Assigned 120 smoking cessation subjects to either intensive behavioral treatment, nicotine gum in low-contact treatment, or to combined treatment. Combined treatment produced higher abstinence rates than other conditions at all assessments. Differences were significant at 3, 12, and 26 weeks, but not at 52 weeks. (NRB)

Reviews properties and pharmacological effects of medications for pain, including peripherally acting analgesics, centrally acting narcotics, and adjuvant analgesics including antidepressants. Discusses the role of the endogenous opioid system in pain and depression. Explores clinical management issues in both inpatient and outpatient settings,…

Assesses overall effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological treatments, relative effectiveness of specific treatments, and moderators of treatment effectiveness for nocturnal enuretic children via quantitative integration of research. Findings confirm that more children benefit from psychological than from pharmacological interventions and…

Reviews use of cognitive therapy (CT) for depression compared to use of tricyclic pharmacotherapy in nonbipolar outpatients. Suggests that CT may be roughly comparable in treatment of the acute episode, combined CT-pharmacotherapy does not appear to be clearly superior to either modality, and CT treatment during the acute episode may reduce the…

Administered intravenous infusions to phobic patients prior to systematic desensitization. Saline-infused subjects significantly demonstrated the predicted symptom decrease in response to systematic desensitization, whereas naloxone-infused subjects showed no change. Subject reports and psychophysiological measures of arousal indicated no…

Summarizes data pertaining to separate and combined effects of cognitive-behavioral and psychopharmacologic treatments for obesity and bulimia nervosa. Anorexiant medication appears to enhance restraint and facilitates weight loss with behavioral interventions in the treatment of obesity, but relapse occurs once medication is withdrawn.…

Examined the relationship between therapeutic alliance and treatment outcome for depressed outpatients who received interpersonal psychotherapy, imipramine with clinical management, or placebo with clinical management. Clinical raters scored videotapes of early, middle, and late therapy sessions for 225 cases (619 sessions). Results indicate the…

Reviews recent research on alcohol use and alcohol problems among Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and American Indians, evaluating research methods and lacunae in current information. Suggests that future research adopt multidisciplinary approaches to more fully characterize enthnopharmacological profiles of alcohol use and abuse among these…

Tested an anorectic agent, diethylpropion hydrochloride (Tenuate), with a 20-week cognitive-behavioral (CB) weight loss program. Demonstrated significant weight loss under all treatment conditions, with the Tenuate/CB group superior to placebo plus therapy and therapy alone, during the latter half of the drug treatment period. (Author/KS)

Comments on the exchange between N. S. Jacobson and S. D. Hollon, I. Elkin, R. D. Gibbons, M. T. Shea and B. F. Shaw, and R. J. McNally highlight issues of continuing controversy in the comparison of drugs versus psychotherapeutic interventions. Discusses the best way to control for things such as the allegiance effect and the role of pill…

One hundred fifty-three problem drinkers were randomly assigned to receive naltrexone 50 mg or placebo on a daily or targeted (to high-risk drinking situations) basis. Using structured nightly diaries, participants recorded negative and positive mood, desire to drink, and alcohol consumption over 8 weeks. Results indicated that individuals engaged…

Compared the effectiveness of a home-based behavioral intervention (relaxation and thermal biofeedback training) with an abortive pharmacological intervention (with compliance training) for treating recurrent migraine and migraine/tension headaches. Both interventions yielded reductions in headache activity, psychosomatic symptoms, and daily life…

Assessed the effects of two interventions on hyperactive children's (N=24) social behavior. Results indicated that both methylphenidate (Ritalin) and reinforced self-evaluation were superior to the contrast treatments. Medication plus cognitive-behavioral self-evaluation proved optimal, and placebo plus reinforcement alone was significantly worse…

Analysis suggests pharmacotherapy is superior to cognitive-behavior therapy in the treatment of severely depressed outpatients in the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program (TDCRP). This finding is neither robust across TDCRP sites nor consistent with findings from other studies. Argues that…

Addresses a few of the most important issues raised by N. S. Jacobson and S. D. Hollon and by D. F. Klein about the findings of the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program (TDCRP). Presents conclusions regarding these issues. Makes recommendations for new areas of investigation using the TDCRP…