Marriage and health

There have been so many studies on this that it now seems like stating the obvious: Study finds links between marriage and good health. It's well-established now that both men and women enjoy better health when married, and that the effect is especially strong for men. If you're interested in more information on the topic, I'd suggest a visit to the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University.

Since my insurance won't cover it, I guess Mom would have to

The Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE) put out a press release earlier this week on just how vital family members are to each other's long term care. This seems to be less of a "my family would drop everything to help" issue and more of a "well, I don't have adequate insurance for that" issue:

Nearly four in ten Americans say they would turn to family and friends if they were ever to need long-term care services, compared to relatively few who say they plan to rely on insurance or private savings. Conducted by KRC Research between October 27-30, 2006, the survey asked 1,025 adult Americans what they would rely on most if they were ever to become unable to handle some of the basic tasks of daily living, such as bathing, eating and dressing themselves. Here's how the public responded:

Family and friends 39%
Health insurance 18%
Long-term care insurance 15%
Accumulated savings 12%
Government assistance/programs 12%

Notably, the press release did NOT conclude "The fact that only a third of US residents can count on insurance to provide them with needed long-term care is a giant friggin' problem." So I'll let that be my conclusion instead.

Combat veterans seek mental health care

...and sometimes they don't find it. According to a study in the current Journal of the American Medical Association, more than a third of Iraq veterans seek mental health services in the year after returning from deployment. The study links combat experiences with the need for post-deployment services. But what's most interesting in the article is what it doesn't say.

Consider this quote in the article's summary: "More than 50% of those referred for a mental health reason were documented to receive follow-up care." Though it's presented in positive terms, what it actually says is alarming: Almost half of those who seek help for mental health issues aren't getting it.

If you or a friend or family member are a combat veteran and need mental health services, this information may be useful to you: First of all, many local therapists (myself included) and agencies offer reduced-fee services for clients with lower incomes. This way everyone can benefit from counseling, even those who think they can't afford it. Second, for combat veterans who have experienced trauma and have spouses or significant others, there is reason to believe couples therapy may be the best treatment. Creating a safe and supportive couple relationship can serve to both reduce the impact of trauma on the survivor, and decrease the chances that the survivor's partner will be secondarily traumatized or feel excessively burdened by living with the survivor. Emotionally Focused Therapy has been specifically developed and studied as a couple-based response to trauma, and works well; I'd recommend seeking out a therapist who offers this approach. (And--surprise--I'm one of them. But I'm not the only one, and am happy to make referrals if you wish.)

Sick of bad relationships? Well, yeah, you might be

Sorry for the delay in posts here--I've been sick. I'm better now, but the whole experience reminded me to post this article to anyone wondering how they can further help--or hinder--their chances of staying healthy over the flu season. Turns out all the kissing can help, if you're doing it with the right person:

Birmingham Post (Australia)
November 9, 2005, Wednesday
Copyright 2005 Midland Independent Newspapers plc

WEDDED BLISS CAN HELP BEAT FLU BUG

Marital happiness is key to fighting off flu, a study by university researchers has found.

The study by the University of Birmingham's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences also discovered that bereavement has a negative effect on the body's immune response to the annual flu jab.

Dr Anna Phillips, the lead investigator on the study, said: "We know that those aged over 65 are more at risk of the impact of flu, but this research shows that within that group, those that have been recently bereaved, or those that are single, divorced or widowed are more at risk that those who are in a happy marriage.

"It is especially important for these at-risk groups to get their flu jabs."

The study looked into whether stressful life events and other related factors had an effect on the immune system's response to the flu vaccination, which gives a good indication of how well the body would fight off a real attack of flu.

The research team looked at the levels of antibodies in the blood, which are produced by the body to combat disease.

The team found that those who reported having happy marriages had a much higher level of antibodies in the blood than those reporting lower marital satisfaction.

Those who had suffered a bereavement in the year prior to vaccination had a poorer response than those who had not suffered such a loss.

More than 180 pensioners from across Birmingham took part in the study, the first of its kind to examine the impact of general psychological factors on immune response to the flu jab in older adults.

Participants gave a blood sample prior to vaccination, then further samples at one month.

Dr Phillips added: "We would like to take this research further, to see whether interventions such as bereavement counselling or marriage counselling can improve the immune response in at-risk groups."

A step in the right direction

The health care system in the US relies largely on a "disease model," where the essential message is "bring in what's wrong with your body, and your doctor will try to fix it." This is an incomplete picture of health at best, since it largely ignores relational and environmental issues. It is also an entirely wrong way to encourage more proactive steps toward a healthy, happy life.

So I'm glad to see the World Health Organization is working on an International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. It's a classification system that gives as much weight to activities and environmental factors as it does to the body itself in developing a picture of functioning. It's a way of examining the whole person in their environment.

Imagine that.