// modify the 7 lines below
$banners= array('http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/prostatic-hyperplasia.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/dysmenorrhea.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/ectopic-pregnancy.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/pregnancy-risk.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/topamax.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/ibs.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/depression-new.gif','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/tacrolimus.gif','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/diabetes.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/personality-disorders.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/presbyopia.gif');
$alt_texts= array ('Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH for short, is the enlargement of the prostate gland. It is caused by excess growth of cells in the prostate. This condition is not the same as prostate cancer','Alternate Names : Dysmenorrhea. Menstrual cramps are the pain and cramping some women experience during their monthly periods. The term dysmenorrhea usually refers to pain and cramps severe enough to prevent normal activity','An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus. The most common site is within a fallopian tube. More rarely an embryo may implant within an ovary, in the cervix, or on the abdominal wall','Pregnancy is the period from conception to birth. A pregnancy may be complicated by health problems or lifestyle issues known as risk factors. These risk factors can affect the mother or fetus, or both','Topiramate (toe-PYRE-a-mate) is used to help control some types of seizures in the treatment of epilepsy. This medicine cannot cure epilepsy and will only work to help control seizures for as long as you continue to take it.','Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a condition characterized by abdominal cramping, bloating, gas, and other changes in the bowels','Depression is a medical condition that leads to intense feelings of sadness or despair. These feelings don\'t go away on their own. They are not necessarily related to a particular life event','Tacrolimus ( ta-KROE-li-mus) ointment is used for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. This is a skin condition where there is itching, redness and inflammation, much like an allergic reaction','Type 2 diabetes mellitus, more often known as type 2 diabetes, is the most common type of diabetes','Personality disorders are chronic mental disorders','Presbyopia is an eye condition in which the lens loses the ability to focus over time');
$links= array('http://www.3-rx.com/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/menstrual-cramps/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/ectopic-pregnancy/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/pregnancy-risk-factors/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/drugs/detailed/topiramate/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/irritable-bowel-syndrome/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/depression.php','http://www.3-rx.com/drugs/detailed/tacrolimus-systemic/before-using.php','http://www.3-rx.com/diabetes.php','http://www.3-rx.com/personality-disorders/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/presbyopia/default.php'); /* e.g. 'http://www.yoursite.com' */
$border="0";
$target="";
$width="150";
$height="300";
$action="";// for javascript enter 'js' else leave empty.
// YOU DO NOT NEED TO MODIFY BELOW
$random_no= count($banners);
$random=$random_no-1;
mt_srand ((double) microtime () * 1000000);
$rnd= mt_rand(0,$random);
$banner=$banners[$rnd];
$alt_text=$alt_texts[$rnd];
$link=$links[$rnd];
if ($action=="js")
{
echo("document.write('');");
}
else
{
echo"";
}
?>
Caregivers of eating disorder patients who used a skills training DVD along with telephone coaching to help them cope with their loved one’s illness were highly satisfied with the program, saying it helped reduce their stress levels, UK researchers report.
With just 14 participants, the study was too small to show a significant effect of the training program on caregivers’ psychological distress or depression, but there was a trend toward users having less distress after completing the program, Dr. Ana R. Sepulveda of Guy’s Hospital, London and colleagues found.
“The high acceptance rate of this pilot study also shows that the carers of people with eating disorders seem highly motivated to receive support and take an active part in helping their relatives to recover,” the researchers say.
People caring for a person with an eating disorder must provide substantial emotional support to the ill person, and may themselves suffer considerable distress, Sepulveda and her team explain.
At the same time misunderstanding of the family and individual’s role in the illness “can lead to patterns of overprotection, criticism or hostility,” they note in the May issue of the International Journal of Eating Disorders. “These problematic patterns of communication and reactions to the illness can hinder rather than help change,” the researchers write.
Sepulveda and her colleagues developed a 3-day workshop to offer support to families of people with eating disorders and give them the skills they need to help the patient recover. In the current study, they tested a five-DVD program that included the workshop’s educational content and skills training via Power Point presentations and video clips. Caregivers also were offered telephone coaching support to help them cope with crises.
When study participants’ ratings of the five DVDs were averaged, 85.6% said they helped their stress levels, while 90.8% said they offered “at least enough” in terms of practical skills. Participants also said they found the telephone coaching to be helpful.
The findings, while preliminary, suggest that this “new form of intervention” could be relevant and useful, the researchers say. However, they add, some in-person contact may still be needed for the program to be truly effective.
SOURCE: International Journal of Eating Disorders, May 2008.