Group treatment of trauma survivors following a fatal bus accident: Integrating theory and practice.

There is a growing body of theory and initial research into the application of group interventions with survivors of trauma, whether natural disaster, accidental, or man-made. This article reviews current thought and practice as well as recent studies of group interventions with trauma survivors. A case study involving a fatal bus accident during an international studies program is presented, along with observational outcomes and a discussion of future research directions for this unique and critical form of group work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Urban bus driving: An international arena for the study of occupational health psychology.

This article offers a brief summary of the articles in this special issue, plus it provides a rationale for the scientific study of urban bus operation. Among the reasons to study urban transit operators are the following: Multimethodological, international data show that urban bus driving is an unhealthy occupation; psychosocial and environmental characteristics of the transit work setting portend ill health, plus these characteristics are readily discernible to the public; urban transit workforces well represent blue-collar populations; despite widespread changes in the nature of work related to technological innovations, mass-transit operation is likely to remain stable, and the "health" of the mass-transit industry has important implications for societal well-being; and finally, bus driving illustrates several important methodological challenges. The article concludes with an overview of future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality dimensions, psychosocial-demographic variables, and English language competency in predicting level of acculturative stress among Turkish international students.

A sample of 229 Turkish international students studying in 17 universities throughout the United States participated in this online study. The main purpose of the study was to investigate acculturative stress based on students' demographics, personality, level of social connectedness, and English language competency. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that marital status, English language competency, social connectedness, adjustment difficulties, neuroticism, and openness to experience were predictors of acculturative stress. Analysis of variance results showed that acculturative stress did not significantly differ by students' gender or age. Implications are discussed and suggestions for interventions and future research are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exopolysaccharide (EPS) synthesis in Bradyrhizobium japonicum: sequence, operon structure and mutational analysis of an exo gene cluster

This study evaluated how urban bus drivers' well-being was affected by technical interventions designed to improve the traffic environment of an urban bus route. Three questionnaires were distributed; 8 drivers at the intervention route (mean age 43 years) and 13 demographically matched comparison drivers (mean age 39 years) participated at all occasions. Field studies at work were conducted twice, with 10 intervention route drivers (mean age 43 years) and 31 comparison drivers (mean age 42 years). The authors hypothesized that during the course of the intervention, the initially elevated indexes of occupational stress in the intervention group would be reduced to levels equivalent to those of the comparison group. The hypothesis was confirmed for perceived workload in the questionnaire, observer-rated job hassles, systolic blood pressure and heart rate at work, and perceived distress after work in the field study.     

The human side of the road: Improving the working conditions of urban bus drivers.

This study evaluated how urban bus drivers' well-being was affected by technical interventions designed to improve the traffic environment of an urban bus route. Three questionnaires were distributed; 8 drivers at the intervention route (mean age 43 years) and 13 demographically matched comparison drivers (mean age 39 years) participated at all occasions. Field studies at work were conducted twice, with 10 intervention route drivers (mean age 43 years) and 31 comparison drivers (mean age 42 years). The authors hypothesized that during the course of the intervention, the initially elevated indexes of occupational stress in the intervention group would be reduced to levels equivalent to those of the comparison group. The hypothesis was confirmed for perceived workload in the questionnaire, observer-rated job hassles, systolic blood pressure and heart rate at work, and perceived distress after work in the field study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress Management Interventions in the Dutch Domiciliary Care Sector: Findings From 81 Organizations.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a large-scale job stress reduction program implemented in the Dutch domiciliary care sector. The employees of 81 organizations were interviewed twice (only nurses in executive jobs; total sample size exceeded 26,000). Organizations that implemented many interventions were expected to be more successful in reducing job stress than were other organizations. It was found that (a) levels of job stress decreased during the observed interval; (b) organizations with many suboptimal scores on selected work characteristics took, on average, more measures to reduce job stress than others; (c) organizations usually implemented a wide variety of measures; and (d) work-directed (but not other) interventions were linked to job stress reduction. The effects of these interventions, however, were weak. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effectiveness and practicality of occupational stress management interventions: A survey of subject matter expert opinions.

