Personality characteristics in primary benzodiazepine-dependent patients: Comparison with controls and polydrug users

The present study applied Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) to study (i) if patients with benzodiazepine dependence have a characteristic personality profile, (ii) if the personality characteristics in patients with benzodiazepine dependence differ from those of polydrug users and normal controls, (iii) if differences in treatment outcome existed between the groups, and (iv) if the possible difference in treatment outcome was associated with any particular personality characteristic shown by the patients. The personality characteristics of primary benzodiazepine dependent patients (BDZ) and a group of polydrug users (MIX) were studied initially (during the first week in project as an inpatient) and approximately one year after drug discontinuation, and a comparison was made with healthy controls on both test occasions. The results showed that the personality of both groups of patients differed significantly from the Controls in the following characteristics: Detachment, Socialization, Somatic Anxiety, Muscular Tension, Psychic Anxiety, and Psychasthenia. Significant differences existed between the polydrug and benzodiazepine users in Somatic and Psychic Anxiety as well as in Socialization. The MIX group differed significantly from the BDZ group and from the Controls in Suspicion. Results of treatment outcome indicated that the benzodiazepine dependent patients were significantly more successful in quitting their drug use compared to polydrug users. Further, the results demonstrated that patients scoring high in the investigated personality characteristics are those who fail the treatment goal of quitting their drug use, especially the patients with a high level of anxiety and detachment.     

Time-Varying Treatments in Observational Studies: Marginal Structural Models of the Effects of Early Grade Retention on Math Achievement

One of the main objectives of many empirical studies in the social and behavioral sciences is to assess the causal effect of a treatment or intervention on the occurrence of a certain event. The randomized controlled trial is generally considered the gold standard to evaluate such causal effects. However, for ethical or practical reasons, social scientists are often bound to the use of nonexperimental, observational designs. When the treatment and control group are different with regard to variables that are related to the outcome, this may induce the problem of confounding. A variety of statistical techniques, such as regression, matching, and subclassification, is now available and routinely used to adjust for confounding due to measured variables. However, these techniques are not appropriate for dealing with time-varying confounding, which arises in situations where the treatment or intervention can be received at multiple timepoints. In this article, we explain the use of marginal structural models and inverse probability weighting to control for time-varying confounding in observational studies. We illustrate the approach with an empirical example of grade retention effects on mathematics development throughout primary school.     

Treatment of Deaf Clients: Ethical Considerations for Professionals in Psychology

Providing therapy to deaf clients raises important ethical considerations for psychologists related to competence; multiple relationships and boundary issues; confidentiality; assessment, diagnosis, and evaluation; and communication and using interpreters. In evaluating and addressing these, psychologists must consider the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code and other relevant issues (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act) necessary to provide ethical treatment. The current article provides background, ethical considerations, principles and standards relevant to the treatment of deaf clients, and recommendations to support psychologists, training programs, and the field. Psychologists have the responsibility to guarantee that the benefits of mental health treatment are fairly and justly provided to this traditionally underserved population.     

Self-regulation evaluation of therapeutic yoga and walking for patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a pilot study

With limited efficacy of medications for symptom relief, non-medication treatments may play an important role in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two self-regulation strategies for symptom relief and mood management in IBS patients. Thirty-five adult participants meeting ROME III criteria for IBS were enrolled, 27 of the 35 participants (77%) completed treatment and pre- and post-treatment visits (89% women, 11% men; M (SD) age = 36 (13)), and 20 of the 27 (74%) completed a 6-month follow-up. Participants were randomly assigned to 16 biweekly group sessions of Iyengar yoga or a walking program. Results indicated a significant group by time interaction on negative affect with the walking treatment showing improvement from pre- to post-treatment when compared to yoga (p < .05). There was no significant group by time effect on IBS severity. Exploratory analyses of secondary outcomes examined change separately for each treatment condition. From pre- to post-treatment, yoga showed significant decreases in IBS severity measures (p < .05), visceral sensitivity (p < .05), and severity of somatic symptoms (p < .05). Walking showed significant decreases in overall GI symptoms (p < .05), negative affect (p < .05), and state anxiety (p < .05). At 6-month follow-up, overall GI symptoms for walking continued to significantly decline, while for yoga, GI symptoms rebounded toward baseline levels (p < .05). When asked about self-regulated home practice at 6 months, significantly more participants in walking than in yoga practiced at least weekly (p < .05). In sum, results suggest that yoga and walking as movement-based self-regulatory behavioral treatments have some differential effects but are both beneficial for IBS patients, though maintenance of a self-regulated walking program may be more feasible and therefore more effective long term.     

