Biomedical subjects

V Florian

Publications and source records attributed to V Florian.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1995

Does hardiness contribute to mental health during a stressful real-life situation? The roles of appraisal and coping.

Israeli recruits (N = 276) completed questionnaires on hardiness, mental health, cognitive appraisal, and ways of coping at the beginning and end of a demanding, 4-month combat training period. Path analysis revealed that 2 components of hardiness--commitment and control measured at the beginning of the training--predicted mental health at the end of the training through the mediation of appraisal and coping variables. Commitment improved mental health by reducing the appraisal of threat and the use of emotion-focused strategies and by increasing secondary appraisal. Control improved mental health by reducing the appraisal of threat and by increasing secondary appraisal and the use of problem-solving and support-seeking strategies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1995

Effects of adult attachment style on the perception and search for social support.

Effects of adult attachment style on the perception of and search for social support were examined. One hundred and fifty undergraduate students completed self-report scales tapping their attachment styles, the extent to which they perceive the availability of emotional and instrumental support from significant figures (father, mother, same-sex friend, opposite-sex friend, romantic partner), and the extent to which they look for instrumental and emotional assistance in times of need. Findings showed that secure persons perceived higher levels of emotional and instrumental support from the assessed figures and reported seeking more emotional and instrumental support than avoidant and ambivalent persons did. Results are discussed in the context of an attachment perspective of social support.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Women with chronic physical disabilities: correlates of their long-term psychosocial adaptation.

The main purpose of the present study was to examine the accountability of demography, disability status, and internal resources to the long-term psychosocial adaptation of women with chronic physical disabilities. Eighty-eight married women, with orthopaedic, neurological and internal chronic diseases, completed questionnaires dealing with demographic and disability characteristics, sense of coherence, and personal and familial adaptation. The results indicate that sense of coherence and socioeconomic index, rather than disability status variables, account significantly for the explained variance of adaptational outcome.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1993

[Secondary traumatization among wives of soldiers with combat stress reaction].

While the long-term effects of war-related psychic trauma on veterans have been studied extensively, the impact of the results of the trauma on wives has received only minimal attention. The implications of combat-induced stress reaction and post-traumatic stress disorder were examined in a sample of 212 wives of Israeli veterans of the 1982 Lebanon War. Both types of reaction in husbands were found to be associated with increased psychiatric and somatic symptoms in their wives.

Combat Disorders↗

PubMed1993

Attachment styles, coping strategies, and posttraumatic psychological distress: the impact of the Gulf War in Israel.

This study examines the association between adult attachment style and the way people reacted to the Iraqi missile attack on Israel during the Gulf War. One hundred forty Israeli students were interviewed 2 weeks after the war and classified according to their attachment style (secure, avoidant, or ambivalent) and residence area (dangerous vs. less dangerous). Ambivalent people reported more distress than secure people. Avoidant persons reported higher levels of somatization, hostility, and trauma-related avoidance than secure persons. These results characterized Ss living in dangerous areas. In addition, secure people used relatively more support-seeking strategies in coping with the trauma, ambivalent people used more emotion-focused strategies, and avoidant people used more distancing strategies. Findings are discussed in terms of attachment working models.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1992

TGA cysteine codons and intron sequences in conserved and nonconserved positions are found in macronuclear RNA polymerase genes of Euplotes octocarinatus.

The gene sequences of the second largest subunits of RNA polymerases I and II of Euplotes octocarinatus, RPA2 and RPB2, were determined and compared to the respective known sequences of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The similarity of the derived polypeptide sequences permitted their assignment to the respective polymerases and allowed the comparison of the zinc binding regions. In frame TGA codons were detected, which are likely to encode conserved cysteinyl residues in the putative zinc-finger region of the RPA2 gene. They were also found in other positions in both the RPA2 and RPB2 genes. The RPB2 gene contains a 30 bp intron close to the 5'-end of its coding region. The 5'-ends of the coding regions of all three genes encoding the largest subunits of the three different polymerases were also analyzed. The zinc finger structures again show the use of TGA codons for conserved cysteinyl residues in two of the genes. An N-terminal intron is located in the RPB1 gene at a conserved position as compared to the respective genes of several other eucarya.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

Early life experiences and residential stability: a ten-year perspective on sheltered care.

