IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC NURSING (IJPN)
Year:2016 | Volume:4 | Issue:3 |Papers Count:9

Introduction: Care of people with Alzheimer’ s disease is the most difficult type of care and can cause stress, fatigue and psychological disorders in caregivers. Therefore, it is necessary to take action to reduce stress on caregivers. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of mindfulness program on the perceived stress of caregivers of elderlies with Alzheimer’ s disease referring to Iran Alzheimer’ s Association. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study conducted on two control and intervention groups with before and after design. Sixty caregivers of elderlies with Alzheimer were selected by convenience sampling from patients in the Alzheimer's Association of Iran, in Tehran, in 2013 and then were randomly allocated to control and intervention groups. Mindfulness program sessions were performed for the intervention group for six weeks, two hours per session. Data were collected one week before and after the intervention using perceived stress scale (PSS). Data were analyzed by SPSS, independent t-test and paired t-test with significance level of P < 0. 05. Results: After the mindfulness program, the mean of perceived stress in the intervention group decreased from 33. 30 ± 6. 42 to 25. 43 ± 5. 26, which showed a significant decrease in caregivers’ stress levels (P < 0. 05), while in the control group before and after the intervention (31. 60 ± 6. 38 and 32. 83 ± 5. 05, respectively) this figure showed no significant difference (P > 0. 05). Conclusions: Research finding indicated the efficacy of mindfulness program in reducing the stress of caregiver of elderlies with Alzheimer and offers its application to other caregivers’ chronic diseases.

Introduction: One of distress and psychological anomalies, which decreases or fades the love and affection between couples over time, causes emotional and mental problems, and finally leads to emotional or formal divorces, is couple burnout. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of relationship enhancement program on reducing couple burnout. Methods: This study was of the quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest design with control group and follow-up. The population of the study consisted of all the married couples with marital problems who were referred to Hamyaran Salamat Ravan institute in Bojnurd city, Iran in spring and summer of 2014, and were ready to participate in the sessions. Based on purposeful and available sampling method, 20 couples who had received the highest scores in couple burnout based on inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study were considered eligible to participate in the sessions; they were assigned to intervention and control groups by random assignment (n = 1 per group). The assessment tool was couple burnout measure (CBM) of Pines (1996), which was completed by subjects in pretest, posttest and follow-up (one month) stages. The dependent variable (relationship enhancement program) was held in eight sessions of 1. 5 hours in groups with step-by-step method, with the sequence of one session per week for the intervention group. The control group received no intervention until the end of the experiment. The research data were analyzed through univariate covariance analysis in SPSS 18. Results: The results of the analysis suggested that, at posttest, the relationship enhancement program significantly reduced couple burnout in the experimental group, and the results were consistent enough up to the follow up stage. Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that the marital relationship enhancement program was effective in reducing couple burnout and this method of intervention can be used as an effective method for improving marital relationships and for solving marital problems of clients in counseling centers and couple-therapy group sessions.

Introduction: Recent researches have shown the effect of happiness and quality of life on mental and physical health. In addition، considering the fact that the aging population is continuously increasing، the aim of the current research was to investigate the effect of group film therapy on happiness and quality of life in elderly women. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with pre-and post-tests. The population of the study was Kahrizak nursing home residents. Twenty four elderly women were selected through the criteria. They were randomly categorized into control and experimental groups. The experimental group received film therapy for eight treatment sessions (90 minutes for one session per week). The research instruments were Oxford Happiness Index (OHI) and World health organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). Statistical analysis was conducted by the analysis of covariance. Results: There was a significant difference (F = 8. 42، sig = 0. 009) between the mean scores of pre (M = 28. 33) and post-tests (M = 53) of happiness in the experimental group. On the other side، there was no significant difference (F = 3. 11، sig = 0. 09) between the mean scores of pre-(M = 99. 5) and post-tests (M = 105. 7) of life quality in the experimental group. Conclusions: Film therapy had positive effects on happiness and moderately on quality of life in elderlies. Hence، film therapy could be considered as an alternative or complementary approach to existing therapies for enhancing happiness among elderlies.

Introduction: Because of the nature of their profession, nurses experience high levels of stress, and neglect of understanding and coping with this stress will cause irreparable effects. Accordingly, the present study was performed to investigate the relationship between Job stress and coping strategies among intensive ward nurses in Gorgan. Methods: This was a correlational descriptive study done during year 2014. The instruments used in this study included a demographic questionnaire, Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS) and the Folkman and Lazarus Coping Style Questionnaire. The research environment included critical care unites of Gorgan university hospitals. Sampling was carried out by the census sampling method. Overall, 74 nurses participated in the study. After data collection, analysis was performed with the SPSS software (version 16). For the analysis of data in terms of variables, descriptive statistic and deductive statistic (Pearson correlation, stepwise regression) were used. Results: The mean age of the participants was 33. 39 ± 6. 33 years. The most stressful condition was conflict with the supervisor (2. 65 ± 0. 59). The most commonly used strategies were self-control (5 ± 14. 18). The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the variables gender (21. 57 = β , and P = 0. 014) and working at the dialysis unit (27. 08 = β and P < 0. 001) were good predictors for occupational stress. Other variables such as coping strategies, age, education and marital status were not significantly related to job stress. Conclusions: According to the high level of some stress dimensions such as conflict with supervisor among nurses, and also the relationship between job stress and factors such as working at the dialysis ward and gender, it is necessary for nurse managers to apply some measures to prevent and reduce stress; these measures could include improving the work environment, education on coping methods, training and sufficient support of personnel.

