Moderate Level Of Burden Research Articles

The affordability of prescription medicines in Australia: are copayments and safety net thresholds too high?

To create and report survey-based indicators of the affordability of prescription medicines for patients in Australia. A cross-sectional study of 1502 randomly selected participants in the Hunter Region of NSW, were interviewed by telephone. The self-reported financial burden of obtaining prescription medicines. Data collection was completed with a response rate of 59.0%. Participants who had received and filled at least one prescription medicine in the previous 3 months, and eligible for analysis (n=952), were asked to self-report the level of financial burden from obtaining these medicines. Extreme and heavy financial burdens were reported by 2.1% and 6.8% of participants, respectively. A moderate level of burden was experienced by a further 19.5%. Low burden was recorded for participants who said that their prescription medicines presented either a slight burden (29.0%) or were no burden at all (42.6%). A substantial minority of participants who had obtained prescription medicines in the 3 months prior to survey experienced a level of financial burden from the cost of these medicines that was reported as being moderate to extreme.

The effect of change in mental disorder status on change in spousal mental health: The HUNT study

Longitudinal research on caregiver burden related to mental disorders based on representative samples is scarce. Previous results on the development of burden over time are inconsistent. This article aims to establish whether change in mental disorder status in the index persons predicts subjective burden in their spouses in terms of changed mental health over a period of 11 years. We compared change in spousal mental health between four groups from a Norwegian population based sample of 9144 couples, in which the index persons suffered from mental disorder at the first, second, both, or none of the two measurement times. Mental disorder was defined by a high score on a measure of global mental health combined with self reported impaired functioning due to mental health problems. Spouses of index persons who suffered from mental disorder at the second but not the first measurement time reported moderately impaired mental health, but those spouses with few friends reported a more severe impairment. Spousal mental health in the other groups did not change significantly. Effect sizes were moderate. The findings suggest that spouses of mentally disordered individuals in general experience only moderate levels of burden, and that the transition into a caregiving role is the period in which spouses are vulnerable to negative effects on their mental health. The results point to the treatment of mental health problems in couples as a supplement or alternative to individual treatment.

Changes in affect and state anxiety across an in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle

To identify pattern of change in average positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and state anxiety (St ANX) across three biological end points of an IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure and to examine whether the pattern varied across sociodemographic and biomedical subgroups. Longitudinal follow-up study of PA, NA, and St ANX at three different time points: before start of study, before ovum pick-up (OPU), and before embryo transfer. Three infertility centers in northern India. Baseline data were obtained from a consecutive sample of 85 women. However, final analysis was done on data obtained from 74 women who reached the embryo transfer stage and completed the questionnaires at both OPU and embryo transfer. The PA, NA, and St ANX scores. Change in PA, NA, and St ANX scores at three stages of the treatment: baseline (T(0)), before OPU (T(1)), before embryo transfer (T(2)). The PA scores before OPU and embryo transfer were significantly lower than those at baseline. The mean NA and St ANX scores before OPU and embryo transfer were significantly higher than baseline scores. Furthermore, mean NA before embryo transfer was significantly higher than mean NA before OPU. The PA and St ANX scores showed statistically insignificance within cycle variations. Furthermore, the mean PA and St ANX for a subgroup of women who reported more than moderate level of burden were less variable. The OPU and embryo transfer stages are more stressful than the baseline stage for most women across various sociodemographic and biomedical subgroups. Women with more than a moderate level of financial burden were relatively more stable.

Private Prayer Among Alzheimer's Caregivers: Mediating Burden and Resiliency

ABSTRACT This study examined whether the coping method of private prayer served as a protective factor of resiliency among a sample (N = 304) of Alzheimer's caregivers. Participants in caregiver support groups completed questionnaires that assessed a number of constructs, including caregiving burden; prayer frequency; use of private prayer as a means of coping; and perceived resiliency. The sample averaged a moderate level of burden and a great extent of prayer usage. Caregiving burden had positively affected the extent of prayer usage and negatively influenced perceived resiliency. Findings from hierarchical regression analysis showed that caregiving burden and private prayer significantly influenced variation in perceived resiliency scores. Results from a regression equation series and path analysis provided support for prayer as a mediator between burden and perceived resiliency. Implications for social work practice and education are discussed.