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Biomedical subjects

D M Donovan

Publications and source records attributed to D M Donovan.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Detoxification recidivism among urban American Indian alcoholics.

Fifty urban American Indians were interviewed during admission to a free-standing medical detoxification unit. From the year before the interview through 2 years of follow-up, this sample averaged 44.6 detoxification admissions and 64.1 days in other inpatient treatment and had no significant change in the number of annual detoxification admissions. At follow-up all but three subjects reported recent alcohol dependence symptoms or episodic alcohol abuse. these patients continued to experience serious alcohol-related problems despite repeated treatment in both medical detoxification and inpatient rehabilitation settings. These findings emphasize the need for more innovative and effective alternatives to the existing revolving door process.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Derivation and validation of neuropsychological clusters among men alcoholics.

Scores from 13 cognitive-neuropsychological tests administered to 245 men alcoholics were subjected to an average linkage cluster analysis. Six subtypes were derived but three were eliminated from further analyses because they had samples of less than 10. The remaining clusters appeared to reflect differing levels and patterns of neuropsychological functioning. Subsequent analyses indicated that the clusters were related to age but were independent of most other demographic and pretreatment alcohol-related variables. Significant associations were found between cluster membership and the likelihood of abstinence, completion of aftercare therapy and employment status over a 9-month follow-up period. Although this relationship to outcome is encouraging, neuropsychological status accounted for only a limited amount of the variance. The findings suggest the need to broaden the base of assessment, using multiple domains, in future attempts to derive meaningful subtypes within an alcoholic population.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Intoxicated and bad drivers: subgroups within the same population of high-risk men drivers.

Three groups of men drivers in the state of Washington were compared: those who had been arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI group, N = 172), those who had received multiple nonalcohol-related violations or who had been involved in traffic accidents (high-risk drivers, or HRD group, N = 193) and a representative random sample of the general driving population of men in the state (GDP group, N = 154). Subjects completed a questionnaire assessing demographic, drinking, driving attitude, personality and hostility measures. The HRD and DWI groups were generally more deviant than the GDP subjects. The latter individuals were demographically more stable, had lower levels of drinking behavior and were more emotionally stable, with lower levels of depression, sensation seeking, external perception of control, and both overt and covert hostility. The GDP group also had lower levels of driving-related hostility. The HRD and DWI groups did not suffer significantly from each other on any of the measures of personality function or hostility. These two groups did differ on aspects of drinking behavior, driving-related attitudes and demographic characteristics. The noted similarities between the DWI and HRD groups are consistent with the contention that these two groups may represent subtypes within a larger population of high-risk drivers.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1984

Structure and organization of two linked ribosomal protein genes in yeast.

The genes encoding yeast ribosomal proteins rp28 and S16A are linked and occur duplicated in the yeast genome. In both gene pairs the genes are approximately 600 bp apart and are both transcribed in the same direction. Both ribosomal protein genes resemble other ribosomal protein genes studied so far in many structural aspects. The genes are interrupted by an intron near the 5'-end of their coding sequence. In addition the flanking regions contain several conserved sequence elements, which may function in transcription initiation and termination. In agreement with findings concerning other cloned yeast ribosomal protein genes, upstream homology blocks occur that may be involved in coordinate control of ribosomal protein gene transcription. The complete pattern of conserved and diverged sequences between the two duplicate gene pairs is presented.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Cognitive-behavioral treatment of depressed affect among epileptics: preliminary findings.

Controlled study showed skills training for the management of depression in an epilepsy population to be effective. Cognitive-behavioral methods were utilized in a structured learning format with 13 clinically depressed epileptic "students." Significantly greater reductions in dysphoria/depression as measured by the Depression Adjective Checklist and the Generalized Contentment Scale occurred among Ss in the treatment group than among control group Ss. Significant decreases in anger and anxiety/stress and increases in social activities were noted on the Community Adjustment Questionnaire (CAQ). Similar trends were evident on the Beck Depression Inventory and the CAQ depression scale.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Predictors of relapse: interaction of drinking-related locus of control and reasons for drinking.

Pretreatment scores from the drinking-related locus of control scale (DRIE) and reasons for drinking were investigated as predictors of drinking relapse over a nine-month follow-up in a sample of 232 male alcoholics. A significant relationship was found between reasons for drinking and the probability of relapse, with the lowest relapse rates occurring among patients who identified interpersonal conflicts or positive emotional states as the most important reasons for their pretreatment drinking. Results of a reasons for drinking by relapse status ANOVA on DRIE scores revealed no significant main effects. There was, however, a significant interaction. Among patients who attributed their drinking to negative emotional states, those who either relapsed or were lost to follow-up had significantly more external DRIE scores. Among patients who identified negative physical states (i.e., craving) as their primary reason for drinking, relapse or attrition was associated with significantly more internal DRIE scores. Results support assessment of these cognitive social learning constructs for differential treatment planning with patients at increased risk of relapse.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1983

Drinking behavior, personality factors and high-risk driving. A review and theoretical formulation.

Literature concerned with five broad categories of psychosocial variables contributing to the risk of traffic accidents is reviewed: (1) demographic characteristics, (2) excessive alcohol use, (3) personality traits, (4) acute states of emotional distress and (5) driving-related attitudes. A theoretical cognitive-behavioral model is presented in an attempt to integrate the results concerning the influence of these different factors.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1982

Reasons for drinking among DWI arrestees.

