Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D Spiegel

Publications and source records attributed to D Spiegel.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

The relationship of two dimensions of social support to the psychological well-being and social functioning of women with advanced breast cancer.

Of interest to the field is the mechanism through which social support acts as a resistance resource for individuals undergoing stressful life circumstances. Women with advanced breast cancer (N = 86) were interviewed to determine how their outlook on life and social functioning were affected by the social support they received. Emotional support provided by the family was predicted to affect the woman's sense of well-being whereas the opportunities for social exchange provided by one's social activities were expected to effect the woman's social functioning. Consistent with the predictions, the data indicate that social support is multidimensional. Emotional support was strongly related to one's outlook. However, one's opportunities for social exchange affect not only one's social functioning, but also one's outlook on life, suggesting an interactive process whereby family support improves outlook, both outlook and opportunities for social exchange are related to one's sense of social functioning. These data explain the erosion of social support during life-threatening illness such as cancer as a result of the limitations imposed by the illness on one's opportunities for social exchange.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1984

Spontaneous hypnotic age regression: case report.

Age regression--reliving the past as though it were occurring in the present, with age appropriate vocabulary, mental content, and affect--can occur with instruction in highly hypnotizable individuals, but has rarely been reported to occur spontaneously, especially as a primary symptom. The psychiatric presentation and treatment of a 16-year-old girl with spontaneous age regressions accessible and controllable with hypnosis and psychotherapy are described. Areas of overlap and divergence between this patient's symptoms and those found in patients with hysterical fugue and multiple personality syndrome are also discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Multiple personality as a post-traumatic stress disorder.

This article examines multiple or dissociative personality syndrome as a multiple post-traumatic stress disorder, discussing these patient's developmental histories, their high hypnotizability, and their profound capacity to dissociate spontaneously to protect themselves from emotional and physical pain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Pain in metastatic breast cancer.

The pain experiences of 86 women with metastatic carcinoma of the breast were systematically evaluated over a period of one year. Fifty-six percent of the sample reported experiencing pain, and the intensity of pain was not significantly related to site of metastasis. Multiple regression analysis revealed that 50% of the variance in the pain experience was accounted for by: (1) the amount of mood disturbance as measured by the Profile of Mood States (POMS); (2) the patients' belief that the pain indicated worsening of the illness; and (3) the use of analgesic medication. The nature of family support, social functioning, and coping responses were not significantly associated with pain intensity, nor was mortality during the one-year follow-up period. These data document the significance of psychological factors in accounting for differences in pain experience and document the interaction between pain and mood disturbance. These findings suggest that treatment of metastatic pain should include attention to the patient's mood and adjustment to the illness.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

Naloxone fails to reverse hypnotic alleviation of chronic pain.

The hypothesis that the alleviation of chronic pain with hypnosis is mediated by endorphins was tested. Six patients with chronic pain secondary to peripheral nerve irritation were taught to control the pain utilizing self-hypnosis. Each subject was tested at 5-min intervals during four 1-h sessions for the amount of reduction of pain sensation and suffering associated with hypnosis while being given, in a random double-blind crossover fashion, an IV injection of either 10 mg naloxone or a saline placebo through an indwelling catheter. The patients demonstrated significant alleviation of the pain with hypnosis, but this effect was not significantly diminished in the naloxone condition. These findings contradict the hypothesis that endorphins are involved in hypnotic analgesia.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Hypnosis with medical/surgical patients.

The role of hypnosis as a tool in the treatment of problems commonly encountered among medical and surgical patients is examined. Hypnosis is defined as a change in state of mind far more akin to intense concentration than sleep. Diagnostic implications of differences in hypnotic responsivity are explored, and scales suitable for use in the clinic are examined. Uses of hypnosis in treating anxiety, pain, childbirth, psychosomatic symptoms, seizure disorders, neuromuscular dysfunction, and habits are described and evaluated. The phenomenon of hypnosis is presented as a means of exploring the mind-body relationship in a controlled fashion, providing information of diagnostic importance while at the same time allowing hypnotizable patients to intensify their concentration and interpersonal receptivity in the service of a therapeutic goal.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMed1983

Group therapy and hypnosis reduce metastatic breast carcinoma pain.

The pain and mood disturbance of 54 women with metastatic carcinoma of the breast were studied over the course of one year. A random sample was offered weekly group therapy during the year, with or without self-hypnosis training directed toward enhancing their competence at mastering pain and stress related to cancer. Both treatment groups demonstrated significantly less self-rated pain sensation (t = 2.5 p less than 0.02) and suffering (t = 2.17, p less than 0.03) than the control sample. Those who were offered the self-hypnosis training as well as group therapy fared best in controlling the pain sensation (F = 3.1, p less than 0.05). Pain frequency and duration were not affected. Changes in pain measures were significantly correlated with changes in self-rated total mood disturbance on the Profile of Mood States and with its anxiety, depression, and fatigue subscales. Possible mechanisms for the effectiveness of these interventions are discussed.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1983

Perceptions of family environment among psychiatric patients and their wives.

This study compared the perceived family environments of former psychiatric inpatients with thought, affective, and substance abuse disorders to those of normative comparison couples using the Family Environment Scale. Family environment was assessed among patients and wives separately at hospital discharge and at three- and twelve-month follow-ups. Patients and their wives were consistently more incongruent in their perceptions of their shared environment than normative couples. In addition, low-functioning patient couples reported less family cohesion, expressiveness, and recreational emphasis than their higher functioning counterparts; the high-functioning patient couples more closely resembled the norm. The paper discusses possible relationships between positive family contact and better patient functioning.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1982

Hypnotizability and psychopathology.

The authors compared the hypnotic responsivity of 115 chronically ill psychiatric patients with that of 83 nonpatient volunteers. The Hypnotic Induction Profile was administered to all subjects, and diagnoses were established for the patients according to Research Diagnostic Criteria. All of the diagnosed patients (those with thought disorder, affective disorder, generalized anxiety, and miscellaneous disorders) were significantly less hypnotizable than the nonpatient comparison group. This effect was unrelated to age or medication differences. The authors discuss the implication of these findings in relation to a new model of hypnotic responsivity that takes into account the moderating effects of severe psychopathology.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Group support for patients with metastatic cancer. A randomized outcome study.

The effects of weekly supportive group meetings for women with metastatic carcinoma of the breast were systematically evaluated in a one-year, randomized, prospective outcome study. The groups focused on the problems of terminal illness, including improving relationships with family, friends, and physicians and living as fully as possible in the face of death. We hypothesized that this invention would lead to improved mood, coping strategies, and self-esteem among those in the treatment group. Eighty-six patients were tested at four-month intervals. The treatment group had significantly lower mood-disturbance scores on the Profile of Mood States scale, had fewer maladaptive coping responses, and were less phobic than the control group. This study provides objective evidence that a supportive group intervention for patients with metastatic cancer results in psychological benefit. Mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of this group intervention are explored.

Adaptation, Psychological↗