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Biomedical subjects

M Humphrey

Publications and source records attributed to M Humphrey.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

The meaning of parenthood and couples' reactions to male infertility.

This paper reports findings from a postal survey of 205 couples belonging to the National Association for the Childless who saw their infertility as due to the male partner. Two self-report scales used in previous studies were administered to measure personal and social identity needs as a basis for parenthood (the Meaning of Parenthood scale), and emotional distress and marital problems. Endorsement of items on the Meaning of Parenthood (MOP) scale showed only small mean gender differences for each item and a consistent item rank order for men and women. Factor analysis confirmed that the scale tapped dimensions pertaining to social and personal identity needs. For women, distress was associated with ratings on the MOP scale which emphasized the link between femininity and motherhood, while for men distress was associated with ratings which emphasized masculinity and fatherhood. Implications of the results for further research and counselling in relation to male infertility are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Vasectomy as a reason for donor insemination.

Among 200 couples referred for counselling with a view to donor insemination (DI) were 21 whose request arose from an earlier vasectomy. This had been judged irreversible, apart from one case where the man had been sterilised for genetic reasons and therefore had not sought reversal. An overall incidence of 10.5% indicates that vasectomy may lead to fertility problems in the event of remarriage, which has become more common with an increasing divorce rate. All 21 husbands but only 3 wives had been previously married; 3 former wives had died, otherwise all previous marriages had ended in divorce. Most husbands were considerably older than their second wives, especially as compared with the majority of men in the larger series who were still in a first marriage. Their relative maturity may have helped them to respond more sensitively to their wives' maternal needs when they already had children of their own. During a follow-up interval of up to 8 years, 2 couples had separated after a brief relationship but 9 of the other 12 contacted had become parents by DI. The 3 remaining couples included a wife who at the latest report was 5 months pregnant, and 2 who were still pursuing treatment. Despite the low failure rate in this small series we should bear in mind that DI is not an ideal solution to the problem of male infertility, nor always even acceptable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Virgin births.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Counseling↗
PubMed1991

Absence of retroviral sequences in Graves' disease.

An earlier report of HIV-1 gene sequences in thyroid cell genomic DNA from patients with Graves' disease prompted use of the polymerase chain reaction technique to identify such sequences in Graves' disease thyroid tissue and in white blood-cells from these patients. We were unable to confirm the existence of HIV-1-related DNA sequences in Graves' specimens.

DNA, Viral↗
PubMed1991

Screening couples for parenthood by donor insemination.

Traditionally the selection of applicants for donor insemination (DI) has been governed by technical considerations relating to the fertility of the female and infertility of the male partner. In contrast, adoptive applicants have been carefully appraised in terms of their social and psychological fitness for parenthood. Despite easily recognisable differences between the two situations, we propose that DI candidates should be expected to satisfy minimal criteria regarding their marital relationship, health and social adjustment. The case for screening (as opposed to 'vetting', which implies a more searching examination) is argued with reference to a series of almost 200 couples referred from a hospital infertility clinic. In the absence of scientific validation the pursuit of more stringent criteria would be unwarranted, and in the event only a few couples were regarded as totally unsuitable on account of serious personal and marital problems. Others may have benefited from the opportunity to explore some of the delicate issues involved, although the value of independent counselling has yet to be established.

Adoption↗
PubMed1989

Damaged identity and the search for kinship in adult adoptees.

A postal questionnaire was sent to 100 members of an organization for helping adopted individuals to trace their origins. Replies were received from 42 women and 34 men, some of whom were interviewed in person or more often by telephone. The voyage of self-discovery was evidently more crucial for women, whose need for a stronger sense of identity had been enhanced by marriage and motherhood. Relatively more men than women had sought help for personal problems in adulthood, although paradoxically more women reported an unhappy experience of adoption and a damaged sense of identity. Predictably, mother-child reunions had often proved disappointing and occasionally distressing for both parties. In contrast, the discovery of lost siblings had usually brought more reward. This aspect of the search for biological relatives deserves more emphasis, in case adoptees (especially when reared as only children and/or when psychologically disturbed) might have more to gain from meeting a sibling than from meeting a parent.

