abstract: The current study examined the unique influence of emotional childhood abuse on positive and negative aspects of different types of social relationships (e.g., family, spouse/partner, and friends) in midlife and whether genetic variations of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) moderated these associations. Genetic variations in OXTR are measured by single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which have been the most substantially studied prospects for explaining individual differences in socio-behavioral phenotypes. Specifically, an SNP, rs53576, involving a guanine (G) to adenine (A) substitution located in the third intron of the OXTR has been associated with fundamental aspects of social processes and behaviors. Compared to A carriers, individuals homozygous for the G allele have enhanced social competencies and tend to elicit more positive responses from social partners, consequently increasing the overall quality of social relationships across the lifespan. However, the G allele of the OXTR has also been associated with greater social sensitivity. In the current study, conducted among a sample of 614 adults in midlife, it was shown that emotional childhood abuse was significantly associated with having less supportive and more strained relationships in midlife. Regarding supportive family relationships, the effect of emotional childhood abuse was moderated by the OXTR rs53576 polymorphism. Specifically, under conditions of more emotional abuse in childhood, individuals homozygous for the G allele had more supportive family relationships in midlife compared to A carriers. Overall, the findings suggest that genetic variations of OXTR rs53576 may be an important candidate in understanding the development of social relationship functioning within the context of negative early life experiences. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2018

Abstract The aim of this study was to provide novel information on the change of cognitive performance and its predictors in early midlife between ages of 34 and 43 years. The change in verbal episodic memory between non-psychotic and schizophrenia samples was compared in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. In the non-psychotic sample, associations between primary school performance, sociodemographic factors and body mass index (BMI), and in the schizophrenia sample, between premorbid school performance and severity of illness with the change in cognitive performance were evaluated. There was no evidence of greater decline in verbal episodic memory in the schizophrenia sample, compared to the non-psychotic sample, though the schizophrenia sample had an overall lower cognitive performance at the baseline. In the non-psychotic sample, male gender, poorer school performance, increases in BMI and having no children predicted a decline in verbal episodic memory; poorer school performance and low vocational education and occupational class predicted a decline in visual episodic memory; and having children predicted a decline in executive function. In the schizophrenia sample, poorer premorbid school performance, but not the later course of illness, was related to a decline in cognitive performance. This study is one of the few studies to investigate the predictors of change in cognitive performance in the early middle-aged general population, and the first to investigate the predictors of cognitive change in early midlife schizophrenia. To summarize; poor cognitive performance in adolescence may be considered as a vulnerability marker for a later impairment in cognitive functioning. In schizophrenia, cognitive ability possibly declines mostly in a normative fashion with aging at the same rate as in the general population rather than as a result of neurodegenerative processes. These results might improve our understanding of midlife change in cognitive functioning and may also help to develop effective interventions of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tuoda uutta tietoa kognitiivisen suoriutumisen muutoksesta sekä siihen liittyvistä tekijöistä varhaisessa keski-iässä ikävuosien 34 ja 43 välillä. Tutkimuksessa verrattiin kielellisessä muistisuoriutumisessa tapahtuvaa muutosta yleisväestön ja skitsofrenia-aineiston välillä Pohjois-Suomen vuoden 1966 syntymäkohortissa. Lisäksi yleisväestössä tutkittiin koulumenestyksen, sosiodemografisten tekijöiden ja painoindeksin yhteyttä ja skitsofrenia-aineistossa koulumenestyksen ja sairauden varhaisen kulun yhteyttä kognitiivisen suoriutumisen muutokseen. Kielellisen muistisuoriutumisen heikentyminen ei ollut skitsofrenia-aineistossa suurempaa verrattuna yleisväestöön, joskin kognitiivisen suoriutumisen lähtötaso oli skitsofrenia-aineistossa alempi. Yleisväestössä miessukupuoli, heikompi koulumenestys peruskoulussa, painoindeksin nousu ja lapsettomuus olivat yhteydessä kielellisen muistisuoriutumisen heikkenemiseen, heikompi koulumenestys peruskoulussa ja matala ammatillinen koulutus ja sosioekonominen asema näönvaraisen muistisuoriutumisen heikkenemiseen ja vanhemmuus toiminnanohjauksellisten taitojen laskuun. Skitsofrenia-aineistossa heikompi menestys peruskoulussa ennusti kognitiivisen suoriutumisen heikkenemistä kielellisen ja näönvaraisen muistin sekä toiminnanohjauksellisten taitojen osa-alueilla. Oireiden vakavuus ja toimintakyky sairastumisen jälkeen eivät liittyneet kognitiivisen suoriutumisen muutokseen. Tämä on yksi harvoista tutkimuksista, joissa on selvitetty kognitiivisen suoriutumisen muutosta ennustavia tekijöitä varhaisessa keski-iässä yleisväestössä, ja ensimmäinen, jossa on tutkittu kognitiivisen suoriutumisen muutosta ennustavia tekijöitä skitsofrenia-aineistossa varhaisessa keski-iässä. Yhteenvetona voidaan todeta, että heikko nuoruusiän koulumenestys voi ennustaa kognitiivisen suoriutumisen heikkenemistä varhaisessa keski-iässä. Kognitiivinen suorituskyky näyttää heikkenevän skitsofreniassa enemmänkin tavanomaisella tavalla ikääntymisen myötä kuin neurodegeneratiivisen prosessin seurauksena. Tämän tutkimuksen tulokset tuovat uutta tietoa kognitiivisen suoriutumisen muutoksesta keski-ikäisessä väestössä. Tuloksia voidaan myös hyödyntää kehitettäessä kognitiivisten häiriöiden hoitoa skitsofreniassa.

Many mid-life daughters are primary caregivers to their elderly mothers. However, in most research studies daughters have been grouped with other caregivers; thus, the daughters' experiences have not been specifically identified. Without this information nurses will be unable to adequately assist mid-life caregiving daughters to attain their optimal levels of health. The phenomenological research method was the methodology used to elicit the experiences of the mid-life daughters. The phenomenological method was congruent with the feminist perspective -- the conceptual framework -- which guided the study. The feminist perspective elucidated the importance of eliciting not only the visible caregiving experiences of the mid-life daughters, but also their internal experiences -- their feelings -- and the meanings they gave to their experiences. The researcher recruited subjects for the study through a daughters-of-aging-parents program which was held at the Women's Resource Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. In order to collect the data, the researcher interviewed the subjects. Congruent with the phenomenological method, data collection and data analysis ran concurrently throughout the study. The conclusions that the researcher drew from the findings of this study include the following: at the start of a caregiving daughter-mother relationship, a daughter is very responsive to the needs of her mother; when a daughter realizes that she is self-sacrificing herself in order to care for her mother, she becomes less responsive to her mother's needs and focuses, instead, on caring for herself; a daughter who is able to identify her own needs and then act on them Is able to care for her mother and herself in a manner that meets both their needs; a daughter experiences a number of emotions while providing care for her mother; a daughter uses the logical process of working towards healthy differentiation in order to counterbalance her emotional reactivity, and a daughter who successfully counterbalances her emotions with logic discovers her basic self and becomes an entity distinct from, yet interdependent with, her mother. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

No description available.

Bakgrund: Varje människa kommer att dö och många kommer att vårdas i den palliativa vården. Då författarna uppmärksammat en kunskapslucka av sjuksköterskors erfarenheter och upplevelser av att vårda patienter inom ålderskategorin 18–65 år, är det något de vill uppmärksamma med denna litteraturstudie. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva sjuksköterskors erfarenheter och upplevelser av att vårda personer mellan 18 – 65 år i den palliativa vården. Metod: En litteraturstudie med deskriptiv design. Föreliggande studie grundar sig på 13 kvalitativa vetenskapliga artiklar. Sökningar av artiklar gjordes i databaserna PubMed och Cinahl. Huvudresultat: I resultatet framkom det fyra huvudteman som var “Kommunikation och samarbete”, “Organisatorisk och social arbetsmiljö”, “Känslomässiga utmaningar” och “Sjuksköterskors erfarenheter och upplevelser av patienters fysiologiska och psykologiska smärta”. Utifrån dessa huvudteman sammanställdes sex underteman som var “Möten med närstående och anhöriga", “Tidsbrist”, “Att utveckla kunskap genom erfarenhet”, “Resurser i arbetsmiljö”, “Copingstrategier” och "Att möta existentiella och andliga behov”. Slutsats: Att vårda palliativa patienter upplevdes av sjuksköterskorna som en utmaning men också som något väldigt givande. Det framgick brister i deras arbetsmiljö, kommunikation och samarbete. Dessa brister var något sjuksköterskorna ansåg viktigt att arbeta vidare med för att förbättra möjligheten att ge god palliativ vård. Det visade sig att sjuksköterskorna upplevde mycket av en inre resa hos sig själva i mötet med både patient och närstående. Sjuksköterskorna blev medvetna om deras inre resurser och det framgick hur viktigt det var att uppleva stöd från sina kollegor samt chefer för att må bra. / Background: Every person will die and many will be cared for in palliative care. Since the authors have drawn attention to a knowledge gap of nurses' experiences of caring for patients in the age category 18-65 years, it is something they want to draw attention to with this literature study. Aim: To describe nurses’ experiences of caring for people between 18 to 65 years old in palliative care. Method: A descriptive literature studywith thirteen qualitative articles included. To find the articles have the databasesPubmed and CINAHL been used. Main Result: The results revealed four main themes: "Communication and cooperation", "Organisational and social work environment", "Emotional challenges" and "Nurses' experiences and perceptions of patients' physiological and psychological pain". Based on these main themes, six sub-themes were compiled, which were "Meetings with family members and relatives", "Lack of time", "Developing knowledge through experience", "Resources in the work environment", "Coping strategies" and "Meeting existential and spiritual needs". Conclusion: Caring for palliative patients was experienced by the nurses as a challenge but also as something very rewarding. There were shortcomings in their work environment, communication and co-operation. These shortcomings were something the nurses considered important to work on in order to improve the possibility of providing good palliative care. It turned out that the nurses experienced much of an inner journey in themselves in the meeting with both patients and relatives. The nurses became aware of their inner resources and it appeared how important it was to experience support from their colleagues and managers to feel good.

