bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in alcohol expectancies during treatment relate to subsequent abstinence survivorship*
Authors: Jones Barry T. , McMahon John
Published: July 2011

When negative alcohol expectancies are measured appropriately they form at least as secure associations with measures of consumption as has been demonstrated by mainstream expectancy research for positive alcohol expectancies and they can be usefully used to represent a component of motivation to restrain consumption or recover in dependent drinkers. A study is reported in which (i) negative outcome expectancies assessed at admission to treatment reliably predicted number of days to first drink; (ii) the same relationship is discovered for discharge measures (iii) and, although the change in negative expectancies between admission and discharge does not, itself, predict the number of days to first drink, it does when the corresponding admission measure is also taken into account. The same predictive relationships were not found for positive expectancies. Implications for planning treatment are discussed in terms of treatment enhancement rather than treatment matching.
WAIS‐R subtest scatter: Base‐rate data from a healthy UK sample
Authors: Crawford J. R. , Allan K. M.
Published: July 2011

Base‐rate data on subtest scatter for the WAIS‐R was obtained from a sample of 200 healthy subjects recruited to match the adult UK population in terms of age, sex and social class distribution. Tables are presented which permit an assessment of the abnormality (i.e. rarity) of an individual's pattern of WAIS‐R performance in terms of subtest range and subtest deviations from an individual's subtest mean. Guidance on the appropriate use of the tables is offered and the data are compared with data from the US WAIS‐R standardization sample where appropriate. The distinction between reliable and abnormal differences is highlighted.
Striking the balance: A grounded theory analysis of staff perspectives
Authors: Clegg J. A. , Standen P. J. , Jones G.
Published: July 2011

Staff from four units for adults with profound learning disabilities described their relationship with a particular client during individual discussions. Issues arising from discussion were elaborated in subsequent individual and group meetings, evolving into an account of interactional aspects of professional care based on a core typology of relationships (Provider, Meaning‐maker, Mutual and Companion). The process of this grounded theory analysis is exemplified. The analysis concludes with four propositions about staff‐client relationships, and discussion of their implications for clinical services.
Problem‐solving style, stress and psychological illness: Development of a multifactorial measure
Authors: Cassidy Tony , Long Clive
Published: July 2011

Problem‐solving style has emerged in the literature as an important variable in the development and maintenance of affective disorders. Furthermore, the literature would suggest that it is related to other variables such as attributional style, achievement motivation and control in the mediation of the stress process. Research has been hampered and somewhat clouded by lack of clarity regarding the nature of the construct. It would appear to be a multidimensional construct, yet a suitable multifactorial measure is not available. The current paper reports on two studies (N = 408 and N = 611 respectively) which produced a 24‐item six‐factor measure. The factors were labelled helplessness, problem‐solving control, creative problem‐solving style, problem‐solving confidence, avoidance style and approach style. The studies produced evidence that the utility of problem‐solving style as an explanatory variable is enhanced when it is treated as a multidimensional construct. The factors appear to be differentially predictive of different affective states and clinical disorders. The data also support the 24‐item measure as a useful, reliable and valid measure of problem‐solving style.
Validity and reliability of the Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire
Authors: Stallard Paul
Published: July 2011

The development of a postal consumer satisfaction questionnaire for a child and adolescent psychology service is reported. A preliminary analysis of content, construct and concurrent validity suggests that the questionnaire has an acceptable degree of validity. Factor analysis identified five factors with three being identifiable as relating to the outcome of contact, appointments and the timing of contact. The remaining two factors were minor dyads which were difficult to interpret. The reliability and utility of the questionnaire is good, proving a useful way of identifying service shortfalls and directing service change. The need to methodologically evaluate consumer satisfaction questionnaires is stressed and their routine use in monitoring and assuring service quality highlighted.
Distinguishing between state‐dependent and non‐state‐dependent depression‐related psychosocial variables
Authors: Rosenbaum Michael , Lewinsohn Peter M. , Gotlib Ian H.
Published: July 2011

The goals of this study were: (a) to determine which among a set of depression‐related psychosocial variables are state‐dependent; (b) to examine whether state trait distinctions among psychosocial variables are a function of gender; and (c) to test the hypothesis that state‐dependence of psychosocial variables is mostly evident in people with a history of clinical depression. Altogether, 562 participants residing in two communities completed a battery of psychosocial measures at point of entry into the study (T1) and after an average interval of 8.3 months (T2). The state‐dependence of psychosocial variables was examined in two groups of participants: (a) low‐high (LH: those who were low on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale at T1 and high at T2; N = 45); and (b) high‐low (HL: those who were high at T1 and low at T2; N = 64). The following variables were found to be state‐dependent: engagement in pleasant and unpleasant events; frequency of social contacts; dissatisfaction with oneself, one's neighborhood dwelling and one's friends; irrational beliefs, and positive and negative expectancies. In contrast, the following variables were not state‐dependent: dissatisfaction with family and job, perception of control, and external attributions for positive and negative events. State‐dependence was not moderated by age, gender or a history of depression. Possible explanations for why some variables are state‐dependent and others are not state‐dependent are offered.
Health beliefs and compliance with antipsychotic medication
Authors: Budd Richard J. , Hughes Ian C. T. , Smith John A.
Published: July 2011

