The Brief Symptom Inventory: Measuring psychological distress in spinal cord injury.

Explored the appropriateness of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) as a measure of psychological distress among 79 traumatic spinal cord injured (SCI) patients (aged 18–70 yrs) and emphasized the limitations of using the BSI as a replacement for the SCL-90—Revised (SCL-90—R). Ss' BSI scores were compared with a nonpatient normative group (N?=?974). Ss were significantly more psychologically distressed in somatization, depression, and phobic anxiety than the normative group. However, several somatization symptoms endorsed by these Ss are common physical effects of SCI rather than psychosomatic complaints. When comparing BSI and SCL-90—R scores of the same Ss, significant statistical differences were found with respect to the level of psychological distress being reported by each test. The BSI may not represent an equivalent abbreviated form of the SCL-90—R for the SCI population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functional impairment, marital quality, and patient psychological distress as predictors of psychological distress among cancer patients' spouses.

This study investigated contextual determinants of psychological distress among 197 spouses of cancer patients. women, 30–82 years old). It was hypothesized that higher levels of patient functional impairment would lead to greater patient distress. Patient distress, in turn, would lead to lower spouse marital satisfaction and ultimately to higher spouse distress. Spouses completed measures of distress and marital quality at three time points. Cancer patients rated their functional impairment and psychological distress at the same time points. Results indicated that at all time points, greater patient impairment was associated with higher levels of patient distress which, in turn, was related to lower marital satisfaction. However, marital quality was related to spouse distress at only 1 time point, but spouse distress was directly associated with patient distress at each time point. Implications for cancer patients and spouses are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The structure of psychological distress and well-being in general populations.

Describes the development of the Mental Health Inventory (MHI), a 38-item measure of psychological distress and well-being, developed for use in general populations. The MHI was fielded in 4 large samples (N?=?5089) of Ss aged 13–69 yrs. One data set was used to explore the MHI's factor structure, and confirmatory factor analyses were used for cross validation. Results support a hierarchical factor model composed of a general underlying psychological distress vs well-being factor; a higher order structure defined by 2 correlated factors—Psychological Distress and Well-Being; and 5 correlated lower order factors—Anxiety, Depression, Emotional Ties, General Positive Affect, and Loss of Behavioral Emotional Control. Summated rating scales produced high internal consistency estimates and substantial stability over a 1-yr interval. Results provide strong psychometric support for a hierarchical model and scoring options ranging from 5 distinct constructs to reliance on 1 summary index. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some variables affecting dentists' assessment of patients' distress.

43 2nd-yr dental students estimated the pain, anxiety, and distress of 43 patients who received a simple filling. Measures included a dental experience questionnaire and the Self-Monitoring Scale. Dentist's estimates of patient pain accounted for 36% of the variance in patient self-report responses. Dentist accuracy was unaffected by patients' degree of self-monitoring. Dentists' accuracy in assessing overall patient discomfort was significantly lower in that segment of the treatment that was most stressful for the dentists. This finding was interpreted as an attentional overload on processing ability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory indicator of psychological distress in male students.

Investigated the relationship of moderately elevated MMPI Scales 2 and 7 (Depression and Psychasthenia) to psychological help seeking, problem type, and academic progress for 4 successive classes at a small selective men's college. 21% of 755 entering students had both scales elevated (T?≥?60); these students were significantly more likely to seek psychological counseling, tended to have personal rather than other types of problems, and were more likely to take leaves of absence. Results suggest the MMPI 2-7 elevation is a simple indicator of psychological distress in the setting studied, but its utility in other college settings requires consideration of local base rates for psychological help and test results. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Looking within: Measuring state self-forgiveness and its relationship to psychological well-being.

Although considerable empirical attention has recently focused on forgiveness, less work has been done on examining self-forgiveness. A major stumbling block for self-forgiveness research has been the lack of a measure to assess self-forgiveness for specific transgressions. This article reports the development of the State Self-Forgiveness Scales and the test of a model of self-forgiveness' relation to psychological well-being in the context of the unwanted end of a romantic relationship. In Study 1, factor analysis revealed a 2-factor structure to the self-forgiveness data. Study 2 found that self-blame predicted depressive affect to the extent that participants forgave the self. The implications of state self-forgiveness for both basic research and therapy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of the Mental Health Inventory with adolescents: A secondary analysis of the Rand Health Insurance Study.

