Older people with hearing impairment: A literature review of the spouse's perspective

Spouses of older people with hearing impairment frequently urge their hearing impaired partners to seek help for their hearing difficulties. Only a minority of individuals with hearing impairment are self-motivated, with the majority of clients, especially older clients, presenting at audiology clinics under the persuasion or influence of their spouse or significant other. This highlights the important role that spouses play in initiating aural rehabilitation and indicates that spouses of older people with hearing impairment may become so frustrated with their partners' hearing loss that they are often the primary reason why the hearing impaired person presents for audiological services. To date, however, the number of studies addressing the effect of hearing loss on significant others is limited. Those studies that have investigated the effect of hearing impairment on families are commonly focused on the person with the impairment and most commonly, the significant other has merely been used as a proxy to describe the perceived problems of his or her spouse. Further, there has been no systematic indepth investigation of the needs of spouses of older people with hearing impairment, including the effect of retirement and the increase in time spent together, with the majority of studies focusing primarily on younger spouses of workers affected by noise-induced hearing loss. The cumulative effect of experiencing many years of hearing difficulties with a partner may also influence the extent to which older spouses are affected by hearing impairment. The primary purpose of this article is therefore to critically review the existing literature on the effects of hearing impairment on spouses. It will also provide a rationale for the importance of this topic as a clinical issue and suggest some future directions for research in this area.

The personality profile of female Anglican clergy in Britain and Ireland: A study employing the Eysenck Personality Profiler

A sample of 523 newly ordained female Anglican clergy in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales completed the Eysenck Personality Profiler (EPP). The data demonstrated that the female clergy tended to be less extravert than women in general, less neurotic than women in general, and less toughminded than women in general. These findings help to clarify the way in which women clergy tend to project a characteristically masculine personality profile in respect of one major dimension of personality (neuroticism), but a characteristically feminine personality profile in respect of the other two major dimensions of personality (psychoticism and extraversion).

Assortative Mating for Cigarette Smoking and for Alcohol Consumption in Female Australian Twins and their Spouses

Background Non-random mating affects population variation for substance use and dependence. Developmentally, mate selection leading to positive spousal correlations for genetic similarity may result in increased risk for substance use and misuse in offspring. Mate selection varies by cohort and thus, assortative mating in one generation may produce marked changes in rates of substance use in the next. We aim to clarify the mechanisms contributing to spousal similarity for cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Methods Using data from female twins and their male spouses, we fit univariate and bivariate twin models to examine the contribution of primary assortative mating and reciprocal marital interaction to spousal resemblance for regular cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence, and for regular alcohol use and alcohol dependence. Results We found that assortative mating significantly influenced regular smoking, regular alcohol use, nicotine dependence and alcohol dependence. The bivariate models for cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption also highlighted the importance of primary assortative mating on all stages of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, with additional evidence for assortative mating across the two stages of alcohol consumption. Conclusions Women who regularly used, and subsequently were dependent on cigarettes or alcohol were more likely to marry men with similar behaviors. After mate selection had occurred, one partner's cigarette or alcohol involvement did not significantly modify the other partner's involvement with these psychoactive substances.

Supportive care needs of people with brain tumours and their carers

Goals of work: The diagnosis and treatment of a brain tumour may result in long-term changes in a patient's functional and social abilities and/or in a greatly reduced life span. A qualitative investigation was conducted to examine the supportive care needs of patients with brain tumour and their carers. Materials and methods: Overall, 18 patients and 18 carers participated in focus groups or telephone interviews, following a structured interview guide to elicit supportive care services of importance to these patients and carers. Main results: Six major themes were identified using the framework analysis method, including needs for information and coping with uncertainty, practical support, support to return to pretreatment responsibilities or prepare for long-term care, support to deal with social isolation and organize respite care, support to overcome stigma/discrimination and support to discuss potentially reduced life expectancy. Conclusions: Five recommendations to improve service delivery include: assignment of a dedicated member of the care team or case manager; proactive dissemination of information, education and psychosocial support; access to objective assessment of neuropsychological functioning; facilitating easier access to welfare payments; and services facilitating communication about difficult illness-related topics. Provision of services along these recommendations could improve supportive care of brain tumour patients and their carers.