Some but not all models of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) emphasize the role of dysfunctional beliefs in the etiology and maintenance of this disorder. Clinical observations suggest that some OCD patients have prominent dysfunctional... more
Some but not all models of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) emphasize the role of dysfunctional beliefs in the etiology and maintenance of this disorder. Clinical observations suggest that some OCD patients have prominent dysfunctional beliefs associated with their obsessions and compulsions, while other patients do not show this pattern. It is possible that dysfunctional beliefs play a role in only a
This study was meant to investigate the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the Lehrer Woolfolk Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (LWASQ), an instrument for assessment of somatic, behavioral and cognitive aspects of anxiety.... more
This study was meant to investigate the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the Lehrer Woolfolk Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (LWASQ), an instrument for assessment of somatic, behavioral and cognitive aspects of anxiety. Confirmatory factor analysis on data from social phobics (n = 108), normal adults (n = 103) and normal adolescents (n = 650) showed that the three original factors were strongly replicated in each sample. The three subscales appeared to have high internal consistency, while data on convergent and divergent validity were satisfactory. In addition, the subscales did very well in discriminating between phobic patients and normals, and were able to detect treatment effects. In the discussion the instrument is compared with other self report measures of anxiety dimensions, like the Cognitive Somatic Anxiety Questionnaire (CSAQ) and the Worry-Emotionality Scale (WES). It is suggested that similar questionnaires, adjusted to the separate anxiety disorders, should be developed.
Law firms seeking a competitive advantage in the marketplace would do well to consider that the positive psychological resources of firm lawyers are just as important to individual and organizational performance as their intellectual... more
Law firms seeking a competitive advantage in the marketplace would do well to consider that the positive psychological resources of firm lawyers are just as important to individual and organizational performance as their intellectual resources. There is growing evidence from the fields of positive psychology and positive organizational behavior that the resources of hope, optimism, self-efficacy and resilience shape the underlying attitudes and behaviors associated with increased performance. These resources may even buffer lawyers against the occupational hazards of the profession that cut against long-term success – hazards that include depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicide. In this capstone I advocate for traditional law firm associate training programs to be enhanced to include the development of psychological capital (or “PsyCap”), a construct consisting of the components of hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism. I discuss how policies that promote lawyer str...
Background: Violence against women has long been considered a hidden health burden. Questions about violence have not been included in health surveys; hence, little is known about prevalence and the consequences for health in the general... more
Background: Violence against women has long been considered a hidden health burden. Questions about violence have not been included in health surveys; hence, little is known about prevalence and the consequences for health in the general population. No national study has been conducted in Norway. Aims: To estimate the prevalence of partner violence in Norway and the relationship between victimization and somatic health and depression and anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Methods: Data collection was performed by Statistics Norway. Among a random sample of women aged 20—55 years, 2,407 women returned the questionnaire (63.3%), of whom 2,143 were ever-partnered. Selected demographic characteristics were obtained from registers. Results: In total, 26.8% of 2,143 ever-partnered women had experienced any violence by their partner during their lifetime, and 5.5% in the year before the study. Low educational level, being unmarried, separated or divorced, currently being unemploye...
We aimed to assess comprehensively the prevalence of perinatal risks experienced by a potentially high-risk yet understudied population of children domestically adopted in the United States. Data are from participant report and medical... more
We aimed to assess comprehensively the prevalence of perinatal risks experienced by a potentially high-risk yet understudied population of children domestically adopted in the United States. Data are from participant report and medical records from mothers (n = 580) who completed a domestic adoption placement with nonrelatives at or near birth (Mean placement age = 7 days). We describe a comprehensive measure of perinatal risks, including divergences from previous assessment tools and the incorporation of multiple reporters, and report the prevalence of various types of perinatal risks. The prevalence of each specific risk factor was generally low, although several risks were more prevalent in this sample than estimates from nationally representative publicly available data. Nearly the entire sample (99%) experienced some type of risk exposure. Birth mothers who placed their children for adoption domestically in the US experience higher levels of perinatal risks than the national av...
