A Citizen's View of the Impact of Crime

1969 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-332
Author(s):  
Julia D. Stuart
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Criminal Behavior ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
The United States ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Corrosive Effect ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Direct Encounter ◽  
The Impact

What is the impact of crime on the average individual in this country? What is the impact of the fear of crime on the quality of life in the United States? These questions are addressed in this article not from the point of view of an expert, or of an official in the criminal justice system, or of a victim of crime, but from that of an average person whose experience has included no direct encounter with crime of any kind. Those who have been victims of crime and those affected even indirectly by criminal behavior will react, naturally, with predictable concern; crime also has discernible effects on the attitudes and behavior of people generally, and this impact in turn has a corrosive effect on the quality of life in America.

scholarly journals Understanding the Link between Family Caregiver Quality of Life and the Care Provided to Older People With Dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 153-154
Author(s):  
Afeez Hazzan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiver ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Dementia is one of the most rapidly growing diseases in the United States. In 2018, the direct costs to American society of caring for older people with dementia was approximately $277 billion. Primary informal caregivers are mainly responsible for the care of older people with dementia including Alzheimer’s disease. Caregivers perform a myriad of duties ranging from shopping for their loved ones’ groceries, helping with medications, and managing finances. The caregiving role becomes more demanding as the disease progresses over time, and studies have shown that the quality-of-life (QoL) experienced by caregivers of older adults who have dementia is lower than the QoL of caregivers for older people who do not have dementia. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no research conducted to investigate whether lower caregiver QoL affects the level or quality of care that caregivers provide to persons with dementia. In the current study, we interviewed family caregivers living in Rochester, New York to inquire about their quality of life and the care provided to older people living with dementia. Further, caregivers completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) as well as a draft questionnaire for measuring the quality of care provided to older people living with dementia. Both quantitative and qualitative findings from this study reveals important relationships between family caregiver QoL and the care provided, including the impact of social support and financial well-being. The study findings could have significant impact, particularly for the provision of much needed support for family caregivers.

Quality of Life of Family Caregivers of Patients With Cancer in Korçe, Albania

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathon Judkins ◽  
Irena Laska ◽  
Judith Paice ◽  
Priya Kumthekar
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Care Clinic ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to quantify cancer family caregiver (FCG) quality of life (QOL) in a Southern Albanian population and to determine whether differences exist between 4 domains of QOL (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual). This study also sought to compare QOL in our cohort to QOL in historical studies that used the same survey instrument, and to examine correlations between demographic characteristics and QOL to identify any high-risk groups. Methods: A sample of 40 FCGs was recruited at the Mary Potter Palliative Care Clinic in Korçe, Albania. Each participant completed the City of Hope Quality of Life (Family Version), a validated 37-question instrument that measures caregiver well-being in 4 domains: physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. Results: There were no significant differences between the composite scores of the 4 QOL domains in our study. However, there were differences when comparing self-reported QOL between domains (“Rate your overall physical/psychological/social/spiritual well-being”). The QOL measured in our study was significantly lower than in 3 studies from the United States that used the same questionnaire. There were no significant correlations between demographic groups and QOL. Conclusions: This study examines the impact that the paucity of palliative services has on the QOL of Albanian cancer FCGs. Although there were no domains of QOL or demographic groups identified in our study that were faring significantly worse than others, the poor overall QOL provides further evidence to support the continued development of palliative services for both patients and family members in Albania.

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

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1648-1664 ◽  
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.

The Importance of the Patient-Physician Relationship in Myelodysplastic Syndromes.

