Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Naved Iqbal ¹, Mehfooz Ahmad ¹, Sumaira Rafiq Zargar ¹, Sheema Aleem ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, IN

Abstract

Heart, cancer and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are very serious diseases rising in the world. These diseases not only create distress in the patient's life but also influence negatively caregivers' life. Factors, such as physical, and psychological health, financial burden, limitation on freedom and social interactions (that accompany the care recipient's need for supervision), and the additional roles assumed by the most caregivers including those of wife, parent, spouse and employee, all contribute to caregivers distress. This distress thus, affects the quality of life (QOL) of caregivers. Many researches have been carried on the various aspects of heart, cancer and AIDS patients. The present research was planned and carried out with the objectives of measuring and comparing the QOL of caregivers of heart, cancer, and AIDS patients. Total sample of the study comprised 120 subjects, 40 in each three groups, i.e. caregivers of heart, cancer and AIDS patients. Data were collected from various hospitals of Delhi. The WHOQOL-BRIEF questionnaire (1996) was used to collect the data. ANOVA and post-hoc test were used to analyze the data. Results showed a significant difference among the three groups of caregivers of heart, cancer and AIDS patients on overall QOL and its domains, i.e., physical health, psychological, social relationship and environment. Caregivers of heart and cancer patients have better QOL than the caregivers of AIDS patients.

Keywords

Cancer and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Patients, Heart, Quality of Life.

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Naved Iqbal ¹, Mehfooz Ahmad ¹, Chanchal Rani ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, IN

Abstract

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol addiction, is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships and social functioning. Alcoholism has a negative effect on the spouse of an alcoholic. The spouse may have feeling of hatred, self-pity, avoidance of social contact. They may suffer from exhaustion and become mentally and physically ill. Therefore, this study was aimed at studying marital adjustment, stress, and mental health of wives of alcoholics and non-alcoholics (NA). In the present study, marital adjustment questionnaire, life stress scale, and mental health inventory were administered on 60 female subjects, 30 wives of alcoholics and 30 wives of NA, from ESI Hospital and Safdarjang Hospital, Delhi. Their age ranges from 25 to 50 years. The t-test was used to analyze the obtained data. The marital adjustment was found poor in the wives of alcoholics than the wives of NAs. There was no significant difference between the wives of alcoholics and NAs on stress. The mental health was found to be poorer in the wives of alcoholics when compared to the wives of NAs.

Keywords

Alcoholism, Marital Adjustment, Stress and Mental Health.

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Naved Iqbal ¹, Mehfooz Ahmad ¹, Riyaz Yaqoob Wani ¹, Sheema Aleem ², Abeer Abdul Majeed ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, IN
2 Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative, progressive and irreversible chronic brain disease. It has an insidious onset; is characterized by gradual loss of cognitive and behavioral functions, and by affection disturbances, compromising the physical, mental and social integrity of the elderly. Present study examined anxiety, depression and psychological well-being among the Caregivers of Alzheimer's disease Patients. Sinha's anxiety scale, Beck depression inventory (BDI) and Ryff's scale of psychological well-being were administered on 20 the subjects in VIMHANS, New Delhi. The data were analyzed by using small sample t- test. Results demonstrated that significant differences were found between male and female caregivers on depression, self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, and environmental mastery dimensions of psychological wellbeing. Female scored higher than male on depression whereas, male scored higher than females on self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, and environmental mastery dimensions of psychological wellbeing. However, significant differences were not found between male and female caregivers on anxiety, purpose in life, and personal growth dimensions of psychological wellbeing.

Keywords

Depression, Anxiety, Psychological Well-Being, Alzheimer's Disease, Caregivers.

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