The stress process and events of later life are more irreversible and chronic as compared with those of young adulthood Coping is defined as "things that people do to avoid being harmed by life-strains". This study looks at the coping status of non-institutionalised ill elderly in Holbaek, Denmark. A structured questionnaire was carried out on 500 elderly, aged 70 years and above. Coping status was found to be associated with income, social network, functional capacity and communications ability. The poor copers used more home help and home nursing services. Effective informal social network and functional capacity were found to be important determinants of coping status. The study recommends that besides strengthening the informal social networks of the elderly, they should also be given coping focussed counselling.
This observational study investigates and describes the oral health beliefs and illness behaviour in the Semai tribe of Orang Asli community. Data was obtained from a "Key informant interview" method i.e. the village Tok Halaq (Traditional healer). Information about common oral diseases and conditions were illustrated with enlarged pictures of dental caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer and cleft. The most common oral problem was toothache. This is treated by self-medication. However if the pain still persist, the Tok Halaq was consulted to start traditional methods. He will identify the cause. If "germs" were thought to be the cause, he will ask the person to see a doctor. Otherwise, he attempts traditional treatment. If the effort failed after a few days, the person will be advised to see a doctor. It appears that the Tok Halaq plays an influential role in prevention, promotion and the healing process in this community. Hence any effort to promote oral health and prevent oral disease must seek their cooperation. Their beliefs on causes of common oral diseases are described in the text.
The relationship between locus of control and reaction to illness is empirically examined in a group of patients on haemodialysis for chronic renal failure. Results of the study suggest that patients who perceive themselves as having personal control over life events tend to have stronger feelings that their illness has made them dependent on others. There is also a greater tendency for them to exhibit more information seeking behaviour, and to adopt an active, problem-solving and intellectual approach to cope with their chronic renal failure. Relevance of the findings and implication for treatment outcome are discussed.
Semai descriptions of their beliefs about health and disease vary from person to person. Moreover, at different times the same person expresses mutually incongruent beliefs. This amorphousness and fluidity merit analysis rather than neatening. This paper details Semai beliefs, loose ends and all, and suggests that their formal peculiarities are due to the prevalence of synecdoche in conceptual organization. Their inconsistency and fluidity may stem from individualistic egalitarianism within Semai society and powerlessness in the face of nonSemai attack. Finally, it is suggested that construing indigenous medicine as a crude form of Western medicine leads to overtidiness and consequent error.
Indigenous healers in many societies use patterned sounds, movements, colors, shapes, and odors as therapeutic techniques; yet medical anthropology remains curiously inattentive to the aesthetics of healing rituals. Based on research among Senoi Temiar of Peninsular Malaysia, I propose an approach to the therapeutic efficacy of these symbolic forms. The music of Temiar healing ceremonies is examined from three perspectives: the formal musical structures, the indigenous theories that inform those structures, and the strategies through which they are performed and experienced by participants. Temiar healing performances present a moment of articulation between two domains of knowledge and action: musical composition, performance, and affect, on the one hand, and indigenous cosmology, illness etiology, and the pathogenicity of emotions, on the other. Songs of Temiar spirit-mediums cross-cut these two domains, and demonstrate the pragmatics of aesthetics.