AIMS This paper describes the methods used in a study of the prevalence and types of common mental disorders among patients attending New Zealand general practices, and reports some key findings from the first phase of the study. The study also aimed to determine the degree of associated disability and other factors influencing recognition, management, course and outcome of these disorders, and...

BACKGROUND A basic premise of the recently proffered color-in-context model is that the influence of color on psychological functioning varies as a function of the psychological context in which color is perceived. Some research has examined the appetitive and aversive implications of viewing the color red in romance- and achievement-relevant contexts, respectively, but in all existing empirica...

Although treatment utilization for depression and anxiety symptoms has increased substantially in the United States and elsewhere, it remains unclear whether the underlying population distribution of psychological distress is changing over time. We estimated age, period, and cohort effects using data from 2 countries over more than 20 years, including National Health Interview Surveys from 1997...

The description of psychological aspects of fibromyalgia are similar to those of other patients with chronic pain. Three groups, a chronic pain group (n = 99), a nonchronic pain group (n = 34) and a fibromyalgia group (n = 36) were compared, using a standardized interview and psychological questionnaires (SCL-90R, IBQ and CIPI). It appeared that the chronic pain group and the nonchronic pain gr...

We evaluated the psychological status of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with chronic respiratory failure, who were qualified for or on long-term oxygen therapy. Forty eight patients were examined. The patients' psychological status was assessed by means of the following methods: detailed clinical interview, the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (MAS), Beck's Depression Inventory, an...

BACKGROUND Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent and represent a significant and well described public health burden. Whilst first line psychological treatments are effective for nearly half of attenders, there remain a substantial number of patients who do not benefit. The main objective of the present project is to establish an infrastructure platform for the identification of factors t...

We aim to provide a starting point toward the development of an evidence-based assessment of depression in children and adolescents. We begin by discussing issues relevant to the diagnosis and classification of child and adolescent depression. Next, we review the prevalence, selected clinical correlates, course, and treatment of juvenile depression. Along with some general considerations in ass...

OBJECTIVE Somatoform disorders (SFD) are defined by symptoms that lack medical explanation. This study examined the type and pattern of patients' causal attributions using a new semistructured interview technique METHODS The Causal Attributions Interview allows to assess and weigh 15 common explanations of physical symptoms. Attributions given by 79 patients with SFD were compared with those ...

If interviews are to be considered embodied experiences, than the potential influence of the embodied researcher must be explored. A focus on specific attributes such as age or ethnicity belies the complex and negotiated space that both researcher and participant inhabit simultaneously. Drawing on empirical research with stroke survivors in an ethnically mixed area of Indonesia, this paper high...

Testing of personality characteristics, intelligence, aptitude, or achievement is sometimes performed to assist with diagnosis and/or treatment planning for behavioral health disorders. However, the clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of formal psychological testing have been questioned. In most situations, clinical interviews and brief assessment instruments provide sufficient information ...