The effects of anger management and social contact on risk of myocardial infarction in type as and type bs

Abstract

The risk of myocardial infarction (MI) associated with Type A behaviour, anger management and social contact was examined using a retrospective case-control design. Binary multiple regression analyses were used to compare 206 male and 67 female MI cases with 454 male and 316 female controls. To examine the potential moderating role of sex and Type A behaviour, moderated and subgroup regressions were run. Type A behaviour was significantly more prevalent in cases than controls. MI risk was further increased in males who combined Type A behaviour and aggressive expression of anger. In females MI risk was associated with the combination of Type A behaviour and not expressing anger. In addition female cases were significantly less likely than controls to discuss their anger, and reported fewer available social contacts. Discussion of results includes consideration of the problems generated by the retrospective case-control design.     

An interview to measure vital exhaustion. II. reliability and validity of the interview and correlations of vital exhaustion with personality characteristics

Abstract

In the previous paper (Meesters and Appels, this issue) we described the development of an interview to measure feelings of vital exhaustion (VE). The current paper presents data on the reliability and the validity of the interview, which is labeled the Maastricht Interview for Vital Exhaustion (MIVE). Correlations with the Type A behavior pattern (TABP) and hostility are also discussed in this paper. The data were collected in a case-control study of 81 males with first MI and 168 healthy neighborhood controls. The interview was found to have a good reliability, Cronbach's alpha being .90 in the case group and .86 in the control group. The kappa coefficient was .95 in the case group and .91 in the control group. The validity was tested by computing the estimated relative risk of VE, controlling for angina pectoris and the classic risk factors. The odds ratio was found to be 8.11 (p<.001). This indicates that the interview makes a valid assessment of the mental precursors of MI. The interview correlated significantly with TABP (structured interview) and two self-report measures of hostility (Cook-Medley Hostility Scale and Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory). Although the absolute magnitude of the observed odds ratios may be affected to some extent because the interviews were not scored blind, these results clearly suggest that the MIVE is a reliable and valid method to assess VE.     

An interview to measure vital exhaustion. I. development and comparison with the maastricht questionnaire

Abstract

This article presents an interview designed to measure vital exhaustion (VE), a state characterized by unusual fatigue, increased irritability and feelings of demoralization, which has been found to be a short-term risk indicator of myocardial infarction (MI). This state can be measured by means of the Maastricht Questionnaire (MQ). However, the MQ was found to have some major shortcomings for the selection of subjects for laboratory or clinical investigations. For this reason we designed an interview to assess VE. To test the hypothesis that the interview registers prodromal feelings of MI, the interview was administered to a sample of 81 males who were hospitalized because of a first myocardial infarction (mean age 55.6 years; sd 6.8) and a sample of 168 healthy males (mean age 54.9 years; sd 6.9). Mean scores of cases and controls differed significantly (7.8; sd 6.0 and 3.6; sd 4.0, respectively; t=5.65; p=.000). Mean scores on the questionnaire discriminated significantly too, but the discriminating power was much lower (t=2.31; p=.02). The article gives detailed instructions on the way in which the interview should be administered and scored.     

Associations between sedentary behavior and negative emotions in adolescents during home confinement: Mediating role of social support and sleep quality

BackgroundProlonged periods of sedentary behaviour, for instance, engendered by home confinement in Shenzhen city, has led to negative mental health consequences, especially in adolescents. Previous research suggests, in general, that sedentary behavior can increase negative emotions. However, the specific mechanism driving the relationship between sedentary behavior and negative emotions is still relatively unclear. Social support and sleep quality might partly explain the effect of sedentary behavior on negative emotions. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the associations between sedentary behavior and negative emotions, and to investigate if social support and sleep quality mediate such a relationship.MethodDuring home confinement due to the COVID-19 Omicron variant outbreak, 1179 middle and high school students in Shenzhen were invited to voluntarily complete an e-questionnaire, including the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data from 1065 participants were included in the analysis.ResultsWe observed significant sex-related and demografic-related differences in emotional (e.g., anxiety, stress and social support) and other outcome variables (e.g., sitting duration and PSQI score). Furthermore, sedentary behavior, social support, and sleep quality were associated with negative emotions (p < .01), even after controlling for sex, age, only-child case, body mass index, and metabolic equivalent level. In addition, social support and sleep quality partially mediated the association between sedentary behavior and negative emotions.ConclusionThe findings of the current study suggest that social support and sleep quality partially mediate the relationship between sedentary behavior and negative emotions in middle and high school students during home confinement in Shenzhen city.     

