Psychological Medicine Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Background-From an affective neuroscience perspective, our understanding of psychiatric illness may be advanced by neuropsychological test paradigms probing emotional processes. Reversal learning is one such process, whereby subjects must first acquire stimulus/reward and stimulus/punishment associations through trial and error and then reverse them. We sought to determine the specificity of previously demonstrated reversal learning impairments in youths with bipolar disorder (BD) by now comparing BD youths to those with severe mood dysregulation (SMD), major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety (ANX), and healthy controls.

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- Psychology, Anxiety Disorders, Cognition, Adolescent
- by Linda George
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- Psychology, Social Support, Adolescent, Psychological Medicine

Depression after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is very common, yet there is a lack of evidence-based treatment options for people who experience depression after a TBI. Traditionally, a history of TBI has been considered an exclusion criterion for transcranial magnetic stimulation trials because of the increased risk of seizure after a TBI. We present what we believe to be the first case of a patient with depression after a TBI treated with transcranial magnetic stimulation.

- by Jerome Maller
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- Psychology, Depression, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Treatment Outcome

Background. Identify a group of adults with 'undiagnosed' attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and compare their personal and family medical histories, psychosocial profiles, functional impairment and quality of life with non-ADHD controls. Additionally, compare adults with undiagnosed and diagnosed ADHD to investigate possible reasons why the undiagnosed avoid clinical detection.

- by Stephen Able
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- Psychology, Psychological Medicine, Psychological, Mental Disorders

SYNOPSISAs a part of a survey to study the health and living conditions of the elderly population, a random sample of residents aged 65 and over are examined using the Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS) in order to evaluate their psychiatric status. The aim of this study is to evaluate this standard method of assessment as a case-identification instrument in our country. The schedule was completed by 91 subjects. It is easily administered, easily scored, and economical on time. Its completion rate is high. The weighted total scores (WTS) range from 0 to 48. Using the case criteria defined by Cooper & Schwarz (1982), 27 subjects (30%) are considered cases and 64 (70%) are regarded as non-cases. The sensitivity coefficients for the WTS are examined against the overall severity rating at different cut-off points. The optimum cut-off can be anywhere between 16 and 20 points. The WTS has higher validity coefficients to detect the following diagnostic categories (sensitivity, specificity):...

- by Luiz Ramos
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- Psychology, Psychometrics, Mental Health, Dementia
- by Louise M Howard
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- Psychology, Economics, Climate Change, Mental Health

Background. Conspiracy beliefs are associated with detrimental health attitudes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Most prior research on these issues was cross-sectional, however, and restricted to attitudes or behavioral intentions. The current research was designed to examine to what extent conspiracy beliefs predict health behavior and well-being over a longer period of time. Methods. In this preregistered multi-wave study on a large Dutch research panel (weighted to provide nationally representative population estimates), we examined if conspiracy beliefs early in the pandemic (April 2020) would predict a range of concrete health and well-being outcomes eight months later (December 2020; N = 5745). Results. Results revealed that Covid-19 conspiracy beliefs prospectively predicted a decreased likelihood of getting tested for corona; if tested, an increased likelihood of the test coming out positive; and, an increased likelihood of having violated corona regulations, deteriorated economic outcomes (job loss; reduced income), experiences of social rejection, and decreased overall well-being. Most of these effects generalized to a broader susceptibility to conspiracy theories (i.e., conspiracy mentality). Conclusions. These findings suggest that conspiracy beliefs are associated with a myriad of negative life outcomes in the long run. Conspiracy beliefs predict how well people have coped with the pandemic over a period of eight months, as reflected in their health behavior, and their economic and social well-being.

The impact of the transition to parenthood for dual earner couples was bemoaned, Data were collected by questionnaires form couples expecting their first child during pregnancy and after maternity leave, and childless couples at two separate time points. The impact of the transition was minimal overall, although women experienced more pressure than men and there were some cases of extreme stress. New single earner parents reported a greater decline in life satisfaction than dual earners.

Background. Insufficient evidence exists for a viable choice between long-and short-term psychotherapies in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The present trial compares the effectiveness of one long-term therapy and two shortterm... more

- by Esa Virtala and +1
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- Psychology, Brief Psychotherapy, Anxiety Disorders, Long Term Care
- by Lene Lindberg
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- Psychology, Africa, Adolescent, Psychological Medicine

SynopsisWhakama is a psychosocial and behavioural construct in the New Zealand Maori which does not have any exact equivalent in Western societies although shame, self-abasement, feeling inferior, inadequate and with self-doubt, shyness, excessive modesty and withdrawal describe some aspects of the concept. It is an important construct in order to understand the interaction of the Maori with each other and with the Caucasian New Zealander, the behaviour of the Maori in cross-cultural settings, and the clinical presentations of some Maori patients. This paper examines some of the meanings of Whakama, its various behavioural manifestations and its possible causes. The clinical relevance to psychiatry is emphasized.Waiho ma te whakama e patu!‘ Leave him alone he is punished by whakama ’ (Maori saying)

- by Perminder Sachdev
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- Psychology, Personality, Behavior, Family

Background. Although much research has focused on mechanisms of traumatization and factors related to post-trauma psychological functioning in survivors of trauma, there have been few studies of survivors of torture despite the widespread practice of torture in the world. The aim of this study was to examine the role of `psychological preparedness' for trauma in post-traumatic stress responses in survivors of torture.
Method. Thirty-four torture survivors who had no history of political activity, commitment to a political cause or group, or expectations of arrest and torture were compared with 55 tortured political activists, using structured interviews and measures of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Results. Compared with tortured political activists, tortured non-activists were subject to relatively less severe torture but showed higher levels of psychopathology. Less psychological preparedness related to greater perceived distress during torture and more severe psychological problems, explaining 4% of the variance in general psychopathology and 9% of the variance in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.
Conclusions. The study findings lend support to the role of prior immunization to traumatic stress and to unpredictability and uncontrollability of stressors in the effects of traumatization. Further research aimed at identifying the behavioural and cognitive components of psychological preparedness that play a role in traumatization may provide useful insights into effective treatment strategies for survivors of torture.

- by Salih M Paker
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- Psychology, Anxiety Disorders, Politics, Stress

Introduction. Cannabis use is strongly associated with the use and abuse/dependence of other illicit drugs. Gateway and common liabilities models have been employed to explain this relationship. We sought to examine this association using a combination of the discordant twin design and modeling methods.Method. We assess the relationship between early cannabis use and the subsequent use and abuse/dependence of other illicit drugs in a population-based sample of male and female twin pairs using four analyses: (i) analysis of the association between early cannabis use and other illicit drug use and abuse/dependence in the entire sample of twins, (ii) assessment of the influence of early cannabis use in twin 1 on twin 2's use or abuse/dependence of other illicit drugs, (iii) use of twin pairs discordant for early cannabis use in a discordant twin design and (iv) a model-fitting procedure.Results. We found: (i) a strong association between early cannabis use and use and abuse/depende...

- by Michael Neale
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- Psychology, Risk, Causality, Psychological Medicine

Background. A self-report screening scale of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the World Health Organization (WHO) Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) was developed in conjunction with revision of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). The current report presents data on concordance of the ASRS and of a short-form ASRS screener with blind clinical diagnoses in a community sample. Method. The ASRS includes 18 questions about frequency of recent DSM-IV Criterion A symptoms of adult ADHD. The ASRS screener consists of six out of these 18 questions that were selected based on stepwise logistic regression to optimize concordance with the clinical classification. ASRS responses were compared to blind clinical ratings of DSM-IV adult ADHD in a sample of 154 respondents who previously participated in the US National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), oversampling those who reported childhood ADHD and adult persistence. Results. Each ASRS symptom measure was significantly related to the comparable clinical symptom rating, but varied substantially in concordance (Cohen's k in the range 0. 16-0. 81). Optimal scoring to predict clinical syndrome classifications was to sum unweighted dichotomous responses across all 18 ASRS questions. However, because of the wide variation in symptom-level concordance, the unweighted six-question ASRS screener outperformed the unweighted 18-question ASRS in sensitivity (68. 7% v. 56. 3 %), specificity (99. 5% v. 98. 3 %), total classification accuracy (97. 9% v. 96. 2%), and k (0. 76 v. 0. 58). Conclusions. Clinical calibration in larger samples might show that a weighted version of the 18-question ASRS outperforms the six-question ASRS screener. Until that time, however, the unweighted screener should be preferred to the full ASRS, both in community surveys and in clinical outreach and case-finding initiatives.

- by Bedirhan Ustun
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- Psychology, Psychometrics, Adolescent, Medicine

BackgroundInterpersonal functioning is central to social anxiety disorder (SAD). Empirical examinations of interpersonal behaviors in individuals with SAD have frequently relied on analogue samples, global retrospective reports and laboratory observation. Moreover, research has focused on avoidance and safety behaviors, neglecting potential links between SAD and affiliative behaviors.MethodThe influence of situational anxiety and emotional security on interpersonal behaviors was examined for individuals with SAD (n=40) and matched normal controls (n=40). Participants monitored their behavior and affect in naturally occurring social interactions using an event-contingent recording procedure.ResultsIndividuals with SAD reported higher levels of submissive behavior and lower levels of dominant behavior relative to controls. Consistent with cognitive–behavioral and evolutionary theories, elevated anxiety in specific events predicted increased submissiveness among individuals with SAD. C...

- by Pierre Bleau
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- Psychology, Medicine, Anxiety, Psychological Medicine

Background. Prior research on the nature of the vulnerability of neuroticism to psychopathology suggests biases in information processing towards emotional rather than neutral information. It is unclear to what extent this relationship... more

- by FrÜhling Rijsdijk
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- Genetics, Psychology, Cognition, Attention

Background. This study examined the association between job strain and psychiatric morbidity using interview-based assessments of mental health. We assessed the prevalence of neurotic disorder in high job strain (high demand, low control) and low job strain (low demand, high control) school teachers, and compared these rates with data from individuals with similar educational qualifications from the National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey of Great Britain Methods. One hundred and sixty primary and secondary school teachers were selected from a larger survey on the basis of high or low job strain, and were assessed for psychiatric morbidity using the Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R). The prevalence of neurotic symptoms and a total psychiatric morbidity score were calculated.

- by Mark Cropley
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- Psychology, Job Satisfaction, Teaching, Psychological Medicine

Background. The psychological autopsy method offers the most direct technique currently available for examining the relationship between particular antecedents and suicide. This systematic review aimed to examine the results of studies of... more

- by Michael Sharpe
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- Psychology, Ergonomics, Research Design, Human Factors

Background. Disasters are traumatic events that may result in a wide range of mental and physical health consequences. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is probably the most commonly studied post-disaster psychiatric disorder. This... more

- by Yuval Neria
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- Psychology, Psychological Medicine, Post traumatic stress disorder, Disasters

Background. Depression is a common, disabling condition for which psychological treatments, in particular cognitive behavioural therapies are recommended. Promising results in recent randomized trials have renewed interest in behavioural therapy. This systematic review sought to identify all randomized trials of behavioural therapy for depression, determine the effect of such interventions and examine any moderators of such effect.

- by Simon Gilbody
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- Psychology, Brief Psychotherapy, Psychological Medicine, Behavior Therapy

Background. Empathy plays a key role in social understanding, but its empirical measurement has proved difficult. The Empathy Quotient (EQ) is a self-report scale designed to do just that. This series of four studies examined the... more

- by Simon Baron-cohen
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- Psychology, Principal Component Analysis, Psychological Medicine, Empathy

Despite a growing body of literature reporting eating disorders (EDs) in non-Western countries in recent years, most of these studies are limited to questionnaire-based surveys or case-series studies. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of EDs in Taiwanese high-school students. The study subjects consisted of all the female high-school students enrolled in the gifted dance class in 2003 in Taiwan (n=655) and non-dance female students randomly chosen from the same school (n=1251). All the participants were asked to complete self-report questionnaires, including the 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and the Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE). All the screen positives and an approximate 10% random sample of the screen negatives were then interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders Patient Version (SCID-I/P). The prevalence of individual EDs was much higher in the dance [0.7% for anorexia nervosa (AN), 2.5% for bulimia nervosa (BN) and 4.8% for EDs, not otherwise specified (EDNOS)] than in the non-dance (0.1, 1.0 and 0.7% respectively) students. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that being in the dance class, higher concern about body shape and lower family support were correlates of EDs for all students, whereas lower parental education level was associated with EDs only for non-dance students. EDs were more prevalent in the weight-concerned subpopulation. Although AN is still rare, BN has emerged as a comparable prevalent disorder in Taiwan, as in Western countries.

