Family Support Groups Research Articles

Fatores terapêuticos em grupo de suporte na perspectiva da coordenação e dos membros do grupo

OBJETIVO: Identificar os fatores terapêuticos presentes nas sessões de um Grupo de Apoio a Pais e Familiares de crianças hospitalizadas, na perspectiva dos participantes e da coordenação do grupo. MÉTODOS: Pesquisa descritiva, exploratória. Os dados foram obtidos por intermédio de um check list preenchido pelos familiares e pela identificação de fatores terapêuticos das coordenadoras do grupo. RESULTADOS: Os familiares indicaram a presença dos seguintes fatores terapêuticos no grupo: coesão, compartilhamento de informações, universalidade, fatores existenciais, desenvolvimento de técnicas de socialização, instilação de esperança, altruísmo, aprendizagem interpessoal e comportamento imitativo; as coordenadoras identificaram: coesão, compartilhamento de informações, universalidade e fatores existenciais. CONCLUSÃO: A identificação dos fatores terapêuticos é uma importante ferramenta que pode ser usada para avaliar se os membros estão se beneficiando de sua participação no grupo.

2012 National Society of Genetic Counselors Presidential Address: Maintaining Our Professional Identity in an Ever‐Expanding Genetics Universe

2012 National Society of Genetic Counselors Presidential Address: Maintaining Our Professional Identity in an Ever‐Expanding Genetics Universe

Use of Family History Information for Neural Tube Defect Prevention

Background: A family history of neural tube defects (NTDs) can increase the risk of a pregnancy affected by an NTD. Periconceptional folic acid use decreases this risk. Purpose: Our objective was to determine whether seconddegree relatives of NTD-affected children showed differences in folic acid use compared with the general population and to provide them with folic acid education. Methods: Michigan and Colorado health workers contacted families with a previous pregnancy or child affected by an NTD, identified through NTD recurrence prevention programs. Families were interviewed to identify the number of second-degree relatives of child-bearing age. Families mailed surveys to these relatives, who returned them to the state health departments. The survey assessed folic acid use, views on having an affected child, and reproductive planning. Folic acid education materials were sent to relatives who provided contact information. Results: Folic acid supplement use among relatives was similar to that of the general population, despite elevated risk perceptions. Discussion: Both state health departments plan to increase efforts to contact affected families and their relatives through partnerships with family support groups. Translation to Health Education Practice: Including outreach to second-degree relatives in NTD recurrence prevention programs could increase the impact of these programs.

An evaluation of a worksite exercise intervention using the social cognitive theory

Purpose: To increase exercise adherence among insufficiently active adult employees. Design: A quasi-experimental separate samples pre-test–post-test group design was used to compare treatment and comparison group. Setting: The worksite. Subjects: Employees ( n = 127) who did not meet current American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommendations for exercise. Intervention: An eight-week educational programme targeting the social cognitive theory constructs. Measures: Free-living exercise, self-regulation, self-efficacy, social support, and outcome expectations and expectancies. Measurement was at pre-test, post-test, one month and three months post-intervention. Analysis: One-way analysis of variance. Results: The treatment group reported important increases in exercise and mediators of exercise. There was a significant difference between groups for moderate intensity exercise and vigorous intensity exercise at post-test and follow-up ( p = .001). There was a significant difference between groups for self-regulation at post-test and follow-up ( p = .001). There was not a significant difference between groups for self-efficacy or outcome expectancies. Family and friend social support group differences were non-significant at post-test and one-month follow-up, but was significant difference at three-month follow-up ( p = .001). Outcome expectations and expectancies were non-significant at all time periods. Conclusion: The educational intervention was effective in increasing the exercise rates of employees at the worksite.

Family Support Groups: An Essential Contribution to Follow‐up Care

Family Support Groups: An Essential Contribution to Follow‐up Care

Development of a support group for stroke survivors and their carers and/or families

Aims: To develop a focussed support group for stroke survivors, their carers and families using participant's opinions to design and develop the service. Methods: All patients with a diagnosis of stroke or at high risk of transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and their carers were invited to attend a monthly meeting. A structured programme was created for each session. All participants recruited have been seen as either inpatients or outpatients at Imperial College healthcare NHS trust Results: 84 participants have to date attended the Stroke Support Group over 6 months. The participants were made up of ex-patients, carers, high-risk TIA patients and inpatients. Conclusions: Patients were not afraid to speak out as the groups were not too big. Illustration of information in Powerpoint pictures was useful for clarification and better understanding. Patients found the doctors' session most informative. Patients found it worthwhile to share similar experiences. Inpatients generally appreciated receiving information in a setting different from the ward. Recommendations: Too much statistical information on slides was not favourable in view of low concentration span. Future plans: Plans to provide a similar service at the other sites in the trust are underway. The provision of an evening session to benefit patients and carers that work is being reconsidered. A clinical nurse specialist-led surgery for ‘drop-in’ clinics in the evenings on the stroke wards is to be considered to provide support for inpatients and their carers planning discharge.

