Chronic pain is recognized for its intra- and interpersonal stress, with greater social support being associated with better patient outcomes. Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes (UCPPS) are pain-associated conditions that are prevalent across genders and are strongly associated with diminished quality of life (QOL). To date, no gender-based research has examined such supportive behaviours in UCPPS samples. One model, the stress-buffering model of social support, suggests people with greater support within their proximal (e.g., marriage) and distal (e.g., physician) social environment may be protected from negative stressor impact (i.e., pain). Due to their strong associations with poorer QoL, I hypothesized catastrophizing and perceived pain control as important intrapersonal cognitive variables to also consider in such relations between pain and patient QoL. In this dissertation, I examined several research questions using two self-report studies: 1) Are there gender differences in social support for people with UCPPS?; 2) Does social support moderate the relationship between pain and patient outcome variables and are there gender differences in this effect?; and 3) If social support moderates the relationship between pain and outcomes, is this effect further moderated by cognitive variables and/or gender? In Studies 1 and 2, women with IC/PBS endorsed higher levels of solicitous and distracting spouse responses to pain behaviour than did men with CP/CPPS. Additionally, in Study 2 women reported greater support from friends than did men. In regard to moderation effects in Study 1, distracting spouse responses buffered the relationships between patient pain and mental QoL, and between pain and disability. However, spouse solicitousness had a detrimental effect on the relationship between patient pain and mental QoL but only at low levels of catastrophizing in the patient. The genders did not differ in the effect of spouse responses to pain behaviour in Study 1, and Study 1 results with respect to the stress-buffering role of distracting spouse responses were not replicated in Study 2. In Study 2, sources of social support from outside of the marriage also did not have a stress-buffering effect on the relationship between pain and patient outcome. Of the models reviewed, no one current model for understanding the role of social support or catastrophizing in chronic pain was sufficient to account for the findings reported in these studies. However, a dyadic emotion regulation perspective is suggested with implications for marital therapy with couples with chronic pain. / Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2013-11-18 19:17:11.276

Susirgimai dažnas palydovas senėjimo procese. Vyresnio amžiaus žmonės dažniau turi fizinių sveikatos problemų, kurios yra sudėtinės, lėtinės. Beveik visada augantis sergančiųjų priežiūros poreikis skatina santykių šeimoje pasikeitimą. Iš naujo skirstomos užduotys ir atsakomybė bei atsisakoma ankstesnių vaidmenų. Susirgus sutuoktiniui, kuriam reikalinga kito sutuoktinio slauga labai svarbi funkcija yra tarpusavio priklausomybė. Tradiciškai tai apima dalijimąsi namų ruošos ir priežiūros darbais, pajamomis ir kitais ištekliais. Senėjant labai svarbūs tampa ir kiti tarpusavio priklausomybės aspektai – rūpinimasis, priežiūra ir slauga, ligos ar neįgalumo atveju. Daugiausiai problemų iškyla tada, kai rūpinimasis kitu. Tuomet pereina iš nepriklausomybės nuo kitų į priklausomybę nuo slaugomo sutuoktinio. Darbo objektas: pagyvenusio amžiaus sutuoktinio patirtis. Darbo tikslas: Išanalizuoti pagyvenusio amžiaus patirtį, slaugant sutuoktinį. Uždaviniai: 1. Atskleisti, kaip slaugantieji sutuoktiniai suvokia pirmuosius ligos požymius; 2. Atskleisti, kaip sutuoktinio slauga pakeičia šeimos socialinę aplinką; 3. Atskleisti sunkumus su kuriais susiduria sutuoktiniai slaugymo procese. Tyrimu siekiama atskleisti slaugos šeimoje: pagyvenusio amžiaus sutuoktinio patirtis. Remtasi interpretuojamąja – konstruktyvistine ontologine ir epistemologine pozicija. Tyrime dalyvauti buvo pakviesti 6 moterys ir 1 vyras, kurių amžius virš septyniasdešimtpenkių metų ir slaugo savo sutuoktinius. Gauti duomenys... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Diseases common for crinkle. Older people are more likely to have physical health problems that are complex, chronic. Almost always a growing need to promote patient care through family relationships. Re-allocated tasks and responsibilities and from previous roles. Illness of a spouse who needs nursing care of the other spouse is a very important feature of mutual dependence. Traditionally, this involves the sharing of housework and care work, income and other resources. With the population becomes very important and other issues of mutual dependence - care, nursing care, illness or disability case. Most problems arise when caring for each other. Then the transition from independence to dependence on others from caring for a spouse. The object: the expierence of elderly spouse. Aim: To analyze the experience of the elderly, nursing a spouse. Objectives: 1. Reveal how nursing spouses are aware of the disease, 2. To reveal how spouse care for the family social environment changes, 3. Reveal the difficulties faced by spouses of nursing care. The study aims to reveal the care in the family: older spouse experience. Was based on interpretative - constructivist ontological and epistemological position. The study had been invited to participate in six women and one man aged over seventy five years old the nurses and their spouses. The obtained data were analyzed on the basis of case study method, through the conceptual categories and themes through the analysis method. The analysis... [to full text]

