PURPOSE: This study compared the mental symptoms, especially symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), of women who escaped prostitution, helping activists at shelters, and matched control subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed 113 female ex-prostitutes who had been living at a shelter, 81 helping activists, and 65 control subjects using self-reporting questionnaires on demographic data, symptoms related to trauma and PTSD, stress-related reactions, and other mental health factors. RESULTS: Female ex-prostitutes had significantly higher stress response, somatization, depression, fatigue, frustration, sleep, smoking and alcohol problems, and more frequent and serious PTSD symptoms than the other 2 groups. Helping activists also had significantly higher tension, sleep and smoking problems, and more frequent and serious PTSD symptoms than control subjects. CONCLUSION: These findings show that engagement in prostitution may increase the risks of exposure to violence, which may psychologically traumatize not only the prostitutes themselves but also the people who help them, and that the effects of the trauma last for a long time. Future research is needed to develop a method to assess specific factors that may contribute to vicarious trauma of prostitution, and protect field workers of prostitute victims from vicarious trauma.
Adult ; Alcoholism/etiology/psychology ; Depression/etiology/psychology ; Fatigue/etiology/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Mental Disorders/etiology/psychology ; *Mental Health ; Prostitution/*psychology ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Smoking/psychology ; *Social Work ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/complications/*psychology ; Stress, Psychological/complications

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to provide basic data in the control of depression found in patients with fibromyalgia by analysing the main factors that affect them. METHOD: The subjects were 207 out-patients in three university medical centers diagnosed with fibromyalgia according to the conditions by American College of Rheumatology (1990). Depression was measured by the CES-D Scale. Dependant variables, such as stress and anxiety were measured by the VAS Scale and physical activity was measured using 10(4-point-scale) questions developed by the researcher. The number of tender points was converted to scores based on the criteria of the ACR(1990) and of Yunus. Self-efficacy was measured by the Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Lorig et al.(1989) for arthritis patients. RESULT: The main factors that affect depression of patients with fibromyalgia were self-efficacy, anxiety, physical activity, tender points fatigue, and family support, which explained 49% of the depression. CONCLUSION: It has been confirmed that the regression equation model of this research may serve as a predictor of depression in patients with fibromyalgia.
Self Efficacy ; Middle Aged ; Humans ; Fibromyalgia/*psychology ; Female ; Fatigue ; Family ; Exercise ; Depression/*etiology ; Anxiety ; Adult

PURPOSE: This study was done to provide fundamental data for developing a depression prediction model by discovering main factors that affect depression in patients who do maintenance hemodialysis. METHOD: The subjects were 191 patients doing maintenance hemodialysis selected from outpatient dialysis clinics at 9 major general hospitals, The Instrument tools utilized in this study were adapted from depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, stress, adaptation,symptoms, daily activities, and role limitation and thoroughly modified to verify reliability and validity. The collected data was analyzed with a SPSS-PC 11.0 Window Statistics Program for real numbers, percentage, average, standard deviation, and multiple regression. RESULTS: The correlation factor for depression was (M=2.54) fatigue(M=3.12), sleep disturbance (M=2.82), stress(M=3.04), adaptation(M=2.53), daily activities(M=2.24), symptoms(M=2.37), and role limitation(M=2.24). The strongest factor that affected depression was explained by symptoms of the patients who performed hemodialysis. The analysis of the factors that affected depression revealed a 58.4% prediction in symptoms, stress, role limitation, and adaptation. CONCLUSION: It has been confirmed that the regression equation model(Depression=7.351 + .266*symptoms + .260*stress -.189*adaptation + .057*fatigue) of this research may serve as a prediction factor for depression in Hemodialysis Patients.
Stress, Psychological/etiology ; Sleep Disorders/etiology ; Risk Factors ; Renal Dialysis/adverse effects/*psychology ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Fatigue/etiology ; Depressive Disorder/diagnosis/*etiology ; Adult

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing fatigue in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: A descriptive correlational study design was used. A convenience sample of 125 subjects was recruited from the outpatient respiratory clinic at a large university hospital. Data was collected from June to October, 2005 using structured questionnaires, an oxygen saturation test, a 6-minute walking test, and a pulmonary function test. RESULTS: Subjects had a slightly low degree of fatigue. The fatigue showed a significant correlation with emotion(r= .589, p= .000), dyspnea(r= .304, p= .001), self-efficacy (r= -.278, p= .002), and symptom experience(r= .238, p= .008). Emotion(34.7%) and dyspnea(5.8%) were significant predictors to explain fatigue. CONCLUSION: This study provides comprehensive understanding of the influencing factors on fatigue in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nursing interventions to decrease negative emotion and dyspnea for management of fatigue is suggested.
Aged ; Dyspnea/etiology ; Emotions/physiology ; Fatigue/*etiology/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oximetry ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/*complications/physiopathology/psychology ; Questionnaires ; Regression Analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influential factors for job burnout among the managerial staff in a Sino-Japanese joint venture automobile manufacturer in Guangzhou, China.

METHODSA total of 288 managers in a Sino-Japanese joint venture automobile manufacturer were surveyed using the Occupational Stress Indicator, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Social Support Rating Scale.

RESULTSOn the depersonalization dimension, the male managers had significantly higher scores than the female managers. The scores of emotion exhaustion and depersonalization of MBI showed significant differences among the managers with different levels of occupational stress. The path analysis showed that occupational stress, neuroticism, and psychoticism had negative effects on emotion exhaustion, while job satisfaction and utilization of social support had direct positive effects on emotion exhaustion. Occupational stress, psychoticism, and passive coping style had direct negative effects on depersonalization, while job satisfaction, objective support, and utilization of social support had positive effects on depersonalization. Job satisfaction and active coping style had positive effects on sense of personal accomplishment, while passive coping style had a negative effect on sense of personal accomplishment. Personality exerted its effect on social support through coping style and thus on job satisfaction and job burnout.