Response of the pituitary-adrenal axis in terms of type a behaviour,hostility and vital exhaustion in healthy middle-aged men

Abstract

Pituitary-adrenal axis was studied in terms of Type A behaviour, hostility and vital exhaustion among 69 healthy middle-aged men. The results showed that psychological factors could explain a significant proportion of the biologically manipulated responses of HPA axis, but they worked in different ways. Type A behaviour was related to a high level of mean basal ACTH and a low level of cortisol response to ACTH stimulation after dexamethasone suppression; hostility was related to a high level of mean basal cortisol and a high cortisol in cortisol/ACTH ratio, while vital exhaustion was characterized by a low level of mean basal ACTH and a decreased ACTH in relation to cortisol. The adrenocortical patterns, i.e. a high ACTH-low cortisol; a high cortisol; and a low ACTH-low mean basal cortisol, as related to Type A behaviour, hostility and exhaustion, respectively, are in line with the traditional physiological stress model and suggest that different adrenocortical responses might be able to identify different mental stress processes. Sense of control has been suggested to be a key concept for psychological understanding of this finding.     

Evaluation of a Safe Sleep Training for Home Visitors and Their Clients

Sleep-related deaths are a common preventable cause of death, and such deaths occur disproportionately in families of color. Home visitors provide families with education about infant safe sleep guidelines; however, families face many barriers to engaging in safe sleep practices. This study evaluated the efficacy of a program to train home visitors to talk to clients about infant safe sleep using Motivational Interviewing and cultural sensitivity. We examined the effects of the intervention on home visitors’ (n?=?23) knowledge, MI skill use, and cultural sensitivity using a single group pre-post design. We also examined home visiting clients’ (n?=?78) knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors using a quasi-experimental design. Home visitors were primarily female (97%), had a college degree (86%), and were primarily white (50%) or African American (43%). The home visiting clients were all female and were primarily African American (43%) and Caucasian (36%). Most clients (59%) earned less than 30,000 dollars per year. Home visitors showed significant improvement in MI skill use and cultural sensitivity from pre- to post-test. Regarding client outcomes, our results indicate a significant group by time interaction when predicting changes in client knowledge such that the treatment group showed larger gains than the control group. There were no significant differences between groups when predicting changes in client attitudes or behavior. MI may be an effective technique for home visitors to help increase families’ safe sleep knowledge. Additional research is needed to examine whether such training can translate to changes in families’ safe sleep behavior.

     

Fruit and Vegetable Intake Predicts Positive Affect

Prior research suggests that fruit and vegetable intake predicts psychological well-being (WB) when controlled for demographic variables such as age, income and education. Using multiple-item measures and including additional diet and health variables as covariates, the current study assessed self-reported well-being in the past week and daily fruit and vegetable consumption over the past 4 weeks for 1270 university students. Mean positive affect increased linearly as a function of number of daily servings of fruits and vegetables; the pattern of this relationship did not differ significantly for males and females. This association remained statistically significant after controlling for demographic variables (age, sex, and parent education levels); other diet variables (consumption of sugar containing beverages, coffee or tea, and fat); and other health behaviors (exercise, sleep quality and smoking). Life satisfaction and negative affect were not significantly related to fruit and vegetable consumption. Analysis of single-item measures similar to those used in past large scale surveys yielded similar results. Possible reasons for the association of fruits and vegetable consumption with well-being are discussed.     

Vital exhaustion,temperament, and the circumplex model of affect during laboratory-induced stress

The present study examined the relationship between vital exhaustion, Cloninger's temperament dimensions, and state affects during experimentally induced stress among participants aged 22–37 years. Larsen and Diener's circumplex model of affect was used to structure the self-reported affects. Temperament was measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory. Feelings of exhaustion were assessed by the Maastricht Questionnaire. Stressors used were an aversive startle task, an appetitive mental arithmetic task, and an aversive choice-deadline reaction time task. The results showed that the level of vital exhaustion among healthy persons is related to unpleasant state affects other than state fatigue. Temperament also modified the relationship between vital exhaustion and affects. In addition, vital exhaustion was related to a tendency to behavioural inhibition (harm avoidance). Our findings suggest that temperament is related to feelings of exhaustion and is likely to predispose to negative affectivity when accompanied by exhaustion.     

