Search

Little research has examined the impact of being an accompanying spouse on British military foreign postings. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate the experiences of 13 military spouses from 11 different overseas locations. Data were collected via an online forum and thematic content analysis was conducted. Key findings revealed that, regardless of the location, reactions to overseas posting varied considerably and were related to the military spouse's personality and personal circumstances, as well as their relationship with family, husband and their support networks. Spouses experienced a loss of control over their lives that was in some cases psychologically distressing. The findings corroborate and extend the findings from a previous study that was limited to one location, further highlighting the need for pre-established support resources from the military and healthcare professionals to be readily accessible for all military spouses. Importantly, such support provision may also facilitate the military spouse in regaining some control over their everyday life, enhancing their well-being and the experience for the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Diabetes is a significant health problem amongst people with intellectual disabilities, yet there is a lack of qualitative literature looking specifically at their experiences and perceptions of living with this chronic illness. Method Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, this study explored the experiences and perceptions of four people with intellectual disabilities and diabetes. Results Results showed that participants demonstrated some knowledge of the language surrounding diabetes, but considerable confusion and uncertainty about their illness. The impact of diabetes was described in terms of physical, emotional and social consequences, and participants spoke of diabetes in the context of co-existing health problems. Conclusions People with intellectual disabilities and diabetes face many challenges when perceiving and coping with their illness. Gaining insight into these challenges could help health professionals work together more effectively and provide appropriate support to people with intellectual disabilities and diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine the degree of traumatic stress and the coping strategies employed by community residents who lived on both sides of a rail track where a train collision occurred in 1996 in Stafford, UK. The hypothesis was that there would be a high level of traumatic stress and that emotion-focused coping would be the predictor to distress. Method: This was a cross-sectional survey with a retrospective design in which 66 community residents, who lived between 30 and 100 feet away from the crash site, were interviewed. The study began approximately 7 months after the disaster. The Impact of Event Scale (IES), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Ways of Coping Checklists (WOC) were administered to the residents. Results: On the whole, the results did not entirely support the hypothesis. The residents were found to have experienced some intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviour but their mean scores were significantly lower than those of standardized samples. Thirty-five per cent scored at 4 or above on the GHQ-28. Traumatic stress was predicted by both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies. Conclusion: Although community residents were not on the train or related to the dead or injured in any way, they could, after being exposed to a train disaster, manifest traumatic stress symptoms which had long-lasting effects. Such traumatic stress was found to be associated with coping strategies of community residents characterized by their efforts to manage or alter the source of stress, and by their efforts to regulate stressful emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates residential service available to persons with learning difficulties emerging from 1989 to 1998 in Great Britain. Details on the effectiveness of services; Indepth look at the community involvement as it relates to challenging behavior; Discussion on issues pertaining to components for extensive research programs.