96 stress management subject matter experts (SMEs) (aged 27–67 yrs) evaluated 6 widely used occupational SM interventions (relaxation, physical fitness, cognitive restructuring, meditation, assertiveness training, and stress inoculation) on the basis of 10 practicality criteria and 7 effectiveness objectives. Relaxation was evaluated overall as the most practical intervention, while meditation and stress inoculation were judged as the least practical. Physical fitness was chosen to be the most effective intervention, while both meditation and assertiveness training were rated overall as the least effective. The findings also revealed that the SMEs considered history of success and duration of effect, rather than "relevance to program objectives," as the most important factors when selecting stress management interventions. Incongruence between effectiveness ratings and actual choices of interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What role do lay beliefs about hypertension etiology play in perceptions of medication effectiveness?

Background: Some people take the disease label "hypertension" literally; leading to the belief that increasing relaxation instead of medication is the best treatment for this condition. We experimentally tested the effect of such underlying beliefs on ratings of interventions for hypertension and compared alternative communication strategies to increase medication effectiveness ratings. Methods: Outpatients (N = 152) with a known diagnosis of hypertension read a vignette describing an asymptomatic condition and recommended treatment. Experimental factors were the disease label (Hypertension vs. Korotkoff's Syndrome) and type of argument designed to persuade the reader that medication is most effective (Causal vs. Correlational). Measures: Background measures included demographics, beliefs that stress causes health problems and trust in physicians. Outcomes were effectiveness ratings for interventions to treat the condition. Results: Participants who read a vignette describing "Hypertension" rated "relaxing more" as significantly more effective than participants exposed to the same condition but with the unfamiliar "Korotkoff's Syndrome" label, [F(1, 141) = 5.22, p = .024]. However, medication, reducing salty foods and losing weight were rated as more effective than relaxing more. Intervention ratings did not differ by type of argument presented. There was a significant interaction of disease label and trust in physicians [F(1, 125) = 7.01, p = .009]. Individuals with low trust rated medication as significantly less effective when exposed to an unfamiliar disease label. Conclusions: This study confirms the effect of the hypertension disease label on ratings of different interventions for the condition. However, participants rated biomedically recommended interventions as more effective than those not endorsed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Review of Occupational Stress Interventions in Australia.

The authors investigated empirical research into occupational stress interventions conducted in Australia within the past 10 years. They focused on evidence published and the quality of the evidence base. All intervention studies were conducted in the public sector. Only 1 study reached the gold standard in evidence-based research. Most interventions were individually focused, despite the preponderance of research identifying risky work environment stressors. Results suggest a paucity of published information regarding what works with occupational stress interventions in Australia and an urgent need for further research in the area, particularly focusing on the private sector, rural workers, and scientific evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work stress among community psychiatric nurses

This article examines the findings of a research study on the levels and sources of stress among 60 community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) from six health authorities in the midlands area. This three-way comparative study explores the stress levels experienced by CPNs working with primary clients. The hypothesis that higher levels of stress is experienced by CPNs working with the severely mentally ill is supported. The stress levels experienced did appear to vary with the type of clients catered for. Using a questionnaire designed to measure individual variables, CPNs working with the severely mentally ill reported higher caseloads, less training, lack of respect and understanding of their role by others and the need for more supervision and support. Forty per cent of CPNs were found to be stressed according to the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 28). While there is debate about where CPNs should focus their interventions and which clients should be prioritized, it appears that working with the severely mentally ill is less attractive and more stressful to CPNs. The results and suggestions for further research are highlighted in this article.     

Brief alcohol intervention with college student drinkers: Face-to-face versus computerized feedback.