The utility of the Health Belief Model to explain compliance with depot neuroleptic medication is examined. Perceived severity, susceptibility and benefits were found to be related to compliance, although costs were not. In addition, insight, knowledge about schizophrenia and health locus of control were not found to be related to compliance.
Psychological problems following minor head injury: A prospective study
Authors: Wright John C. , Telford Rosemary
Published: July 2011

Fifty people admitted to hospital with a predominantly minor head injury were interviewed six months and three years later. As a group, they showed evidence of post‐traumatic stress disorder consistent with the DSM‐III‐R (American Psychiatric Association, 1987) definition, and psychological distress as measured by the Impact of Event scale and the General Health Questionnaire. In addition, changes in self‐concept were measured and a prominent theme emerged of the discontinuity in the participants' sense of self following the head injury. These changes showed a significant relationship with psychological symptoms. Occupational and social functioning of the participants is also reported. It is suggested that disturbance and change following minor head injury is common and can be chronic.
Compliance with a self‐care manual for bulimia nervosa: Predictors and outcome
Authors: Troop Nicholas , Schmidt Ulrike , Tiller Jane , Todd Gillian , Keilen Matthius , Treasure Janet
Published: July 2011

Self‐directed treatment has been shown to be effective in the treatment of bulimia nervosa. This paper shows that compliance with a manual is related to outcome. Forty per cent of high compliers achieved full remission after eight weeks with a manual, compared with only 5 per cent of low compliers. Furthermore, patients with greater weight and shape concerns were less likely to use a manual while those with a longer duration of illness were more likely to use it.
Meaning in life: Clinical relevance and predictive power
Authors: Debats Dominique Louis
Published: July 2011

The clinical relevance of the meaning in life construct is examined by evaluating its ability to predict patients' general and psychological well‐being and their post‐treatment functioning. Evidence is obtained for the notion that meaning in life (a) would affect both positive and negative aspects of well‐being, (b) that it would be related to improvement during psychotherapy, and (c) that it would predict the outcome of psychotherapy, independently of patients' pre‐treatment levels of well‐being. The findings not only support the clinical relevance of the meaning in life concept, but they also favour the construct validity of the Life Regard Index, an instrument that was designed to measure the relevant construct. It is concluded that the neglected meaning in life issue deserves greater therapeutic and scientific consideration. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
A psychometric analysis of a short device for assessing depression in elderly people
Authors: Richardson Carolyn A. , Hammond Sean M.
Published: July 2011

The Schwab‐Gilleard Depression Scale is a short self‐report index for assessing depression in elderly people. The aim of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties of this device with particular reference to its reliability, criterion validity and ability to discriminate depression from dementia. The total sample comprised 166 elderly people living in Part III residential homes in south‐west London. For 111 of these, the Schwab‐Gilleard Depression Scale (SGDS), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the Short‐Comprehensive Assessment and Referral Evaluation (CARE), and the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly (CAPE) were completed. The GDS and CAPE only were completed with the remaining 55 participants. Psychiatric diagnoses were available from the medical notes on each resident. In addition, a subsample of 49 had been assessed using the SGDS and CARE 14 months previously. These data were available for test‐retest analyses. The self‐rating SGDS was found to be a reliable and valid measure of depression and is recommended for use as a screening tool for depression in elderly people in residential homes.
Relationship of obsessive—compulsive symptomatology to anxiety, depression and schizotypy in a clinical population
Authors: Norman Ross M. G. , Davies Felicity , Malla Ashok K. , Cortese Leonard , Nicholson Ian R.
Published: July 2011

The relationship of obsessive‐compulsive symptomatology to anxiety disorders, mood disorders and schizophrenia continues to be controversial. In a sample of 117 psychiatric out‐patients, we examined the relationship of obsessive‐compulsive symptomatology to indices of anxiety, depression and schizotypy. The relationship between obsessive‐compulsive symptomatology and schizotypy was found to be significantly higher than that between obsessive‐compulsive symptoms and either anxiety or depression. These findings are consistent with recent studies suggesting that there are similar cognitive deficits associated with obsessive‐compulsive symptoms and schizotypy and that obsessive‐compulsive disorders may be more closely aligned to the schizophrenic constellation of disorders than to anxiety disorders.
Dietary restraint and anxiety in adolescent girls
Authors: Bleau Renée
Published: July 2011

