Sociability and susceptibility to the common cold

There is considerable evidence that social relationships can influence health, but only limited evidence on the health effects of the personality characteristics that are thought to mold people's social lives. We asked whether sociability predicts resistance to infectious disease and whether this relationship is attributable to the quality and quantity of social interactions and relationships. Three hundred thirty-four volunteers completed questionnaires assessing their sociability, social networks, and social supports, and six evening interviews assessing daily interactions. They were subsequently exposed to a virus that causes a common cold and monitored to see who developed verifiable illness. Increased sociability was associated in a linear fashion with a decreased probability of developing a cold. Although sociability was associated with more and higher-quality social interactions, it predicted disease susceptibility independently of these variables. The association between sociability and disease was also independent of baseline immunity (virus-specific antibody), demographics, emotional styles, stress hormones, and health practices.     

Illusion,Disillusion, and Irony in Psychoanalysis,by John Steiner,Routledge, Abingdon and New York, 2020, 167 pp.

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis -     

Learning Along the Way: Further Reflections on Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy,by Patrick Casement,Routledge, Abingdon and New York, 2019, 156pp.

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis -     

Objective and subjective socioeconomic status and susceptibility to the common cold.

OBJECTIVE: We ask whether subjective socioeconomic status (SES) predicts who develops a common cold when exposed to a cold virus. DESIGN: 193 healthy men and women ages 21-55 years were assessed for subjective (perceived rank) and objective SES, cognitive, affective and social dispositions, and health practices. Subsequently, they were exposed by nasal drops to a rhinovirus or influenza virus and monitored in quarantine for objective signs of illness and self-reported symptoms. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Infection, signs and symptoms of the common cold, and clinical illness (infection and significant objective signs of illness). RESULTS: Increased subjective SES was associated with decreased risk for developing a cold for both viruses. This association was independent of objective SES and of cognitive, affective and social disposition that might provide alternative spurious (third factor) explanations for the association. Poorer sleep among those with lesser subjective SES may partly mediate the association between subjective SES and colds. CONCLUSIONS: Increased Subjective SES is associated with less susceptibility to upper respiratory infection, and this association is independent of objective SES, suggesting the importance of perceived relative rank to health.     

Why War?: Making Sense of Consciousness and Self,by Mario Rendón,International Psychoanalytic Books,New York, 2018, 663 pp.

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis -     

Opinions of personality disorder experts regarding the DSM-IV personality disorders classification system

OBJECTIVE: To survey the opinions of personality disorder (PD) experts on possible revisions in the classification system for PDs in the DSM-V. METHOD: Four hundred members of two international associations, the Association for Research on Personality Disorders, and the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders, were asked to take a 78-item web survey. RESULTS: Of the experts who completed the survey (N = 96), 74% felt that the DSM-IV's categorical system of PD diagnosis should be replaced. Eighty percent felt that PDs are better conceived of as personality dimensions or illness spectra, than as categories. The most frequently endorsed alternative system for PDs was a mixed system of categories and dimensions. Most experts preferred the PDs to remain on Axis II. Only 31.3% wanted the term, "Borderline Personality Disorder," retained in the DSM-V. CONCLUSIONS: A clear majority of the PD experts were dissatisfied with the current diagnostic system for PDs.     

Relationship Between Alexithymia and Social Anxiety in Female Outpatients with Dermatological Disorder Presenting for Psychiatric Consultation

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between alexithymia and social anxiety symptoms in female outpatients with dermatological disorder. Fifty consecutive patients sent to a psychiatry outpatient clinic for consultation from a dermatology outpatient clinic were included in the study. Social anxiety symptoms showed significant correlations with depression, trait anxiety, alexithymia and global psychiatric symptom severity. A multivariate analysis of covariance demonstrated that subscales of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) were related to alexithymia and trait anxiety. The “difficulty in describing feelings” (DDF) dimension of alexithymia and trait anxiety appear to be important factors in this relationship between social anxiety and alexithymia. Results of this study suggest that patients with dermatological disorder may benefit from both treatment of social anxiety symptoms and learning how to regulate their affects and emotional expression.