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Biomedical subjects

D C Turk

Publications and source records attributed to D C Turk.

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

The utility of cognitive coping strategies for altering pain perception: a meta-analysis.

The literature on the utility of cognitive coping strategies in pain control has been unclear because of 2 principal limitations: the lack of a validated classification system, and reliance on qualitative and quasi-statistical reviews. In this study, an empirically based multidimensional taxonomy was employed to categorize the variety of cognitive coping strategies into 6 major classes: external focus of attention, neutral imaginings, pleasant imaginings, dramatized coping, rhythmic cognitive activity and pain acknowledging. Meta-analytic techniques were introduced to evaluate the overall efficacy of cognitive strategies (in comparison to no-treatment controls), the relative efficacy of these strategies (how the different groups of strategies compare with one another), and the substantive efficacy of such strategies (how cognitive strategies fare against placebo/expectancy conditions). Results revealed that, in general, cognitive coping strategies are more effective in alleviating pain as compared to either no-treatment or expectancy controls. Each individual class of strategies significantly attenuates pain although the imagery methods are the most effective whereas pain acknowledging is the least effective. Positive expectancy is no better than no treatment. These findings stand in contrast with previous reviews that have not assigned prime importance to imagery or for that matter have not shown cognitive strategies to be particularly effective. Results are discussed with reference to attentional models and methodological issues.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Psychophysiology of chronic pain: do chronic pain patients exhibit symptom-specific psychophysiological responses?

Theoretical as well as methodological issues associated with psychophysiological mechanisms of chronic pain syndromes are reviewed and discussed. Results of studies on psychophysiological responses in patients with recurrent headaches, chronic back pain, and temporomandibular pain disorders are presented. These studies are evaluated on the basis of a set of 12 theoretical and methodological criteria that include diagnostic procedures, use of control groups, sample description, use of multiple and relevant physiological measures, introduction of ecologically valid and actually stress-inducing stressors, use of adequate adaptation and baseline periods, adequacy of data acquisition, and analysis. Results on baseline levels, reactivity to stress and pain stimuli, and return to baseline levels are presented. When only the most methodologically sound studies are included, the data suggest that baseline levels, regardless of type of physiological measure, are not generally elevated in chronic pain patients. The presence of symptom-specific stress-related psychophysiological responses is more commonly observed, and the evidence on return to baseline is at this time inconclusive.

Arousal↗
PubMed1989

Primary fibromyalgia is greater than tender points: toward a multiaxial taxonomy.

Primary fibromyalgia remains a controversial and puzzling condition. The diagnosis is based on subjective symptoms, exclusionary criteria and the presence of tender points. Much of the discussion of primary fibromyalgia centers on physical or psychological bases for the etiology, exacerbation and maintenance of the symptoms. An alternative to the current dichotomous way of conceptualizing primary fibromyalgia is presented based on a multiaxial perspective that integrates physical, psychosocial and behavioral factors creating an empirically derived taxonomy. The utility of this approach is illustrated from research with groups of patients with chronic pain. The implications of the multiaxial taxometric approach for understanding primary fibromyalgia and its treatment are described.

Fibromyalgia↗
PubMed1988

Chronic back pain and rheumatoid arthritis: predicting pain and disability from cognitive variables.

Cognitive-behavioral models of chronic pain emphasize the importance of situation specific as well as more general cognitive variables as mediators of emotional and behavioral reactions to nociceptive sensations and physical impairment. The relationship of situation-specific pain-related self-statements, convictions of personal control, pain severity, and disability levels was assessed in samples of chronic back pain and rheumatoid arthritis patients. Both the more general and the situation-specific sets of cognitive variables were more highly related to pain and disability than disease-related variables. This association was found in the back pain patients who displayed only marginal levels of organic findings as well as the rheumatoid arthritis sample who had a documented basis for their pain. The combination of both situation-specific and general cognitive variables explained between 32 and 60% of the variance in pain and disability, respectively. The addition of disease-related variables improved the predictions only marginally. These results lend support to the importance of cognitive factors in chronic pain syndromes.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The role of spouse reinforcement, perceived pain, and activity levels of chronic pain patients.

Levels of pain, activity, marital satisfaction, and contingent reinforcement for expressions of pain and suffering were assessed in chronic pain patients. In addition, spouses' marital satisfaction, mood, life control, and self-reported responses to the patient's pain were examined. Multiple regression analyses revealed that spouse reinforcement of overt expressions of pain was significantly related to both perceived pain and activity levels of chronic pain patients. The best predictor of patients' pain and activity levels was patients' perception of spouse reinforcement, followed by spouses' self-reported responses to the patients' pain. Spouse reinforcement of pain was not associated with spouses' marital satisfaction or perception of patients' pain levels. Rather, spouse reinforcement was associated with high interference of patients' pain with spouses' lives, spouses' positive mood, spouses' perception of more life control, as well as longer duration of the pain problem. The data support the importance of the spouse as a potential source of reinforcement of pain behavior.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Impact of chronic pain on the spouse: marital, emotional and physical consequences.