- by Mei-Chih M Tseng and +2
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- Psychology, Personality Assessment, Dancing, Body Image
- by Anne Speckens
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- Psychology, Psychometrics, Primary Health Care, Evaluation

Background. Familial factors, which are partly genetic, influence risk for phobias. Prior family and twin studies, however, were based on a single lifetime assessment, which may be only moderately reliable. Methods. We obtained, 8 years apart, two assessments of lifetime history of five unreasonable fears and phobias (agoraphobia and social, situational, animal and blood-injury phobia) from face-toface and telephone interviews from 1708 individual female twins from a population-based registry. We also obtained, 1 month apart, test-retest reliability on 192 twins. We fitted, using the program Mx, a measurement model that estimates the role of genetic and environmental risk factors correcting for measurement error. Results. Short-term reliability of the five phobias was modest (mean κ l 0n46), but higher than longterm stability (mean κ l 0n30). Unreliability occurred both for subject recall of unreasonable fears and for interviewer assessment of which fears constituted phobias. Examining fears and phobias together, in a multiple threshold model, results suggested that twin resemblance was due solely to genetic factors, with estimated total heritabilities, corrected for unreliability, of : any 43 %, agoraphobia 67 %, animal 47 %, blood\injury 59 %, situational 46 % and social 51 %. With the exception of animal phobia, similar results were obtained analysing phobias alone. Conclusions. Lifetime histories of unreasonable fears and phobias assessed at personal interview have substantial unreliability. Correcting for unreliability, the liability to fears and their associated phobias is moderately heritable. Individual-specific environmental experiences play an important role in the development of phobias, while familial-environmental factors appear to be of little aetiological significance.

- by Laura Thornton
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- Genetics, Psychology, Fear, Psychological Medicine

SYNOPSIS Mesmerism was for a period very popular in Victorian Britain. The special clinical approach developed by Dr J. Esdaile while on duty in British India is elaborated in detail. The controversy surrounding Esdaile's treatment of surgical, medical and psychiatric cases at the 'mesmeric hospital' at Calcutta is discussed, and the main arguments are set within their contemporary socio-cultural context. Some of the arguments advanced for and against mesmerism contain concerns similar to those that have been raised during later decades in regard to hypnotism and hypnotherapy.

- by Waltraud Ernst
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- Psychology, Psychiatry, Psychological Medicine, India

Background. Savant calendar calculators can supply with speed the day of the week of a given date. Although memory is suggested to be an important component of this unusual ability, memory function has never been systematically investigated in these skilled yet learning impaired individuals.Methods. Eight savant calendrical calculators, most of whom had autism, were compared with eight verbal IQ, age and diagnosis matched controls on digit and word span tests and measures of long-term memory for words and calendrical information (individual years). In an analogue to the ‘generation effect’, the savants' memory for dates was also compared following calculation and study/read tasks.Results. The savants did not differ from controls on measures of general short- and long-term memory. They did, however, show a clear recall superiority for the long-term retention of calendrical material. They also remembered calculated dates better than those that were only studied.Conclusions. A gene...

- by Linda Pring
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- Psychology, Autism, Cognition, Vocabulary

Data on the development of a 40-item measure of the symptoms in anorexia nervosa are reported. The scale (EAT) is presented in a 6-point, forced choice, self-report format which is easily administered and scored. The EAT was validated using 2 groups of female anorexia nervosa patients (N = 32 and 33) and female control subjects (N = 34 and 59). Total EAT score was significantly correlated with criterion group membership (r = 0.87, P less than 0.001), suggesting a high level of concurrent validity. There was very little overlap in the frequency distributions of the 2 groups and only 7% of the normal controls scored as high as the lowest anorexic patient. Female obese and male subjects also scored significantly lower on the EAT than anorexics. Recovered anorexic patients scored in the normal range on the test, suggesting that the EAT is sensitive to clinical remission.

- by Paul Garfinkel
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- Psychology, Anorexia Nervosa, Psychological Medicine, Attitude

The present study aims to validate the Spanish version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and to determine the use of this tool for screening mood and anxiety disorders. Psychometric properties of the HADS were assessed in different groups of general medical outpatients attending the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona (Nϭ385), and psychiatric diagnoses were made using DSM-IV criteria. A two-factor solution corresponding to the original two subscales of the HADS was found. The Spanish version of the HADS had good internal consistency and external validity, with favorable sensitivity and specificity in identifying cases of psychiatric disorder as defined by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I). The psychometric properties of the HADS and its brevity make it useful for screening for psychiatric disorders in the medically ill.

- by G. Kempen and +1
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- Psychology, General Practice, Anxiety Disorders, Psychometrics

Background. The Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) measures the perception of being parented to the age of 16 years. Low scores on the care dimension and high scores on the overprotection dimension are considered to be risk factors of depression. While the PBI has been shown to be a reliable and valid instrument, the stability of the PBI over extended periods (taking into account individual characteristics and life experience) needs to be demonstrated.

- by Kay Wilhelm
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- Psychology, Psychometrics, Depression, Social Perception

Determined whether women who were sexually abused as children would have higher rates of medical use compared with nonabused females. The authors also determined whether findings of prior researchers would be replicated when childhood physical abuse levels was controlled and determined the moderating impact of depressed mood on current health measures. 602 women (aged 18-88 yrs) recruited from an HMO completed self-report measures of health symptoms for the previous month and doctor visits for the previous year. Objective doctor records over a 2-yr period were examined for a subset of 136 women. Women who reported childhood sexual abuse reported more health symptoms and more doctor visits. Objective doctor visits demonstrated the same pattern with abused women. Women who were both sexually abused and depressed tended to visit the emergency room more frequently and to have more inpatient internal medicine and opthamology visits than sexually abused but nondepressed women and nonabused controls.

- by Michelle G Newman and +1
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- Psychology, Adolescent, Comorbidity, Psychological Medicine

Background. The Well-being Questionnaire (W-BQ) has been designed to measure psychological well-being in people with a chronic somatic illness and is recommended by the World Health Organization for widespread use. However, studies into the factor structure of this instrument are still limited and their findings are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the factor structure of the Dutch version of the W-BQ.Methods. A cross-validation design was used. A total of 1472 people with diabetes completed the W-BQ and were randomly assigned to group A or B. In group A (N = 736), exploratory factor analyses were conducted. Group B (N = 736) was split up into four subgroups of male or female patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. In these subgroups, confirmatory factor analyses were employed to test the model(s) developed in group A and the two models described in the literature (four-factor model with 22 items and a three-factor model with 12 items).Results. Exploratory factor analy...

- by Herman Adèr
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- Psychology, Psychometrics, Quality of life, Adolescent

Background. Etiological theory and prior research with small or selected samples suggest that interpersonal violence clusters in families. However, the strength and pattern of this aggregation remains mostly unknown.

- by Thomas Frisell
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- Psychology, Violence, Family, Adolescent

Background. Evidence on the adult adaptation of individuals with mild mental retardation (MMR) is sparse, and knowledge of the factors associated with more and less successful functioning in MMR samples yet more limited. Method. Prospective data from the National Child Development Study were used to examine social circumstances and psychosocial functioning in adulthood in individuals with MMR and in a nonretarded comparison group. Results. For many individuals with MMR, living circumstances and social conditions in adulthood were poor and potential stressors high. Self-reports of psychological distress in adulthood were markedly elevated, but relative rates of psychiatric service use fell between childhood and adulthood, as reflected in attributable risks. Childhood family and social disadvantage accounted for some 20-30 % of variations between MMR and non-retarded samples on a range of adult outcomes. Early social adversity also played a significant role in contributing to variations in functioning within the MMR sample.

- by Barbara Maughan
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- Psychology, Parenting, Social Support, Adolescent
- by Claudio T Miranda
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- Psychology, Anxiety Disorders, Psychometrics, Developing Countries

A growing body of research suggests that momentary assessment technologies that sample experiences in the context of daily life constitute a useful and productive approach in the study of behavioural phenotypes and a powerful addition to mainstream cross-sectional research paradigms. Momentary assessment strategies for psychopathology are described, together with a comprehensive review of research findings illustrating the added value of daily life research for the study of (1) phenomenology, (2) aetiology, (3) psychological models, (4) biological mechanisms, (5) treatment and (6) gene-environment interactions in psychopathology. Overall, this review shows that variability over time and dynamic patterns of reactivity to the environment are essential features of psychopathological experiences that need to be captured for a better understanding of their phenomenology and underlying mechanisms. The Experience Sampling Method (ESM) allows us to capture the film rather than a snapshot of daily life reality of patients, fuelling new research into the gene-environment-experience interplay underlying psychopathology and its treatment.

- by Philippe Delespaul
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- Psychology, Psychometrics, Treatment Outcome, Psychological Medicine

BackgroundMuch about the long-term course of anxiety disorders is unknown. The present study utilizes a naturalistic, longitudinal, short-interval follow-up design to elucidate the course of anxiety disorders over 14 years in a largely middle-aged adult sample recruited from out-patient psychiatry and primary care facilities.MethodThe sample consisted of 453 participants with a diagnosis of panic disorder (PD), social phobia (SP) and/or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Anxiety symptom ratings were tracked using weekly psychiatric status ratings (PSRs). Controlling for demographic and clinical variables, the course of PD, GAD and SP were examined using longitudinal growth models, with the most severe PSR at each follow-up point as the main outcome variable.ResultsPSRs significantly decreased in severity over time in each of the three disorders. In the interaction effects models, age×time had a significant effect on course for PD and GAD, but not for SP, in that older age was assoc...

- by S. Raffa
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- Psychology, Anxiety Disorders, Mental Health, Evolution

Cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) for panic disorder may consist of different combinations of several therapeutic components such as relaxation, breathing retraining, cognitive restructuring, interoceptive exposure and/or in vivo exposure. It is therefore important both theoretically and clinically to examine whether specific components of CBT or their combinations are superior to others in the treatment of panic disorder. Component network meta-analysis (NMA) is an extension of standard NMA that can be used to disentangle the treatment effects of different components included in composite interventions. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Cochrane Central, with supplementary searches of reference lists and clinical trial registries, for all randomized controlled trials comparing different CBT-based psychological therapies for panic disorder with each other or with control interventions. We applied component NMA to disentangle the treatment effects of different components incl...

- by Gordon Asmundson
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- Psychology, Anxiety Disorders, Domestic Violence, Adolescent

Background. The present study provides data on the reliability, validity and treatment sensitivity of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), one of the most commonly used clinician-administered scales for the assessment of social phobia. Method. Three hundred and eighty-two patients from several studies of the treatment of social phobia were evaluated. An independent assessor administered the LSAS to each patient prior to the initiation of treatment. Patients also completed other measures of social anxiety and avoidance, although the specific measures varied across samples. Results. The LSAS and its subscales were normally distributed and demonstrated excellent internal consistency. The convergent validity of the LSAS was demonstrated via significant correlations with other commonly-used measures of social anxiety and avoidance. These correlations also tended to be larger than correlations with measures of depression, especially after treatment. However, the pattern of correlations of LSAS subscales with one another and with the other measures suggest that the fear subscales and the avoidance subscales may not be sufficiently distinct in clinical samples. The LSAS was also demonstrated to be sensitive to the effects of pharmacological treatments of social phobia over time and in comparison to double-blind pill placebo. Conclusion. The LSAS appears to be a reliable, valid and treatment sensitive measure of social phobia. Further study of the LSAS, both in samples with severe social phobia and in community samples, is needed.

- by Víctor Arias
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- Psychology, Psychometrics, Adolescent, Psychological Medicine

SYNOPSIS In a survey of a random sample of the general population recent life events, collected and rated for long-term contextual threat according to the methods of , were also recorded wftere possible on an inventory of life event categories . Of the 82.5 % of all events collected which were covered by the inventory, 12of the 67 event categories accounted for 77% of life events with an aetiologicaly significant rating of marked or moderate long-term threat. Where practical and economic constraints oblige research workers to choose the inventory method, a brief list of event categories, such as the List of Threatening Experiences, is recommended in preference to much longer lists.

- by Jane Hurry
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- Psychology, Psychometrics, Psychological Medicine, Psychological

Background. The clinician-administered version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-CA) is a commonly used assessment device for the evaluation of social anxiety disorder and has been shown to have strong psychometric characteristics. Because of its apparently straightforward rating format and potential savings in time and effort, interest in the use of the LSAS as a self-report (LSAS-SR) measure has increased, and the LSAS-SR has been used in a number of studies. However, the psychometric properties of the LSAS-SR have not been well established.

- by Meredith Coles
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- Psychology, Anxiety Disorders, Psychometrics, Depression
- by Philippa Garety and +1
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- Psychology, Psychological Medicine, Psychological, Public health systems and services research

The revised version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED-R) is a self-report questionnaire that measures symptoms of DSM-IV linked anxiety disorders in children. The present study examined the factor structure of the SCARED-R in a sample of 674 normal Dutch school children aged 8 to 13 years. Exploratory factor analysis (principal components with oblimin rotation) clearly pointed in the direction of a 1-factor solution, suggesting that when applied to samples of normal children, the SCARED-R is a unidimensional measure. Additional exploratory and con®rmatory factor analyses carried out on parts of the SCARED-R provided some support for the presence of the following factors: panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, school phobia, social phobia and three types of speci®c phobias. Implications of these ®ndings for the use of the SCARED-R are brie¯y discussed. #

- by Peter Muris and +1
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- Psychology, Cognitive Science, Principal Component Analysis, Psychological Medicine