Wellbeing and quality of life

۞لَّقَدۡ رَضِيَ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ إِذۡ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحۡتَ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡ فَأَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَأَثَٰبَهُمۡ فَتۡحࣰ ا قَرِيبࣰ ا

God was pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you [Prophet] under the tree: He knew what was in their hearts and so He sent tranquillity down to them and rewarded them with a speedy triumph

هُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ لِيَزۡدَادُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنࣰ ا مَّعَ إِيمَٰنِهِمۡۗ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمࣰ ا

It was He who made His tranquillity descend into the hearts of the believers, to add faith to their faith––the forces of the heavens and earth belong to God; He is all knowing and all wise––

وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ نَبِيُّهُمۡ إِنَّ ءَايَةَ مُلۡكِهِۦٓ أَن يَأۡتِيَكُمُ ٱلتَّابُوتُ فِيهِ سَكِينَةࣱ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَبَقِيَّةࣱ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَىٰ وَءَالُ هَٰرُونَ تَحۡمِلُهُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةࣰ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ

Their prophet said to them, ‘The sign of his authority will be that the Ark [of the Covenant] will come to you. In it there will be [the gift of] tranquillity from your Lord and relics of the followers of Moses and Aaron, carried by the angels. There is a sign in this for you if you believe.’

وَمِنۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦٓ أَنۡ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجࣰ ا لِّتَسۡكُنُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيۡنَكُم مَّوَدَّةࣰ وَرَحۡمَةًۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتࣲ لِّقَوۡمࣲ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

Another of His signs is that He created spouses from among yourselves for you to live with in tranquillity: He ordained love and kindness between you. There truly are signs in this for those who reflect

إِذۡ جَعَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلۡحَمِيَّةَ حَمِيَّةَ ٱلۡجَٰهِلِيَّةِ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَعَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَأَلۡزَمَهُمۡ كَلِمَةَ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ وَكَانُوٓاْ أَحَقَّ بِهَا وَأَهۡلَهَاۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمࣰ ا

While the disbelievers had fury in their hearts- the fury of ignorance- God sent His tranquillity down on to His Messenger and the believers and made binding on them [their] promise to obey God, for that was more appropriate and fitting for them. God has full knowledge of all things

وَإِذۡ أَخَذۡنَا مِيثَٰقَكُمۡ وَرَفَعۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمُ ٱلطُّورَ خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيۡنَٰكُم بِقُوَّةࣲ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ

Remember when We took your pledge, and made the mountain tower high above you, and said, ‘Hold fast to what We have given you and bear its contents in mind, so that you may be conscious of God.’

Verily God was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you at al-Hudaybiyya under the tree this was an acacia — they these believers numbered 1300 or more; he took an oath of allegiance from them that they would fight against Quraysh and not attempt to flee from death. And He God knew what was in their hearts of sincerity and loyalty so He sent down the spirit of Peace upon them and rewarded them with a near victory which was the conquest of Khaybar following their departure from al-Hudaybiyya

He it is Who sent down the spirit of Peace Divine reassurance into the hearts of the believers that they might add faith to their faith by way of their embracing of the legal stipulations of religion for every time He revealed one of these they would believe in it — including the command to struggle. And to God belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth and so if He wanted to bring victory to His religion by means of others He would have done so. And God is ever Knower of His creatures Wise in His actions in other words He is ever possessed of such attributes;

Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave the pledge to you under the tree, He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakinah upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory (18)And abundant spoils that they will capture. And Allah is Ever All-Mighty, All-Wise (19) Good News to the Participants of the Ridwan Pledge of Allah's Pleasure and earning Spoils of War Allah declares that He is pleased with the believers who gave the pledge to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ under the tree. We mentioned the number of these believers as being one thousand and four hundred and that the tree was a Samurah tree, located in the area of Hudaybiyyah. Al-Bukhari narrated from Tariq that 'Abdur-Rahman said, "I went on Hajj and passed by people praying and asked, 'What is this Masjid?' They said, 'This is the tree where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took the pledge of Ar-Ridwan.' S

