The utility of motivational interviewing as an adjunct to exposure therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Motivational interviewing (MI; W. R. Miller & S. Rollnick, 2002) was designed as a prelude to standard substance use treatment. Because of its purported capacity to resolve ambivalence about change, MI has been applied to many other behavioral and mental health problems. Ambivalence about engaging in exposure-based therapies is common among those with anxiety disorders, and systematic efforts (e.g., MI) to ameliorate such ambivalence may yield superior clinical outcomes. The use of MI as an adjunct intervention to standard exposure therapy in anxiety disorders is explored with a focus on treatment retention and adherence. Shared and disparate treatment difficulties among substance use and anxiety disorder populations suggest that MI may be especially effective with anxiety disorders. Empirical evidence supporting the use of MI with substance abuse and anxiety disorder populations is presented. Practical aspects of MI's clinical application as an adjunct intervention to standard exposure therapies for anxiety disorders are discussed. Last, a future research agenda is delineated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Disability compensation and work among veterans with psychiatric and nonpsychiatric impairments

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship of Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation payments and employment among veterans with psychiatric disorders and veterans whose impairments were nonpsychiatric. METHODS: Data from a 1987-1988 national survey of Vietnam-era veterans (N = 1,634) were used to evaluate the relationship between compensation payments and employment. The employment activity of veterans whose application for benefits was rejected was compared with that of veterans who were awarded benefits. Multivariate analytic techniques were used to control for health status and other factors that also influence an individual's decision to work. RESULTS: Veterans who received compensation of less than $500 a month were no less likely to work than were rejected applicants. Overall, the effect of compensation payment was significant but modest: each additional $100 a month was associated with a 2 percent decline in the number of veterans who worked, a decline of an hour a week in the number of hours worked, and a reduction of $1,000 a year in estimated employment income. No significant differences were observed in the relationship between disability payments and employment among veterans with psychiatric disorders and those with other functional impairments. CONCLUSIONS: The association of disability compensation with nonparticipation in the labor force is generally small, except at high levels of payment, and is no greater for veterans with psychiatric disorders than for those with nonpsychiatric impairments.     

Chronic illness, pain and health behaviors of community behavioral health clients.

Persons with comorbid medical disorders, along with substance use disorders and mental illness, present complex treatment needs that are seldom addressed. Chronic physical illness negatively affects treatment participation and retention, decreasing effectiveness. Studies documenting higher medical morbidity and mortality in such persons have long been available. Less is known about their health behaviors. Respondents (n = 418) at a community behavioral health center were surveyed for prevalence of illness, pain, health behaviors, and interest in lifestyle change. A total of 73% reported at least one chronic health problem, and nearly half rated their health between fair and very poor. Most reported at least one negative health indicator or behavior (e.g., smoking). Encouragingly, nearly 50% desired lifestyle changes including smoking cessation, exercise, and stress management. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Survey on ethnic minority faculty recruitment and retention.

Summarizes responses from 209 graduate departments of psychology regarding hiring and retention of minority faculty and reasons why minority applicants may decline faculty positions. The results suggest that a more favorable atmosphere for employment of minority applicants is emerging; that a good record of research and teaching skills is a prerequisite for being hired; that for those hired, too much minority service and insufficient research activity are the most common perceived barriers to tenure; that the most common reasons given by minority applicants for rejecting an employment offer include higher salary, more preferred geographic location, and the presence of minority persons in the local community. Recommendations are provided for both minority applicants seeking faculty positions and for psychology departments wishing to attract minority applicants. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Duration of neurofibrillary changes in the hippocampal pyramidal neurons

The clinical course of grave forms of leptospirosis presents with disorders in the fluid and electrolyte balance and acid-base condition (ABC) which fact necessitates taking prompt action for the condition to be corrected. Correction of disorders in the fluid and electrolyte balance involves employment of glucose and salt solutions, dextrans, and in most severe cases albumin drugs under control of hematocrit values, plasma osmolarity, and 24-h diuresis monitoring. Correction of disorders in the ABC is primarily aimed at alleviating the metabolic acidosis through detoxication by applying specific therapy together with oral and parenteral administration of sodium hydrogen carbonate.     

Influence of paid and unpaid work on psychophysiological stress responses of men and women.