Maternal avoidance,anxiety cognitions and interactive behaviour predicts infant development at 12 months in the context of anxiety disorders in the postpartum period

BackgroundFew studies have examined the relation between anxiety disorders in the postpartum period and cognitive as well as language development in infancy.AimsThis longitudinal study investigated whether anxiety disorder in the postpartum period is linked to infant development at twelve months. A closer look was also taken at a possible link between maternal interaction and infant development.Study designSubjects were videotaped during a Face-to-Face-Still-Face interaction with their infant (M = 4.0 months). Specific maternal anxiety symptoms were measured by self-report questionnaires (Anxiety Cognition Questionnaire (ACQ), Body Sensations Questionnaire (BSQ), Mobility Inventory (MI)) to check for a connection with infant development. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III (Bayley-III) were used to assess infant language and cognitive development at one year of age.Subjectsn = 34 mothers with anxiety disorder (SCID-I; DSM-IV) and n = 47 healthy mothers with their infant.Outcome measuresInfant performance on Bayley-III language and cognitive scales.ResultsInfants of mothers with anxiety disorder yielded significantly lower language scores than infants of controls. No significant group differences were found regarding infant cognitive development. Exploratory analyses revealed the vital role of “maternal avoidance accompanied” in infant language and cognitive development. Maternal neutral engagement, which lacks positive affect and vocalisations, turned out as the strongest negative predictor of cognitive development. Maternal anxiety cognitions and joint activity in mother-infant interaction were the strongest predictors of infant language performance.ConclusionsResults underline the importance to also consider the interaction behaviour of women with anxiety disorders to prevent adverse infant development.     

Treatment of atypical and neurotic depression

Hitherto it has not been usual to talk in the German language about the therapy-oriented concept of two forms of the progress of atypical depression (Type A and Type V). The characteristic symptom of Type A is angst, together with phobias, physical complaints, etc. In Type V there are vegetative symptoms, often towards evening (Hypersomnia, difficulty in getting to sleep, increased appetite, increased weight, increased libido), accompanied by hysterical extrovert personality traits, and of intermittent occurrence. These clinical pictures are amenable to psychopharmalogical therapy. In conformity with the assumption of "somatic accommodation" treatment with antidepressives is recommended in the case neurotic depression, too, at least in the initial stages of treatment.     

Job Pressures, Organizational Support, and Health Among Norwegian Women Managers

Questionnaire data were collected from 191 professional and managerial women in Norway. Measures included demographic and work characteristics, job pressures (hours worked, level of management, work-family conflict), organizational supports (acceptance, support, training and development, challenging and visible jobs), and health indicators (life satisfaction, psychosomatic complaints, emotional exhaustion). Emotional exhaustion and psychosomatic complaints were combined into a stress index. Results indicated that women who experienced high role conflict and work-family pressures also reported poor health outcomes and little life satisfaction. Organizational initiatives to support and develop women's careers were associated with lower exhaustion and psychosomatic symptomatology and more life satisfaction. While the relationship between women's employment and physical and psychological well-being is not clear-cut, there is perhaps a need for organizations to focus on initiatives that will allow diversity in the choices women make with regard to involvement in careers and family, as well as a need to find ways to support and encourage such diversity. Not only may this have a beneficial effect on women workers' health and energy to use at work, but it may also make way for alternative career paths into top management positions for professional women.     

The role of vital exhaustion in predicting the recurrence of vascular events: A longitudinal study

Background/objective

The aim of this study was to examine the role of vital exhaustion in predicting the recurrence of vascular events.

Effect of Perceived Politics and Perceived Support on Bullying and Emotional Exhaustion: The Moderating Role of Type A Personality

Recognizing that bullying can occur in varying degrees of severity, the current study suggest the importance of individual traits in individual perceptions of being targets of bullying and ensuing emotional exhaustion. The present study extends the work environment hypothesis and trait activation theory by a joint investigation of the mediating role of (a) workplace bullying in linking perceived organization politics and perceived organization support with emotional exhaustion and (b) the moderating role of Type A behavioral pattern in influencing the mediation. Using a field sample of 262 employees working in different organizations of Pakistan, this study tested a moderated mediation model. Results were consistent with the hypothesized model, in that workplace bullying mediated the relationship of perceived organization politics and perceived organization support with emotional exhaustion. Type A behavior moderated the perceived politics—bullying, perceived support–bullying, and bullying—emotional exhaustion relationships. The mediation of bullying varied with levels of Type A behavior in these relationships.     

Predicting adolescent health complaints by personality and Behaviors

Abstract

In a sample of 97 male adolescents, individual differences in health complaints were predicted by personality traits and by self-reported health/risk behaviors. Anxiety and loneliness were measured at Times 1 and 2, and health locus of control, various behaviors and health complaints were assessed at the end of the two-year study. A causal model was specified, employing anxiety and loneliness as distal predictors, health locus of control and behaviors as proximal predictors of health complaints. It turned out that anxiety was the most powerful single predictor, and that loneliness exerted a direct effect on health locus of control and behaviors and an indirect effect on health complaints. Risk behavior as well as health behavior were related to complaints. Social integration facilitated not only health behavior but also risk behavior.     

