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PubMed1998

Perceptions of spouse dominance predict blood pressure reactivity during marital interactions.

Cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) has been identified as a potential mechanism linking a variety of psychosocial processes to the development of cardiovascular disease. Although the effects of hostile and supportive social stimuli on CVR have been studied extensively, less is known about the effects of a second major dimension of social relations--dominance versus submissiveness. In the present study, 45 married couples participated in an interaction task involving the assertion of differing opinions. Subjects also provided ratings of their typical level of dominance versus submissiveness in relation to their spouse. Consistent with predictions derived from related conceptual models of psychological determinants of CVR, blood pressure reactivity was positively associated with perceptions of the spouse as dominant. At the highest level of perceived spouse dominance, CVR was attenuated, again consistent with prediction. Results are discussed in terms of the usefulness of conceptual models of interpersonal relations and motivation as guides in studying the social determinants of CVR, as well as the value of marital interactions as a context for understanding CVR.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Depressive disorders in spouses of mentally ill patients.

BACKGROUND: According to the literature on stress and coping, the burden of caregiving to a mentally ill partner might have an impact on the mental health of the spouse. METHOD: As part of a study on the burden of caregiving to mentally ill family members, a structured psychiatric interview (DIA-X-M-CIDI) was conducted with spouses of patients suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, or schizophrenia (n = 151). RESULTS: Covarying with the partner's gender and the severity of the patient's illness a significantly increased prevalence of depressive disorders could be found. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric patients' partners are at a high risk of developing a depressive disorder. It appears necessary to develop special interventions for spouses reducing stress and the risk of getting depressed.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Risk of physical abuse to children of spouse abusing parents.

The purpose of this study is to estimate the gender-specific probability of a violent spouse also physically abusing his or her child within a representative sample. The study is based on a sample of 3,363 American parents interviewed for the 1985 National Family Violence Survey. The study shows that marital violence is a statistically significant predictor of physical child abuse. The greater the amount of violence against a spouse, the greater the probability of physical child abuse by the physically aggressive spouse. This relationship is stronger for husbands than for wives. The probability of child abuse by a violent husband increases from 5% with one act of marital violence to near certainty with 50 or more acts of marital violence. The predicted probability of child abuse by a violent wife increases from 5% with one act of marital violence to 30% with 50 or more acts of marital violence. Implications for divorce custody proceedings are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Physical violence against women: evaluation of women assaulted by spouses.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristic of physical violence against women sent to the Forensic Medicine Council for the forensic reports with a history of being assaulted by their spouses. METHODS: One hundred and thirty five women attending judicial institutions from August 1st 2000 to January 31st 2001 were interviewed. The demographic characteristics of assaulted women and their spouses, time of violence, beginning and continuation of violence after marriage, frequency of violence, women's judgment of the reason for being assaulted, violence against children by the husbands, history of violence in the husbands' family, the husbands' manner at home, women' attitudes against violence, existence and type of physical trauma and injury severity according to Turkish Penalty Law were evaluated. The data were analyzed using chi(2) test and percent ratios. RESULTS: The majority of both women and their husbands had been born in rural areas (73.3% and 71.1%, respectively). Approximately three quarters of the men and women had secondary school or lower education levels (80.7% and 81.5%, respectively). Most women (63.7%) and 17.8% of men were unemployed. For the most part, women were assaulted between 18.01 and 06.00 h (73.3%). Nearly 80% of husbands had at least one 'bad' habit such as alcohol intake and gambling. 60.7% of the assaulted women did not react to their spouses' violence. The most frequently encountered result of violence was soft tissue lesions (91.9%). After being assaulted nearly all of the women (91.9%) were provided with forensic reports advising of between 1 and 7 days of inability to follow ordinary pursuits. CONCLUSION: Women from all socioeconomic-cultural levels reported a history of partner violence. Routine screening with structured questions during visits to doctors is necessary in order to identify assaulted women so as to prevent potential violence and to interrupt existing violence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Predictors of improvement in social support: Five-year effects of a structured intervention for caregivers of spouses with Alzheimer's disease.