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 1340-1340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary L. Thomas ◽  
Kathleen Heptinstall ◽  
Audrey Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Myelodysplastic Syndromes ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
The United States ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Physician Relationship ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Most physicians presume their relationship with the patient is a crucial component when managing chronic illness, such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). This assumption was validated in a convenience sample of 70 adults with MDS who participated in five focus groups throughout the United States. The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the impact of MDS on patients’ quality of life (QOL). The groups were facilitated by an advanced practice nurse with clinical expertise in MDS and qualitative research experience. Given the exploratory nature of the study design, discussions proceeded in differing directions; however, core questions were asked at each session (based on Ferrell’s work exploring QOL in patients with cancer (Oncology Nursing Forum, 1996). Sessions were audio-taped and professionally transcribed. Transcripts were coded and emerging themes identified using thematic analysis methods aided by the qualitative analysis program N5 (QSR International). The sample was 93% Caucasian, 51% male, with a mean age of 69 ± 9 years; 26% lived alone. Known MDS subtype was: 19 RA, 19 RARS, 11 RAEB, 3 5q-, 2 other (16 unknown); median time since diagnosis was 26 months (3 - 276). 73% received growth factors, 61% transfusions, 19% azacitidine, 16% thalidomide, 14% iron chelation; 29% all other; many patients received multiple (often concurrent) therapies. A significant finding from the focus groups revealed a detailed depiction of the patient-physician relationship from the patient’s perspective (discussed by 46 of the 62 patients who actively participated). Patients acknowledged many barriers that interfered with the relationship. These barriers were system related (e.g., extreme time constraints for physicians, priority to others who were more ill) or treatment related (e.g., lack of cure, limited treatment options). In addition, patients identified physician attributes that adversely impacted the relationship, including seeming indifference to the patient’s concerns, displays of arrogance, limited knowledge about MDS and its treatment, and especially, lack of confidence in managing the illness. In contrast, positive physician attributes that enhanced the relationship included: providing comprehensible explanations, willingness to seek assistance or opinions from MDS experts when the physician was unsure of the best treatment approach, and displays of compassion and concern. Patients identified displaying respect and interest in them as individuals as essential elements in establishing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship. Patients reacted to a difficult patient-physician relationship in various ways. Those patients who ascribed to the view that a physician had a revered position and was not to be challenged tended to suffer in silence, and remained anxious or depressed. Other patients described a more proactive position, where they continually sought new information about the disease and managing side effects and even felt responsible to explore other treatment options. However, this approach required much work and energy, and did not consistently alleviate the patient’s anxiety. MDS is a complex disease, where advances in understanding its pathology and identifying new treatments are beginning to have an impact in routine clinical practice. Data from this study suggest that physicians need to be aware of the barriers present in the patient-physician relationship and strive to ameliorate them. In so doing, patient’s anxiety, depression, and hyper-vigilance may be diminished, and quality of life enhanced.

Effect of a group intervention for children and their parents who have cancer

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 575-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariko Kobayashi ◽  
Sue P. Heiney ◽  
Kaori Osawa ◽  
Miwa Ozawa ◽  
Eisuke Matsushima
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Group Intervention ◽  
The United States ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Children And Parents ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTObjective:Although support programs for children whose parents have cancer have been described and evaluated, formal research has not been conducted to document outcomes. We adapted a group intervention called CLIMB®, originally developed in the United States, and implemented it in Tokyo, Japan, for school-aged children and their parents with cancer. The purpose of this exploratory pilot study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of the Japanese version of the CLIMB® Program on children's stress and parents' quality of life and psychosocial distress.Methods:We enrolled children and parents in six waves of replicate sets for the six-week group intervention. A total of 24 parents (23 mothers and 1 father) diagnosed with cancer and 38 school-aged children (27 girls and 11 boys) participated in our study. Intervention fidelity, including parent and child satisfaction with the program, was examined. The impact of the program was analyzed using a quasiexperimental within-subject design comparing pre- and posttest assessments of children and parents in separate analyses.Results:Both children and parents experienced high levels of satisfaction with the program. Children's posttraumatic stress symptoms related to a parent's illness decreased after the intervention as measured by the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder–Reaction Index. No difference was found in children's psychosocial stress. The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy scores indicated that parents' quality of life improved after the intervention in all domains except for physical well-being. However, no differences were found in parents' psychological distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms.Significance of results:Our results suggest that the group intervention using the CLIMB® Program relieved children's posttraumatic stress symptoms and improved parents' quality of life. The intervention proved the feasibility of delivering the program using manuals and training. Further research is needed to provide more substantiation for the benefits of the program.

scholarly journals Evaluation of life quality in children with dermatological diseases (literature review)

2021 ◽  
pp. 61-68
Author(s):  
O.M. Mochulska ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Clinical Problem ◽  
Healthy Person ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Disease Assessment ◽  
Dermatological Diseases ◽  
The Impact

