bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A randomized controlled trial of the effects of multi‐sensory stimulation (MSS) for people with dementia
Authors: Baker Roger , Bell Steven , Baker Emma , Holloway Jane , Pearce Rebecca , Dowling Zena , Thomas Peter , Assey Julian , Wareing Lesley‐Ann 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. To investigate short‐term effects of Multi‐Sensory Stimulation (MSS) on behaviour, mood and cognition of older adults with dementia, the generalization of effects to day hospital and home environments and the endurance of any effects over time.Design. A randomized controlled trial comparing MSS with a credible control of one‐to‐one activities.Methods. Fifty patients with diagnoses of moderate to severe dementia were randomized to either MSS or Activity groups. Patients participated in eight 30‐minute sessions over a 4‐week period. Ratings of behaviour and mood were taken before, during and after sessions to investigate immediate effects. Pre, mid, post‐trial, and follow‐up assessments were taken to investigate any generalization of effects on cognition, behaviour at the day hospital and behaviour and mood at home and endurance of effects once sessions had ceased.Results. Immediately after MSS and Activity sessions patients talked more spontaneously, related better to others, did more from their own initiative, were less bored/inactive, and were more happy, active or alert. Both groups were more attentive to their environment than before, with a significantly greater improvement from the MSS group. At the day hospital, patients in the Activity group improved on their ‘speech skills’ (amount of speech; initiation of speech), whereas the MSS group remained unchanged during the trial. The MSS group showed a significant improvement in mood and behaviour at home compared to the Activity group whose behaviour deteriorated. No longer‐term benefits were shown; indeed, behaviour declined sharply during the month follow‐up period.Conclusions. Both MSS and Activity sessions appear to be effective and appropriate therapies for people with dementia.
Estimating premorbid IQ from demographic variables: A comparison of a regression equation vs. clinical judgement
Authors: Crawford John R. , Millar Jane , Milne Alan B. 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. To assess the accuracy with which clinicians estimate premorbid IQ from demographic variables and compare it with a regression equation which uses the same information.Design. Repeated measures and correlational.Methods. Sixty participants were administered the WAIS‐R and had their demographic variables recorded (age, sex, years of education and occupation). Eight clinical psychologists estimated the participants' IQs from the demographic variables. Estimated IQs were also obtained using a regression equation developed by Crawford and Allan (1997).Results. The correlation between obtained IQ and the equation‐based estimate was significantly higher than the correlation between obtained IQ and the clinicians' estimates. Further, mean estimated IQ from the regression equation did not differ significantly from obtained IQ whereas the means for four of the eight clinicians' estimates did differ significantly.Conclusions. Demographic‐based regression equations can provide unbiased and useful estimates of premorbid IQ; these estimates can be modified in the light of the additional qualitative information available to the clinician.
Croatian children's experience of war is not reflected in the size and placement of emotive topics in their drawings
Authors: Jolley Richard P. , Vulic‐Prtoric Anita 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. The claim that topics in children's drawings convey the children's emotional attitude towards those topics was investigated.Design. The influence of an emotional topic (neutral man, friendly and enemy soldier) and trauma group (child with father or father killed in war) was examined on the size of the topics and their placement relative to a self‐portrait drawing.Methods. Sixty Croatian children drew a man, followed on a separate page by either (a) a Croatian soldier, (b) an enemy soldier or (c) a second drawing of a man. The child's self‐portrait drawing was placed on each page.Results. There were no significant main or interaction effects on size or placement of topic.Conclusions. There are unlikely to be reliable features of drawings that portray the child's emotional attitude towards the topic drawn.
Autobiographical memory and parasuicide in borderline personality disorder
Authors: Startup Mike , Heard Heidi , Swales Michaela , Jones Bethan , Williams J. Mark G. , Jones Robert S. P. 
Published: February 2003

Background. Several studies have found that parasuicidal patients are poor at recalling specific autobiographical memories when tested with the word‐cueing paradigm and two studies have reported some evidence that over‐general recall is a risk factor for repetition of parasuicide. The aim of the present study was to test whether this association could be replicated with a sample of patients suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD).Method. Twenty‐three patients with BPD completed a version of the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) and self‐report measures of depression, anxiety and trait anger. In a structured interview, they also reported the number of times they had engaged in parasuicidal acts during the previous 4 months.Results. The number of general memories produced on the AMT made a significant contribution to the prediction of the frequency of parasuicidal acts in a multiple regression analysis but the partial correlation in the final equation was negative. That is, those who showed greatest over‐general recall reported fewest parasuicidal acts. Anxiety and depression, but not trait anger, also made significant independent contributions to the prediction of parasuicide.Conclusion. Over‐general autobiographical recall may help to protect borderline individuals from parasuicidal acts by helping them to avoid distressing memories.