CONCLUSIONMale managers have a greater propensity to depersonalization than their female counterparts. High occupational stress is a risk factor for job burnout. Personality, social support, and coping style are influential factors for job burnout.

Administrative Personnel ; psychology ; Adult ; Burnout, Professional ; etiology ; psychology ; Fatigue ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stress, Psychological ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo probe the tendency of physiological and psychological change of armored vehicle drivers working continuously in hot environment.

METHODSTen cross-designed standard subjects were divided into control group and driver group. The driver group worked continuously in 32 degrees C approximately 38 degrees C and RH 50% approximately 80% environment. Heart rate, body temperature, systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were synchronously and dynamically determined during work. Psychological parameters such as profile of mood states (POMS) questionnaire, serial addition/subtraction (SAS) and two-digit search (TDS) selected from neurobehavioral evaluation system (NES) before and after work were also tested.

RESULTSThe curves of the four main physiological parameters rapidly synchro-rose to a peak at (36 +/- 3) min, whereafter the curves descended smoothly. At (144 +/- 8) min, the curves climbed up to the second peak. The determination of the behavioral psychology revealed that the degree of fatigue of the drivers increased gradually when the working time prolonged, and the grip descended by great extent, excitement reduced markedly after work, but the negative mood, such as confusion and depression were increased, error of visual apperceive-operation was increased, right decreased, intelligence reduced, rapidity and delicacy of movement reduced.

CONCLUSIONThe physiological parameters of armored vehicle drivers working continuously in the hot condition appeared double-peak effect, the 1st peak was at (36 +/- 3) min, and the body was in mobilizing stage. Whereafter, the body was in smooth stage. And at (144 +/- 8) min, when the 2nd peak appeared, the body then was in physiological tolerance limit stage.

Adaptation, Physiological ; Adult ; Affect ; Automobile Driving ; psychology ; Body Temperature ; Fatigue ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Heart Rate ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between the cancer related fatigue and social support in breast cancer patients after chemotherapy. METHODS: According to the uniform inclusive and exclusive criteria, 396 breast cancer patients after chemotherapy were sampled randomly from 4 hospitals in Changsha and investigated on the spot by cancer fatigue scale and social support scale. RESULTS: The levels of social support, subjective support, Objective support, and utilization of support of the breast cancer patients after chemotherapy were 36.63±7.80, 21.05±4.67, 8.45±3.06, and 7.13±2.10, respectively, which were lower than the normal level, with significant difference(P<0.001). There was a negative correlation between each fatigue dimension and social support, subjective support, Objective support, and utilization of support (P<0.05 or P<0.001). CONCLUSION The social support system in patients with breast cancer after chemotherapy is poor. There is a negative correlation between the social support system and cancer related fatigue.
Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; complications ; drug therapy ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; drug therapy ; psychology ; China ; Fatigue ; etiology ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Social Support

PURPOSE: This study examined the characteristics of fatigue and the relationship between fatigue and its related factors in Korean patients on hemodialysis. METHODS: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 104 patients on hemodialysis in Seoul, Korea. FINDING: Of a total of 104 subjects, eighty-one (77.9%) complained of fatigue. Fatigue severity was measured by the self-rating Visual Analogue Scale-Fatigue (VAS-F) with a mean score of 36.5 (SD=17.49, range 2 - 81). The mean duration of fatigue was 3.8 hours (SD=5.3, range 0 - 24). Depression was most significantly correlated with fatigue (beta=.43, p<.00), with interdialytic weight gain (beta=.25, p<.05) being the second most significant correlate. CONCLUSION: This study shows that nursing interventions for patients who experience fatigue while on hemodialysis should be focused on both psychological problems, such as depression, as well as on physiological problems, such as interdialytic weight gain.
Risk Factors ; Renal Dialysis/*adverse effects ; Regression Analysis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Male ; Korea ; Humans ; Female ; Fatigue/*etiology/physiopathology/psychology ; Depression/complications ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult

We conducted a study to determine whether the hemocontrol biofeedback system (HBS) can improve intradialytic hypotension (IDH) in hypotension-prone hemodialysis (HD) patients compared with conventional HD. In this multicenter prospective crossover study, 60 hypotension-prone patients were serially treated by conventional HD for 8 weeks (period A), by HD with hemoscan blood volume monitoring for 2 weeks (period B0), and by HBS HD for 8 weeks (period B1). The number of sessions complicated by symptomatic IDH during 24 HD sessions (14.9+/-5.8 sessions, 62.1% in period A vs 9.2+/-7.2 sessions, 38.4% in period B1, P<0.001) and the number of IDH-related nursing interventions in a session (0.96+/-0.66 in period A vs 0.56+/-0.54 in period B1, P<0.001) significantly decreased in period B1 than in period A. Recovery time from fatigue after dialysis was significantly shorter in period B1 than in period A. The patients with higher post-dialysis blood pressure, lower difference between pre- and post-dialysis blood pressure, less frequent IDH, and higher pre- and post-dialysis body weight in period A responded better to HBS in period B1 in regard to the reduction of IDH. In conclusion, HBS may improve the patient tolerability to HD by reducing the IDH frequency and promoting faster recovery from fatigue after dialysis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; *Biofeedback, Psychology ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Volume ; Body Weight ; Cross-Over Studies ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Hypotension/etiology/*prevention & control ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prone Position ; Prospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/adverse effects ; Young Adult