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Biomedical subjects

C Tennant

Publications and source records attributed to C Tennant.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

The risk of minor depression before age 65: results from a community survey.

Data from a general population survey of psychiatric disorder in Camberwell were used to calculate the risk of a CATEGO-defined depressive episode before the age of 65, using a modification of Strömgren's method. Current depression was defined as cases within the relevant categories of the CATEGO program and at threshold level or above on the Index of Definition (Wing et al. 1978). A past history of depression was elicited using key symptoms such as persistent tearfulness and depressed mood, already enquired after in the course of the PSE, to identify potential episodes, followed by questions to determine accessory symptoms, duration, and degree of social impairment. Clinical judgement was then used to decide whether the disturbance constituted a significant depressive episode. Risk under one set of assumptions was 46% for men and 72% for women. Using another method based on (untenably) conservative assumptions, it became 16% and 30% respectively. The status and implications of these high values are discussed, particularly for genetic studies.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1989

Quality of parenting in alcoholics and narcotic addicts.

Alcoholics and heroin addicts were compared with a normal control group to determine whether there were differences in quality of parenting during childhood, assessed using the Parental Bonding Instrument. Maternal and paternal overprotection were reported more commonly by narcotic addicts. Maternal overprotection alone was implicated in alcoholics. Narcotic addicts seem to have more disturbed parenting than alcoholics, especially paternal parenting.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Psychological dysfunction in psychiatric and general nurse trainees.

The often held belief that psychiatric professionals are more psychologically disturbed than similar non-psychiatric professionals was not supported by the present study. Indeed in a comparison of two groups of nurse trainees, general nurse trainees showed a small but significantly greater degree of psychopathology than psychiatric nurses. When confounding variables and social desirability response set was taken into account, general nurse trainees had significantly higher scores on neuroticism, trait and state anxiety and depression. The groups did not differ on psychoticism (antisocial traits), extraversion, hypochondriasis or, work or social impairment. In terms of use of illicit drugs, the psychiatric nurses used only more cannabis than general nurses which was accounted for by females alone.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

Type A behaviour and coronary atherosclerosis.

The relation of the Type A behaviour pattern to coronary atherosclerosis was assessed in a sample of 519 coronary angiography patients. Type A measures were the Structured Interview and the Framingham questionnaire. Angiographic indices included a composite coronary occlusion index and number of coronary vessels significantly diseased. Univariate analysis involving the entire sample showed no significant relation between Type A and severity of coronary vessel disease. Analyses for two subsamples, namely males currently employed in white collar occupations and persons found to have significant disease at angiography, also failed to indicate a relationship between Type A and coronary disease. Multivariate analysis revealed sex, cholesterol and age to be risk factors for atherosclerosis; Type A behaviour was not. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Adversity and the symptoms of depression.

Data from a community survey were used to test the proposition that pathological guilt and vegetative symptoms of depression were less likely to be associated with stressful life events and difficulties than non-specific symptoms like tension and worry. Two types of analysis were carried out: the first took only cases, defined as ID5+ on the Index of Definition program, the second was based on all subjects. Only the second analysis provided support for our predictions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

Psychosocial causes of duodenal ulcer.

The evidence that duodenal ulcer is a psychosomatic disorder is reviewed. A variety of both experimental stressors and differing states of emotional arousal (anxiety and anger in particular) are associated with increased acid and pepsin secretion. Furthermore, chronic life stressors predispose to duodenal ulcer, presumably by way of symptomatic anxiety or depression, while poor social support may comprise another risk factor. Subjects with high levels of trait anxiety or neuroticism are more prone to stress-induced anxiety and its physiological consequences. There is minimal acceptable evidence to support more specific personality-related theories, including Type A behaviour, alexithymia or the earlier psycho-analytic theories of Alexander. Nonetheless, it is concluded that Alexander's inclusion of duodenal ulcer as one of a handful of classic psychosomatic disorders has been confirmed. Since some 40% of duodenal ulcer patients relapse in the first year after medical treatment, there may be some role for psychological treatments (especially in the domain of stress/anxiety management) for those patients who relapse and have co-existing high state or trait anxiety or exposure to chronic stressors.

Arousal↗
PubMed1988

Suppression of emotions in essential dyspepsia and chronic duodenal ulcer. A case-control study.

It remains controversial whether psychologic factors contribute to the onset or chronicity of non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) and duodenal ulcer. Although such patients on conventional psychologic testing have no clearly defined specific personality type, an inability to express emotion, which may result in excessive autonomic arousal, has been suggested to be important on theoretic grounds. The aim of this study was to assess whether the latter defect is associated with the subgroup of NUD patients with essential dyspepsia and with patients with chronic duodenal ulcer. Eighty-one patients with essential dyspepsia and 53 patients with duodenal ulcer studied after endoscopy were compared with 82 randomly selected dyspepsia-free community controls. All were assessed with the Courtauld emotional control scale, a valid and objective self-report measure. Control of anger, anxiety, unhappiness, and total emotional control over negative reactions were similar in all three groups. It is concluded that patients with essential dyspepsia and duodenal ulcer who present for investigation are unlikely to repress emotional reactions consciously.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Type A behaviour and other psychological factors in peptic ulcer disease.

