The relationship of biased test responses to psychopathology.

Groups of Ss differing in personality factors are given the Perceptual Reaction Test, a test which requires only an affective response to abstract designs, to determine if there is a difference in response set characteristic of personality. Scale development and validation employs 1,700 normal persons and 546 psychiatric patients and the reliability study utilizes an additional 159 persons. "Differences in response set were discovered between the groups from the general population and such clinical groups as heterogeneous abnormals, psychotics, and schizophrenics for both males and females. For males alone, differences in the response set were discovered between normals, and a group of males suffering from character disorders, and between male psychotics and males with character disorders." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Voluntarism and self-reported psychopathology among opiate addicts.

Investigated the relation between voluntary and nonvoluntary treatment application status and MMPI responses of 473 opiate addicts within and across 3 drug treatment settings. Treatment settings represented evaluation conditions occurring prior to admission in a selective program, during routine evaluation in an "open admission" program, and following acceptance to drug treatment. ANOVA comparisons of volunteer and nonvolunteer groups within each program revealed differences in MMPI responding for the selective treatment program and minimal differences for the other programs. Two-factor analyses of covariance performed for combined program samples showed that the treatment program variable was significantly related to S responses, but no significant main effects for voluntarism were found. Treatment applicants to the selective program reported greater psychopathology than Ss in other groups on 7 MMPI scales, but there were few significant scale differences between volunteers and nonvolunteers. Discriminant function analysis using MMPI scores and demographic data showed these variables to be of limited value in discriminating volunteer from nonvolunteer addict clients. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Familial risk for alcoholism and self-reported psychopathology.

Three groups of young men varying in familial alcoholism risk (high density, high risk [HDHR]; low density, high risk [LDHR]; and low risk [LR]) were compared on the 11 clinical scales of the Personality Assessment Inventory. Significant group differences were found on 9 scales, with scores of the HDHR group exceeding those of the other 2 groups. No differences were found between the LDHR and LR groups. When the proportion with pathological scores per scale was examined, significant group differences were still revealed on 7 scales. The HDHR group exceeded the other 2 groups, but the LDHR group also exceeded the LR group on several scales. These findings support the need to more finely characterize familial alcoholism risk than is provided by the typical high-risk-low-risk dichotomy. Finally, statistically controlling for normal variations in response style reduced the number of group differences, although the same patterns persisted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-deception, other-deception, and self-reported psychopathology.

Administered inventories designed to assess self-reported psychopathology, other-deception (lying), and self-deception to a group of 250 undergraduates. The inventories included the Beck Depression Inventory, the Neuroticism and Lie scales of the Eysenck Personality Inventory, the Manifest Symptom Questionnaire, the Other-Deception Questionnaire, and the Self-Deception Questionnaire. Substantial negative correlations were found between self-deception and psychopathology scores, and the relationships between the self-deception and psychopathology scores were stronger than those between the other-deception and psychopathology measures. Findings support the view that self-deception significantly contributes to the invalidity of self-report inventories and more so than does other-deception. The possibility is raised that self-deception is a moderating variable contributing to the lack of agreement between clinical and actuarial forms of assessment. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychopathology of a depressive somato-autonomic symptom complex

The investigation is based on the hypothesis about psychopathological heterogeneity of the somatovegetative (biological) symptom complex of depression. To testify this statement the results of the analysis of the somatovegetative component of depressive syndrome in randomized selection (20 adult patients) were presented. Somatovegetative symptoms (disorders of sleep and appetite mainly) defined the pattern of debut and preceded manifestations of other signs of affective disorder in this group. Psychopathological qualification of disorders belonging to such symptom complex was presented as the phenomena of alienation of the most deep vital psychic functions, exactly somato-vegetative drives. The main psychopathological statements were argued by the data about dynamics of such states, which were followed by transformation into typical vital depressions. The results obtained were interpreted in accordance with traditional K. Schneider's conception of "depression without depression".     

Thurstone's scaling model applied to the assessment of self-reported depressive severity.

