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Abstract Background To date, almost no research on the psychosocial implications of albinism has been conducted in France and an exploration of albinism-related experiences could be beneficial, in order to better understand this condition. The aim of this study was to examine how French people with albinism and their parents live with and adapt to this condition in all the areas of their lives. Methods Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 9 parent-child dyads, each participating separately. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling, thanks to the combined efforts of a patient association (Genespoir) and professionals from the partner medical referral centers involved in the project. Dyads in which the individual with albinism had any comorbidity were excluded. The interviews were then transcribed and subjected to in-depth thematic analysis. Two codebooks were constructed in a mirrored process: one for people with albinism; the other for their parents. They were finally merged at the end of the coding step. Results Four main categories were identified: personal perceptions and social representations of albinism, difficulties and obstacles encountered by people with albinism, resources and facilitators, and the importance of parent-child functioning. The results indicated that experiences of stigmatization during childhood and adolescence are common and that people with albinism face challenges in adapting to certain obstacles related to their visual impairments (VI) (e.g., inability to drive a car; eye strain...). Parents emerged as one, if not as the main, source of support for people with albinism throughout their development. Although external support systems exist to assist them in various aspects of their lives, some of them primarily rely on their own personal resources to cope. Conclusions This research highlights the importance of a systemic and transdisciplinary approach to make sure families receive the support that best meets their needs.

Background: To date, almost no research on the psychosocial implications of albinism has been conducted in France and an exploration of albinism-related experiences could be beneficial, in order to better understand this condition. The aim of this study was to examine how French people with albinism and their parents live with and adapt to this condition in all the areas of their lives. Methods: Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 9 parent-child dyads, each participating separately. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling, thanks to the combined efforts of a patient association (Genespoir) and professionals from the partner medical referral centers involved in the project. Dyads in which the individual with albinism had any comorbidity were excluded. The interviews were then transcribed and subjected to in-depth thematic analysis. Two codebooks were constructed in a mirrored process: one for people with albinism; the other for their parents. They were finally merged at the end of the coding step. Results: Four main categories were identified: personal perceptions and social representations of albinism, difficulties and obstacles encountered by people with albinism, resources and facilitators, and the importance of parent-child functioning. The results indicated that experiences of stigmatization during childhood and adolescence are common and that people with albinism face challenges in adapting to certain obstacles related to their visual impairments (VI) (e.g., inability to drive a car; eye strain...). Parents emerged as one, if not as the main, source of support for people with albinism throughout their development. Although external support systems exist to assist them in various aspects of their lives, some of them primarily rely on their own personal resources to cope. Conclusions: This research highlights the importance of a systemic and transdisciplinary approach to make sure families receive the support that best meets their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The public health issue of the Parkinson's disease (PD) has led to a great deal of research that has highlighted the individual challenges faced by the person with the Parkinson's disease (PwPD) and the caregiving spouse. Few studies, however, have sought to understand the functioning of couples facing PD, by differentiating each stage, each of which has its own issues. In particular, the "honeymoon period", characterized by a symptomatic respite allowed by the effectiveness of treatments for motor symptoms, has been poorly documented, especially at the dyadic level. Design and Method: This qualitative study, based on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, aimed to understand the experience of couples and their functioning at this stage. Fifteen couples participated in separate semi‐structured interviews for each partner. The analyses highlighted four dyadic dynamics, which call into question the relevance of the term "honeymoon" to describe the experience of couples. Results: While some couples appear to adjust by means of flexible functioning and a positive reinterpretation of this experience, other dyads oscillate between rigid hyperprotection in the face of perceived distress or a vicious circle of control/avoidance and, in some cases, gradually slipping towards the erosion of the relationship. Discussion: These results show that the relational difficulties suffered by partners at this stage should be taken into account as soon as possible after the diagnosis. Strengthening the communication and the togetherness between partners, as well as working on dyadic emotional regulation, are particularly relevant options for these couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of paediatric cancer leads to changes in the functioning of the parental couple. The interactions and interdependence between partners affect their individual and dyadic adjustments. Hope can enable parents to cope with difficulties and alleviate their distress. The aim of this study is to explore how both partners experience their relationship dynamics and hope within the couple. This qualitative study focused on 7 couples whose child was in remission from cancer; each parent was interviewed separately. The semi-structured interviews were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three themes were found to characterise the experiences of couples faced with their child's cancer. "Captain and first mate" emphasises the gendered and hierarchical distribution of roles based on the analogy of a crew struggling against the threat of cancer. "The emotional compass" focuses on how emotions guide each partner's attempts to meet their own need for emotional expression and that of their partner. "In the same boat, with divergent hope sails" reflects the complex and diverse ways in which hope and forms of hope are expressed, perceived as a resource which is often precious, sometimes viewed as unthinkable because it reflects the violence associated with the despair of the situation and transferred from one parent to the other. These