摘要:

Objectives. Monroe&Kelley (1995) have called for the urgent development of theoretically and psychometrically robust measures of primary appraisal. This paper highlights problems with existing measures and provides detail on the psychometric development of the Appraisal of Life Events (ALE) scale. Design. Five studies are reported. The first two studies examine the factor structure of the ALE scale and confounding with social desirability (Ns=260 and 344). Studies 3 and 4 examine the test‐retest reliability of the ALE scale (Ns=17 and 77). Finally, Study 5 examines the relationship between the ALE scale and the other parameters of the stress process (personality, coping and health) across two separate stressful transactions (N=268). Methods. A questionnaire methodology was used. The data were analysed using a mixture of exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and bivariate correlations. Results. The ALE scale demonstrated: (a) three stable factors (threat, challenge and loss), (b) no confounding with social desirability, (c) excellent internal and test‐retest reliabilities, and (d) theoretically appropriate associations with various stressors, coping behaviours, personality and health measures. Conclusions. This paper has answered Monroe&Kelley's (1995) call for the urgent development of theoretically and psychometrically robust measures of primary apprai

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1348/135910799168506

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1999

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. This study explored the levels of distress in a UK sample of partners of gay men with HIV disease. The relationship between coping style and other variables to this distress was also investigated. Design and methods. A cross‐sectional questionnaire design was used with measures of psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, General Health Questionnaire), coping style (the COPE scale), social support, relationship quality and physical health. Results. Thirty‐five HIV‐negative partners made up the final sample. High levels of distress were found with 54% scoring as psychiatric cases (GHQ). Coping strategies of acceptance, behavioural disengagement, mental disengagement, focusing on emotions and suppression of competing activities were significantly (p<. 05) correlated with psychological distress. Significant but smaller correlations were also found between distress and satisfaction with social support, and distress and measures of the infected person's health. Conclusions. Distress in the partners of people with HIV infection was associated with a number of factors, some amenable to change. This study suggests that psychological therapy aimed at modifying coping style would be a useful adjunct to treatment of the anxiety and depression dir

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1348/135910799168515

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1999

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. To investigate whether poor psychological status predicts shorter survival, faster progress of disease and greater disability in patients with ALS/MND (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neurone disease). Design. A prospective study of mood as a predictor of 6‐month outcome in a consecutive cohort of patients with ALS/MND. Methods. A cohort of 38 consecutive patients completed mood, self‐esteem, wellbeing and disability measures at the time of diagnosis and 6 weeks later. Survival and disability were assessed at 6 months. Results. The 10 patients who died had poorer overall mood at the 6‐week interviews. Low mood early in disease also predicted greater disability at 6 months. The poor outcomes of patients with poor psychological well‐being were not due to confounding associations between mood and disease severity. Conclusions. The data confirm McDonald, Weidenfeld, Hillel, Carpenter&Walter's (1994) finding that poor psychological status predicts poor survival in ALS/MND. This study also extend their findings by (a) recruiting patients at the point of diagnosis and therefore controlling for effects due to the duration of disease, and (b) demonstrating that mood also predicts disease progression and disability. The findings are unlikely to be due to simple spurious association of the psychological status measures with recognized indices of disease or of expected survival. Explanations for the results can be considered in the context of other findings of mood predicting outcomes of life‐threatening disease and the possible value of psychological interventions may be c

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1348/135910799168524

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1999

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objective. To examine the relationship between illness representations, coping behaviour and adaptive outcome in patients with Addison's disease (AD). Design. Cross‐sectional. Following Leventhal's self‐regulation model (Leventhal, Meyer&Nerenz, 1980), it was hypothesized that illness representations are directly associated with coping and, via coping, with adaptive outcome. Method. The illness representations held by 63 patients with a diagnosis of Addison's disease were explored using a questionnaire and a comprehensive interview, including questions on beliefs about the identity, course, cause, treatment possibilities and consequences of their illness, the coping strategies they use, and their physical and psychological well‐being. Results. AD patients differ highly in the subjective experience of their disease. Patients who view their illness as a serious condition with both frequent and serious symptoms and consequences, patients who believe their illness is chronic, and patients who consider their illness uncontrollable were found to engage more in passive coping strategies and to report higher levels of disability with regard to physical functioning, social functioning, mental health and general vitality than those who believed the opposite. Regression analyses indicated that illness representations were better predictors of adaptive outcome than were coping scores. Conclusion. Illness representations seem to play an important role in functioning in Addison's disease. The implications of these findings for the design of health carerelated interventions for AD patients are disc

