Barriers to the provision of mental health services to individuals with severe physical disability.

Surveyed 86 consumer advocates (67 with physical disabilities), 157 rehabilitation counselors, 94 rehabilitation administrators, 323 mental health administrators and professionals, and 145 severely disabled Ss concerning Ss' perceptions of the nature and extent of mental health services, barriers to mental health service provision for individuals with severe physical disabilities, and personal data. Overall, there was a general consistency among the sample groups in their perceptions of the extent to which each of 10 variables is a barrier to service delivery. The lack of accessible public transportation, especially in nonmetropolitan areas, and the accompanying limitation on costly mental health outreach services were viewed as serious problems. The limited knowledge and skills of many mental health professional regarding severe physical disability was perceived to be a moderate to substantial barrier to service provision. Findings indicate that individuals with severe physical disability are an underserved group. Recommendations regarding policy and program development and training of professionals are offered. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal fluency in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury.

Tests of verbal fluency that require either retrieval by semantic category or retrieval by initial letter were presented to 19 participants with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and 24 control (NC) participants. Performance on these tasks was analyzed for total number of words produced, the presence of semantic clusters in the order of words produced, the presence of phonemic clusters in the order of words produced, and number of errors (i.e., perseverations, words out of category). Individuals with MTBI produced fewer words and made more errors than NCs, but their production contained an equal proportion of semantic and phonemic clusters. These data are discussed in relation to a previous study in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). PD participants did not make more errors than age-matched NCs despite reduced production. Implications for memory and executive function deficits following MTBI are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reactions to interviewers with a physical disability.

80 male and 80 female college students were individually interviewed by a male or female interviewer under 1 of 4 conditions: (1) a formally dressed interviewer, (2) a casually dressed interviewer, (3) a formally dressed interviewer with an apparent physical disability, or (4) a casually dressed interviewer with an apparent physical disability. Findings show that Ss consistently rated the interviewer with an apparent disability more favorably on a variety of personal characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functional ability perceived by individuals following total knee arthroplasty compared to age-matched individuals without knee disability

The present study was designed to evaluate whether galanin could play a role in the regulation of testicular steroidogenesis. To this purpose, using purified rat Leydig cells, we examined the effects of galanin on basal and hCG- or LHRH-induced testosterone production and the interference of a specific galanin receptor antagonist, galantide, on galanin activity. Moreover, since it has been shown that galanin-induced stimulation of LHRH secretion appears to involve the release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) as intracellular mediator, we evaluated also the effect of galanin on Leydig cells PGE2 output and the interference of indomethacin, a cycloxygenase blocker, on its activity. Furthermore, the effect of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a lipoxygenase inhibitor, was also examined. Data obtained indicate that galanin amplified testosterone response to hCG or LHRH whilst galantide prevented its potentiating activity. Moreover, galanin stimulated PGE2 output though this fatty acid is not involved in galanin activity on Leydig cells as indomethacin failed to affect its amplification of testosterone production. The possible involvement of leukotrienes should also be excluded as NDGA did not modify galanin action. In summary, the present study indicates that galanin potentiates acute gonadotropin or LHRH steroidogenic action on Leydig cells and that this activity is specific and receptor-mediated as it is prevented by a specific receptor antagonist.     

Romantic attachment in individuals with physical disabilities.

Objective: To examine the relationship between adult attachment style and physical disability in intimate romantic relationships. Method: Participants were 50 individuals with adult-onset spinal cord injuries (SCI) and 50 individuals with congenital disabilities (CON) living in the community. The main outcome measures were adult attachment style and dyadic relationship adjustment. Results: Participants with SCI and CON did not differ in rates of secure versus insecure attachment, and the rates of neither group differed significantly from rates reported for persons without disability. Dyadic adjustment was clearly predicted by attachment variables and differed between the participants with SCI and those with CON; individuals with SCI reported greater total dyadic adjustment. Avoidance showed a strong negative association with dyadic satisfaction, but no association was found with dyadic cohesion. Social participation variables were associated with dyadic adjustment. For instance, mobility was positively associated with dyadic satisfaction. Conclusions: Dyadic adjustment in people with disabilities, as in other groups, is affected by attachment style, but disability and social participation variables may also affect dyadic adjustment. Clinicians should consider differences in attachment styles among persons with disabilities and their implications for intimate close relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical inferences about depression and physical disability.

Individuals who are physically disabled are often expected to be depressed and to mourn their condition. It is relatively unknown, however, how these expectations influence psychologists' inferences about the emotional status of those who have a physically stigmatizing condition. Sixty-nine doctoral students in the American Psychological Association approved clinical and counseling psychology programs rated their expectations for depression in a person after viewing a videotape of the person in varied conditions of physique and affect. The results indicate that the presence of physical disability did not moderate the assessment of depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Goal instability and adjustment to physical disability.

Few studies have examined psychoanalytic constructs in the adjustment of individuals who incur physical disability. According to H. Kohut (1977), optimal adjustment during life transitions is contingent on the individual's capacity for maintaining and pursuing meaningful goals, which reflects a stable sense of self. A series of studies was conducted to determine if goal instability would predict adjustment and health following disability. Goal instability was predictive at depressive behavior and acceptance of disability among individuals with recent-onset disability. Goal instability predicted subjective well-being 1 year later. Among community residents with a disability, goal instability was associated with life satisfaction; this relationship was not mediated by perceived stigma or community mobility. These findings indicate that a flexible yet durable goal orientation is associated with optimal psychological adjustment among individuals with a physical disability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of client preferences and counselor's physical disability.

Investigated the effects on a client of a counselor's obvious physical disability. In a counseling analog, 24 able-bodied and 24 physically handicapped male undergraduates were shown 3 slides-a counselor in a wheelchair, a counselor with crutches, and a counselor with no apparent physical disability. Ss were asked to respond to a series of hypothetical counseling situations. Results suggest that both able-bodied and disabled Ss preferred disabled counselors for discussing personal problems. Able-bodied Ss who appeared most maladjusted tended to reject the disabled counselor. Implications for counselor selection and job assignment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acceptance of physical disability and attitudes toward personal appearance.

Investigated appearance management (AM) as a social–psychological variable in 322 physically disabled university students. The questionnaire included an AM and social interaction scale and measures of acceptance of disability. A tendency to regard AM as a form of compensation was associated with a tendency to view physical disability as a central or salient aspect of personal identity. Data suggest that AM is regarded by some as a means for ameliorating the social impact of a physical disability, but is expected to serve only a secondary role in impression formation. The relationship between disability acceptance and predisposition toward AM is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal interactions in the families of schizophrenic and bipolar affective patients.

Do verbal interactions between psychiatric patients and family members covary with the diagnosis of the patient? This study compared relatives (usually parents) of schizophrenic (n?=?42) and bipolar (n?=?22) patients on affective style (AS) or emotional-verbal behavior toward patients in family interaction. Patients were compared on coping style or verbal interactional behavior toward relatives. Relatives of schizophrenic patients made more negative AS (particularly intrusive) statements to patients than relatives of bipolar patients. Schizophrenic patients made fewer supportive statements and more self-denigrating statements to relatives than bipolar patients. Among families of bipolar patients, negative AS in relatives was associated with oppositional, "refusing" styles in patients. Implications for psychosocial interventions with these disorders are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal interactions between children and their mothers during the preschool years.

Observed 20 2-5 yr olds and their mothers while they interacted verbally in an unstructured situation. Quantitative as well as categorical aspects of the interactions were analyzed. Both types of dependent variables were found to change with the age and the language level of the children. Close mutual adaptation of both partners for the quantitative as well as the qualitative dimension were demonstrated. The correlation patterns between the types of utterances allow the abstraction of a "primitive" and an advanced cluster of language-teaching-learning behaviors. The stability and generalizability of these trends are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal processes on psychological radio call-in programs: Comparisons with other help-intended interactions.

We describe the verbal process of program hosts and callers during call-in psychology interviews; we measured the similarity of these interactions with other help-intended interactions, and we assessed the compatibility of hosts' verbal behavior with prescribed ethical guidelines. Radio interviews with 30 callers were recorded from each of 6 programs broadcast in major American cities. Hosts' and callers' verbal response modes (VRMs) were coded and compared with the VRMs used in psychotherapy, university settings, and medical interviews. Hosts' VRMs most resembled those of rational-emotive therapists and those of physicians in the conclusion segment of medical interviews. Callers' VRMs most resembled those of clients in cognitive-behavioral therapy. The results call into question the viability of the distinctions made in current ethical guidelines governing psychologists' behavior on such programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Partial care as a vehicle for rehabilitation of individuals with severe psychiatric disability.

