Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive autonomy loss and need for care. This does not only affect patients themselves, but also the patients’ informal caregivers (CGs) in their health, personal and professional lives. The big efforts of this multi-center study were not only to evaluate the caregivers’ burden and to identify its predictors, but it also should provide a specific understanding of the needs of ALS patients’ CGs and fill the gap of knowledge on their personal and work lives. Using standardized questionnaires, primary data from patients and their main informal CGs (n = 249) were collected. Patients’ functional status and disease severity were evaluated using the Barthel Index, the revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) and the King’s Stages for ALS. The caregivers’ burden was recorded by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Comorbid anxiety and depression of caregivers were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Additionally, the EuroQol Five Dimension Five Level Scale evaluated their health-related quality of life. The caregivers’ burden was high (mean ZBI = 26/88, 0 = no burden, ≥24 = highly burdened) and correlated with patients’ functional status (rp = −0.555, p < 0.001, n = 242). It was influenced by the CGs’ own mental health issues due to caregiving (+11.36, 95% CI [6.84; 15.87], p < 0.001), patients’ wheelchair dependency (+9.30, 95% CI [5.94; 12.66], p < 0.001) and was interrelated with the CGs’ depression (rp = 0.627, p < 0.001, n = 234), anxiety (rp = 0.550, p < 0.001, n = 234), and poorer physical condition (rp = −0.362, p < 0.001, n = 237). Moreover, female CGs showed symptoms of anxiety more often, which also correlated with the patients’ impairment in daily routine (rs = −0.280, p < 0.001, n = 169). As increasing disease severity, along with decreasing autonomy, was the main predictor of caregiver burden and showed to create relevant (negative) implications on CGs’ lives, patient care and supportive therapies should address this issue. Moreover, in order to preserve the mental and physical health of the CGs, new concepts of care have to focus on both, on not only patients but also their CGs and gender-associated specific issues. As caregiving in ALS also significantly influences the socioeconomic status by restrictions in CGs’ work lives and income, and the main reported needs being lack of psychological support and a high bureaucracy, the situation of CGs needs more attention. Apart from their own multi-disciplinary medical and psychological care, more support in care and patient management issues is required.

Introdução: As doenças crônicas que envolvem tratamento clínico e cirúrgico podem comprometer a qualidade de vida. Poucos estudos analisam a qualidade de vida de pacientes com distúrbios do desenvolvimento sexual (DDS). O objetivo foi avaliar a qualidade de vida de pacientes com DDS com o diagnostico etiológico estabelecido, seguidos até a idade adulta em um único centro terciário. Pacientes e Métodos: 144 pacientes adultos com DDS (56 pacientes com DDS 46,XX - 49 com sexo social feminino e 7 com o sexo social masculino, bem como, 88 pacientes com DDS 46,XY - 54 com sexo social feminino e 34 com sexo social masculino). Instrumento: A avaliação da qualidade de vida foi realizada através do questionário WHOQOL-Bref. Resultados: Os pacientes com DDS 46,XX e 46,XY apresentaram escores de qualidade de vida semelhante e comparáveis aos escores da população brasileira geral. Os pacientes com DDS do sexo social masculino tiveram melhores escores no domínio psicológico do que os pacientes do sexo social feminino, da mesma forma que a população geral brasileira. Dentro do grupo DDS 46,XY, também os pacientes com o sexo social masculino tiveram melhores escores de qualidade de vida em comparação aos do sexo social feminino. Para avaliar o impacto na qualidade de vida dos pacientes com DDS 46,XY criados no sexo social feminino, foi comparado os escores de qualidade de vida nos pacientes registrados no sexo social masculino com aqueles dos pacientes registrados no sexo social feminino e que mudaram para o sexo social masculino. Ambos os grupos apresentaram escores semelhantes de qualidade de vida. Comparou-se ainda, a qualidade de vida de pacientes com DDS 46,XY com deficiência de 5alfa-RD2 e pacientes com DDS, devido à defeitos na secreção ou ação da testosterona. Ambos os grupos apresentaram qualidade de vida semelhante entre si para as questões gerais e nos quatro domínios. A maioria das variáveis que influenciaram a qualidade de vida foram saúde geral, sentimentos positivos e espiritualidade, religião e crenças pessoais, cada um deles contribuindo com 18% da variabilidade da pontuação da qualidade de vida geral. O desempenho sexual teve pouca interferência na qualidade de vida geral, explicando apenas 4% da variabilidade deste escore. O tratamento tardio foi associado negativa e significativamente com pior qualidade de vida geral. Conclusão: Esta larga coorte de pacientes