Psychophysiological Mediators of Caregiver Stress and Differential Cognitive Decline.

The authors examined relationships between chronic stress and cognitive decline and whether such relationships were mediated by psychophysiological factors. Ninety-six caregivers of spouses with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were compared with 95 similar noncaregiver spouses. All were free of diabetes. Although the groups started similarly, over 2 years caregivers declined by a small but significant amount (1 raw score point and 4 percentile points, each p     

Actual neurosis and PTSD: The impact of the other.

The authors argue that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not an automatic consequence of a trauma. A review of empirical research demonstrates that there must be subjective mediating factors. On the basis of a conceptual reasoning, the existence of an actual-neurotic structure prior to the traumatic event is put forward as a precondition for the development of PTSD. Freud's theory on actual neurosis is interpreted as the impossibility to process the arousal coming from the drive in a symbolic way. The reason for this impossibility is sought in the failure of the primary caretakers in presenting the child with the necessary symbolic tools for drive regulation. The therapeutic implications of the presence of an actual-neurotic structure are important, because it can lead to a failure of free association. Suggestions for a more fruitful approach are formulated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessing Positive and Negative Changes in the Aftermath of Adversity: Psychometric Evaluation of the Changes in Outlook Questionnaire.

The Changes in Outlook Questionnaire (CiOQ; S. Joseph, R. Williams, & W. Yule, 1993) is a 26-item self-report measure that was designed to assess positive and negative changes in the aftermath of adversity. This article had 3 aims: 1st, to investigate the factor structure of the CiOQ; 2nd, to test for internal consistency reliability and convergent and discriminant validity; and, 3rd, to investigate the association between positive and negative changes in outlook, posttraumatic stress, and psychological distress. Three studies are reported. Study 1 provides evidence that positive and negative changes are statistically separable and that the 2-factor model is a better fit than the 1-factor model. Studies 2 and 3 provide evidence for internal consistency reliability, convergent and discriminant validity of the CiOQ, and its associations with posttraumatic stress and psychological distress. In conclusion, the CiOQ has much promise for research on responses to stressful and traumatic events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Socioeconomic Status, Resources, Psychological Experiences, and Emotional Responses: A Test of the Reserve Capacity Model.

The current study used ecological momentary assessment to test several tenets of the reserve capacity model (L.C. Gallo & K. A. Matthews, 2003). Women (N = 108) with varying socioeconomic status (SES) monitored positive and negative psychosocial experiences and emotions across 2 days. Measures of intrapsychic and social resources were aggregated to represent the reserve capacity available to manage stress. Lower SES was associated with less perceived control and positive affect and more social strain. Control and strain contributed to the association between SES and positive affect. Lower SES elicited greater positive but not negative emotional reactivity to psychosocial experiences. Women with low SES had fewer resources relative to those with higher SES, and resources contributed to the association between SES and daily experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Clinical Trial to Test the Feasibility of a Telehealth Psychoeducational Intervention for Persons With Schizophrenia and Their Families: Intervention and 3-Month Findings.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of a telehealth psychoeducation intervention for persons with schizophrenia and their family members. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Participants: 30 persons with schizophrenia and 21 family members or other informal support persons. Interventions: Web-based psychoeducation program that provided online group therapy and education. Main Outcome Measures: Measures for persons with schizophrenia included perceived stress and perceived social support; for family members, they included disease-related distress and perceived social support. Results: At 3 months, participants with schizophrenia in the intervention group reported lower perceived stress (p = .04) and showed a trend for a higher perceived level of social support (p = .06). Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the feasibility and impact of providing telehealth-based psychosocial treatments, including online therapy groups, to persons with schizophrenia and their families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health Service Use Predictors Among Trauma Survivors: A Critical Review.

This article had 2 aims: (a) to comprehensively review and synthesize the literature on predictors of health service utilization in survivors of traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients and (b) to discuss methodological issues in examining service utilization in this population. PsycINFO was searched for relevant articles published through April 2004. Included studies had to primarily sample trauma survivors or PTSD patients and statistically explore health service use determinants. Although some findings conflicted across studies, increased mental health service use was generally related to being female, having a previous trauma history, and having a PTSD diagnosis. Increased medical service use was found among those with a PTSD diagnosis. Methodological recommendations are made for future health service use studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

新锆合金碘致应力腐蚀断口研究

利用扫描电镜和EDXA对新锆合金碘致应力腐蚀的断口进行了形貌观察和成分分析。在断口表面发现腐蚀产物、二次裂纹、沿晶开裂和穿晶准解理开裂等应力腐蚀断裂特征,并观察到锆合金碘致应力腐蚀的“沟槽”特征。起裂区为沿晶开裂,在裂纹扩展阶段,开裂以穿晶为主。断口上腐蚀产物的成分主要是氧和锆,局部准解理开裂区域可检测到碘。去应力退火试样上发现了平行轧面的深沟,且沿晶开裂不明显。试验温度升高,断口上的腐蚀产物增多,而且沿晶开裂更容易。碘分压不仅影响腐蚀产物层的厚度,而且碘分压较高时沿晶开裂容易发生。     

V型钢导轨表面裂纹分析

对V型钢导轨在热处理后的磨削加工中出现的表面裂纹进行了宏、微观分析，硬度测试及热酸蚀试验。结果表明，磨削不当是导致V型钢导轨出现表面裂纹的主要原因。提出了改进措施。     

前瞻记忆与紧张度的关系研究

紧张状态下的前瞻记忆表现是应急反应研究的一个新视角。运用自行研制的实验材料，在前瞻记忆的实验法范式下，对不同呈现速度(即紧张程度)和分心条件下，前瞻记忆的绩效进行了比较。结果发现前瞻记忆的绩效随紧张程度增大而显著降低；快速比慢速受分心影响小，并且这种趋势接近显著水平。此研究对于探讨前瞻记忆在紧急突发事件中的应用，具有重要的借鉴意义。