Reports on development of adult sickle cell support group and provides description of psychosocial factors most prevalent in patients' lives (anxiety about death, disruption of social support network, disability, dependence on pain medication, conflicts with health care providers). Notes that support group enhanced participants' knowledge about…

Information on the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was obtained for psychometric properties, gender differences, and relation to depression for 291 psychiatric patients with a subsample of 251 who completed the Beck Depression Inventory. Two demonstrated BAI factors are discussed, as are male-female differences and correlation with depression. (SLD)

One month test-retest reliability of the Revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) was examined in 88 methadone-maintained males, along with effects of increased information about patients on PCL-R scores and diagnostic derivations. Test-retest reliabilities are quite good. Other findings also confirm potential utility of the PCL-R for research. (SLD)

The director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute (North Carolina) is committed to making better use of patient information for medical research, and is building a database from the institute's clinical trials. His approach is to provide biomedical researchers with daily involvement in medicine rather than management. (MSE)

Health-care practitioners generally lack counseling skills. Article introduces general principles of counseling, emphasizing client-centeredness, cooperative role relations, unconstrained interaction, and goal-oriented proceeding are emphasized. Methods to be used in health care to promote physical activity are related to counselor skill and…

Proposes that pharmacy schools incorporate formal assessments of self-reported empathy in the admissions process to assess personal qualities necessary for patient counseling and other aspects of pharmaceutical care. Comparison of two approaches to measuring self-reported empathy (forced-choice format, direct self-ratings) found the first more…

Evaluates a short-term, problem-focused Individual Psychological Support (IPS intervention in a study with cancer patients (N=527). Results show that a majority of responding patients stated that their problems were addressed to a great extent, that the number of contacts was adequate, and the IPS came at the right time. (Author/MKA)

Evaluates two training programs for asthmatic children, aged 7-14. The first group consisted of patients and their parents who participated in a five-day standardized family-oriented clinical asthma training program followed by monthly training sessions. The second group omitted these follow-up interventions. Results indicate that the first group…

Data concerning the psychological impact of high risk of cancer are reviewed, including implications of genetic testing, breast screening,and accuracy of women's risk estimates. Work in progress on prophylactic mastectomy and chemoprevention is reviewed. Research on cancer families, and interventions and prevention strategies for high-risk…

Validity of using genetic counselors' reports of information given in consultations as a measure of patient recall was studied. Counselors' reports were compared with tape recordings and patient follow-up calls. Measures include patient expectations, patient anxiety, demographics, patient recall, patient-defined important information, and…

Medical students were evaluated by questionnaire during their studies and again after graduation to determine their attitudes and their perception of others' (i.e., own more unconscious) attitudes toward psychiatric patients, disorders, and health care. Findings suggest that education changed unconscious attitudes of medical students in a positive…

An interactive, computer-assisted communications skills course, which can fit easily into the busy schedule of medical specialists is presented. A new training method was developed and tested for its appeal to the target group (N=33). Course was evaluated for its relevance, value, and attraction. Results are included and discussed. (EMK)

The effectiveness of small group condom motivation education in reducing new and reinfection rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) among urban female teenagers was evaluated. Teens (N=205) were followed for six months. Findings are presented and health education opportunities are discussed. (Author/EMK)

Investigates ways in which homophobia and heterosexism constitute barriers to treatment for lesbian and gay youth in need of addictions services. Interviews with 17 gay and lesbian youth show barriers to include marginalization, deflection and contradiction, outing, harassment, early discharge, and misinformed staff. Recommendations are made for…

Attention span, verbal list learning, and memory test performance were examined in relation to Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) measures of depression, anxiety, and psychotic thinking in 128 male head-injury and psychiatric patients. Results support the view that MMPI-2 scores are relevant to neuropsychological test…