A relationship-focused investigation of spousal psychological adjustment to dual-sensory loss.

Objectives: The relationship intimacy model of psychosocial adjustment to illness indicates that a patient's willingness to communicate about their illness, as perceived by the spouse, is a strong predictor of spouse relational and psychological well-being. Inspired by the relationship intimacy model, the current study examined the psychological adjustment of spouses of individuals with dual-sensory loss (DSL), a disability where interpersonal communication is of particular concern.

Method: Surveys were sent to all known individuals and their partners who were 50 years of age or older and were enrolled in services for acquired DSL in Denmark.

Sensory loss and its consequences for couples' psychosocial and relational wellbeing: an integrative review.

Objectives: Previous research has shown that marital communication is key to couples' successful illness adjustment. However, little is known about couples' experiences of health conditions characterised by communication difficulties such as acquired hearing, vision, and dual-sensory loss. The aim of this review was to identify the effect of sensory loss, and associated communication difficulties, on couples' relational and psychosocial adjustment.

Mental and social health in disasters: the Sphere standards and post-tsunami psychosocial interventions in Asia.

The primary objective of this paper is to examine and inform the mental health and psychosocial support standards of the 2011 edition of the Sphere Project's Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response. This is done through a qualitative analysis of internal evaluation documents, reflecting four long-term humanitarian psychosocial programmes in different countries in post-tsunami Asia. The analysis yielded three overall conclusions.

Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on somatic symptoms, distress, mindfulness and spiritual wellbeing in women with breast cancer: Results of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Women with breast cancer experience different symptoms related to surgical or adjuvant therapy. Previous findings and theoretical models of mind-body interactions suggest that psychological wellbeing, i.e.

What to listen for in the consultation. Breast cancer patients' own focus on talking about acceptance-based psychological coping predicts decreased psychological distress and depression.

Objective: To analyze whether qualitative themes in breast cancer patients' self-presentations predicted symptoms of psychological distress and depression in order to improve the consultation process.

Methods: Ninety-seven breast cancer patients gave unstructured, 10-min self-presentations at their first consultation in a clinical registered trial (CRT identifier: NCT00990977). Self-presentations were categorized thematically and the most prevalent themes investigated as predictors for scores on the symptom check-list 90-revised (SCL-90-R) and the center for epidemiological studies depression scale (CES-D).

Mindfulness significantly reduces self-reported levels of anxiety and depression: results of a randomised controlled trial among 336 Danish women treated for stage I-III breast cancer.

Introduction: As the incidence of and survival from breast cancer continue to raise, interventions to reduce anxiety and depression before, during and after treatment are needed. Previous studies have reported positive effects of a structured 8-week group mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) among patients with cancer and other conditions.

Purpose: To test the effect of such a programme on anxiety and depression among women with breast cancer in a population-based randomised controlled study.

Equity in the use of publicly subsidized psychotherapy among elderly Danish cancer patients--a register-based cohort study.

Unlabelled: Approximately 30% of cancer patients suffer from psychological distress, and psychotherapy has been shown to be effective in alleviating it. Based on the 'Behavioral Model of Health Service Use', we investigated equity in the use of publicly subsidized psychotherapy in a cohort of Danish cancer patients. We present descriptive data on patients' use of psychotherapy and examine characteristics of those who used this service.

Who participates in a randomized trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) after breast cancer? A study of factors associated with enrollment among Danish breast cancer patients.

Background: Discussion regarding the necessity to identify patients with both the need and motivation for psychosocial intervention is ongoing. Evidence for an effect of mindfulness-based interventions among cancer patients is based on few studies with no systematic enrollment.

Methods: We used Danish population-based registries and clinical databases to determine differences in demographics, breast cancer and co-morbidity among 1208 women eligible for a randomized controlled trial (www.

User and provider perspectives on emergency obstetric care in a Tanzanian rural setting: a qualitative analysis of the three delays model in a field study.

