Factor structure of the Symptom Checklist-90 with acute psychiatric inpatients.

451 acute psychiatric inpatients (mean age 37 yrs) in a state hospital were given the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) as part of the routine admission procedures. Previous factor analytic research with the SCL-90 had focused primarily on outpatients. Principal component factor analysis resulted in 9 factors that differ somewhat from factors found in previous research with psychiatric outpatients. The 9 factors are Depression, Somatization, Paranoia, Tension, Hostility, Phobic Reaction, Concentration Difficulties, Compulsion, and Insomnia. Eight of the 9 factors were found to be reliable using coefficient alpha. Explanations for differences in factor structure between outpatients and inpatients had to do with differing degrees and kinds of symptoms. One implication is that making judgments about symptom patterns of psychiatric inpatients based on outpatient data is questionable. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mortality in geriatric psychiatric inpatients

OBJECTIVE: To report current information about invasive pneumococcal infections, capsular types and antimicrobial resistance in Canada. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: Canada. PATIENTS: A total of 976 patients from whom Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from blood or cerebrospinal fluid between Jan. 1, 1992, and Dec. 31, 1995. OUTCOME MEASURES: Capsular type and antimicrobial susceptibility. RESULTS: Twenty types accounted for 90.8% of the isolates from patients over 5 years of age; all but type 15A are covered by the currently available 23-valent vaccine. Nine types accounted for 92% of the isolates recovered from children 5 years and less. Reduced susceptibility to penicillin was found in 7.8% of the collection and was associated with types 6B, 9V and 19A. Full resistance to penicillin was observed most frequently during 1995 and was associated with type 9V. Rates of reduced susceptibility over one 12-month period were 19.5% for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 4.5% or less for each of cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, ofloxacin and tetracycline. CONCLUSIONS: Over 90% of invasive pneumococcal infections are covered by the currently available vaccines (for people over 2 years of age) and the pneumococcal protein-polysaccharide conjugate vaccines under development for young children. The high frequency of antimicrobial resistance observed requires more complete investigation and confirmation; however, taken from a global perspective, it supports the need to develop better control strategies, including greater use of new and existing vaccines.     

Stability of MMPI configurations for psychiatric inpatients.

Investigated the stability of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) code types. Ss were 405 psychiatric patients (mean age 37 yrs) who had completed 2 valid MMPIs and some of whom had been rated twice on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Test–retest agreements for high-point, low-point, and 2-point codes were 42.72%, 43.95%, and 27.65%, respectively. Code types were somewhat more stable when scales in the codes had more extreme scores initially and when scores on the scales in the codes were considerably different from other scales in the profile. When MMPIs were classified as neurotic, psychotic, or characterological according to 2-point codes, many of the 2-point codes that changed from test to retest remained within the same diagnostic categories. For a subsample of 72 Ss, behavioral ratings of psychosis were compared with stability and change in 2-point code types. Results suggest that at least some changes in code types over time may be associated with meaningful behavioral changes. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computerized instruction and the learning process.

Discusses developments in the field of computer assisted instruction (CAI), focusing on the Stanford Project, initiated in 1964 under a grant from the Office of Education to develop and implement a CAI program in initial reading and mathematics. A progress report deals with the reading program with particular reference to the past school year, when for the first time a sizable group of students received a major portion of their daily reading instruction under computer control. The first year's operation must be considered essentially as an extended debugging of both the computer system and the curriculum materials. Nevertheless, some interesting comments can be made on the basis of this experience regarding both the feasibility of CAI and the impact of such instruction on the overall learning process. Parts of the project addressed include the CAI reading curriculum, problems in implementing the curriculum, and some results from the first year of operation with first grade students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of patient medication instruction cards

The development of patient medication instruction cards for use in patient education is described. Writing of the cards, their use in practice and predischarge teaching are discussed.     

