Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Westermeyer

Publications and source records attributed to J Westermeyer.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Migration and mental health among Hmong refugees. Association of pre- and postmigration factors with self-rating scales.

To date there have been no epidemiological studies of a refugee population using self-rating scales. This method was used in a study of Hmong refugees in Minnesota. Self-reported symptoms were compared with premigration and postmigration factors to assess those characteristics associated with increased symptom reporting. Relatively few premigration factors influenced these self-reports, whereas several postmigration factors were significantly correlated with symptoms. These findings suggest certain interventions which might enhance the adjustment of subsequent refugees.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Neurotic symptoms in the postacute phase of schizophrenia.

To assess the presence and importance of neurotic and depressive symptoms in the posthospital phase of schizophrenia, two samples of schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic patients were studied. The first sample consisted of 278 chronic patients and the second sample consisted of 284 relatively early phase, less chronic, patients. The following results emerged. a) Surprisingly high levels of neurotic/depressive symptoms are found in both schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic patients during the posthospital phase. b) Nonschizophrenic patients experience an equal or greater degree of neurotic symptom discomfort than schizophrenics, and any differences do not reach statistically significant levels. c) Neurotic/depressive symptoms seems to be one key area in which schizophrenics do not function more poorly during the posthospital phase than nonschizophrenic patients. d) The results cut across different social classes, different institutional settings, and different levels of chronicity. These data suggest that neurotic and depressive symptoms may play a greater role in the posthospital functioning of both chronic and nonchronic psychiatric patients than has heretofore been recognized.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

A ten-year follow-up of alcoholic Native Americans in Minnesota.

In a 10-year follow-up of 45 alcoholic American Indians, 42 (93%) were located. Seven had been abstinent for 2 or more years, 26 still had drinking problems despite repeated treatment, and 9 had died. The authors hypothesize that the absence of stable employment and a stable marriage or family environment reduced the efficacy of treatment efforts in this population. Those who achieved 2 years of abstinence were characterized by stable employment and/or marriage, as well as by stronger interpersonal relationships and less depression than the others. The recovered subjects provided considerable help to other alcoholic persons in addition to serving as positive role models.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Variability in opium dosage: observations from Laos, 1965-75.

Opiate addicts are generally believed to consume a fairly constant level of drug. These data indicate that, for most addicts over time, there is considerable variability in dosage. This variability occurs not only amongst addicts, but also in most individual addicts over time. Extreme constancy in dosage does prevail for some addicts over prolonged periods, but this is not the norm. Factors influencing dosage include age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, duration of addiction, drug cost and drug availability. Distributions in dosage patterns are presented in this report.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1981

Social networks and mental illness in a peasant society.

Social networks of 35 mentally ill persons were studied in Lao villages. Mental illness was associated with a decrease in size of social networks, disproportionate reliance on family, and asymmetric instrumental exchange. Nonkin "sponsors" provided assistance to those alienated from or abandoned by relatives. For those with late onset or episodic course, past accumulation of "social reserve" or "social capital" favored continuation of large networks. Size of social network was positively correlated with social function but bore little relation to psychopathology.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Sex ratio among opium addicts in Asia: influences of drug availability and sampling method.

The literature on opium addiction in Asia reveals widely different sex ratios. Analysis of these reports indicates that community surveys provide the most reliable and valid ratios. Surveys in psychiatric hospitals appear to overreport women, while case registers and surveys in addiction treatment facilities, vends and dens overreport men. The relative proportion of female addicts is greatest in poppy-producing areas and in communities with high prevalence rates of addiction. Instrumental mechanisms for these observations are explored.

Asia↗
PubMed1980

Influence of mental illness on marriage, reproduction, and parenting in a society without psychiatric services.

This survey was undertaken in a peasant society without modern psychiatric services in order to assess marriage, reproduction, and parenting functions among 35 mentally ill persons. Among the mentally ill, single persons had earlier onset of mental illness as compared to those who had ever been married. Those who had married and produced children had a high rate of divorce from their spouses and separation from their children following onset of mental illness. Among 12 parents whose onset of mental illness began when their children were still young, five were not living with their children and the other seven exercised little or no parental supervision. In two families, the psychotic parent had beaten her children severely. One infant died of neglect when a psychotic mother refused to surrender child care to others. Mentally ill subjects 18 years or older were less apt to be married than opium addicts in the same population. Infant mortality was greater among the children of mentally ill than in the general population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Psychosis in a peasant society: social outcomes.

Several clinicians have theorized that somatic and residential treatments have an untoward effect on the eventual outcome of major mental illness. To test this hypothesis, the author studied social coping behavior of mentally ill people in Laos, a predominantly peasant society with no psychiatrists or psychiatric hospitals. The Lao folk term baa ("crazy" or insane) was used in determining cases. Social factors studied included legal problems, family contact, sociability, friendship, communal activities, sexuality, and work. Results indicated that levels of social function in this sample were quite limited. The author concludes that social disability associated with chronic psychosis cannot be ascribed totally to diagnostic labeling or institutionalization.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

An evaluation of alcoholism services in Minnesota using a social indicator method.

Alcohol-related events in Minnesota are assessed using a social indicator method. Eight events have shown rate average increases of 2.0 to 13.5 per cent per year over the last 7 to 14 years, with most events increasing 5 to 7 per cent. These include traffic fatalities, alcoholic cirrhosis deaths, alcohol deaths, arrest for liquor law violations, convictions, for driving while intoxicated (first and repeat), and state hospital admissions (first and repeat). Statistical analyses of these increases shows that, even with relatively few sample years, the rate and direction of rate increases are highly significant for most events.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1979

Folk concepts of mental disorder among the Lao: continuities with similar concepts in other cultures and in psychiatry.

Folk concepts for mental disorder were studied among rural Lao people. While predominatly inferring etiology (e.g. spirit-caused disorder), certain terms also emphasized particular descriptive psychopathology or behavioral abnormality. Preventive strategies were stressed for insanity due to "excessive worry' or "broken taboo'. These broad folk categories of disorder bore considerable similarity to some psychiatric and neurologic categories within medicine. These includes psychosis, mania, neurosis, organic brain syndrome, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and childhood autism. Lao folk terms for mental disorder also closely resembled those of other southern Asian cultures, although illiterate tribal peoples appeared to have fewer terms than literate peasant peoples. Folk terms from more distant regions had broad similarity to those of southeast Asia, but lacked the specificity found within the region.

Attitude↗
PubMed1979

Influence of opium availability on addiction rates in Laos.

Crude rates of opium addiction were determined in 1972-1974 in ten communities of Laos, representing eight different ethnic groups and three provinces. In six rural communities, data were obtained by a house-to-house survey, and in four urban communities by opium den registration. Communities raising opium poppy as a cash crop had highest crude rates of addiction (7.0-9.8 addicts per 100 people). Thos involved in opium commerce had intermediate rates (4.1-5.5). Where neither opium production nor commerce was present, the communities had the lowest rates of addiction (1.8-2.3).

Agriculture↗