The ability of naive participants to report symptoms of post‐traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Burges C. , McMillan T. M. 
Published: February 2003

Objective. Research suggests that naive participants can simulate PTSD (post‐traumatic stress disorder) using a symptom checklist. Is successful faking of DSM‐IV criteria B‐D on PTSD checklists due to prior knowledge of PTSD, the leading nature of symptom checklists, or a combination?Design: Between‐groups design.Method: Naïve participants self‐generated PTSD symptoms from a vignette. They were then randomly assigned to groups given a standard symptom checklist or a checklist containing bogus items not normally associated with PTSD.Results: Less than 1% self‐generated symptoms that met DSM‐IV criteria B‐D for PTSD. It was found that 94% of participants satisfied these criteria using the standard checklist and 90% on the modified checklist. Participants incorrectly identified 38% of bogus symptoms as symptoms of PTSD.Conclusions: Despite poor prior knowledge of PTSD, 94% of participants fulfilled diagnostic criteria using a standard checklist. This is probably due to symptom ‘guessing’.
Effects of retrieving childhood events on metamemory judgments depend on the questions you ask
Authors: Merckelbach Harald , Wiers Reinout , Horselenberg Robert , Wessel Ineke 
Published: February 2003

Objective. The more people retrieve childhood memories, the less favourably they evaluate their own memory. It has been argued that this might play a role in self‐reports of amnesia. However, a limitation of previous studies addressing this phenomenon is that participants' judgments about their memory were based on a single item.Design. Students were randomly assigned to either of two conditions. In one condition, they were asked to retrieve nine negative childhood events, whereas in the other condition, participants were required to recall three events.Method. After recall, students completed measures on memory accessibility and ‘repression’.Results. Students who retrieved nine events rated their memories as less accessible, but also reported less repression than did students who retrieved three events.Conclusion. The direction of retrieval effects on metamemory judgments depends on the way in which questions are framed.
Utility of a demographic equation in detecting impaired NART performance after TBI
Authors: Freeman Jane , Godfrey Hamish P. D. , Harris Jacqueline K. J. , Partridge Fiona M. 
Published: February 2003

Objective. This study applies a demographic regression equation devised by Crawford, Allan, Cochrane, and Parker (1990) to determine its utility in New Zealand, and to determine the proportion of persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with impaired performance on the National Adult Reading Test (NART).Method. The NART was administered to 80 community participants, 65 people with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and 27 orthopaedic controls. The Crawford et al. (1990) equation was applied to all three samples.Results. The Crawford et al. (1990) equation was applicable in the New Zealand community sample. It was found that 30% of the TBI sample had impaired performance on the NART. Using corrected NART scores, a significantly larger proportion of the TBI sample was detected as intellectually impaired than in the control sample.Conclusion. Nearly one‐third of the TBI sample evidenced impaired performance on the NART. Consequently, clinicians that use the NART in assessing people with TBI should use the demographic equation to check the accuracy of NART performances, and correct the NART scores if this is indicated.
Autobiographical memories become less vivid and emotional after eye movements
Authors: van den Hout Marcel , Muris Peter , Salemink Elske , Kindt Merel 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. To test (1) whether eye movements during retrieval of emotional memories are followed by less vividness and less emotionality of future recollections, (2) whether this effect, if present, is stronger than the effects of a control activity (finger tapping), (3) whether the alleged effects of tapping and eye movements are stronger than a no‐movement, control condition (mere imagery), (4) whether reductions in vividness and emotionality after eye movements (and finger tapping) are specific to negative memories or also occur in the case of positive memories.Method. Sixty healthy volunteers recalled either positive or negative memories and scored the vividness and emotionality of the recollections. Next, memories were recalled whilst the participant was performing rapid eye movements, finger tapping, or not performing a dual task. Then participants were asked to recall the event again and to rate its vividness and emotionality.Results. Compared to finger tapping and the no‐dual‐task condition, recollections after eye movements made future recollections less vivid. After eye movements, but not after the other interventions, negative memories became less negative, and positive memories became less positive.Conclusion. The findings show that eye movements not only reduce vividness and emotionality of memories during the eye moving, but also affect future recollections, during which no eye movements are made. Some theoretical explanations are discussed. As to clinical implications, it is suggested that if there is a role for eye‐movement‐based treatments, it is very limited.