Skin diseases have become one of the most relevant problem due to their global prevalence and intensive growth nowadays. Significantly increased the interest in studying of the life quality of patients with acute and chronic dermatological diseases. The life quality of the patient is the most objective characteristic of the impact of the disease on the patient's condition and various areas of his activity. Emotional or social disorders caused by the disease often do not allow the patient to feel full and healthy person even if clinical recovery. The peculiarities of patients' perception of somatic disease significantly affect both on its course and on the effectiveness of therapeutic measures. Skin diseases form an aspect of life quality that can be dangerous for the prognosis. Dermatological diseases can lead to significant limitations in the physical, emotional and social aspects of patients' lives and can interfere with success in learning and at work, as well as in personal life. In dermatology to assess the quality of life of patients are used: general medical scales, special dermatological scales, dermatological scales for certain nosologies. Purpose — to analyze literary datas on the research methods of life quality in children with dermatological diseases. Conclusions. Determining and evaluating indicators of life quality in patients is a valuable and reliable indicator of the general condition, that allows to monitor the effectiveness of treatment depending on the patient's condition and creates an objective picture of the disease. Assessment of quality of life in patients with dermatological diseases makes it possible to understand the essence of the clinical problem, to determine the most rational method of treatment, as well as to assess its expected results by parameters that are at the intersection between the scientific approach and the patient's point of view. No conflict of interest was declared by the author. Key words: assessment of life quality, dermatological diseases, children.

scholarly journals Self-perception of older adults regarding rehabilitation with dentures

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nélio Manoel Luiz de SÁ JÚNIOR ◽  
Silvana Maria Orestes CARDOSO
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Technical Quality ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Functional Point ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the self-perception that older adults have about rehabilitation regarding their uni or bimaxillary dentures. Methods: A form was applied to investigate the sociodemographic, economic and medical-dental variables of the users, a questionnaire to assess the satisfaction level of patients with their dentures, another to investigate the technical quality of the dentures from the aesthetic-functional point of view, and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) to ascertain the impact of prosthetic rehabilitation on the quality of life of users. Results: The majority of the participants (65.2%) used complete bimaxillary dentures, reported dissatisfaction during chewing, while the lower dentures had unsatisfactory technical quality for the retention requirements (69.6%) and stability (69.6%). The older adults’ complaints were predominantly related to the “physical pain” and “physical disability” domains. There were significant associations between general satisfaction with the dentures in use, their general technical quality and the OHIP-14 domains. Conclusion: The patient complaints were related to difficulties in their ability to chew, speak and with the retention and comfort of the lower dentures. The technical quality of the dentures had compromised retention and stability from the aesthetic-functional point of view. Dentures considered unsatisfactory caused negative impacts on the quality of life of users, especially in comfort during meals which was related to difficulty chewing and swallowing. The association between the instruments used in the study provides important tools for the performance of dental surgeons, in addition to enabling more adequate planning in the oral health services offered to the population.

scholarly journals Social Media Listening to Understand the Lived Experience of Presbyopia: Systematic Search and Content Analysis Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S Wolffsohn ◽  
Claudia Leteneux-Pantais ◽  
Sima Chiva-Razavi ◽  
Sarah Bentley ◽  
Chloe Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
The United States ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Near Vision ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Manual Review

BACKGROUND Presbyopia is defined as the age-related deterioration of near vision over time which is experienced in over 80% of people aged 40 years or older. Individuals with presbyopia have difficulty with tasks that rely on near vision. It is not currently possible to stop or reverse the aging process that causes presbyopia; generally, it is corrected with glasses, contact lenses, surgery, or the use of a magnifying glass. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore how individuals used social media to describe their experience of presbyopia with regard to the symptoms experienced and the impacts of presbyopia on their quality of life. METHODS Social media sources including Twitter, forums, blogs, and news outlets were searched using a predefined search string relating to symptoms and impacts of presbyopia. The data that were downloaded, based on the keywords, underwent manual review to identify relevant data points. Relevant posts were further manually analyzed through a process of data tagging, categorization, and clustering. Key themes relating to symptoms, impacts, treatment, and lived experiences were identified. RESULTS A total of 4456 social media posts related to presbyopia were identified between May 2017 and August 2017. Using a random sampling methodology, we selected 2229 (50.0%) posts for manual review, with 1470 (65.9%) of these 2229 posts identified as relevant to the study objectives. Twitter was the most commonly used channel for discussions on presbyopia compared to forums and blogs. The majority of relevant posts originated in Spain (559/1470, 38.0%) and the United States (426/1470, 29.0%). Of the relevant posts, 270/1470 (18.4%) were categorized as posts written by individuals who have presbyopia, of which 37 of the 270 posts (13.7%) discussed symptoms. On social media, individuals with presbyopia most frequently reported experiencing difficulty reading small print (24/37, 64.9%), difficulty focusing on near objects (15/37, 40.5%), eye strain (12/37, 32.4%), headaches (9/37, 24.3%), and blurred vision (8/37, 21.6%). 81 of the 270 posts (30.0%) discussed impacts of presbyopia—emotional burden (57/81, 70.4%), functional or daily living impacts (46/81, 56.8%), such as difficulty reading (46/81, 56.8%) and using electronic devices (21/81, 25.9%), and impacts on work (3/81, 3.7%). CONCLUSIONS Findings from this social media listening study provided insight into how people with presbyopia discuss their condition online and highlight the impact of presbyopia on individuals’ quality of life. The social media listening methodology can be used to generate insights into the lived experience of a condition, but it is recommended that this research be combined with prospective qualitative research for added rigor and for confirmation of the relevance of the findings.

