A relação entre exposição a acontecimentos de vida e o desenvolvimento de doenças degenerativas

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation was to evaluate the history of life events prior to the development of degenerative disease. The innovation is the identification of prevalence of adversities and trauma in people with degenerative disease, compared to the prevalence found in the literature of the general population. Method: The study included 55 carriers of degenerative diseases, of which 41.8% (42%) were male and 58.2% (58%) were female. The average age of the sample is 55 years. In the sample, on average all participants have households with 3 elements. In relation to schooling, the average is grade 10. As for the family income of these patients, the average income ranges from 750€ to 1000€. The instruments used were: Socio-Demographic Questionnaire, Childhood History Questionnaire (ACE), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (EMASP), Scale of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (PCL-5), Life Events Checklist (LEC-5), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and Brief Quality of Life Questionnaire(WHOQOL-BREF). Results: The main results revealed that higher levels of depression were associated with lower levels of perceived quality of life. Conclusion: The carriers of degenerative diseases presented high prevalence of trauma and adversity in childhood. Depression plays a negative role in the quality of life of these individuals, while social support plays a positive role. It is necessary to intervene in the treatment of psychological disorders and in the improvement of social support in order to enhance the quality of life of those with degenerative diseases.

Date of Award	2019
Original language	Portuguese
Supervisor	Ricardo José Martins Pinto (Supervisor) & Maria Teresa Soares Souto (Supervisor)