Thurstone's scaling based on judgments of 527 students and 37 clinical faculty members was applied to the Beck Depression Inventory, the Zung Depression Scale, and the MMPI-D30 and had a good fit to the observed data. A 4-unit unidimensional psychological continuum for depressive severity (Subjective Depression Severity Continuum [SDSC]) ranging from positive affect to severe depression was derived. Scale values (SVs) for each item's response options estimate their location on the SDSC and were shown to be face valid, stable, and unbiased by gender, race, depression level, or clinical training. Results showed that the original scoring procedures were not internally valid because they were not interval in level of measurement. As severity of content increased, perceived differences between response options decreased. 11 items had nonmonotonic response patterns. The magnitude of perceived severity was not constant for levels of severity (mild, moderate) or across symptoms (sadness, crying). The SVs represent an improvement over standard weights because they are interval in measurement, internally and face valid, and they allow one to equate the 3 scales or omit items. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nightmare frequency versus nightmare distress: Relations to psychopathology and cognitive style.

The hypotheses that psychopathology is related to nightmare distress but not to nightmare frequency and that cognitive style is related to nightmare frequency were examined. The sample consisted of 85 Ss (58 women and 27 men) who completed several measures: a sleep and dream inventory, SCL-90—Revised, Fear Survey Schedule-II, Beck Depression Inventory, an abbreviated version of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Vividness of Visual Imagery, an absorption scale, a social desirability scale, and the Boundaries Questionnaire. The results strongly support the 1st hypothesis but only slightly the 2nd. Such findings underscore the need to differentiate nightmare frequency from suffering (waking distress associated with nightmares) and suggest that although frequency may be related to an intensification of dreaming process, suffering is related to waking emotional adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of rumination in depressive disorders and mixed anxiety/depressive symptoms.

Several studies have shown that people who engage in ruminative responses to depressive symptoms have higher levels of depressive symptoms over time, after accounting for baseline levels of depressive symptoms. The analyses reported here showed that rumination also predicted depressive disorders, including new onsets of depressive episodes. Rumination predicted chronicity of depressive disorders before accounting for the effects of baseline depressive symptoms but not after accounting for the effects of baseline depressive symptoms. Rumination also predicted anxiety symptoms and may be particularly characteristic of people with mixed anxiety/depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of self-reported distress and empathy on egoistic versus altruistic motivation to help.

Proposed that a distinction be made between 2 emotional responses to seeing another person suffer—personal distress and empathy—and that these 2 emotions lead to 2 different kinds of motivation to help: Personal distress leads to egoistic motivation; empathy, to altruistic motivation. These distinctions were tested in 3 studies, each using 10 male and 10 female undergraduates. Across the 3 studies, factor analysis of Ss' self-reported emotional response indicated that feelings of personal distress and empathy, although positively correlated, were experienced as qualitatively distinct. The pattern of helping in Studies 1 and 2 indicated that a predominance of personal distress led to egoistic motivation, whereas a predominance of empathy led to altruistic motivation. In Study 3, the cost of helping was made especially high. Results suggest an important qualification on the link between empathic emotion and altruistic motivation: Ss reporting a predominance of empathy displayed an egoistic pattern of helping. Apparently, making helping costly evoked self-concern, which overrode any altruistic impulse produced by feeling empathy. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Linking dimensional models of internalizing psychopathology to neurobiological systems: Affect-modulated startle as an indicator of fear and distress disorders and affiliated traits.

Integrative hierarchical models have sought to account for the extensive comorbidity between various internalizing disorders in terms of broad individual difference factors these disorders share. However, such models have been developed largely on the basis of self-report and diagnostic symptom data. Toward the goal of linking such models to neurobiological systems, we reviewed studies that have employed variants of the affect-modulated startle paradigm to investigate emotional processing in internalizing disorders as well as personality constructs known to be associated with these disorders. Specifically, we focused on four parameters of startle reactivity: fear-potentiated startle, inhibition of startle in the context of pleasant stimuli, context-potentiated startle, and general startle reactivity. On the basis of available data, we argue that these varying effects index differing neurobiological processes related to mood and anxiety disorders that are interpretable from the standpoint of dimensional models of the internalizing spectrum. Further, we contend that these empirical findings can feed back into and help reshape conceptualizations of internalizing disorders in ways that make them more amenable to neurobiological analysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between interpersonal schemas and depressive symptomatology.