Dieting among adolescent girls has become commonplace. Research indicates that dietary restraint may have a functional effect for adolescents similar to that which operates with adults (i.e. high restrainers counter‐regulate following disinhibition). The present study investigated the interaction effects of dietary restraint and state anxiety in 13‐year‐old and 16‐year‐old girls. The distribution of restraint scores indicated that both age groups contained girls from every level of restraint. Analysis of the total consumption data indicated that only the 16‐year‐old group counter‐regulated in response to the disinhibiting high anxiety condition. Analyses of the type of food consumed (forbidden food/permitted food) revealed counter‐regulation for both age groups for some of the forbidden foods. In the 16‐year‐old group, the effects were more pervasive. No significant effects were found in the permitted food category. The implications of this eating behaviour are discussed.
Shadowing on the basis of contextual information in individuals with schizotypal personality
Authors: Hall Geoffrey , Habbits Paula
Published: July 2011

The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ; Raine, 1991) was administered to 100 volunteer undergraduates; the 20 with the highest and the 20 with the lowest scores were selected for further study. They undertook a shadowing task in which two passages of prose were presented simultaneously and binaurally, being distinguishable only by their content. Participants were required to repeat (shadow) one of the passages and to ignore the other (the distractor). Performance of the two groups differed with participants having high scores on the SPQ showing a significantly greater tendency to make intrusion errors (to repeat words from the distractor passage). It is suggested that schizotypy is characterized by a dysfunction in the normal response‐selection mechanism of attention with the consequence that the response bias established by the semantic content of the input is insufficiently selective, extending to items that are only distantly associated with those present in the input.
Improving schizophrenic in‐patients' Wisconsin card‐sorting performance
Authors: Nisbet Heidi , Siegert Richard , Hunt Maree , Fairley Nigel
Published: July 2011

The effectiveness of a training procedure to improve schizophrenic patients' Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance was investigated. In the absence of the monetary incentive often employed, 10 schizophrenic in‐patients' performance improved with training. This study provides further evidence that the cognitive deficiency associated with the frontal lobe, implied by schizophrenic patients' typically poor Wisconsin Card‐Sorting Test performance, is remediable.
Autobiographical memory in obsessive‐compulsive disorder
Authors: Wilhelm Sabine , McNally Richard J. , Baer Lee , Florin Irmela
Published: July 2011

Patients with obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) (N = 36) and healthy controls (N = 24) participated in an autobiographical memory experiment in which they were asked to retrieve specific personal memories in response to cue words having either positive (e.g. happy) or negative (e.g. anxiety) valence. Compared to control participants, OCD patients had difficulty retrieving specific memories and showed longer retrieval latencies. However, these overgenerality effects were not a function of OCD per se, but were related to a co‐morbid diagnosis of major depression. The difficulty in retrieving specific autobiographical memories exhibited by OCD patients might reflect excessive cognitive capacity consumption due to preoccupation with intrusive thoughts typical of major depression.
Bodily shame in relation to abuse in childhood and bulimia: A preliminary investigation
Authors: Andrews Bernice
Published: July 2011

Bodily shame has been shown to play a mediating role in the relationship between experiences of childhood physical and sexual abuse and depression in mature women (Andrews, 1995). The current study investigated the role of such shame in the relationship between childhood abuse and bulimia in a community sample of 69 teenage and young adult women. A significant association between bodily shame and childhood abuse was replicated in this younger sample, an association which could not be explained by bodily dissatisfaction. In addition, bodily shame was significantly related to DSM‐III bulimia, and this relationship could also not be explained by bodily dissatisfaction. Childhood abuse showed a significant association with bulimia, but this was no longer apparent once bodily shame had been taken into account. The results suggest bodily shame may act as a mediator between early abuse and bulimia, but this requires further confirmation in a longitudinal study.
The psychoimmunological association of panic disorder and allergic reaction
Authors: Schmidt‐Traub Sigrun , Bamler Karl‐Joachim
Published: July 2011

During treatment of out‐patients suffering from DSM‐III‐R panic disorder (PD) with and without agoraphobia, our attention was drawn to a high frequency of comorbid allergic reactions. In a controlled study, the prevalence of immediate type I reactions was determined in panic patients. Conversely, the prevalence of psychological disorders was recorded among allergic patients. Altogether, 79 out‐patients with PD, 100 type I allergic out‐patients and 66 controls underwent structured clinical interviews and tests for allergies. Of the patients suffering from PD, 70 per cent displayed type I immediate reactions (controls = 29 per cent). Vasodilatation (often approaching circulation collapse) is a frequently occurring allergic syndrome which is a very dramatic experience. Fifty per cent of the allergic patients showed mild to severe psychological disturbances (controls = 25 per cent); and 16 per cent had problems requiring treatment (controls = 9 per cent). Ten per cent of the allergic patients revealed PD (controls = 2 per cent).

