Anxiety and depression in cataract surgery: a pilot study in the elderly

To assess anxiety induced by a planned cataract surgery and to evaluate the correlations of rated anxiety and depression with optical acuity pre- and post-operatively, 278 patients ages 65 years or older were tested. Patients were divided into two groups: first-eye and second-eye cataract surgery. Anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Hamilton's Rating Scales for Anxiety and Depression, respectively. Pre-operatively, first-eye patients showed significantly higher anxiety than second-eye patients (F1,251 = 75.39, p < .001). First-eye patients rated peak anxiety on the day of the surgery, while patients scheduled for second-eye cataract surgery presented no fluctuations in rated anxiety (F1,251 = 49.60, p < .001). There was no correlation of preoperative anxiety or depression with the outcome of surgery (F(1,251)s = .83 and .58, respectively, p > .05). Postoperatively, anxiety and depression in patients without any improvement in their vision were rated significantly higher than in those presenting improved visual acuity after surgery (F1,251 = 566.17 and 300.25, respectively, p < .001).     

Temporal stability of the intrinsic motivation inventory

To examine the temporal stability of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory a Greek version was administered to 144 undergraduate students after an endurance field test. The same procedure was repeated one week later. Factor analysis followed by varimax rotation showed that three factors (Perceived Competence, Interest/enjoyment, and Effort/importance) explained 65.26% of the total variance. Computed intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were .61 for the Perceived Competence subscale, .86 for the Interest/enjoyment, .60 for the Effort/importance, and .70 for the overall scale. The results, however, were modified when the sample was divided in two groups. The first represented small changes in perceived competence between the first and the second measurement, while the second one represented large changes between the two measurements. Recalculated intraclass correlation coefficients for individuals whose Perceived Competence score remained relatively stable yield a high value (.92), whereas individuals whose Perceived Competence changed yield an extremely low value (.60). It was concluded that the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory provides a temporally stable measure, given that perceived competence has not been markedly changed.     

The Silent Treatment? Changes in patient emotional expression after silence

Psychotherapy can be an emotionally laden conversation, where both verbal and nonverbal interventions may impact the therapeutic process. Prior research has postulated mixed results regarding how clients emotionally react following a silence after the therapist is finished talking, potentially due to studying a limited range of silences with primarily qualitative and self-report methodologies. A quantitative exploration may illuminate new findings. Utilising research and automatic data processing from the field of linguistics, we analysed the full range of silence lengths (0.2–24.01 s), and measures of emotional expression—vocally encoded arousal and emotional valence from the works spoken—of 84 audio recordings of Motivational Interviewing sessions. We hypothesised that both the level and the variance of client emotional expression would change as a function of silence length; however, due to the mixed results in the literature, the direction of emotional change was unclear. We conducted a multilevel linear regression to examine how the level of client emotional expression changed across silence length, and an ANOVA to examine the variability of client emotional expression across silence lengths. Results of both analyses indicated that as silence length increased, emotional expression largely remained the same. Broadly, we demonstrated a weak connection between silence length and emotional expression, indicating no persuasive evidence that silence leads to client emotional processing and expression.     

Antecedent Variables for Sociomoral Reasoning Development: Evidence from Two Cultural Settings

This study examined the developmental pattern of sociomoral reasoning in two different cultural settings, focusing on factors assumed to influence the course of growth in this particular domain. The specific hypotheses tested concerned the relationships between operational thinking within Piaget's theory and Kohlberg's conceptualization of sociomoral judgement development. Secondary school and university students from Greece and Nigeria aged 15 to 22 years (N = 281) participated in the study. Results indicated that (1) the developmental sequence was similar in the two differing cultural environments, (2) stage endorsement differed significantly in the two samples, and (3) the necessary-but-not-sufficient hypothesis was confirmed in both groups. The possible explanations of the findings are discussed in connection with the basic assumptions of the structural-developmental approach to socio-cognitive growth.     

A Closer Look at Eyespot Effects on Voter Turnout: Reply to Matland and Murray

Implicit social pressure, applied via exposure to eyespots in nonpartisan, direct‐mail blandishments to vote, has been shown using randomized field experiments to raise turnout in elections. Similar eyespot effects have been observed across a wide range of prosocial behaviors. A series of recent replications conducted by Matland and Murray (2015) have failed to consistently produce statistically significant eyespot effects on voter turnout, however, leading the authors to conclude the effects observed in previous research were likely illusory. In this article, I rebut this claim, arguing that an alternative, more circumspect interpretation of the authors’ key results points to a different conclusion that supports the notion that eyespots likely stimulate voting, especially when taken together with previous findings.     

Do the core self-evaluations moderate the relationship between subjective well-being and physical and psychological health?

