The Role of Existential Beliefs Within the Relation of Centenarians’ Health and Well-Being

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of existential beliefs in mediating the influence of health on centenarians' well-being. A total of 80 centenarians (mean age 101.1; SD = 1.3; 81.3 % women) with no/minor cognitive impairment were included. The OARS questionnaire for diseases and functional capacity (ADL, IADL), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the existential beliefs subscale were used for data collection. The findings suggest that existential resources are a crucial element for mitigating the impact of health constraints in subjective well-being in this population. Appropriate models of intervention for very old age that recognize the importance of religion, spirituality, and meaning of life are to be considered.

Measuring attachment to life in old age: the Portuguese version of the Positive Valuation of Life Scale (Positive VOL)

Purpose This study aims to present the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Positive Valuation of Life Scale (Lawton et al. in J Aging Ment Healt 13:3–31, 2001). Method Sample included 207 community-dwelling elders (129 women; MAge = 77.2 years, SD = 7.5). The data collection included the translated and adapted Portuguese version of Positive Valuation of Life Scale, Life Satisfac- tion Index Z, Meaning in Life Questionnaire and Geriatric Depression Scale. Results From exploratory factor analysis, two factors emerged, existential beliefs and perceived control, ex- plaining 49 % of the total variance. Both factors were positively related with meaning in life and life satisfaction and negatively related with depression (p\0.05). The values obtained for internal consistency for the total scale and for each subscale were good (a [ 0.75). Conclusion The Portuguese version of Positive VOL Scale represents a reliable and valid measure to capture the subjective experience of attachment to one’s life. The two-factor structure is an update to Lawton’s previous work and in line with findings obtained in the USA (Dennis et al. in What is valuation of life for frail community-dwelling older adults: factor structure and criterion validity of the VOL, Thomas Jefferson University, Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research, 2005) and Japan (Nakagawa et al. in Shinrigaku Kenkyu 84:37–46, 2013). Future research is required to investigate VOL predictors and the potential changes toward the end of the life span.

Beliefs And Misbeliefs About Current Interventions During Labor And Delivery In Brazil.

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Beliefs Related To Adherence To Oral Antidiabetic Treatment According To The Theory Of Planned Behavior.

to identify salient behavioral, normative, control and self-efficacy beliefs related to the behavior of adherence to oral antidiabetic agents, using the Theory of Planned Behavior. cross-sectional, exploratory study with 17 diabetic patients in chronic use of oral antidiabetic medication and in outpatient follow-up. Individual interviews were recorded, transcribed and content-analyzed using pre-established categories. behavioral beliefs concerning advantages and disadvantages of adhering to medication emerged, such as the possibility of avoiding complications from diabetes, preventing or delaying the use of insulin, and a perception of side effects. The children of patients and physicians are seen as important social references who influence medication adherence. The factors that facilitate adherence include access to free-of-cost medication and taking medications associated with temporal markers. On the other hand, a complex therapeutic regimen was considered a factor that hinders adherence. Understanding how to use medication and forgetfulness impact the perception of patients regarding their ability to adhere to oral antidiabetic agents. medication adherence is a complex behavior permeated by behavioral, normative, control and self-efficacy beliefs that should be taken into account when assessing determinants of behavior.

BIO Logical Agents: Norms, Beliefs, Intentions in Defeasible Logic

In this paper we follow the BOID (Belief, Obligation, Intention, Desire) architecture to describe agents and agent types in Defeasible Logic. We argue, in particular, that the introduction of obligations can provide a new reading of the concepts of intention and intentionality. Then we examine the notion of social agent (i.e., an agent where obligations prevail over intentions) and discuss some computational and philosophical issues related to it. We show that the notion of social agent either requires more complex computations or has some philosophical drawbacks.

Australian doctors' beliefs and practice regarding Helicobacter pylori

Objective: To determine beliefs and behaviours of Australian doctors regarding Helicobacter pylori. Design: Anonymous reply-paid postal survey mailed in December 1995 and again in March 1996. Subjects: All members on the mailing lists of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia Endoscopy Section (n = 397) and the Australian Society of Infectious Diseases (n = 264; those without medical qualifications were asked not to reply), and 400 general practitioners (GPs) randomly selected from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Main outcome measures: Differences between specialist groups in belief in a causative association between H. pylori and peptic disease and in use of eradication therapy and pre- and post-treatment testing for H. pylori. Results: 92.6% of doctors believed H. pylori causes duodenal ulcer, with GPs significantly less likely to believe than gastroenterologists (odds ratio [OR], 0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.00-0.81). In duodenal ulcer, 93.4% of doctors believed H. pylori eradication therapy should be given, but fewer (83.4%) claimed to give it always or mostly, with GPs less likely to report giving it than gastroenterologists (OR, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.02-0.19). For non-ulcer dyspepsia, gastrointestinal surgeons were more likely than gastroenterologists to believe in a causative link with H. pylori (OR, 5.6; 95% CI, 3.0-10.7) and in a need for eradication therapy (OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.7-7.7). Most doctors (79.3%) believed in confirming the presence of H. pylori before eradication therapy in duodenal ulcer. Only 51.6% believed post-eradication testing necessary (45.5%), yet 79.1% reported performing it. Conclusions: Significant differences exist between specialist groups in beliefs and self-reported behaviours regarding H. pylori.