Assessed the degree to which 55 partial care programs in New Jersey had implemented psychiatric rehabilitation principles and practices. The study included assessments of the facilities' policy, procedure, and program documentation and psychiatric rehabilitation approach and interviews with clients. Results indicate that the programs tended to provide extended care to persons with severe psychiatric disability. Most clients were aware of their reason for coming to the program and how the program was trying to help them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stages of change and physical activity among individuals with severe mental illness.

Objective: To apply the constructs of the transtheoretical model (TTM) of change to understand physical activity among individuals with severe mental illness. Method: Predictions of stages of change of physical activity and self-reported physical activity were investigated among 92 adults with severe mental illness, using cognitive and behavioral processes of change, self-efficacy, and perceived pros and cons of exercise as predictors. Results: Separate logistic regression analyses for adjacent pairs of stages indicated that 33% of the variance was accounted for when predicting preparation versus action/maintenance stages, with behavioral processes making a significant unique contribution to prediction. A multiple-regression analysis was conducted to examine prediction of self-reported physical activity on the basis of all of the TTM measures, and the full model accounted for nearly 27% of the variance. Conclusion: Results suggest that TTM constructs hold promise in understanding physical activity of people with severe mental illness with significant implications for clinical practice and future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Homophobia and physical aggression toward homosexual and heterosexual individuals.

This study examined the relationship between homophobia (defined as self-reported negative affect, avoidance, and aggression toward homosexuals) and homosexual aggression. Self-identified heterosexual college men were assigned to homophobic (n?=?26) and nonhomophobic (n?=?26) groups on the basis of their scores on the Homophobia Scale (HS; L. W. Wright, H. E. Adams, & J. A. Bernat, 1999). Physical aggression was examined by having participants administer shocks to a fictitious opponent during a competitive reaction time (RT) task under the impression that the study was examining the relationship between sexually explicit material and RT. Participants were exposed to a male homosexual erotic videotape, their affective reactions were assessed, and they then competed in the RT task against either a heterosexual or a homosexual opponent. The homophobic group reported significantly more negative affect, anxiety, and anger-hostility after watching the homosexual erotic videotape than did the nonhomophobic group. Additionally, the homophobic group was significantly more aggressive toward the homosexual opponent, but the groups did not differ in aggression toward the heterosexual opponent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Previous personal experience and reactions to depression and physical disability.

Conducted 2 experiments with 121 undergraduates to examine the effects of prior experience with people with disability on interpersonal reactions to depression expressed by a person with a disability. In the 1st study, Ss rejected further involvement with the depressed person and perceived this person to be socially impaired. In the 2nd study, Ss ascribed significantly more negative personal characteristics to the depressed person and evidenced more stereotypic attitudes toward persons with disability than Ss who viewed the nondepressed person. Results provide evidence that prior personal experience with people with disability does not moderate negative reactions to social displays of depressive behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Defining the good life following acquired physical disability.

The objective of this article is to provide empirical and theoretical perspective on what attitudes and behaviors could constitute living a good life following acquired physical disability. We define the term the good life; briefly examine the construct's role in philosophy, history, and positive psychology; and then suggest links to rehabilitation psychology. We review variables presumed to be both predictive of and important to living well, noting that relatively few have pronounced effects on well-being. Across time, people tend to adapt to both positive and negative events. Following the onset of disability, however, people do not necessarily return to their baseline levels of well-being. To live a good life with disability, we illustrate some choices and actions that individuals can take within three defining areas: making connections with others, developing positive traits, and enacting life regulation qualities. We conclude by suggesting how understanding the nature of the good life following disability onset can inform rehabilitation theory and therapy, and aid clients and families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

De novo conditioning in trauma-exposed individuals with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.

Differential conditioning was assessed in 15 medication-free individuals meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria for chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 18 trauma-exposed individuals who never developed PTSD (non-PTSD). Conditioned stimuli (CSs) were colored circles, and the unconditioned stimulus was a "highly annoying" electrical stimulus. Individuals with PTSD had higher resting heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC) levels and produced larger SC orienting responses. During conditioning, the PTSD group showed larger differential SC, HR, and electromyogrant responses to the reinforced vs. nonreinforced stimuli (CS+ vs. CS-) compared with the non-PTSD group. Only PTSD participants continued to show differential SC responses to CS+ vs. CS- during extinction trials. Results suggest that individuals with PTSD have higher sympathetic nervous system arousal at the time of conditioning and are more conditionable than trauma-exposed individuals without PTSD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)