This study investigates the role that core self-evaluations (CSE) plays on the relationship between subjective well-being (SWB) and health functioning. The findings from a sample of 160 undergraduate students revealed that CSE explains incremental variance in physical and psychological health functioning, above and beyond the effect of SWB. The results also revealed that CSE moderated the relationship of two indicators of SWB (PA/NA and satisfaction with life) with physical functioning, suggesting that individuals who have positive emotions and/or are satisfied with their lives and simultaneously are high CSE are more likely to demonstrate good physical health functioning. Contrary to expectations, the results revealed that CSE did not moderate the relationship between SWB and psychological health functioning. The findings are discussed in the context of the importance of CSE on health psychology, while implications for practice and directions for future research are proposed.     

How to Supervise the Use of Homework in Cognitive Behavior Therapy: The Role of Trainee Therapist Beliefs

Encouraging and facilitating homework completion is a core cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) skill. Consequently, it represents an important part of training practitioners. Oftentimes the process of integrating homework into therapy is rushed, poorly executed, or forgotten, and trainees are surprised to find that some patients do not complete homework. We advocate for increased therapist responsibility in accounting for homework nonadherence. Therefore, problems with the use of homework in therapy are frequently an agenda item in the supervision of trainee cognitive behavior therapists. In our experience, trainee CBT practitioners exhibit a number of interrelated automatic thoughts, assumptions, and in-session behaviors that influence their use of homework assignments. The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Homework Project has proposed a “model for practice” to guide the use of homework in CBT [Kazantzis, N., MacEwan, J., & Dattilio, F. M. (2005). A guiding model for practice. In: Kazantzis, N., Deane, F. P., Ronan, K. R., & L’Abate, L. (Eds.), Using homework assignments in cognitive behavior therapy (pp. 359–407). New York: Routledge]. The present article will draw from those practice recommendations and discuss the role and impact of the therapeutic relationship and therapist beliefs on the use of homework assignments, with reference to the different levels of CBT conceptualization. Clinical examples from the supervision of trainees enrolled in the practicum component of the Massey University Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavior Therapy are used to illustrate supervising the use of homework assignments.     

Prolonging life or hindering death? An Orthodox perspective on death, dying and euthanasia.

This article addresses death as a biological event and attempts to approach it as a mystery within the light of the Orthodox Christian theology and tradition. First, the value of the last moments of the life of a human being is analyzed; then the state of living is differentiated from the state of surviving that results, in some extreme cases, from the intrusion of technology in medicine. The article elaborates on the sacred and spiritual character of death which, when viewed within the light of the Christ's resurrection, is transformed into a great blessing. The last part of the article focuses on the newly emerged issue of euthanasia and the reasons behind it. It poses certain vital questions that ought to be answered before legalization gets on its way. Finally, the conclusion summarizes the position of the Orthodox Church of Greece on death, dying and euthanasia.     

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain: Strategies for the Successful Use of Homework Assignments

Presents an overview of the research findings to date, and practical guidelines for the use of homework in psychosocial treatments for patients with chronic pain. Generally, psychosocial treatments incorporating homework assignments help patients to improve more than when treatment is comprised entirely of in-session work. The article outlines common obstacles experienced when using homework with pain patients and strategies to combat these obstacles. The types of homework assignments that may be most helpful, as well as interventions that can be used to promote homework compliance and successful treatment outcome are discussed.     

Chronic administration of an angiotensin II receptor antagonist resets the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and improves the affect of patients with diabetes mellitus type 2: preliminary results

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM type 2) is associated with depressive symptomatology and intermittent hyperfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. DM type 2 is also accompanied by increased tissue levels of angiotensin II (Ang II), which stimulates the HPA axis through the Ang II type 1 receptors (AT1). We investigated the effect of candesartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) that crosses the blood brain barrier, on the activity of the HPA axis and on the affect of 17 patients with DM type 2, aged 40-65 years, who were treated with 4 mg/day candesartan per os for at least 3 months. Before and after candesartan administration, a corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulation test and psychological tests were performed. In response to hCRH, time-integrated secretion of ACTH was not altered by candesartan administration, however, the cortisol response was decreased significantly compared to baseline (mean +/- SEM, 2327 +/- 148.3 vs. 1943 +/- 131.9 microg/dl, P = 0.005) suggesting reduced sensitivity of the adrenals to ACTH. In parallel, there was a significant improvement in interpersonal sensitivity (0.91 +/- 0.16 vs. 0.70 +/- 0.15, P = 0.027) and depression scores (0.96 +/- 0.15 vs. 0.71 +/- 0.10, P = 0.026). We suggest that candesartan resets the HPA axis of patients with DM type 2 and improves their affect.