Child abuse reporting in British Columbia: Psychologists' knowledge of and compliance with the reporting law.

Despite mandatory reporting laws, research suggests that psychologists still commonly fail to report suspected child abuse. Psychologists from British Columbia completed a survey concerning their knowledge of, compliance with, and attitudes about reporting laws. Participants also responded to vignettes that varied the type of child abuse presented (i.e., physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect). Results showed that psychologists have a high level of knowledge of the reporting law; however, their knowledge did not influence their reporting behavior. Intention to report differed as a function of type of abuse, with the neglect and sexual abuse vignettes being most likely to be reported. Degree of certainty that abuse was occurring accounted for a substantial amount of the variance in reporting intention. Lack of evidence in detecting maltreatment was indicated as a significant barrier against the reporting of suspected child abuse. Implications for professional training, research, and legislative reform are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Presleep experience and home dream reporting: An exploratory study.

Investigated the effect of presleep stress on home dream recall for a total of 57 male undergraduates who rated themselves on a questionnaire as frequent or infrequent dream recallers. In the stress condition, Ss observed an accomplice being "shocked" for error on a sensorimotor test which Ss expected to be tested on in a few days. There was no difference in amount of home dream recall for the stress and control conditions. The prediction of more dream recall for frequent recallers and less dream recall for infrequent recallers in the stress condition was supported. The tendency toward more contentless and vague dream recall for the stress condition, especially for infrequent recallers, was discussed in terms of (a) the larger percentage of dreams scorable for hostility in the stress condition, and (b) the hypothesis that contentless dreams are correlates of repression. (21 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment of sleep apnea syndrome with CPAP: compliance with treatment, its efficacy and secondary effects

INTRODUCTION: Continuous positive pressure via the nose (nasal-CPAP) is the first line of treatment in the sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). Long term compliance with treatment is essential for success and this may depend on the relation of benefit to side-effects. OBJECTIVE: To study the improvement in symptoms of SAS patients treated with CPAP, side-effects and compliance with treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In accordance with the objectives a 10 question questionnaire was given to 65 patients diagnosed as having SAS after polysomnographic studies (PSG) who were being treated with CPAP. RESULTS: Eighty per cent of the patients complied with the treatment prescribed and 82% of these considered it to be effective. Ninety per cent of the patients noticed improvement of 50% of their symptoms and 48% noticed improvement of more than 80%. The daytime symptoms which showed most improvement were the feeling of tiredness on waking (94.1%) and of excessive somnolence during the day. The nocturnal symptoms which most improved were snoring and inability to breathe whilst asleep (100% and 95.1% respectively). Ninety per cent of the patients complained of a side-effect and/or problem with the equipment. The commonest complaints were related to nasal problems (dryness, congestion, rhinorrhea, etc), which affected 61.5%. The main complaint about the equipment was of the noise it made (46%). However, only 6% of the patients gave up the treatment because of side-effects. CONCLUSION: CPAP is an effective treatment which is well tolerated in spite of its drawbacks.     

Effects of home visits and telephone contacts on breastfeeding compliance in Taiwan

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to test the effects of home visits and telephone contacts on mothers' compliance to breastfeeding in Taiwan. A total of 180 mothers was assigned to three groups: home visit, telephone contact, and control. No significant differences were found between groups. However, multiparas showed a significantly longer duration of breastfeeding and a more positive experience of breastfeeding than primiparas. The best subsets to predict breastfeeding duration were level of breastfeeding easiness and a home visit, which accounted for 20% of the total variance.     

Knowledge of and compliance with privileged communication and child-abuse- reporting laws.

Mental health practitioners have been criticized for possessing less than adequate knowledge of their legal obligations. An exploratory survey involving 98 respondents was conducted to assess whether this criticism was justified. Results show that a significant proportion of psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers are unaware of 2 of the most basic laws that apply to their professions: the right of privileged communications and the requirement of reporting child abuse. With regard to the latter, it is shown that even among those practitioners who are aware of it, a majority still refuse to comply with it in a hypothetical case. This survey suggests that a significant proportion of mental health professionals are either ignorant of or ignore their legal obligations. The pressing need for more adequate graduate and continuing professional training in these matters is emphasized. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of compliance in home and center hemodialysis patients.

For 35 chronic in-center hemodialysis patients and 14 home dialysis patients (aged 20–74 yrs), physicians' subjective ratings of compliance were significantly higher than ratings of compliance based on objective laboratory data. A greater discrepancy was found between subjective and objective compliance ratings for home than for center patients. Compliance ratings by physicians, social workers, and dieticians correlated for in-center patients but not those treated at home. Findings suggest that when evaluating home patients, subjective factors may distort the interpretation of objective data reflecting patient condition. Findings are discussed in light of the assumption that home dialysis is often the preferred mode of treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Knowledge of and compliance with privileged communication and child-abuse reporting laws": Comment.

