Health information is increasingly being shared online not just by credentialed sources such as physicians or health organizations, but also by patients with personal experience with a health concern. This dissertation proposes a new measure of vigilance-avoidance, or tendency to approach or avoid threatening stimuli, in order to understand how…

Examined personality differences in 71 residents in a community drug abuse program, using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Results showed successfully treated patients tended to be more aware of their problems and realize a greater need for help. They were slightly more depressed, suspicious, and anxious than unsuccessful patients.…

Structural, mean- and individual-level, differential, and positive personality continuity were examined in 599 patients treated for major depression assigned to 1 of 6 forms of a 6-month pharmacy-psychotherapy program. Covariation among traits from the Five Factor model remained invariant across treatment, and patients described themselves as…

Compared MMPIs of 80 male and 80 female drug abusers with MMPIs of 550 male and 695 female medical patients. Male drug abusers obtained significantly higher scores than male medical patients on all clinical scales. Female drug abusers obtained significantly higher scores than female medical patients on seven scales. (Author)

Data from public and private sectors reveal that few persons stay in psychotherapy long enough to be classified as "long-term" clients. Those who do remain in psychotherapy for a long time are rarely studied because attention has generally been focused on terminators. Demographic, treatment, and psychometric characteristics of 64 long-term…