Few instruments exist for the assessment of adolescent mental health. In order to examine the appropriateness of the Mental Health Inventory (MHI) for use with adolescents, secondary analyses were conducted of the large subsample (n?=?953) of adolescents who participated in the community-based Rand Health Insurance Study. The reliability and readability of the MHI were confirmed. Subscales reflecting Psychological Well-Being and Psychological Distress were derived. The MHI, with its adolescent norms, is recommended for the assessment of adolescent mental health, particularly in studies in which comparison to a nonpsychiatric, normative adolescent population is indicated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring the Effectiveness of Mental Health Courts: Challenges and Recommendations.

How will we know if mental health courts are effective? The answers provided by future evaluation research will reflect the extent to which the social and procedural complexity of mental health courts drives the research design and plan. This article identifies the research challenges associated with studying the effectiveness of an intervention that is nonstandardized by nature and highly dependent on macro and local influences within the environment as well as personal preferences and relationship dynamics within the intervention itself. Explored are the research challenges related to isolating the independent effects associated with mental health courts. The article concludes with recommendations for how best to evaluate mental health courts to inform best practice and policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Employment status and psychological well-being: A longitudinal study.

Longitudinal observations are reported on 4 groups of young people, defined by their employment status on 2 occasions after leaving school. Questionnaires were administered to them in 1980 while they were at school and then again after intervals of 2 and 3 years when they were all in the labor force. Clear differences were observed between the unemployed and employed groups after the longer interval that were not apparent after the shorter interval. The unemployed showed lower self-esteem and greater depressive affect, negative mood, and externality in locus of control than the employed. The unemployed showed no deterioration on any of the measures since they were in school, but the employed showed an improvement. These results imply that although gaining employment produces an improvement in psychological well-being in school leavers, unemployment does not have the opposite effect. The clear differences observed after 3 years that were not apparent after 2 suggest that longitudinal observations after longer intervals may show evidence of deterioration in the unemployed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confirmatory hierarchical factor analyses of psychological distress measures.

Previous factor-analytic research examining the dimensionality of psychological distress and depression has generally minimized the importance of the interrelationships existing among primary components of depression and distress. The present authors developed restricted hierarchical factor-analysis models that simultaneously test for the presence and necessity of both primary and second-order factors for the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Interview (PERI). Similarities in the latent structure of these 2 instruments are examined, and implications for a taxonomy of psychological distress and depression are discussed. Results show that the primary factor structure of both the PERI and BDI were similar in terms of yielding factors that corresponded to hypothetical constructs thought to exist in a theoretical taxonomy of depression. Both the BDI and PERI yielded primary constructs that could be thought of as reflecting physiological, cognitive, and motivational manifestations of depressive symptomatology. From examining the second-order loadings, it appears that each of these primary factors contributes equally in defining the second-order factor of psychological distress. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personal goals and interpersonal support and hindrance as factors in psychological distress and well-being.

This study examined psychological distress and well-being as a function of the characteristics of personal projects and project-relevant social support and social hindrance provided by the three most important people in subjects' lives. Three project factors (Project Mastery, Strain, and Self-Involvement) were found to account for significant variation in both psychological distress and well-being. Project support was generally found to be significantly related to well-being, but not to distress. However, project hindrance was found to be significantly related to both distress and well-being. Additional analyses revealed that the behavior of the most important person in a subject's life is of special significance in accounting for variations in psychological distress and well-being. Finally, evidence of the independence of support and hindrance was observed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The structure of psychological well-being: A sociohistorical analysis.

Used factor analysis to explore dimensions of self-evaluation with data collected from 2 nationwide, representative-sample, cross-sectional surveys of US adults (N?=?1,389 married fathers and 1,465 married mothers) conducted in 1957 and 1976. 18 indices of well-being were constructed from items in both surveys, which assessed well-being, self-perceptions, symptoms of distress, and adjustment in marriage, parenthood, and work. Confirming an expected tripartite model, the same 3 factors, unhappiness, strain, and personal inadequacy, emerged for both sexes in both years. The structure supports 2 notions about self-evaluations. First, positive and negative evaluation are related but separate dimensions. Second, perceived competence in handling one's life is a dimension related to but distinctly separate from positive and negative evaluations. Comparative analyses also revealed that men and women are becoming more similar in the ways they define well-being, with this historical convergence due mostly to shifts for men. Also discussed are the historical changes in sex roles and the view that historically bounded role expectations shape the evaluative schemata people use to judge their own well-being. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social support and psychological distress: A longitudinal analysis.

Used a multiple regression model of change in a longitudinal framework to examine the relationship between changes in social support and psychological maladjustment, controlling for initial maladjustment and initial levels of life change and social support. Ss were a randomly selected community sample of 245 male and 248 female adult family members who completed 2 surveys administered 1 yr apart. Findings are consistent with previous studies reporting a negative relationship between social support and psychological maladjustment. In addition, when initial levels of maladjustment, life change, and social support were controlled, results generally supported the prediction that decreases in social support in family and work environments would be significantly related to increases in psychological maladjustment over the 1 yr period. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Illusion and well-being: A social psychological perspective on mental health.