The present study investigated the reasons given for drinking episodes that led to arrests for driving while intoxicated (DWI). DWI arrestees completed a self-report checklist of the psychological and situational factors associated with their drinking-related arrest. Three general categories of reasons for drinking were factor analytically derived. These included (a) drinking in response to negative feelings primarily of an interpersonal nature, (b) drinking in response to negative feelings primarily of an intrapersonal nature, and (c) social factors involved in drinking.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Relationship of alcoholic personality subtypes to treatment follow-up measures.

The present study investigated the relationship of a multivariate classification of alcoholic patients based upon Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory profiles taken at admission to psychopathology and drinking behavior at a 6- to 12-month follow-up interval. It was found that a subtype of patients characterized as psychoneurotic, with reactive anxiety and/or depression, evidenced significantly higher levels of psychopathology at follow-up than the remaining three subtypes. Furthermore, this subtype demonstrated higher levels of physical, social, and psychological impairment from post-treatment drinking episodes. No differences were found among the four subtypes with respect to outpatient therapists' ratings of personality change and adjustment. The findings suggest that such a multivariate classification of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory profiles has predictive utility. The results also suggest that the present subtypes would be useful in investigating the potential utility of differential therapeutic intervention strategies for different patients.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1979

Application of discriminant analysis to level of performance of alcoholics and nonalcoholics on Wechsler-Bellevue and Halstead-Reitan subtests.

Investigated the utility of subtests from the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale and the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery to differentiate between alcoholics and nonalcoholics (N = 76). Analyses of variance indicated that the alcoholics were more impaired than nonalcoholics. It was found that the Wechsler-Bellevue Performance subtests were more discriminative than were Verbal subtests, with performance on the Halstead-Reitan variables being intermediate. The nine measures that differentiated most significantly between groups were subjected to a stepwise multivariate discriminant analysis. The resulting function correctly classified Ss with an overall accuracy of 74.7%. It was found that the Block Design subtest was the best single discriminator. The findings were discussed in relationship to previous findings and with respect to general issues of clinical neuropsychological assessment.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1979

Implicit preadmission screening criteria in an alcoholism treatment program.

The fact that alcoholism programs are biased in terms of the kind of patients admitted to treatment is well recognized. The authors examined the possible bias of preadmission screening procedures in an alcoholism treatment program and investigated some of the criteria used by staff clinicians in determining an applicant's acceptability for treatment. They found that accepted and rejected applicants had highly similar characteristics, differing only in age (accepted applicants were slightly younger than those rejected) and source of referral. The overall findings suggest that clinicians implicitly evaluate problem drinkers along dimensions related to their perceived "treatability" in a given therapeutic setting.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Validation of a subjective helplessness measure.

Investigated the potential utility and validity of a measure of subjective helplessness, the H25. Helplessness is defined as the degree to which the individual perceives him/herself to be unable to influence or control the initiation and outcome of a variety of potentially reinforcing activities. Alcoholic subjects were classified into three levels of self-reported helplessness. An initial multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the groups differed with respect to severity level across a number of dimensions of depressive symptomatology, with the High Helplessness group appearing significantly more depressed on each of the measures than Low Helplessness subjects. Subsequent analyses supported the construct validity of the H25. Those measures found to be most descriminating between groups and most predictive of the level of helplessness reflected a dimension of behavioral retardation consistent with the motivational dificits noted in the learned helplessness model. Recommendations for the future validation of individual difference measures of helplessness are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Control orientation among alcoholics: a cognitive social learning perspective.

A cognitive social learning model of the maintenance of problem drinking is presented. Basic constructs involving social skills acquisition, experienced cognitive control and self-efficacy expectations as they relate to alcoholism are discussed. It is concluded that the model provides a useful theoretical framework in which to conceptualize the development, maintenance and treatment of drinking problems. A number of specific suggestions are made for further research which test various hypotheses generated by this model.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1979

Interpersonal attractiveness and clinical decision in alcoholism treatment.

The authors investigated the interactive contribution of patient characteristics and staff perceptions of the patient to decisions concerning the provision of continued alcoholism treatment following an initial 2-week evaluation period. Staff perceptions contributed significantly more to an individual's acceptance or rejection than did patient characteristics. A high interpersonal attractiveness rating also led to a significantly more positive evaluation of the patients' level of intelligence, knowledge of current events, morality, and adjustment. The present results and research findings with general psychiatric populations are compared.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Correlates of clinicians' perceptions of patients in alcoholism treatment.

Previous research has shown that clinicians' perceptions of alcoholic patients' interpersonal attractiveness exert an influence on clinical decision processes. The present study investigated the relationship between clinicians' perceptions of alcoholic patients, as measured by Byrne's Interpersonal Judgment Scale, and patients' personality, cognitive, and demographic characteristics. The results suggest that the male alcoholic patient is more likely to be perceived favorably if he is young and exhibits behaviors that correspond to clinicians' treatment expectations. Overall, the measured personality characteristics of patients accounted for only small proportions of the variance in clinician's ratings of patients attractiveness. Alternative interpretations of these data are discussed with reference to subsequent research efforts.

Age Factors↗