He it is Who sent down As-Sakinah into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in faith along with their faith. And to Allah belong the armies of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise (4)That He may admit the believing men and the believing women to Gardens under which rivers flow to abide therein forever, and He may expiate from them their sins; and that is with Allah supreme success (5)And that He may punish the hypocrites men and women, and also the idolators men and women, who think evil thoughts about Allah, for them is a disgraceful torment. And the anger of Allah is upon them, and He has cursed them and prepared Hell for them and worst indeed is that destination (6)And to Allah belong the armies of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise (7) Allah sent down the Sakinah into the Hearts of the Believers Allah the

And their prophet said to them after they had demanded a sign of his kingship ‘The sign of his kingship is that there will come to you the Ark a chest containing the images of the prophets which God sent down to Adam and which was handed down to them sc. the Israelites until the Amalekites seized it from them in battle. They used to commence fighting invoking it before their enemy and marching behind it as well as experience peacefulness in its presence as God says therein is a Spirit of Peace reassurance for your hearts from your Lord and a remnant of what the folk of Moses and the folk of Aaron left behind which were Moses’s pair of sandals and his staff Aaron’s turban a measure qafīz of the manna that used to come down on them and the pieces of the broken tablets the angels bearing it tahmiluhu l-malā’ikatu the circumstantial qualifier referring to the subject of the verb ya’tiyakum ‘

And their Prophet said to them: "Verily! The sign of His kingdom is that there shall come to you At-Tabut, wherein is Sakinah (peace and reassurance) from your Lord and a remnant of that which Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) left behind, carried by the angels. Verily, in this is a sign for you if you are indeed believers (248) Their Prophet then proclaimed, "The sign of the blessings of Talut's kingship over you is that Allah will give you back the Tabut (wooden box) that has been taken from you." Allah said: فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ (wherein is Sakinah from your Lord) meaning, peace (or grace) and reassurance. 'Abdur-Razzaq stated that Qatadah said: فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ (wherein is Sakinah) means grace. In addition, Ar-Rabi' said that Sakinah means mercy. This is also the meaning given by Ibn 'Abbas, as Al-'Awfi narrated. Allah then said: وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ آلُ مُوسَىٰ و

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ لَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَاسْتُخْلِفَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ بَعْدَهُ كَفَرَ مَنْ كَفَرَ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ كَيْفَ تُقَاتِلُ النَّاسَ وَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَقُولُوا لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ عَصَمَ مِنِّي مَالَهُ وَنَفْسَهُ إِلاَّ بِحَقِّهِ وَحِسَابُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَاللَّهِ لأُقَاتِلَنَّ مَنْ فَرَّقَ بَيْنَ الزَّكَاةِ وَالصَّلاَةِ فَإِنَّ الزَّكَاةَ حَقُّ الْمَالِ وَاللَّهِ لَوْ مَنَعُونِي عِقَالاً كَانُوا يُؤَدُّونَهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَقَاتَلْتُهُمْ عَلَى مَنْعِهِ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إِلاَّ أَنْ رَأَيْتُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ شَرَحَ صَدْرَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ لِلْقِتَالِ فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَهَكَذَا رَوَى شُعَيْبُ بْنُ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏.‏ وَرَوَى عِمْرَانُ الْقَطَّانُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَهُوَ حَدِيثٌ خَطَأٌ وَقَدْ خُولِفَ عِمْرَانُ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Hurairah:said: "When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died and Abu Bakr became the Khalifah after him, whoever disbelieved from the Arabs disbelieved, so Umar bin Al-Khattab said to Abu Bakr: 'How will you fight the people while the Messenger of Allah has said: 'I have been ordered to fight the people until they say La Ilaha Illallah, and if they say that, then their blood and wealth will be protected from me, except what it makes obligatory upon them, and their reckoning is with Allah?' So Abu Bakr said: 'By Allah I will fight whoever differentiates between Salat and Zakat. For indeed, Zakat is the right due upon wealth. And by Allah! If they withhold even (camel) tethers which they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) I will fight them for withholding it.' So Umar bin Al-Khattab said: 'By Allah! I saw that Allah had opened Abu Bakr's chest to fighting, so I knew that it was correct

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الطَّالْقَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، أَخْبَرَنَا حُمَيْدٌ الطَّوِيلُ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَشْهَدُوا أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَأَنْ يَسْتَقْبِلُوا قِبْلَتَنَا وَيَأْكُلُوا ذَبِيحَتَنَا وَأَنْ يُصَلُّوا صَلاَتَنَا فَإِذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْنَا دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَأَمْوَالُهُمْ إِلاَّ بِحَقِّهَا لَهُمْ مَا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَلَيْهِمْ مَا عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ ‏.‏ وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ أَنَسٍ نَحْوَ هَذَا ‏.‏

