Cost sharing and the demand for ambulatory mental health services.

Asserts that the results obtained by W. G. Manning et al (see record 1985-28870-001) are premature and should not be interpreted as estimates of the effects of co-insurance on the use of mental health care because the mean dollar expenditure (MDE), an important feature of insurance plans in the Rand Corporation's Health Insurance Study (HIS), was never analyzed. It is argued that the otherwise anomalous pattern of ambulatory mental health expenditures in the HIS can be explained by the MDE effect. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cost sharing and the use of ambulatory mental health services.

Used preliminary data from the Rand Corporation's Health Insurance Study to examine expenditures for ambulatory mental health services (MHSs) based on a sample of 4,444 families (at initial enrollment) of the nonelderly, noninstitutionalized civilian population. Selected findings reveal that reducing the level of cost sharing increases the demand for MHSs; the response to cost sharing is roughly the same for ambulatory medical and MHSs. Small deductibles, followed by free care, do not deter the use of ambulatory MHSs. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Casebook for providers of psychological services": Erratum.

Corrects a statement in the article in the American Psychologist (see record 1988-37041-001), which presented cases to provide clarification of the General Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services as approved by the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives in February 1987. The correction states that the statement (p. 558), "The psychologist recognized the illegality of doing psychological evaluations on minor children without the knowledge and permission of their custodial parent," was overbroad. The legality or illegality of doing psychological evaluations of minor children at the request of noncustodial parents is determined by state law. The correction concludes with the advice that state law and regulations should be carefully researched to determine the legal status of such evaluations at the request of noncustodial parents. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"In the beginning was the 'name' ": Response to Terrace.

Responds to H. S. Terrace's (see record 1986-11457-001) ideas about the development of naming behavior in children and apes. Data are presented that contradict Terrace's findings that nonhuman primates rarely approach anything close to human thinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Revisioning the unconscious": Response to commentaries.

The author responds to comments by R. S. Lazarus, P. L. Wachtel, D. P. Spence, A. W. Kruglanski, E. L. Rossi, M. Eagle, J. F. Kihlstrom, N. F. Dixon, and D. Holender (see PA, Vol 75:16881, 16907, 16900, 16880, 16896, 16860, 16878, 16856, and 16872, respectively) regarding his (see record 1988-16849-001) article on the unconscious. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Primary mental health care: A "find" for psychology?

Challenges within the emerging area of primary mental health care, in contrast with secondary or tertiary care, are discussed. A review including British and Canadian research in this area is provided. Some attention is given to employer-subsidized services that are available in the workplace. Special consideration is given to mental health services provided in pediatric and family medicine settings. Some suggestions are made in regard to organized psychology's response to these issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Understanding the current facts and principles of mental health systems planning": Comment.

Comments on an article by W. A. Anthony et al (see record 1991-10848-001) describing planning principles for the development of future mental health systems. Contrary to the implication of Anthony et al, it is not certain whether a new technology will change for the better the way mental health services are delivered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Haviland, McGuire, and Rothbaum's "A critique of Plomin and Foch's twin study."

Replies to the criticism of J. M. Haviland et al (see record 1984-11539-001) of the present authors' (see record 1981-25190-001) twin study of objectively assessed personality in childhood. No merit is found in the criticisms of Haviland et al concerning conceptual validity and stability of the measures, comparability of populations, the accuracy of the literature review, or the appropriate interpretation of broad heritability. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reply to "The empirical basis of ethnocultural and linguistic bias in mental health evaluations of Hispanics."

Replies to S. López (see record 1989-16799-001) on the present authors' (see record 1987-22971-001) article, and argues that both true and treated prevalence data are needed in studies on Hispanic mental health. Issues concerning test bias and language expression (i.e., Spanish or English) of mental health problems are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Observing the social world": Response.

Replies to the student reviewers (see record 1993-35323-001) of the author's original study (see record 1993-35289-001) concerned with developing research ideas from observations of real-life events. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Illusion" of mental health does not explain positive illusions.

Comments on the argument by J. Schedler et al (see record 1994-09623-001) that standard mental health scales appear unable to distinguish between genuine mental health and the illusion of mental health created by psychological defenses. It is asserted that Schedler et al go beyond appropriate empirical and conceptual boundaries by extending their analysis to the body of research known as "positive illusions." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlates of mental illness: A neglected problem in demonstrating the "mental illness culture."

Criticizes I. Silverman and D. Saunders's (1983; see also PA, Vol 67:1855) study of the relationship between physical proximity of psychiatric facilities and patient admission rates. It is suggested that Silverman and Saunders have not used reliably measured and reported behavioral correlates of mental illness; have incorrectly concluded that proximity of the facility creates, in the surrounding area, the perception of undesirable behavior as mental illness; and may simply have demonstrated that admissions tend to reflect logistical convenience of beds, regardless of the type of treatment facility. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response to "Cognitive remediation following traumatic brain injury."

Comments on the discussion by J. S. Kreutzer et al (see record 1990-02650-001) on cognitive remediation (CRM) following traumatic brain injury and proposes that a central problem in CRM should be viewed as one of motivation and attitude. The heterogeneity of neuropathology and supported employment interventions are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response to "Neuropsychological and psychosocial assessment of the brain-injured person: Clinical concepts and guidelines."

Comments on L. I. Cripe's (see record 1990-01831-001) discussion of neuropsychological and psychosocial assessment of brain-injured persons (BIPs). How long the performance of fixed comprehensive batteries should be delayed is addressed, and the validity of measures used in the assessment of BIPs (an issue not emphasized by Cripe) is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Consciousness and the voices of the mind": Response to the discussants.

In planning the McMaster University Brain and Behaviour Research Programme's 1983 Bauer lecture, it was deemed that a topic in the area of cognitive neuroscience might be suitable, preferably one of a general nature that would be of interest to several disciplines. Consciousness, one of the most perplexing of human issues, requires that we question how the living material of the human brain results in the subjective awareness humankind experiences. Julian Jaynes was asked to present the lecture, which was entitled "Consciousness and the voices of the mind" (see record 2007-08986-001). In this article, Jaynes responds to comments on his lecture by Daniel Dennett (see record 2007-09336-002), Jonathan Miller (see record 2007-09336-003), and George Ojemann (see record 2007-09336-004). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On Silverman and Saunders "Creating the mental illness culture."

Argues that Silverman and Saunders's (1980) conclusions regarding the creation of a mental illness culture are based on limited demographic information, consisting of admission rates to Ontario mental hospitals and some sociological and economic indices that are held to characterize the regions served by those hospitals. Emphasis is placed on Silverman and Saunders's conclusions that (a) there is confusion in the definition of mental illness, (b) there is legal impropriety in admitting and retaining many patients in mental hospitals, and (c) public funds would be better used in reducing the social and economic problems of mental patients, resulting in a decrease in the number of such patients. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Two operations for "ratios" and "differences" of distances on the mental map.

Ss judged "ratios of distances" between pairs of U.S. cities. Results fit the theory that Ss used two comparison processes as instructed. A ratio scale of distances between cities was constructed from the 2 rank orders. From this scale, an interval scale of the city locations on an east-west continuum was derived. This scale agrees with the subtractive model fit to "ratios" and "differences" of easterliness and westerliness, and it also agrees with multidimensional scaling of judged distances between cities. These findings are consistent with the theory that Ss use subtraction when instructed to judge either "ratios" or "differences," but that they can use both ratio and difference operations when the stimuli (in this case, distances) constitute a ratio scale on the subjective continuum. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"How mental systems believe": Comment.

Comments on D. T. Gilbert's (see record 1991-17453-001) assertion (in accordance with Spinoza) that comprehension and believing are inseparable, and that to comprehend is to believe. People's experiences of religious conversion, it is argued, often occur prior to the specific knowledge of the ideology to which conversion has occurred, and are social rather than cognitive phenomena. What is perceived to be real is a function of what is accepted as valid by individuals and groups with which the individual is closely connected. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"How mental systems believe": Reply.

Replies to L. L. Downing's (see record 1992-33857-001) comment on D. T. Gilbert's (see record 1991-17453-001) article on belief and comprehension. When a person accepts or believes a proposition, the person is prepared to behave as though it is true. Belief is the propensity to behave, not the tendency to swear up and down. Downing's notion that people can be prepared to act as if X were true prior to knowing what X stands for is a non sequitur. Downing fails to distinguish between statements of belief and beliefs proper. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)