Biomedical subjects

K Siegel

Publications and source records attributed to K Siegel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

Reporting recent sexual practices: gay men's disclosure of HIV risk by questionnaire and interview.

AIDS-related research relies primarily on self-reports of sexual practices. Therefore, determining which data collection methods yield more candid information is critical. Data from a study of gay men's sexual adaptations to the AIDS epidemic provided an opportunity to explore the congruence of data collected using a self-administered questionnaire with data from an unstructured face-to-face interview designed to facilitate report of sexual risk behavior. We examined (i) the concordance of questionnaire and unstructured interview risk ratings when the two data sources are scored for the same 16 sexual behaviors; (ii) the concordance of questionnaire ratings and ratings obtained when all information on recent sexual practices available from the unstructured interview is considered; (iii) the relationship between serostatus and both concordance patterns between methods; and (iv) the difference by serostatus of reported risk level within method. Riskiest behaviors were reported on the questionnaire for all serostatus groups. Riskier behaviors were more likely to be reported on the questionnaire while more characteristic, safer behaviors were discussed in interview, regardless of HIV serostatus. The advantages of a combined methods--questionnaire/interview--strategy for sexual practice research are discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1994

Psychological well-being of gay men with AIDS: contribution of positive and negative illness-related network interactions to depressive mood.

While the positive functions of social network interactions in ameliorating the effects of life stress are widely documented and acknowledged, a growing body of research investigations has demonstrated that social relationships can concurrently be a source of stress and that actions intended to be supportive may instead be experienced as psychologically disturbing. Data from a study of the social support experiences of gay men diagnosed with AIDS were examined to determine the contribution to the men's depressive mood of positive and negative network interactions (n = 83). Although the results are consistent with the social support literature regarding the beneficial effect of positive network interactions for seriously-ill individuals, the findings also indicate that negative illness-related network interactions are associated with decreases in depressive mood, as indicated by scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale (CES-D). The findings also demonstrate the additive effects of positive and negative network interactions and clearly point out the value of investigating the complexity and multiple functions of social interactions.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1994

Impact of parental terminal cancer on adolescents.

Psychological and emotional concerns of adolescents during a parent's terminal cancer are described. Compared to younger children, the adolescents' greater cognitive and emphatic capacities allowed them to be more aware of losses and of the parent's physical and emotional pain. Parental illness also precipitated conflict around issues of developmentally appropriate separation. The capacity to use intellectual defenses, search for meaning and deeper understanding, and seek help were potent coping abilities. Contrary to the prevailing view, most of the adolescents coped with stress without resorting to severe acting out.

Acting Out↗

PubMed1994

Childhood bereavement due to parental death from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Numerous articles stress the unique problems of mourning an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related death and suggest psychotherapeutic interventions. However, no studies have been conducted that identify what differs in the grief process when the death was AIDS-associated and whether the extensive clinical and research literature on bereavement can be generalized to AIDS. This paper focuses on a bereaved population that has suffered AIDS-related loss--the uninfected children of mothers who die of AIDS, a group that has been referred to as "AIDS orphans." We begin with a brief discussion of factors that complicate the grief process among those who lose a significant other to AIDS. Next we discuss the factors that the extant clinical and research literatures suggest may influence adjustment to parental death in childhood. Then we apply this literature to parental loss in childhood from an AIDS-associated death. Finally we recommend directions for future research.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1993

Impact of parental terminal cancer on latency-age children.

The underlying psychological and emotional components of distress were examined in 87 children with a parent in the terminal phase of cancer. Common fears, concerns, misperceptions, and behavioral consequences are analyzed, as are more severe psychological and behavioral reactions. Implications for psychoeducational parent-guidance intervention are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1993

[Tensile strength of various anchor systems in surgical correction of instability of the shoulder joint].

Commercially available fixation devices used for reattachment of capsuloligamentous tissue to the glenoid rim were tested until they failed in 42 human cadaveric shoulders, and compared to the tension strength of the standard Bankart procedure and that of the intact anterior capsule. The bone quality in the glenoid was measured by quantitative computed tomography, which allowed selective quantification of cortical and cancellous quantification of cortical and cancellous bone. The mean load at failure perpendicular to the bone surface varied from 90 to 115 N and was lower than in the standard Bankart procedure (127 N). All suture anchors demonstrated similar holding strength with the exception of an absorbable wedge (P < 0.05). Due to reduced mineral content in the inferior part of the glenoid, the fixation strength of all suture anchors was significantly decreased. In more than 20% a tension load of 100 N caused the suture anchor to pull out, but in general the fixation strength was limited by the suture attachment and the quality of the soft tissues. These data together with the first clinical results of 49 cases of anterior instability operated on between 1988 and 1992 allow the conclusion to be made that this modification will provide sufficient stability for early mobilization after surgical repair.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

AIDS-related reasons for gay men's adoption of celibacy.

