behavioural components. The present study examined whether hostile people differ from non-hostile people on measures of emotional verbal behaviour. Forty participants were interviewed about an anger-eliciting experience. Interviews were transcribed and evaluated for the use of emotional language using the Dictionary of Affect in Language . The dictionary of affect in language. In: Plutchik, R. and Kellerman, H. (Eds.), The Measurement of Emotions. Emotion: Theory, Research and Experience. Vol. 4. Academic, San Diego]. Independent judges read the transcripts and rated the amount of anger experienced by the participants. Participants' use of activation and evaluation words, subjective reports of anger and judges' ratings of their anger were examined as a function of gender, social desirability and hostility subcomponents: cynicism, hostile attributions, aggressive responding and hostile affect. Cognitive/attitudinal components were related to the use of more positive language in the anger interview, while behavioural and affective components were related to judged anger. The findings suggest that there are complex differences in emotional communication associated with hostility components. While supporting transactional models, they underscore the multidimensional nature of the affective repertoires associated with hostility. The findings suggest that further study of emotional behaviour associated with hostility components would be fruitful.

Objective. The identification of the determinants of physical activity (PA) among older adults is an important avenue of research. To date, although the health action process approach (HAPA) has proven to be a valid framework for the prediction of PA among heterogeneous sample of both middle-aged and older adults in rehabilitation and work settings, no studies have specifically considered its predictive value among older adults in their retirement years. Therefore, drawing upon the HAPA, the present study aimed to identify the social cognitive determinants of PA involvement among retired older adults.

This study examined constructs drawn from social-cognitive theory and selfdetermination theory rE. L. in relation to dietary self-care and life satisfaction among 638 individuals with diabetes. A motivational model of diabetes dietary self-care was proposed, which postulates direct links between self-efficacy/autonomous self-regulation, and adherence/ life satisfaction. Structural equation modeling showed that both self-efficacy and autonomous selfregulation were associated with adherence (/3s = .54 and .21, respectively) and with life satisfaction (/3s = .15 and .34, respectively). Constraint analyses confirmed that self-efficacy was significantly more associated with adherence, whereas autonomous self-regulation was significantly more associated with life satisfaction. According to the model, interventions for dietary self-care and life satisfaction should focus on increasing self-efficacy and autonomous self-regulation.

To examine the motivational process through which increases in aerobic capacity and decreases in total body fat are achieved during high-intensity intermittent training (HIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) interventions. Eighty-seven physically inactive adults (65% women, age = 42 ± 12, BMI = 27.67 ± 4.99 kg/m2) took part in a 10-week randomized intervention testing group-based HIT, operationalized as repeated sprints of 15-60 s interspersed with periods of recovery cycling ≤ 25 min/session, 3 sessions/wk-1, or MICT, operationalized as cycling at constant workload of ∼65% maximum aerobic capacity (VO2max, 30-45 min/session-1, 5 sessions/wk-1. Assessments of VO2max and total body fat were made pre- and postintervention. Motivation variables were assessed midintervention and class attendance was monitored throughout. Path analysis was employed, controlling for treatment arm and baseline values of VO2max and total body fat. The 2 groups differed in adherence only, fa...

As we have broadened our vision of health, the full meaning of water to the human race has begun to reveal itself.  In the most concrete terms, our dependency on water is indisputable. In its 1948 Constitution, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as “a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This paper explores the multi-dimensional connections between water and human health.

