Background: The concern in the scientific community for the study of people with dementia and their families is comprehensible, especially the importance of knowing the effects that caring for the patient has on their family dynamic, paying special attention to the main caregiver. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship of resilience and emotional intelligence with functional performance in the main caregivers of people with dementia in Spain according to the phase of the disease. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was carried out. A total of 144 primary family caregivers of patients with dementia in Spain were included in the study. The following variables were measured: sociodemographic, psychosocial, and occupational, as well as resilience and emotional intelligence. Results: The caregivers obtained a low moderate resilience (mean = 64.01 ± 14.5), an emotional intelligence bordering between moderate and high (mean = 78.48 ± 14.82), and a 61.8% self-care categorized as somewhat and quite a bit. The presence of higher levels of resilience in family caregivers of people with dementia were positively related to the time spent on self-care (r = 0.227; p = 0.033) and leisure (r = 0.262; p = 0.014), especially in the moderate phase of the disease, while in the severe phase, this relationship appeared with productivity (r = 0.355; p = 0.034). The higher levels of emotional intelligence were positively related to a greater time dedicated to self-care (r = 0.233, p = 0.005), as well as the data observed in the moderate and severe phase (r = 0.214; p = 0.046 and r = 0.398; p = 0.016 respectively). Conclusions: The primary caregivers of relatives with dementia who have higher levels of resilience and emotional intelligence spend more time on self-care and leisure activities, especially in the moderate phase of the disease.
Many individuals suffer negative mental health consequences such as anxiety and depression following separation from a romantic partner and/or co-parenting conflict due to divorce. Consequently, treating the psychological aftermath of divorce and partner separation remains a predominant concern for mental health practitioners. According to family systems theory, high interdependence and low differentiation of self are associated with a lessened capacity for managing anxiety or adapting to stressful events since intense emotions may inhibit the ability to cope. To assess the relationship between differentiation of self and psychological adjustment to separation, 84 divorced adults completed an online survey. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that a model based on fusion with others, I-position, and emotional cutoff was a statistically significant predictor of lonely/negativity. Bivariate correlation analyses confirmed significant linear relationships between fusion with others, lonely/negativity, and co-parenting conflict. No differences between genders were found. There is a continuing need to develop interventions to address the negative consequences of divorce, help reduce emotional suffering, and encourage healthy co-parenting. Individuals struggling with psychological adjustment post-divorce, or those seeking education for managing the psychological effects of divorce and co-parenting, may benefit from counseling strategies that incorporate an assessment of differentiation of self and psychological adjustment to separation.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that affects physical, psychological, and social quality of life. Square Stepping Exercise (SSE) is an effective balance training program to prevent falls and to stimulate cognitive function in the elderly; however, no study has analyzed the effect of SSE in people with PD. The main objective is to investigate whether the application of SSE is safe, applicable, and can improve balance, and is effective in preventing falls, improving cognitive and psychological aspects and thus maximize quality of life in people with PD. Methods/Design: SSE will be performed three times per week for 8 weeks with an additional month follow-up after the intervention. Sixty people with PD will participate, randomly distributed into two groups: experimental group (SSE: n = 30) and control group (Usual care: n = 30). The primary measurements will be: (1) Applicability, (2) Safety, (3) Balance, and (4) Annual number of falls. Secondary measurements will be: (1) Sociodemographic information, (2) Physical condition, (3) Health-related quality of life, (4) Depressive symptoms, (5) Cognitive aspects, (6) Perceived functional social support, and (7) Anticipatory cognition.
The current article summaries a series of initiatives inspired in narrative therapy and practices which have thrived in Spain as responses to the coronavirus crisis. First, the principles of narrative therapy and practices are explained deepening in the principles for working with crisis and trauma. Afterwards, several initiatives carried out to cope with the coronavirus crisis that have emergedin the community following these principles are described. Collective documents, letters exchanged between clients, therapists and health professionals, activities carried out by a supervision group, and the presence of narrative practices in social services are presented. Finally, how these initiatives can help us in constructing hope under uncertainty is discussed.
Este artículo sobre familias saludables es específico en cuanto a los aspectos clave acerca de cómo desarrollar y mantener una familia saludable en el mundo actual. Estos aspectos clave se reformulan teóricamente con diferentes palabras y se aplican al desarrollo de una familia sólida en los tiempos actuales. Se ofrecen otros temas con nuevas entradas para completar el cuadro de una familia fuerte y eficaz. Para comprender mejor este complejo objetivo, este artículo repasa primero los conceptos y teorías sobre la familia y el amor, para después revisar las diferentes revisiones teóricas para comprender mejor la familia contemporánea. Estas grandes definiciones y fundamentos permitirán hacer aplicaciones prácticas en las áreas de crecimiento, desarrollo y mantenimiento de una familia saludable en la actualidad.
Narration is a tool to organize experience into a coherent vision that explains our identity. According to Paul Ricoeur, fictional characters and real people’s identities are made out of the use of discourse. The tradition of narrative therapy states the importance of the use of letters, notes, and certificates to strengthen the alternative stories that are co-built with the person in the sessions. The digital format makes it easy not only to send but also to share such documents with a wider community. The so-called counter-documents are those writings that do not focus on problems but on the actions performed by people despite the problem and that contribute to the construction of so-called alternative stories. This article reflects on the use of these writings with literary merit for psychotherapy and also claims the need for psychotherapy to be updated and adapted to the current digital cultural context.