摘要:

ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to test predictive models of schizophrenia caregiver burden and infectious illness episodes for caregivers who had regular contact with their mentally ill family members.MethodsA nurse interviewer, blind to the patient's symptoms, caregiver burden, and psychosocial status, administered the Health Review to 70 caregivers. A second family interviewer, blind to caregiver health status and patient symptoms, assessed caregiver resources (eg, active coping and social support), vulnerabilities (eg, anger expression and passive coping) and burden. Concurrently, independent patient raters, blind to caregiver health and psychosocial status, assessed caregiver stressors. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Modified Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms were used to assess the severity of positive (eg, hallucinations and delusions) and negative (eg, anhedonia and asociality) symptoms, respectively.ResultsPredictive models, including measures of stressors, resources, and vulnerability factors for caregiver burden and for presence of infectious illness, were each highly significant, accounting for 40% and 29% of the variance, respectively. However, the specific measures that predicted burden and infectious illness differed. Greater burden was predicted by more severe patient negative symptoms (stressor), greater anger control and blame self-coping (vulnerability), and decreased tangible social support (resource). Presence of infectious illness episodes was predicted by more severe patient positive symptoms (stressor) and less satisfaction with social support while controlling for the frequency of reporting on the Health Review. When scores from the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (stressors) were categorized into quartiles, it was found that the frequency of infectious illness in the highest quartile was four times that in the lowest quartile. Other results indicated that even though burden was not associated with infectious illness, it was associated with "continuing health problems," perceived stress, and depression.ConclusionsThese data indicate that although schizophrenia caregiver burden and infectious illness are predicted by measures of patient stressors, vulnerabilities, and resources, the specific measures predicting these outcomes differ. The results also call attention to the powerful influence of patient symptoms as a predictor of burden and the presence of infectious illness among caregivers.

ISSN:0033-3174    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0033-3174    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0033-3174    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

ObjectiveClassical conditioning of insulin effects was examined in healthy humans using a placebo-controlled design. This study examined whether subjects who experienced a conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with insulin in the acquisition phase of a conditioning protocol would show a conditioned decrease of blood glucose when receiving the CS with a placebo injection in the test phase.MethodsTwenty healthy male students were assigned either to group 1, which received insulin (0.035 IU/kg IV), or to group 2, which received IV saline on 4 consecutive days (acquisition). On day 5 (test), both groups were injected with saline. The CS was an olfactory stimulus. Blood glucose, serum insulin, plasma glucagon, plasma catecholamines, serum cortisol, and symptoms were repeatedly measured during each session.ResultsIn the test phase, group 1 reacted with a significantly larger decrease of blood glucose after presentation of the CS than group 2. Within group 1, a larger conditioned blood glucose decrease was associated with features that enhance classical conditioning (ie, intensity of the unconditioned response and intensity of the CS). Furthermore, in group 1, there was an increase of baseline insulin from day 1 to day 5 and a tendency for insulin reduction after CS presentation. Groups also tended to differ in cortisol and neuroglycopenic symptoms after CS presentation.ConclusionsConditioned effects in blood glucose are in accordance with the predictions. As a result of the exploratory analyses, our data also provide hints about conditioned changes in insulin, counterregulatory hormones, and symptoms.

ISSN:0033-3174    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

ObjectivePrior studies demonstrate that hostile persons respond to social stressors with heightened cardiovascular responses. This study examined the effects of individual differences in hostility and two experimentally manipulated social stressors on cardiovascular reactivity during marital interaction.MethodsSixty couples participated in a discussion task under conditions of high or low evaluative threat and while either agreeing or disagreeing with each other. Individual differences in hostility were assessed with the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Participants' appraisal of their spouses' behavior during the interaction task was assessed with a standardized measure. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate responses were recorded.ResultsAmong husbands, hostility was associated with greater systolic blood pressure reactivity under high, but not low, threat. Appraisals suggested that this might be due to husbands' efforts to assert dominance in the interaction. Wives' hostility scores were unrelated to cardiovascular reactivity, but wives disagreeing with hostile husbands showed greater heart rate reactivity.ConclusionsHeightened cardiovascular reactivity to stressful marital interactions among hostile men provides additional evidence of the viability of this psychophysiologic mechanism as a link between hostility and health. The lack of effects among wives suggests sex differences in the social psychophysiology of hostility. Interpersonal concepts and methods are useful in the study of psychosocial risk factors and mechanisms.

ISSN:0033-3174    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0033-3174    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

ObjectiveThe idea that anger may predict ischemic heart disease (IHD) is more than 30 years old. Some, but not all, prospective studies have supported this suggestion. Attention has focused on hostility as the critical component of anger for IHD risk. This idea is explored using prospective data from the Caerphilly study.MethodsA sample of 2890 men aged 49 to 65 years living in and around Caerphilly, South Wales, was identified. Anger was assessed using the Framingham scales comprising "anger symptoms," "anger in," "anger out," and "anger discuss." A new "suppressed anger" scale was also constructed. Cardiovascular risk factors assessed included baseline blood pressure, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fibrinogen, white cell count, psychiatric caseness as assessed by the General Health Questionnaire, social support, smoking habit, alcohol consumption, leisure exercise, body mass index, and calorie intake. Prediction of IHD, measured as the occurrence of a major event over a follow-up period of 9 years, was assessed using multiple logistic regression analysis.ResultsA low anger out score predicted increased risk of a major IHD event (relative odds (RO) = 1.70; 95% confidence interval = 1.26-2.29 for all RO). This association was unchanged on controlling for physiological risk factors (RO = 1.74), psychosocial risk factors (RO = 1.72), and behavioral risk factors (RO = 1.69). Suppressed anger showed associations with incident IHD similar to those of anger out but identified the population at risk more closely.ConclusionsAnger out and suppressed anger were predictive of incident IHD. Neither of these constructs are overtly similar to hostility. These findings suggest there may be mechanisms other than hostility by which anger predicts IHD risk and that a conceptually varied approach to anger is currently appropriate.

ISSN:0033-3174    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0033-3174    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

ObjectivesThe goals of this study were (1) to compare trait and state measures of anger expression, (2) to examine associations between situational variables and anger expression, and (3) to examine relationships between trait and state anger expression and ambulatory blood pressure.MethodsOne hundred college students completed state and trait versions of the Spielberger[1]anger expression scale. State measures were completed in response to specific anger-provoking situations as they occurred over a 7-day period. Ambulatory blood pressure was recorded on one of these days.ResultsModerate correlations were observed between trait and state anger expression. Significant associations were found between a number of situational variables and state anger expression scales. Neither trait nor state anger expressions scales were related to blood pressure levels.ConclusionsThese results indicate that trait and state measures of anger expression are not equivalent and that situational factors play an important role in anger expression. Situational variability may be an important factor in determining the health consequences of anger expression.

ISSN:0033-3174    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

ObjectivePrevious research has demonstrated an association between alexithymia and a deficit in interhemispheric communication in Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this association in a nonclinical sample.MethodsThe efficiency of interhemispheric transfer was assessed in 14 alexithymic and 15 nonalexithymic right-handed, male, undergraduate university students using a tactile finger localization task.ResultsThe nonalexithymic subjects were significantly more efficient at transferring information between the cerebral hemispheres than the alexithymic subjects.ConclusionsThis finding provides further evidence of an interhemispheric transfer deficit in alexithymia and suggests that an alexithymic cognitive style reflects poor integration of the information processing of the two cerebral hemispheres.

ISSN:0033-3174    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID