PURPOSE: This paper reports a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of a Marital-relationship enhancement program(MREP) for marital couples. METHODS: Volunteer couples from several well-being centers in Seoul were randomly assigned either to a treatment group (n=36), participating in a MREP based on Gottman's "sound marital house" theory, or to a control group (n=35) receiving no treatment. The content of the MREP was provided to the control group after the research was completed. Data was collected from December 2003 to May 2004 using modified versions of the inventories developed by Gottman on marital satisfaction, positive affect, conflict regulation, and communication barriers. RESULTS: Participants in the experimental group showed significant improvements in marital satisfaction, positive affects, conflict regulation, and communication-barrier scores compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The present program for marital-relationship enhancement is helpful in enhancing marital relationships and regulating conflict between marital couples and, ultimately, may be useful to prevent divorce.
*Marriage ; *Marital Therapy ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Adult

OBJECTIVETo discuss the factors that affect the clinical application of sex therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED).

METHODSUrological researchers recommended free sex therapy to ED patients and their partners in the outpatient department and studied the factors affecting the patients of Medicaid their partnersology, acceptance of sex therapy by interview and observation.

RESULTSMany patients refused sex therapy. Only 11 pairs of volunteers underwent it, of whom 5 pairs gave up halfway, 1 pair were stopped by the therapist due to the breakup of their marriage, and merely 5 pairs accomplished the whole course. Among the 5 pairs of quitters, 2 pairs thought of their problem as organic and turned to drug therapy, 1 pair withdrew because the patient's girlfriend broke up with him, 1 pair gave up because they lived in another city too far away from the clinic, and the other pair discontinued because they could not spare the time from their work.

CONCLUSIONSMany factors affect the clinical application of sex therapy for ED in China. Apart from the shortage of qualified professional sex therapists, some factors from the patients and their partners are at work, such as stress of work, lack of time, home location, education background, relationship between the patient and his partner, attitude to sex therapy, and so on.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Erectile Dysfunction ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Marital Therapy ; methods ; Sex Counseling ; methods ; Sexual Partners

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to find out about the factors related to administration of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women. METHODS: One thousand seventy three postmenopausal women living in Busan and Kimhae were surveyed from August, 2000 to February, 2001. The subjects were asked whether they were receiving the HRT or not and about several factors that have known to be related to receiving the HRT. RESULTS: Among the total, 16.3% of women were current users, 12.4% were ex-users, and 71.2% were non-users. There were significant differences in age, marital status, number of children, education level, and income among the three groups. The proportions of hysterectomy and health-related behaviors were higher among current and ex-users than non-users. The current users were receiving the HRT by continuous combination method rather than cyclic therapy. Among them, 70% responded 'physician's recommendation' as the main reason for receiving the HRT. Among the current users 48% responded 'improved general condition' for receiving as the main reason the HRT currently. However, 29% of ex-users stopped therapy because of side effects. Among non-users 55% have not been provided with information about the HRT. Women having regular exercise at least once a week were 3.5 times more likely to be current users (95% C.I.: 1.3~9.6). One year after menopause women were 1.2 times (95% C.I: 1.0~1.4) more likely to be current users. CONCLUSION: Postmenopausal women who exercised regularly and experienced menopause at an older age seemed to be more likely current users. Therefore, women having such characteristics may need more adequate information about the HRT.
Busan ; Child ; Education ; Female ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Hormone Replacement Therapy* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Marital Status ; Menopause

OBJECTIVES: Non-completion rate of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) was reported to be higher than expected and it could interfere with the effectiveness of treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of treatment non-completion and to compare the effectiveness of CBT for OCD between completers and non-completers. METHODS: We studied 107 patients with a principal diagnosis of OCD who initiated a 13-week CBT for OCD from June 2004 to June 2011. Demographic and clinical characteristics, psychiatric co-morbidity, and medication of 20 participants who did not complete therapy were compared with those of treatment completers (n=87). Clinical Global Impression scores were also compared between the two groups in order to evaluate the effect of CBT for OCD at the 13th week. RESULTS: The results showed a difference in marital status between treatment completers and non-completers : more non-completers were not married (p=0.04). Patients with aggressive obsessions at baseline showed a trend (p=0.06) toward lower treatment completion than those with only non-aggressive obsession. In addition, the non-completer group showed a trend of not being medicated (p=0.08). No other differences were observed between completers and non-completers. The 13th week Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scores were significantly different ; completers (2.5+/-0.8) and non-completers (3.2+/-0.8) (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, we confirmed that CBT could affect symptom improvement of OCD and treatment non-completion interfered with effectiveness of CBT. However, in the current state of our knowledge, no factor is clinically applicable as a predictor of treatment non-completion. Therefore, these results suggest that clinicians should monitor compliance during CBT for OCD patients.
Cognitive Therapy* ; Compliance* ; Diagnosis ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Marital Status ; Obsessive Behavior ; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder*