adultos com DDS, que foi seguida por uma equipe multidisciplinar em um único centro terciário, teve boa qualidade de vida na idade adulta. Ressalta-se que o tratamento tardio comprometeu a qualidade de vida dos pacientes com DSD, ao passo que o desempenho sexual teve pouca influência na qualidade de vida geral / Objective: Chronic diseases involving medical and surgical treatment may compromise the quality of life. Few studies have focused on the quality of life of patients with disorders of sex development (DSD). The aim was to evaluate quality of life in DSD patients with defined diagnoses followed until adulthood in a single tertiary centre. Patients and Methods: 144 Adult DSD patients (56 patients with 46,XX DSD - 49 with female social sex and 7 with male social sex as well as 88 patients with 46,XY DSD - 54 with female social sex and 34 with male social sex). Measurements: Quality of life using WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire Results: Both 46,XX and 46,XY DSD patients had similar quality of life scores on the WHOQOL-Bref, comparable to the scores of the Brazilian general population. Male social sex DSD patients had better scores on the psychological domain than female social sex DSD patients, as found in the Brazilian general population. In addition, among the 46,XY DSD group, the male social sex patients had better quality of life compared to the female social sex patients. To estimate the impact on quality of life of patients with DDS 46, XY raised in females social sex, we analyzed the quality of life scores of patients raised with male social sex with those patients registered with female social sex who changed to male social sex. Both groups had similar quality of life. We also evaluate the impact of testosterone in the quality of life of patients with 46,XY DSD with 5alfa-RD2 deficiency and patients with DSD due to testosterone secretion or action defects. Both groups showed similar quality of life. The most influencing variables on quality of life of all group of patients were general health, positive feelings and spirituality, religion and personal beliefs, each of them contributing with 18% of the variability of the general quality of life score. There was a positive and significant correlation between sexual performance and general quality of life, although it explained only 4% of the variability of the general quality of life score. Late treatment was associated negatively and significantly with poorer overall quality of life. Conclusion: This large cohort of adult DSD patients, which was followed by a multidisciplinary team in a single tertiary centre, had good quality of life in adulthood; in addition, late treatment compromised the quality of life of DSD patients, whereas sexual performance had little influence on quality of life

Introdução: As doenças crônicas que envolvem tratamento clínico e cirúrgico podem comprometer a qualidade de vida. Poucos estudos analisam a qualidade de vida de pacientes com distúrbios do desenvolvimento sexual (DDS). O objetivo foi avaliar a qualidade de vida de pacientes com DDS com o diagnostico etiológico estabelecido, seguidos até a idade adulta em um único centro terciário. Pacientes e Métodos: 144 pacientes adultos com DDS (56 pacientes com DDS 46,XX - 49 com sexo social feminino e 7 com o sexo social masculino, bem como, 88 pacientes com DDS 46,XY - 54 com sexo social feminino e 34 com sexo social masculino). Instrumento: A avaliação da qualidade de vida foi realizada através do questionário WHOQOL-Bref. Resultados: Os pacientes com DDS 46,XX e 46,XY apresentaram escores de qualidade de vida semelhante e comparáveis aos escores da população brasileira geral. Os pacientes com DDS do sexo social masculino tiveram melhores escores no domínio psicológico do que os pacientes do sexo social feminino, da mesma forma que a população geral brasileira. Dentro do grupo DDS 46,XY, também os pacientes com o sexo social masculino tiveram melhores escores de qualidade de vida em comparação aos do sexo social feminino. Para avaliar o impacto na qualidade de vida dos pacientes com DDS 46,XY criados no sexo social feminino, foi comparado os escores de qualidade de vida nos pacientes registrados no sexo social masculino com aqueles dos pacientes registrados no sexo social feminino e que mudaram para o sexo social masculino. Ambos os grupos apresentaram escores semelhantes de qualidade de vida. Comparou-se ainda, a qualidade de vida de pacientes com DDS 46,XY com deficiência de 5alfa-RD2 e pacientes com DDS, devido à defeitos na secreção ou ação da testosterona. Ambos os grupos apresentaram qualidade de vida semelhante entre si para as questões gerais e nos quatro domínios. A maioria das variáveis que influenciaram a qualidade de vida foram saúde geral, sentimentos positivos e espiritualidade, religião e crenças pessoais, cada um deles contribuindo com 18% da variabilidade da pontuação da qualidade de vida geral. O desempenho sexual teve pouca interferência na qualidade de vida geral, explicando apenas 