Resumen Recientemente, el interés por el estudio de la relación entre el sueño y el sistema inmunológico, ha incrementado. El Síndrome de Apnea Obstructiva del Sueño (SAOS), es un trastorno caracterizado por episodios repetidos de cese de la respiración que ocurren durante el sueño. Recientes estudios han defendido la necesidad de estudiar la relación entre SAOS y sistema inmune. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las posibles diferencias existentes entre sujetos con SAOS y sujetos sanos en cuanto a su sistema inmunológico. La muestra del estudio estuvo compuesta por 13 sujetos con SAOS seleccionados de un centro médico y 16 sujetos sanos. Un índice de apnea/hipopnea (IAH) ≥ a 10 confirmó el diagnostico de SAOS. Para establecer el diagnóstico de SAOS se utilizó una poligrafía cardiorrespiratoria de todas las horas de sueño a cada paciente. Los resultados indican que existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en leucocitos (p< 0,01), y linfocitos (p< 0,01), entre los pacientes con apnea y el grupo control. No se encontraron diferencias significativas en monolitos.

Community members often evaluate health conditions more negatively than do the patients who have them. The authors investigated whether experience with a health condition reduces this discrepancy by surveying colostomy patients by mail (n ϭ 195), some of whom (n ϭ 100) had their colostomies reversed and normal bowel function restored. The authors also surveyed a community sample recruited via the Internet (n ϭ 567). They then compared all 3 groups' utility value for life with a colostomy by using the time trade-off utility measure and by examining ratings of current quality of life. Despite having direct experience with the health condition, former colostomy patients provided much lower utility valuations than did current patients. In fact, their valuations were similar to those given by a community sample. Rather than accurately remembering their actual experiences with colostomies, the former patients may have applied a theory of how colostomies had influenced their lives; this is consistent with other research on theory driven recall bias.

The majority of studies on the effects of a diagnosis of learning disability in the family have employed traditional ‘loss’ and ‘stress reaction’ paradigms. In contrast to this approach, the current analysis employed a form of discourse analysis to explore the ways in which parents represented the ‘problem’ during the process of assessment of their child for an autistic spectrum disorder. The analysis suggested that parents employed three main discourses in their talk about the ‘problem’, which were termed the discourse of normal development, the medical discourse and the discourse of disability. The ways in which these discourses were used in constructing the ‘problem’, their relationship to each other and the discursive work underlying the diagnosis are discussed. Although this study focused on the specific case of autism, it is suggested that the findings could inform thinking around the complex ways in which medical diagnosis is constructed by families and extend our understandi...

En la actualidad, resulta cada vez más relevante estudiar el concepto de Bienestar desde una perspectiva multidimensional, que considere no sólo variables macrosociales, sino también aquellas inherentes a los individuos, como es el bienestar subjetivo. Desde el Observatorio de Calidad de Vida y Salud Social (OCVS), se ha aplicado una encuesta en línea con el objetivo de describir los niveles de bienestar subjetivo en población adulta del Estado de Veracruz en el contexto de la contingencia actual por COVID-19, con la finalidad de identificar las áreas de atención prioritarias para su intervención a corto y mediano plazo. Se realizó un estudio no experimental, ex post facto, con un muestreo por conveniencia, en el que se utilizó la escala Bienestar Subjetivo y Condiciones de Vida (BISCOV), participaron 485 personas, mayores de 18 años, radicadas en el estado de Veracruz, México. Se identificó una disminución en los niveles de bienestar subjetivo y las áreas que afectan dichas valoraciones, en comparación con lo observado en mediciones previas. Esto permite sentar una base empírica de las repercusiones que está permeando la pandemia por el COVID-19 en la vida cotidiana de los participantes en el estudio.