The association between PD and allergic (vasomotor) reactions was found to be highly significant. A functional relationship is hypothesized in terms of conditioning cognitive and vasomotor interactions during autonomic arousal.
Intervention for the bereaved: Gender differences in the efficacy of two counselling programmes
Authors: Schut H. A. W. , Stroebe M. S. , van den Bout J. , de Keijser J.
Published: July 2011

This article describes an investigation of emotion‐focused versus problem‐focused intervention for widows (N = 23) and widowers (N = 23) who were suffering elevated levels of distress 11 months after their loss. They were randomly assigned to an intervention condition and improvement (on the General Health Questionnaire) was compared with non‐intervention controls (N = 59).

Two alternative hypotheses were considered: (1) men, since they focus less on their emotions, would benefit from problem‐focused counselling, while women, focusing more on their emotions, would benefit from emotion‐focused intervention; (2) each gender, having been comparatively unsuccessful in coping through these usual strategies, would benefit more from intervention directed towards the less familiar strategy. Results supported the second hypothesis: widowers benefited more from emotion‐focused, widows from problem‐focused interventions. Implications for supporting widows and widowers are discussed.
Interoceptive exposure versus breathing retraining within cognitive‐behavioural therapy for panic disorder with agoraphobia1
Authors: Craske Michelle G. , Rowe Melissa , Lewin Michael , Noriega‐Dimitri Rosanna
Published: July 2011

This study compared two components of a cognitive‐behavioural treatment for panic disorder. Thirty‐eight individuals with panic disorder and agoraphobia were randomly assigned to (a) cognitive restructuring, interoceptive exposure (i.e. repeated exposure to feared bodily sensations) and in vivo exposure to agoraphobic situations; or (b) cognitive restructuring, breathing retraining and in vivo exposure to agoraphobic situations. Assessments were conducted at pre‐treatment, post‐treatment and six months later. The treatments were equally effective on many measures. However, treatment that included interoceptive exposure was more effective at post‐treatment in terms of panic frequency, overall severity and functioning, and more effective at six‐month follow‐up in terms of panic frequency, phobic fears and general anxiety and functioning. Follow‐up results were limited due to attrition.
The relationship between sociotropy/autonomy and patterns of symptomatology in the depressed elderly
Authors: Allen Nicholas B. , Ames David , Layton Timothy , Bennetts Kerryn , Kingston Kim
Published: July 2011

This study examined the relationship between the personality constructs of sociotropy and autonomy and clinical symptoms of depression among 80 elderly people reporting to a range of psychiatric services for the treatment of depression. These investigations provided support for the association of sociotropy to a hypothesized pattern of clinical symptomatology, but no support for the relationship of autonomy to its hypothesized pattern of symptoms. Future investigations on elderly depressive people needs to accommodate the clinical patterns more typical of this population. Research on the relationship between depression and personality would benefit from empirically derived symptom profiles. It may also need to take into account the influence of personality on changes in symptoms over and between episodes of depression.
Two predictions about paranoid ideation: Deluded, depressed and normal participants' subjective frequency and consensus judgments for positive, neutral and negative events
Authors: Kaney Sue , Bowen‐Jones Kim , Dewey Michael E. , Bentall Richard P.
Published: July 2011

Two groups of patients suffering from persecutory delusions, one consisting of patients also suffering from depression and a non‐depressed group, together with clinically depressed and normal controls matched with the deluded patients for age and intelligence, were asked to rate the frequency with which selected positive, negative and neutral events had happened to themselves and to an average other person in the past, and the frequency with which these events were likely to happen to themselves and to an average other person in the future. Results were similar for both past and expected future events. Non‐depressed‐deluded, depressed‐deluded and depressed patients rated negative events as occurring relatively more frequently in comparison to the normal controls. Depressed participants rated positive events as occurring more frequently to others, whereas the normal participants rated negative events as occurring more often to others. Correlational analyses indicated that depression scores were associated with low estimates of the frequency with which positive events happen to self and high estimates of the frequency with which negative events happen to self. Magical ideation scores, an index of psychosis, were associated with high estimates of the frequency of negative events for both self and others. These findings are interpreted in the context of previous evidence on cognitive biases in deluded patients.
Reduced cognitive inhibition in schizotypy
Authors: Moritz Steffen , Mass Reinhard
Published: July 2011

Objectives. The relationship between negative priming and the positive symptoms of schizotypy was investigated. It was hypothesized that high schizotypes would display less negative priming than low schizotypes. A further important aim of the study was to disentangle the modalities involved in negative priming performance, since a reduction in negative priming, as revealed by schizophrenics and schizotypes, might reflect a failure to actively inhibit irrelevant information (cognitive inhibition) as well as dyslexia or a general slowness in information processing.

Design. A paper test based on the German version of the Stroop test was used to measure negative priming. A baseline condition of the test, colour word reading, that has proven to be a valid indicator of dyslexia was used to measure the influence of reading disturbances on negative priming. Addtionally, a priming condition, termed inverted priming, in which the target of a stimulus is identical with the distractor in the subsequent stimulus, was employed.