The effects of early family losses and disruptions on the ability of seriously mentally disabled individuals to achieve stable living arrangements were investigated. Factors found to predict instability were early losses, early disruptions, psychological symptoms, and youth. Among factors found to predict stability were increased age and a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

From front line to home front: a study of secondary traumatization.

While the long-term effects of combat trauma on veterans have been studied extensively, its impact on veterans' wives has yet to be investigated. This study examined the implications of combat-induced psychopathology--wartime combat stress reaction (CSR) and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)--in a sample of 205 wives of Israeli combat veterans of the 1982 Lebanon war. Results show that both CSR and PTSD were associated with increased psychiatric symptoms in the wives. In addition, current PTSD was particularly found to contribute to impaired social relations among veterans' wives in a broad range of contexts, from inner feelings of loneliness, through impaired marital and family relations, and extending to the wider social network. Implications of these findings for treatment and further research are discussed.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1992

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease--psycho-social issues and treatment goals.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the major chronic debilitating diseases frequently seen in hospital settings. The disease appears usually after the age of fifty and often predicts a shortened life span. The present paper is a review of the literature relating to the psychological aspects of this disease. The impact on psychosocial coping and adaptation will be discussed, specifically the effects on marital and sexual functioning and the quality of life of the patient. Psycho-social treatment goals useful to the COPD patient and his family will be raised and elaborated on.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1991

Loneliness and social support of mothers of chronically ill children.

To address the problem of loneliness and social support in mothers of chronically ill children, we interviewed 90 mothers, among them 33 whose children suffered from a chronic life-threatening disease and 57 whose children had a chronic illness. In addition, we conducted home interviews with a control group of 92 mothers of healthy children. In responding to questions on the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, the mothers of children with either chronic life-threatening or chronic illness revealed higher loneliness than the mothers of healthy children. Larger social networks and perceived greater support was reported by mothers whose children had a chronic life-threatening disease. In this group, no significant relationship was found between the variables of loneliness and social support; whereas, in the group with chronically ill children, and in the controls, a significant inverse relationship between the two variables was noted. Mothers of children with chronic life-threatening diseases may become subject to higher existential loneliness.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1991

Long-term psychosocial adjustment to coronary artery disease.

Personality hardiness, which has been conceptualized as a potential internal resource facilitating stress resistance, was examined in conjunction with Type A behavior, perceived family cohesion and adaptability, and sociodemographic and medical variables to assess the independent differential correlations of these factors with long-term psychosocial adjustment to coronary artery disease. One hundred twenty-eight patients completed the third generation Hardiness Scale, together with questionnaires measuring Type A behavior, perceived family cohesion and adaptability, and psychosocial adjustment to illness. The results showed that personality hardiness was the most salient correlate of psychosocial adjustment. High hardiness scores were associated with good adjustment to the various life domains. Angina severity accounted for the variance in social domains, but not the psychologic distress domain. Type A behavior, both dimensions of perceived family dynamics, and the sociodemographic variables did not have a significant role in explaining the variance in psychosocial adjustment. We conclude that personality hardiness could serve as a valid indicator of long-term psychosocial adjustment in patients with coronary artery disease.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1987

Changing high school students' attitudes toward disabled people.

The modification of social stereotypes is a difficult challenge and has traditionally been attempted by means of individual methods such as the provision of factual information. In the study reported here, three different methods of influencing attitudes were combined in an effort to modify high school students' attitudes toward the disabled. Results suggest that combining methods has potential for success.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

Self-reported assertion of males with and without a physical disability: a cross-cultural study.

The purpose of the present study was to compare the level of assertion among four different groups of male subjects: Arab and Jewish Israelis with and without a physical disability. A total of 189 subjects participated in the present study: 42 Israeli Arabs and 40 Israeli Jews with a physical disability and the remaining 107 served as control groups. Subjects filled out the Assertion Inventory (Gambrill and Richey, 1975). A significant interaction between cultural affiliation and physical disability was found. The Arab subjects without a physical disability reported the lowest level os assertion compared to the other three research groups. This finding is discussed on the basis of different cultural demands for social behavior particularly in regard to physical disability.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Time allocation patterns of occupational therapists in Israel: implications for job satisfaction.