The study was conducted from May to July in 1995 to investigate lifestyle variables associated with anemia in some female workers of the six large plants in Taegu. Cases were selected by a doctor based on symptoms and physical exmination and controls were matched according to age limits (?) and plant employed. The final subjects analyzed were 385 excluding. 36 who had underlying diseases associated with anemia or many missing values. Anemia was defined by the blood hemoglobin level less than 12 g/dL. Anemic subjects were 190(49.4%) with nonsignificant age distribution between cases and controls. Univariate logistic regression showed that there was no statistically significant difference in sociodemographic and occupational variables. Number of pad used during menstruation (odds ratio, OR=1.03, 95% Confidence interval ei,1.00-l-1.05) was the only significant among the menstruation-related variables. None of the lifestyle variables were significant but those who consume more than 4 cups of coffee a day vs. none and animal iron intake showed borderline statistical significance with the ORs 2.60 and 0.99, respectively. After controlling for marital status, native place and number of pad with the multiple logistic regression, those who consume more than 4 cups of coffee a day vs. none showed statistically significant OR 2.93(95% CI 1.01-8.49). Animal iron intake and diet to lose weight indicated borderline significance with ORs 0.99(p=0.06) and 1.47(p=0.09), respectively. These results suggest that there are some anemia-associated lifestyle variables and these variables may be important for the behavior modification to prevent anemia in female workers.
Age Distribution ; Anemia* ; Animals ; Behavior Therapy ; Coffee ; Daegu ; Diet ; Female* ; Humans ; Iron ; Life Style* ; Logistic Models ; Marital Status ; Menstruation ; Plants

OBJECTIVES: In double-blind controlled studies with schizophrenic patients, risperidone was demonstrated to have an efficacy comparable to haloperidol and to have a lower incidence of extrapyramidal side effects. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia and to identify clinical factors associated with risperidone response under naturalistic clinical setting. METHODS: By retrospective chart review, we assessed response to risperidone and factors associated with response to resperidone in 62 consecutive DSM-IV schizophrenic patients treated with the drug at the Department of Psychiatry, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. We divided the 62 patients into two groups, responders and non-responders, by responsiveness to resperidone according to a four-point scale used in previous studies; responders included moderate to marked responded patients and non-responders included none to minimal responded patients. RESULTS: Among the total patients of 62, 31(50%) were categorized as responders. In comparing responders(N=31) with non-responders, there were no differences between the two groups in sex, age, education, age at first onset, duration of illness, number of admissions, and family history, but the patients who were married and had the paranoid-typed symptoms were significantly more frequent in responders. There were no significant differences in dose of risperidone and frequency of extrapyramidal side effects between the two groups. Antipsychotic-naive patients were significantly more frequent in responders(p=0.009). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that marital status and paranoid type of schizophrenic symptoms may be useful as the clinical predictors associated with risperidone response in schizophrenic patients, and that risperidone is an appropriate first-line antipsychotic agent in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenic patients.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Drug Therapy ; Education ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Incidence ; Marital Status ; Retrospective Studies ; Risperidone* ; Schizophrenia*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine effects of the Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestions, Intensive Therapy (PLISSIT) model sexual health enhancement program on, and development in, sexual function, sexual distress, marital intimacy, and subjective happiness of women with gynecologic cancer and their husbands. METHODS: The comprehensive program (4 session, 90 minutes per session) was developed based on the PLISSIT model. Participants were 43 couples, 21 assigned to the experimental group who attended the 4-week program, and 22 to the control group. Sexual function, sexual distress, marital intimacy, subjective happiness of the women, marital intimacy, subjective happiness of husbands were determined by a questionnaire that was completed by the participants before and after the program. The control group received the intervention post experiment. Chi-square test, t-test, Fisher's exact test were used to test the effectiveness of the program. RESULTS: Post intervention results showed significant differences between the groups for sexual function, sexual distress, and marital intimacy in the women and for subjective happiness in the husbands. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that the sexual health enhancement program is effective in improving sexual function, lowering sexual distress, increasing marital intimacy, and subjective happiness in women with gynecologic cancer and their husbands.
Adult ; Cognition ; Couples Therapy ; Emotions ; Female ; Genital Neoplasms, Female/*psychology ; Happiness ; Humans ; Marital Therapy ; Middle Aged ; *Program Evaluation ; Sexual Behavior ; Spouses/*psychology ; Women/*psychology

