Rosemary Coates

Measurement of Aging Anxiety in an Elderly Australian Population

The purpose of this investigation was to modify an existing aging anxiety scale to produce an instrument specifically designed to assess aging anxiety in an elderly population. Existing instruments fail to consistently orientate aging associated threats into the future, and this poses a significant problem for the measurement of aging anxiety in the elderly population. It is proposed that this factor has confounded reports of the relationship between aging anxiety and advancing age. An existing valid and reliable instrument, the Anxiety about Aging Scale was modified for use with elderly respondents and tested on 123 independent community dwelling elderly individuals. The results indicated the modified scale provides a valid assessment of aging anxiety in the elderly.

The impact of gender on parent-child sexuality communication: Has anything changed?

Abstract The sexual health of adolescents remains a concern for health professionals as the new millennium, draws near, despite some improvements as a result of sexuality education. One strategy to improve sexual health outcomes for adolescents is parent-child sexuality education in the home, which has been shown in several studies to promote a positive approach to sexuality. As part of a larger study, this paper discusses Australian research on the significance of gender in the teaching practices of parents engaged in sexuality communication in the home. The descriptive cross-sectional design involved a survey of 371 parents of pre-school and pre-adolescent children. Consistent with previous studies, results showed that mothers communicated more than fathers did with their children. Although both mothers and fathers communicated equally with pre-school sons and daughters, by pre-adolescence both discussed sexuality more with their sons than with their daughters. The findings also suggest that parents con...

The impact of infertility on sexuality: A literature review

BACKGROUND Most studies address medical treatment of infertility and psychosocial outcomes caused by infertility-related stress, but few studies examine the infertilitys impact on sexuality. AIM A literature review was conducted to answer the questions: 1) How is sexual self concept impacted in infertile individuals and their partners? 2) Does infertility have a negative impact on sexual relationships? 3) Is sexual function affected by infertility? In answering these questions, we may develop a better understanding of sexuality in the context of infertility, and thus better inform infertility management. Ultimately the aim is to improve the quality of life for infertile couples. METHOD A literature search was conducted for publications from 1990 to 2011 via the electronic databases PubMed, PsycInfo and Scopus, which focused on sexuality in infertile subjects or couples. RESULTS In this review, all studies were descriptive quantitative studies which mapped the different aspects of sexuality in the context of infertility. The results suggested that infertility and its treatment approaches for fertilisation could lead to changes in sexual self-esteem, sexual relationship and sexual function. CONCLUSION The literature substantiated that many infertile subjects experienced trouble in various aspects of sexuality. However, further research should examine the reciprocal relations between sexual self concept, sexual relationship and sexual function in the context of infertility. How these changes affect the partners of infertile subjects should also be addressed.

Sexuality following burn injuries: A preliminary study

Responses to the sexuality and body image subdomains of the Burn Specific Health Scale – Brief Version (BSHS-B) were analysed, to identify the incidence of sexuality and body image changes in burn survivors from hospital discharge – 12 months post injury. Data were collected through examination of BSHS-B questionnaires (BSHS-B), from burns patients at hospital discharge and one, three, six and twelve month time points after burn injury. The results demonstrate that burn injuries have a significant negative impact on sexuality and body image satisfaction for burn survivors. The results raise concerns regarding potential long term quality of life (QoL) issues for burn survivors in these domains. Sexuality and body image following burn injuries are important QoL domains that should be addressed during post injury rehabilitation. This preliminary study shows that further empirical research regarding changes to sexuality and body image in the burns population is required.

HIV Infection, AIDS and Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists need to be informed about the nature of HIV infection and AIDS, both as care providers and in terms of occupational health and safety. An overview of the natural history of the HIV and the consequences of infection is given. Safety procedures are outlined and the contribution that occupational therapists can make to the health maintenance of HIV-infected patients is described.