Introduction: Alexithymia, as an inability to identify and describe feelings, has a significant relationship with blood glycemic control and quality of life in patient with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of alexithymia and self-care activities on diabetes control indices in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional investigation. Participants of the study included 100 patients with type 2 diabetic, referred to Labbafinejad Hospital. Information was collected through questionnaires of alexithymia, self-care activities and health-related quality of life. The glycated hemoglobin levels were also obtained in the laboratory by collecting blood samples. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 software. Results: In order to assess the relationship between glycated hemoglobin, alexithymia, self-care activities and quality of life, a Pearson’ s correlation analysis was used. The results showed that alexithymia had a significant positive correlation with HbA1c (0. 44) and a significant negative correlation with self-care activities (-0. 049) and quality of life (-0. 47). Furthermore, alexithymia and self-care activities can predict the level of HbA1c and the quality of life in patients with diabetes. Among the aspects of alexithymia, difficulty in identifying feelings and objective thinking were predictors of HbA1c; also, difficulty in describing feelings was a predictor of patients’ quality of life. Conclusions: Based on the results of study, alexithymia had an important role in explaining and predicting diabetes control indices. Therefore, consideration of the alexithymia role and other emotional and psychological problems in patients with type 2 diabetes may be important for planning the efficacy of interventions and treatments of diabetes.

Introduction: Misbehavior towards elderlies is among psychosocial damages, with an increasing prevalence along with the increase in age of families and societies. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to compare perceived misbehavior with urban and rural elderlies living in Ilam Province during year 2014. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, using clustering and simple random sampling, 360 individuals among those more than 65 years old in Ilam Province were selected. Data was collected via a standard questionnaire, with its validity confirmed by different studies. Results: In this study, 360 individuals including 221 (61. 4%) females and 290 (80. 6%) urban elderlies were evaluated. Most elderlies (228 (63. 3%)) were married and the highest frequency (39. 8%) was observed among the age group of 76 to 80 year-olds. Among urban elderlies, the greatest frequency of misbehavior was attributed to financial neglect (107 (36. 8%)) and the least common misbehavior was financial misbehavior. However, among rural participants, the most frequent misbehavior was financial neglect (40 (57. 1%)) and the least common (1 (1. 5%)) misbehavior was bodily misbehavior. Conclusions: Considering the high rate of misbehaviour reported by elderlies in Ilam Province, interventional programs are needed by policy makers of either health and treatment responsibilities or other social and economical responsibilities in Ilam province for reduction of misbehaviour by families of elderlies.

Introduction: Child hospitalization is one of the sources of anxiety for both the child and his/her parents. Among the strategies for reducing anxiety, non-pharmacological strategies are as important as pharmacological. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of educative story-books and face-to-face education on anxiety of hospitalized children and their mothers. Methods: The research project had a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test. The subjects consisted of 81 hospitalized children, aged six to nine years old and mothers in Sabzevar, who were not selected randomly by method. Data collection tools were demographic information questionnaire, Scale of Facial Self-Reported Anxiety and the State Anxiety Inventory. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 20) and Descriptive Statistics, Shapiro-Wilk, Chi-Square, Paired Sample T Test, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Honestly Significant Difference (HSD). Results: After the intervention, the results of this study showed that there was a significant difference in anxiety of children, between the educative story-book group and routine group (P-value = 0. 006). However, the differences between the educative story-book with face-to-face education groups and face-to-face education with routine groups were not significant (P-value > 0. 05). There were significant differences in anxiety of mothers between the educative story-book with routine groups (P-value < 0. 001) and face-to-face education group with routine group (P-value = 0. 001). However, the difference between the educative story-book and face-to-face education groups was not significant (P-value = 0. 079). Conclusions: The results demonstrated that educative story-books and face-to-face education could reduce the mothers’ anxiety. It can be recommended as a popular, practical and efficient tool to prepare children for hospitalization.

Introduction: Among pleasant and unpleasant experiences of women, divorce is as a severe crisis for a woman's life that has individual and social consequences and understanding the experiences play an important role in guiding the therapists in order to plan for support. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to understand the experiences of women after divorce. Methods: A qualitative study as a descriptional phenomen was performed in this research. The method of collecting the data in this study was semi-structured interviews with 11 female participants that had experienced divorce and were living in different regions of Tehran. Interviews were based on determining the life experience of these women after divorce. Collaizi's method was used for data analysis. Results: Three main concepts were extracted from the experiences of the participants, including vulnerability of women, life with stigma, shields against women's vulnerability. Conclusions: The experience of divorce was meant to fit within the umbrella of individual vulnerability, and social implications. Various participants tried to employ protective mechanisms, such as religious beliefs, adapt with the new situation and reduce somatic, psychological and social trauma. There is a global need for health providers to gain insight about the life experiences of divorced women.