Passive smoking is associated with cognitive and emotional impairment in adolescent girls

It is well established that smoking is associated with impaired mental health and sleep problems. However, the possible effects of passive smoking on cognitive and emotional characteristics have not previously been evaluated in adolescents. We investigated the association between passive smoking and cognitive and emotional function, and sleep patterns in 940 adolescent girls. The girls were divided into two groups [305 exposed subjects and 635 non-exposed subjects (the controls)]. The passive smokers had a significantly lower cognitive function and higher depression, aggression, and insomnia scores compared to the control group (P?<?0.05). No significant difference was detected with respect to day-time sleepiness and sleep apnea. Logistic regression analyses showed that the passive smokers were more likely than the controls to have cognitive impairments, depressive mood, aggressive behavior, and insomnia. Adolescent passive smokers had significant differences in their cognitive abilities and emotional function.     

Morningness-eveningness, use of stimulants, and minor psychiatric disorders among undergraduate students

Morningness–eveningness dimension in humans have been indicated to influence social behavior and individual health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of the morningness–eveningness dimension with behavioral and health aspects in a sample of undergraduate students. We assessed demographic data; the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate sleep quality; the Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire to determine morningness–eveningness, and the Self‐Reporting Questionnaire to assess minor psychiatric disorders. A total of 372 students (66.7% females), on average 21.6 years old, participated in this study. Among them, 92.2% did not smoke, 58.9% engaged in physical activities, and 19.7% were night‐shift workers. In regard to morningness–eveningness, 55.9% of the participants were intermediate between evening (39.5%) and morning (4.6%) types. Poor sleep quality (OR = 1.89), minor psychiatric disorders (OR = 1.92), and tobacco consumption (OR = 3.65) predominated among evening types. Evening types were predominantly males (OR = 1.72). This study suggests that evening types are more vulnerable to sleep and psychiatric disturbances, and tend to smoke more than morning types.     

Depressive symptoms, social support, and personal health behaviors in young men and women.

This study investigated the relationship of depressive symptoms, social support, and a range of personal health behaviors in 2,091 male and 3,438 female university students from 16 countries. Depressive symptoms and social support were measured using the short Beck Depression Inventory and the Social Support Questionnaire; 9 personal health behaviors were also assessed. After the authors took age, social support, and clustering by country into account, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with lack of physical activity, not eating breakfast, irregular sleep hours, and not using a seat belt in both men and women, and additionally with smoking, not eating fruit, and not using sunscreen among women. Low social support was independently associated with low alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, irregular sleep hours, and not using a seat belt in men and women. Bidirectional causal pathways are likely to link health behaviors with depressed mood.     

The Intention to Give Up Smoking: Disease Versus Social Dimensions

Abstract

An expanded protection motivation model was used to investigate the intention to give up smoking. Because smoking has both physiological and social-psychological foundations, the model was expanded to include the social dimensions as well as the original disease dimensions as predictors of health behavior. The participants were 96 current smokers (35 male and 61 female) in Australia; 44 were young adults (age < 22 years), and 52 were adults (age > 34 years). Data were analyzed by multiple regression with hierarchical entry, first of disease dimensions, then of social dimensions. For both the young and the adult smokers, the disease dimensions contributed significantly to the results of the regression equations. Addition of the social dimensions yielded a significant F change only for young smokers and increased the amount of variance explained from 23% to 38%.     

Cognitive-affective assets and vulnerabilities: Two factors influencing adaptation to Fibromyalgia

The present article describes the associations between hostility and serum lipids in Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) patients. A sample of 212 male coronary patients was used of which 127 recently suffered a Myocardial Infarction (MI), and 85 had undergone either a Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) or a Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA). Total Cholesterol (TC), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride concentrations were measured as well as four hostility factors: ‘Negative Affectivity’ (NA), ‘Anger-In’ (AI), ‘Anger-Out’ (AO) and Coping, i.e. behaviors to control feelings of anger and anxiety. The results indicated that the effects of hostility on lipids were mediated by various factors such as body weight in relation to body length (BMI), Socio-Economic Status (SES), Left Ventricle Ejection Fraction (LVEF) and Age. In subgroups of highly exhausted patients or of patients scoring high on the Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP), however, more direct (unilinear) associations between lipids and hostility were found. The findings of the present study confirm the rather weak association between hostility and blood lipids found elsewhere. Furthermore, a low level of triglycerides was consistently associated with low AO, be it again in interaction with BMI (AO × BMI), both in the group of non-MI patients and in the total sample for those patients who score high on vital exhaustion and/or TABP. This finding provides an extra argument against the popular notion of the healthfulness under all circumstances of anger expression. Until now the exact role of triglycerides as a function of anger/hostility has been under-explored. This issue merits further attention in future research.