Turkish university students (187 men and 191 women), 17–27 years old, participated in this study. They completed the Interpersonal Schema Questionnaire (C. Hill & J. Safran, 1994) and the Beck Depression Inventory (A. Beck, A. Rush, B. Shaw, and G. Emery, 1979). This study extended the research that was conducted by Hill and Safran (1994). The results of this study revealed that individuals in the high-depressive symptomatology group expected less complementary responses from significant others in friendly, dominant, and submissive situations. They expected more complementary responses from them in hostile situations. They also rated their expected responses from others as more undesirable than did individuals in the low-depressive symptomatology group. These findings seem to be congruent with cognitive and interpersonal theories of depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between attachment, psychopathology, and childhood disability.

Analyzes the literature on 3 aspects of attachment—neurobiological influences, interpersonal and intrapersonal factors, and societal factors—in the psychological development of chronically disabled children. Evidence suggests that neurochemical substances such as cortisol and brain biogenic amine systems reciprocally interact with psychological and psychosocial factors to influence attachment. Interpersonal and intrapersonal factors such as temperamental characteristics of children, severity and type of disability, and family influences interact in the process of attachment. Social perceptions and prejudices about the disabled individual increase parental stress, and diminish parental involvement and resources, which are necessary for attachment. These 3 processes are powerful and interrelated forces in child development, with potential to modify social competence, neurological development, and psychosocial adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship of distress to mood disturbance in primary care and psychiatric populations.

Disagreement remains as how to interpret elevated scores on measures of self-reported distress. This study compared elevated scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) in 2 samples to mood disturbance as assessed in an interview. In a primary medical care sample, most distressed patients did not have a mood disturbance, and distress without mood disturbance was associated with little impairment. Primary care patients with elevated scores on the CES-D were less distressed and less likely to have mood disturbance, major depression, or impairment than distressed psychiatric patients. Few patients with mood disturbance in either sample failed to meet criteria for major depression. Implications are discussed for research on depression using self-report measures, for generalizations across clinical and nonclinical populations, and for screening for preventive interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between personality psychopathology and aggressive behavior in research volunteers.

Theorists and clinicians have long believed that personality psychopathology is a risk factor for aggressive behavior. Previous investigations in this area, however, have provided mixed results. In this study, the relationship between personality psychopathology and aggressive behavior was examined in 137 research volunteers. The influences of gender and coexisting major mental disorders were statistically controlled. Aggressive behavior was associated with criteria for 7 of the I I personality disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev.). Except for schizoid criteria, all relationships with aggressive behavior were in the positive direction. When all personality disorders were considered simultaneously, paranoid and passive-aggressive criteria were significant predictors of aggressive behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The unipolar–bipolar distinction in the depressive disorders.

Reviews studies concerned with symptomatic behavior, clinical characteristics, genetic factors, and pharmacological response in relation to the unipolar–bipolar distinction in depressive disorders. The findings suggest that differences among some forms of the larger polar disorders do exist in the above areas. However, heterogeneity of results remains evident, indicating that finer subdivisions within the larger polar groups are necessary. Accordingly, research within the guidelines of a genetic taxonomy of polar groups is assessed and recommended as the most productive framework for future investigation of the depressive disorders. (4 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The examination of myofascial face pain and its relationship to psychological distress among women.

In this study, 110 female myofascial face pain patients were assessed monthly for 10 months on measures of pain, distress, and stressful life events. D. A. Kenny and A. J. Zautra's (1995) structural equation model for examining the separate trait, state, and error components of the variables was used to analyze the data. Both pain and distress had sizable trait variance, and the trait components were correlated. The 2 variables also showed sizable state variance, and the states of pain covaried with states of distress. A significant time-lagged relationship between the 2 variables was found: Increases in distress led to elevations in pain 1 mo later. Stressful life events arising from major social roles were also associated with greater distress, but not pain. Illness events unrelated to the pain syndrome were associated with both pain and distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relations among self-reported depressive symptoms in clinic-referred children versus adolescents.

Although there is consensus regarding the existence of childhood depression, disagreement remains as to whether symptoms are developmentally isomorphic. Previous studies focused on developmental differences in symptom levels; analyses of relations among symptoms may be more appropriate, however. Here both approaches were used to compare the Children's Depression Inventory responses from 1,030 clinic-referred children and adolescents. Four of 9 symptom categories showed significant developmental differences in their correlations with total score. Externalizing behavior and guilt were more strongly related to depression in children than adolescents; affective symptoms and concerns about the future showed the reverse pattern. Results illustrate the importance of considering relations among symptoms as well as differences in symptom levels when evaluating theoretical claims about developmental differences in the nature of clinical syndromes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)