Unmet Health Services Needs Experienced by Puerto Rican OEF/OIF Veterans and Families Post Deployment

This study examined perceptions of unmet health services needs among native Puerto Rican Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Veterans and family members (FMs) post deployment. Investigators used qualitative methods to collect and analyze data from 8 veterans and 8 FMs (N = 16). All participants were native-born residents of Puerto Rico. Investigators conducted single, in-depth interviews with participants. They conducted 13/16 interviews in Spanish. Puerto Rican-Spanish speakers transcribed audio-taped interviews verbatim and then translated them into English for coding. Veterans' unmet needs included psychological evaluations, mental health services, support groups, medical evaluations, and pain treatment. Denial and stigma emerged as factors that deter Veterans from seeking mental health treatment. The need for family support groups also emerged from the data. Native Puerto Rican Veterans and FMs identified several gaps in health services. Findings suggest the need for studies comparing the health services needs of Puerto Rican versus mainland OEF/OIF Veterans and families.

Nuchal translucency measurement in fetuses with spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder with a high carrier frequency in the general population. The severity of this disorder indicates the importance of early prenatal detection. In medical literature, there are a few published case reports of enlarged nuchal translucency (NT) measurement in association with a diagnosis of SMA in the fetus. Our goal is to determine whether SMA in infants is associated with a history of an increased NT measurement during pregnancy. Using contact information obtained through SMA family support groups, women who had recently given birth to infants affected with SMA were identified and queried about NT ultrasound results during the pregnancy. NT values were confirmed via ultrasound report to determine whether SMA was associated with a history of an enlarged NT measurement. Twelve SMA affected infants with confirmed NT results during the pregnancy were identified. All fetuses had normal NT values ranging from 0.7 to 2.4 mm. In this series, SMA did not appear to be associated with an enlarged NT.

Use of Alzheimer family support group by community-residing caregivers

Use of Alzheimer family support group by community-residing caregivers

A Family Support Group for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia: Experiences in Western Australia

A Family Support Group for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia: Experiences in Western Australia

Treating Difficult Cases in a Psychoeducational Family Support Group for Serious Mental Illness

Research findings on family psychoeducation as evidence-based treatment for serious mental illnesses and benefits for families of peer-led family education groups are presented. Because major psychiatric disorders frequently are long term with episodic crises, caregivers have ongoing needs for support to enhance time-limited interventions. This article describes a continuous psychoeducational family support group that gives prolonged assistance and also helps problem families who reject family therapy. Three case examples are given of such families and the contributions of the group in effecting change. It is suggested that mental health systems incorporate psychoeducational support groups for family caregivers in standard practice.

Quality of Life in Spite of an Unpredictable Future

The aim of the study was to describe the quality of life of the next of kin of patients diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis (MS). Forty-four next of kin were interviewed and thereafter answered the Subjective Quality of Life questionnaire. The next of kin's quality of life emerged as good in terms of both external conditions and interpersonal relationships in both the interviews and the Subjective Quality of Life. In the interviews, most of the next of kin indicated a trusting and secure relationship with the cohabiting partner, but others described a strained situation with an unsatisfactory married/cohabiting life. There was worry about a worsening of the relationship in the future. In addition, the next of kin spoke of a decrease in freedom, self-actualization, and security, also of a more negative general mood and negative emotional experiences. The results of the questionnaire showed that a sense of engagement in life, having energy, self-actualization, self-assuredness, self-acceptance, security, and general mood were significantly correlated with quality of life as a whole. The study confirms that MS is a disease affecting the whole family, and the next of kin were living in uncertainty, facing an unpredictable future. The nurses could start family support groups and help the next of kin to look after their own health, giving advice on health-promoting behavior to make it possible for the person with MS to live at home even if the illness becomes worse.

Spotlight on disease‐specific cancer organizations

Spotlight on disease‐specific cancer organizations

Non-syndromic cleft lip and palate: Could stress be a causal factor?

The aetiology of non-syndromic cleft lip and palate has as yet not been clearly defined. Familial relationships, environmental toxins and nutritional status have all been considered without conclusive results, although in some studies a potential link between non-syndromic cleft lip and palate and any one or more of these factors has been proposed. Elevated stress, particularly an extended term of traumatic stress, can lead to oxidative damage at the cellular level via hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, high cortisol and cytokine production. The effect of this hormonal shift is to re-direct the blood supply to the mother's muscles, thereby reducing the supply to the placenta, causing a potential nutritional deficiency which may then result in a genetic alteration in the foetus. Mothers with a child aged two years or younger who had been born with a cleft, who were members of CleftPals, a family support group, volunteered to be participants in this qualitative study. The research first called for a survey to be completed by the mother and this was then followed by an interview conducted by the researcher. The study involved families living in the three eastern States of Australia. The results suggest that physical and/or emotional stress may well be implicated in clefting. While little work has been done in considering stress as a causal factor, the existing literature suggests, as does this study, that elevated stress levels at, or soon after, conception appear to affect foetal development.