Research has demonstrated that brief interventions featuring personalized feedback can be used to decrease alcohol use among heavy-drinking college students. The current study investigated the efficacy of face-to-face and computer delivered interventions relative to an assessment-only control condition. The content of the personalized feedback was identical across the face-to-face and computerized conditions. There were 84 at-risk students assessed before, and 4 weeks after, the delivery of the interventions. The results suggest that both face-to-face and computerized interventions were equally successful in reducing the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, and that both interventions were more effective than the control condition. Participants also rated both interventions as acceptable, although the face-to-face intervention was given a more favorable rating. These initial results suggest that computerized interventions can be used to efficiently reduce alcohol use among college students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of an organizational stress management program in a municipal public works organization.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of employee participation in an organizational stress management program consisting of several interventions aiming to improve psychosocial work environment and well-being. Pre- and postintervention questionnaires were used to measure the outcomes with a 2-year interval. This article describes the background of the program, results of previously published effect studies, and a qualitative evaluation of the program. The authors also tested the effects of level of participation in all interventions among the employees of the service production units by 2 (time) × 3 (group) repeated measures ANOVAs (n = 625). "Active participation" (more than 5.5 days) had a positive effect on feedback from supervisor and flow of information. Work climate remained on a permanent level while it decreased in the categories of moderate and nonparticipation. The level of participation did not improve individual well-being or other aspects of psychosocial work environment as postulated by the work stress models. The qualitative evaluation and practical conclusions drawn by the management of the Organization provided a positive impression of the impact of the program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress management training in health psychology practice: Critical clinical issues.

Stress management training interventions have become one of the most popular treatment programs in health psychology practice. Although numerous clinical approaches are available, limited attention is given to the matching of intervention with the clinical needs of individuals. As a result, stress management programs are more frequently marketed in clinical and community settings as palliative techniques without sufficient exploration of the causes of stress. We review these concerns and highlight critical assessment and treatment variables that moderate the efficacy of specific stress management interventions. Suggestions for further research and guidelines for clinical practice are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examination of coping resources and family adaptation in mothers and daughters of incestuous versus nonclinical families.

Mother–daughter dyads from incestuous vs nonclinical families were compared in terms of (1) family life stress, (2) problem-solving appraisal, (3) direct coping behaviors, (4) mother–daughter communication, and (5) family adaptation and cohesion. 15 mother–daughter pairs from an incestuous family involving an adult male caretaker were matched on several variables to 16 mother–daughter pairs from a nonclinical family. The results revealed that mothers from the incest group (compared with the nonclinical group) reported greater amounts of family life stress, had more negative perceptions of their problem-solving appraisal, and reported more communication difficulties. The daughters from the incest group appeared to be quite similar to the nonclinical group daughters, although they did acknowledge more family stress. Implications of the results for therapeutic interventions as well as future research were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment and anger in an anxiety-provoking situation.

In this study, women were told they would engage in an anxiety-provoking activity. Women then waited with their dating partner for the activity to begin. During this 5-min "stress" period, each couple's interaction was videotaped unobtrusively. Each couple was then told that the woman would not have to do the stressful activity, and each couple was unobtrusively videotaped again during a 5-min "recovery" period. The behavior of both partners was then coded during both periods. The major results revealed that more-avoidant men displayed greater anger during the stress period, especially if their partners were more anxious or distressed or sought more support from them. More-avoidant women also displayed greater anger, particularly if they were highly anxious or distressed and received little support or encountered anger from their partners. During the recovery period, highly ambivalent women behaved more negatively toward their partners if they had been more anxious in the stress period or had sought more support from their partners. These results are discussed in terms of attachment theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Major developments in behavioral diabetes research.

Over the past decade, there has been a major increase in behavioral diabetes research. This review focuses on 6 areas: self-treatment, psychosocial impact, diabetes-specific assessment, psychological stress, weight loss intervention, and neuropsychological effects. There has been great progress in identifying factors that predict self-treatment behaviors and psychological adjustment. This research has produced a number of diabetes-specific assessment tools. Psychological stress appears to affect both the etiology and the control of diabetes, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Weight loss studies demonstrate the potential benefits of behavioral interventions for diabetes management. Both acute and chronic abnormalities in diabetic blood glucose cause neuropsychological impairments and may cause permanent deficits. The challenge for the next decade is to translate these findings into interventions that improve the quality of life and physical well-being for individuals with diabetes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping and communication-enhancing intervention versus supportive counseling for women diagnosed with gynecological cancers.