Narrated Anas bin Malik:that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "I have been ordered to fight the people until they bear witness to La Ilaha Illallah, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and they face our Qiblah, eat our slaughtered (meat), and perform our Salat. And if they do that, then their blood and wealth will be unlawful to us, except with its due right. For them shall be whatever is for the Muslims, and they shall be obliged with that which the Muslims are obliged

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ بْنُ أَبِي إِيَاسٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي السَّفَرِ، وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ، وَالْمُهَاجِرُ مَنْ هَجَرَ مَا نَهَى اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَقَالَ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ عَنْ عَامِرٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى عَنْ دَاوُدَ عَنْ عَامِرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And a Muhajir (emigrant) is the one who gives up (abandons) all what Allah has forbidden

حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَالْحَجِّ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): 1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly. 3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity) . 4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca) 5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَحْمَدُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ - مِنْ لَفْظِهِ - قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سُئِلَ أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ ‏ "‏ الإِيمَانُ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that:The Messenger of Allah [SAW] was asked: "Which deed is best?" "He said: Faith in Allah [SWT] and His messenger [SAW]

أَخْبَرَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ الأَزْدِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حُبْشِيٍّ الْخَثْعَمِيِّ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سُئِلَ أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَفْضَلُ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ إِيمَانٌ لاَ شَكَّ فِيهِ وَجِهَادٌ لاَ غُلُولَ فِيهِ وَحَجَّةٌ مَبْرُورَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated from Abdullah bin Hubshi Al-Khath'ami that:The Prophet [SAW] was asked: "Which deed is best?" He said: "Faith in which there is no doubt, Jihad in which there is no Ghulul, and Hajjatun Mabrur

قال صاحب المنازل : هو من أول مقامات الطمأنينة يعني بمقامات الطمأنينة كالسكينة واليقين والثقة بالله ونحوها فالإخبات : مقدمتها ومبدؤها قال : وهو ورود المأمن من الرجوع والتردد

هذا وفي الصفح والعفو والحلم : من الحلاوة والطمأنينة والسكينة وشرف النفس وعزها ورفعتها عن تشفيها بالانتقام : ما ليس شيء منه في المقابلة والانتقام

بالعيان وبينها وبين السكينة فرقان : أحدهما : أن السكينة صوله تورث خمود الهيبة أحيانا و الطمأنينة سكون أمن في استراحة أنس والثاني : أن السكينة تكون نعتا وتكون حينا بعد حين و الطمأنينة لا تفارق صاحبها الطمأنينة موجب السكينة وأثر من آثارها وكأنها نهاية السكينة

يقول : تغلب عصمته شهوته وتقهرها وتستوفي جميع أجزائها فإذا استوفت العصمة جميع أجزاء الشهوة : فذلك دليل على إخباته ودخوله في مقام الطمأنينة ونزوله أول منازلها وخلاصه في هذا المنزل من تردد الخواطر بين الإقبال والإدبار والرجوع والعزم إلى الاستقامة والعزم الجازم والجد في السير وذلك علامة السكينة

قد تقدم أن الطمأنينة بذكر الله بكلامه وكتابه ولا ريب أن الذي ذكره في هذه الدرجة : هو من جملة الطمأنينة بذكره وهي أهم من ذلك فذكر طمأنينة الخائف إلى الرجاء فإن الخائف إذا طال عليه الخوف واشتد به وأراد الله عز وجل أن يريحه ويحمل عنه : أنزل عليه السكينة فاستراح قلبه إلى الرجاء واطمأن به وسكن لهيب خوفه وأما طمأنينة الضجر إلى الحكم

