Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) personality profile and sub-typing in alcoholic patients: a controlled study.
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Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) personality profile was used to compare alcohol-dependent patients with non-psychiatric control subjects, and a search made for sub-types of alcoholics with different TCI profiles, using the criteria age of onset of alcohol-related problems, paternal dependence on alcohol and familial antecedents of alcohol dependence. Alcohol-dependent patients (n = 38) were characterized by higher Novelty-Seeking [corresponding to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) group B personality type] and lower Self-Directedness than non-psychiatric control subjects (n = 47). Lower Self-Directedness indicates a higher probability of personality disorder in the alcohol-dependent population. Only age of onset of alcohol-related problems delineated the two sub-populations with different TCI profiles: early-onset alcoholics (< or =25 years of age, n = 19), but not late-onset ones (n = 16), in comparison with control subjects, were associated with higher Novelty-Seeking. Both early and late-onset patients scored lower on Self-Directedness than control subjects. Self-Directedness and Cooperation scores were lower in early-onset than in late-onset patients. These results in part support Cloninger's typology, and the TCI data add to evidence concerning a higher probability of personality disorder in alcohol-dependent patients, particularly those with early-onset. (+info)
Beck Depression Inventory (BDI): a reliability and validity test in the Malaysian urological population.
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This study aimed to validate the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in the Malaysian urological population. Reliability and internal consistency were evaluated using the test-retest method and internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Responsiveness was expressed as the effect size. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha value = 0.56 to 0.87). Test-retest correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient were significant (ICC = 0.56 to 0.87) and a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. The BDI is thus a reliable and a valid instrument to be used in Malaysia. (+info)
Lung cancer, myocardial infarction, and the Grossarth-Maticek personality types: a case-control study in Fukuoka, Japan.
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Grossarth-Maticek and colleagues have shown, in their prospective studies, a strong relationship of their personality types, Types 1 and 2, to cancer and coronary heart disease (CHD), respectively. Relevant information is limited from replication studies, and little is known about psychosocial factors in relation to cancer or CHD in Japan. Subjects included 95 cases of lung cancer (LC), 94 cases of myocardial infarction (MI) and 596 controls. The controls were men and women who visited a clinic for a health checkup. The Grossarth-Maticek personality types, Types 1 to 6, were assessed using the Short Interpersonal Reactions Inventory. The distributions of the 6 personality types were compared between the case and control groups, adjusting for sex and age class. The relation of each of the 6 types to LC and MI were examined in terms of odds ratio, using a logistic regression model controlling for age, sex, job status, education level, and smoking status. As regards the distribution analysis, Types 1 and 2 in the LC and MI groups each were not more prevalent than the controls, respectively. High score of the Type 1 scale was associated with a statistically nonsignificant decrease in LC risk. MI risk was significantly, positively associated with the Type 2 and 5 scales, and unexpectedly, positively related to the Type 3 scale. The present findings partly supported the Grossarth-Maticek theory, but there remain some conflicting issues to be confirmed in future studies. (+info)
Physical and psychological correlates of primary headache in young adulthood: a 26 year longitudinal study.
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OBJECTIVES: To determine if physical and/or psychological risk factors could differentiate between subtypes of primary headache (migraine, tension-type headache (TTH), and coexisting migraine and TTH (combined)) among members of a longitudinal birth cohort study. METHODS: At age 26, the headache status of members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (DMHDS) was determined using International Headache Society criteria. Headache history and potential physical and psychological correlates of headache were assessed. These factors included perinatal problems and injuries sustained to age 26; and behavioural, personality, and psychiatric disorders assessed between ages 5 to 21. RESULTS: The 1 year prevalences for migraine, TTH, and combined headache at the age of 26 were 7.2%, 11.1%, and 4.3%, respectively. Migraine was related to maternal headache, anxiety symptoms in childhood, anxiety disorders during adolescence and young adulthood, and the stress reactivity personality trait at the age of 18. TTH was significantly associated with neck or back injury in childhood (before the age of 13). Combined headache was related to maternal headache and anxiety disorder at 18 and 21 only among women with a childhood history of headache. Headache status at the age of 26 was unrelated to a history of perinatal complication, neurological disorder, or mild traumatic head injury. CONCLUSIONS: Migraine and TTH seem to be distinct disorders with different developmental characteristics. Combined headache may also have a distinct aetiology. (+info)
Reliability, validity and psychometric properties of the Greek translation of the Zung Depression Rating Scale.