This study analyzes the time allocation patterns at work of a sample group of Israeli occupational therapists who function in different roles and specialty areas. The sample consisted of 89 female occupational therapists working in the areas of physical impairment, rehabilitation, psychiatry, and pediatrics. Subjects recorded all of their activities during one work week and rated 23 previously identified occupational therapy activities according to perceived levels of importance. The results indicated that, on the whole, occupational therapists in all areas devoted at least two-thirds of their time to treatment-related activities (direct and indirect treatment). The results led us to conclude that the time allocation patterns used may have been conducive to "burnout." Therefore, to facilitate professional growth, we recommend that priorities be set and followed and also that role definitions be adhered to more strictly.

Burnout, Professional↗

PubMed1985

Reasons for patient referral to occupational therapy units by health care professionals.

This study sought to discover the main reasons four professional groups--physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and mental health professionals--referred patients to occupational therapy services. A total of 162 subjects completed a specially devised questionnaire listing various reasons for referral. Seven factors were uncovered representing reasons for referring patients. Significant differences were found among professional groups and among the type of institutional settings--psychiatric, geriatric, or physical care. Interpretation of the results revealed one main motivation for referring patients to occupational therapists involving the contributions in the psychological aspects of patient care. Another major motivation for referral was the medical contributions of occupational therapy in improving physical functions. Physical therapists differed considerably from the three other professional groups, tending to place greater emphasis on referral motives related to the latter approach.

Female↗

PubMed1983

Non-disabled opinions on sexual activities and family roles for disabled persons, and disabled persons' views of these opinions.

The aim of the present study was to investigate non-disabled persons' opinions about sexual activities and family roles for the disabled, and then to compare them with disabled persons' views of these same opinions. The sample consisted of 103 persons with visible orthopaedic disabilities in the lower limbs, and 124 non-disabled persons who were chosen to match the characteristics of the disabled group. The subjects responded to statements on sexual activities and family roles with which they indicated agreement or disagreement. Overall, the results indicated the existence of a consistent discrepancy between disabled assumptions about the opinions of the non-disabled persons and the actual opinions expressed by non-disabled subjects.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1983

Sex counseling: comparison of attitudes of disabled and nondisabled subjects.

The present study compared the views on sex counseling of a group of 103 orthopedically disabled persons and a group of 124 nondisabled persons. Subjects responded to a specially constructed questionnaire covering several issues related to sex counseling. Disabled persons preferred that the counseling be by a physician, rather than by a psychologist or social worker and that the counseling begin as late as ages 16-18, and they were less interested than nondisabled persons in counseling on sexual functioning and establishing a family. The responses of disabled persons were interpreted as indicating their greater anxiety toward the sensitive issue of sex. It was concluded that training programs for professionals--particularly physicians--who deal in sex counseling should include instruction about disabled persons and about the influence of cultural background on clients' attitudes towards sex counseling.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

Objective obstacles in hiring disabled persons -- the employers' point of view.

In the comprehensive rehabilitation process, one of the most accepted criteria for success or failure is the suitable placement of the client in the open employment market. The present study examined employer's attitudes toward hiring disabled persons. The sample consisted of 233 employers in the public and private sectors of the Israeli economy, and the method entailed interviewing each employer about his attitudes toward the risks of employing disabled persons, his actual hiring practices, and his expected response to financial aid for surmounting technical obstacles (architectural barriers and inappropriate work methods and tools). Interpretation of the results indicated that employers' reluctance to hire disabled employees was often explained by the existence of technical obstacles. However, when the possibility of financial aid for eliminating these obstacles was proposed, the employers responded with reservation. Although Israeli has mandated legislation requiring the employment of disabled war veterans, not all employers were aware of this, and almost half of those who were did not employ disabled persons. Evidently, legislation does not suffice in order to ensure actual hiring of disabled persons. In order to increase compliance with the law, and to encourage hiring of disabled persons who are not war veterans, it was suggested that more information be provided to the employers on the possibilities of employing disabled persons, with emphasis placed on the positive aspects of the disabled worker's true potential. Additional methods that should be applied to encourage employment include appropriate vocational training of disabled persons themselves and demonstration before the employers of the practical conditions under which successful employment is possible.

Architectural Accessibility↗