Este artículo presenta los resultados de un estudio que tuvo como objetivo determinar el impacto de un programa para modificar el estilo de vida en los niveles de presión arterial y la calidad de vida de personas con diagnóstico de Hipertensión Arterial. Se empleó un método cuasi-experimental, con diseño transversal, análisis intragrupo y medidas repetidas (pre y post intervención). La muestra estuvo conformada por 44 personas diagnosticadas con Hipertensión Arterial, adscritas a una Empresa de Servicios de Salud de la ciudad de Cali, Colombia. Se registraron los niveles de presión arterial sistólica (PAS) y diastólica (PAD) pre y post-intervención y se aplicó el SF-36 Health Survey v2 para evaluar calidad de vida. Se encontró una disminución estadísticamente significativa en la PAS, mientras que la PAD no presentó cambios, manteniéndose en niveles controlados. Respecto a la calidad de vida, la modificación del estilo de vida tuvo efectos benéficos en el componente mental, así como en la subescala de Rol Emocional. En cuanto al componente físico, mejoraron significativamente las subescalas de Función Física y Rol Físico. Los resultados en calidad de vida se presentaron con algunas diferencias entre los pacientes con niveles controlados y no-controlados de PAS y PAD. Palabras clave: Psicología de la Salud, calidad de vida, hipertensión arterial, modificación del estilo de vida Abstract This paper presents the results of a study which purpose was to determine the impact of a lifestyle modification program to reduce blood pressure levels and to improve the quality of life in Hypertension patients. The method was a quasi-experimental, with transversal VARELA, ARRIVILLAGA, CÁCERES, CORREA Y HOLGUÍN design, intragroup analysis and repeated measures (pre-post intervention). The sample was composed of 44 hypertension patients attended at a Health Care Service from Cali, Colombia. Systolic (SBP) and Diastolic (DBP) blood pressure levels were registered, and quality of life was assessed through the SF-36 Health Survey v2. A reduction of SBP was found with statistical significance, while DBP remained the same in controlled levels.

The use of 'traditional' medicine, or a combination of biomedical treatment and 'traditional'
medicine, is a common phenomenon all over Indonesia. In today’s Indonesian healthcare system
'traditional' and alternative medicine coexist with globalized biomedicine. It has been found only
recently that Indonesian urban, educated households are more likely to use 'traditional' than
biomedical healthcare (Nurhayati & Widowati 2017). As early as 2003, Liebich described 80% of
the urban population of Jakarta as occasionally or frequently using 'traditional' medicine. Despite
the dominance of biomedical approaches in the Primary Health Care (PHC) system and the
accompanying skepticism towards other health etiologies, the 'traditional' and complementary
medicine (T&CM) market in Indonesia has experienced a veritable boom during the past 30 years.
Drawing on the transdiciplinary field of health psychology and medical anthropology, this thesis
discusses concepts and approaches that explain the use of T&CM in urban Yogyakarta (Java,
Indonesia). These discussions are based on a Reflexive Grounded Theory study, conducted with
semi-standardized interviews as the main source. The interview questions were designed to elicit
narrative elements addressing previous experiences and evaluations of illness and previous
treatment as well as possible combinations of medical practices. Additionally, expert interviews
with different health agents illustrate conflicting interests and controversies. Even though this study
focuses on illuminating issues of healthcare in urban Yogyakarta, it also finds a textual form to trace
the journey of a 'Western' researcher, who tries to understand the meaning of healthcare in urban
Yogyakarta. Thus, in addition to the substantive focus, this thesis has a methodological focus,
aiming to trace the formative influence of the author along different steps of meaning making about
healthcare in urban Indonesia.
The first part of the dissertation gives insights into the contextual, epistemological and
methodological background of the study (chapters 1 and 2). The second part analyzes interview
narratives. This is done, on the one hand, by highlighting narrations of binary conceptualizations of
'health', 'illness' and 'healing', presented in the model of natural versus kimia. On the other hand, the
analysis follows the ways in which my interviewees navigate healing, where they transcend conceptual
differences by referring to their 'traditional' Javanese rasa of cocok (chapter 3). The third part of the
thesis identifies the author as a situated outsider, highlighting the entanglement of a Western researcher
in conceptual constructions used during interviews with Javanese women (chapter 4). The last part
argues that binary thinking needs to be overcome in order to offer health seekers a truly people-
centered and context-sensitive navigation of healing (chapter 5).
This study highlights different voices of health seekers who emphasize that the current healthcare
system in Indonesia does not meet their needs: neither the needs of the female Javanese health seekers,
nor those of the medical experts and practitioners of both sectors, natural as well as kimia.
Consequently, research on healthcare needs to recognize and accomodate the plurality and complexity
of medical approaches, in order to bridge the rhetoric of healthcare systems and the experienced reality
of health seekers as well as the formal and the informal healthcare system. Similar to bricoleurs,
researchers need to consistently reflect upon and adjust their assumptions, introduce new
methodological tools and use different forms of representation and interpretation to unite various
disciplines, multiple methodologies, and various theoretical perspectives in their healthcare research.