ونكتة المسألة : إيمانه بأن قضاء الرب تعالى خير له كما قال النبي والذي نفسي بيده لا يقضي الله للمؤمن قضاء إلا كان خيرا له إن أصابته سراء شكر فكان خيرا له وإن أصابته ضراء صبر فكان خيرا له وليس ذلك إلا للمؤمن الحادي عشر : أن يعلم أن تمام عبوديته في جريان ما يكرهه من الأحكام عليه ولو لم يجر عليه منها إلا ما يحب لكان أبعد شيء عن عبودية ربه فلا تتم له عبوديته من الصبر والتوكل والرضى والتضرع والافتقار والذل والخضوع وغيرها إلا بجريان القدر له بما يكرهه وليس الشأن في الرضى بالقضاء الملائم للطبيعة إنما الشأن في القضاء المؤلم المنافر للطبع الثاني عشر : أن يعلم أن رضاه عن ربه سبحانه وتعالى في جميع الحالات يثمر رضى ربه عنه فإذا رضي عنه بالقليل من الرزق : رضي ربه عنه بالقليل من العمل وإذا رضي عنه في جميع الحالات واستوت عنده وجده أسرع شيء إلى رضاه إذا ترضاه وتملقه الثالث عشر : أن يعلم أن أعظم راحته وسروره ونعيمه : فى الرضى عن ربه تعالى وتقدس في جميع الحالات فإن الرضى باب الله الأعظم ومستراح العارفين وج

A program of positive intervention in the elderly: memories, gratitude and forgiveness.: Objective: The main goal of this study has been to increase the quality of life in people of over 60 years through a positive psychology intervention. Method: We employed a program which consists of training based on autobiographical memory, forgiveness and gratitude. The sample consisted of 46 participants aged 60-93 years. State and trait anxiety, depression, general memory, specific memories, life satisfaction and subjective happiness were measured. Results: The results revealed that particip

Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mental Health in Adults: A Systematic Review.: The role of a properly balanced diet in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders has been suggested, while vegetables and fruits have a high content of nutrients that may be of importance in the case of depressive disorders. The aim of the study was to conduct a systematic review of the observational studies analyzing association between fruit and vegetable intake and mental health in adults. The search adhered to the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Met

Influence of Positive Aspects of Dementia Caregiving on Caregivers' Well-Being: A Systematic Review.: Background and objectives: There is a growing evidence base that informal caregivers can identify positive aspects of providing care and that this may have a beneficial influence on their well-being. The aim of this systematic review was to explore how positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) affects the well-being of caregivers of people with dementia. Research design and methods: We searched electronic databases for quantitative studies exploring the association between PAC and caregiver well-bein

Factors influencing the quality of life of pregnant women: a systematic review.: Background: Pregnancy is a period of transition with important physical and emotional changes. Even in uncomplicated pregnancies, these changes can affect the quality of life (QOL) of pregnant women, affecting both maternal and infant health. The objectives of this study were to describe the quality of life during uncomplicated pregnancy and to assess its associated socio-demographic, physical and psychological factors in developed countries. Methods: A systematic review was performed according

Does tai chi improve psychological well-being and quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease and/or cardiovascular risk factors? A systematic review.: Background: Psychological risk factors have been recognised as potential, modifiable risk factors in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Tai Chi, a mind-body exercise, has the potential to improve psychological well-being and quality of life. We aim to assess the effects and safety of Tai Chi on psychological well-being and quality of life in people with CVD and/or cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: We searched for randomised controlled trials evaluating Tai Chi f

Effects of Internet-based psycho-educational interventions on mental health and quality of life among cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.: Purpose: To systematically review evidence regarding the benefits of Internet-based psycho-educational interventions among cancer patients. Methods: We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis and qualitative evidence synthesis. Systematic searches for published studies in English or Chinese identified eligible randomized and clinical controlled trials. The following databases were searched: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials

Body image and marital satisfaction: evidence for the mediating role of sexual frequency and sexual satisfaction.

How does women's body image shape their interpersonal relationships? Based on recent theories of risk regulation and empirical evidence that sex is an emotionally risky behavior, we predicted that women's body image would predict increased sexual frequency and thus increased sexual and marital satisfaction for both members of established relationships. The current study of 53 recently married couples provided results consistent with this prediction. Specifically, wives' perceptions of their sexual attractiveness were positively associated with both wives' and husbands' marital satisfaction, controlling for wives' body mass index (BMI) wives' global self-esteem, wives' neuroticism, and reports of whether or not the couple was trying to get pregnant, and both of these associations were mediated by increased sexual frequency and higher sexual satisfaction. Notably, wives' perceptions of the…

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Doing it my way: old women, technology and wellbeing.

