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Biomedical subjects

M Oddy

Publications and source records attributed to M Oddy.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Rearranged marriages: marital relationships after head injury.

An in depth study of 18 heterosexual couples investigated the quality of the marital and sexual relationships 1-7 years after the male partner had suffered a severe head injury. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed and the focus was on the perspective of the uninjured female partner. The female partners reported both marital and sexual satisfaction as lower following injury. They rated their current marital satisfaction as significantly less than their brain injured partners. The quantitative part of the study revealed major role changes experienced by the women, with many comparing their new role to that of a parent with total decision making responsibility. The incompatibility of this role with that of sexual partner was mentioned by many. A tendency for the males to express gratitude but not to communicate their feelings was described by many women. Most women were resigned to the expectation that there would be little change in the future and, for most, the only positive aspect of the relationship was a sense of commitment and continuing companionship. The implications of the findings for rehabilitation and couple therapy are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1986

Employment status and psychological well-being: a longitudinal study of 16-year-old school leavers.

The relationship between employment status and psychological well-being is investigated in a longitudinal study of 16-year-old school leavers. Significant differences between employed, unemployed and government training scheme groups on a number of measures of well-being were found, these differences persisting after adjustment for individual differences and for other factors known to affect mental health. Implications for clinical practice and public health are considered and possible explanations for the poorer psychological health of the unemployed group are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Social adjustment after closed head injury: a further follow-up seven years after injury.

A group of severely head injured patients were reassessed 7 years after injury. This group was the same as that previously reported 2 years after injury. There was no change in their physical or cognitive status; personality problems were still commonly reported but the less disabled had made further progress in returning to their former level of vocational and social activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Do government training schemes for unemployed school leavers achieve their objectives? A psychological perspective.

The increasing rates of youth unemployment have given rise to concern in academic and political circles as well as amongst the general public. So much so that successive governments have introduced employment schemes specifically for this age group. Although a variety of opinions have been expressed concerning the value of such schemes and much thought and planning has gone into the design of successive generations of schemes, there appears to be little hard evidence concerning the effects they have on the well-being of young people. In the course of a study of the wider aspects of unemployment amongst school leavers, the authors collected evidence which they believe bears directly on this question. In a prospective study, which began by assessing fifth formers before they left school, it was found that in general those who went on to YOP schemes occupied an intermediate position between those who obtained work and those who remained unemployed, on a variety of measures of psychological well-being. However, it was found that those on Schemes were less likely than those in either of the other two groups to believe that they had a measure of personal control over their lives. The findings are discussed in relation to the design of employment schemes and the longer term implications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

The influence of a return to school on the long-term adjustment of school refusers.

There is currently a strong emphasis on an early return to school in the management of school refusers . However, many of the studies in this area show a certain similarity in that the efficacy of treatment is measured by the disappearance of school avoidance rather than the long-term adjustment of the child. Very few studies have followed the school refuser into adulthood and even fewer have looked at the prognostic implications of a return to school. This paper reports a study of 34 young people all of whom had been admitted to an in-patient adolescent unit because of school refusal. Half had returned to school and the other half had never done so. The influence of this return on their emotional and social adjustment in young adulthood was assessed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1984

Cognitive impairment in patients with severe migraine.

A controlled study of a group of patients with severe migraine revealed that they gave a consistently poorer performance on a series of memory and information-processing tests (12 subtests in all). Migraine sufferers were also found to differ from controls significantly on the anxiety, obsessionality and somatic scales of the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire, although it was considered unlikely that the differences in cognitive performance could be explained by these results.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Return to work after head injury: a review of post-war studies.

The literature on occupational resettlement after head injury is confounded by varying standards of clinical severity and social outcome. A comparison of eleven key studies in the light of the authors' own research yielded a success rate ranging from 50 to 99 per cent, but this was based on superficial evidence. A more searching enquiry is needed, using objective methods and avoiding the technical inadequacies of most previous work. This would be unlikely to challenge the importance of age and length of post-traumatic amnesia as determinants of return to work, but should lead to a better understanding of other factors such as previous occupational status, cognitive deficits and personality changes.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Social adjustment after rehabilitation: a two year follow-up of patients with severe head injury.

Forty-four young adults, admitted to a rehabilitation centre after very severe head injury, were followed-up 2 years after their accident. Comparison with a control group showed that the head injuried had experienced marked changes in work, leisure activities, contact with friends and family life. Though these changes still created problems, the majority of patients and relatives appeared to have made a number of successful adaptations to their altered situation. Neurophysical status, personality change and memory loss all affected work capacity, while presence of personality changes was especially important in the loss of pre-accident friendships.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Social recovery during the year following severe head injury.

A group of 54 patients who had suffered severe closed head injury (PTA >24 hours) were followed from the time of their injury for a period of two years. Relatives were interviewed within the first four weeks to assess the patient's previous personality and social adjustment. Patients and relatives were then assessed personally six and 12 months later and by postal questionnaires after two years. Only six patients were still not back at work after two years but more had not resumed all their leisure activities. Family relationships appeared to have settled down again by this stage but social contacts were still less frequent. Personality changes were associated with prior family relationships, cognitive changes with diminished social contacts whilst premorbid personality and physical deficits were associated with time taken to return to work.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1978

Subjective impairment and social recovery after closed head injury.

The level of social recovery achieved by a representative series of 50 young adults was assessed six months after a severe closed head injury (post-traumatic amnesia greater than 24 hours). Work, leisure activities, and contact with friends were the areas of life most affected, whereas family life and marital relationships appeared to withstand changes at this stage in the recovery process. Many patients were still suffering from subjective symptoms, but these appeared to have relatively minor effects on ability to resume normal activities. Physical disability was a much more important factor at this stage. A control group of patients with limb injuries suffered similar disruption of their lives, but reported few subjective complaints.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Stresses upon the relatives of head-injured patients.

As part of a prospective study of closed head injury, 54 relatives were interviewed within a month of the patient's accident and again six and twelve months later. The degree of stress on the relatives was measured by means of the Wakefield Depression Scale and by interview questions. The worst period of stress for the majority of relatives appeared to be during the first month after the accident. However, the degree of stress appeared to level off by the sixth month and no further diminution was found at twelve months. Stress was apparently mediated by the relatives' perception of personality changes and subjective defects. It was not affected by the severity of the head injury or associated disabilities, nor by whether the patient had resumed work and leisure activities. The nature of the stress is analysed and methods of alleviating it discussed.

Craniocerebral Trauma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The RCP stroke audit package in practice.

This paper describes the use of the Royal College of Physicians 'stroke audit package' in an audit of the care of 156 patients. Recording of history and management compared favourably with that recorded on the RCP database. For a number of items, recording was significantly improved when a locally developed 'checklist', based on the RCP standards, was utilised by trainee medical staff. Benefits of the audit package, and proposed changes in practice, are briefly outlined.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