Since it was first recognized that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection could be sexually transmitted, celibacy has been advocated by some as the only unequivocally effective adaptation for avoiding the risk of infection. Others, however, have countered that few will be willing to be celibate and, further, that such behavior may have adverse psychosocial consequences. As part of a qualitative study of gay men's sexual decision-making in the context of the AIDS/HIV epidemic, we identified a subsample of respondents who had adopted celibacy for varying periods of time as an adaptation to the threat of AIDS/HIV infection. A content analysis of these men's interviews revealed 5 principal themes relating their reasons for choosing celibacy.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1992

Reducing the prevalence of unmet needs for concrete services of patients with cancer. Evaluation of a computerized telephone outreach system.

A two-stage study was undertaken of outpatients with advanced cancer who were receiving chemotherapy. In Stage 1 of the study, their needs for practical services and the barriers to those needs being met were assessed. Based on these results, an intervention was designed to reduce the prevalence of patients' unmet needs. The intervention was an automated telephone needs assessment coupled with social worker follow-up. The efficacy of this intervention was evaluated using an independent sample in Stage 2 in an experimental trial. Patients in the experimental group (n = 109), who received three automated surveys, reported fewer unmet needs in a subsequent comprehensive assessment than those in the control group (n = 130). The computerized telephone outreach system proved to be a cost-effective and reliable method for the early identification of unmet patient needs soon after they emerge and efficient deployment of limited professional staff.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

The changing needs of patients with cancer at home. A longitudinal view.

Changes in the daily living needs of 629 patients with advanced cancer were investigated (1) during and (2) 3 to 6 months after a course of outpatient chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment. The analytic sample consisted of patients completing both baseline and follow-up interviews (n = 434). At both times, the point prevalence of need and unmet need for assistance with personal care, instrumental activities, transportation, and home health tasks was calculated. In addition, the prevalence of new need and unmet need at follow-up was determined as were the rates of resolution of baseline need. The prevalence of need for assistance with personal care increased from 7% at baseline to 16% at follow-up; the dynamic of need acquisition and resolution resulted in relatively constant prevalence rates in other task areas. Acquisition of need at follow-up was associated primarily with disease and treatment-related characteristics. Approximately one third of patients reporting need for assistance during at least one interview did not have enough help. New unmet need at follow-up was associated most strongly with patients' mobility and the ability of their informal support system to provide care. The apparently rapid fluctuation in patients' experience of need and unmet need suggests the necessity for ongoing appraisal of patients' physical condition and social situation.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Psychosocial adjustment of children with a terminally ill parent.

Although a substantial number of children experience serious parental illness and death, the adjustment problems attendant to the stress of having a fatally ill parent have not been examined systematically. This paper compares the psychosocial adjustment of 62 school-aged children with a terminally ill parent (study sample) with that of children in a community sample, using several standard rating scales. Study children had significantly higher levels of self-reported depression (Children's Depression Inventory) and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and lower self-esteem (Self-Esteem Inventory). Parents also reported study children's significantly higher behavior problems and lower social competence (Child Behavior Checklist). Increased professional attention to this vulnerable population is encouraged.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1992

Determinants of need and unmet need among cancer patients residing at home.

De-hospitalization of cancer treatment, particularly for those with advanced disease, can complicate adjustment and strain the capacity of caregiver networks to meet patients' daily needs. Outpatient staff should be able to recognize patients who need help to meet their daily needs as well as those who are not getting enough help. This study describes the physiological and social determinants of need and unmet need for assistance among 629 cancer patients with advanced disease initiating a course of outpatient chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Areas of needs examined through telephone interviews with participating patients were: personal care, instrumental tasks (housework, shopping, and cooking), and transportation. Physiological factors (metastases, disease stage, and functional status) were associated with need for assistance in all three areas. Also, older age (over 65) and low income predicted need for help with personal care, and women were more likely than men to report illness-related need for assistance with instrumental tasks and transportation. Unmet need was primarily associated with patients' social support system (e.g., children living nearby and perceived resiliency of network helpers). These findings highlight the need for outpatient staff to evaluate patients' informal care resources as well as patients' symptoms and impairments in deciding who should be referred for home care services.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1992

Factors associated with urban gay men's treatment initiation decisions for HIV infection.

