Biomedical subjects

J R Ferrari

Publications and source records attributed to J R Ferrari.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Oxford house: a review of research and implications for substance abuse recovery and community research.

After treatment for substance abuse, whether it is in hospital-based treatment programs, therapeutic communities, or recovery homes, many patients return to former high-risk environments or stressful family situations. Returning to these settings without a network of people to support abstinence increases chances of a relapse. As a consequence, substance abuse recidivism following treatment is high for both men and women. Alternative approaches need to be explored, and there are some promising types of recovery homes. From a public health perspective, a series of studies conducted at DePaul University suggests that one type of recovery home for alcohol abuse recovery has much potential. For example, within this self-help communal living setting, recovering alcoholics were able to maintain employment, thereby reducing their need for government subsidies. Maintaining employment for recovering alcoholics may promote increased personal responsibility, which may impact self-efficacy beliefs. These pilot studies, then, raised both theoretical and practical issues needing further evaluation.

Chicago↗

PubMed2001

Shame and guilt and their relationship to positive expectations and anger expressiveness.

College students (174 females, 91 males) completed measures of shame, guilt, expectations for future success, and styles of anger expression. Significant gender differences were found in proneness for both shame and guilt, with young women exhibiting a greater propensity for shame and guilt than young men. For both females and males, however, shame-proneness was positively related to expressions of inward anger. Among males and females, guilt-proness was negatively related to outward anger, but positively related to anger control. For females, guilt-proness was also negatively related to expectations for future success. Multiple regression analyses indicated that for male and female late adolescents, the best positive predictor of shame-proneness was inward anger. Gender differences emerged in predicting guilt-proneness; greater anger control, lower outward anger, and lower expectations for future success significantly predicted this variable among females.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

An exploratory analysis of women and men within a self-help, communal-living recovery setting: a new beginning in a new house.

In the present exploratory study, women without children (n = 13) and women with children (n = 23) were compared to men (n = 35) on demographic and self-reported variables on entering a communal-living, self-help recovery program called Oxford House. Men were more often hospitalized for their addiction than either group of women, and men and women with children were older and had been previously hospitalized longer for their addiction than women without children. There were no significant differences among groups in terms of their codependency on others, and men felt a stronger sense of camaraderie with other residents than women with or without children. Men and women with children also tended to feel they shared more in the decisions within their house than did women without children. Further, with partial correlates (controlling for the number of children), women with children indicated that the greater their self-reported codependency, the less accepting they were of their children and the more depressed they were about their parenting abilities. Dysfunctional characteristics of the children also were related to negative characteristics in the children reported by their mothers. In short, men and women with and without children entering an Oxford House have similar profiles, yet women with children have additional stressors associated with parental responsibilities.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

The development of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Attitudes Test. A psychometric analysis.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is characterized by debilitating symptoms including persistent or relapsing fatigue. As a result of CFS, some individuals experience significant stigma that is attached to this illness. Many medical professionals are skeptical of the validity of the illness, and employers often fail to appreciate the seriousness of the symptoms. Although negative attitudes greatly affect the lives of individuals with CFS, there is presently no measurement of attitudes toward this illness and people who have CFS. The purpose of the present studies was to create a scale that measures attitudes toward individuals with CFS--the Chronic Fatigue Attitudes Test (CAT)--and to assess the scale's reliability and validity. The 13-item scale was created using several constructs outlined in the literature regarding negative attitudes toward people with CFS, disabilities, and AIDS. Theoretical implications of the findings and the utility of the CAT are discussed.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed1998

A survival analysis of communal-living, self-help, addiction recovery participants.

We examined individual and group characteristics associated with the duration of community involvement (i.e., length of residence) in 11 Illinois Oxford Houses for 129 male recovering addicts. Survival analyses indicated that the best predictor of duration of community involvement from demographic items was age (i.e., older age and older age of fellow residents were associated with being more likely to continue residence). Among psychological measures, the best survival predictor was lack of pessimism of the future. Although the relationship between longer length of residence and treatment outcomes are complex, because it is often difficult to keep people involved in treatment programs, knowledge that we can gain about those factors that might lead to greater lengths of stay are of importance.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Predicting perfectionism: applying tests of rigidity.

Adult college students (N = 108; M age = 24.3 years old) completed multidimensional measures of perfectionism (self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially-prescribed perfectionism) and behavioral rigidity (attitudinal flexibility, psychomotor speed, and motor-cognitive rigidity). Attitudinal flexibility was negatively related to all three forms of perfectionism, and motor-cognitive rigidity was positively related to self-oriented perfectionism. Multiple regression analyses indicated that attitude flexibility and motor-cognitive rigidity were significant predictors of self-oriented perfectionism, while attitude-flexibility alone was the significant predictor of socially-prescribed perfectionism. No measure of rigidity was a significant predictor of other-oriented perfectionism. Thus, dimensions of perfectionism may be predicted with different measures of cognitive-behavioral rigidity.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

An exploratory study of male recovering substance abusers living in a self-help, self-governed setting.