Comments on the article by J. S. Swoboda et al (see record 1980-24066-001) and asserts that this article should not have been published in the journal of Professional Psychology. Perry considers the printing of this article to be irresponsible in the damaging effects that it might have on the public's view of psychology as a profession. Perry objects to the suggestion that a significant number of psychologists would ignore or break the law without that suggestion being based upon much better evidence than is contained in this article. While Swoboda et al. are careful to refer to their results as "exploratory" and "suggestions," they nevertheless use these findings as evidence in their discussion of the "negative attitude toward the law" and "ignorance of the law." In addition, Perry asserted that the high refusal rate and the fact that the sample was restricted to eastern Nebraska may indicate a restricted and biased sample. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The postantibiotic effect of imipenem: relationship with drug concentration, duration of exposure, and MIC

The postantibiotic effect (PAE) of imipenem against Escherichia coli was measured at a wide variety of drug concentrations and times of exposure. We observed that the area under the concentration-time curve of drug exposure (AUC), the product of time of exposure and concentration of drug, is a much better predictor of the duration of the PAE than either parameter alone. We also measured the PAE of imipenem against strains of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria for which MICs varied widely. The E50, the AUC required to produce 50% of the maximum PAE, is correlated with the MIC and is independent of species. This may explain why the duration of the PAE differs for bacteria of the same species for which MICs are different.     

The effect of symptom visibility on informant reporting.

Informant reporting is important in the assessment of depression and anxiety among individuals with cognitive impairment. The authors examined the influence of the visibility effect on the ease of rating depression and anxiety symptoms. Fifty-three family members of dementia patients and 65 staff members working with cognitively impaired adults judged the ratability of the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms item pool. Results indicated that Appetite Loss, Lassitude, and Insomnia scales were easiest to rate; Suicidality and Traumatic Intrusions scales were most difficult to rate. Findings support the visibility effect and emphasize the importance of selecting easy to rate items for informants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A new method of infant monitoring: for use at home and hospital

AIM: To test a New Zealand originated, designed and funded remote infant heart rate monitor in the home and hospital settings (temporarily named the King Monitor) for accuracy and reliability. METHODS: The units were pretested using ECG simulators and on infants already being monitored in the neonatal unit. Longer term trials on hospital infants and infants being simultaneously monitored at home were then conducted. RESULTS: Interference and electrode problems were corrected during the pretesting phase. The unit worked accurately when compared with the standard neonatal heart and respiratory rate monitor in hospital and appeared in some infants to give earlier warning of problems than the standard home apnoea monitor. CONCLUSION: This simple to use monitor worked reliably and accurately under a wide variety of settings and with varying sized infants. In addition, the lack of direct connection between the infant and the control unit allowed freedom of movement of normal infants around the cot or bassinet. The monitor will require to be adapted for portable use at home and during travel.     

Global precedence: The effect of exposure duration.

Stimuli consisting of large letters constructed from small letters were presented to 26 undergraduates for 10, 40, or 100 msec, and Ss were required to identify either the large letters or the small letters. At the 10-msec exposure duration, only unidirectional or global to local interference was observed. This finding is consistent with D. Navon's (see record 1978-11488-001) global precedence hypothesis. However, at the longer exposure durations equivalent global to local and local to global interference patterns were observed. Results limit the generality of any global precedence hypothesis, either perceptual or attentional, to conditions in which there are large discrepancies in the quality of the local and global information. (French abstract) (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of freedom-threatening instructions and monetary inducement on compliance.

Reports 3 experiments with a total of 800 ss chosen from the toronto phone book. Questionnaires were sent to all ss with 1 of 4 sets of instructions: 1/2 were normal requests to fill out the questionnaire, and 1/2 were designed to pressure ss to comply (and consequently reduce their perceived freedom). Monetary reward for compliance was given to 1/2 of the ss in each of these conditions. In all 3 experiments, money included with the request significantly increased rates of return. The "pressure" instructions had no significant over-all effect. However, in the 3rd experiment, where 20 was included (instead of 10 as in the 1st 2) and where the instructions in the increases-pressure conditions were most severe, significantly more ss returned the money and the blank questionnaire than in any other condition. (french summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Type 2 diabetes: patient education and home blood glucose monitoring. 3

Successful treatment of type 2 diabetes requires the interaction of the patient, his or her family, and a variety of healthcare professionals. Education is the most powerful tool doctors have to convince patients, especially those who are asymptomatic, of the serious complications that can result from uncontrolled diabetes. Home blood glucose monitoring is a key to the doctor-patient partnership. Physicians may have to consider a patient's cultural and dietary customs in developing a manageable program of weight loss, diet, and physical activity, the most effective forms of treatment. Referrals should be made to local diabetes organizations with patient support programs, when available. Patient empowerment and education are key to effective management.     