While a public health emphasis on primary prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continues, it is recognized that large numbers of individuals are already infected. Efforts at secondary prevention focus on early medical intervention and may be effective in slowing progression to a diagnosis of AIDS. Understanding the factors that promote or impede seropositive individuals from receiving prompt medical treatment and complying with treatment regimens is essential to prolonging survival. During unstructured interviews in an ongoing study of sexual decision-making, 55 urban, gay, seropositive men spontaneously offered information about their treatment choices for their HIV infection. Findings regarding their considerations in initiating, delaying, or rejecting medical treatment are presented.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Caregiver burden and unmet patient needs.

Four-hundred eighty-three patients with cancer and their informal caregivers were studied. Patients reported on met and unmet needs in personal care activities (bathing and dressing), instrumental activities (heavy and light housekeeping, cooking, shopping), transportation (medical and general), and home health care (health/treatment assistance). A minority (18.9%) experienced an unmet need. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to identify significant predictors of any unmet need. Patients were more likely to report any unmet needs when their illness/treatment resulted in restricted activity days, when their financial resources were reduced enough for them to apply for Medicaid or Public Assistance, or when their caregivers were not their spouses. Although in general, the likelihood of an unmet need decreased as the number of domains of assistance provided by the caregiver increased, if that care was associated with a high level of burden, the odds of a patient reporting an unmet need actually increased.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Social environment and social support.

Research on the relevance of social support to cancer has been plentiful since the first American Cancer Society workshop on methodological issues in behavioral and psychosocial science. Nonetheless, critical shortcomings continue to characterize the attempt empirically to establish such things as the extent to which social support predicts adjustment to cancer diagnosis and treatment. Prominent among these is the failure to adequately address large elements of the social structure, such as social class and urbanization, and to investigate how they shape the well being of persons with or at risk for cancer and their caregivers. We recommend that more psychosocial research on the link between social support and cancer be conducted within populations beset by poverty and without adequate access to health care. Funding is needed for the training and maintenance of multidisciplinary and multicultural teams of researchers working within community-based organizations and hospitals serving the underserved.

Humans↗

PubMed1991

Parental death: a preventive intervention.

The untimely death of a spouse and parent is extraordinarily painful and difficult. Whether a brief intervention such as the one we are exploring is enough to make a significant difference in the mourning process and future optimum survival has yet to be seen. To date we are gratified that the immediate response of most of the surviving spouses and children is that the intervention is a helpful experience.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1991

A preventive intervention program for bereaved children: problems of implementation.

A brief, standardized intervention program to facilitate children's adjustment to the terminal illness and death of a parent posed the following implementation problems: estimation of patient life expectancy; engagement of the family in crisis; adhesion to the parental guidance model; and termination of formal clinical intervention. Resolution of these issues is described, and adaptation of such programs to other high-risk populations is considered.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1991

The relationship of spousal caregiver burden to patient disease and treatment-related conditions.

The prevalence and intensity of different caregiving burdens experienced by spousal caregivers and the association of these burdens with various patient illness and treatment-related conditions were examined in a sample of 295 married cancer patients and their spouses. The spousal caregivers were confronted with a wide range of burdens associated with their caregiving responsibilities. Objective, as compared to subjective, caregiver burdens were more strongly associated with patient disease and treatment-related conditions. Compared to husbands, wives experienced more burden and these burdens were more strongly associated with the various disease and treatment conditions.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Living with HIV infection: adaptive tasks of seropositive gay men.

With improved understanding of the natural history of HIV/AIDS and the availability of effective early intervention, HIV infection recently has come to be conceptualized as a chronic illness. As we enter the next phase of the epidemic, insights into the challenges of daily living faced by seropositive persons will aid in designing appropriate interventions to educate for adaptive success and to ameliorate adaptive difficulties. In our analysis of focused interviews with 55 seropositive gay men, we identified three major adaptive challenges: dealing with the possibility of a curtailed life span, dealing with reactions to a stigmatizing illness, and developing strategies for maintaining physical and emotional health. The men's descriptions of these adaptive challenges are discussed in the context of adaptation to other chronic illnesses.

Adaptation, Psychological↗