[Correlational study among anger, perceived stress and mental health status in middle aged women].

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relationships of trait anger, mode of anger expression, and perceived stress to mental health status in middle aged women. METHOD: The subjects were 157 middle aged women from 40s to 60s who lived in Seoul. Data was collected by questionnaire surveys using the convenience sampling. The instruments used for this study were Spielberger's trait anger scale and anger expression scale, Cohen, Kamarck, and Mermelstein's perceived stress and Derogatis's SCL-90-R. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Stepwise multiple regression with SAS/PC. RESULT: The trait anger of middle aged women indicated a significantly positive correlation to perceived stress(r=.180, p=.023) and mental health status(r.=021, p=.014). Anger-in(r=.237, p<.05), and perceived stress(p=.461, p<.01) showed significantly positive correlation to mental health status. The most significant predictor influencing health status of middle aged women was perceived stress, and anger-in and the variance explained was 27%. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that middle aged women with high degree of trait anger is likely to be high in stress perception. Perceived stress and anger-in are major factors influencing mental health status.

[The relationship of stress, social support and depression in the elderly].

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relationship between stress, social support and depression in the elderly. METHOD: The subjects were 283 elderly adults over 60 in Seoul. Data was collected by questionnaire surveys using convenience sampling. The instruments used in this study are the ELSI developed by Aldwin(1990), the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List developed by Cohen & Hoberman (1983), and the Geriatric Depression Scale by Yesavage & Brink(1982). Data was analyzed by the SAS program, using descriptive statistics, Pearson Correlation Coefficient, t-test, ANOVA and progressed Multiple Regression. RESULT: The relationship between stress and depression had a positive correlation (r= 0.33), but the relationship between stress and social support had no significant correlations. The relationship between social support and depression had a negative correlation (r= -0.38). The most powerful predictor of depression was the economic status and then a combination of stress, and social support account for 39% of the variance in depression in the elderly. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that stress and social support deficits can be potential risk factors in old age depression. Therefore, these findings give useful information for constructing an intervention program focused on depression in the elderly.

[Influencing factors on file-up stress of family caregivers with a family member having a chronic mental illness].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing file-up family stress in the family with a family member having a chronic mental illness. METHOD: Data was collected by questionnaires from 365 families with a member having a chronic mental illness, in an outpatient clinic of a General Hospital and Government Psychiatric Hospital in Seoul. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULT: The score of file-up stress showed a significantly negative correlation with the score of level of hardiness (r=-.31, p=.00), family support (r=-.13, p=.00), family cohesion (r=-.25, p=.00), and sense of coherence (r=-.26, p=.00). The most powerful predictor of file-up stress was family hardiness and the variance was 11.1%. A combination of hardiness, family support, and sense of coherence account for 14.8 % of the variance in file-up stress of the family with a member having a chronic mental illness. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that family support, hardiness, cohesion, and sense of coherence are significant influencing factors on file-up stress in the family with a member having a chronic mental illness.

Concept analysis of coping with arthritic pain by South Korean older adults: development of a hybrid model.

This study was conducted to clarify and conceptualize the phenomenon of coping with arthritic pain by older adults. The Hybrid Model of concept development was applied to develop a conceptual structure of coping with arthritic pain by older adults. A refined definition of coping with arthritic pain by older adults emerged that identified the attributes and structure of the concept. This study reveals the characteristics of the ways that older adults cope with arthritic pain, such as how they experience themselves, how pain affects their daily life, and how they perceive the meaning of coping with arthritic pain. These characteristics indicate the complexity of the concept regarding the coping of older adults with arthritic pain. This area needs to be clarified when nursing staff assess coping with pain and plan pain management for older adults.