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Biomedical subjects

E K Hamera

Publications and source records attributed to E K Hamera.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Validity of self-administered symptom scales in clients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders.

Few studies have used self-administered symptom scales as outcome measures with individuals who have schizophrenia. However, with the increase in community-based treatment for the serious and persistently mentally ill and the emphasis on client empowerment, their ability to monitor and report symptoms needs to be assessed. Two forms of self-administered items, symptom distress statements and symptom intensity statements, were formed from 10 BPRS symptoms and administered to 29 individuals with schizophrenia. Both forms of self-administered items were highly correlated with BPRS items, supporting concurrent validity. Self-administered responses for positive symptoms of schizophrenia and nonpsychotic symptoms may be more valid than self-administered responses for negative or deficit symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Descriptions of wellness by individuals with schizophrenia.

A major challenge in the rehabilitation of individuals with schizophrenia is to establish a system of monitoring disease status so interventions can be instituted to prevent disease exacerbation and to promote healthier functioning. Monitoring illness status has primarily focused on indicators of illness. The aim of the present study was to determine what individuals with schizophrenia described as evidence of wellness to generate descriptors for a wellness questionnaire. Twenty participants diagnosed with schizophrenia and living in a community setting were interviewed about their descriptors of wellness. Coding of transcriptions of the interviews yielded two major categories of wellness: Statements related to the reduction or absence of troublesome (illness) indicators and statements related to the presence of helpful or positive (wellness) indicators. Three subcategories, thoughts, feelings, and actions or behaviors emerged under both major categories. The majority of wellness descriptions focused on the presence of wellness and were actions or behaviors.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Symptom monitoring in schizophrenia: potential for enhancing self-care.

In this study a symptom self-regulation model was used as a framework to examine the characteristics and stability of indicators of illness identified by individuals with schizophrenia. Subjects were interviewed to determine if they could identify indicators of illness and describe characteristics of their primary indicator. Primary indicators of illness from 51 subjects were categorized as anxiety-based, depressive, or psychotic. Subjects who identified psychotic indicators were more confident that their indicator occurred when they were getting ill than subjects with anxiety-based or depressive indicators, and subjects who identified psychotic and depressive indicators reported that their indicators were more troublesome than those identifying anxiety-based indicators. Anxiety-based indicators were reported by subjects to occur more frequently than indicators from the other two categories. Findings from a follow-up interview of 28 subjects 1 year later showed that approximately half reported either the same primary indicator of illness or identified an indicator in the same category (anxiety-based, depressive, or psychotic) as they had 1 year previously. The implications of the findings for enhancing self-care through monitoring symptoms are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Symptom beliefs and actual blood glucose in type II diabetes.

The relationships of blood glucose levels to symptoms and symptom beliefs were examined in this study of persons (N = 51) with Type II diabetes. Analyses revealed that 88% of the subjects had at least one symptom that was substantially correlated with blood glucose levels. However, subjects' symptom beliefs (symptoms subjects believe are the best indicators of high or low blood glucose levels) were largely unrelated to actual blood glucose levels. Thus, subjects were often mistaken about which of their symptoms were accurate indicators of blood glucose levels. Analyses also showed that the accuracy of symptom beliefs for low blood glucose was positively related to metabolic control.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Enhancing self-care in diabetes management using self-regulatory processes.

Findings from recent research on the self-regulatory process in Type II diabetes mellitus have clinical relevance for nurses and other diabetes educators. We analyzed a symptom self-regulation model and its relationship to demographic and therapeutic variables in persons with Type II diabetes mellitus. The model suggested that when such diabetic clients experienced disease-related symptoms, they used these symptoms as signals of abnormal blood glucose and took action to relieve these symptoms and improve their blood-glucose level. These actions were often judged by the investigators to have no immediate effect on blood-glucose level or, in some cases, to potentially worsen blood glucose. In this article, intervention strategies for nurses and other professionals engaged in diabetic education are developed to improve objective validation of symptom accuracy and to modify some perceptions held by the client with noninsulin-dependent diabetes and, in particular, those clients using oral agents.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Symptom use and self-regulation in type II diabetes.

A model of self-regulation that explains the health behavior of type II diabetic patients was tested by examining the use of symptoms as indicators of perceived blood glucose levels in 38 outpatients. Results of the study supported the self-regulation model by demonstrating that patients use symptoms to monitor blood glucose levels and to guide diabetes-related actions. Implications of the model for planning interventions with type II diabetes are discussed.

Attitude to Health↗