PSYCHOLOGIC FACTORS AND PATIENT ADHERENCE

Anxiety's Relationship to Inconsistent Use of Oral Contraceptives

Five percent of typical oral contraceptive users experience an unintended pregnancy every year. Inconsistent use of oral contraception may be a leading contributor to the high rate of unintended pregnancy among oral contraceptive users. Previous medical research also suggests that anxiety may play a role in medication compliance, yet no known studies have examined the relationship between anxiety and oral contraceptive use. To test this relationship, the authors analyze data from the National Survey of Family Growth Cycle V (NSFG-V), restricting their sample to sexually activewomen currently taking oral contraceptives. They find thatwomenwho report multiple episodes of anxiety lasting at least 6 months have a greater probability of inconsistent use. The authors suggest goals for future research and discuss the role of health care professionals in addressing oral contraception compliance in light of their findings.

[The importance of social support to chronically ill adolescents]

INTRODUCTION

Improvements in medicine have significantly prolonged life of chronically ill children and adolescents in the past several decades. There is a great variability in adaptation to illness among chronically ill persons--some of them seem to be very well adapted, with almost no problems. However, research results suggest that chronically ill children are more likely to have psychological problems than their healthy peers.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eightyfour subjects, all elementary school pupils, participated in the study. The first group included adolescents with chronical illness (malignant illness, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, or asthma), and the second their healthy peers. Depression and social support were evaluated. The Birleson's Depression Scale and Perceived Social Support Scales (forms for friends and for family members) were used.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results show significant differences for two of the three variables: depression, and perceived social support from family, while there was no significant difference for perceived social support from friends. The results suggest that chronically ill adolescents are more depressed and that they perceive that the social support they receive from their families is lower when compared to their healthy peers.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study showed that chronically ill adolescents are more depressed than their healthy peers. This group of adolescents also perceives that they have less social support from their families than their healthy peers. When it comes to perceived social support from friends, these two groups do not differ.

Psychological characteristics of adolescents with good or poor asthma control

The main purpose of this study was to investigate what are the psychological differences between adolescents with poor or good asthma control. One hundred and twenty one adolescents participated in the study, aged 12 to 16. Participants were assigned to one of three groups - one being a control group, with adolescents that had no medical illness, and two experimental, with adolescents either having poor or good control of their asthma. The assessment of asthma control was based on several criteria groups. It has been found that adolescents differ among each other across majority of variables - coping strategies, presence of depressive characteristics, anxiety, locus of control, as well as their perception of social support.

Thinking Outside the Inhaler: Potential Barriers to Controlled Asthma in Children

Asthma has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, increasing in prevalence especially among children. Despite the development of national goals and practice guidelines, childhood morbidity and mortality associated with asthma has continued to rise at astonishing rates. Effective management of asthma in children requires both improvements in following nationally recognized guidelines and addressing barriers associated with poor control. This article identifies barriers leading to uncontrolled asthma in children. Barriers in communication, education, resources, parental concerns, and psychosocial influences have resulted in nonadherence to national guidelines. Health care professionals have the opportunity to affect asthma management by addressing these barriers and improving the quality of care for children with asthma.