Psychopathology in epilepsy. The role of psychology in altering paradigms of research, treatment, and prevention.

This article offers a brief review of the literature examining epilepsy and abnormal behavior. The generally accepted concept of epilepsy as a high psychiatric risk disorder is reexamined in light of research that has investigated the influence of selection bias. A conceptual model that organizes the known or postulated risk variables (neurological, psychosocial, and medication) is presented, with emphasis on psychology's potential contribution.     

The church and prevention of alcoholism

Conclusion The task of the church is to join a coalition for the improvement of community resources for the alcoholic through legislation and appropriation of funds; to train a task force of clergymen and lay counselors who are able to assist mental health professionals and A. A. members; and to communicate the Word of Reconciliation to those who are hungering and thirsting for the right life. We are able to help the alcoholic as he discovers new values and experiences without compulsive drinking. Clinebell summarizes the ministry of the church to the alcoholic when he points out: The most important thing a congregation must give a recovering alcoholic is a sense of acceptance in the fellowship. Such direct involvement in helping deeply troubled people forces a congregation to test the reality of its dedication to loving God and neighbor.⁴² May God help the church to be the church for the alcoholic.a pilot project sponsored by the Makiki Christian Church, is also a staff member of the Diamond Head Mental Health Clinic, a research and training facility cooperating with the University of Hawaii School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. He is a member of the American Psychological Association and the National Rehabilitation Association and an associate member of the Academy.     

Advancing prevention research on the role of culture in suicide prevention

Despite evidence of considerable racial/ethnic variation in adolescent suicidal behavior in the United States, research on youth of European American descent accounts for much of what is know about preventing adolescent suicide. In response to the need to advance research on the phenomenology and prevention of suicidal behavior among ethnic minority populations, NIMH co-sponsored the "Pragmatic Considerations of Culture in Preventing Suicide" workshop to elicit through interdisciplinary dialogue how culture can be considered in the design, development, and implementation of suicidal behavior prevention programs. In this discussion paper we consider the three ethnic minority suicide prevention efforts described in the articles appearing in this issue, along with workshop participants' comments, and propose six major areas where issues of culture need to be better integrated into suicidal behavior research.     

Opioid antagonists and alcoholism treatment

The increasing evidence for a neurobiologic basis for alcoholism has spurred the search for pharmacologic agents to treat alcohol abuse. The complex set of symptoms and behaviors that characterizes alcoholism has been linked to dopaminergic and opioid neurotransmitter systems, suggesting that opioid antagonists, such as naltrexone, may alter the positive reinforcement effects and craving involved in alcoholism. Laboratory and clinical investigations of naltrexone have demonstrated the potential for this agent to reduce craving, increase the aversive effects of alcohol, decrease drinking days, and increase abstinence. While naltrexone and other opioid antagonists, such as nalmefene, may be effective components of an alcohol-treatment program, they should only be used in combination with psychosocial interventions, such as support groups and psychotherapy.     

Handwriting analysis in diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism

This preliminary study of the alcoholic personality, based on handwriting material before and after the over-indulgence period shows a characteristic dynamic development which could be manifest in different forms. The prealcoholic individual apparently was subjected to a strong discipline by a strict Super-ego, and at the same time being quite vulnerable, due to a basic emotional sensitivity. The drastic change in the handwriting of the recovery period indicates that the postalcoholic individual has broken the chains of the early discipline. He starts to struggle with his self-image, tries to cope with his now liberated psychic dynamics, experiencing some emotional discomfort. He still has preserved his emotional sensitivity. One could conclude that the handwriting from the recovery period conveys the beginning of individual development.     

The role of illicit substance use in a conceptual model of intimate partner violence in men undergoing treatment for alcoholism

Illicit substance use (ISU) predicts intimate partner violence (IPV) above and beyond alcohol use and other known IPV correlates. Stuart and colleagues (2008) provided evidence for a theoretical framework by which ISU contributes both directly and indirectly to IPV. We sought to replicate and extend their findings using data from 181 married or cohabiting heterosexual couples in which the male had recently begun a substance abuse treatment program and met criteria for alcohol dependence (97%) or abuse (3%). Using SEM, we found that (a) Stuart et al.'s model provided a good fit to the data; (b) men's cocaine use and women's sedative use emerged as particularly relevant to their respective perpetration of IPV; (c) a positive association between men's antisociality and physical aggression was mediated by increased stimulant use; and (d) the specific pattern of IPV predicted by women's sedative use differed across levels of aggression severity. These findings not only highlight the direct role of ISU in relationship aggression, but also support a larger theory-driven model comprising various proximal and distal precursors of IPV.     

The absent body in psychiatric diagnosis,treatment, and research

Synthese - Discussions of psychiatric nosology focus on a few popular examples of disorders, and on the validity of diagnostic criteria. Looking at Anorexia Nervosa, an example rarely mentioned in...     

Smoking research: basic research, intervention, prevention, and new trends

Smoking is a behavior that is influenced by a variety of factors that cut across methodologies, disciplines, and content areas within health psychology. The present article is designed to show the diversity and richness of smoking research by examining smoking from four perspective: basic laboratory research, intervention, prevention and deterrence, and new directions in smoking research. Methodologies that were derived from such varied sources as psychopharmacology, behavioral pharmacology, behavior therapy, clinical psychology, public health and health promotion, and social and developmental psychology have been used to study the smoking problem. The subject populations in these investigations ranged from animal models, to the individual smoker attempting to quit, to communities involved in health promotion and public health approaches. Future research should seek to provide new and improved examples of interdisciplinary research within the field of health psychology to multidisciplinary approaches from the basic and applied sciences.     

Family participation in the treatment of alcoholism

The effect of family involvement on the efficacy of alcoholic treatment was investigated. Degree of family involvement, as measured by the participation of the wives of 60 alcoholics in a hospital family lecture series, was compared to recidivism rates and to completion of the in-patient treatment program. The wives' participation was closely related to whether or not their husbands completed in-patient treatment. Participation also appeared to be related to recidivism although additional services in the area of counseling for discharged alcoholic patients and their families are obviously needed.     

The role of the clergyman in suicide prevention

Pastoral Psychology -