Strong opposing views exist with the popularly held notion that a midlife crisis is a normative phenomenon whilst a number of international researchers assert that the evidence shows the opposite to be true. It is nevertheless acknowledged that the psychology of midlife was one of the least researched areas internationally until the 1990s when certain aspects of midlife were investigated in the United States. Findings from these studies did not include the impact of a multiplicity of factors in combination at midlife. A new approach to the study of the life course using a combination model taking account of the influence of societal structures as well as the interplay between parts has been suggested. Such an approach to midlife transition and crisis research is not known to have taken place in South Africa or internationally. A conceptual model of midlife transition and crisis was constructed from known research and relevant literature and tested using a sample of 220 individuals aged between 30 and 65. The validity of the model was established and a methodologically sound measuring instrument was validated as a more accurate measurement of midlife crisis than a self-described experience. Two factors provisionally named stagnation and death and aging anxiety were found to exist. A true midlife crisis was experienced by a minority of individuals (IS percent) but an additional 31 percent had a troublesome but manageable experience. A neurotic disposition. the absence of good parental relationships, and the use of inappropriate coping skills such as wishful thinking were in combination related to high scores on the midlife crisis scales. A qualitative study revealed that over 90 percent of respondents were able to define a midlife crisis accurately although they tended to overstate the occurrence thereof. This replicates the research findings in the United States. Stagnation was experienced more acutely by individuals aged between 40 and 50 years whilst death and aging anxiety was the primary experience for those over 50 years. The validated conceptual model and measuring instruments can be used by therapists and coaches to facilitate the counselling or coaching process with clients experiencing midlife crisis. / Psychology / D. Comm. (Consulting Psychology)

Strong opposing views exist with the popularly held notion that a midlife crisis is a normative phenomenon whilst a number of international researchers assert that the evidence shows the opposite to be true. It is nevertheless acknowledged that the psychology of midlife was one of the least researched areas internationally until the 1990s when certain aspects of midlife were investigated in the United States. Findings from these studies did not include the impact of a multiplicity of factors in combination at midlife. A new approach to the study of the life course using a combination model taking account of the influence of societal structures as well as the interplay between parts has been suggested. Such an approach to midlife transition and crisis research is not known to have taken place in South Africa or internationally. A conceptual model of midlife transition and crisis was constructed from known research and relevant literature and tested using a sample of 220 individuals aged between 30 and 65. The validity of the model was established and a methodologically sound measuring instrument was validated as a more accurate measurement of midlife crisis than a self-described experience. Two factors provisionally named stagnation and death and aging anxiety were found to exist. A true midlife crisis was experienced by a minority of individuals (IS percent) but an additional 31 percent had a troublesome but manageable experience. A neurotic disposition. the absence of good parental relationships, and the use of inappropriate coping skills such as wishful thinking were in combination related to high scores on the midlife crisis scales. A qualitative study revealed that over 90 percent of respondents were able to define a midlife crisis accurately although they tended to overstate the occurrence thereof. This replicates the research findings in the United States. Stagnation was experienced more acutely by individuals aged between 40 and 50 years whilst death and aging anxiety was the primary experience for those over 50 years. The validated conceptual model and measuring instruments can be used by therapists and coaches to facilitate the counselling or coaching process with clients experiencing midlife crisis. / Psychology / D. Comm. (Consulting Psychology)