Methods. Fifty healthy adults were drawn from the general population. After neuropsychological assessment participants completed a battery of schizotypal questionnaires. Correlational analyses and mean comparisons were used to investigate the relationship between neuropsychological data and schizotypy.

Results. Results suggest that reduced negative priming is related to positive schizotypy. Reduced negative priming in high schizotypes was unrelated to dyslexia, and found unlikely to be affected by deficits in early processing. The inverted priming condition produced comparatively fewer errors in high schizotypes.

Conclusions. Results support the hypothesis that reduced cognitive inhibition may underlie positive schizotypal symptomatology.
Nightmares, dreams, and schizotypy
Authors: Claridge Gordon , Clark Ken , Davis Caroline
Published: July 2011

The theory that psychosis and dreaming share some common underlying mechanism finds support in the observation that chronic nightmare sufferers are at increased risk for psychopathology. We examined this connection in a large general population sample, administering a battery of psychosis proneness and other personality scales, together with a nightmare distress scale; participants also answered a single question on pleasurable mood associated with dreaming. In addition, they completed the Be***rn Sex Role Inventory, to reinvestigate previously observed gender differences in nightmare susceptibility. It was found that, among the psychosis proneness scales, the best predictor of nightmare distress was STA, a mostly cognitive measure of schizotypy; this was true even after allowing for a strong influence in the data of general neuroticism. Other aspects of psychosis proneness—e.g. anhedonia—were unrelated to nightmares. However, sex and sex role differences did make a significant contribution, self‐confessed feminine females and masculine males reporting, respectively, the highest and lowest nightmare distress. For schizotypy it was further shown that relationships were not confined to the nightmare experience; high (STA) schizotypes also significantly more often reported enjoyable dreaming. It was concluded that a unifying theme explaining the data is the schizo‐type's greater imaginativeness, which can have both positive and negative expression in sleep and consciousness.
The manipulation of responsibility in obsessive‐compulsive disorder
Authors: Shafran Roz
Published: July 2011

It has been suggested that appraisal of intrusive thoughts in terms of responsibility for harm lies at the core of obsessional complaints. Clinical observation, psychometric data and the effects of manipulating responsibility for threat in compulsive checkers and normal samples have supported this formulation. The purpose of the present study was to manipulate responsibility in 36 obsessional participants with varied phenomenology. Responsibility was manipulated indirectly by varying the presence/absence of the experimenter during a behavioural task. The manipulation was successful in influencing reports of perceived responsibility for threat. In the high responsibility condition; estimates of the urge to neutralize, discomfort and probability of threat were all significantly higher than in the low responsibility condition; estimates of responsibility for thoughts and the control over the threat did not change significantly between the conditions. There was no significant interaction between the responsibility manipulation and the type of compulsion. The results are interpreted as providing support for a cognitive‐behavioural formulation which emphasizes the role of responsibility appraisal in obsessive‐compulsive disorder.
Treatment choice for agoraphobic women: Exposure or cognitive‐behaviour therapy?
Authors: Burke Miriam , Drummond Lynne M. , Johnston Derek W.
Published: July 2011

Objectives. The paper describes a treatment trial where exposure was compared with cognitive‐behaviour therapy in the treatment of 39 female participants with a diagnosis of agoraphobia (DSM‐111‐R). The primary objective of the study was to see if cognitive therapy enhanced the effectiveness of exposure in the treatment of agoraphobia.

Design. Participants were randomly assigned to either exposure or cognitivebehaviour therapy. The two treatment groups were balanced for severity and duration of agoraphobia, presence of panic disorder, and age.

Methods. The exposure and the cognitive‐behaviour therapy groups received the same amount of therapist‐assisted exposure to feared situations but the participants in the cognitive‐behaviour therapy group were, additionally, taught to identify and challenge negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional assumptions. In the cognitive‐behaviour therapy condition exposure was presented as an opportunity to identify and challenge negative thoughts. In the exposure condition, participants were given a behavioural rationale for doing exposure. Participants were seen individually for 10 sessions. Assessments were carried out before and after the treatment programme and, also, six months later. Assessments included self‐reports of fear and avoidance, a behavioural test and questionnaire measures of relevant cognitions. Thirteen participants dropped out of treatment leaving 14 in the exposure condition and 12 in the cognitive‐behaviour condition. Therapy sessions were taped and a sample of tapes was given to a judge who rated the quality of the cognitive‐behaviour therapy.

Results. Substantial improvement was seen on virtually all measures irrespective of treatment condition both at the end of treatment and six months later. The cognitive‐behaviour therapy group and the exposure group did not differ significantly at post‐treatment or at six‐month follow‐up.

