Association Between Chronic Illness, Masculinity, and Well-Being in Older Black Men

Abstract Research suggests that living with a chronic illness has deleterious impacts on the well-being and quality of life of aging adults. Specifically, it opposes traditional masculine constructs in men and impacts their physical and mental health outcomes. In this study, we examined the lived experiences of Black men, aged 55 years and over, and diagnosed with chronic illness using life history narratives. Participants responded to open-ended questions such as “what aspects of living with illness do you find relatively difficult or easy?” and “what situations make you particularly aware of your illness?” Common themes that emerged from the participants’ responses were the performance of masculinity, fulfilling family duty and obligation, limited sexual encounters, and feelings of exclusion in one’s community. Additionally, participants stated that chronic illness impacts their mental well-being and triggers behavioral responses that exacerbate their ability to cope with the illness. Their responses highlight the conflict between traditional masculine expectations and the presence of chronic illness and illustrate the extent to which ‘manhood’ is a determinant of health even in older men. Our findings can inform the development of tools and interventions designed to improve the experience of well-being among Black men aging with chronic illness.

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A Study on Quality of Life among Working Women with High Blood Pressure

International Journal of Management, Technology, and Social Sciences ◽

10.47992/ijmts.2581.6012.0008 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 72-79

Author(s):

Meena Monteiro ◽

Laveena D’Mello ◽

Govindaraju B.M.

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

Chronic Illness ◽

Social Development ◽

High Blood Pressure ◽

Working Women ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Short Period

The quality of life is the general well-being of individuals and societies. It includes not only wealth and employment but also the built environment, physical, and mental health, education, recreation and leisure time, and social belonging. According to WHO Health is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease and infirmity” (1948). The ultimate goal for the people 2010 decade was to improve the quality of life without any disease and to increase the lifespan with the healthy life. The quality of life is the product of the interplay among social, health, economic and environmental conditions which affect human and social development (Ontario Social Development council, 1997). Illnesses are classified as either acute or chronic. An acute illness lasts for a short period of time and may go away without any intervention the assistance of medication, and or surgery. A chronic illness is an illness that lasts for a very long time and usually cannot be cured completely. Chronic illness has a direct impact on Quality of Life. Chronic illness or condition such as heart decease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity are among the most common, costly and preventable of all health problems. The major risk factors for chronic illness are an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and tension and habits. Additionally increased Blood pressure and obesity may contribute to chronic illness. Individuals affected by poverty may be more likely to develop a chronic illness since access to health services may be difficult. The main aim of this research paper is to know the Quality of life among working women with High Blood pressure. And the objectives are a) To identify the quality of life of the working women and b) impact on the health and the management of the physical life. Both primary and secondary data are used in this research. 50 respondents from Mangaluru taluk were identified randomly and the Research Design will be Exploratory in nature.

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Perceived Overprotection and Its Association With Quality of Life in Dementia

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000207 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 125-134

Author(s):

Mechthild Niemann-Mirmehdi ◽

Andreas Häusler ◽

Paul Gellert ◽

Johanna Nordheim

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Patient Autonomy ◽

Positive Association ◽

Well Being ◽

Negative Association ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

People With Dementia ◽

Mental Well Being

Abstract. To date, few studies have focused on perceived overprotection from the perspective of people with dementia (PwD). In the present examination, the association of perceived overprotection in PwD is examined as an autonomy-restricting factor and thus negative for their mental well-being. Cross-sectional data from the prospective DYADEM study of 82 patient/partner dyads (mean age = 74.26) were used to investigate the association between overprotection, perceived stress, depression, and quality of life (QoL). The analyses show that an overprotective contact style with PwD has a significant positive association with stress and depression, and has a negative association with QoL. The results emphasize the importance of avoiding an overprotective care style and supporting patient autonomy.

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The effectiveness of short-term cognitive behavioral therapy in the complex treatment of idiopathic restless legs syndrome with chronic insomnia

Neurology Bulletin ◽

10.17816/nb65268 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol LIII (2) ◽

pp. 46-56

Author(s):

Aleksey I. Melekhin

Keyword(s):

Restless Legs Syndrome ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Well Being ◽