Testing the psychometric properties of Mandarin version of the fertility problem inventory (M-FPI) in an infertile Chinese sample

The Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) is an instrument to measure infertility-related stress, and has been widely used in a range of clinical settings. It has been translated into several languages, however there is no validated Mandarin version. The present study tests the psychometric properties of the Mandarin version of FPI (M-FPI). A hospital sample of 223 infertile Chinese couples (223 men and 223 women) completed the M-FPI along with other measures including demographics, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale, which were used to assess the reliability and validity of the Mandarin version of FPI. Results showed that the M-FPI was best reduced to a five− factor solution, and all 46 items of the M-FPI showed moderate to high internal consistency. In addition, the test of convergent and discriminant validity from this study indicated satisfactory results. These results indicate that the M-FPI as an instrument is reliable and valid for use with infertile Chinese couples in clinical assessment.

Sexual dysfunction and marital disharmony as a consequence of chronic lumbar spinal pain

Abstract Injury to the lower spine is common in working men. Fifty men with lumbar spinal injury who were in receipt of workers compensation benefits were interviewed, along with the spouse, to ascertain the effects of the injury on marital harmony and sexual functioning. All subjects reported disruption of sexual activity and increasing marital disharmony which they directly attributed to the back injury. The research revealed that chronic pain and unemployment reduced self-esteem. The inability to perform the tasks normally associated with the husband/father role was an exacerbating factor. It is recommended that greater attention be paid to the possible psycho-social outcomes of spinal injury as a preventative measure to continued morbidity.

Women’s experiences of coping with the sexual side effects of antidepressant medication

A growing body of evidence has highlighted the sexual side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication. Whilst most of the research has focused on the prevalence and treatment of sexual difficulties, little is known about how patients cope with the SSRI-related sexual side effects. The objective of this study was to explore women’s experiences of coping with the sexual side effects of SSRI medication and interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed for an in-depth exploratory study of a sample of 10 women. Four broad themes emerged which are discussed under the following headings: searching, suffering in silence, trying to resolve and accepting what is. The themes provide an insight into the different strategies used by women to cope with the sexual side effects of SSRI medication and highlight the importance of contextualising these difficulties as part of an overall approach to improve the management and treatment of SSRI-related sexual side effects.

‘Accepting what is’: an approach for managing the long-term sexual side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in women

Sexual difficulties may not be a pressing issue for women on antidepressants during the early phase of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment; however, this can emerge as a substantial problem once women are stabilised on medication. Little is known about how women cope with the adverse sexual effects of SSRIs. This qualitative study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the experiences of Australian women currently coping with the sexual side effects of this antidepressant. Interviews were conducted with 10 heterosexual women, aged 45 years and younger. Four major coping strategies were identified “searching”, “suffering in silence”, “trying to resolve” and “accepting what is”. This paper explores one particular response “accepting what is”, which includes a number of strategies commonly employed by women on long-term medication. Findings from the study have particular relevance for sex and relationship therapists and may assist women in managing sexual side effects that are perceived to be beyond their control. This paper adds to the current literature by increasing understanding of how “accepting what is” can be a step forward, particularly for women who have chosen to remain on long-term medication. In theoretical terms, a deeper understanding of how women cope could inform debate about the appropriate management of long-term sexual side effects in the absence of effective pharmacological interventions.

Sexuality following trauma injury: A literature review

Restoration of the quality of life (QoL) of trauma injury survivors is the aim of trauma rehabilitation. It is generally acknowledged that sexuality is an important component of QoL; however, rehabilitation services frequently fall short of including sexuality as a matter of routine. The literature was reviewed to examine the experiences of trauma survivors from three groups: spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and burns. The focus was on the impact of trauma on the QoL to identify future research directions and to advocate for the inclusion of sexuality as an integral part of rehabilitation. Databases searched were Proquest, Ovid, Cinahl, Medline, PsycInfo and Cochrane Central Register of controlled trials. A total of 36 eligible studies were included: SCI (n = 25), TBI (n = 6), burns (n = 5). Four themes were identified across the three trauma groups that were labeled as physiological impact of trauma on sexuality, cognitive-genital dissociation (CGD), sexual disenfranchisement (SD) and sexual rediscovery (SR). Trauma injury has a significant impact on sexuality, which is not routinely addressed within rehabilitation services. Further sexuality research is required among all trauma groups to improve rehabilitation services and in turn QoL outcomes for all trauma survivors.