A variety of personality traits and psychological symptom states have been reported to be associated with peptic ulcer disease. In the present study, male patients with confirmed duodenal or gastric ulcer(s) are compared with patient and non-patient control groups in terms of Type A behaviour, the Eysenck personality dimensions, hostility, state and trait anxiety, and depression. By comparison with cardiac patients, the peptic ulcer groups obtained lower Type A scores but were similar on the other variables. By comparison with age and sex matched community controls. GU patients obtained higher trait anxiety and psychoticism scores while the DU group had higher state anxiety levels. The implications of these findings in terms of the role of psychological factors in the aetiology of peptic ulcer disease are discussed.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1987

Life event stress and chronic difficulties in duodenal ulcer: a case control study.

In a sample of consecutive ulcer (DU) patients and age, sex and social class matched normal controls, the prevalence of antecedent stressful life events in the two samples was similar. Antecedent chronic difficulties often lasting years were however significantly more common in the ulcer patients. Duodenal ulcer was more common in divorced, separated or widowed subjects; this finding was explained by the fact that these subjects had more chronic difficulties which predisposed to ulcer disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Psychiatric symptoms, social disablement and illness behaviour.

In this paper we investigate the relationship between social performance and the use of medical services, and to what extent this is independent of clinical disorder. In a sample of adults living in Camberwell, South London, social disability and clinical disorder were both predictive of service use. Those subjects who were admitted to psychiatric day-patient or inpatient facilities were found to show the highest levels of both types of impairment, followed by psychiatric outpatients. People who had seen their general practitioner because of their 'nerves' were less impaired than those in touch with the specialist psychiatric services but had significantly poorer social performance and a higher level of clinical disorder than people not in contact with medical services at all. When the severity of clinical disorder was controlled, however, levels of social performance no longer discriminated between the different groups of service users, except that psychiatric outpatients remained significantly more socially disabled than the general practice group.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1986

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

The neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a relatively rare but potentially fatal complication of the use of major tranquillizers; mortality may be as high as 20%. The syndrome is manifest by the onset of hyperpyrexia, muscular rigidity and tremor, impaired consciousness and autonomic dysfunction. The pathophysiology is thought to be by way of dopamine receptor blockade. The syndrome is managed by cessation of the neuroleptic medication, by supportive measures and by instituting treatment with one or more of a number of specific drugs whose use is based on theoretical considerations rather than empirical evidence of efficacy; these drugs include anticholinergics, L-dopa, bromocriptine amantidine and dantrolene sodium. Although not proven, early recognition and treatment may reduce both the mortality and the longer term morbidity of this syndrome.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1986

Myasthenia gravis: the problem of a "psychiatric" misdiagnosis.

Patients with myasthenia gravis are commonly misdiagnosed as having a psychiatric disorder; this leads to considerable delay in reaching the correct diagnosis and in instituting appropriate and effective treatment. Patients who are most at risk are those with somatic presentations (limb weakness, fatigue) in contrast to ocular or bulbar presentations. Similarly, those who manifest anger or anxiety traits are more likely to be misdiagnosed.

Anger↗
PubMed1986

Psychological correlates of myasthenia gravis: a brief report.

Myasthenia gravis patients and matched normal controls were assessed on a range of psychological indices; myasthenic patients had higher scores on trait anxiety and suppression of anger. There were no other significant differences between the groups on psychological symptom measures (anxiety, depression or anger) or other trait measures (anger, suppression of anxiety and suppression of depression). It is concluded that trait anxiety and suppression of anger may predispose to myasthenia gravis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Psychological correlates of gastric and duodenal ulcer disease.

Psychological correlates of gastric and duodenal ulcer disease were assessed in a group of somewhat older patients with ulcer disease identified by endoscopy. Associations between both ulcer types and symptom measures (anxiety and depression) seemed only to reflect severity or chronicity of gastrointestinal symptoms or the impending endoscopy procedure. Associations with 'trait' psychological indices may be of causal significance. Duodenal ulcer patients had higher 'introversion' and 'psychoticism' scores (on the EPQ) than controls, while gastric ulcer patients had higher psychoticism scores and 'trait anxiety' scores. These findings could not be attributed to confounding variables. When the two ulcer groups were compared, the gastric ulcer group had significantly higher neuroticism, psychoticism and hostility scores which were not attributable to confounding variables. The higher depression scores in gastric ulcer patients, however, simply reflected the greater chronicity of their physical symptoms. The groups did not differ significantly on measures of trait anxiety, tension, introversion or Type A behaviour.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMed1986

Psychological and physical morbidity in the aftermath of a cyclone.

A Fijian community affected by a cyclone was compared with an unaffected but similar community. Two months after the cyclone both psychological and physical morbidity was 2-3 times greater in the affected community than in controls. By the third month morbidity had resolved to levels similar to those in the unaffected population. Brief, catastrophic stress without loss of life appears to provoke psychological and physical morbidity of relatively brief duration.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1986

Clinical psychiatric illness in prisoners of war of the Japanese: forty years after release.

Clinical psychiatric and medical assessments were carried out on a randomly selected sample of Australian prisoners of war captured by the Japanese in 1942 and a sample of combatants from Pacific theatres of war who were not captured. Prisoners of war had significantly more anxiety and depressive 'neuroses' and more major affective illness, although the latter finding was not statistically significant. The two groups did not differ in the risk of alcohol abuse and dependence.

Alcoholism↗