From a perspective of patient-centered healthcare, exploring patients' (a) preconceptions, (b) treatment experiences, (c) quality of life, (d) satisfaction, (e) illness understandings, and (f) design are all critical components in improving primary health care and research. Utilizing qualitative approaches to discover patients' experiences can…

Treatment adherence is a frequent problem in bipolar disorder, with research showing that more than 60% of bipolar patients are at least partially nonadherent to medications. Treatment nonadherence is consistently predictive of a number of negative outcomes in bipolar samples, and the discontinuation of mood stabilizers places these patients at…

A 12-item list of human abilities/activities was developed to measure quality of life of 9 rheumatoid arthritis adults from 2 aspects: "present condition" and "relative importance" of each item. Pilot testing indicated that importance and present condition represent different aspects. Differences between self-assessments and physicians'…

Examined the factor structure of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) in a sample of 200 medical patients and 271 psychiatric patients. Results indicate the WAIS-R has a robust factor structure and provide evidence of Verbal, Performance, and Freedom From Distractability factors in psychiatric and medical populations. (Author/BH)

Surveyed 101 inpatient psychiatric patients and 99 chemical dependency patients to compare the validities of the Beck Depression Inventory, the Minnesota Multiphasic personality Inventory (MMPI) Depression scale, and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. The Zung produced better validity coefficients than the Beck, which yielded higher…

Presents a statistical technique that yields consistent estimates for censored samples. Application of this technique to models related to selection bias and the presence of depression indicate that the prevalence of this disorder in mental health center populations approaches 44 percent rather than the 25 percent from a censored sample.…

Integrating theory, research, and practical applications, this book provides a comprehensive examination of defense mechanisms and their role in both normal development and psychopathology. The author describes how children and adults mobilize specific kinds of defenses to maintain their psychological equilibrium and preserve self-esteem,…

Chronic pain is a syndrome which forces many changes upon the patient and upon the family system. To examine the relationship between patients' and their spouses' psychosocial functioning, questionnaire data were collected from 28 male and 18 female patients referred for evaluation to an outpatient pain management program. The Minnesota…

Investigations of the reformulated learned helplessness model of depression have produced conflicting results. To contrast the attributional responses of clinically depressed men and women, data were collected from 117 psychotherapy clinic outpatients. An expanded version of the Attribution Style Questionnaire was administered. Forty people…

Examined Shipley-Hartford Scale effectiveness in predicting Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised Full Scale intelligence quotients (IQ) in hospital patients (N=156). Analyses revealed overestimation of below average Full Scale IQs, underestimation of above average IQs. Advanced age was associated with low conceptual quotients, suggesting that…

Followed eight male smokers with chronic pulmonary or cardiac disease through a smoking cessation program of gradual nicotine withdrawal, self-management, and relapse prevention. At one year, half remained abstinent, while relapsers smoked substantially less than before treatment. Reductions in carbon monoxide and thiocyanate levels were…

All chronic illnesses represent assaults on multiple areas of functioning, not just the body. To examine the association between painful chronic illnesses and depression from a cognitive-behavioral perspective, 100 patients of the Pain Management Program at the West Haven, Connecticut Veterans Administration Hospital (78% males) completed a…

To investigate whether men and women think alike about drinking and the effects of alcohol, the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire was administered to 440 college students, 120 medical patients, and 305 alcoholics in residential treatment. Previous and current drinking patterns and background information were also examined. Subjects were grouped by…

Assessed Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised test-retest stability for 21 psychiatric and neurological patients. Test-retest interval ranged from 2-144 weeks (x=38 weeks). Subtest stability coefficients were highly significant, yet range of gain or loss for any single individual was comparatively large. Gain or loss was associated strongly…

"Focus on Basics" is a publication of the U.S. Division of World Education, Inc. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. "Focus on Basics" is dedicated to connecting research…