摘要:

This study describes the mental health of a large cohort of gay men participating in the Chicago Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study/Coping and Change Study. Six biannual questionnaires were self-administered between 1984 and 1988. General mental health was determined by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL). An abbreviated version of the Center for Epidemiologic Study Depression Scale (CESD-5) and an adapted Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) question also measured depression. Suicidal ideation was assessed by one question in the HSCL. AIDS-specific distress was determined by three subscales specifically developed for this studyWhile mean HSCL and CESD-5 scores were stable during the observational period, AIDSspecific distress increased over time. The HSCL scores for the cohort were somewhat elevated above general population norms but considerably below psychiatric outpatient norms. Fewer than 12% of the men reported elevated HSCL or CESD-5 scores three or more times. A self-reported episode of depression of two weeks or more, measured by the DIS screening question, was experienced by 40.1% of the sample. Suicidal ideation was reported on three or more visits by 18.8% of the menThe younger members of this cohort exhibit greater general and AIDS-specific distress. Income was inversely associated with general distress. HIV-seropositive participants had generally higher AIDS-specific distress scores than those who were seronegative, but their scores were equivalent on the HSCL and CESD-5

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The purpose of this study was to determine whether schizophrenics with positive, mixed, and negative syndromes are distinguished in terms of visual stimulus registration thresholds and efficiency of information processing. Forty-five schizophrenic inpatients were classified accordingly into groups of 15 each and compared with one another and with 15 normal control subjects on a visual backward masking task. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed that all three schizophrenic groups were less efficient information processors than were normal subjects. Relative to the positive group, the negative group displayed significantly longer registration thresholds, fewer correct target stimulus detections, and longer time intervals to achieve their first significant improvement in performance and to first exceed chance response levels. The three syndrome groups were not significantly different in their rates of improvement over trials. Secondary correlational analyses showed that the information-processing measures were unrelated to a variety of demographic, psychiatric, and cognitive developmental variables, although shorter recognition thresholds and shorter unmasking interval scores were associated with faster psychomotor rates. Complex interrelationships were uncovered between the information-processing measures, positive and negative symptomatology, and general psychopathology. The results were interpreted as supporting the validity of the positive-negative distinction for explaining some of the heterogeneity in schizophrenia

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The authors adopt a construct validity approach to examine the structural validity of diagnoses of paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders. Systematic descriptions of these diagnoses were developed based on features identified from the literature that were organized using the clinicians' ratings. Each diagnosis was described in terms of a series of behavioral dimensions. Sets of behavioral exemplars were developed to assess each dimension. Dimensions and diagnoses were found to exhibit satisfactory levels of internal consistency that were cross-validated in a general population sample of 274 subjects and a clinical sample of 133 patients with a diagnosis of personality disorder. Some dimensions did not correlate highly with the total diagnosis score. Diagnoses could probably be refined by eliminating these dimensions. The structural relationships between dimensions delineating each diagnosis were explored using factor analysis. Diagnoses were not unifactorial. Instead, each diagnosis was found to be composed of two factors. The factorial structure of each diagnosis was found to be similar in the general population and clinical sample. It is suggested that the results support a dimensional representation of these diagnoses using three dimensions: paranoid behaviors, social avoidance, and perceptual cognitive distortion

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Previous clinical research in Parkinson's disease has recognized the value of self-monitoring procedures in which patients observe and record the frequency and severity of their own symptoms as these occur within the patient's social and work environment. We discuss issues of methodology and report a study of compliance, test-retest reliability, and validity with a new self-monitoring instrument, the Parkinson's Symptom Diary. Two recordings of frequency (loss of balance, hesitation-freezing) and two ratings of severity (tremor, difficulty walking) were made four times daily for one week by patients (N=73) who were without apparent loss of cognitive or memory functions. A total of 91% of the diaries received (97% of requested) met strict compliance criteria so that independent sampling over days could be assumed. Test-retest stability over one month was demonstrated for each score (all Spearman rho>.85) in a representative subsample of 28 patients. Criterion validity was demonstrated for each score by an expected pattern of correlations with independently obtained observer ratings of the same or related indices of disease, and by comparison with Hoehn and Yahr disability stages. By its simplicity, this self-assessment device can be an invaluable complement to traditional methods of clinical and laboratory assessment in the care and evaluation of Parkinson patients

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Fifty-one schizophrenic inpatients were divided into two groups, those with and without history of cocaine use, and compared on historical, demographic, cognitive, and psychopathological measures. Patients with a cocaine history were found to be significantly more depressed, less socialized, and more impaired in conceptual encoding and verbal memory, while less disordered in attention. The two groups did not differ in severity of illness or positive and negative syndromes. There were also no differences in control variables such as age, gender, education, intelligence, premorbid adjustment, neuroleptic dose, onset and chronicity of illness, continuity of hospitalization, paranoid subtype, and psychiatric illness in the family. Cocaine history was associated with multiple illicit drug use, but for other substances there was no increased liability for depression or cognitive deficits. The results suggest that the clinical presentation in schizophrenia is significantly associated with prior cocaine experience

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Clinical empathy research has been plagued with conceptual and methodological difficulties. This paper describes a model of the empathic process that enables clinicians, teachers, and researchers to examine specific components of the model and to determine the influence of particular mediators on the empathic process. Empathy is conceptualized as a threephase time-sequenced process rather than as a multidimensional or multicomponent phenomenon. Stripped of detail, the empathic process reveals an inducement phase, a matching phase, and a participatory-helping phase. By examining these phases, it becomes possible to distinguish empathy from closely related concepts such as sympathy. Each of the phases reveals numerous mediating variables that influence the outcome of the phase,i.e., whether the process of empathy continues or an alternate terminal point is reached. Many of these mediators are derived from existing conceptual and empirical work on empathy. Particular attention is paid to situational or contextual mediators of empathy. Contextual mediators have only recently been acknowledged as an important variable in the empathic process. For clinicians, identification of contextual variables that may be responsive to intervention is a critical step in the modification of the clinical environment. We would suggest that clinical empathy research is largely the study of these mediating influences and should be recognized as such

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Psychosocial factors have long been believed to be important in the pathogenesis of emesis gravidarum (morning sickness) and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Although this has been confirmed during extensive studies over the last 30 years, HG has never been described as a conversion reaction. We describe two women presenting with hyperemesis who clearly fulfill diagnostic criteria for conversion. We suggest that strong psychodynamic conflicts are expressed by this potentially dangerous symptom in a subset of individuals and that dynamic interventions have a role in treating certain patients with HG

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The speech of two patients with tardive dyskinesia was studied, and one neuroleptictreated patient having no signs of overt tardive dyskinesia served as control. A structured interview, including reading, repetition of sentences, and spontaneous conversation, was performed. A phonetic transcription and analysis of abnormal phonemes was done by a linguist under blind conditionsBoth patients with tardive dyskinesia had abnormal phonemes whereas the control patient had none. These differences could not be explained by age, direct neuroleptic effect, or neuroleptic exposure time. The abnormal phonemes were all consonants. The authors conclude that tardive dyskinesia may cause articulatory communication problems

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID