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Somatic Concerns (somatic + concern)
Selected AbstractsRelationship between psychiatric symptoms and regional cerebral blood flow in patients with mild Alzheimer's diseasePSYCHOGERIATRICS, Issue 3 2008Keisuke NAKAJIMA Abstract Background:, Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are frequently observed in patients with dementia and often cause serious problems. However, the cause of BPSD has not yet been elucidated. Moreover, the precise evaluation of BPSD in mild dementia has not been studied in any great detail. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods:, The present study included 47 patients (20 men and 27 women) who were diagnosed with mild AD. Mean patient age was 72.8 ± 8.2 years. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (99mTc-ECD) was performed in all patients. The SPECT data were analyzed using a three-dimensional stereotactic region of interest template, which evaluated CBF in 24 segments. Psychiatric symptoms were evaluated in patients using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Each psychiatric symptom was designated as ,symptom present' in cases in which the BPRS item score was more than 3. We compared 10 segments of rCBF in symptom-present patients with those in symptom-absent patients. Results:, Motor retardation was the most common psychiatric symptom (36.2%), followed by depression (19.1%), anxiety (17.0%), emotional withdrawal (17.0%), and somatic concern (14.9%). Alzheimer's disease patients with motor retardation exhibited a tendency towards lower rCBF in seven segments (left callosomarginal, bilateral parietal, bilateral angular, and bilateral temporal). However, no specific tendency was observed in depression, anxiety, and somatic concern. Conclusions:, In the present study, we observed a tendency for decreased brain perfusion in patients with motor retardation. Further studies are necessary to confirm that this trend contributes to the appearance of psychiatric symptoms in patients with mild AD. [source] Gender differences in jail inmates' symptoms of mental illness, treatment history and treatment seeking,CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2009Amy L. Drapalski Background,Rates of mental illness among prisoners are substantial, but little is known about the unique mental health needs of women in jail, those under pre-trial custodial remand or serving short sentences. Aims,To compare male and female jail inmates along a wide range of symptoms of mental illness using identical assessment methods, and to examine gender differences in treatment seeking before and during incarceration. Methods,Soon after incarceration in a county jail, 360 male and 154 female pre-trial and post-trial inmates completed the Personality Assessment Inventory, a wide-ranging measure of psychiatric symptoms. Treatment seeking information was taken from official jail records. Results,Women were more likely to report clinically significant symptoms of anxiety, borderline personality features, somatic concerns and trauma-related symptoms; however, trauma-related symptoms and borderline features were also common among male inmates. Although both men and women reported high rates of drug-related problems, alcohol-related problems were twice as prevalent among male inmates. Female inmates were more likely to seek and be enrolled in jail-based treatment; there were no differences in reported help seeking prior to incarceration. Conclusions,Female jail inmates are especially in need of mental health services. Effective interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder are needed in jail settings for both male and female inmates during incarceration and upon release. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Discontented people: reactivity and locus of control as determinants of subjective well-beingEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 1 2001Tatiana Klonowicz This study examines the effects of reactivity temperament and locus of control variables on subjective well-being (SWB). SWB is operationalized as positive affect, the absence of somatic concerns, and heightened life satisfaction. The study hypotheses were that (1) reactivity and locus of control influenced SWB and that (2) affect either mediated or moderated the influence of these traits on SWB. As expected, high reactivity and external locus of control were associated with lower SWB, whereas low reactivity and internal locus of control were associated with higher SWB. However, the data indicate that reactivity and locus of control influenced different components of SWB and that locus of control predicted SWB more consistently than reactivity. Somatic health is influenced by reactivity, locus of control and negative affect, but not positive affect. Current life satisfaction is influenced by locus of control,but not reactivity,and by both positive and negative affect. Hope is related to reactivity but not to either locus of control or affect. The data corroborate the expectation that affect serves as a mediator in the trait,SWB relations, whereas the view that affect moderates the effect of stable dispositions on SWB finds scant support. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Family survivorship and quality of life following a cancer diagnosisRESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 6 2001Suzanne Mellon Abstract The objectives of this study were: (a) to examine the quality of life of the family as a unit during the long-term survivor phase of illness and (b) to test a family model of factors that may influence family quality of life. The family survivorship model, which includes illness survival stressors (family stressors, fear of recurrence, and patient somatic concerns), resources (family hardiness and family social support), appraisal (family meaning of the illness), and the outcome, family quality of life, was used to guide this exploratory cross-sectional study. A random, stratified sample of 123 families (N,=,246 individuals) was interviewed 1,5 years after treatment ended. The model explained 63% of the variance in family quality of life, with the strongest predictors being concurrent family stressors, family social support, family member fear of recurrence, family meaning of the illness, and patient employment status. The study findings suggest the importance of addressing cancer-related stressors, family resources, and family meaning as key factors related to family quality of life. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 24:446,459, 2001 [source] | |||||||||||||