Trabalho de pesquisa quantitativo realizado com 42 discentes de uma instituição pública de ensino superior, utilizando-se a técnica do Toque Terapêutico - Método Krieger-Kunz e aplicação de um questionário validado no Brasil para avaliar... more
Trabalho de pesquisa quantitativo realizado com 42 discentes de uma instituição pública de ensino superior, utilizando-se a técnica do Toque Terapêutico - Método Krieger-Kunz e aplicação de um questionário validado no Brasil para avaliar a ansiedade durante três sessões. Os sujeitos foram alocados em dois grupos: experimental (1), em que receberam a terapia complementar; e controle (2), em que foram submetidos a imitação da técnica sem intenção terapêutica. O objetivo foi identificar a influência gradativa desta terapia complementar de saúde no que se refere ao estado de ansiedade dos estudantes. A análise dos dados revelou uma redução estatisticamente significativa do estado de ansiedade em ambos os grupos, com pd" 0,05.
Improving rehabilitation after a severe tissue injury does not only require a reduction in pain, but also requires alleviation of negative affects, particularly anxiety. Although opioids remain unsurpassed analgesics to relieve moderate... more
Improving rehabilitation after a severe tissue injury does not only require a reduction in pain, but also requires alleviation of negative affects, particularly anxiety. Although opioids remain unsurpassed analgesics to relieve moderate to severe pain, it has been shown that they also induce latent pain sensitization leading to long-lasting hyperalgesia via N-methyl-D-aspartate-(NMDA)-dependent pronociceptive systems. The present study evaluated the ability of nitrous oxide (N2O), a gas with NMDA antagonist properties, to prevent latent pain sensitization and long-term anxiety-like behavior (ALB) in rats with pain and opioid experiences. On D0, the pro-inflammatory drug carrageenan was injected in one hind paw of rats treated with fentanyl (4x100 microg/kg subcutaneously). Nociceptive threshold was evaluated with the paw pressure vocalization test. Rats were re-exposed to carrageenan or exposed to repeated non-nociceptive environmental stress (NNES) 2-3 weeks later. Rats were also challenged in the elevated plus-maze 2 weeks after fentanyl administration for evaluating ALB. The preventive effects of a single 4 h 50/50% N2O-O2 exposure performed on D0 was evaluated. Fifty percent N2O strongly reduced hyperalgesia induced by a first inflammation and its enhancement by fentanyl, and prevented exaggerated hyperalgesia induced by second inflammatory pain or NNES. Moreover, we provide first evidence that a high fentanyl dose induces long-term ALB 2 weeks after its administration. When associated with fentanyl, 50% N2O prevented such long-term ALB. These results suggest that a single exposure to N2O could improve post-injury pain management and facilitate rehabilitation especially when potent analgesics as opioids have to be used.
The aim of our study was to examine psychosocial changes associated with participation in a camp for children with cardiac defects. We enrolled 29 children with cardiac defects aged from 8 to 18 years, along with their parents. Both the... more
The aim of our study was to examine psychosocial changes associated with participation in a camp for children with cardiac defects. We enrolled 29 children with cardiac defects aged from 8 to 18 years, along with their parents. Both the parents and the children completed measures of expectations for the camp and anxiety. Analyses of repeated measures indicated that levels of anxiety amongst the children decreased significantly at the end of camp when compared to its beginning. Levels of anxiety amongst the children were not statistically different at follow-up. Anxiety amongst the parents concerning the separation from their children also decreased at follow-up when compared to before the camp. Higher levels of anxiety reported by the children prior to the camp were associated with greater anxiety amongst the parents concerning the anticipated separation, more negative parental expectations of the camp, fewer experiences of separation from their children, and lower expectations by t...
Understanding young adults' anxiety requires applying a multidimensional approach to assess the psychosocial, behavioral, and cognitive aspects of this phenomenon. A hypothesized model of the relationships among coping style, thinking... more
Understanding young adults' anxiety requires applying a multidimensional approach to assess the psychosocial, behavioral, and cognitive aspects of this phenomenon. A hypothesized model of the relationships among coping style, thinking style, life satisfaction, social support, and selected demographics and anxiety among college students was tested using path analysis. A total of 257 undergraduate students aged 18-24 years completed an online survey. The independent variables were measured using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Brief Students' Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale, the Brief COPE Inventory, the Positive Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire, and the Cognition Checklist-Anxiety. The outcome, anxiety, was measured using the Anxiety subscale of the 21-item Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. Only negative thinking and maladaptive coping had a direct relationship with anxiety. Negative thinking was the strongest predictor of both maladapt...