Moderators of trainee therapists' competence in cognitive therapy
Authors: James I. A. , Blackburn I.‐M. , Milne D. L. , Reichfelt F. K. 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. A revised version of the Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS‐R) was developed and used in an ecologically valid study designed to examine the acquisition of competence in cognitive therapy (CT). The relationship of therapist and patient variables to changes in competence was examined. Unlike most previous research, this study defines effectiveness of training in terms of therapist competence rather than patient outcome.Design. A longitudinal design was employed within a naturalistic setting. Trainees' competence (the dependent variable) was sampled on three occasions during a training course.Methods. Twenty screened out‐patients, who had been routinely referred to the Newcastle Cognitive Therapy Centre, were assigned to 20 postgraduate trainees receiving training in CT. Expert raters assessed trainees' competence at three points over the first 12 sessions of treatment using the CTS‐R. The relationship of therapist and patient variables to changes in competence was examined. The patient measures used were the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Suitability for Short‐Term Cognitive Therapy (SSCT).Results. Three therapist factors were found to be related to competence: time (trainee therapists improving over the training period), previous experience with CT (those with most experience were most competent), and gender of the therapist (males improving at a greater rate than females). Therapist competence was also related to patients' suitability.Conclusions. These findings suggest that previous CT experience is an advantage prior to attending an advanced training course, and also that careful patient selection helps trainees to demonstrate therapeutic competence.
Recall bias, pain, depression and cost in back pain patients
Authors: Pincus Tamar , Newman Stanton 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. To investigate the relationship between recall bias for pain stimuli in chronic low back pain patients and the cost of managing their back pain in primary care.Design. A retrospective cross‐sectional investigation.Method. A sample of 63 low back pain patients were interviewed in a primary care setting. Information was gathered on their pain intensity, disability ratings, depression, anxiety, and duration of pain. They were also presented with a surprise recall test for pain descriptors. The cost of each patient's treatment specifically for back pain in the previous 12 months was calculated. The relationship between the cost of back pain treatment and the scores from the interview were calculated first for total cost, and then for the breakdown of individual cost items.Results. Results indicated that recall bias for pain stimuli were significantly related to total cost (R2 = 8%). A detailed analysis revealed that pain intensity was related to the number of appointments with the general practitioners; depression scores related to the number of appointments with the in‐house osteopaths; and recall bias for pain stimuli related to referrals to external experts (out‐patients). A minority of patients high on recall bias was found to account for a disproportionate amount of the cost.Conclusion. Although no causal path can be deduced from the findings, the study provides a novel approach to measuring psychological factors in back pain in reference to health care utilization. It is limited by its retrospective design, and should be followed by prospective studies to understand fully the relationship between cognitive bias and utilization of health services.
Processing of threat‐related affect is delayed in delusion‐prone individuals
Authors: Green M. J. , Williams L. M. , Davidson D. J. 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. On the basis of previous reports of an attentional bias for threat‐related emotional material in deluded schizophrenics (e.g. Bentall & Kaney, 1989), the present study examined the proposal that a similar bias would be demonstrated by delusion‐prone individuals, reflected by longer response latencies for the task of processing threat‐related facially displayed affects (e.g. anger, fear).Design. A non‐randomized matched group design was employed to examine the performance of delusion‐prone individuals in comparison with a control group.Methods. 50 psychiatrically healthy participants completed the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (PDI) as an index of delusional ideation (Peters, Day, & Garety, 1996; Peters, Joseph, & Garety, 1999). Subjects were presented with a standard set of facial stimuli depicting happy, sad, neutral, fearful and angry emotion expressions (Mazurski & Bond, 1993). Reaction times for the task of identifying each type of affect were compared between groups of high and low scorers on the PDI.Results. Highly delusion‐prone individuals displayed a significant delay in processing angry facial expressions in comparison with low scorers on the PDI.Conclusions. The increased response latency for processing angry expressions was interpreted as evidence of attentional bias for material posing a threat to the self, supporting previous cognitive data in relation to deluded patients. Threatening facial expressions may be regarded with increased significance by delusion‐prone individuals, and it is possible that this bias is involved in the formation of delusional beliefs.
Perception of negative emotions in close relatives by patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Scazufca Marcia , Kuipers Elisabeth , Menezes Paulo Rossi 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. The perception of negative emotions in close relatives may play an important role in explaining how external stressors can affect vulnerable individuals with schizophrenia. However, there is considerable debate about the ability of people with schizophrenia to perceive emotions in others. The present study aimed to examine the reliability of patients' perception of relatives' criticism. Secondly, it aimed to investigate whether patients' judgement about relatives' criticism agreed with an independent assessment of relatives' criticism towards patients.Method. Forty‐three patients with a DSM‐III‐R diagnosis of schizophrenia and their relatives were assessed soon after patients' admission to a psychiatric hospital and again 9 months after their discharge from hospital. Test‐retest reliability of patients' answers to a question about patients' perception of relatives' criticism towards them was carried out. The association between patients' perception of relatives' criticism and the expressed emotion (EE) measure of relatives' criticism was examined at inclusion and follow‐up. Patients' symptomatology was examined at both assessments.Results. Reliability of the measurement of patients' perception of relatives' criticism was moderate to good. Patients' judgement of relatives' criticism towards them was associated with the number of critical comments and presence of hostility at inclusion. At follow‐up, this association became weaker.Conclusion. The ability to judge and describe reliably negative emotions in close relationships may help to explain how perception of the external environment may act as a stressor in people who are vulnerable to schizophrenia.