The continuum of quasi-psychotic beliefs and experiences in the Australian general public

When surveyed, many individuals without psychosis report a range of beliefs and experiences that are shared by patients with psychosis. This study aimed to examine quasi-psychotic beliefs and experiences in a sample of well Australians. 303 individuals were recruited from a defined catchment area as part of the Brisbane Psychosis Study. All subjects were screened with a modified SCAN in order to exclude psychoses. The Peters Delusional Inventory (PDI 40 items), items from the Chapmans' Psychosis Proneness Scale (PPS), the Communication Awareness Scale (CAS: a measure of awareness of thought disorder), items related to perceptions and beliefs from various schizotypy questionnaires and the Social Desirability (SD) items from the EPQ were administered. There was a significant negative correlation between age and total score on the PDI. There were significant positive correlations between the PDI, the PPS, the CAS and the items related to perception. There were no significant gender differences on any of the scores apart from SD (females had higher scores). Those with a positive family history of mental illness other than schizophrenia (n = 118) scored significantly higher on the PDI and scores related to perception, however they were no different on SD or the Psychosis Proneness items. There were no group differences on any of these items when those with a positive family history of schizophrenia (n = 27) were compared to the rest of the group. Well individuals who endorse delusional beliefs also tend to endorse items related to abnormal perceptions and awareness of thought disorder. The results of the study support the concept of a 'continuum of beliefs and experiences' in the general community that should inform our neurocognitive models of the symptoms of psychosis. The Stanley Foundation supported this project.

Career versus motherhood? A case study describing a cognitive-existential approach to the dilemma

The present paper reports a case study concerning a professional woman in her 30s, who presented to the Occupational Health department of a metropolitan hospital with work stress stemming from accelerating work demands and marital problems related to the decision about whether to start a family or continue her career. No clinical diagnosis was warranted; however, Maslach Burnout Inventory Scores indicated a high degree of emotional exhaustion and moderate levels of depersonalisation, offset by a high sense of personal accomplishment in her work role. The client also demonstrated severe stress and moderate depression on the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21). The case was conceptualised from a combined cognitive-existential perspective. The woman's cognitions about her work, relationship, and prospective motherhood roles were identified, as well as underlying existential issues such as finding a meaning in life and a fear of being alone and unloved. Eight sessions of therapy incorporated components of cognitive and existential therapies, aimed at managing stress and improving marital adjustment. Posttreatment results showed substantial reductions in all the measures of distress, while personal accomplishment remained high. The woman and her husband decided to defer starting a family until other issues had been addressed.

Young people's beliefs about intergenerational communication - An initial cross-cultural comparison

This article examines young people's perceptions of their conversations with older people (age 65-85) across nine cultures-five Eastern and four Western. Responses from more than 1,000 participants were entered into a cross-national factor analysis, which revealed four initial factors that underlie perceptions of intergenerational conversations. Elder nonaccommodation was when young participants reported that older people negatively stereotyped the young and did not attend to their communication needs. On the other hand, elder accommodation was when older people were perceived as supportive, attentive and generally encouraging to young people. A third factor was respect/obligation and a fourth factor labeled age-irrelevant positivity described a situation where young people felt conversations with much older people were emotionally positive and satisfying, age did not matter: Examining cross-cultural differences, some East versus West differences were observed, as might be expected, on the basis of simplistic accounts of Eastern collectivism versus Western individualism. However the results challenge commonsense notions of the status of old age in Eastern versus Western cultures. On some dimensions, participants from Korea, Japan, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, and the Philippines appear to have relatively less positive perceptions of their conversations with older people than the Western cultures-the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. But there was also evidence of considerable cultural variability, particularly among Eastern cultures-variability that has heretofore all too often been glossed over when global comparisons of East versus West are made. A range of explanations for these cultural differences is explored and implications for older people in these societies are also considered.

Differences between older volunteers and nonvolunteers - Attitudinal, normative, and control beliefs

It has been suggested that older people are a rich potential source of volunteers, as prior literature has highlighted the benefits and rewards of volunteering in later life. This article examines differences between volunteers and nonvolunteers in a random sample of older people resident in Brisbane, Australia. Using the theory of planned behavior as a framework, the article focuses on the beliefs that distinguish those who volunteer from those who do not. Findings from the study allowed for an assessment of both the costs and benefits associated with volunteering; beliefs about the support of others, including the broader community, to volunteer; and beliefs about the barriers that might prevent volunteering. The implications of these finding's to a country with an aging population are discussed.

Irrational schematic beliefs and psychological distress in caregivers of people with traumatic brain injury

Objective: To investigate the relation between irrational schematic beliefs and psychological distress in caregivers of persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design: Cross-sectional mail survey. Participants: One hundred sixteen caregivers of persons with TBI living in the Australian states of Victoria and Queensland who were members of community support groups and brain injury associations. Measures: The Irrational Beliefs Inventory, Brief Symptom Inventory, income satisfaction, degree of personality and behavior change in the TBI individual, and injury severity. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses showed that after controlling for the effects of characteristics of the caregiving situation and the individual with TBI, greater adherence to irrational beliefs was related to higher levels of global psychological distress. Specifically, irrational beliefs related to Worrying were associated with all areas of psychological distress. Conclusion: Results support the cognitive theory proposal that irrational beliefs play an important role in the adaptation to TBI caregiving. Findings suggest the inclusion of cognitive therapy strategies in interventions for caregivers.