Conclusions. The results of the study suggest that cognitive therapy does not add to the effectiveness of exposure in the treatment of agoraphobia.
Base rate data on the abnormality of subtest scatter for WAIS‐R short‐forms
Authors: Crawford J. R. , Allan K. M. , McGeorge P. , Kelly S. M.
Published: July 2011

Tables are presented which permit clinicians to determine the abnormality of a WAIS‐R subtest profile when one of nine different short‐forms has been administered. The tables record the discrepancy, between each subtest and the individual's mean subtest score, which must be exceeded to occur in less than 15 per cent or 5 per cent of the healthy population. Two tables are provided; the first uses a statistical formula developed by Silverstein (1984a) to estimate the discrepancies from the US standardization sample. The second presents empirically derived discrepancies based on a sample of 326 healthy individuals which was representative of the adult UK population in terms of age, sex and social class distributions. The UK sample was also used to generate base rate data on the cumulative number of abnormal subtest deviations exhibited by healthy individuals.
Depression, gender and identification: Replication and extension1
Authors: Sohlberg Staffan , Stahlheuer Per , Tell Per
Published: July 2011

Replicating pilot findings, this study (N = 100) suggests that identification processes are a factor in the aetiology of depression. These processes are gender‐linked: identification with father is more important for males, identification with mother for females.
Automaticity of cognitive biases in addictive behaviours: Further evidence with gamblers
Authors: McCusker Christopher G. , Gettings Briege
Published: July 2011

Objectives. The hypotheses that automatic, non‐volitional, attentional and memory biases for addiction‐related constructs exist is tested with compulsive gamblers.

Design. An independent groups design was employed. Processing of gambling, compared to neutral and drug‐related information was examined in 15 gamblers recruited from new members of Gamblers Anonymous. Comparisons were made with the performance of their spouses (N = 15) to help distinguish addiction mechanisms from more non‐specific emotional experiences with gambling, and an independent control group (N = 15), recruited from the staff and students of a university department.

Methods. A modified Stroop procedure was first employed. Automative cognitive interference was assessed relatively, by comparing colour‐naming times on the gambling, drug and neutral Stroops. A subsequent word‐stem completion task of implicit memory was then used to assess selective and automatic priming of the gambling constructs in memory.

Results. Only the gamblers showed selective and automatic interference for gambling‐related constructs on the Stroop task. Spouses behaved like the control group on this task. An implicit memory bias for gambling‐related words was statistically detected only in the gamblers compared to the control group, although the trend was similar in the comparison with spouses. Further evidence for the specificity of these effects was obtained in subgroup comparisons involving fruit‐machine with racing gamblers.

Conclusions. Results are generally consistent with an automaticity in the cognitive biases gamblers show for gambling‐related information. Implications for cognitive understanding and treatments are highlighted.
Relatives' locus of control and expressed emotion in schizophrenia and related psychoses
Authors: Bentsen Håvard , Munkvold Ole Georg , Notland Tor Helge , Boye Birgitte , Lersbryggen Annette B. , Oskarsson Kirsti H. , Uren Gunvor , Ulstein Ingun , Bjørge Heidi , Berg‐Larsen Rolf , Lingjærde Odd , Malt Ulrik Fredrik
Published: July 2011

Objectives. Knowledge of what predicts relatives' expressed emotion (EE) may contribute to improved family work in schizophrenia. In the present study we examined locus of control (LOC) beliefs as determinants of EE components.

Design. This study is observational, prospective and partly cross‐sectional, partly longitudinal (stability of LOC).

Methods. In a Norwegian sample of 47 recently hospitalized patients (schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder) and 70 relatives, the relatives' EE was assessed by the Camberwell Family Interview and LOC by Levenson's Internality, Powerful Others and Chance scales.

Results. Confirmatory multiple regression analyses showed that Chance LOC was positively related to emotional overinvolvement (p < .005). Powerful Others LOC, especially ‘wish to ingratiate’ items, were positively linked to criticism and, among workers/lower grade employees only, to emotional overinvolvement. Internal LOC was not linked to any EE scale.

Conclusions. This study indicates that LOC beliefs may be determinants of emotional overinvolvement and criticism, and should be taken into account in family work that aims at modifying relatives' EE.
Short NART, CCRT and Spot‐the‐Word: Comparisons in older and demented persons
Authors: Beardsall Lynn , Huppert Felicia
Published: July 2011

This study compares the efficacy of three measures of premorbid intelligence: the National Adult Reading Test (NART), the Cambridge Contextual Reading Test (CCRT), and the Spot‐the‐Word Test. The results in a population sample of elderly and demented participants show that test efficacy varies between groups. In a demented group and a normal group of average readers, the CCRT leads to a higher estimate of premorbid word reading ability than the NART. Spot‐the‐Word results in good performance by normal groups and participants with minimal dementia, but performance is grossly impaired in subjects with mild/moderate dementia. We conclude that each test may be appropriate for specific groups.
Psychology and risk assessment
Authors: Macpherson Gary J.
Published: July 2011