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1348/135910799168533

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1999

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. The principal aim was to determine whether ‘controlled’ motivation can account for differences in persistence with weight‐loss dieting. The study also investigated whether goal‐setting attributes moderated or mediated the relationship between controlled motivation to diet and persistence with dieting. Design. A 2 × 2 between‐subjects design was used, with controlled motivation (low versus high), and type of feedback (positive versus negative) as the independent variables. This design enabled the investigation of their separate and interactive effects. Method. In a vignette study, 100 females were told to imagine they wanted to lose 3 kilograms. They then answered questions concerning their individual weight‐loss goals. Controlled motivation was assessed via a questionnaire. Two predetermined schedules of reinforcement for the dieting created a positive and a negative feedback group. The number of weeks for which the participants indicated they would continue dieting provided the index of dieting persistence, or the outcome measure. Results. The findings revealed that those with highly controlled dieting motivation persisted with dieting for longer than those whose motivation was less controlled, irrespective of whether weight was lost. Goal specificity moderated the effect of controlled motivation on persistence, and commitment to weight‐loss goals partially mediated the contribution of controlled motivation to persistence. Conclusions. To understand variability in the persistence of weight‐loss dieting, we need to invoke differences in the nature of motivation to diet and specific weight‐loss goal attributes. Prevention strategies should aim to encourage autonomous decision making among young females, especially in relation to w

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1348/135910799168542

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1999

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Purpose. This study was aimed at developing a measure of the capacity to use social support effectively. Methods. The responses of 329 participants to a preliminary 130‐item scale derived from a ‘scenario’ study were subjected to principal axis factoring. This resulted in a 48‐item Interpersonal Trust Questionnaire (ITQ) comprising three factors labelled fear of disclosure (FOD), social coping (SC) and social intimacy (SI). A second sample of 380 participants then completed the final form of the ITQ together with the rehearsal (rumination) and emotional inhibition scales from the Emotion Control Questionnaire (ECQ; Roger&Najarian, 1989), the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ; Sarason, Levine, Basham&Sarason, 1983) and the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviours (ISSB: Barrera, 1981). Data on deterioration in health status over a period of adaptation were also available for a subsample of these participants. An additional sample provided scores on the ITQ and the Network Orientation Scale (NOS; Vaux, Burda&Stewart, 1986). Results. The scales were found to correlate in predictable ways with measures of both social support and emotion control. However, there were gender differences confirming the preference amongst women for emotional rather than informational support. Regression analyses using deterioration in health status as the dependent variable showed an effect for FOD, but this was significant only amongst women. Conclusions. The findings indicate the importance of taking both individual differences and availability of support into account, and it is hoped that the new ITQ scale will offer the means for including relevant individual differences in future studies of the role of social support in moderating stress re

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1348/135910799168551

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1999

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. To assess whether the ‘big five’ personality traits are related to health behaviour among British older people. Design. The NEO Five Factor Inventory, together with questions on medical problems, perceived health status, positive health behaviours, and frequency of visits to general practitioners were administered to people aged between 75 and 84 years. Method. Fifty people (21 men and 29 women) were interviewed, drawn from four GP lists in Southampton. Results. Neuroticism was associated with a number of reported medical problems, negatively perceived health status and frequency of visits to the GP. Extraversion was associated with positive health behaviours. Openness to experience and agreeableness were associated with positive health perceptions. There were some striking differences between associations found within the male and female groups. Agreeable women reported fewer medical problems and less frequent visits to the GP than antagonistic women, whereas conscientious men reported more positive health perceptions and more visits to the GP than non‐conscientious men. Conclusion. Since associations are evident for each of the personality traits, all of the ‘big five’ personality traits should be included in research on health behaviour to investigate their relevance for clinical

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1348/135910799168560

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1999

数据来源: WILEY