Female labor force participation has increased considerably, but women's traditional responsibility for home and family has not changed accordingly. Although women's employment per se does not seem to have negative health consequences, studies in Sweden show that role conflicts and work overload is reflected in women's elevated psychophysiological arousal not only at work but also off work, which may induce psychosomatic symptoms (e.g., cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders). In addition, multiple role demands reduce women's possibilities to make a professional career on the same terms as men. Data emphasize the need for a new allocation of work functions between the sexes and the need for organizational changes leading to more influence and control over work to make it possible for both men and women to continue a qualified job with a meaningful family life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guidelines for conditions of employment of psychologists.

Presents the American Psychological Association guidelines for the employment of psychologists in institutional settings and appropriate expectations of the employer and employee. Topics include: (a) career development and standards for entry into the profession; (b) conditions of employment, e.g., contractual agreements; (c) interprofessional relations; (d) social responsibility of psychologists; and (e) professional accountability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unemployment and psychological distress in young people: The moderating role of employment commitment.

Conducted a 3-yr longitudinal study of 2 cohorts, containing 647 and 780 Ss, of 16-yr-old English school leavers. Data on the General Health Questionnaire and an index of employment commitment showed that psychological distress was higher for the unemployed than for the employed and that changes in employment status led to changes in distress scores. This relationship was moderated by Ss' commitment to paid employment such that the effect of movement between work and unemployment was greatest for those whose employment commitment was high. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Antecedents of bridge employment: A longitudinal investigation.

Bridge employment is the labor force participation pattern increasingly observed in older workers between their career jobs and their complete labor force withdrawal. It serves as a transition process from career employment to full retirement. Typical bridge employment decisions include full retirement, career bridge employment, and bridge employment in a different field. In the current study, 3 dominant theories (i.e., role theory, continuity theory, and life course perspective) on retirement processes were reviewed. On the basis of these theories, the authors proposed 4 categories of antecedents (i.e., individual attributes, job-related psychological variables, family-related variables, and a retirement-planning-related variable) of different types of bridge employment decisions. The authors used longitudinal data of a large, nationally representative sample from the Health and Retirement Study (F. Juster & R. Suzman, 1995) to test the current hypotheses. These data were analyzed with multinomial logistic regression, and most of the hypotheses were supported by the results. The implications of this study are discussed at both theoretical and practical levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigator characteristics as moderators of personnel selection research: A meta-analysis.

Surrogate measures of original authors' reward context, primary motivation for doing the research, and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) were examined for their affect on criterion-related validities reported in the Journal of Applied Psychology and Personnel Psychology between 1964 and 1992. Number of years of experience (a surrogate KSA measure) displayed no moderating relationship. Type of organizational need (equal employment opportunity compliance, augmenting existing selection system, etc.) and investigator interests (e.g., theory testing) were related to criterion-related validities. Place of authors' employment (i.e., reward context) also displayed a moderating relationship (authors in private industry reported higher average validities in comparison with academics). Interaction effects on criterion-related validities were found between authors' experience and (1) place of employment and (2) primary motivation for conducting the research. Results are interpreted in view of possible differences in ability, motivation, and opportunity to do research across employment settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of monetary reward on memory in schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

The impact of monetary reward on verbal working memory (vWM) and verbal long-term memory (vLTM) was evaluated in 50 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 52 matched healthy participants. This research was motivated by the observations that negative symptoms in schizophrenia are associated with reduced drive and that patients with these symptoms exhibit greater mnemonic impairments. Reward-related gains were evaluated across two levels of vWM load on the n-back task and across three aspects of vLTM derived from the California Verbal Learning Test-II (i.e., learning, total immediate recall, and retention). Although healthy individuals benefited from reward at a high vWM load level, schizophrenia patients exhibited no reward-related improvements in vWM. In contrast, improvement in vLTM retention was induced by reward for both patients and controls. Finally, symptomatic and pharmacology treatment factors were associated with reward-related gains in persons with schizophrenia. In conclusion, contingent monetary rewards delivered during vWM and vLTM enhanced specific aspects of memory. The influence was relatively small and dependent on the specific neurocognitive operation examined, the mental health status of the participants, and for patients, their particular symptoms and pharmacological treatments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modification of liposomes for liver targeting

BACKGROUND: Unemployment has become a serious social problem in industrialized countries. Job loss produces health-related disorders. Health-related data of the unemployed are scarce and prompted us to survey this group. METHODS: A database of a health survey conducted between 1989 and 1993 in 79 selected rural communities of Styria (Austria) was used to analyze risk factors and employment status. The sample consisted of 8,747 individuals, 345 unemployed and 8,402 employed. RESULTS: Risk behavior is higher among unemployed individuals than among those employed, particularly for males. Unemployed males were significantly less motivated to reduce weight and to change dietary habits than their counterparts, and they had significantly more anxieties, sleeping disorders, and lack of appetite. A similar pattern was found with regard to gastrointestinal and chronic liver and respiratory diseases. In addition, the unemployed utilized medical services more often. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study on health-related indicators and unemployment status in Austria. Job loss implies health-related disorders. The effectiveness of reducing the morbidity of the population in general is also dependent on intervention programs focusing on the specific needs of this high-risk group, e.g., adapting primary health care to its needs and fostering social support networks.     

Day treatment with contingency management for cocaine abuse in homeless persons: 12-month follow-up.

Abstinence, employment, and homelessness treatment outcomes at 12-month follow-up are presented from a study comparing behavioral day treatment plus abstinence-contingent housing and work therapy with behavioral day treatment only among homeless persons who abuse crack cocaine. Within-group improvements were revealed, but group differences for drug abstinence found in J. B. Milby et al. (2000) failed to persist at 12 months. Drug use measurement and treatment termination explanations are discussed. Within- but not between-group differences were found for employment and homelessness outcomes at long-term follow-up. Research extending abstinence contingencies and continuous drug use monitoring is recommended. Questions about effectiveness of contingency management alone, role of coexisting psychiatric disorders on treatment outcome, and individualized treatment dosing are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analysis of the reserve capacity of the myocardium in patients with hypertensive disease and its importance for disability evaluation

The paper presents an analysis of the results of a comprehensive clinical and instrumental examination (poly- and apex-cardiography) of 156 patients with essential hypertension (Stages I, I-II and II, according to L.I. Fogelson's classification) and of 40 normal individuals, that was undertaken to study the functional state and the reserves of the left ventricular myocardium. The disorders in the functional state and the reduction of the reserve capacity were shown to progress along with the stage of the disease. The clinical and labour prognosis of the patients with essential hypertension depend on the character of its course, stage of the disease, degree of functional disorders and reserve capacity of the myocardium, as well as on the profession and labour conditions. The employment of a broad complex of cardiological diagnostic techniques at rest and following dosaged bicycle ergometric load helps to determine the clinical and labour prognosis with greater precision and more objectively, and to solve the problems of timely employment of hypertensive patients.     

Employment and women's health: Effects of paid employment on women's mental and physical health.

This article reviews empirical evidence concerning the effects of paid employment on women's mental and physical health, with special attention to variations in the effects of employment depending on the characteristics of women and their jobs. We highlight methodological issues and focus primarily on studies with longitudinal data for representative samples of women. We conclude that women's employment does not have a negative effect on their health, on the average. Indeed, employment appears to improve the health of unmarried women and married women who have positive attitudes toward employment. Possible mediators linking employment to health outcomes are discussed. Current evidence suggests that increased social support from co-workers and supervisors may be one important mediator of the beneficial health effects of employment. Given the paucity of available longitudinal studies, we encourage additional prospective research examining the mental and physical health consequences of employment according to job characteristics, personal characteristics, and disease outcome. We also recommend research on several promising mediators of employment–health relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The status of employment testing in Canada: A review and evaluation of theory and professional practice.

Employment testing in Canada is reviewed and evaluated, with particular attention to relevant legislation, court/tribunal cases, and shortcomings in current theory and practice. Several issues requiring conceptual clarification and empirical research by Canadian industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologists are discussed: cultural bias, use of minimum cutoff scores, content validation, validity generalization, and utility. It is concluded that psychological testing in employment is at a formative stage in Canada and that the Canadian I/O profession should become more involved in research and policy pronouncements needed to ensure the orderly development of employment testing in this country. Failure to react to human rights concerns about employment testing will shift responsibility for future development of employment testing to segments of society (e.g., public policy makers, human rights tribunals) incapable of resolving the technical issues underlying the use of psychological tests in employment. (French abstract) (65 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Organizational rewards and retention of the hard-core unemployed.