MCMI-III as a treatment outcome measure for psychiatric inpatients

The Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) recently was introduced to replace and update the MCMI-II. A sample of 97 psychiatric inpatients were administered the MCMI-III shortly following admission, and again 7-10 days later. Changes in the personality and symptom scales generally paralleled those found in previous work with the MCMI-II, although the mean retest interval was considerably shorter than in the earlier study. However, some differences between the two instruments were observed, confirming the need for ongoing cross-validation work on the MCMI-III as an instrument that is distinct from the MCMI-II.     

Effects of an orientation videotape for newly admitted psychiatric patients.

The presentation of accurate information about impending stressful events has been found to have beneficial effects in a variety of health care settings. In this study, a 30-min videotape was used to orient newly admitted psychiatric patients. The videotape provided information about hospital procedures, mental illness, and psychiatric treatment within 48 hr of admission. An experimental versus control group procedure was used to evaluate the effects of the orientation videotape. Self-report measures revealed that patients viewing the videotape, in comparison with no-videotape controls, experienced fewer hospital fears and more positive psychiatric attitudes, demonstrated more accurate psychiatric information, and tended to be perceived as adjusting better to their hospitalization. A limited follow-up of patients several months later provided some information about the persistence of positive attitudes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computerized instruction and the learning process: Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by Richard C. Atkinson (American Psychologist, 1968[Apr]). The last sentence of the first column on page 231 should read as follows: (b) Items for which the correct answer is an adjective are more difficult to comprehend than items in which the correct answer is a noun or verb; similarly, verbs are more difficult than nouns. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2005-10451-001). Discusses developments in the field of computer assisted instruction (CAI), focusing on the Stanford Project, initiated in 1964 under a grant from the Office of Education to develop and implement a CAI program in initial reading and mathematics. A progress report deals with the reading program with particular reference to the past school year, when for the first time a sizable group of students received a major portion of their daily reading instruction under computer control. The first year's operation must be considered essentially as an extended debugging of both the computer system and the curriculum materials. Nevertheless, some interesting comments can be made on the basis of this experience regarding both the feasibility of CAI and the impact of such instruction on the overall learning process. Parts of the project addressed include the CAI reading curriculum, problems in implementing the curriculum, and some results from the first year of operation with first grade students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Substitution of immediate-release valproic acid for divalproex sodium for adult psychiatric inpatients

In a prospective open-label study, the substitution of immediate-release valproic acid for divalproex sodium was evaluated in the treatment of 47 adult psychiatric inpatients who had been stabilized on divalproex for at least one month. After two weeks, no significant change in Clinical Global Impressions scale (CGI) scores or in seizure frequency occurred, and serum valproate concentrations decreased by 14.4 percent (p=.001). One patient was restarted on divalproex because of gastrointestinal complaints. Among the 19 patients remaining hospitalized at six months, mean CGI scores did not significantly change. Costs were reduced 83 percent; annual savings per patient was approximately $905. These preliminary results suggest that many chronic psychiatric inpatients stabilized on divalproex may be safely switched to valproic acid.     

Self-reported suicidal ideation in adolescent psychiatric inpatients.

In an investigation of the psychosocial correlates of suicidal ideation in adolescent inpatients, the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI) was administered to 108 inpatients between 12 and 17 yrs of age who were diagnosed with mixed psychiatric disorders. A series of multiple regression analyses that controlled for gender, ethnicity, age, diagnosis of a mood disorder, and a history of a past suicide attempt were then used to examine the relationships of the Beck Depression Inventory, Anxiety Inventory, and Hopelessness Scale (BHS) with the BSI. Regardless of the series, the BHS contributed unique variance to the explanation of the BSI scores. The results are discussed as supporting the use of the BSI with adolescent inpatients and indicating that hopelessness is related to suicidal ideation when depression is controlled for. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aggressive and impulsive behavior in military psychiatric inpatients

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk of cancer associated with exposure to air pollution among bus drivers and tramway employees. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 18,174 bus drivers or tramway employees in Copenhagen in the period 1900-94. Data on employment were obtained from company files. Information on cancer was obtained from the Danish Cancer Registry. RESULTS: Findings showed that bus drivers or tramway employees had an increased risk of all malignant neoplasms (standardised incidence ratio (SIR) 1.24, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.19 to 1.30). The relative risk was significantly increased for both men and women (SIR 1.24, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.30 and 1.28, 1.06 to 1.53, respectively). People employed for < 3 months had no increased risk of cancer (1.04, 0.81 to 1.31). For men who were employed for > 3 months the risk of lung cancer (1.6, 1.5 to 1.8), laryngeal cancer (1.4, 1.0 to 1.9), kidney cancer (1.6, 1.3 to 2.0), bladder cancer (1.4, 1.2 to 1.6), skin cancer (1.1, 1.0 to 1.2), pharyngeal cancer (1.9, 1.2 to 2.8), rectal cancer (1.2, 1.0 to 1.5) and liver cancer (1.6, 1.2 to 2.2) was significantly increased. For women employed for > 3 months the risk of lung cancer was significantly increased (2.6, 1.5 to 4.3). CONCLUSION: This cohort study shows that bus drivers and tramway employees are at an increased risk of developing several types of cancer. This might be due to the exposure to air pollution during working hours or to other risk factors, primarily smoking.     

Plasma concentrations of antipsychotic drugs in psychiatric inpatients

We surveyed a random sample (n = 75) of doctors and dentists at University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. They were offered anonymous testing for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAG), antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), by enzyme immunoassay. The results suggest a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with a high potential of transmissibility, as well as a high prevalence of HCV infection. The majority of the doctors and dentists use universal precaution for protection against viral hepatitis on < 50% of the occasions when they carry out procedures on their patients. Infection with HBV was associated with type of specialty (surgeons, dentists) and lack of HBV vaccination (p < 0.05). After logistic regression, these factors were independently associated with HBV infection (p < 0.05). Sixty (80%) had not received prior HBV vaccination. Unvaccinated personnel were more likely to be surgeons, dentists, < 37 years of age, and have fewer years of professional activity (p < 0.05). After logistic regression, only fewer years of professional activity remained independently associated with lack of vaccination (p < 0.05). To reduce the occupational exposure of HBV, universal precautions must be rigorously adhered to when the doctors and dentists carry out procedures on their patients, and all health-care workers should be vaccinated with HBV vaccine and the HCV vaccine, when it becomes available.     

Self-verification and depression among youth psychiatric inpatients.

According to self-verification theory (e.g., W.B. Swann, 1983), people are motivated to preserve stable self-concepts by seeking self-confirming interpersonal responses, even if the responses are negative. In the current study of 72 youth psychiatric inpatients (36 boys; 36 girls; ages 7-17, M?=?13.18; SD?=?2.59), the authors provide the 1st test of self-verification theory among a youth sample. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on depression, self-esteem, anxiety, negative and positive affect, and interest in negative feedback from others. The authors made chart diagnoses available, and they collected peer rejection ratings. Consistent with hypotheses, the authors found that interest in negative feedback was associated with depression, was predictive of peer rejection (but only within relatively longer peer relationships), was more highly related to cognitive than emotional aspects of depression, and was specifically associated with depression, rather than being generally associated with emotional distress. The authors discuss implications for self-verification theory and for the phenomenology of youth depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and evaluation of an interpersonal skill-training program for psychiatric inpatients.

Experimentally evaluated an empirically developed interpersonal-skill-training program for male psychiatric inpatients. The program development phase involved identifying patient-relevant problem situations, analyzing effective responses for these situations, deriving principles governing such effective behavior, and developing explicit scoring criteria for such behavior. In the evaluation phase, 36 male psychiatric inpatients received 3 individual sessions of either interpersonal skill training or pseudotherapy, or they were in an assessment-only control group. Skill training was superior to the other 2 conditions on a number of behavioral and self-report measures, both in the training context and in a more real-life context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Providing information to carers of people admitted to psychiatric hospital

Relatives have an increasingly important role in providing care in the community to people with mental health problems, yet numerous studies have highlighted a lack of support from health care professionals. GERARD LEAVEY and colleagues describe a study to investigate the information provided to relatives of patients in one trust, and suggest solutions to the ethical and professional dilemmas raised.