Developing family support groups in the ICU

Having a family member in the ICU can be one of the most stressful times for a family. Here's how nurses at one facility developed a family support group to help families during this difficult time.

Promoting Healthy Self-Acceptance of Hearing Loss for Students in Schools

Educational audiologists and professionals who work closely with children who have hearing loss are in a unique position to help facilitate positive acceptance of hearing loss in a nonprofessional counselor's role. To help in this role, it is important to understand how families and children with hearing loss cope with the hearing loss and how to reach the point of a healthy self-concept. Personal experiences of living with a hearing loss are discussed by the author. The importance of support groups for families and students with hearing loss and additional strategies are suggested.

Influence of family support on psychology and life quality of patients with diabetic retinopathy

Objective To investigate the influence of family support on the psychology and life quality of patients with diabetic retinopathy. Methods To survey the family support status, psychological status and quality of life by the questionnaire among 86 cases of diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients and to do the correlation analysis. Results Most of the dimension scores and total score of CLVQOL of the group of low score of family support (33 cases) were significantly lower than the group of high score of family support (53 cases). The score of somatization, compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, paranoia, psychosis and the SCL-90 total score of family support group with low scores was significantly higher than the family support group with high scores. Conclusions The family support can help maintain and improve the quality of life and the status of mental health of patients. Health care workers should pay more attentions to the guidance and education of the DR family members of patients to enhance the awareness of timely improved family support, to ensure the provision of high quality family support and promote the quality of life of patients. Key words: Family support; Diabetic retinopathy; Quality of life

Grupo de suporte como estratégia para acolhimento de familiares de pacientes em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva

Internações em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) geram necessidades em familiares, nem sempre apropriadamente atendidas. O trabalho objetivou descrever grupo de suporte (GS) para acolhimento de familiares de pacientes internados em UTIs, e avaliar sua efetividade para satisfação de suas necessidades de informação/apoio emocional. Pesquisa descritiva desenvolvida em 2006, em Hospital de Goiânia/GO, por meio de sessões do Grupo de Apoio aos Familiares (GRAF), gravadas e registradas em diário de campo para análise do processo grupal, e de entrevistas individuais para avaliar atendimento das necessidades de informações e suporte. O GRAF possibilitou atendimento às necessidades dos familiares, ajudando-os no enfrentamento da internação do parente em UTI. Concluiu-se que GS colaboram para construção da assistência humanizada, possibilitando a superação do olhar historicamente centrado no paciente e na doença. Recomenda-se que os enfermeiros reflitam sobre reorganização da prática e possibilidade de inclusão do GS como estratégia de atendimento às necessidades dos familiares.

Enhancing Pediatric Mental Health Care: Strategies for Preparing a Primary Care Practice

In 2004, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Board of Directors formed the Task Force on Mental Health and charged it with developing strategies to improve the quality of child and adolescent mental health* services in primary care. The task force acknowledged early in its deliberations that enhancing the mental health care that pediatricians and other primary care clinicians† provide to children and adolescents will require systemic interventions at the national, state, and community levels to improve the financing of mental health care and access to mental health specialty resources. Systemic strategies toward achieving these improvements are the subject of other publications of the task force: “ Strategies for System Change in Children's Mental Health: A Chapter Action Kit ” (chapter action kit),1 “Improving Mental Health Services in Primary Care: Reducing Administrative and Financial Barriers to Access and Collaboration,”2 and “Enhancing Pediatric Mental Health Care: Strategies for Preparing a Community.”3 The task force also recognized that enhanced mental health practice will require competencies not currently achieved by many primary care clinicians; in the policy statement “The Future of Pediatrics: Mental Health Competencies for Pediatric Primary Care,”4 the task force collaborated with the AAP Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health to outline these competencies and propose strategies for achieving them. This report offers strategies for preparing the primary care practice itself for provision of enhanced mental health care services. The task force proposes incrementally applying chronic care principles to the care of children with mental health and substance abuse problems as primary care clinicians apply them to the care of children with chronic medical conditions such as asthma. Most primary care clinicians will find that significant gaps exist between their current practice and the proposed ideal. The task force offers guidance in … Address correspondence to Jane Meschan Foy, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157. E-mail: jmfoy{at}wfubmc.edu

Social Comparison within Self-help Groups

This study used a qualitative approach to examine the experiences of parents participating as members of the Duchenne Family Support Group (DFSG), with a focus on whether social comparison occurred within this group. Eight parents were interviewed about their experiences of being a member. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes inductively. The study uncovered a wide range of social comparisons, including upward and downward comparisons on illness and coping dimensions, with both positive and negative affects. The results highlighted the complexity of socially comparing within the context of chronic illness, particularly in an illness in which deterioration is inevitable.