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Biomedical subjects

A Bish

Publications and source records attributed to A Bish.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Changes in psychological distress after cancer genetic counselling: a comparison of affected and unaffected women.

This study sought to examine changes in psychological distress following cancer genetic counselling. Women attending a family cancer clinic completed questionnaires before their appointment and at 2 weeks, 6 months and 12 months after their appointment. Twenty-six women were at low risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer, 76 were at moderate risk, 46 were at high risk and 46 women had previously had breast or ovarian cancer. All groups were compared with regard to measures of anxiety, depression, general psychological distress, worry about developing breast and ovarian cancer, and perceived risk of developing breast/ovarian cancer and perceived likelihood of carrying a genetic mutation. General psychological distress did not change over the course of the study and the groups did not differ on these measures. Worry about developing breast cancer and perceptions of the likelihood of carrying a genetic mutation significantly reduced following genetic counselling. On the whole women who had already had breast/ovarian cancer showed more concerns about ovarian cancer and raised perceptions of risk in comparison with the other groups, indicating the need for sensitive counselling of such women.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1996

The role of coping strategies in protecting individuals against long-term tranquillizer use.

This research examined the influences of social circumstances, coping and level and length of drug intake on dependence and withdrawal from benzodiazepine use. A sample of long-term benzodiazepine users were followed up over a period of six months. At first interview the participants' drug intake and anxiety and depression levels were established and the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (LEDS) was administered. At follow up these measures were repeated and individuals' coping strategies for dealing with dependence were also assessed. By the time of the follow-up interview slightly more than half of the participants (57 per cent) had either withdrawn completely from benzodiazepine medication or had reduced their daily dose. Analyses showed that reduction was unrelated to factors associated with the drugs themselves, to the severity of life-events and difficulties, to lessening of difficulties or to the occurrence of positive life-events. Significant associations, however, were found between participants' coping responses in relation to long-term benzodiazepine use and the individuals' reduction or cessation of benzodiazepine use in the six month study period. The study showed that in the absence of positive life-events and in spite of ongoing difficulties actively confronting the problems of benzodiazepine use can have a positive effect on outcome. The findings suggest that interventions which encourage cognitive, behavioural and affective aspects of coping are those which would appear to be most likely to succeed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

Disclosure of donor insemination: parental attitudes.

Disclosures by parents with a child conceived by donor insemination were compared to those of parents with adopted children and parents with children conceived by in vitro fertilization. None of the donor-insemination parents had told their child. The factors found to create the greatest difficulties for disclosure were the father's infertility, the timing and method of telling, and the lack of genetic information for the child.

Adoption↗
PubMed1995

Families created by the new reproductive technologies: quality of parenting and social and emotional development of the children.

The creation of families by means of the new reproductive technologies has raised important questions about the psychological consequences for children, particularly where gamete donation has been used in the child's conception. Findings are presented of a study of family relationships and the social and emotional development of children in families created as a result of the 2 most widely used reproductive technologies, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and donor insemination (DI), in comparison with control groups of families with a naturally conceived child and adoptive families. The quality of parenting was assessed using a standardized interview with the mother, and mothers and fathers completed questionnaire measures of stress associated with parenting, marital satisfaction, and emotional state. Data on children's psychiatric state were also obtained by standardized interview with the mother, and by questionnaires completed by the mothers and the children's teachers. The children were administered the Separation Anxiety Test, the Family Relations Test, and the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance. The results showed that the quality of parenting in families with a child conceived by assisted conception is superior to that shown by families with a naturally conceived child. No group differences were found for any of the measures of children's emotions, behavior, or relationships with parents. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding the role of genetic ties in family functioning and child development.

Adoption↗
PubMed1993

Quality of parenting in families created by the new reproductive technologies: a brief report of preliminary findings.

The creation of families by means of the new reproductive technologies has raised important questions about the consequences for parent-child relationships, particularly where gamete donation has been used to conceive the child. Preliminary findings are presented of a study of the quality of parenting in families created as a result of the two most widely used reproductive technologies, in vitro fertilization and donor insemination, in comparison with a control group of families with a naturally conceived child and a control group of adoptive families. The quality of parenting was assessed using a standardized interview with the mother, and mothers and fathers completed questionnaire measures of stress associated with parenting. The results showed that the quality of parenting in families with a child conceived by assisted conception is superior to that shown by families with a naturally conceived child. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding the role of genetic ties in parent-child relationships.

Adoption↗