This article focuses on women in their nineties (nonagenarians) who are ageing in place - or ageing at home - in upstate New York. I analyse these old women's use of everyday technological tools to care for themselves and construct meaning. I argue that despite what we may expect, nonagenarian women can be and are technogenarians in their active and creative uses of everyday technologies. Old women utilise lifelong care work repertoires to identify, adjust, use and reject old and new technologies for their own everyday mobility, communication, nourishment, and physiological health. Perhaps most importantly techno-savvy elders can maintain and achieve health and wellbeing, associated here with bodily comfort, social networks, self-efficacy and intellectual life, in and beyond their homes. In these ways, nonagenarians can teach us how household technologies can be health and ageing technol…

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Relationship satisfaction instability and depression.

In this study, we explored whether the degree of temporal instability in relationship satisfaction might add to our understanding of the well-documented association between relationship quality and depression. We hypothesized that greater relationship satisfaction instability would be associated with higher depressive symptoms, controlling for mean satisfaction levels. We conducted 12 weekly assessments of relationship satisfaction and depressive symptoms in a sample of 131 cohabiting and married women, and used intraindividual standard deviations of scores over the 12 weeks as an index of instability. Results indicated that, as hypothesized, relationship satisfaction instability predicted variance in depressive symptoms beyond that predicted by mean satisfaction; women whose weekly relationship satisfaction fluctuated more widely tended to have higher depressive symptoms. In comparison,…

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Postpartum anxiety, depression and social health: findings from a population-based survey of Australian women.

Background: Whilst the prevalence and correlates of postpartum depression are well established, far less is known about postpartum anxiety. Studies have described the association between socio-demographic factors and postpartum depression, yet few have explored the association between stressors in women's lives around the time of having a baby and maternal psychological morbidity. This study aimed to describe the population prevalence of postpartum depression, anxiety, co-morbid anxiety and depression and social health issues; and to examine the association between postpartum psychological and social health issues experienced in the six months following birth. Methods: Population-based survey of all women who gave birth in Victoria and South Australia in September/October 2007. Women were mailed the survey questionnaire six months following birth. Anxiety and depression were measured usi…

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Trust, variability in relationship evaluations, and relationship processes.

Little is known about why some people experience greater temporal fluctuations of relationship perceptions over short periods of time, or how these fluctuations within individuals are associated with relational processes that can destabilize relationships. Two studies were conducted to address these questions. In Study 1, long-term dating partners completed a 14-day diary study that assessed each partner's daily partner and relationship perceptions. Following the diary phase, each couple was videotaped trying to resolve the most important unresolved problem from the diary period. As predicted, (a) individuals who trusted their partners less reported greater variability in perceptions of relationship quality across the diary period; (b) they also perceived daily relationship-based conflict as a relatively more negative experience; and (c) greater variability in relationship perceptions pr…

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Understanding advance care planning as a process of health behavior change.

Objectives: To explore whether models of health behavior change can help to inform interventions for advance care planning (ACP). Design: Qualitative cross-sectional study. Setting: Community. Participants: Sixty-three community-dwelling persons aged 65 and older and 30 caregivers with experience as surrogate decision-makers. Measurements: In focus groups conducted separately with older persons and caregivers, participants were asked to discuss ways they had planned for future declines in health and why they had or had not engaged in such planning. Transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory. Results: Four themes illustrated the potential of applying models of health behavior change to improve ACP. (1) Participants demonstrated variable readiness to engage in ACP and could be in different stages of readiness for different components of ACP, including consideration of treatment goals,…

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Social isolation in older adults: an evolutionary concept analysis.

Aim: This paper is a report of an analysis of the concept of social isolation as experienced by older adults. Background: Social isolation is a serious problem with older adults that is expected to increase in the future. Although strong correlations exist between social isolation and negative health consequences, few interventions exist. One contributing factor to this is a lack of conceptual clarity. Data sources: The CINAHL, PsycINFO and Medline databases and the Web of Science were searched using the key terms social isolation, social networks, older adults, elderly and social integration for publications between 1983 and 2007. Review methods: An evolutionary concept analysis was undertaken. References were read in their entirety and analysed based on the summary of surrogate terms, related concepts, attributes, antecedents and consequences. Findings: Five attributes were identified:…

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The role of life satisfaction and depressive symptoms in all-cause mortality.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether life satisfaction and depressive symptoms are independent predictors of mortality in a non-Western sample of adults. The sample included 5,131 adults (ages 50-95 at baseline) in Taiwan who participated in the Survey of Health and Living Status of the Near Elderly and Elderly. There were 1,815 deaths recorded over a 10-year period. Higher life satisfaction significantly predicted lower risk of mortality after controlling for age, sex, education, marital status, and health status. Depressive symptoms significantly predicted higher risk of mortality. A significant interaction with age revealed that the protective effect of life satisfaction weakened with age. The results suggest that life satisfaction and depressive symptoms independently predict mortality risk in adults.