findings highlight the need to focus on the organisation of role, the interaction of emotional needs and the dynamics of hope within parental dyads to optimise the management of couples faced with their child's cancer. • Couples' responsibility: One manages the illness, the other manages the household. • Perceived similar or divergent emotional needs shape couples' adjustment. • Some couples recognise hope as a resource, others avoid certain forms. • Couples try to maintain each other's hope, in response to the need to be positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This present article aims to study the influence of Bipolar disorder upon a couple's relationship. As there are vast behavioral changes during both the manic and the depression episodes, there is reason to believe that these changes influence the quality of the relationship and the wellbeing state of the partners. Apart from the cumulated effect that the episodes have on the patient's psyche and state of comfort and health, the specific behaviors of these episodes have a significant effect upon the partners within the couple and their mental health. Objectives: The objective of this study is to analyze to what extent the presence in the couple of at least one partner who exhibits severe Bipolar symptoms significantly influences the quality of life, the adaptation within the couple, dyadic satisfaction, individual satisfaction, partner proximity, partner sensitivity, partner cooperation and compulsive caregiving. Methods: In this qualitative and transversal study, the sample consists of four couples, where in 2, at least one partner meets the DSM-V criteria for Bipolar I or II disorder. The couples are of heterosexual orientation and are married or have been living in a civil cohabitation relationship for at least 6 months. The participants signed the consent and were given 5 assessment tools aimed at measuring their quality of life, the dyadic adjustment and the couple relationship, and the presence of symptoms specific to Bipolar disorder. Results: The scores obtained by each participant, but also the analysis performed at couple level, indicate that there are no significant differences between adaptation in the couple in the case of people with symptoms specific to Bipolar disorder compared to those who do not have such diagnosis. The specific symptoms of Bipolar disorder do not have an influence on the couple's relationship, respectively on the quality of life, adaptation in the couple, dyadic satisfaction, individual satisfaction, proximity to the partner, sensitivity to the partner, cooperation with the partner and compulsive caregiving. Conclusions: In conclusion, the couple dynamic is not significantly altered when symptoms of Bipolar disorder are experienced by at least one partner. The most common difficulty in couples where there is at least one partner with symptoms specific to Bipolar disorder is that partners without symptoms attribute a very high degree of control to the behaviors of the Bipolar partner. Among the many variables that influence the quality of life in emotional disorders, one of the most important is marital adjustment - a state in which there is a general feeling of wellbeing in both partners, and they are satisfied with their marriage. Marital adjustment is considered part of the psychosocial wellbeing, and its improper functioning adversely affects the physical and mental health of both partners, as well as the quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study is to investigate trajectories of stress and depressive symptoms of spousal and intimate partner caregivers in the context of cancer. We also examined the patient-related predictors of caregiver stress and depression. This is a longitudinal cohort study. Patients diagnosed with cancers affecting the hepatobiliary and pancreatic system and their spousal or intimate partner caregivers were recruited at a large tertiary cancer center. The patients and caregivers were assessed for their level of stress, depressive symptoms, relationship quality, and quality of life at the time of the patients' diagnosis, every 2 months for 12 months and then at 18 months. One hundred and seventy-nine caregivers were included in the trajectory analyses. Amongst the 179 caregivers, 120 patient and caregiver dyads had complete data at baseline to 6-months. The majority of the spousal caregivers were female (84%) and the mean age was 57 years. 25% of caregivers reported high levels of chronic depressive symptoms. However, significant reductions were observed at 6 months. High and moderate levels of caregiver stress were also reported in 21% and 36% of caregivers, respectively. The caregivers who reported moderate levels of stress had a decrease in stress over time while those in the high stress group reported stable levels of stress over time. Caregivers' stress is predicted by the cancer patients' depressive symptoms but not patients' quality of life. Caregivers who reported high levels of stress and depressive symptoms at patients' cancer diagnosis remain high even after the initial adjustment. A bidirectional relationship between the caregivers' stress and the patients' depressive symptoms was observed. The development of dyadic interventions focusing on the patients' and caregivers' distress is warranted to decrease psychological morbidities of the dyad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Although many service members successfully cope with exposure to stress and traumatic experiences, others have symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety; contextual factors may account for the variability in outcomes from these experiences. This work sought to understand mechanisms through which social support influences the mental health of service members and whether dyadic functioning mediates this relationship. Methods: We collected cross-sectional data as part of a larger study conducted in 2013; 321 military personnel who had at least 1 deployment were included in these analyses. Surveys were completed online; we collected data on demographic characteristics, social support, mental health measures (depression, PTSD, and anxiety), and dyadic functioning. We performed process modeling through mediation analysis. Results: The direct effects of social support on the mental health of military personnel were limited; however, across all types of support networks, greater social support was significantly associated with better dyadic functioning. Dyadic functioning mediated the relationships between social support and depression/PTSD only when social support came from nonmilitary friends or family; dyadic functioning mediated social support and anxiety only when support came from family. We found no indirect effects of support from military peers or military leaders. Conclusion: Findings here highlight the need to continue to explore ways in which social support, particularly from family and nonmilitary-connected peers, can bolster healthy intimate partner relationships and, in turn, improve the well-being of military service members who are deployed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]