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Biomedical subjects

J R Bloom

Publications and source records attributed to J R Bloom.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

The relationship of social support and health.

The objective of this research note is to challenge the research community to develop a cumulative body of knowledge on the relationship between social support and health. Fruitful approaches to this end include further explication of the concept of social support and its measurement, studies of the causal pathways between social supports and health, and further understandings of the relationship between the different dimensions of support and mental and physical health.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Effect of psychosocial treatment on survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

The effect of psychosocial intervention on time of survival of 86 patients with metastatic breast cancer was studied prospectively. The 1 year intervention consisted of weekly supportive group therapy with self-hypnosis for pain. Both the treatment (n = 50) and control groups (n = 36) had routine oncological care. At 10 year follow-up, only 3 of the patients were alive, and death records were obtained for the other 83. Survival from time of randomisation and onset of intervention was a mean 36.6 (SD 37.6) months in the intervention group compared with 18.9 (10.8) months in the control group, a significant difference. Survival plots indicated that divergence in survival began at 20 months after entry, or 8 months after intervention ended.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1988

Organisation turnover among registered nurses: an exploratory model.

In light of current concerns over nursing shortages and productivity, turnover among hospital nurses has assumed renewed importance as a managerial issue. This study examines the thesis that organisation of hospital work is a determinant of voluntary turnover among registered nurses. This perspective differs from previous work in this area in that both turnover and its determinants are conceptualised at the organisational rather than individual level, thus opening the way for administrative intervention to reduce turnover. The conceptual model is tested using multiple regression techniques on a sample of 310 community hospitals. Results suggest the importance of administrative work structures and the professionalisation of the workforce as contributors to higher turnover.

Hospital Bed Capacity↗
PubMed1984

The relationship of two dimensions of social support to the psychological well-being and social functioning of women with advanced breast cancer.

Of interest to the field is the mechanism through which social support acts as a resistance resource for individuals undergoing stressful life circumstances. Women with advanced breast cancer (N = 86) were interviewed to determine how their outlook on life and social functioning were affected by the social support they received. Emotional support provided by the family was predicted to affect the woman's sense of well-being whereas the opportunities for social exchange provided by one's social activities were expected to effect the woman's social functioning. Consistent with the predictions, the data indicate that social support is multidimensional. Emotional support was strongly related to one's outlook. However, one's opportunities for social exchange affect not only one's social functioning, but also one's outlook on life, suggesting an interactive process whereby family support improves outlook, both outlook and opportunities for social exchange are related to one's sense of social functioning. These data explain the erosion of social support during life-threatening illness such as cancer as a result of the limitations imposed by the illness on one's opportunities for social exchange.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1984

Inhibitory effect of inositol phosphates on parathyroid hormone-induced bone resorption in organ cultures.

This study investigates the ability of phytic acid, its inositol phosphate derivatives (inositol penta-, tetra-, tri-, di-, and monophosphate), and inorganic phosphate to inhibit parathyroid hormone (PTH)-induced resorption of fetal rat long bones in organ culture. Pregnant rats injected with 45Ca on the 18th day of gestation were killed the next day and their fetuses removed. Half of each pair of dissected long bones was incubated in a chemically defined control medium, while the contralateral half was incubated in medium containing PTH or PTH plus the phosphate compound to be tested. 45Ca released into the medium was indicative of the amount of bone resorption. All phosphate compounds tested inhibited resorption. The inositol phosphates should be studied further to assess their suitability as therapeutic agents for treatment of metabolic bone diseases involving increased turnover.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Pain in metastatic breast cancer.

The pain experiences of 86 women with metastatic carcinoma of the breast were systematically evaluated over a period of one year. Fifty-six percent of the sample reported experiencing pain, and the intensity of pain was not significantly related to site of metastasis. Multiple regression analysis revealed that 50% of the variance in the pain experience was accounted for by: (1) the amount of mood disturbance as measured by the Profile of Mood States (POMS); (2) the patients' belief that the pain indicated worsening of the illness; and (3) the use of analgesic medication. The nature of family support, social functioning, and coping responses were not significantly associated with pain intensity, nor was mortality during the one-year follow-up period. These data document the significance of psychological factors in accounting for differences in pain experience and document the interaction between pain and mood disturbance. These findings suggest that treatment of metastatic pain should include attention to the patient's mood and adjustment to the illness.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

Group therapy and hypnosis reduce metastatic breast carcinoma pain.

The pain and mood disturbance of 54 women with metastatic carcinoma of the breast were studied over the course of one year. A random sample was offered weekly group therapy during the year, with or without self-hypnosis training directed toward enhancing their competence at mastering pain and stress related to cancer. Both treatment groups demonstrated significantly less self-rated pain sensation (t = 2.5 p less than 0.02) and suffering (t = 2.17, p less than 0.03) than the control sample. Those who were offered the self-hypnosis training as well as group therapy fared best in controlling the pain sensation (F = 3.1, p less than 0.05). Pain frequency and duration were not affected. Changes in pain measures were significantly correlated with changes in self-rated total mood disturbance on the Profile of Mood States and with its anxiety, depression, and fatigue subscales. Possible mechanisms for the effectiveness of these interventions are discussed.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1982

Social support, accommodation to stress and adjustment to breast cancer.

A woman's emotional adjustment to breast cancer is the focus of this study. The social support the woman experiences is predicted to affect the adjustment process by improving her ability to cope. Current clinical research indicates that background factors, such as marital status, age, SES and life change, also affect adjustment; these variables are incorporated into the model as controls. Using multiple regression analysis (N = 130), the control variables are entered simultaneously with the indicators of social support to assess the independent effect of social support on adjustment. The relationship between social support, coping, and adjustment, as measured by psychological distress, self concept, and sense of power, is then examined. Two indicators of social support, perception of family cohesiveness and the amount of social contact have direct effects on coping and indirect effects on all three measures of adjustment, indicating that coping mediates the relationship between social support and adjustment. Contrary to predictions, being employed and of higher social status have significant effects on adjustment when it is measured by either self concept or sense of power.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1981

Group support for patients with metastatic cancer. A randomized outcome study.

The effects of weekly supportive group meetings for women with metastatic carcinoma of the breast were systematically evaluated in a one-year, randomized, prospective outcome study. The groups focused on the problems of terminal illness, including improving relationships with family, friends, and physicians and living as fully as possible in the face of death. We hypothesized that this invention would lead to improved mood, coping strategies, and self-esteem among those in the treatment group. Eighty-six patients were tested at four-month intervals. The treatment group had significantly lower mood-disturbance scores on the Profile of Mood States scale, had fewer maladaptive coping responses, and were less phobic than the control group. This study provides objective evidence that a supportive group intervention for patients with metastatic cancer results in psychological benefit. Mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of this group intervention are explored.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1981

Hypertension labeling and sense of well-being.

Seventy-one individuals were mislabeled on the basis of a prevalence survey (N = 1,031) conducted in low-income community. They were told by a physician that they were hypertensive but were later judged normotensive on the basis of three blood pressure measures. None of these persons was taking antihypertensive medication or under medical care. Compared to the total normotensive sample, the mislabeled group reported more depressive symptoms (P = .005), lower present health (p = .001), and a worsening of their health over the past five years (p = .035). Compared to a control group matched on gender, age, ethnicity, education, and marital status, the mislabeled group reported even more depressive symptoms (p = .005), and lower present health (p = .034). They did not, however, have a worsening of health over the past five years (p = .074). These findings could not be explained by greater utilization of medical care or comorbidity. It is suggested that these findings are a result of people being falsely labeled as hypertensive.

Adult↗