This study compared the efficacy of 2 psychological interventions, a coping and communication-enhancing intervention (CCI) and supportive counseling (SC), in reducing depressive symptoms and cancer-specific distress of women diagnosed with gynecological cancer. Demographic, medical, and psychological moderators of intervention effects were evaluated. Three hundred fifty-three women with gynecological cancer were randomly assigned to 7 sessions of CCI, 7 sessions of SC, or usual care. Intent-to-treat growth curve analyses indicated that participants assigned to CCI and SC reported lower depressive symptoms than participants assigned to usual care at the 6- and 9-month follow-ups. Women with greater than average increases in physician-rated physical symptoms and/or women who were more expressive of positive emotions benefited more from SC than women with lower than average increases in symptom scores and/or women who were less expressive of positive emotions. These findings suggest that both interventions may be effective in treating depressive symptoms among patients with gynecological cancer. Future research should evaluate whether bolstering both psychological interventions with additional intervention sessions and topics in the disease trajectory will result in persistent long-term effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Common interventions in two single cases of cognitive and psychoanalytic psychotherapies.

The aim of this study was to examine the interventions used in two nonmanualized psychotherapeutic treatments—one cognitive and one psychoanalytically oriented—; assessing the theoretical framework's pervasiveness in terms of the specificity of the interventions implemented by the psychotherapists. Our purpose was to observe which proportion of the therapists' interventions were directly associated with their theoretical background, and which proportion of them represented common, nonspecific or specific interventions. For this research, 29 sessions from a psychoanalytic psychotherapeutic treatment and 15 sessions from a cognitive psychotherapeutic treatment (both audio-recorded and transcribed), were analyzed. The classifications of psychotherapeutic interventions developed by Roussos, Etchebarne, and Waizmann (2005; Roussos, Waizmann, and Etchebarne, 2003) were used in order to characterize the interventions. Results show that both treatments were highly impregnated by nonspecific interventions. Only an average of 17% of the interventions in the psychoanalytic treatment and a 16% in the cognitive treatment, were specific of the theoretical frameworks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confocal microscopy. Applications in research and practice of pathology

Three 4-hour bus rounds were organized as part of an international palliative care congress, to promote patient-based education both at home and in acute care hospitals. Patient cases were presented and discussed en route to and from each visit. A total of 23 medical specialists visited 16 patients (10 in three different hospitals and 6 at home). A mean of 5.3 cases were presented during each round. A total of nine journal club articles were presented, a mean of three (2-4) articles per round. A questionnaire was filled out anonymously by all 23 participants. On a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best) they gave the rounds an overall rating of 5 (range 4-5). These findings suggest bus rounds provide an opportunity for intensive exposure to patient-based learning, both in acute care hospitals and at home.     

Distinctiveness of behavioral versus insight-oriented marital therapy: An empirical analysis.

The present study determined whether behavioral and insight-oriented marital therapy could be rendered in a distinct and uncontaminated fashion in manual-guided outcome research in which therapists were crossed with treatment condition. Results indicated that therapist interventions could be reliably coded into techniques specific to the respective approaches and into additional interventions not specific to either treatment modality. When provided with explicit treatment manuals and ongoing case supervision, therapists were able to administer both treatment conditions faithfully without contamination from techniques that were inconsistent with that theoretical approach. Behavioral marital therapy (BMT) was shown to be highly structured, with 93% of therapist interventions reflecting techniques specific to that approach. In contrast, insight-oriented marital therapy (IOMT) comprised a large percentage of nonspecific interventions (62%) compatible with but not unique to a psychodynamic orientation. Implications for the two treatment approaches and for future marital therapy outcome research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)