Biomedical subjects

B D Kirkcaldy

Publications and source records attributed to B D Kirkcaldy.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Risk factors for suicidal behavior in adolescents.

Adolescent suicide is today a public health problem among the leading cause of mortality among adolescents and young adults. There seems to be many reasons for this increase (which has different trends in different populations), but associations have been found with increased substance abuse, television and video violence, socio-economic status and easy access to firearms. Gender differences have also been observed with crime, suicide and substance abuse higher among males, while eating disorder, depression and suicidal behavior more prevalent among females. This paper will review prevalence and incidence of adolescent suicidal behavior, socio-demographic and psychological risk factors, associated cognitive factors and socio-economic factors. Risk factors include previous suicide attempts, a history of others in the family who have been suicidal, mental illness, alcohol and drug use, and other self-destructive behaviors as well as consideration being given to hopelessness, hostility, negative self-concept and isolation. At the individual difference level, factors such as trait depression, anger and hostility, perfectionism and social sensitivity would seem critical variables, as would age, gender and intellectual functioning. Sociological and family-related factors may also be implicated including dysfunctional family organizations, a history of physical or psychological abuse (sexual abuse) and limited extent of social support networks. A frequently reported precipitating event of suicidal behavior is family adversity including rejection, separation and interpersonal conflict. At a socio-economic level it would seem essential to provide comprehensive document about the social and economic conditions from which the adolescent comes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

The relationship between physical activity and self-image and problem behaviour among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Although there are a vast array of studies which have demonstrated the psychological and physical health benefits of regular aerobic exercise for adults, few studies have focussed on children and adolescents. The current study examined associations between the extent of participation in endurance sport, and self-report data on self-image, physical and psychological health and overall lifestyle in a large representative sample of German high-school students. METHOD: Almost 1000 German adolescents (aged 14-18 years) were administered a comprehensive series of questionnaires aimed at assessing anxiety-depression, trait addiction, smoking and drinking behaviour, physical ill-health reports, and self-perception of self-image, parental acceptance and educational attainment. RESULTS: Regular practice of endurance exercise was related to a more favourable self-image. There was a strong association between participation in sports and the type of personality that tends to be resistant to drug and alcohol addiction. Physical exercise was further significantly related to scores for physical and psychological well-being. Adolescents who engaged regularly in physical activity were characterised by lower anxiety-depression scores, and displayed much less social behavioural inhibition than their less active counterparts. CONCLUSION: It is likely that discussion of recreational or exercise involvement may provide a useful point of entry for facilitating dialogue among adolescents about concerns relating to body image and self-esteem. In terms of psychotherapeutic applications, physical activity has many additional rewards for adolescents. It is probable that by promoting physical fitness, increased physical performance, lessening body mass and promoting a more favourable body shape and structure, exercise will provide more positive social feedback and recognition from peer groups, and this will subsequently lead to improvement in an individual's self-image.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

The self-image of Greek, Greek-migrant and German adolescents.

This paper provides an empirical perspective on the relationship between immigration and self-image in a sample of German and Greek adolescents. The subjects were Greeks (non-migrants, n = 128), Germans (n = 103) and Greek migrants living in West Germany (n = 103). The Offer Self-image Questionnaire (OISQ) was used as a multidimensional measure of psychological, social and sexual self, and family relations. Comparisons were made between the mean scores of the three national groups on subscales of the OSIQ. Greek migrants had quite distinct self-image profiles that were intermediate between non-migrating Greeks and native Germans. Gender and age differences in self-image were pronounced in sub-scales of the OSIQ. Migrants were more emotional than non-migrants, less introverted, more liberal in their sexual attitudes and displayed superior adjustment. Compared with their German counterparts, migrants emerged as more impulsive and emotional, with an inferior body image, higher achievement motivation, lower mental ill-health but with higher adjustment. The results showed that when both Greek samples (non-migrants and migrants) were taken together and compared to Germans then differences emerged and indicated small but significant cross-cultural differences in personality.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

MMPI profiles of male and female migraine sufferers.