The demand by Criminal Justice Services for psychological assessments are routine practice for many psychologists. Recent legal developments have made the assessment of risk of violence, domestic assault, or sexual offending a required professional ability for clinical psychologists (Grisso & Tomkins, 1996). Accordingly, the references below highlight the key reviews and tools for effective clinical practice in this complex and continually developing area.
Reducing stereotyped behaviour: A comparison of two methods of programming differential reinforcement1
Authors: Miller Beth Y. , Jones Robert S. P.
Published: July 2011

Differential Reinforcement of Other behaviours (DRO) has proven to be successful in reducing challenging behaviour, although the need for staff vigilance can limit its applicability in applied settings. The present study compared the effectiveness of whole‐interval DRO with momentary DRO, a less intensive schedule. In a multiple‐baseline design, two participants who exhibited high‐rate stereotyped behaviours were presented with the two schedules. Momentary DRO was more effective than whole‐interval DRO in reducing the targeted stereotypies of one participant, and as effective with the second. Momentary DRO was also more effective in reducing a second (non‐consequated) stereotyped behaviour.
Mothers, daughters and dieting: Investigating the transmission of weight control
Authors: Hill Andrew J. , Franklin Julie A.
Published: July 2011

Objectives. Research by Pike & Rodin (1991) found higher levels of weight concern and dissatisfactions with family functioning in mothers of eating disordered adolescent girls. The present study sought to extend this research by examining the maternal influences on weight and dieting concerns at a younger age.

Design. A cross‐sectional comparison of high and low dietary restraint girls and their mothers was used.

Methods. Two groups of 20 11‐year‐old girls and their mothers completed assessments of dietary restraint, body shape preference, self‐perception, family functioning and body weight and height.

Results. Mothers of high restraint girls did not differ from comparison mothers in their current level of dieting, but did report more between‐meal snacking and fasting. In addition, they rated their daughters' attractiveness significantly lower than the other mothers. Furthermore, families with a highly restrained daughter scored significantly lower on perceived family cohesion, organization and moral‐religious emphasis.

Conclusions. The parallel with the findings of Pike & Rodin supports the role that mothers may play in the transmission of cultural values regarding weight, shape and appearance. Importantly, it also places early dieting within a wider context of dissatisfaction with family functioning.
Do chronic pain patients ‘Stroop‘ on pain stimuli?
Authors: Pincus Tamar , Fraser Lindsay , Pearce Shirley
Published: July 2011

Objectives. Two experiments investigating the presence of information‐processing biases on tasks of attention (Stroop task) and memory (free recall) in relation to mood states in chronic pain patients are reported. The first investigates whether previously reported attentional bias is a function of pain status or mood state. The second describes a more detailed examination of the roles of anxiety and depression in processing biases in chronic pain patients.

Design and method. Both studies compared interference time on an emotional Stroop task between chronic pain patients and controls. Other measures included self‐report of pain, depression and anxiety.

Results. Neither study found evidence for an attentional bias, although a memory recall bias was demonstrated.

Conclusions. Interference in attending to emotionally salient stimuli appears to be related to measures of anxiety and depression rather than pain per se. When added to the findings of other investigators, these results suggest that the presence of attentional biases in chronic pain patients can best be accounted for as arising from mood state rather than pain‐patient status.
Behavioural effects of long‐term multi‐sensory stimulation
Authors: Martin N. T. , Gaffan E. A. , Williams T.
Published: July 2011

Objectives. Regular access to a multi‐sensory environment (MSE or Snoezelen room) was compared with a non‐complex sensory environment for individuals with learning disabilities. We also tested the prediction that those individuals whose challenging behaviour was maintained by sensory consequences would benefit most from exposure to the MSE.

Design. The conditions were compared over 16‐week periods using a double crossover design, and were matched for social contact and attention from the enabler. Participants were randomly assigned to orders of treatments.

Methods. Participants were 27 adults with severe/profound learning disabilities who exhibited challenging behaviour. Behaviour was assessed before and after each treatment phase using both direct observation and standardized assessments (the Functional Performance Record and the Problem Behaviour Inventory). The behavioural observations formed the basis of a functional analysis of each individual's challenging behaviour.

Results. Some participants became more calm and relaxed while in the MSE, however, the objective measures of behaviour outside the treatment settings revealed no difference between the MSE and control conditions. Challenging behaviour maintained by sensory consequences showed no greater responsivity to the MSE than to the control condition.

Conclusions. The multi‐sensory environment had no effects beyond those that could be ascribed to the social interaction between participant and enabler. Anecdotal evidence of favourable responses within the MSE itself could not be confirmed outside the environment.
A long‐term follow‐up study of a cohort of referrals to an adult mental health clinical psychology department
Authors: Ambrose L. M. , Button E. J. , Ormrod J. A.
Published: July 2011

The study, using the SCL‐90‐R, investigated the long‐term outcome of clinical psychology interventions with adults by contacting 95 clients between five and eight years after initial contact. Post‐treatment improvements in global psychological well‐being were generally maintained at long‐term follow‐up. About a quarter of clients, however, did not report any improvement in the initial problem and about a half had help from other services since ending contact with the department. The study provides encouraging evidence of long‐term benefits for many clients, but we suggest a reconsideration of the optimal provision of psychological help for people whose problems may be enduring and/or recurrent.
Early attachment experience and recovery from psychosis
Authors: Drayton Michael , Birchwood Max , Trower Peter
Published: July 2011

Objectives. Two studies were carried out to investigate the relationship between coping styles and co‐morbid depression in people adjusting to the onset of psychosis. Evaluative thinking and early attachment experiences were also examined.