Studied the relationship between 4 organizational rewards (pay, job status, promotion, and job security) and the retention of the hard-core unemployed (HCU), using data from 114 firms involved in hiring the HCU. The level of pay and the structure of raises positively affected retention, as did promotional opportunities (the percentage of minority members in supervisory positions). In firms with primarily minority members in the work force, the greater the percentage of minority supervisors the higher the HCU retention, but in primarily White firms the opposite relationship occurred. Job status and job security also were related to retention. Based on the relative effects of program characteristics (e.g., training) and organization characteristics (e.g., pay), recommendations are made for increased emphasis on organizational factors in developing strategies for employing the HCU. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prospective follow-up of girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder into adolescence: Evidence for continuing cross-domain impairment.

The authors performed 5-year prospective follow-up (retention rate = 92%) with an ethnically diverse sample of girls, aged 11-18 years, who had been diagnosed in childhood with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; N = 140) and a matched comparison group (N = 88). Hyperactive-impulsive symptoms were more likely to abate than inattentive symptoms. Across multiple domains of symptoms and functional impairment, girls with ADHD continued to display deficits of moderate to large effect size in relation to the comparison girls, but few differences emerged between the inattentive versus combined types. Follow-up effects withstood statistical control of crucial covariates for most outcomes, meaning that there were specific effects of childhood ADHD on follow-up status; in other instances, baseline disruptive disorders accounted for adolescent effects. For outcomes identical at baseline and follow-up, girls with ADHD showed more improvement across time than comparison girls (except for math achievement). Overall, ADHD in girls portends continuing impairment 5 years after childhood ascertainment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nitrogen utilization in pigs fed diets with soybean and rapeseed products leading to different ileal endogenous nitrogen losses

Nitrogen (N) balance was determined in 36 pigs (BW 24 to 30 kg) fed diets inducing different ileal endogenous N losses (ENL). We tested the hypothesis that enhanced ENL may be indicative of a higher recycling of endogenous proteins that will induce a greater urinary N loss and a lower efficiency of the dietary N utilization for retention. The cornstarch-based diets contained either soy concentrate (SC), soybean meal (SBM), a mixture of toasted and untoasted soybean meal (mSBM), dehulled-toasted rapeseed cake (RC1), non-dehulled-toasted rapeseed cake (RC2), or dehulled-untoasted rapeseed cake (RC3). The diets were balanced for their content of apparent ileal digestible (ID) CP (108 g/kg feed) and apparent ID of Lys, Thr, Met+Cys, Trp, and Ile. Feeding level was 2.7 times ME for maintenance per kilogram BWx75 and restricted to 88% of the requirements for ID Lys as the first-limiting amino acid. During a 5-d period, urine and feces were collected daily in metabolism cages. Compared with the SC diet (low ENL), the diets with SBM (medium ENL) and mSBM (high ENL) resulted in a greater (P < .05) urinary N excretion. Nitrogen retention tended to be less (P = .08) in pigs fed diets that caused greater ENL. The utilization of ID N for retention in pigs fed the mSBM diet was lower (P < .05) than for those fed the SC diet. There were no differences in urinary N excretion, N retention, and the utilization of ID N for retention in pigs fed the rapeseed diets of different fiber contents (hulls as the NDF source). We concluded that, at similar intakes of the first-limiting ID amino acid, N retention in pigs fed soybeans tended to be reduced by greater ENL as induced by antinutritional factors (e.g., trypsin inhibitors). Rapeseed hulls, as the predominant fiber source, do not affect N retention and the utilization of ID N for retention.     

Bridge employment and retirees’ health: A longitudinal investigation.

The present study examined the relationship between bridge employment and retirees’ health outcomes (i.e., major diseases, functional limitations, and mental health). We used a nationally representative sample of 12,189 retirees from the first 4 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that compared with full retirement, engaging in bridge employment either in a career field or in a different field was associated with fewer major diseases and functional limitations, whereas engaging in career bridge employment was associated with better mental health. The findings highlight the health benefits of engaging in bridge employment for retirees. The practical implications of this study are discussed at both the individual and policy levels. Limitations of the current findings are also noted in conjunction with future research directions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)