Factors associated with the burden of family caregivers of patients with mental disorders: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Caregivers are responsible for the home care of family members with mental-health disorders often experience changes in their life that can generate stress and burden. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the burden of caregivers of family members with mental disorders. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with a non-probability sample of family caregivers, whose patients attended a community services program, the Psychosocial Care Centers, in three cities in the southwest region of Goiás State, Central Brazil. Data collection took place from June 2014 to June 2015. The participants were 281 caregivers who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Bivariate analyses (t test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation) were performed, and variables with values of p < 0.10 and gender were included in a multiple-linear regression model. Values of p < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: The caregivers were mostly female and parents of the patients, were married, with low education, and of low income. The mean ZBI score was 27.66. The factors independently associated with caregivers' burden were depression, being over 60 years of age, receiving no help with caregiving, recent patient crisis, contact days, and having other family members needing care. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified factors that deserve the attention of community services and can guide programs, such as family psycho-education groups, which may help to minimize or prevent the effects of burden on family caregivers responsible for patients' home care.

Voice Care from the Student Teachers' Perspective.

OBJECTIVE: Voice is an essential working tool in the teaching profession and thus needs to be acknowledged and cared for by student teachers. This study aimed to investigate the presence of vocal symptoms among fourth-year students of teacher education programs and whether students had received voice care advice during their education. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 70 students in their final year of 9 teacher education programs at Regional Jataí of Universidade Federal de Goiás, Midwestern Brazil, from January to April 2017. Participants completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic, academic, and work-related characteristics, and were asked to answer an open-ended question on whether they had received any voice care advice during their education (and what type of advice if any). The Screening Index for Voice Disorder was then administered to all participants for self-reported vocal symptoms. RESULTS: Of 70 students included in the study, 81.4% were women with a mean age of 30 years. Overall, 62.9% were employed: 47.7% in the field of education and 52.3% in other activities. As for vocal symptoms, 35.7% reported ≥ 5 symptoms, including strained speech (51.4%), dry throat (50.0%), dry cough (48.6%), hoarseness (37.1%), and phlegm (35.7%). Most students (87.14%) did not receive voice care advice during their education. Among those who received advice (12.86%), voice care was limited to lay advice, such as drinking plenty of water, speaking in a lower voice, avoiding straining the voice by shouting, avoiding cold beverages, and drinking ginger tea. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the need for the introduction of voice training during teacher education in order to promote efficient voice production and prevent occupational voice disorders among future teachers by raising awareness of the importance of voice care and the risk factors that may affect the voice directly or indirectly.

Factors Associated with Marital Satisfaction and Quality of Life in Family Caregivers of Patients with Mental Disorders.

(1) Background: The aim of this research was to analyze factors associated with quality of life (QoL) and marital satisfaction in married family caregivers of patients with mental disorders. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in all community mental health services in Goiania municipality, Brazil, in 2016-2017. Married family caregivers of patients with severe and persistent mental disorders were recruited and their QoL and marital satisfaction was assessed by using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF) and Marital Satisfaction Scale. Multiple linear regressions were performed to identify factors associated with QoL and marital satisfaction. (3) Results: For 163 family caregivers, the psychological and environmental QoL domains presented the best and the worst scores, respectively. Factors independently associated with better QoL for caregivers were male caregiver, the younger age of a caregiver, >8 years of schooling, ≥5 years as a caregiver who performed physical activities, caregiver without chronic disease, and no patient's crisis in the last 30 days. Factors independently associated with marital satisfaction of the caregiver were male caregiver, caregiver with >8 years of schooling, caregiver who received support by relatives to care for the patient, caregiver who performed physical activities, no patient's crisis in the last 30 days, and patient hospitalization in the last six months; (4) Conclusions: The main predictor for marital satisfaction was support by relatives, and for QoL it was no patient's crisis in the last 30 days.

Modelo de suprimento sanguíneo do intestino grosso do tamanduá bandeira (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) / Model of blood supply to the intestine of Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)

Em seis animais adultos Myrmecophaga tridactyla estudou-se o modelo de suprimento sanguíneo do intestino grosso, que é dependente das artérias mesentérica cranial (AMCr) e caudal (AMC). Os espécimes coletados conforme as normas do IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis) foram perfundidos com água (40 C), injetados com látex corado, fixados em formol e conservados em solução alcoólica (50 por cento). O mesocólon está disposto na linha sagital mediana e fixa o intestino grosso à parede dorsal do abdome. Derivaram da AMC: a artéria retal cranial, sete a 14 artérias cólicas e uma ou duas artérias ileocólicas, que apresentaram anastomoses de irrigação com a AMCr. A AMC finaliza-se na borda mesocólica das alças intestinais, emitindo ramos cólicos retos a partir das arcadas justacólicas, que penetram na intimidade da musculatura longitudinal. Ao longo do trajeto da AMC foram observadas ilhas arteriais, e a região ileocólica apresentou maior densidade vascular.

This research aimed to study the model of large intestine blood supply, which is dependent on the cranial mesenteric artery (AMCr) and caudal mesenteric artery (AMC), in six adults of Myrmecophaga tridactyla. The specimens were collected in accordance with the IBAMA standards (Brazilian Institute of the Environment) and were perfused with water (40 C), injected with colored latex, fixed in formaldehyde and preserved in alcohol solution (50 percent). The mesocolon is positioned in the median sagittal line and fixes the large intestine to the dorsal wall of the abdomen. The following is derived from the AMC: the cranial rectal artery, from 7 to 14 colic arteries and one or two ileocolic arteries, which present irrigation anastomosis with AMCr. The AMC finishes at the mesocolic edge of the bowel loop, generating straight colic branches from juxtacolic arcades, which penetrate the intimacy of longitudinal muscles. Arterial islands were observed along the AMC path and the ileocolic region showed higher vascular density.