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Long-term psychiatric morbidities among SARS survivors.

Objective: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was the first massive infectious disease outbreak of the 21st century. However, it is unlikely that this outbreak will be the last. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term psychiatric morbidities in survivors of SARS. Method: This is a cohort study designed to investigate psychiatric complications among SARS survivors treated in the United Christian Hospital 30 months after the SARS outbreak. Psychiatric morbidities were assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Functional outcomes were assessed by the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Results: Ninety subjects were recruited, yielding a response rate of 96.8%. Post-SARS cumulative incidence of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders was 58.9%. Current prevalence for any psych…

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Loneliness in old age: longitudinal changes and their determinants in an Israeli sample.

Background: There is a paucity of past research concerning longitudinal changes in loneliness in old age and in the factors that correlate with loneliness in older persons. This study examines (a) whether loneliness increases with age, (b) characteristics of the lonely older population, and (c) predictors of becoming lonely in old age. Methods: Data are from the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Aging Study, a national longitudinal study on the health, mental, and social status of people aged 75 and older living in Israel. Loneliness was measured as the frequency at which participants had felt lonely during the last month (range: 0-3). The analysis included two waves of data, with an average gap of 3.5 years between them, with 1147 participants at wave 1 and 588 participants at wave 2. Results: Data showed an increase in the mean level of loneliness over time, rising from 0.62 to 0.80, p<…

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Employed parents' satisfaction with food-choice coping strategies. Influence of gender and structure.

This study aimed to understand parents' evaluations of the way they integrated work-family demands to manage food and eating. Employed, low/moderate-income, urban, U.S., Black, White, and Latino mothers (35) and fathers (34) participated in qualitative interviews exploring work and family conditions and spillover, food roles, and food-choice coping and family-adaptive strategies. Parents expressed a range of evaluations from overall satisfaction to overall dissatisfaction as well as dissatisfaction limited to work, family life, or daily schedule. Evaluation criteria differed by gender. Mothers evaluated satisfaction on their ability to balance work and family demands through flexible home and work conditions, while striving to provide healthy meals for their families. Fathers evaluated satisfaction on their ability to achieve schedule stability and participate in family meals, while meet…

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Religiosity, spirituality, and socioemotional functioning in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Religious beliefs, religious activities, and spirituality are coping resources used by many mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined whether and how these resources were related to maternal socioemotional functioning. Mothers of children with ASD completed questionnaires assessing religiosity, spirituality, and a wide range of outcome variables, including stress, depression, self-esteem, life satisfaction, positive affect, and sense of control. Analyses revealed that religious beliefs and spirituality were associated with better positive outcomes and, to a lesser extent, lower levels of negative outcomes. Of the two predictors, spirituality accounted for more unique variance in positive outcomes. In contrast, religious activities were related to more negative outcomes and lower levels of positive outcomes.

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Perceived benefits of online support groups for women with metastatic breast cancer.

Women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), a life-threatening illness, stand to benefit a great deal from online support groups, but none have been studied specifically within this population. The present mixed-method study was carried out to determine which therapeutic factors occurred in online MBC support groups, and to see how such factors might have acted to benefit participants. Participants were 20 women with MBC who participated in online peer support groups. Most reported benefiting in some way from their groups. Six therapeutic factors theorized to be helpful in online support groups and cancer support groups were present in the groups studied: group cohesiveness, information exchange, universality, instillation of hope, catharsis, and altruism. However, although participants reported being able to discuss many other concerns freely, they had difficulty discussing death and dyi…

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Evaluation of marital and sexual interactions of Polish infertile couples.

Introduction: The World Health Organization defines infertility as inability to conceive despite regular sexual intercourse sustained for a period exceeding 12 months with no contraceptive methods. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of infertility on marital and sexual interactions among infertile couples. Methods: Two hundred six infertile couples were qualified to the study as the research group. The control group consisted of 190 fertile couples. Main outcome measures: A specific questionnaire was used as a research tool in this study. It included the sociodemographic part, infertility status, and validated scales: Polish version of Index of Marital Satisfaction and Index of Sexual Satisfaction. Statistica 6.0 (Medical University of Silesia; Katowice, Poland) was used in the statistical analysis. The statistical analysis made use of: Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-square …

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Fear of negative evaluation and the hypervigilance-avoidance hypothesis: an eye-tracking study.