Little attention has been paid to mental health knowledge based of populace in Sierra Leone. The effect of trauma, personal exposures to Ebola virus disease (EVD) and culture myths how it impacts to mental health knowledge/ behaviours in Sierra Leone, West Africa. This study was done to test the awareness and knowledge base of mental health and culture perceptions in Sierra Leone. Content pages

The United Methodist Church has a theological statement in the Book of Resolutions 2012 on ministries in mental health that opens: We believe that faithful Christians are called to be in ministry to individuals and their families challenged by disorders causing disturbances of thinking, feeling and acting categorized as "mental illness." We acknowledge that throughout history and today, our ministries in this area have been hampered by lack of knowledge, fear and misunderstanding. Even so, we believe that those so challenged, their families and their communities are to be embraced by the church in its ministry of compassion and love.[1] According to a World Health Organization report in 2012 entitled " Depression: a Global Public Health Concern, " one in four persons suffers from a mental disorder, and among mental disorders, depression is the most prevalent. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide in terms of total years lost due to disability.[2] Depression, as well as other mental disorders, adversely impacts the ability of affected persons to perform at work, school, and in the family. The World Health Organization (hereafter referred to as WHO) estimates 350 million people of all ages around the world suffer from depression, contributing significantly to the overall global burden of disease. [3] Lack of treatment compounds the problem. Less than half of the persons afflicted with depression, and in some countries less than 10%, receive any kind of treatment.[4] Lack of treatment is due to a lack of resources, including education, diagnostic tools, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, medication and support systems. Lack of resources is directly connected to the poverty and underdevelopment of such countries. Misdiagnosis is also another contributor to improper treatment. Untreated or improper treatment of depression can lead to other more dangerous mental disorders and often to suicide. The WHO cites that over 800,000 persons commit suicide every year, and it is the second leading cause of death globally in 15-29 year olds.[5] Depression is not the only mental disorder that afflicts persons globally. Anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, autism spectrum disorder and other mental and developmental disorders are on the rise as well, and countries face the similar challenges in treating these disorders. There are many individual and social factors that determine risk: genetics, perinatal infections, nutrition, stress, environment and environmental hazards, individual cognitive-behavioral coping skills, trauma, life crises, national policies, social protection, standards of living, work conditions and community support among others.[6]

A medical anthropological observation of the current gap in the Australian Indigenous Health Care system;

Nguiu a small mining town that is located on Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory, there resides a dual occupancy of white Anglo-Saxon miners and native Australian aboriginals. There is an obvious divide in the remote community of Nguiu, between the affluent mining industry boasting opportunity and privilege, and the natives who dwell there in poor quality living arrangements, mostly consisting of shared commission housing. The town has experienced the highest suicide rates in Australia, ten times the national average and mostly aboriginal. It’s clear that unequal power relationships are at play here, the re-enculturation of western influence has predisposed a transitional illness. As contemporary aboriginals struggle to cope and adapt; biomedical solutions are mostly not considered conducive to the healing process (ABC, 2008; Schub & Smith, 2016).