Article 21 of the Insolvency Act states that the estate of the solvent spouse transfers to the curator of the insolvent spouse's sequestrated estate. The solvent spouse then has the burden to request the release of property vested in the curator of the insolvent estate. In accordance with Article 21(2), the spouse is required to prove a lawful title on the property. Should the spouse be able to prove a lawful title on the property, the curator is obligated to release the property. Although the constitutionality of this temporarily "deprivation" of the solvent spouse of her rights has already been confirmed by the Constitutional Court; it imposes drastic limitations to his/ her rights. The Insolvency Act does not incorporate procedural measures by means of which the curator has to establish whether the solvent spouse has exempted his/ her from the proof burden. In the same breath, the Constitution and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act warrant that "everyone has the right to administrative action that is lawful. reasonable and procedurally fair." If the curator's actions, in accordance with Article 21. conform to the administrative procedures as set out in the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, the spouse shall be entitled to administrative actions which are procedurally fair as concluded within the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act. The conclusion is proof that the actions of the curator, in accordance with Article 21 of the Insolvency Act, is indeed administrative by nature and that the solvent spouse has the right to administrative actions which is procedurally fair as prescribed in the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, as well as the right to reasons for not being granted the release of property. / Thesis (LL.M. (Estate Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

In this thesis I report an investigation into the psychological, emotional and social impact of British military foreign postings on accompanying spouses. I adopted an ethnographic methodology utilising a four phase mixed method approach consisting of one quantitative and three qualitative components. The thesis was based on research data collected in Phase 1 from a systematic review of British and US military research focusing on the experiences of accompanying spouses on overseas postings. Data from Phase 2 focused on the experiences from 34 British military spouses based in one location in southern Europe and were collected via individual interviews or focus groups. In Phase 3 data were collated via an online forum from 13 other British military spouses, who had experienced postings to alternative worldwide locations, rather than the single one identified in Phase 2. The final phase represented the study’s quantitative component, which further examined the findings from the previous qualitative phases through 136 responses to an online survey. The systematic review highlighted that the impact of a foreign posting could be detrimental to the military spouse’s well-being particularly if support resources were inadequate. Thematic analysis of data from Phases 2 and 3 corroborated the importance of support networks on international postings, but also identified the fundamental influence of individual differences and personal meaning-making of the military spouse. Ultimately, in Phase 4 multiple linear regression analysis determined that a person’s level of tough-mindedness, their self-efficacy and available instrumental support were all significant predictors of the perceived level of support provided by the British military. Overseas relocations are not beneficial for all military spouses. To have a greater understanding of this impact, it is necessary to examine and combine principles in the domains of sociology and psychology. The outcome of this then feeds into adjustment theories and contributes to the field of healthcare practice. Nonetheless, the military are in a constructive position to maximise the effectiveness of support resources alongside health professionals to provide the holistic support that military spouses may need. Specifically, regular informal checks from a healthcare professional or a support worker to assess the well-being of the military spouse could help early identification of any coping problems. This together with cross-cultural awareness training and a greater involvement of the military spouse throughout the relocation process could enhance their foreign posting experience.

Introduction: Little is known about the impact of spousal involvement on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence. The aim of this study was to determine whether spouse involvement affects adherence with CPAP therapy, and how this association varies with gender. Methods: 194 subjects recruited from Apnea Positive Pressure Long Term Efficacy Study (APPLES) completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). The majority of participants were Caucasian (83%), and males (73%), with mean age of 56 years, mean BMI of 31 kg/m2. & 62% had severe OSA. The DAS is a validated 32-item self-report instrument measuring dyadic consensus, satisfaction, cohesion, and affectional expression. A high score in the DAS is indicative of a person’s adjustment to the marriage. Additionally, questions related to spouse involvement with general health and CPAP use were asked. CPAP use was downloaded from the device and self-report, and compliance was defined as usage > 4 h per night. Results: There were no significant differences in overall marital quality between the compliant and noncompliant subjects. However, level of spousal involvement was associated with increased CPAP adherence at 6 months (p=0.01). After stratifying for gender these results were significant only among males (p=0.03). Three years after completing APPLES, level of spousal involvement was not associated with CPAP compliance even after gender stratification. Conclusion: Spousal involvement is important in determining CPAP compliance in males in the 1st 6 months after initiation of therapy but is not predictive of longer-term adherence. Involvement of the spouse should be considered an integral part of CPAP initiation procedures. Support: HL068060

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the factor structure of the Spouse Observation Checklist-Revised using attachment theory as an organizational framework. The study used archival data from a community sample of 92 heterosexual childless couples married 1-5 years and 4 lesbian couples (N = 192). Separate exploratory factor analysis on the Perception of Self-Behavior and Perception of Partner-Behavior items revealed symmetrical 4-factor structures with factors reflecting emotional support, physical intimacy, instrumental support, and disengagement. Separate analyses examined associations of the four identified factors with the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale to begin to place the SOC-R within a nomological network.