Psychological adjustment to cleft lip and/or palate: A narrative review of the literature

Objective: Adjustment to cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) is multifaceted, involving several domains of psychological and social functioning. A substantial increase in research in this area has been evident in recent years, along with a preliminary shift in how adjustment to CL/P is conceptualised and measured. An updated and comprehensive review of the literature is needed in light of the rapidly expanding and changing field.

Design: A narrative review of 148 quantitative and qualitative studies published between January 2004 and July 2015.

Main outcome measures: Findings are presented according to five key domains of adjustment: Developmental Trajectory, Behaviour, Emotional Well-being, Social Experiences and Satisfaction with Appearance and Treatment. Data pertaining to General Psychological Well-being were also examined.

Results: The overall impact of CL/P on psychological adjustment appears to be low. Nonetheless, the review demonstrates the complexity of findings both within and across domains, and highlights recurring methodological challenges.

Conclusions: Research findings from the last decade are considered to be largely inconclusive, although some areas of emerging consensus and improvements in the approaches used were identified. Efforts to collect data from large, representative and longitudinal samples, which are comparable across studies and encompassing of the patient perspective, should be doubled.     

Hoarding Disorder and a Systematic Review of Treatment with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Until recently, compulsive hoarding has been treated as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder with mixed results. Little research exists on the efficacy of behavioral interventions specifically designed to treat hoarding disorder, and most existing research is limited with regard to the numbers of participants, their ethnic and cultural diversity, and study replication; therefore, the generalizability of findings is limited. This article reviews the prevalence of hoarding disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy treatment approaches, and measurement of symptoms. A systematic review compares the efficacy of various CBT methods, with particular attention to comparing therapy that is traditionally used to treat OCD with those designed specifically to treat hoarding disorder. Only clinical studies using CBT interventions designed to treat hoarding associated with OCD or hoarding disorder were included. Studies included participants of all ages, and articles were published in peer-reviewed journals. Case studies were excluded. After a comprehensive search and removing duplicates from databases and references, 65 articles were reviewed, of which 12 met criteria for review. Preliminary results demonstrate improvement in hoarding symptoms with CBT interventions that are both for OCD and those designed to specifically treat hoarding disorder; however, when compared to each other, the efficacy of these treatments is inconclusive, thus more research is needed.     

Clinical Exchange: The Architectural Failure

The Clinical Exchange invites eminent clinicians of diverse persuasions to share, in ordinary language, their clinical formulations and treatment plans of the same psychotherapy patient—one not selected or nominated by those therapists—and then to discuss points of convergence and contention in their recommendations. This Exchange concerns a Mr. L, a 47-year-old, married man presenting for outpatient individual psychotherapy with chief complaints of depression, anxiety, and a lengthy history of vocational underachievement. Drs. Herbert Fensterheim, Leslie Greenberg, and Leigh McCullough, who anchor their practices in the cognitive-behavioral, experiential, and psychodynamic orientations, respectively, are the featured commentators. Finally, Dr. Jerold Gold, the case contributor and Mr. L's psychotherapist, provides a few closing comments.     

Social Desirability in Patients Seeking Surgical Treatment for Dentofacial Disharmony: Associations with Psychological Distress and Motivation for Treatment

The role of socially desirable responding in the report of treatment motivation and psychological distress by patients seeking surgical treatment for dentofacial disharmony was explored. Participants completed the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR; Paulhus, 1988), which measures two components of socially desirable responding (SDR): impression management (IM), which is the purposeful tailoring of answers in order to create the most positive social image, and self-deceptive positivity (SDE), which is an honest, but overly positive self-presentation. When simple bivariate relationships were examined, statistically significant inverse associations were observed between socially desirable responding and specific motives for treatment and between SDR and psychological distress. However, the relationship between socially desirable responding and motives for treatment disappeared when the effect of psychological distress was controlled. The positive relationship between psychological distress and the report of social well-being, and self-image motives for treatment remained statistically significant even after the variance attributable to socially desirable responding was removed. Implications of the findings for the evaluation of psychological distress and treatment motivation in this population are discussed.     

脑死与放弃治疗

符合医学标准又为亲属认定已死亡者,理应放弃治疗;符合脑死亡标准,应说服亲属同意作放弃治疗决策;对已确无救治希望,或虽经抢救治疗必然发生植物生存状态的极重病例,或已是植物生存状态者,也应作出放弃治疗的决策,除遵循医学原则和生命的价值、伦理原则外,要充分尊重病重的意志。放弃治疗的决策还应考虑到亲属的心理承受问题。     

现代医学模式形成与疾病治疗

现代生物心理社会医学模式已经成为卫生界领导及广大医务人员的共识 ,并以此指导临床医疗实践。临床诊断正在增添新的内容 ,疾病治疗这个概念也拓宽了她的外延 ,人文科学在医学中越来越显示出她独特的不可替代的地位和作用 ,生物治疗、心理治疗、哲学治疗是未来的三大块治疗模式