The effects of chronic illness on marital relationships and the spouses' emotional and physical health were examined in chronic pain patients, their spouses, and a control sample of spouses of diabetic patients. Results indicated that pain patients and their spouses experienced considerable change in marital and sexual satisfaction. Patients with better marital adjustment also reported higher overall pain levels and had more solicitous and maritally satisfied spouses. Spouses' marital adjustment was positively associated with patients' marital satisfaction and spouses' own mood. Spouses' dysphoric mood was related to patients' negative appraisal of the pain experience, spouses' perceived lack of life control, and spouses' marital dissatisfaction. Although spouses of chronic pain patients showed no more physical symptoms than spouses of diabetics, they reported significantly more pain symptoms that were related to elevated levels of depressed mood. The results indicate that not only is chronic pain associated with problems in the marital relationship but heightened distress and physical symptoms in spouses as well. These effects are related less to the existence of a chronic pain problem per se but rather to patients' and spouses' manner of coping with the situation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1986

Implicit models of illness.

This study was designed to be an initial investigation of implicit models of illness, that is, the dimensional structure that organizes an individual's common-sense illness schema. Nurses, college students, and diabetics rated the qualities of two different diseases, one that was personally salient (i.e., flu or diabetes) and one with which they were familiar but did not have direct experience (i.e., cancer), on a 38-item Implicit Models of Illness Questionnaire (IMIQ). An exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-dimensional structure of illnesses composed of Seriousness, Personal Responsibility, Controllability, and Changeability. The stability of this four-dimensional model was established using confirmatory factor analysis to test the fit of this structure to the IMIQ data of another sample of subjects drawn from the same populations. The structure of this implicit model proved stable for judgments of different diseases and across groups of subjects, even though they differed in their physical-health status and occupational roles. The dimensions identified in the present study were compared to those described in other papers. Our dimensions seemed to be both personally and psychologically meaningful. The implications of this preliminary "generic" implicit illness model for future work in the field of health cognition are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

An empirical examination of the "pain-behavior" construct.

Observable means of communicating pain and suffering, "pain behaviors," have been postulated to comprise an important construct relevant in both the development and the maintenance of chronic pain [Fordyce, W.E. (1976). Behavioral Methods for Chronic Pain and Illness, C.V. Mosby, St. Louis, Mo.]. Two groups of professionals who have direct contact with chronic-pain patients (i.e., physicians and psychologists) participated in a study designed (a) to identify the latent or underlying characteristics of pain behaviors and (b) to assess the degree of agreement of these characteristics between health professionals with very different training. Multi-dimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering statistical techniques were employed to identify the latent structure of pain behaviors. Two primary pain behavior dimensions were identified, namely, audible-visible and affective-behavioral. Four clusters of pain behaviors were identified and labeled distorted ambulation or posture, negative affect, facial/audible expressions of distress, and avoidance of activity. The two samples of health-care providers identified virtually equivalent latent characteristics of pain behaviors. The data suggest that there is consistency in the pain-behavior construct and that the latent structure is generally congruent with Fordyce's original conceptualization. The results provide an empirically derived basis for the assessment of pain behaviors.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1985

Chronic pain: a multiple-setting comparison of patient characteristics.

Chronic pain patients attending four different pain management programs (N = 160) were compared on multiple variables encompassing demographics, the nature of the pain problem, and treatment history. Programs were selected because they differed on several dimensions (e.g., geographic location, general hospitals vs those serving veterans of Armed Services, university affiliated vs nonaffiliated) believed potentially to interact with treatment outcome. Results indicated differences between hospital programs serving veterans and general hospital programs (serving nonveterans) in terms of patients' age, percentage married, disability compensation, duration of pain symptoms, and treatment history. In addition, findings indicated that covariance among pain variables was dissimilar across the four types of pain programs, making it difficult to generalize from one type of setting to another regarding issues such as choice of optimal treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Seeking urgent pediatric treatment: factors contributing to frequency, delay, and appropriateness.

The present study explored the factors that contribute to mothers' decisions to seek urgent medical attention for their children when symptoms are not of a traumatic nature. One hundred mothers seeking treatment for their children at a prepaid clinic completed a questionnaire eliciting their expectations regarding the course of their children's problems, seriousness of the problems, perceived responsibility for the symptoms, and extent to which a variety of factors contributed to their decisions to seek treatment. Demographic data and information about each child's symptoms and medical history were also obtained. Four major "reasons for seeking treatment" factors were identified: family history of the presenting complaint, worry regarding the symptoms, situational variables, and the extent of the child's illness behavior. The appropriateness of the visit, delay in seeking treatment, and frequency of mothers' use of the pediatric clinic were predicted by the nature of the presenting symptoms (particularly the presence of fever), the ages of the mother and child, and two of the reasons for seeking treatment factors (i.e., family history and child's illness behavior). The present study suggests that mothers pay more attention to presenting symptoms and to the children's behavior than to psychosocial stressors in deciding to seek urgent care.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Etiological theories and treatments for chronic back pain. I. Somatic models and interventions.

This is the first part of an extended review of the etiology and treatment of chronic back pain (CBP). This paper will address the pathophysiology of CBP, the somatic conceptualizations that have been developed, and the treatment modalities that have been employed to alleviate the symptoms. The adequacy of the different models and treatments will be critically examined. The second paper in this set will examine psychological models and interventions. Common problems to both somatic and psychological approaches will be discussed at the close of the second paper.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

The effects of cigarette smoking on pain and anxiety.

The antinociceptive and anxiolytic consequences of smoking a nicotine-containing cigarette or a zero-nicotine cigarette were investigated in minimally deprived habitual smokers, using a within-subject design. Five subjects were studied in each of two experiments. In one, pain was induced using the cold pressor test; in the other, anxiety, using unsolvable anagrams. All subjects exhibited pain- and anxiety-reduction after smoking a nicotine-containing cigarette. The results support the hypothesis that nicotine from smoking can produce psychological changes that are independent of the state of nicotine withdrawal.

Adult↗