Objective: To understand the dynamic variation of BMI and influencing factors among HIV/AIDS patients receiving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi). Methods: HIV/AIDS patients receiving HAART for the first time since 1 January 2013 were selected. Data on BMI was analyzed among patients receiving HAART at baseline,6 months and 12 months after treatment. By using the general linear model repeated measures of analysis of variance, BMI dynamic variations and influencing factors were described and analyzed. Results: The average BMI of 2 871 patients at baseline, 6th months and 12th months appeared as (20.65±3.32), (20.87±3.22) and (21.18±3.20), respectively, with differences all statistically significant (F=18.86, P<0.001). BMI were increasing over time with treatments (F=37.25, P<0.001). Main influencing factors were noticed as: age, sex, marital status, baseline data of CD(4)(+)T cells and the WHO classification on clinical stages. Conclusions: Higher proportion of BMI malnutrition counts was seen among patients before receiving HAART in Liuzhou. BMI of the patients that were on HAART seemed being influenced by many factors. It is necessary to select appropriate treatment protocols on different patients so as to improve the nutritional status of the patients.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Body Mass Index ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; China/epidemiology* ; HIV Infections/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Marital Status ; Nutritional Status ; T-Lymphocytes

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the determinants of remission and discontinuation of paroxetine pharmacotherapy in outpatients with panic disorder (PD). METHODS: Subjects were 79 outpatients diagnosed with PD who took 10–40 mg/day of paroxetine for 12 months. The candidate therapeutic determinants included the serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region and the −1019C/G promoter polymorphism of the serotonin receptor 1A as genetic factors, educational background and marital status as environmental factors, and early improvement (EI) at 2 weeks as a clinical factor were assessed. The Clinical Global Impression scale was used to assess the therapeutic effects of the pharmacotherapy. RESULTS: Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to investigate the significant predictive factors of remission and discontinuation. EI was only a significant predictive factor of remission. EI was a significant predictive factor of remission (hazard ratio [HR], 2.709; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.177–6.235). Otherwise, EI and marital status were significant predictive factors of the discontinuation. EI (HR, 0.266; 95% CI, 0.115–0.617) and being married (HR, 0.437; 95% CI, 0.204–0.939) were considered to reduce the risk of treatment discontinuation. In married subjects, EI was a significant predictive factor of the discontinuation (HR, 0.160; 95% CI, 0.045–0.565). However, in unmarried subjects, EI was not a significantly predictive factor for the discontinuation. CONCLUSION: EI achievement appears to be a determinant of PD remission in paroxetine treatment. In married PD patients, EI achievement also appears to reduce a risk of discontinuation of paroxetine treatment.
Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Marital Status ; Marriage* ; Outpatients* ; Panic Disorder* ; Panic* ; Paroxetine* ; Patient Dropouts ; Remission Induction ; Serotonin ; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins ; Single Person ; Therapeutic Uses ; Treatment Outcome*

OBJECTIVETo analyze survival time of AIDS death cases receiving Antiretroviral Therapy and related factors.

METHODSA retrospective cohort study was carried out to collect the data on death cases receiving Antiretroviral Therapy by the National HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Response Information Management System. Kaplan-Meier was used to calculate the median survival time, and compare survival time among different groups of age, sex, marriage status, infectious routes, WHO clinical stage, baseline CD4(+)T cell counts, and interval time from the start of ART to HIV confirmation. Life table and survival curve were applied to describe survival distribution. Cox proportional hazard model was used to determine the factors associated with the survival time.

RESULTSAmong 142 AIDS death cases, 125 (88.03%) were related with AIDS and 17(11.97%) were not. The total median survival time was 3.100 months (95%CI: 2.279-3.921). The cumulative survival rate was (52 ± 4)%, (33 ± 4)%, (26 ± 4)% in the first 3 months, 3-6 months, and 6-12 months. The median survival time of married or cohabitation group was 2.670 months (95%CI:1.470-3.870), and single (unmarried, divorced, separation, widowed) group was 5.870 months (95%CI: 2.617-9.123). The median survival time of WHO clinical stage I or II group was 5.870 months (95%CI: 3.989-7.751), and WHO clinical stage III or IV group was 1.700 months (95%CI: 0.885-2.515). The median survival time of baseline CD4(+)T cell counts ≤ 50 /µl group was 1.670 months (95%CI: 0.759-2.581), and 51-199 /µl group was 4.400 months (95%CI: 2.735-6.065), and ≥ 200/µl group was 7.100 months (95%CI: 0.000-14.542). The survival time was significantly different among different baseline marital status groups, different WHO clinical stage groups, and different CD4(+)T cell counts groups. The mortality risk of Single (unmarried, divorced, separation, widowed) group was 0.641 times of the risk in married or cohabitation group. The mortality risk of WHO clinical stage III or IV was 1.856 times of the risk in stage I or II. The mortality risk of baseline CD4(+)T cell counts 51-199 /µl group was 0.582 times of the risk in ≤ 50 /µl group, and ≥ 200 /µl group was 0.551 times of the risk in ≤ 50 /µl group.

CONCLUSIONThe total median survival time was relatively short. Most AIDS deaths happened in the first 3 months or 3-6 months after they received Antiretroviral Therapy, and the mortality trend slowed down in the following months. Married or cohabitation, low-baseline CD4(+)T cell counts, or WHO clinical stage III or IV were found to be the risk factors associated with AIDS death cases receiving Antiretroviral Therapy.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Cohort Studies ; Disease Progression ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Marital Status ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate