Suchergebnisse

Diabetes is a growing problem that threatens both individual health and health care systems throughout the industrialized world. This study analyzes the process and evolution of a collaborative project dealing with diabetes and employing action research methodology and the Citizen Health Care model. Partners in Diabetes (PID) was created through a democratic process among patients, families and providers in a primary care setting in the United States. Fourteen PID `support partners' were nominated by their physicians to receive training and then reach out to other patients and families across a variety of contexts (e.g. home, clinic, telephone). We conducted qualitative analyses of detailed meeting process-notes spanning more than three years, and key-informant interviews with providers, patients and family members. We identified key developmental themes, including how providers and patients learned to overcome traditional hierarchy, how PID was designed and implemented, what challenges were encountered and what mistakes were made. Lessons for extending similar projects are highlighted.

Community‐based participatory research (CBPR) is an action research approach that emphasizes collaborative partnerships between community members, community organizations, health care providers, and researchers to generate knowledge and solve local problems. Although relatively new to the field of family social science, family and health researchers have been using CBPR for over a decade. This paper introduces CBPR methods, illustrates the usefulness of CBPR methods in families and health research, describes two CBPR projects related to diabetes, and concludes with lessons learned and strengths and weaknesses of CBPR.

ObjectiveTo explore the lived experiences of secondary trauma among partners of law enforcement professionals (LEPs).BackgroundStress is a common occurrence for LEPs. Although research suggests that LEPs are directly affected by trauma exposure, few studies focus on the secondary trauma of partners or spouses of LEPs.MethodUtilizing transcendental phenomenological inquiry, in‐depth qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of eight spouses of law enforcement recruited from community groups and police departments.ResultsThe results revealed three overarching themes of how participants experienced being partnered with an LEP: (a) types of trauma exposure, (b) the ripple impact of trauma, and (c) strength of couples and how they cope with trauma.ConclusionFindings suggest that spouses are both affected by trauma and serve a supportive role to LEPs following trauma exposure. Because secondary trauma can exacerbate existing difficulties in communication and emotional intimacy within couples' relationships, a greater understanding of the impact of trauma on law enforcement couples may lead to greater resources to help support couples wherein one individual is directly exposed to work‐related trauma.ImplicationsFamily professionals should promote healthy responses and coping among law enforcement couples following exposure to traumatic events.