DEPRESSION, SOCIAL ANXIETY, AND ATTACHMENT AS PREDICTORS OF THE USE AND QUALITY OF CYBER COMMUNICATION. Stefan E. LaTulip Old Dominion University, 2013 Director: Dr. Barbara Winstead This study examined the influence of depression... more
DEPRESSION, SOCIAL ANXIETY, AND ATTACHMENT AS PREDICTORS OF THE USE AND QUALITY OF CYBER COMMUNICATION. Stefan E. LaTulip Old Dominion University, 2013 Director: Dr. Barbara Winstead This study examined the influence of depression symptoms, social anxiety symptoms, and adult attachment style on the use and the perceptions o f the quality of cyber communications with close friends, romantic partners, and family members. One hundred thirty-five individuals completed an initial survey, with sixty five o f the original group completing a follow-up survey five weeks later. Results indicated that anxious attachment was associated with a greater reported usage o f social networking sites, whereas avoidant attachment predicted less instant message use over time. Depression symptoms and avoidant attachment were generally associated with perceptions o f higher negativity and lower positivity with some of the target groups, where as social anxiety symptoms were generally associated with percep...
Plasma catecholamines and heart rate were determined in drug-free groups of anxious patients and normal controls before and 20 min after intramuscular injection of 0.01 mg/kg of 1/1000 diluted epinephrine. Levels of anxiety after the... more
Plasma catecholamines and heart rate were determined in drug-free groups of anxious patients and normal controls before and 20 min after intramuscular injection of 0.01 mg/kg of 1/1000 diluted epinephrine. Levels of anxiety after the injection were determined via the State Anxiety Scale of State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Both groups showed substantial increases in plasma levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine and heart rate after the injection. However, there were no significant differences between anxious patients and controls on plasma catecholamines and heart rate before or after the injection and post injection levels of State Anxiety. The anxious subjects showed a significant correlation between post injection heart rate and State Anxiety.
We conducted a prospective trial randomizing 75 physicians to either a control or intervention arm to evaluate the impact of providing patient-reported information on anxiety and other mental health symptoms and disorders to primary care... more
We conducted a prospective trial randomizing 75 physicians to either a control or intervention arm to evaluate the impact of providing patient-reported information on anxiety and other mental health symptoms and disorders to primary care physicians. Five hundred seventy-three patients of the study physicians who met entry criteria were randomized to either usual care or usual care supplemented with feedback of patient-reported mental health information to physicians. This mental health information was derived from initial patient-reported questionnaires completed in waiting rooms of physicians contracted to a mixed-model health maintenance organization in Colorado. Main outcome measures included impact of intervention on rates of (1) chart notation of anxiety, depression, or other mental health diagnoses or symptoms; (2) referral to mental health specialists; (3) prescription of psychotropic medications; (4) hospitalization; and (5) office visits during a 5-month observation period....
To evaluate the impact of a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in patients with chronic bothersome tinnitus on the (1) severity of symptoms of tinnitus and (2) functional connectivity in neural attention networks.... more
To evaluate the impact of a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in patients with chronic bothersome tinnitus on the (1) severity of symptoms of tinnitus and (2) functional connectivity in neural attention networks. Open-label interventional pilot study. Outpatient academic medical center. A total of 13 adult participants with a median age of 55 years, suffering from bothersome tinnitus. An 8-week MBSR program was conducted by a trained MBSR instructor. The primary outcome measure was the difference in patient-reported tinnitus symptoms using the Tinnitus Handicap Index (THI) and Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) between pre-intervention, post-MBSR, and 4-week post-MBSR assessments. Secondary outcomes included change in measurements of depression, anxiety, mindfulness, and cognitive abilities. Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at pre- and post-MBSR intervention time points to serve as a neuroimaging biomarker of critical cortical netwo...