scholarly journals Neuropsychological assessment and quality of life in patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy related to hippocampal sclerosis

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 201-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcele Araujo Silva Mantoan ◽  
Tatiana Indelicato da Silva ◽  
Neide Barreira Alonso ◽  
Maria Helena da Silva Noffs ◽  
Carolina Mattos Marques ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Neuropsychological Assessment ◽  
Hippocampal Sclerosis ◽  
Complex Partial Seizures ◽  
Cognitive Difficulties ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is a disorder that results in abnormal activity in a group of neurons that may have significant impact on the normal cognitive processes and behavior. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most frequent form of partial epilepsy in adults, and hippocampal sclerosis (HS) the most common neuropathologic finding in patients with medically refractory TLE. Patients with TLE often present cognitive difficulties that may be determined by the effects of epileptic discharges and side of the lesion. And its consequence is that patients have poor effects on quality of life (QOL). PURPOSE: We report the relationship between neuropsychological assessment and QOL under the hypotheses that patients with worst results in neuropsychological assessment have poorer QOL assessed by the QOLIE-31. RESULTS: Regarding seizure frequency, 23 (46%) had had 1-5, 20 (40%) 6-10 and 7 (14%) more than 10 seizures/month. In relation to seizure types, 5 (10%) had had auras, 37 (74%) complex partial seizures and 8 (16%) partial evolving to generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS). Neuropsychological evaluation had a positive correlation with QOLIE-31 domains. QOL evaluations had the worst scores in QOLIE-31 were in Cognitive Function (45.0) and Social Function (46.0). The best was Overall QOL (62.0). CONCLUSION: People with epilepsy have great impact on their QOL not only because of daily seizures but because of the impact seizures cause in their cognitive functions. TLE is an example of how refractory epilepsy can exterminate any possibilities of work, study and live in a society that discriminates someone with epilepsy who also presents cognitive decline.

EmPHasis-10 as a Measure of Health-Related Quality of Life in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: data from PHAR

2020 ◽  
pp. 2000414
Author(s):  
Marissa Borgese ◽  
David Badesch ◽  
Todd Bull ◽  
Murali Chakinala ◽  
Teresa DeMarco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Clinical Patient ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

IntroductionWhile the performance of the emPHasis-10 (e10) score has been evaluated against limited patient characteristics within the United Kingdom, there is an unmet need for exploring the performance of the e10 score among PAH patients in the United States.MethodsUsing the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Registry, we evaluated relationships between the e10 score and demographic, functional, hemodynamics, and additional clinical characteristics at baseline and over time. Furthermore, we derived a minimally important difference (MID) estimate for the e10 score.ResultsWe analysed data from 565 PAH (75% female) adults 55.6±16.0 years of age. At baseline, the e10 score had notable correlation with factors expected to impact quality of life in the general population, including age, education level, income, smoking status, and body mass index. Clinically important parameters including six-minute walk distance and B-type natriuretic peptide/N-terminal-pro BNP were also significantly associated with e10 score at baseline and over time. We generated a MID estimate for the e10 score of −6.0 points (range −5.0 to −7.6 points).ConclusionsThe e10 score was associated with demographic and clinical patient characteristics suggesting that HRQoL in PAH is influenced by both social factors and indicators of disease severity. Future studies are needed to demonstrate the impact of the e10 score on clinical decision-making and its potential utility for assessing clinically important interventions.

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