The hypervigilance-avoidance hypothesis assumes that anxious individuals initially attend to and subsequently avoid threatening stimuli. In this study pairs of emotional (angry or happy) and neutral facial expressions were presented to students of high or low fear of negative evaluation (FNE) while their eye movements were recorded. High FNE participants initially looked more often at emotional compared to neutral faces, indicating an attentional bias for emotional facial expressions. This effect was further modulated by the sex of the face, as high FNE clearly showed a preference for happy female faces. Analysis of the time course of attention revealed that high FNE looked at the emotional faces longer during the first second of stimulus exposure, whereas they avoided these faces in the consecutive time interval from 1 to 1.5 s. These results partially support the hypervigilance-avoidan…

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Social factors associated with Major Depressive Disorder in homosexually active, gay men attending general practices in urban Australia.

Objectives: Social factors associated with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) were identified among gay men attending high HIV caseload general practices in Sydney and Adelaide. Methods: Men who visited four participating practices were invited to self-complete a survey. A self-screening tool (PHQ-9), based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version four (DSM-IV), was used to measure depressive disorders. Results: The rate of MDD (PHQ-9 score 10 or above) among the 195 HIV-positive gay men was significantly higher than that among the 314 non-HIV-positive gay men (31.8% vs 20.1%, p=0.002). Current MDD was independently associated with younger age, lower income, recent major adverse life events, adopting denial and isolation as coping strategies, less social support, less gay community involvement and recent sexual problems. HIV-status, however, was not independentl…

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The landscape of distress in the terminally ill.

Understanding the complexities of distress and knowing who is most vulnerable is foundational to the provision of quality, palliative end-of-life care. Although prior studies have examined the prevalence of symptom distress among patients nearing death, these studies have tended to largely focus on physical and, to a lesser extent, psychological challenges. The aim of this study was to use the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI), a novel, reliable, and validated measure of end-of-life distress, to describe a broad landscape of distress in patients who are terminally ill. The PDI, a 25-item self-report, was administered to 253 patients receiving palliative care. Each PDI item is rated by patients to indicate the degree to which they experience various kinds of end-of-life distress. Palliative care patients reported an average of 5.74 problems (standard deviation, 5.49; range, 0-24), including…

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Relationship between forgiveness and psychological and physiological indices in cardiac patients.

Background: Research suggests that forgiveness is associated with better psychological and physical health and in particular cardiovascular functioning. Despite these findings, most forgiveness studies involve healthy participants. Purpose: The current study assessed the psychological and physiological correlates of forgiveness in individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD). Method: Self-reported forgiveness, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, and physiological data, including triglycerides, total cholesterol, high- (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, were obtained from 85 hospitalized CAD patients. Results: Higher levels of forgiveness were associated with lower levels of anxiety (p < 0.05), depression (p < 0.01), and perceived stress (p < 0.005) as well as lower total cholesterol to HDL and LDL to HDL ratios (both at p < 0.05) after controlling for age and g…

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Prevalence of urinary and faecal incontinence and nocturnal enuresis and attitudes to treatment and help-seeking amongst a community-based representative sample of adults in the United Kingdom.

Aim: To determine relative prevalence in the same population of urinary incontinence (UI), faecal incontinence (FI) and nocturnal enuresis (NE). To explore attitudes and behaviours relating to help-seeking and beliefs about incontinence prevalence, impact, causes and treatments. Design: Online survey. Subjects: A total of 1040 community-based adults in the UK, representative in terms of age, gender, region and socio-economic status. Outcomes: Prevalence of UI, FI and NE; help-seeking behaviour and beliefs; beliefs about cause, impact and treatment of incontinence. Results: Twenty-three per cent (n = 239) reported UI, 11% (n = 110) FI and 6% (n = 57) NE. Of those known to have sought help, 77% did so from a general practitioner (GP). Of those with no incontinence, 75% said they would seek help from a GP, while 23% said they did not know who they would seek help from. Many were unsure whet…