Among a sample of 40 severe migraine sufferers, males and females displayed common personality profiles. Both sexes exhibit heightened scores on those MMPI clinical scales associated with neuroticism (hypochondriasis, depression and hysteria). Female migraine sufferers were further characterised by elevated scores on the primary scales constituting the psychotic tetrad (paranoia, psychaesthenia, schizophrenia, and hypomania). Migraine females appeared to differ from male patients with respect to a dimension associated with sex-role conformity (loaded on the L-scale and masculinity-femininity). The implication of these results are considered.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Occupational stress among mental health professionals. The relationship between work and recreational pursuits.

A sample of 111 medical and allied staff in a large child and adolescent psychiatric hospital responded to a survey assessing work- and leisure-related attitudes. Gender, marital status, parenthood, and length of employment were among the demographic variables found to be associated with various facets of occupational stress and job satisfaction. Men were somewhat more stressed, complained more about their relationships with coworkers and displayed greater 'negative spill' than women; Married employees were particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of work; Parenthood had little effect on work-related stress, although there is some indication that being a mother prevented one recuperating as effectively as desired during leisure-time; and tenure of employment at the hospital was related to increased feelings job pressure without affecting job satisfaction levels, and to lower levels of career motivation. The implications of these findings are discussed: Suggestions are provided for improving working climate and job satisfaction amongst mental health professionals.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Personality correlates of intelligence in a clinical group.

The relationship between personality and intelligence test performance among 84 psychiatric patients was examined using a reduced version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale together with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Introverts were inclined to do better than extraverts on all WAIS scales, the difference being statistically significant for the verbal subtests of Information and Similarities only. A 2-way multivariate analysis of variance gave a significant main effect for Social Conformity, in which low Lie scorers obtained higher scores on all subscales, particularly Verbal IQ. There was no main effect for Psychoticism but there were two interactions (Psychoticism x Lie) for the verbal subscales. For individuals characterized by high social conformity, the high Psychoticism scorers displayed lower scores on those scales associated with sensory associative intelligence (Information, Similarities, and Picture Completion). The results were discussed with particular reference to two competing theories relating personality and intelligence.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

Psychological characteristics of breast cancer patients.

Two breast cancer groups (mastectomised or chemotherapeutic intervention) and a control group of healthy female nurses were given a demographic questionnaire and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. The personality profiles of all three groups emerged as significantly different from each other on all scales with the exception of social introversion and psychopathic deviance. Both cancer groups displayed inflated scores on the clinical scale Depression. A separate series of univariate F tests revealed that the mastectomised patients were characterised by elevated scores on the clinical scales Hypochondriasis, Depression, Hysteria, Masculinity-Femininity and Schizophrenia compared to normals. The discriminant analysis confirmed that between the clinical groups the mastectomised patients exhibited higher scores (compared to those receiving chemotherapy) along the scales Hypochondriasis, Paranoia, Psychaesthenia, Schizophrenia and Hypomania, the latter 4 scales constituting the psychotic tetrad.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1984

Performance and circadian rhythms.

Physiological studies frequently neglect effects due to individual differences, thus inflating the error variance term. Psychological determinants of endogenous arousal are examined in association with somatic functioning and circadian rhythms. Frontalis EMG and heart rate did not appear to display clear phasic circadian rhythms. The subjective perception of activation displayed a cubic trend, independent of sex, exhibiting two peaks, at 08.00-11.00 and 17.00-20.00. Peak performance on a choice reaction time task depended very much on whether it was executed in a free response or experimenter determined tempo condition, indicating the importance of stipulating the task demand characteristics. There was a certain stability in extraverts (cortically less aroused) across periods throughout the day with respect to physiological measures; the same was not true for introverts, who exhibited a complex interaction with time of day - stable introverts possessing higher cardiac rates than unstables in the earlier part of the day, the position reversing itself in the late evening. Personality variables can exercise moderating influences on physiological activity associated with performance.

Adolescent↗