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Biomedical subjects

J F Dirks

Publications and source records attributed to J F Dirks.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

The battery of asthma illness behavior, II: independence from airways hyperreactivity.

Bronchial asthma is an illness particularly susceptible to psychological and behavioral exacerbation and perpetuation. The Battery of Asthma Illness Behavior has demonstrated a remarkable ability to identify such psychomaintenance potentials in chronic asthmatic patients. The present study advances previous research by showing that BAIB scores are independent of degree of airways hyperreactivity. This finding strengthens the assertion that the BAIB assesses psychomaintenance potentials independent from the objective medical parameters of the illness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

The battery of asthma illness behavior, III: independence from longitudinal pulmonary functions.

Previous research has demonstrated that the Battery of Asthma Illness Behavior is related to a wide variety of medical outcome variables in bronchial asthma. It has been maintained that BAIB scores reflect the degree to which psychological and behavioral factors can adversely affect medical management and prognosis. The present study advances previous research by investigating the relationship between BAIB scores and average longitudinal spirometry.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Improving patient recall and comprehension of the treatment regimen.

The failure of patients to comprehend medical advice or to recall accurately the instructions their physicians give them may destroy the effectiveness of even the most scientifically sound treatment regimen. The proper use of practical and simple communication techniques may greatly assist the physician in educating the patient. Knowledge of the current status of research on the recall of medical information will assist the practitioner in communicating so that patients can improve their retention of medical instructions and advice.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1982

Death in asthma: a psychosomatic autopsy.

In most, if not all, chronic illnesses, the patient is a participant in medical management. Attitudes and behaviors during treatment can influence medical outcome in important ways that are becoming increasingly understood. This case history illustrates how a personal style may have contributed to the worst possible outcome, death, in an illness that is usually not fatal. There is a need to unravel the complex interplay between the psychological and medical factors contributing to such extremes in medical treatment failure in order to permit timely and appropriate intervention.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Clinical prediction of medical rehospitalization: psychological assessment with the Battery of Asthma Illness Behavior.

Psychomaintenance in chronic illness refers to the perpetuation of chronicity or the defeat of medical management because of psychological, as opposed to strictly physical, reasons. The Battery of Asthma Illness Behavior (BAIB) has been developed to assess psychomaintenace potentials among chronic asthmatics. In this study of 57 adult asthmatic patients, the clinical utility of the BAIB was assessed by having two psychologists predict the likelihood of rehospitalization within six months following intensive medical treatment. Independent, blind predictions using the BAIB, but in the absence of any demographic or medical information, enabled hit rates of 70% and 84% by te psychologists. Moreover, the predictions were independent of the objective severity of the patients' asthma, indicating that the clinical judgments were not merely readings of the patients' asthma severity on the basis of the BAIB scores. The need for rapid, clinical assessment of psychological factors maintaining chronic illness was discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Bender-Gestalt performance and recall in an asthmatic sample.

In a sample of intractable adult asthmatics, the prevalence of Bender-Gestalt signs suggestive of neuropsychological problems was documented. Sixty-five per cent of the sample was found to have equivocal or definite Bender-Gestalt signs suggestive of cerebral dysfunction. A clear majority of the asthmatics manifested definite signs of memory impairment when they were asked to recall the Bender designs. The study provides the first documentation of the neuropsychological sequelae of asthma in adults.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Levels of psychological experience in asthma: general and illness-specific concomitants of panic-fear personality.

Coping styles in asthma indexed by a Panic-Fear personality measure are known to influence physicians' medical decisions and long-term treatment outcome. Unusually High or Low Panic-Fear personality styles are maladaptive, the former characterized by anxious, helpless dependency and the latter by an extreme counterphobic independence. In this study (N = 90), the psychological experiences among Panic-Fear personality groups (LOW, Moderate, and High) of asthma patients are described at three levels of assessment: (1) general personality characteristics; (2) attitudes toward asthma and its treatment; and (3) the subjective symptoms reported during breathing difficulties. Comparisons among the groups delineated the linkages between Panic-Fear personality and more illness-specific attitudes, symptoms, and experiences in asthma. Discussion centered upon how general personality and illness-specific characteristics associated with extreme High and Low Panic-Fear personality may contribute to the psychomaintenance of asthma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Anxiety reduction in asthma: four catches to general application.

Anxiety reduction procedures as adjuncts to medical treatment have almost invariably been reported to benefit asthmatic patients in individual case studies. However, the results of more systematically controlled studied are clearly inconsistent. This discrepancy is understandable in view of what is now known about anxiety in asthma. Four catches, each based on what has been reported about the roles and forms of anxiety in asthma, are presented. Each catch argues against general, across-the-board application of anxiety reduction procedures in asthma. Careful evaluation leading to more problem-oriented treatment is needed in view of the different roles of anxiety in asthma.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1980

Psycho-maintenance in asthma: hospitalization rates and financial impact.

Certain patient styles perpetuate chronic physical illness, defeat medical treatment, and increase the utilization of medical services. Two such extreme styles among asthmatic patients are indexed by the MMPI panic-fear scale, reflecting either (a) helpless dependency and anxiety, or (b) excessive inappropriate independence. The present findings indicate that both of these patient styles are related to excessively high hospitalization rates during the two 1-year periods after discharge from intensive treatment, even among patient groups having asthma of similar objective severity. The discussion centres upon the increased demand for medical services, and the need for early identification of patients whose personal styles contribute to the maintenance of illness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Psychomaintenance aspects of alexithymia: relationship to medical outcome variables in a chronic respiratory illness population.

MMPI alexithymia scores and MMPI panic-fear personality scores were calculated for 202 adult asthmatic patients. Both sets of scores were shown to be related to the number of days rehospitalized. In addition, patients who scored high on both the alexithymia and panic-fear personality scales were judged by their attending physicians as being more severely ill than other patients. Both of these relationships were independent of the objective severity of the patient's asthma as indexed by longitudinal pulmonary functions. The study highlights the fact that alexithymia and panic-fear are two dimensions which may contribute to medical intractability in chronic asthma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Psychological contributions to chronicity in asthma: patient response styles influencing medical treatment and its outcome.

Research is reviewed relating to two aspects of response styles among asthmatic patients, neither of which is a mere derivative of the patient's medical condition. One aspect, indexed by panic-fear symptomatology, appears to be associated with the level of attention directed at breathing difficulties, ranging from symptom disregard (low panic-fear symptomatology) to symptom vigilance (high panic-fear symptomatology). A second aspect, indexed by a derived personality dimension, appears to be associated with the quality of the patient's reactions to acknowledged breathing difficulties, ranging from extreme independence (low panic-fear personality) to helpless and ineffective dependency (high panic-fear personality). Simply, these aspects of patient response styles refer both to the attention directed toward breathing difficulties and to the quality of the patient's reactions in response to acknowledged breathing difficulties. Their importance derives from 1) their interaction with the severity of asthma to influence medical decisions about the intensity of prescribed medications and length of hospitalization during medical treatment and 2) their effect on long-term medical outcome. Awareness of these two aspects of patient response styles should enable differential approaches to be adopted by physicians seeking to counteract psychological contributions to chronicity in asthma.

Asthma↗