Those who provide care at home for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease (AD) endure considerable challenges, including social isolation and increasing caregiving responsibilities. We examine the extent to which an intervention that helps spouse-caregivers mobilize their social support network, helps them better adapt to the caregiving role. We used detailed social support information collected from 200 spouse-caregivers participating in a randomized, controlled trial of enhanced social support services in the USA. Using random effects regression models, we found that individuals in the intervention group reported higher levels of satisfaction with their social support network over the first 5 years of the intervention than those in the support group. Higher levels of emotional support, more visits, and having more network members to whom they felt close were all individually predictive of longitudinal changes in social support network satisfaction. We conclude with a discussion of the importance of having psychological respite when caregivers spend their days in the home and are isolated.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Spouses' and physicians' perceptions of pain severity in older women with osteoarthritis: dyadic agreement and patients' well-being.

This study examined agreement between patients and two role partners (spouses and physicians) on patients' pain severity and the relationships between dyadic agreement and patients' well-being. We hypothesized that compared to disagreement between patients and role partners, dyadic agreement would be related to better psychological well-being (more disease-specific self-efficacy and positive affect, and less depression). Participants were 114 older women with osteoarthritis, their caregiving husbands, and their rheumatologists. Among patient-spouse dyads, agreement was associated with better well-being, especially when compared to spouses' underestimation of patients' pain. Contrary to predictions, patient-physician agreement was not related to better patient well-being. Agreement between patients and physicians was associated with less (rather than more) self-efficacy and positive affect when compared to physicians' underestimation of patients' pain.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Pain coping strategies that predict patients' and spouses' ratings of patients' self-efficacy.

This study examined the relationship of pain coping strategies to osteoarthritis patients' ratings of self-efficacy and to spouses' ratings of the patients' self-efficacy. Subjects, 130 individuals having osteoarthritis of the knees and persistent knee pain, completed a pain coping strategies measure (the Coping Strategies Questionnaire), a measure of self-efficacy (the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale), and a measure of pain (the McGill Pain Questionnaire). Two sets of regression analyses were conducted, one examining the degree to which pain coping strategies predicted patients' self-efficacy ratings, and the other examining the degree to which coping strategies predicted spouses' ratings of the patients' self-efficacy. Several pain coping strategies were found to predict a significant proportion of variance in patients' ratings of self-efficacy: (i) ignoring pain sensations was related to higher self-efficacy for pain; (ii) coping self statements were related to higher self-efficacy for controlling other arthritis symptoms (e.g., fatigue or mood symptoms: and (iii) catastrophizing was related to lower self-efficacy for pain, and self-efficacy for other arthritis symptoms. Pain coping strategies were also found to predict a significant proportion of variance in spouses' ratings of the patients' self-efficacy. Specifically: (i) diverting attention was related to lower spousal ratings of self-efficacy for pain; (ii) praying or hoping was related to lower spousal ratings of self-efficacy for function; and (iii) catastrophizing was related to lower spousal ratings of self-efficacy for control of fatigue or mood symptoms. The findings regarding coping strategies were particularly interesting in that they were obtained even after controlling for pain intensity and demographic variables. The pain coping strategies identified are potentially important targets for cognitive-behavioral assessment and treatment efforts. Interventions designed to increase the use of adaptive pain coping strategies and decrease the use of maladaptive pain coping strategies could enhance self-efficacy, reduce pain, and improve the physical and psychological functioning of individuals having osteoarthritis.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2003

Loneliness and depression in spousal caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease versus non-caregiving spouses.

Loneliness as a factor in the development of depression in Alzheimer's disease (AD) spousal caregivers has been given little attention. In this sample, 49 AD caregiving spouses reported significantly higher levels of loneliness and depression than did 52 non-caregiving spouses. AD caregiving wives reported greater loss of self and significantly higher levels of loneliness and depression than did AD caregiving husbands. Loneliness was the only predictive variable for AD caregiver depression, explaining 49% of the total variance. To meet the mental health needs of AD caregiving spouses, loneliness must be addressed along with the development of nursing interventions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1998

Communication patterns between caregivers and their spouses with Alzheimer's disease: a case study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the style of communication that takes place between couples in their home environment in relationship to the abilities to the spouse with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the amount of stress and burden experienced by the caregiver. Three styles of communication emerged: parallel, questioning, and direct. Caregivers engaging in parallel communications reported greater stress and time burden than any other caregivers. Nurses need to be observant of the communication patterns that exist between caregivers and their spouses with AD and help caregivers develop successful communicative strategies that enhance interactions with their spouses.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2000

The impact of co-resident spouses and sons on elderly mortality in rural Bangladesh.

