Biomedical subjects

H Tennen

Publications and source records attributed to H Tennen.

76 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Personality and substance use disorders as predictors of criminality.

The study objective was to evaluate the relationship between a personality disorder (PD) diagnosis and criminal behavior among drug- and alcohol-dependent patients both retrospectively and prospectively. We examined 1-year pretreatment and 1-year post-treatment crime rates among 370 drug- and/or alcohol-dependent patients. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to examine the predictive value of DSM-III-R PD diagnoses after controlling for demographic features and type and severity of substance dependence. Patients with a diagnosis of antisocial PD (ASPD) were more likely to report having committed a variety of crimes, including violent crimes, during the pretreatment period. Individuals with more PD diagnoses or a diagnosis of borderline PD (BPD) or schizoid PD also reported a greater number of pretreatment violent crimes. In addition, the number of PD diagnoses was correlated with the number of crimes against property. During the pretreatment period, significant interactions were also found between PD measures and substance use in relation to both property crimes and violation of parole or probation. During the posttreatment period, a diagnosis of BPD predicted the commission of violent crimes. In contrast, a cluster A PD predicted a lower frequency of crimes against property. ASPD did not predict criminality during the 1-year follow-up period. In conclusion, a PD diagnosis, particularly ASPD, was associated with a variety of criminal behaviors during the 1-year period preceding substance abuse treatment. Following treatment, PD diagnosis had limited value in the prediction of criminal behavior. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mood states associated with transitory changes in asthma symptoms and peak expiratory flow.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the within-person relations between transitory changes in mood, asthma symptoms, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). METHODS: Thrice-daily for 21 consecutive days, 48 adults with moderate to severe asthma entered information in palm-top computers about their mood and asthma symptoms. A multidimensional model of mood, ie, the mood circumplex, informed the assessment of mood arousal and mood pleasantness. At each observation, participants also recorded their PEFR with peak flow meters that stored blinded data. Albuterol doses were also monitored electronically. Before and after the 21-day study, spirometric measures of airways obstruction were taken under controlled conditions. RESULTS: Random effects regression models revealed a significant, but weak, within-person relation between symptoms and PEFR. Changes in mood vectors with an arousal component were significantly related to PEFR changes, whereas changes in mood vectors with a pleasantness component tracked changes in asthma symptom reports, even after adjustment for contemporaneous PEFR and after controlling for time of day and albuterol dosing. Comparison of spirometric assessments with unsupervised PEFR suggested that part of the relation between mood arousal and PEFR may be attributable to the "effort-dependence" of peak flow self-monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: Different dimensions of mood were associated with transitory changes in asthma symptoms and PEFR. This may be one reason why individuals with asthma misperceive the severity of their symptoms in relation to underlying airways obstruction.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Concerns of children with a chronic illness: a cognitive-developmental study of juvenile diabetes.

Chronically ill children become increasingly able to understand their illnesses as they develop intellectually. But cognitive development also brings the ability to grasp the meaning of a poor prognosis or functional limitations, which may take an emotional toll on the youngster. We studied this problem in a sample of children with insulin-dependent diabetes. Those who had more advanced disease concepts were more worried about their diabetes. Children saw their parents as worried primarily about current management of the disease, suggesting that youngsters' concerns about the future were difficult to discuss at home. There is a need for clinicians and parents to integrate emotional support into the education and management of chronically ill children.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hypochondriasis influences quality-of-life outcomes in patients with chronic fatigue.

BACKGROUND: To determine how hypochondriacal symptoms influence the quality-of-life outcomes of patients with a chief complaint of chronic fatigue. METHODS: Cross-sectional cohort study of a consecutive sample of 71 patients (mean duration of fatigue of 4.1 years). Forty-eight (68%) patients met criteria for current major depression and 32 (45%) met criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). All patients received a comprehensive medical and psychiatric evaluation. Quality-of-life and physical, depressive and hypochondriacal symptom scores were assessed through reliable self-report questionnaires and a structured interview. A path model expressing the relation between predictor variables (hypochondriasis and depression), intervening variables (physical symptoms) and quality of life was postulated and evaluated using structural equation methods. RESULTS: The paths linking hypochondriasis with physical symptoms and mental health and the path connecting physical symptoms and quality of life were each statistically significant. The model applied especially well to patients who fulfilled CFS criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of life of chronic fatigue patients correlates with the severity of their physical symptoms and their hypochondriacal disposition toward illness.

Adolescent↗