Methods and design. In Study 1, a 39‐item Recovery Style Questionnaire (RSQ) was developed to measure recovery style in people with psychosis, based on McGlashan, Levy & Carpenter's (1975) interview measure of recovery style. Fifty‐six participants completed both the RSQ and McGlashan's interview‐based measure. Study 2 explores the relationship between these styles of recovery, depression and early childhood attachment experiences. Thirty‐six people participated.

Results The RSQ was both reliable and correlated highly with McGlashan's interview‐based measure. We found that the RSQ, in keeping with the interview‐based measure, was bimodally distributed, thus supporting McGlashan's contention that they define two distinct recovery styles termed ‘integration’ and ‘sealing over’. As predicted, 88 per cent of the ‘sealers’ were moderately to severely depressed compared to 52 per cent of the ‘integrators’ who were mildly depressed with no members of the ‘integration’ group experiencing moderate to severe depression (p < .0003). Patients who employed the sealing over recovery style also made significantly more negative self‐evaluations than did patients in the integration group and also perceived their parents to be significantly less caring than those in the integration group.

Conclusions. These findings are explained in terms of a multi‐axial model incorporating personality structure and development as well as mental disorder. It is suggested that those individuals with a poorly developed sense of self defend against the threat of psychosis using denial. Clinical implications are discussed and more research is suggested to further investigate the links between evaluative and inferential thinking in co‐morbid depression, and how such thinking relates to early childhood experience.
Post‐traumatic stress disorder after subarachnoid haemorrhage
Authors: Berry Elisabeth
Published: July 2011

Objective. Draw attention to the presence of post‐traumatic stress disorder in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage patients.

Design. Case review of 28 patients referred to clinical neuropsychology via a neurosurgery out‐patient clinic.

Method. Clinical interview of patients presenting with anxiety related to their medical condition.

Results. In 50 per cent of patients anxiety was found to be the main presenting problem and 32 per cent of referred patients met the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Conclusion. The case review identified significant psychological morbidity in patients with good physical recovery. This requires detailed scientific evaluation in future studies of outcome.
Recovery of positive future thinking within a high‐risk parasuicide group: Results from a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: MacLeod Andrew K. , Tata Philip , Evans Kathryn , Tyrer Peter , Schmidt Ulrike , Davidson Kate , Thornton Susan , Catalan Jose
Published: July 2011

Objectives. The research examined: (i) whether high risk parasuicide patients showed a deficit in positive future thinking but no increase in negative future thinking; and (ii) whether such a deficit could be remedied by a brief, manual‐assisted psychological intervention (manual assisted cognitive‐behaviour therapy; MACT).

Design. A cross‐sectional, mixed model design was used to assess differences between a sample of high risk parasuicide patients and matched controls on future thinking. A longitudinal mixed model design was used to assess changes in future thinking in the different groups over time.

Methods. Parasuicide patients with a history of previous suicidal behaviour and personality disturbance were compared with a matched group of community controls on an adapted fluency measure of future thinking, which measured both quantitative and qualitative aspects of anticipated experiences. Patients were then randomly allocated to either the specific intervention (MACT) or treatment as usual (TAU) and assessed again at 6 month follow‐up.

Results. Parasuicide patients showed reduced positive future thinking but no increased negative future thinking. Patients who received MACT showed a significant improvement in positive future thinking over the follow‐up period whereas the TAU group showed no such improvement. However, interpretation of this finding was made more difficult by the control group also showing a significant improvement in positive future thinking.

Conclusion. The results confirm that parasuicide patients exhibit a relative deficit in positive future thinking and suggest that this lack of positive future thinking may be remedied, at least partly, by a brief intervention.
Reality negotiation in non‐depressed and depressed persons
Authors: Crowson J. Jeffrey , Cromwell Rue L. , Snyder C. R.
Published: July 2011

Objectives. Non‐depressed and depressed persons were hypothesized to input and recall self‐referential information that was consistent with their self theories.

Design. Non‐depressed and depressed persons were compared.

Methods. Non‐depressed (14) and depressed (14) students chose between positive or negative audio statements, and then recalled the statements.

Results. Non‐depressed relative to depressed participants: (i) listened more to the positive than the negative tapes; and (ii) fabricated (i.e. incorrectly recalled) less negative messages.

Conclusion. Partial support is given to reality negotiation processes.