Obesity‐related coping and distress and relationship to treatment preference
Authors: Rydén Anna , Karlsson Jan , Persson Lars‐Olof , Sjöström Lars , Taft Charles , Sullivan Marianne 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. The primary purpose was to define obesity‐related strategies for coping with psychological problems connected with obesity. We also wanted to identify obesity‐related distress and explore the effect of coping on distress. Thirdly, we wanted to investigate differences in coping and distress related to choice of surgery or conventional treatment.Design. Cross‐sectional data from patients in the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) intervention study.Methods. An obesity‐related questionnaire concerning coping and distress was created and evaluated in 2510 patients from the SOS study, using multitrait, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis procedures.Results. Three coping factors were defined. Social Trust and Fighting Spirit were problem‐focused, whereas Wishful Thinking was emotion‐focused. Surgical candidates displayed lower levels of problem‐focused and higher levels of emotion‐focused coping. We also identified two distress factors: Intrusion and Helplessness. Wishful Thinking was positively related to distress, and Social Trust and Fighting Spirit were inversely related, thus explaining the higher levels of distress reported by the surgical candidates.Conclusions. In our sample, emotion‐focused coping proved maladaptive and was associated with increased distress. Problem‐focused coping, however, was adaptive and associated with reduced distress. These findings partly explain psychological morbidity and should be taken into consideration in the treatment of obese people.
Compliance and outcome in treatment‐resistant anorexia and bulimia: A retrospective study
Authors: Towell Dawn Baker , Woodford Sally , Reid Steven , Rooney Barbara , Towell Anthony 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. To investigate the extent to which compliance with treatment is related to outcome, and factors associated with compliance in a group of treatment‐resistant eating‐disordered in‐patients.Design. A retrospective case study design was employed where clinic staff made expert ratings of eating behaviours, attitudes and outcome of former in‐patients.Method. Ten health‐care staff at a specialist eating disorders clinic rated overall success of treatment outcome at discharge, as well as compliance, severity of disordered eating behaviours and body‐image disturbance at both admission and discharge for 46 anorexic and 14 bulimic patients.Results. For all participants, high compliance at admission was associated with lower levels of body image disturbance, less disordered eating behaviours and higher ratings of overall treatment success at discharge. Compliance at admission predicted the body mass index (BMI) at discharge for anorexic participants and predicted higher ratings of overall treatment success at discharge for all participants. In all participants, compliance at admission was related to the extent of eating‐disordered behaviours at admission.Conclusions. Results suggest the importance of compliance in facilitating recovery and treatment success among treatment‐resistant eating‐disordered in‐patients. The promotion of strategies to improve compliance in this population should be considered. A role for motivational interviewing is discussed.
Coping and psychological distress in children involved in road traffic accidents
Authors: Stallard P. , Velleman R. , Langsford J. , Baldwin S. 
Published: February 2003

Objectives. The purpose of this study is to detail the natural coping strategies used by children involved in everyday road traffic accidents (RTAs). The relationship between coping strategies, post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), gender and age was investigated.Design. Children aged 7‐18 who attended an accident and emergency department following involvement in a RTA were assessed, 6 weeks after their accident (N = 97). A subgroup of 36 children were re‐assessed approximately 8 months after the trauma.Methods. The presence of PTSD was determined via a semi‐structured interview incorporating the Clinician Administered Post‐traumatic Scale for Children (CAPS‐C). Self‐completed psychometric assessments were undertaken to assess the presence of clinically significant levels of depression (Birleson Depression Inventory), anxiety (Revised Manifest Anxiety Scale) and coping style (Kidcope).Results. Children involved in RTAs used between 5 and 7 different coping strategies. Younger children and those with PTSD used more strategies than older children and those not suffering from PTSD. Children with PTSD were more likely to use the strategies of distraction, social withdrawal, emotional regulation and blaming others.Conclusion. The limitations of Kidcope are discussed and the need to develop more complex ways of assessing childhood coping within a developmental framework highlighted.