Background: Providing older persons with information about their health status may increase their involvement in their own health and enhance self-management. However, we need a better... Show moreBackground: Providing older persons with information about their health status may increase their involvement in their own health and enhance self-management. However, we need a better understanding of how older persons view their personal results after completing a screening questionnaire on complex health, of their (lack of) motivation and their subsequent action.Methods: In this qualitative study community-dwelling older persons (>= 80 years,n = 13) who completed a screening questionnaire on complex health problems were interviewed regarding their perception of the results, the actions they considered taking and their personal motivations. Data were analysed thematically (qualitative content analyses).Results: Participants expressed interest in feedback, as an objective questionnaire might substantiate their own views regarding their personal health. They were mostly unsurprised by the results and/or had already taken precautions and were therefore not inclined to undertake additional action. They admitted difficulty with and appreciated advice from a professional regarding preparation of an action plan. Unexpected negative results would lead them to discuss matters with family and/or their general practitioner, provided they had a good relationship with their GP.Conclusion: Older people were interested in direct feedback regarding their screening questionnaire results and in subsequent advice on possible additional measures. General practices could consider inviting older persons to complete a screening questionnaire and discuss activities and personal goals. This information could serve to better shape future interventions aimed at increasing self-management amongst older persons. Show less
What kinds of personal goals, aspirations and plans do Dutch youths consider important in their lives? And how does experience of setbacks when pursuing these goals and means of coping with these... Show moreWhat kinds of personal goals, aspirations and plans do Dutch youths consider important in their lives? And how does experience of setbacks when pursuing these goals and means of coping with these frustrations influence their psychological well-being and experience of headache? These are some of the main questions addressed in this research project by means of a series of questionnaire and diary studies among high-school students. Goals were most commonly reported in the area of interpersonal relationships, followed by health and body, their future, school, leisure and personal development. Importance of adolescent aspirations and thoughts and emotions related to these goals were shaped to a large extent by personal and contextual characteristics such as gender, age and ethnicity. Goal importance did not differ according to experience of headache, however, youths with weekly headache reported higher levels of frustration in personal goal pursuits compared to their headache-free peers. Frustration in pursuit of especially self and health goals was related to higher depressive symptoms and lower quality of life in a cross-sectional questionnaire study. Furthermore, frustration predicted next-day lower well-being and greater headache complaints in a prospective diary study. Moreover, dwelling on the negative aspects of the situation (catastrophizing), repetitive thoughts about the frustration (rumination) and the belief that one is unable to cope well with the setback predicted next-day poorer psychological well-being. This was one of the first studies to assess the contribution of self and emotion regulation factors to well-being and headache in adolescence and offers insights into possible targets for intervention with youths Show less