Sleep Hygiene ◽

Cognitive Behavioral ◽

Chronic Insomnia ◽

Short Term ◽

Restless Legs ◽

Mental Well Being

Aim. To investigate the effectiveness of the short-term protocol of cognitive behavioral therapy RELEGS M. Hornyak et al. in complex treatment to improve the quality of sleep, reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts in patients with primary SBN comorbid with chronic insomnia. Methods. Study participants: 68 patients with primary restless legs syndrome with comorbid chronic insomnia. Women 56 (average age 52.110.3 years), men 12 (average age 50.39.4 years). The severity of restless legs syndrome is moderate to severe. The average age of the onset of the disease is 1848 years, the duration of the course of the disease is on average 1415 years. Taking various medications for the management of SBN for an average of 45 years. Study design: a randomized controlled trial, after screening 26 patients were assigned to the main group, underwent combined treatment, took a prolonged form of Pramipexole (Mirapex-PD, 1.5 mg.) and underwent the RELEGS CBT protocol (Restless Legs Skills program, Hornyak, Grossmann, 2018), which integrates the cognitive behavioral insomnia protocol (Morin, 2007) and Mindfulness-Based Stress therapy (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Bablas, 2016). The control group consisted of 24 people who received only general recommendations on sleep hygiene once. Both groups were treated with dopaminergic agonists under the supervision of a neurologist. Research methods: IRLS, ISI, DBAS-16, sleep diary analysis, actigraphy, BDI, SBQ-R, BAI. Results. The use of the CBT protocol in combination therapy with prolonged-acting dopaminergic agonists in patients with primary restless leg syndrome (mild and moderate severity) with comorbid chronic insomnia, in contrast to simple one-time general recommendations on sleep hygiene, is more effective for reducing dysfunctional behaviors, the spectrum of reinsurance and avoidance behavior both in relation to sleep and symptoms of restless legs. In patients with primary restless legs syndrome who underwent CBT, greater mental well-being was observed, which was expressed in a decrease in the severity of symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, and suicidal behavior after completion and persisted after 3 months of follow-up. Conclusion. As part of a personalized comprehensive approach, along with a drug-based approach and general recommendations for sleep hygiene, the use of short-term CBT (4 sessions, 60 minutes each) can significantly improve mental well-being, improve the quality of sleep of patients with restless legs syndrome with comorbid chronic insomnia.

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Transgender Youth and Social Support: A Survey Study on the Effects of Good Relationships on Well-being and Mental Health

Young ◽

10.1177/1103308819850039 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 199-216

Author(s):

Katarina Alanko ◽

Heidi Lund

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Survey Study ◽

Control Group ◽

Gender Conflict ◽

Transgender Youth ◽

Mental Well Being

Positive gender-supportive relationships have been found to promote well-being of transgender youth. The present study investigates how the quality of relationships to parents, friends and partners affects the mental well-being of transgender youth. An online survey was used for data collection. The sample consisted of 1,613 Finnish youth between 15 and 25 years of age. Youths who were identified as a transgender ( n = 370) were compared to cisgender (= no gender conflict, n = 1,243, mostly sexual minority youth) on measures of relationship quality and positive well-being. Transgender youth reported poorer well-being and relationships to parents than the control group did. Relationship quality predicted well-being of all participants, and there were no significant interactions between gender identity and relationship quality. Social support is important for transgender youth and has an impact on the well-being of youth regardless of gender identification.

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Relationship of Perceived Social Support with Mental Health in Older Caregivers

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17113886 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (11) ◽

pp. 3886 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Laura Muñoz-Bermejo ◽

José Carmelo Adsuar ◽

Salvador Postigo-Mota ◽

Inés Casado-Verdejo ◽

Claudia Mara de Melo-Tavares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Well Being ◽

Health State ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Older Caregivers ◽

Elderly Caregivers ◽

Mental Well Being

Background: Elderly caregivers present increased physical and mental health problems. These factors can lead to a lack of autonomy and a need for social support. This study aims to analyse the relationships between perceived social support and mental health status in elderly caregivers aged 65 and older. Methods: a cross-sectional study based on data from the Spanish National Health Survey (ENSE-17) carried out on 7023 people. The study population was restricted to 431 caregivers aged ≥65 years. A study of the correlation between the mental health state and the perceived social support was carried out. Both variables were related to the sex of the caregiver. Results: Perceived social support by older caregivers is significantly related to mental health (p = 0.001), and stress (p < 0.001). Also, there is a significant relationship between perceived social support and mental well-being (p = 0.001), self-esteem (p = 0.005) and stress (p = 0.001) in older women caregivers. Conclusions: Older caregivers have adequate mental well-being and perceive high social support. Perceived social support can contribute to improving the mental well-being of older caregivers.

