Mary T. Westbrook

The application of content analysis scales to life stress research

Application of the Gottschalk-Gleser scales to life stress research has led to greater use being made of anxiety subscale scores, the development of additional content analysis scales measuring cognitive anxiety and positive affect, and toe use of a cost ratio to express peoples overall experience of an event. Methods for studying affective reactions over time and for eliciting verbal samples for retrospective research are discussed and some Australian normative data given.

Socioeconomic differences in coping with childbearing.

The socioeconomic status of 200 women, who were completing a childbearing year, was found to be significantly associated with their attitudes, affective arousal and coping strategies. Differences in attitude existed toward 11 of 18 aspects of childbearing, working-class women holding more positive attitudes with the exception of their negative attitudes concerning physical problems and labor. Affective arousal, as measured by the application of 12 content analysis scales to the womens recollections, was greatest among working-class women who experienced more mutation, guilt, and total anxiety. This was associated with their tendency to avoid confrontation and be fatalistic in dealing with problems. They were less likely to exhibit instrumental coping by attending prenatal classes, seeking information, or planning. Interactions of socioeconomic status, type of problem, and coping strategy chosen occurred, as did some variations in the reactions of middle- and upper middle-class women.

A survey of post-poliomyelitis sequelae: Manifestations, effects on people's lives and responses to treatment

An Australia-wide questionnaire survey was conducted of 318 people who contracted polio between 1907 and 1962. It examined their medical histories, post-polio symptoms, effects of these symptoms on respondents lives, and treatments found to be effective or ineffective. The average respondent was experiencing increasing muscle weakness, pain and fatigue. These imposed major restrictions on daily living activities and resulted in fear and depression. Physiotherapists were the allied health professionals most likely to be consulted. Physiotherapy was rated as providing considerable or some relief by a relatively high proportion (80 per cent) of clients but it also attracted criticism primarily due to vigorous exercise programs that increased fatigue and weakness. Aspects of the care of people with late effects of polio are discussed.

Patterns of psychological reaction to asthma in children

Asthmatic children were matched with a group of nonasthmatic children for sex and age. Scores on content analysis scales representing nine emotional elements on their reactions were compared. Lack of emotional expression was hypothesized but not observed in the asthmatics. The main pattern of reaction identified was of directly and indirectly expressed anger and statements of helplessness, yet many expressions of competence and good feelings. This pattern did not vary according to sex or grade of the children, but only according to age. Preadolescent asthmatic children showed more depression and fewer good feelings than the younger children, and their characteristic pattern was dominated by indirectly expressed anger.

MALE STUDENTS IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES: A COMPARISON WITH FEMALE HEALTH SCIENCE STUDENTS AND MALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Increasing numbers of males are entering the health sciences, particularly Physiotherapy. Fifteen males commencing such courses were compared with 252 female students and 30 male university students. Their backgrounds, career aspirations and attitudes were investigated in an attempt to explain their career choices and consider possible future effects on the health professions. Male health science students were older, came from large families of lower socio-economic status and were more likely to aspire to leadership positions than female students. None of the characteristics of females who enter male-dominated occupations were found to distinguish males making atypical career choices. It is suggested that the findings have implications for the future of Physiotherapy, particularly in regard to leadership positions.

Analyzing affective responses to past events: women's reactions to a childbearing year.

Applied content analysis scales on the work of Gottschalk and Gleser (1969) to 200 womens recollections of four stages of a recently completed child-bearing year. On 11 of 13 affective indices, significant differences were found. Pregnancy was characterized by diffuse and cognitive anxiety and hostility directed inward, and labor by mutilation anxiety. During both pregnancy and labor, general anxiety, death anxiety, ambivalent hostility, and affective costs were comparatively high. Mothers revealed least affective arousal during hospitalization. Considerable guilt and shame anxiety were experienced in the months after the birth.

WORK EXPERIENCES OF RECENT PHYSIOTHERAPY GRADUATES

Eighteen months after the completion of their training in 1978, 62 per cent of B App Sc (Cumb) graduates in physiotherapy responded to a questionnaire investigating their work experiences, attitudes and plans. All except 8 per cent were currently employed, and 15 per cent had experienced involuntary unemployment. Satisfaction with the job and career choice was high but there was least gratification regarding work aspects considered the most important. The most frequently cited work stressors were feelings of inadequacy, depression and irritation regarding patients and work overload. The majority of graduates planned to specialize and undertake further study. Many were undecided in their attitudes toward their profession and 39 per cent had not joined the Association. Some attitude changes had occurred since graduation.

Psychological States in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus differs from many other chronic diseases in that it is accepted medical practice to involve patients suffering from it in monitoring and treating their own condition [1, 2]. This is especially so if the diabetes is of the insulin-dependent type [3], for which patients are required, when possible, to learn to administer injections of insulin to themselves. Even patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes are encouraged by medical and nursing practitioners to test their own blood sugar levels, take care of parts of their bodies which are made especially vulnerable by the disease, such as their feet, and to have an understanding of the disease process and how it affects them. Often these skills are developed and supported through self-help groups, such as the Diabetic Associations throughout Australia, and publications about diabetes for nonprofessionals, such as their magazine Diabetes Conquest. Encouragement of active participation in their treatment by patients through information-seeking and through mastery of illness-related skills is relatively rare among current chronic illness management practices in our society [4–7].

Changes in sex-role stereotypes from health to illness

Abstract The personality characteristics of the average healthy and the average sick male or female were rated on the Bern Sex Role Inventory [1] by 112 health professionals and 112 non-health professionals, half of whom were males and half females. Scores for masculinity, femininity, degree of sex typing (own sex minus opposite sex traits) and social desirability for healthy and sick males and females were analysed using 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 factorial analyses of variance. When ill, both sexes were perceived as having less masculine and less feminine characteristics but the relatively greater loss of masculinity by males resulted in men being perceived as less sex-typed. The sex-typing of women did not alter with illness, supporting the hypothesis that men suffer a loss of sexual identity when ill. The sick were perceived as having less socially desirable traits than the healthy. Compared to other groups, female health professionals showed a bias against both healthy and ill males by attributing less socially desirable traits to them.

Private physiotherapy: characteristics of a sample of practitioners and their practices.

Responses to a questionnaire by 71 private practitioners indicated that the average practitioner was aged 38.6, graduated in 1967, had worked professionally for 14.8 years of which 8.8 years were spent in private practice. Some respondents (19 per cent) owned multiple practices, 48 per cent employed other therapists and 30 per cent had specialised practices. The average practice treated 93 patients a week in 40 minute consultations. The average respondent used 2.5 techniques from other areas of health care and owned 8 machines. Doctors referred 88 per cent of patients but 47.5 per cent of practitioners reported good effects from first contact status. Membership of professional associations was high. Female therapists were more likely to practice part-time and had less affiliations with community groups.