This study explores the role of spirituality in the transition through midlife. Using narrative research methodology, in-depth tape-recorded interviews were conducted with ten self-selected adults between the ages of 47 and 63 who felt spirituality had played an important role in their transition through mid-life. Of the seven women and three men who participated, nine were Caucasian and one was Asian. Four participants were not adherents of a recognized religious faith, while the other six reported an affiliation with Eastern, middle-Eastern, or Western faiths. Of this well-educated, middle to upper income sample, four participants were married with children, three were single, and three were divorced. Tape-recorded interview transcriptions were used to develop first person narrative accounts of the role spirituality in the transition through midlife. These accounts were validated by the participants. Further analysis of the validated narratives yielded ten common elements. The first four elements indicated a significant role for spirituality in the developmental process of midlife, by helping the participants to cope with losses and challenges, revise values and identity, and find spiritual meaning. The next six elements, which suggest an expanded definition of spirituality, described the ongoing importance of spirituality in the lives of the participants. The common elements and findings are discussed in light of current theory and research on midlife, as well as psychological perspectives on spirituality.

Nova Scotia is one of the least active provinces in Canada and is experiencing rising levels of obesity and related diseases. Women in Canada have low rates of participation in physical activity, despite the many benefits. The purpose of this research was to develop an understanding of how the built, natural and social environments act as enablers and barriers to the use of active transportation for midlife women. A qualitative, grounded theory approach was used in conjunction with a feminist perspective to explore the research topic. Findings suggest that the characteristics of the route and region, the presence or lack of support, and the perceived value and benefits of active transportation affect the type of transportation mode that is selected for commuting. Findings also reveal the ways that women respond to and overcome barriers. Implications for health promotion and future research are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that encourage midlife women to make exercise and dietary changes, the prevalence of those changes, the process by which women make them, the factors that support or impede them, and how we can enhance women’s capacity to make health behaviour changes in midlife. Since the literature highlighted the importance of self-efficacy in changing health behaviour, and of health-related quality of life as a widely recognized measure of women’s mental and physical wellbeing, the study sought to understand the relationship between exercise and dietary self-efficacy, health behaviour change and health-related quality of life (SF-36), by testing a modified version of Bandura’s 1977 and 2002/2004b models of self-efficacy. The methodology involved postal surveys as well as semi-structured interviews with a subsample of the women who completed the survey. Surveys were sent to 866 women aged 51-66 years from rural and urban locations in Queensland, Australia. Five hundred and sixty-four (69%) were completed and returned. Survey data was analysed using descriptive and bivariate statistics and structural equation modeling. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interviews. The results confirmed that midlife is a significant time for women to make positive health behaviour changes. Almost 40% of women made a change to their exercise and around 60% made a dietary change since turning 40. The main exercise change was doing more walking and the most common dietary change was reducing fat intake. Self-efficacy was shown to be a key influence on whether women made positive changes to their health in midlife. In the relationship between health behaviour change and health-related quality of life, making a positive change to exercise was significantly related to physical but not mental health, and making a dietary change was not related to either physical or mental health. Body mass index was shown to be an important influence on both self-efficacy and health-related quality of life (particularly physical health). Interviews were conducted with 29 of the participants. Interview data reinforced that the main motivations to make a positive health behaviour change among midlife women were being overweight, having an injury or being diagnosed with an illness or health condition. Witnessing the hardship experienced by others with a degenerative disease could also prompt a positive behaviour change. Successful changes mainly involved modifying existing practices and repeating new behaviours until they became part of the daily routine. The main facilitators of health behaviour change were having positive role models, having more time due to retirement, and having support from significant others (such as husbands), health professionals and organizations such as Weight Watchers. The main obstacles to making changes were work, care giving, illness and injury. Bandura’s (1977, 2000/2004b) model was partially supported, but the cross-sectional nature of the study may have been a limitation in demonstrating all aspects of the self-efficacy process. In summary, women are willing to make positive health behaviour changes in midlife, but they need education and support to have those changes be effective. It is anticipated that this research will lead to a greater understanding of the significance of midlife as a time for making healthy lifestyle changes that have the potential to improve women’s health and quality of life in later years.