The aim of this field study was to analyze the main dynamics and conflicts in attending and providing good quality delivery care in a local Tanzanian rural setting. The women and their relatives did not see the problems of pregnancy and birth in isolation but in relation to multiple other problems they were facing in the context of poverty. Local health professionals were aware of the poor quality of care at health facilities but were still blaming the community.

Advanced life support in obstetrics (ALSO) and post-partum hemorrhage: a prospective intervention study in Tanzania.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) training on staff performance and the incidences of post-partum hemorrhage (PPH) at a regional hospital in Tanzania.

Design: Prospective intervention study.

Setting: A regional, referral hospital.

Impact of ALSO training on the management of prolonged labor and neonatal care at Kagera Regional Hospital, Tanzania.

Objective: To evaluate the management of prolonged labor and neonatal care before and after Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) training.

Methods: Staff involved in childbirth at Kagera Regional Hospital, Tanzania, attended a 2-day ALSO provider course. In this prospective intervention study conducted between July and November 2008, the management and outcomes of 558 deliveries before and 550 after the training were observed.

The importance of early anti-social behaviour among men with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder in a specialist forensic psychiatry hospital unit in Denmark.

Background: People with a major mental disorder are at increased risk of committing crimes, especially violent crimes, compared with the general population. Sub-groups have been identified based on age of onset of anti-social or violent behaviour. Mentally disordered offenders with early onset anti-social behaviour tend to have a lifelong pattern of it, but in a clinical setting, are they easily identifiable as a distinct sub-group?

Aims: Our main aim was to establish whether distinct groups of early and later onset offenders can be identified from the standard clinical record of men with schizophrenia spectrum disorders selected for hospital treatment after conviction for a serious crime, and to test the hypothesis that even in such a clinically selected group, early onset offending would be associated with subsequent persistent and versatile offending.

Substandard emergency obstetric care - a confidential enquiry into maternal deaths at a regional hospital in Tanzania.

Objective: (i) To identify clinical causes of maternal deaths at a regional hospital in Tanzania and through confidential enquiry (CE) assess major substandard care and make a comparison to the findings of the internal maternal deaths audits (MDAs); (ii) to describe hospital staff reflections on causes of substandard care.

Methods: A CE into maternal deaths was conducted based on information available from written sources supplemented with participatory observations and interviews with staff. The compiled information was summarized and presented anonymously for external expert review to assess for major substandard care.

[Spirituality as coping in Tibetan torture survivors].

Introduction: There is solid documentation for the positive relationship between spirituality and health, but few examples of how this link may be used in projects of rehabilitation after war, civil conflicts and natural disasters. One such example is the Danida funded Tibetan Torture Program in India. This study aims to provide evidence of the Tibetan torture survivors' degree of traumatisation and their use of spirituality to overcome their difficult situation.

Questioning western assessment of trauma among Tibetan torture survivors. A quantitative assessment study with comments from Buddhist Lamas.

Our study falls in line with the numerous studies providing a critique of the use of western diagnostic instruments for assessing trauma in a cross-cultural context. Our purpose has been to give evidence for the Tibetan torture survivors' degree of traumatisation and for their use of spirituality to overcome their difficult situation. In addition we wanted to question the use of our western methods in an Asian context.

An exploratory study of associations between illness perceptions and adjustment and changes after psychosocial rehabilitation in survivors of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND. Although psychosocial interventions have been found to be beneficial for cancer patients, the role of the patients' perceptions of illness in these interventions remains unclear. We examined illness perceptions and psychological adjustment (distress and QoL) among women who had survived breast cancer and attended a psychosocial rehabilitation course.

Assessment of the psychological effects of genetic screening for hereditary hemochromatosis.

Discovery of genetic variants of the HFE gene has made it possible to screen for hereditary hemochromatosis. However, genetic screening raises ethical, legal, social, and psychological questions, which need to be addressed. To assess the psychological impact on individuals undergoing genetic screening for hereditary hemochromatosis and to determine the effects of providing different levels of information to the participants.