This paper uses prospective data from the Matlab surveillance system in rural Bangladesh to demonstrate that initially co-resident spouses and sons have a major impact on the subsequent mortality of old people, with significant differences by the sex of the elderly person, and the age of the son. Spouses significantly reduce mortality by similar magnitudes for both elderly men and women. On the other hand, co-resident adult sons reduce mortality for elderly women much more than for elderly men, with younger sons being more beneficial than older sons. Furthermore, both married and unmarried females appear to benefit equally from co-resident adult sons. Finally, this analysis suggests that the impact of spouses and sons on mortality in old age is not substantially mediated through changes in elderly economic status.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Role of major lifetime stressors in patients' and spouses' reactions to cancer.

This study examined the role of number of major lifetime stressors (e.g., rape, abuse), and the perceived resolution of those stressors, in cancer patients' (n = 54) and spouses' (n = 30) appraisals and current mood. We hypothesized that a high number of lifetime stressors, and low resolution ratings, would be associated with more distress and more negative appraisals of the cancer. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that number of lifetime stressors was a positive predictor of patients' ratings of the cancer's threat, and a positive predictor of their spouses' anger. Mean resolution ratings were a significant positive predictor of spouses' positive affect. The findings suggest that experience with previous stressors affects an individual's reactions to cancer.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1997

Hiding worries from One's spouse: associations between coping via protective buffering and distress in male post-myocardial infarction patients and their wives.

The relationship between protective buffering, a style of coping in which the individual hides his/her concerns from spouse, and level of distress was studied among post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients and their spouses. Forty-three male married MI survivors and their wives completed measures of psychological distress and protective buffering at 4 weeks and 6 months post-hospital discharge. At both time periods, a greater propensity for protective buffering by the patient was related to higher levels of patient distress. Protective buffering by wife was also associated with higher levels of wife distress. In addition, patient buffering at 4 weeks predicted increased patient distress at 6 months. The results suggest that male MI patients who conceal their worries from their spouses adjust more poorly over time.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2003

Spouse controls in family case-control studies: a methodological consideration.

In case-control studies on familial aggregation of disease, spouses may be chosen as convenient controls. In this article the pros and cons of this control group are discussed. It is argued that the use of spouse controls can be time- and cost-efficient, because of easy accessibility and their ability to provide proxy data on the patients' relatives if necessary. Furthermore, with spouse controls a higher response rate and less recall bias can be expected compared to population controls. A theoretical drawback is the possibility of assortative mating related to genetic susceptibility of the disease under study. Using a simulation study it is illustrated that even strong assortative mating on a factor, which is strongly correlated with a true risk factor under study, will have a negligible effect on the observed extent of familial aggregation.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Age related macular degeneration in monozygotic twins and their spouses in Iceland.

PURPOSE: To examine the importance of genetic factors in age-related macular degeneration by using a twin study to compare the concordance of age-related macular degeneration in monozygotic twin pairs and their spouses. METHODS: This was a prospective study that included 50 twin pairs and 47 spouses. Zygosity was determined by genetic laboratory testing. Macular findings were graded based on the grading system used by the Macular Photocoagulation Study Group and the International ARM Epidemiological Study Group. RESULTS: The concordance of age-related macular degeneration was 90% in monozygotic twin pairs which significantly exceeded that of twin/spouse pairs (70.2%); p=0.0279. In the nine pairs that were concordant, fundus appearance and visual impairment were similar. Environmental factors and medical history were essentially the same in the twin pairs. CONCLUSION: The statistically significant higher concordance of age-related macular degeneration in monozygotic twins compared to their spouses strongly suggests the importance of genetic factors.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

The association of current smoking behavior with the smoking behavior of parents, siblings, friends and spouses.

