Observational studies indicate that psychologic factors strongly influence the course of coronary artery disease (CAD). In this review, we examine new epidemiologic evidence for the association between psychosocial risk factors and CAD, identify pathologic mechanisms that may be responsible for this association, and describe a paradigm for studying positive psychologic factors that may act as a...

BACKGROUND Asthma prevalence in Latin America is high and continues to increase. There is evidence that the psychologic characteristics of the child are associated with greater asthma morbidity. This study aimed to investigate the independent effect of internalizing/externalizing problems on two asthma/wheeze outcomes: (i) remission and (ii) progression to severity on Latin American children wi...

BACKGROUND Because traumatic events are unpredictable, there are few studies of psychobiological states immediately following such events. Our study aimed to determine the relation of salivary cortisol to psychologic distress immediately after a traumatic event and then during follow-up. METHODS Measurement of morning and evening salivary cortisol and ratings of psychologic distress (using th...

Psychotherapists who work with survivors' of psychologic trauma recognize the almost inevitable clinical complexity of trauma-related disorders. Traumatized individuals do not just suffer memories of tragic and horrifying experiences-they demonstrate a number of complicated and debilitating signs, symptoms, and difficulties consisting primarily of bodily responses to dysregulated affects. These...

Background: Tobacco smoking among adolescents has been a concern for researchers and health organizations in recent years. However, predisposing factors to smoking initiation among Iranian adolescents are not well recognized. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of tobacco smoking and to investigate the role of psychologic, behavioral, and demographic risk factors in adolesc...

BACKGROUND Caring for any child involves considerable resources, but the demands for these resources are often increased when caring for a child with a disability. These demands have implications for the psychologic and physical health of the caregiver (CG). Although a number of recent trends in health care stress the importance of studying and promoting the health of CGs of children with disab...

Objective: Life stress is hypothesized to alter the dynamic regulation of the autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune systems. This study examined the effects of antecedent chronic life stress on psychological and physiological responsivity after acute challenge with a psychological stressor. Method: Using a within-subject mixed design, male volunteers with [N = 12) and without chronic life stres...

BACKGROUND It is a common clinical impression that fatigue is a frequent, and often debilitating, symptom in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, despite its obvious clinical importance, several aspects of fatigue, including its relationship with the underlying liver disease and the presence of psychologic disturbances, have not been well examined. GOALS The curre...

Idiopathic musculoskeletal pain syndromes in children have a variety of manifestations; they can be diffuse or well localized, constant or intermittent, with or without autonomic symptoms and signs, completely incapacitating or not limiting activities, and they can tax the physician's diagnostic skill. A careful history and examination is usually all that is needed to make a diagnosis, although...

BACKGROUND Opioid prescribing for noncancer pain has increased dramatically. We examined whether the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles, psychologic distress, health care utilization, and co-prescribing of sedative-hypnotics increased with increasing duration of prescription opioid use. METHODS We analyzed electronic data for 6 months before and after an index visit for back pain in a managed...