Many prominent theorists have argued that accurate perceptions of the self, the world, and the future are essential for mental health. Yet considerable research evidence suggests that overly positive self-evaluations, exaggerated perceptions of control or mastery, and unrealistic optimism are characteristic of normal human thought. Moreover, these illusions appear to promote other criteria of mental health, including the ability to care about others, the ability to be happy or contented, and the ability to engage in productive and creative work. These strategies may succeed, in large part, because both the social world and cognitive-processing mechanisms impose filters on incoming information that distort it in a positive direction; negative information may be isolated and represented in as unthreatening a manner as possible. These positive illusions may be especially useful when an individual receives negative feedback or is otherwise threatened and may be especially adaptive under these circumstances. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological dimensions of distress in chronic pain patients: A factor analytic study of Symptom Checklist-90 responses.

Examined the factor structure of the SCL-90 for pain populations. A sample of 600 outpatients (aged 15–89 yrs) treated for chronic pain was randomly split and their SCL-90 responses analyzed via maximum likelihood (with oblique rotation) factoring. A 2nd-order split-half factor analysis was performed and several restricted factor models were compared within the Linear Structural Relations format by K. G. J?reskog and D. Sorbom (1978, 1979). A 10-factor model was judged most meaningful and statistically appropriate in the 1st-order analysis. The 2nd-order analyses produced 3 factors tentatively named Somatic Distress, Cognitive Distress, and Distrust. All factors replicated across the data halves, thus providing evidence for factorial stability. The complementary use of exploratory and confirmatory factoring methods is illustrated and discussed. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Type A behavior, age, and psychological well-being.

Investigated psychological well-being among Type A (coronary prone) and Type B (noncoronary prone) individuals across the age span. It was hypothesized that the hard-driving, achievement-oriented lifestyle exhibited by Type A's would be adaptive in younger age groups but would lead to lower well-being in later life because of increased limitations on the range and level of activities. By contrast, the more relaxed, easygoing style of Type B's would match better the slower pace of old age but would not be as conducive to success in younger age groups. 319 adults (aged 18–89 yrs) completed a battery of instruments that included the Jenkins Activity Survey and scales of life changes and psychopathology. Results confirm the hypotheses but indicate that psychological differences may be mediated in part by differences in physical well-being. Experience with life events and the structure and function of social networks may contribute to the differences in well-being. (59 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex roles and psychological well-being: Perspectives on methodology.

Discusses some sources of problematic methodology in recent research designed to relate current measures of sex-role orientation to indices of psychological well-being. Practices and procedures in sex-role research are examined in relation to orthogonal scales of sex-role orientation that provide independent measures of masculinity, femininity, and a newer assessment of androgyny. Directions for increased conceptual and methodological clarity include theoretical and psychometric definitions of androgyny, the relationship of sex-role typing to other aspects of interpersonal functioning, and varying procedures in sex-role and gender distinction, population sampling, and construct validation. Issues are raised concerning the generality of sex-role measures and the desirability of direct behavioral validation criteria. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Life events and psychological distress: A prospective study of young adolescents.

Seventh and 8th graders were administered measures of negative and positive life experiences and psychological distress on 2 occasions approximately 5 mo apart to examine the etiologic role of negative life events in the maladjustment of early adolescents. 233 7th–8th graders were administered the Junior High Life Experiences Survey, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and a child development inventory at Time 1. 79 of the 233 Ss completed the 3 measures at Time 2. Cross-sectional regression analyses revealed a significant positive relationship between negative events and distress but generally failed to support the stress-buffering effects of positive events. However, in the prospective analyses, negative events were not predictive of psychological distress and were, in fact, themselves partly determined by previous distress. Results are compared with previous studies of adult life events and suggest the importance of ongoing stressful processes as engendering both maladjustment and stressful events in the lives of early adolescents. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Supervision of psychological assessment: A developmental model.

The supervision of assessment has been greatly neglected in the literature. A model of supervisee development, from novice to master assessor, is presented. The model focuses on the development of the ability to integrate data into a coherent formulation of the person being tested. Appropriate supervision depends on a matching of the supervisor's behavior to the supervisee's needs, as specified by the supervisee's current level of development. This development is dramatized by improvements in interpreting specific data points and in the recognition of larger patterns in the data. This skill acquisition occurs within the affective context of the supervisor–supervisee relationship as the interaction elicits both inter- and intrapersonal issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)