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Barriers to advance care planning in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The English End of Life Care Strategy promises that all patients with advanced, life limiting illness will have the opportunity to participate in Advance Care Planning (ACP). For patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the barriers to this being achieved in practice are under-explored. Five focus groups were held with a total of 39 health care professionals involved in the care of patients with COPD. Participants reported that discussions relating to ACP are very rarely initiated with patients with COPD and identified the following barriers: inadequate information provision about the likely course of COPD at diagnosis; lack of consensus regarding who should initiate ACP and in which setting; connotations of comparing COPD with cancer; ACP discussions conflicting with goals of chronic disease management; and a lack of understanding of the meaning of 'end of life' withi…

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Early identification and treatment of Alzheimer's disease: social and fiscal outcomes.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that places substantial burdens on those who provide support for family members with declining cognitive and functional abilities. Many AD patients eventually require formal long-term care services because of the absence, exhaustion, or inability of family members to provide care. The costs of long-term care, and especially nursing home care, often deplete private financial resources, placing a substantial burden on state Medicaid programs. Current evidence suggests that pharmacological treatments and caregiver interventions can delay entry into nursing homes and potentially reduce Medicaid costs. However, these cost savings are not being realized because many patients with AD are either not diagnosed or diagnosed at late stages of the disease, and have no access to Medicare-funded caregiver support programs.…

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Psychosocial characteristics of women and men attending infertility counselling.

Background: Little is known about the psychosocial characteristics of infertile couples seeking psychological help. This study describes couples attending infertility counselling. Methods: Questionnaires pertaining to socio-demographic factors, motives for wanting a child, lay aetiology of their infertility, dimensions of life and partnership satisfaction, and a complaints list were completed by 974 women and 906 men. Of those who indicated an openness to counselling, almost half actually attended infertility counselling, and two groups, 'no counselling' (358 women and 292 male partners) and 'taking up counselling' (275 women and 243 male partners), were therefore compared. Results: More couples with stressful life events were found in the counselling group. For women taking up counselling, psychological distress, in the form of suffering from childlessness and depression as well as subj…

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Healthcare proxies of nursing home residents with advanced dementia: decisions they confront and their satisfaction with decision-making.

Objectives: To describe the medical decisions confronting healthcare proxies (HCPs) of nursing home (NH) residents with advanced dementia and to identify factors associated with greater decision-making satisfaction. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Twenty-two Boston-area NHs. Participants: Three hundred twenty-three NH residents with advanced dementia and their HCPs. Measurements: Decisions made by HCPs over 18 months were ascertained quarterly. After making a decision, HCPs completed the Decision Satisfaction Inventory (DSI) (range 0-100). Independent variables included HCP and resident sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and advance care planning. Multivariable linear regression identified factors associated with higher DSI scores (greater satisfaction). Results: Of 323 HCPs, 123 (38.1%) recalled making at least one medical decision; 232 decisions were made, conc…

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When your gain is my pain and your pain is my gain: neural correlates of envy and schadenfreude.

We often evaluate the self and others from social comparisons. We feel envy when the target person has superior and self-relevant characteristics. Schadenfreude occurs when envied persons fall from grace. To elucidate the neurocognitive mechanisms of envy and schadenfreude, we conducted two functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. In study one, the participants read information concerning target persons characterized by levels of possession and self-relevance of comparison domains. When the target person's possession was superior and self-relevant, stronger envy and stronger anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activation were induced. In study two, stronger schadenfreude and stronger striatum activation were induced when misfortunes happened to envied persons. ACC activation in study one predicted ventral striatum activation in study two. Our findings document mechanisms of painful emo…

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Widening spheres of impact: the role of forgiveness in marital and family functioning.

This study examined relations between aspects of family functioning and positive and negative dimensions of forgiveness. Increased understanding of one's partner and decreased anger about betrayal characterize positive forgiveness, whereas experiences such as holding a grudge and desiring revenge indicate negative forgiveness. The sample included 87 wives and 74 husbands who reported experiencing a significant betrayal, their partners, and their adolescent children. Analyses of reported forgiveness revealed that more negative forgiveness was associated with lower marital satisfaction for husbands and wives; trust partially mediated this relationship for husbands and wives. Greater positive forgiveness reported by husbands and wives predicted their own reports of a stronger parenting alliance, whereas greater negative forgiveness reported by husbands and wives predicted their spouses' rep…

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