4% da variabilidade deste escore. O tratamento tardio foi associado negativa e significativamente com pior qualidade de vida geral. Conclusão: Esta larga coorte de pacientes adultos com DDS, que foi seguida por uma equipe multidisciplinar em um único centro terciário, teve boa qualidade de vida na idade adulta. Ressalta-se que o tratamento tardio comprometeu a qualidade de vida dos pacientes com DSD, ao passo que o desempenho sexual teve pouca influência na qualidade de vida geral / Objective: Chronic diseases involving medical and surgical treatment may compromise the quality of life. Few studies have focused on the quality of life of patients with disorders of sex development (DSD). The aim was to evaluate quality of life in DSD patients with defined diagnoses followed until adulthood in a single tertiary centre. Patients and Methods: 144 Adult DSD patients (56 patients with 46,XX DSD - 49 with female social sex and 7 with male social sex as well as 88 patients with 46,XY DSD - 54 with female social sex and 34 with male social sex). Measurements: Quality of life using WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire Results: Both 46,XX and 46,XY DSD patients had similar quality of life scores on the WHOQOL-Bref, comparable to the scores of the Brazilian general population. Male social sex DSD patients had better scores on the psychological domain than female social sex DSD patients, as found in the Brazilian general population. In addition, among the 46,XY DSD group, the male social sex patients had better quality of life compared to the female social sex patients. To estimate the impact on quality of life of patients with DDS 46, XY raised in females social sex, we analyzed the quality of life scores of patients raised with male social sex with those patients registered with female social sex who changed to male social sex. Both groups had similar quality of life. We also evaluate the impact of testosterone in the quality of life of patients with 46,XY DSD with 5alfa-RD2 deficiency and patients with DSD due to testosterone secretion or action defects. Both groups showed similar quality of life. The most influencing variables on quality of life of all group of patients were general health, positive feelings and spirituality, religion and personal beliefs, each of them contributing with 18% of the variability of the general quality of life score. There was a positive and significant correlation between sexual performance and general quality of life, although it explained only 4% of the variability of the general quality of life score. Late treatment was associated negatively and significantly with poorer overall quality of life. Conclusion: This large cohort of adult DSD patients, which was followed by a multidisciplinary team in a single tertiary centre, had good quality of life in adulthood; in addition, late treatment compromised the quality of life of DSD patients, whereas sexual performance had little influence on quality of life

Dealing with HIV and AIDS and parental illness and death are realities many teenagers have to face, yet little is known about their psychosocial well-being. This study gauged the psychosocial well-being of teenaged orphans in a rural area in KwaZulu-Natal. Using a narrative approached, data were collected by means of interviews. The study examined the nature of social support available to teenaged orphans and their subjective experiences of well-being. Findings suggest that these teenagers were confronted with drastic changes before and after the deaths of their parents. The ramifications of these and the different ways of coping with orphanhood were explored. Foster parents and other care-givers were found to provide differentially in the needs of the teenagers and this impacted on their well-being and coping. This study extends the literature on children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS by considering the specific experiences of teenagers. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

Dealing with HIV and AIDS and parental illness and death are realities many teenagers have to face, yet little is known about their psychosocial well-being. This study gauged the psychosocial well-being of teenaged orphans in a rural area in KwaZulu-Natal. Using a narrative approached, data were collected by means of interviews. The study examined the nature of social support available to teenaged orphans and their subjective experiences of well-being. Findings suggest that these teenagers were confronted with drastic changes before and after the deaths of their parents. The ramifications of these and the different ways of coping with orphanhood were explored. Foster parents and other care-givers were found to provide differentially in the needs of the teenagers and this impacted on their well-being and coping. This study extends the literature on children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS by considering the specific experiences of teenagers. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)