AIMS: To examine the association of current smoking behavior of adolescents and young adults with the smoking behavior of their parents, siblings, friends and spouses. DESIGN: Using survey data from a large twin-family sample, the association between the smoking behavior of participants and that of their family members, friends and spouses was investigated by calculating the relative risk. To disentangle sex and age differences, calculations were carried out separately for males and females and for three different age groups: 12-15, 16-20 and 21-40 years old. FINDINGS: The smoking behavior of the participants was significantly influenced by the smoking behavior of parents, siblings and friends, but all relative risks decreased with age. No differences in relative risk were found between having older or younger smoking siblings. Within each age group, the relative risk to smoke when having a smoking friend was comparable to the relative risk to smoke when having a smoking same-age and same-sex sibling. For the older participants, the relative risk to smoke was higher for monozygotic (MZ) twins with a smoking co-twin than for dizygotic (DZ) twins with a smoking co-twin. Most findings were sex-dependent: same-sex smoking family members influenced smoking behavior more than opposite-sex family members. The significant association of the smoking behavior of spouses decreased with age, which suggests that assortment for smoking is based on similarity at the time dating began. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of both social and genetic influences on smoking behavior, with genetic influences increasing with the age of the participant.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Well-being, sense of coherence, and burnout in stroke victims and spouses during the first few months after stroke.

Ten stroke victims, who had recently suffered their first manifest stroke with lasting neurological symptoms, participated, together with their spouses, in a study aimed at elucidating the well-being, sense of coherence (SOC), and burnout during the first few months after discharge. The stroke victims had no substantial speech disturbances, and showed no evidence of significant cognitive impairment, signifying they were mildly to moderately impaired by their stroke. All subjects were investigated at 1 and 3 months after homecoming. The methods used in this study were open-ended interviews with all research participants, performed at two different appointments, and three self-reporting questionnaires: the well-being measure (WM), the SOC scale, and the burnout measure (BM). The instruments suit each other well, broaden the picture of living with stroke and give an attuned comprehensive understanding. The most striking finding was the substantial differences in the results, both regarding the stroke victims and their spouses, clearly indicating the limited value current generalizations have. The results also pointed to considerable distress both in stroke victims and spouses, although individuals with a weak SOC clearly displayed more difficulties in coping with the situation and risk of burnout, than did those with a strong SOC.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

Inflammatory bowel disease in spouses and their offspring.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The rarity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in both husband and wife is often given as an argument against an infectious origin. We registered conjugal instances of IBD in Northern France and in Belgium between 1989 and 2000. METHODS: Couples were assigned to group A if both partners had symptoms of IBD before cohabitation, to group B if one spouse had IBD before cohabitation and the other experienced first symptoms afterwards, and to group C if both partners got the disease after cohabitation. Risk of IBD was assessed in their offspring. RESULTS: Thirty conjugal instances were registered. Seventeen were concordant for Crohn's disease and 3 for ulcerative colitis; 10 were mixed. Two belonged to group A, 6 to group B, and 22 to group C. In group C, IBD occurred in the first affected spouse an average of 9 years after cohabitation and in the second spouse an average of 8.5 years later. Group C conjugal forms were more frequent than expected by chance (P < 0.02). Fifty-four children were born to 25 couples; among them 9, of whom 4 were siblings, developed Crohn's disease at a median age of 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of conjugal forms of IBD suggests an etiologic role for environmental factors. Offspring of 2 affected parents have a high risk of developing IBD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Comparative analysis of the Helicobacter pylori status in patients with gastric MALT-type lymphoma and their respective spouses.

UNLABELLED: Helicobacter pylori is of major importance for the development and progression of gastric MALT-type lymphoma. In case of localized low grade lymphoma successfully treated by Helicobacter pylori eradication reinfection by the bacterium may involve the risk of lymphoma reoccurrence. AIMS: To assess the frequency and type of Helicobacter pylori infection among patients with gastric MALT-type lymphoma and their respective spouses as potential sources of person to person spread of the infection. SUBJECTS: 35 patients with gastric MALT-type lymphoma and their cohabiting spouses. METHODS: We investigated serum IgG titers in response to the infection by Helicobacter pylori and to its virulence factors CagA and VacA by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by Western blot. RESULTS: Seropositivity of Helicobacter pylori, Cag A and Vac A was found to be 100/89/69% and 97/86/66% in patients and respective partners, respectively. The seroprevalence rates of the latter group by far exceed those of the German population. CONCLUSION: These data provide evidence for a high Helicobacter pylori infection rate in both patients with gastric MALT-type lymphoma and their respective spouses. Considering the latter as a potential source of reinfection with the risk of lymphoma reoccurrence for the successfully treated patient with gastric MALT-type lymphoma careful follow-up seems highly reasonable to decide on the necessity of a future test-and-treat strategy of this population.

Adult↗