Caffeine (3.3 mg/kg) was tested against a placebo in 20 male medical students during periods of low (no exams) versus high (final exams) work stress. On each of 8 test days, heart rate and blood pressure were measured at baseline and over a 40-min postdrug interval; immediately afterward, blood was drawn to test plasma Cortisol and serum lipid concentrations. Exams increased heart rate (p < .005) and systolic blood pressure (p < .02). Caffeine decreased heart rate (p < .0001) and increased systolic blood pressure (p < .005), diastolic blood pressure (p < .0001), plasma Cortisol levels (p < .01), and serum cholesterol levels (p < .02). Caffeine effects were additive with those of exams, and together they increased the number of men showing systolic blood pressures in the borderline hypertensive range. Thus, caffeine use during periods of increased occupational stress may enhance the cumulative stress response.

This qualitative study combines methods from grounded theory and ethnography, exploring members' experience of a mental health day service walking group, with regards psychological benefits of the physical activity, the outdoor environment and the social setting. Data were collected via participant observation, interviews and a group discussion, and analysed using a grounded theory approach. An overall model, the Healing Balm Effect, brings together seven categories, which describe healing properties of the experience. The categories are: Closer to What is More

Guided by H. theory of behavior and the transtheoretical model, the study purpose was to examine differences in psychosocial variables and external conditions by stage of mammography adoption. Sampled from a statewide population, participants (N ϭ 509) were women aged 51-80. They had been contacted by telephone, screened for eligibility (e.g., no history of cancer or recent mammogram), and interviewed 3-6 months later. Higher utility beliefs, social influences, and practitioner interactions about mammography were associated with improved stage of adoption, as were lower negative affect and external barriers regarding mammography. Higher decisional balance scores, with and without negative affect toward mammography, were associated with improved stage. Controlling for variables reflecting pros and cons, negative affect toward mammography further distinguished among stages. A richer set of pros and cons measures could explain screening more fully.

Background
: From the health perspective one of the most important problems in contemporary
society is decreasing appropriate physical activity among individuals. Moderate physical activity
reduces the risk of mortality and morbidity from heart disease and has a great impact on high blood
pressure, diabetes ii,

osteoporosis, colon cancer, and obesity. Physical activity can also have
positive psychological effects, with lower levels of anxiety and depression thus enhaning selfconfidence.

In addition, epidemiological studies have shown that physically in active lifestyle
increases mortality. Unfortunately, despite much physical and mental health benefits, many people
do not exercise adequately. The purpose of this study is to determine the status of physical activity
in employed women.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 230 women employed at Hamedan
University of Medical Sciences with stratified sampling among various departments of the
university. The data collection tool used in this study was a standardized questionnaire. Finally,
using SPSS software version 13 the data were analyzed with Spearman correlation test.
Results: The results showed that over 65% of the subjects  did not have enough mobility; 25.7%  of
them had irregular exercise and only 8.7% did daily and regular exercise. Statistically a significant
relationship was found between the benefits, barriers, self-efficacy and stages of change (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Due to a high prevalence of inactivity among women, educational classes for women
seems to be necessary. Also adequate provision of  sports facilities can promote physical activity in
women.

This paper presents a finalized proposal for the “Performance Enhancement Program (PEP) Wellness Triage,” an on-site health and wellness program requested by school board of a low-income school district in an area of high urban community violence, Montbello, Colorado.  The school board is seeking a way to promote resilience among students – ideally with active involvement by faculty and staff – who have a high burnout rate.  It is the board’s hope and the program’s objectives that this program will improve grades, decrease attrition, and reduce on-site bullying and criminal activities.  The goal of this assignment is to integrate research, awareness of evaluation needs, and ability to structure and anticipate program and organizational needs into a proposal for a new wellness ‘triage’ (in times of war, the sorting of and allocation of treatment to patients according to a system of priorities designed to maximize the number of survivors: us, our youth, and our communities).  PEP Wellness Triage will take a strength-based, solution-focused, multidimensional approach to use the available resources in the community and within the stakeholder base to assess, address, and administer preventative and rehabilitative measures to those victimized by urban crime (i.e., on-site bullying), burnout, attrition, and job dissatisfaction.