Adoption↗
PubMed1987

Summary of labour and obstetric audit by microcomputer.

A microcomputer is used directly by the clinician, immediately after delivering a baby, to produce a summary letter to the referring physician and for the case notes. The programme is easy to use, and accepted by a wide range of medical users. In addition to producing a summary, the information is added to the obstetric data base, which may be interrogated by a computer novice. The system is now used to produce yearly obstetric audits of the Queen Victoria Medical Centre.

Australia↗
PubMed1986

A fresh look at genealogical bewilderment.

The concept of genealogical bewilderment is re-examined in the light of empirical evidence gathered over the past 20 years. It is concluded that, where the quality of surrogate family relationships is sufficient to meet the child's emotional needs, then there is no reason why ancestral knowledge should be a prerequisite of mental health. It would appear that individuals with a spontaneous urge or sometimes even a compulsion to search for their biological relatives are not uncommonly suffering from emotional deprivation. However, this is not to deny the reality of healthy genetic curiosity in children cut off from their roots.

Adoption↗
PubMed1985

Number and distribution of putative cholinergic neurons in the cat retina.

The number and distribution of putative cholinergic amacrine cells in cat retina was demonstrated by immunocytochemical localization of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the synthesizing enzyme for acetylcholine. In whole mount preparations of the cat retina ChAT-immunoreactive neurons were found in the inner nuclear layer (presumably amacrine cells) and in the ganglion cell layer (presumably displaced amacrine cells). The density of ChAT-labelled neurons increased from about 280 cells/mm2 in peripheral retina, to about 2750 cells/mm2 in the central area. There were always more ChAT-positive cells in the ganglion cell layer (50-70%) than in the amacrine cell layer. Two narrow dendritic strata were labelled in the inner plexiform layer.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1985

Cognitive methods of preparing women for hysterectomy: does a booklet help?

Thirty women about to undergo hysterectomy were sequentially assigned to three equal groups. The first two groups were taught methods of cognitive control over anxiety, either through a detailed booklet (group 1) or orally (group 2). The third group served as attention-placebo controls. The two experimental groups reported less pain and distress than the control group, who spent longer in hospital and were more prone to post-operative vomiting. The booklet proved neither more nor less beneficial than oral teaching on the criteria adopted, and is therefore seen as more cost effective.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1984

Adolescent fantasy and self-fulfillment: the problem of female passivity.

A detailed analysis is reported of essays written by teenagers from two independent schools (120 of each sex) in response to the opening sentence: "Today is my eightieth birthday and I look back to the day I left school." Predictably the girls were orientated toward marriage and family life, and were somewhat less career-minded than the boys. They were also less politically aware, and saw hobbies as a luxury for their retirement and not as an integral part of life. Essentially they differed from the boys in being ready to live through others rather than on their own terms. These findings are interpreted in the light of Freud's distinction between passivity and the pursuit of a passive aim, which may call for well directed activity.

Achievement↗
PubMed1984

Changes in self-concept following severe head injury.

Twenty five severely head injured patients from two specialist neurological rehabilitation centres were interviewed on average seven months post-injury. Changes in self-concept were investigated through the completion of scales of anxiety and depression, an attitude questionnaire relating to physical disability and semantic differential ratings of Present Self, Past (pre-morbid) Self, Future Self, a Typical Person and a Typical Head Injured Person. Psychological distress in terms of anxiety and depressions was common. Patients viewed themselves as having changed substantially as a result of their head injury on a wide range of constructs, yet confidently anticipated a return to Past (pre-morbid) Self within a year, even though Past Self was rated more positively overall than a Typical Person. While differing dramatically from Past Self, Present Self was rated more positively in some respects than the concept of a Typical Head Injured Person, which was perceived as markedly different from that of a Typical Person. Whilst unrealistic expectations may initially serve to protect the profoundly disabled individual and even motivate him towards recovery, in the long run they are more likely to hamper rehabilitation and adjustment. Effective intervention calls for awareness of the patient's own perspective as well as the relatives' reactions to the overt disabilities.

Adolescent↗