The effect of tone duration on auditory stream formation

In a study in which the effect of tone duration on the formation of auditory streams was investigated, subjects were presented with 15-sec alternating pure-tone sequences (ABAB...) and were asked to orient their attention over the duration of the sequence toward hearing either a temporally coherent or a segregated percept. At stimulus offset, the subjects indicated whether their percept at the end of the stimulus had been that of a temporally coherent ABAB trill or that of segregated A and B streams. The experimental results indicated that the occurrence of stream segregation increases as (1) the duration of the A and B tones increases in unison and (2) the difference in duration between the A and B tones increases, with the duration differences between the tones producing the strongest segregation effects. A comparison of these experimental results with those of other studies strongly suggests that the time interval between the offset and onset of consecutive tones in the same frequency range is the most important temporal factor affecting auditory stream formation. Furthermore, a simulation of the experimental results by the Beauvois and Meddis (1996) stream segregation model suggests that both the tone duration effects reported here and Gestalt auditory grouping on the basis of temporal proximity can be understood in terms of low-level neurophysiological processes and peripheral-channeling factors.     

Effects of a prosthetic dental device used to treat obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and compliance of patients using the device

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether older persons with hypertension who use specific calcium antagonists and ACE inhibitors have a different risk of mortality than those using beta-blockers. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study continuing from 1988 through 1992. SETTING: Three communities of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. PARTICIPANTS: Hypertensive participants aged > or = 71 years (n = 906) who had no evidence of congestive heart failure and who were using either beta-blockers (n = 515), verapamil (n = 77), diltiazem (n = 92), nifedipine (n = 74), or ACE inhibitors (n = 148). Nifedipine was of the short acting variety. MEASUREMENTS: The main outcome measure was all-cause mortality. Age, gender, smoking, HDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, intake of digoxin and diuretics, physical disability, self-perceived health, and comorbid conditions were examined as confounders. RESULTS: During 3538 person-years of follow-up, 188 participants died (53 deaths per 1000 person-years). Compared with beta-blockers, after adjusting for age, gender, comorbid conditions and other health-related factors, the relative risks (95% confidence interval) for mortality associated with use of verapamil, diltiazem, nifedipine, and ACE inhibitors were 0.8 (0.4-1.4), 1.3 (0.8-2.1), 1.7 (1.1-2.7), and 0.9 (0.6-1.4), respectively. The results were unchanged after excluding participants with other potential contraindications to beta-blockers and after stratifying on coronary heart disease and use of diuretics. Higher doses of nifedipine were associated with higher mortality. CONCLUSION: Compared with beta-blockers, use of short acting nifedipine was associated with decreased survival in older hypertensive persons. However, selective factors influencing the use of specific drugs in higher risk patients could not be completely discounted, and final conclusions will depend on clinical trials.     

Compliance and adverse drug reactions: a prospective study with ethinylestradiol using continuous compliance monitoring

This study examined the relationship between adverse reactions and patient compliance with ethinylestradiol at 40 micrograms twice daily versus 20 micrograms four times daily. In a randomized study 61 female patients with primary infertility were prescribed the drug twice daily (n = 31) or four times daily (n = 30). Ethinylestradiol was administered for 7 days before the sperm cervical mucus penetration-test was performed for hormonal standardization of the cervical mucus quality. Drug compliance was measured by continuous monitoring using the Medication Event Monitoring System. Two parameters were evaluated: percentage of prescribed doses taken (administration compliance) and adherence to the prescribed dose schedule (regimen compliance, number of days with two or four dosing events recorded). Adverse drug reactions were assessed using a standardized questionnaire. Fourty-four women experienced side effects, of which 81% were rated by patients as being mild. Patient compliance was higher with the twice daily than with the four times daily regimen: 85% versus 65% prescribed doses taken (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in compliance comparing patients with and without adverse reactions (82% versus 72%, respectively), but compliance was lower and more irregular with at least 3 versus one or two adverse reactions reported: 54% versus 84% in administration compliance and 31% versus 58% in regimen compliance (P < 0.05). Compliance was also lower in patients with nausea and vomiting than in those without these symptoms, 59% versus 91% and 34% versus 66% (P < 0.005), respectively, and lower with moderate or severe compared to mild side effects; 48% versus 85% and 25% versus 59% (P < 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)