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Spirituality and Religion-Relevance and Assessment in the Clinical Setting

Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573400515666190404143104 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 80-87

Author(s):

Ishrat J. Khan

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Original Research ◽

Clinical Settings ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Ovid Medline ◽

Review Articles ◽

Spirituality And Religion

Background:There has been an increasing interest in the past several decades to study the relationship between spirituality and religion with physical and mental health as well as the various quality of life measures. This trend has led to the creation of an area of study called epidemiology of religion and spirituality. The policy shifts at various levels, in the mental health field, has occurred as well to educate healthcare providers, and address patients’ spiritual /religious needs in clinical settings. Despite these advances in research and policy shift, there is still some resistance in the health care community to assess and address the spiritual needs of patients in clinical settings.Objective:The objective is to review the published articles on spirituality/religion and its relationship with mental and physical wellbeing and discuss limitations of such research. The review articles on assessment and interventions to address spiritual or religious needs in clinical settings were also included.Methods:Author conducted a literature search using books@Ovid, Journals@Ovid Full Text, Your Journals@Ovid, Ovid MEDLINE® 1946 to January week 4 2019, Ovid Medline® and Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily without Revisions 2015-January 28, 2019; Ovid MD and Psychiatry Online.Results:A total of 1,040 articles were identified using keywords spirituality, religion, mental health, physical health, psychological well-being, healthy beliefs, psychopathological beliefs and quality of life. The search result included original research papers, review articles and commentaries.Conclusion:The review articles were narrowed to 100 articles based on relevance to the objectives outlined above. Seventy-five articles were referenced at the end.

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Quality of Life Among Black Prostate Cancer Survivors: An Integrative Review

American Journal of Men s Health ◽

10.1177/1557988318780857 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1648-1664 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Sabrina L. Dickey ◽

Motolani E. Ogunsanya

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Prostate Cancer ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Black Men ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Integrative Review ◽

Dominant Factor ◽

The Impact

The purpose of this integrative review was to explore the impact of prostate cancer (PCa) on the quality of life (QoL) and factors that contribute to the QoL for Black men with PCa. Prostate is recognized as the prevalent cancer among men in the United States. Compared to other men, Black men are diagnosed more frequently and with more advanced stages of PCa. Black men also experience disproportionately higher morbidity and mortality rates of PCa, among all racial and ethnic groups. The initial diagnosis of PCa is often associated with a barrage of concerns for one’s well-being including one’s QoL. As a result, men must contend with various psychosocial and physiological symptoms of PCa survivorship. Whittemore and Knafl’s integrative review method was utilized to examine empirical articles from the electronic databases of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, PubMed, Project Muse, and Google Scholar. The time frame for the literature was January 2005 to December 2016. A synthesis of the literature yielded 18 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the integrative review. A conceptual framework that examined QoL among cancer survivors identified four domains that measured the QoL among Black PCa survivors: (a) physical; (b) psychological; (c) social; and (d) spiritual well-being. Social well-being was the dominant factor among the studies in the review, followed by physical, psychological, and spiritual. Results indicate the need for additional studies that examine the factors impacting the QoL among Black PCa survivors, using a theoretical framework so as to develop culturally appropriate interventions for Black PCa survivors.

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Mental Well-Being (Depression, Loneliness, Insomnia, Daily Life Fatigue) during COVID-19 Related Home-Confinement—A Study from Poland

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17207417 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (20) ◽

pp. 7417 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Adrian Bartoszek ◽

Dariusz Walkowiak ◽

Agnieszka Bartoszek ◽

Grzegorz Kardas

Keyword(s):

Los Angeles ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Daily Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Severity Index ◽

New Drugs ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Related Stress ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Insomnia Severity

The COVID-19 pandemic is a great threat to both physical and mental health as it may lead to psychological stress connected with an economic crisis, threat of unemployment, or fear of losing family members. Emerging data shows that the general public may be vulnerable to the pandemic-related stress and experience frequently prevalent anxiety. A study involving 471 subjects (85.6% female) was conducted online during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used the following scales: Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Revised University of California, Los Angeles (R-UCLA) Loneliness Scale, and Daily Life Fatigue scale (DLF). Women had higher mean scores of depression, loneliness, and daily life fatigue and more often than males started exercising. Among people professionally active before the pandemic, there were more cases of increased alcohol consumption than among students. No differences in alcohol consumption patterns were found between genders. People living alone had higher scores of loneliness and daily life fatigue compared to those living with someone. Respondents who started taking any new drugs during COVID-19 home confinement had higher outcomes in all questionnaires. During home confinement, high scores of depression, insomnia, loneliness, and everyday fatigue were observed.

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