Two studies of psychiatric morbidity among motor vehicle accident survivors 1 year after the crash

We assessed the psychiatric co-morbidity associated with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (1-2 years) secondary to personal injury motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) in two studies. In Study 1, we compared the results of SCID assessments for 75 treatment-seeking MVA survivors (51 with PTSD and 24 with symptoms but no PTSD). In Study 2, we compared similar results among 132 MVA survivors who had been followed prospectively for 12+ months after their accidents (19 with PTSD, 32 who had PTSD but who had remitted, and 81 who never met criteria for PTSD). We found comparable levels of current co-morbid major depression (53%), any mood disorder (62-68%), generalized anxiety disorder (26%) and any anxiety disorder (42%) for both groups of participants with chronic PTSD. These rates of co-morbidity were higher than those found in non-PTSD comparison groups with similar MVA histories.     

On the role of passion in performance

The present paper reports two studies designed to test the Dualistic Model of Passion with regard to performance attainment in two fields of expertise. Results from both studies supported the Passion Model. Harmonious passion was shown to be a positive source of activity investment in that it directly predicted deliberate practice (Study 1) and positively predicted mastery goals which in turn positively predicted deliberate practice (Study 2). In turn, deliberate practice had a direct positive impact on performance attainment. Obsessive passion was shown to be a mixed source of activity investment. While it directly predicted deliberate practice (Study 1) and directly predicted mastery goals (which predicted deliberate practice), it also predicted performance-avoidance and performance-approach goals, with the former having a tendency to facilitate performance directly, and the latter to directly negatively impact on performance attainment (Study 2). Finally, harmonious passion was also positively related to subjective well-being (SWB) in both studies, while obsessive passion was either unrelated (Study 1) or negatively related to SWB (Study 2). The conceptual and applied implications of the differential influences of harmonious and obsessive passion in performance are discussed.     

The refractory headache patient--II. High medication consumption (analgesic rebound) headache

'Analgesic rebound headache' is identified by habituation of an individual to pain reducing medication, the exacerbation of headache pain a few hours after medication consumption and a marked increase in headache frequency and intensity for several weeks after medication is discontinued. We describe three studies undertaken to clarify the existence and characteristics of this proposed headache syndrome. In Study 1 we compared a group of headache sufferers who consume large amounts of analgesic medications to headache sufferers who did not consume excessive analgesics. It was found that the two groups did not differ on age, duration of headache problem or gender. However, the groups did differ on subjective headache pain (with the high medicators experiencing more headache pain than low medicators) and diagnosis (with high medicators being more likely to have a muscle contraction component to their headaches). In an analysis of drug use within the high medication group, it was found that 91% were taking some kind of analgesic and that a majority (84%) were taking more than one type of medication. In Study 2 we found that the group of high medicators were not as successful in reducing headache activity as a result of a self-regulatory behavioral treatment as the matched controls. Furthermore, there was a direct relationship between reduction and treatment success in the high medication consuming population. Lastly, in Study 3 we examined the current psychological functioning of the two groups; no differences were found between the two groups indicating the lack of 'addictive' personality characteristics as an explanation for the high medicating population. These findings all support the existence of a sub-population of headache sufferers who consume excessive amounts of analgesic medication and who are relatively refractory to behavioral treatment.     

Quantitative reanalysis of aggregate data on IQ in sexual offenders

General intelligence has been the most commonly studied neuropsychological characteristic of sexual offenders for over 70 years. Results, however, have been highly inconsistent. To assess whether sexual offenders score lower in IQ than nonsexual offenders and to explore which sexual offense characteristics relate to IQ, the authors reanalyzed all reports providing sufficient information. Data spanned 236 samples, comprising 25,146 sexual offenders and controls. The literature contained sufficient information to permit comparison of adult versus juvenile sexual offenders, offenders targeting children versus adults, offenders targeting their own versus unrelated children, and offenders targeting boys versus girls. Results confirm the association between IQ and sexual offending and suggest that previous discrepancies are attributable to how many pedophilic individuals were in each sample.     

The role of anxiety and depression in the irritable bowel syndrome

Using a reliable and valid structured diagnostic interview scale (ADIS-R), and patients with careful medical characterization, we found significantly more diagnosable psychopathology, particularly anxiety disorders, among treatment seeking patients with irritable bowel syndrome than among comparable age and sex samples of treatment seeking patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Significant differences were also found on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression between IBS patients and the IBD patients and controls, who did not differ. Comparable levels of psychiatric disorder among parents of probands were found in all three groups. The results are consistent with Latimer's (1983) notion of IBS patients being a subclass of 'neurotics'.