During an era when the United States has been engaged in the longest waging wars in U.S. history, military families have been exposed to extraordinary amounts of stress and have had to learn to adapt in a culture where repeated deployments, recurrent family separations, and frequent relocations have become the norm. A surge in research in recent years on the families of Service members has brought increased attention to the unique challenges and demands of spouses, raising concerns about how to best meet their needs. Despite the increased attention, few studies have focused on spousal well-being. Acknowledging this lack of research, the present dissertation study utilized a mixed-methods approach to explore various dimensions of well-being, as directly experienced by spouses of active-duty military personnel. Data was collected from a web-based survey completed by 300 spouses of active-duty Service members. Quantitative data included a wide range of demographic, family, military lifestyle, and service utilization questions along with a battery of standardized instruments measuring various risk and protective factors, which represent components of well-being. Qualitative data were collected from four open-ended questions and analyzed thematically. Qualitative and quantitative components were corroborated in the final analysis. Results of the study found significant differences in well-being scores among subsamples of participants divided by employment status, race, and Service member rank. However, subsamples divided on the basis of having children, education level, and Service member combat deployment history did not result in significantly different well-being scores. Separate hierarchical regression analyses were performed on the outcome scores for each component of well-being (social, mental, and physical). The findings revealed that selected risk & protective factor variables were significant predictors within each model. On the other hand, socio-demographic characteristics only added to the predictive power of outcomes scores in the mental component of well-being. Qualitative findings included data on participants’ perspectives of the rewards and challenges of military life, the impact of the military lifestyle on parenting experiences, and advice to spouses new to the military lifestyle. Implications and limitations of this study, as well as suggestions for future research to enhance the well-being of military spouses, are discussed.

This diploma work deals with the situation of married couples, people who suffered a brain damage. After a brain damage many various mental changes of grave importance may appear apart from the physical consequences. These consequences affect not only the person that suffered the brain damage but also his closest mainly his partner and affect also the quality of their marriage. The theoretical part of the diploma work deals primarily with the importance of the marriage from the sociological and the psychological point of view as well. Further the work focuses on the brain damage itself and its consequences. The attention is further drawn to the impact of such situation on the husband or wife of a person after brain damage. Following part deals with the motivations for marriage. The empirical part of the work focuses on qualitative research based on eight individual in-depth interviews with husbands/wives of a person after a brain damage. The main goal of the work is to map the motivation of a husband/wife of the individual after a brain damage for remaining in marriage and identify other factors connected with this motivation.

Losing a loved one – a child or a spouse –is described as one of the most stressful or negative experience of a person’s life. Aging is associated with a higher risk of the death of close family members, yet few studies have investigated the impact of such losses on different health outcomes either by type of loss or by the combined loss of both a child and a spouse. This thesis is based on three studies examining the effect of bereavement on the health of older adults who have lost a child, spouse, or both and whether the different losses were associated with Life Satisfaction (LS) or mortality. The sample was collected from the Swedish National Study of Aging and Care (SNAC). The results showed that the loss of a child, spouse or both was experienced as among the three most important negative life events in the bereaved groups. About 70% of those bereaved of a child or a spouse mentioned these losses as among their three most important negative life experiences. In the child-and-spouse-bereaved group, 48% mentioned both losses while 40% mentioned only the loss of a child or a spouse, but not both. However, only marginally effects on LS and mortality after child, spouse or child-spouse bereavement in older adults was found. Longer time since the loss was associated with higher LS and lower mortality risk, and type of loss did not seem to determine LS or mortality. Gender differences were found: child-, spouse and child-and-spouse-bereaved men had lower LS than the corresponding groups of bereaved women, and furthermore, child-bereaved men had an increased mortality risk compared to child-bereaved women. Finally, significantly more women in the child-and-spouse-bereaved group compared to the men in this group, mentioned the loss of their child but not the spouse, among the three most important negative life events.

The main objective of our essay is to analyze the influence of the spouse on the partner’s retirement decision. Drawing on a large sample of older citizens and a combination of a postal survey and register data, we use standard econometric techniques to identify the impact of the spouse’s characteristics on the partner’s decision to retire. The results of our estimations show that cohabiting/married males’ decision to retire was negatively affected by their partners’ health condition. On the other hand, cohabiting/married women were more likely to retire if their partner had already retired.