Adult men (n = 132; 92% of the population) with histories of alcohol/drug use disorders were interviewed upon their entry to 11 Oxford Houses located in the state of Illinois. Individuals still in residence at a six-month follow-up (n = 48) were reinterviewed; prior to the follow-up interview, 42 men had left voluntarily and 42 men had been evicted for abuse or disruptive behavior. The men remaining in residence tended to be older (M age = 37 years), were disproportionately African American (56%), and were less pessimistic about their future. At the intake interview, individuals who would be evicted reported a lower expectation for abstinence social support from the other residents in Oxford House. The Oxford House model of social support for recovery from alcohol and drug dependence appears to help some residents maintain sobriety.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Recovering from alcoholism in communal-living settings: exploring the characteristics of African American men and women.

African American men (n = 33) and women (n = 32) residing in a self-governed, communal-living aftercare program known as Oxford House were surveyed on socio-demographic, personality, recovery, and setting attribute variables. Women, compared to men, were more likely to report sexual abuse as an adult, be diagnosed with an eating disorder, engage in writing bad checks prior to recovery, and claim a stronger perception that Oxford House provided a structured and safe setting. Men, in contrast to women, were more likely to have engaged in drug sales and residential theft prior to recovery, claim less self-doubt about controlling their future life, and report greater attempts at rebuilding interpersonal relations and working 12-step programs. Men and women did not differ significantly in self-reports of co-dependency. Results indicate that gender specific and culturally sensitive characteristics upon both entry and in the course of recovery should be considered in communal facilities such as Oxford House.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Understanding shame in adults: retrospective perceptions of parental-bonding during childhood.

The association between perceptions of parental-bonding style during childhood and moral affect of shame at young adulthood were examined with 264 women and 140 men (mean age [+/- SD] = 20.4 +/- 1.6 years old). Shame affect was significantly positively related to fear of negative evaluation by others and social avoidance, and negatively related to recalled parental care in one's childhood. Multiple regression analyses indicated that maternal protectiveness, paternal care, fear of negative social evaluation, and social avoidance were significant predictors of shame, explaining 41% of the variance. Results support object relations theory, which states that shame is a moral affect associated with social evaluation apprehension and may have developmental implications for one's parental relations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

A national assessment of the service, support, and housing preferences by persons with chronic fatigue syndrome. Toward a comprehensive rehabilitation program.

Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (PWCs) completed and returned by mail a brief survey of open- and closed-ended items designed to assess their utilization and preferences for a variety of services. A total of 984 middle-aged adults diagnosed with Chronic Fatique Syndrome (CFS) from across North America returned the survey. During the past 12 months, many of these PWCs reported utilization of a primary care physician, gynecologist, CFS specialist, and self-help group to assist in their recovery from CFS. Most PWCs believed it was important to educate both health-care practitioners and the general public about CFS. In terms of their desire for specific recovery needs, factor analysis of responses indicated that these PWCs preferred self-help/social support services and general advocacy services in the treatment of their illness. The implications of these results for developing rehabilitation programs for PWCs are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Estimating rates of chronic fatigue syndrome from a community-based sample: a pilot study.

Most of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) epidemiological studies have relied on physicians who refer patients having at least six months of chronic fatigue and other symptoms. However, there are a number of potential problems when using this method to derive prevalence statistics. For example, some individuals with CFS might not have the economic resources to access medical care. Other individuals with CFS might be reluctant to use medical personnel, particularly if they have encountered physicians skeptical of the authenticity of their illness. In addition, physicians that are skeptical of the existence of CFS might not identify cases. In the present pilot study, a random community sample (N = 1,031) was interviewed by telephone in order to identify and comprehensively evaluate individuals with symptoms of CFS and those who self-report having CFS. Different definitions of CFS were employed, and higher rates (0.2%) of CFS were found than in previous studies. Methodological benefits in using more rigorous epidemiological methods when estimating CFS prevalence rates are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Twelve-step program use among Oxford House residents: spirituality or social support in sobriety?

Oxford House is a self-help, self-governed, democratic communal-living environment for recovering alcoholics and polysubstance abusers. In this study, 134 male residents (M age = 34 years old) were personally interviewed on their recovery process and, in particular, on their experience with 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Most residents (76%) reported they attended weekly AA meetings to assist in their recovery, mainly to acquire effective techniques to maintain sobriety (72%). Many AA attendees (43%) claimed no sense of spirituality prior to joining AA, and for most of these men (71%), attendance at weekly meetings was not motivated by "spirituality" aspects of the program. In contrast, the majority of residents (53%) attending weekly AA meetings claimed that a sense of fellowship with similar recovering others was their reason for program involvement. It appears that among men living in a communal setting with other recovering addicts, the need for social support for sobriety from similar others continues beyond the confines of their residence.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Procrastination tendencies among obsessive-compulsives and their relatives.