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INTRODUCTION: The current study aimed to assess the reliability, validity and psychometric properties of the Greek translation of the Zung Depression Rating Scale (ZDRS). METHODS: The study sample included 40 depressed patients 29.65 +/- 9.38 years old and 120 normal comparison subjects 27.23 +/- 10.62 years old. In 20 of them (12 patients and 8 comparison subjects) the instrument was re-applied 1-2 days later. Translation and Back Translation was made. Clinical Diagnosis was reached by consensus of two examiners with the use of the SCAN v.2.0 and the IPDE. Statistical Analysis included ANOVA, the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, Principal Components Analysis and Discriminant Function Analysis and the calculation of Cronbach's alpha (alpha) RESULTS: Both Sensitivity and specificity exceed 90.00 at 44/45, Chronbach's alpha for the total scale was equal to 0.09, suggesting that the scale covers a broad spectrum of symptoms. Factor analysis revealed five factors (anxiety-depression, thought content, gastrenterological symptoms, irritability and social-interpersonal functioning). The test-retest reliability was satisfactory (Pearson's R between 0.92). CONCLUSION: The ZDRS-Greek translation is both reliable and valid and is suitable for clinical and research use with satisfactory properties. Its properties are similar to those reported in the international literature, although the literature is limited. However one should always have in mind the limitations inherent in the use of self-report scales. (+info)
Right and left prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation at 1 Hz does not affect mood in healthy volunteers.
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BACKGROUND: Prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been used to induce side-specific mood changes in volunteers and patients. To clarify inconsistencies between reports that used different stimulation frequencies, we conducted a controlled study with a low (1 Hz) frequency, comparing left with right-sided stimulation METHODS: Nineteen healthy volunteers received randomised left or right prefrontal rTMS at a frequency of 1 Hz and 100% of motor threshold in two sessions two weeks apart. RESULTS: There were significant improvements with TMS for performance in the digit symbol substitution and verbal fluency tests, but no change of mood on a number of measures. There was also a reduction of pulse rate after TMS. The only side-specific TMS-effect was on mean arterial pressure, which decreased pressure after left, but not after right prefrontal TMS. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from the unexpected and so far unreplicated effect on mean arterial pressure, there were no side-specific effects on mood in volunteers. It is unlikely that a simple laterality model of mood together with the assumed activating effect of higher and 'quenching' effect of lower stimulation frequency can account for the effects of TMS on mood. (+info)
Impact of Event Scale: psychometric properties.
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BACKGROUND: For more than 20 years, the Impact of Event Scale (IES) has been widely used as a measure of stress reactions after traumatic events. AIMS: To review studies that evaluated the IES's psychometric properties. METHOD: Literature review. RESULTS: The results indicated that the IES's two-factor structure is stable over different types of events, that it can discriminate between stress reactions at different times after the event, and that it has convergent validity with observer-diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder. The use of IES in many psychopharmacological trials and outcome studies is supportive of the measure's clinical relevance. CONCLUSIONS: The IES is a useful measure of stress reactions after a range of traumatic events, and it is valuable for detecting individuals who require treatment. (+info)
Coping with the challenge of transition in older adolescents with epilepsy.
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Chronic illnesses, such as epilepsy, have been shown to have detrimental effects on both psychological adjustment and coping behaviour. Using the process model of coping, these effects were investigated in a patient group of 36, 16-21 year olds with epilepsy and a control group of 31 of their peers. Participants completed a postal questionnaire containing measures of psychological adjustment (self-esteem, affect, self-efficacy) and an adolescent coping questionnaire. Comparison of the two groups showed that the patient group exhibited significantly more non-productive coping than the control group. The control group exhibited significantly more problem solving coping and displayed significantly more problem solving bias than the patient group. No significant differences were found between the patient and control group on measures of psychological adjustment. However, psychological adjustment was found to be associated with coping response in the patient but not the control group. (+info)