Participants diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; 39 women, 26 men; M age = 40) and their family relatives (11 women, 7 men; M age = 45) completed standardized measures of obsessions, compulsions, decisional procrastination (indecision), and avoidant procrastination. Among the OCDs, obsessions were related significantly to decisional procrastination, and compulsions were related significantly to decisional and avoidant procrastination. In comparison to family members of obsessive compulsives, the OCDs reported significantly greater obsessions, compulsions, and indecisions, but not procrastination motivated by avoidance. Results suggest that individuals with clinical obsessive-compulsive tendencies do, in fact, report states of indecision, as claimed by DSM-III-R. However, these clinical individuals may not differ significantly from nonclinical samples (e.g., family members) in avoidant procrastination.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Experiencing satisfaction and stress as an AIDS care provider. The AIDS caregiver scale.

Health care workers (n = 342) completed items examining their emotional experiences working with HIV-positive patients. Factor analysis produced two subscales: Personal Satisfaction and Emotional Stress. A subset of these care workers (n = 251) claimed increased stress and depression after 6 months. In a second study, 91 volunteer AIDS caregivers ("buddies") completed the inventory and the Attitude Toward AIDS Scale. Satisfaction subscores were related to frequent contact and Stress subscores were related to length of illness of persons with AIDS. Satisfaction subscores were related negatively to prejudice towards PWA, social discrimination against PWA, and positively to pro-attitudes toward PWA. Stress subscores were related to social discrimination and punishment for PWA.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1993

Perceptions of parental control and the development of indecision among late adolescent females.

Late adolescent females (N = 86; M age = 19.1 years) completed reliable and valid self-report measures on their perception of both parents' authority style (authoritarian, authoritative, permissive) and their own tendency toward decisional procrastination. Households where daughters perceived both parents as high authoritarian (n = 32) were significantly more likely to raise daughters with strong indecision tendencies than were parents perceived as low authoritarian (n = 23). Mothers and fathers perceived as high (n = 22) or low (n = 22) authoritative, and high (n = 32) or low (n = 24) permissive, did not produce significant differences in daughters' self-reported decisional procrastination. Results suggest that parental authority characterized by stern inflexibility and overcontrol has the greatest influence on daughters who develop chronic indecision tendencies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

Interventions to reduce high-volume portable headsets: "turn down the sound"!

Two studies examined effects of interventions to reduce noise levels from portable stereo headphones. Study 1 examined the effectiveness of warning signs posted in and nearby public elevators with 567 passengers possessing a portable headphone (total N = 7,811). During a 9-day baseline, the mean percentage of headphones played at an observer-audible level was 85%. During a subsequent 6-day warning sign phase, the mean percentage of audible headphones declined to 59%, which increased to a mean of 76% during a second baseline phase (5 days). Study 2 assessed the impact of a student confederate who lowered his or her observer-audible headphone volume at the polite request of a second student confederate. Of the 4,069 elevator passengers, 433 possessed a portable headset. The mean percentage of observer-audible headphones during a 4-day baseline was 85%. Subsequently, a 5-day modeling intervention reduced audible volumes to a mean of 46%. During a second baseline phase of 4 days, the mean level was 77%, and during reintroduction of the modeling phase (9 days) the mean level was 42%. The modeling intervention was significantly more effective with women (53% compliance) than men (29% compliance).

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Compulsive procrastination: some self-reported characteristics.

In Sample 1, 46 procrastinators compared with 52 nonprocrastinators claimed lower self-esteem, greater public self-consciousness and social anxiety, and a stronger tendency toward self-handicapping. In Sample 2, 48 procrastinators compared with 54 nonprocrastinators reported a weaker tendency toward seeking self-identity information but a stronger tendency toward a diffuse-identity style, yet there were no significant differences in verbal and abstract thinking abilities. Further research must provide evidence for persistent procrastination as a personality disorder that includes anxiety, avoidance, and a fear of evaluation of ability.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

From cars to carts. Increasing safety belt usage in shopping carts.

A modified reversal/multiple-baseline design across three supermarkets was used to examine the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in increasing the frequency of safety belt usage in shopping carts. Following low baseline rates, safety belt usage increased significantly during a prompt-plus-personal-contact condition at Stores 1 and 2. Safety belt usage then decreased, but remained above baseline levels, in a prompt-alone condition at both stores. However, at Store 1, usage increased when the personal-contact procedure was reintroduced but reversed to lower levels in a second prompt-alone condition. Finally, social validity scales indicated that adult shoppers with children favored both safety belts on carts and the experimental procedures used in this study and said that they intended to use safety belts on carts in the future. Implications and directions for further research are briefly discussed.

Behavior Therapy↗