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Biomedical subjects

S F Greenfield

Publications and source records attributed to S F Greenfield.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Health beliefs and hypertension: a case-control study in a Moroccan Jewish community in Israel.

This research focuses on the efficacy of health interventions and patient-physician negotiation in modifying patient belief models and influencing compliance behavior. It is an example of clinically applied anthropology in the Hadassah Family Practice Clinic of Beit Shemesh, Israel. Forty-six Moroccan Jewish hypertensives and normotensives were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Explanatory models of hypertension were elicited. In addition, the results from all questionnaires were scored according to the Health Belief Model Equation and correlated with each individual's assessed compliance. The only positive correlation, significant to p less than 0.05, was found among hypertensives: a correlation between the degree of compliance and the congruence of the individual's health belief model with that of the health provider. The authors conclude that hypertensive health belief and explanatory models were not perceptibly affected by health care intervention. The congruence of the patient's health belief model with that of the health provider may be predictive of compliance.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevention of psychiatric disorders.

Psychiatric disorders are highly prevalent and cause an enormous burden of suffering, loss of productivity, morbidity, and mortality. This article will review prevention of psychiatric disorders in a manner that is relevant to the mental health clinician. Clinicians may increasingly play a role in preventive interventions through (1) identifying individuals at risk, (2) consulting with agencies, school personnel, and employers who may identify individuals at risk, (3) providing treatment that can reduce the chronicity, severity, and total duration of psychiatric illness, and (4) providing mental health care to a specific population within our evolving health care system, in which health promotion and disease prevention play an increasingly important role. Appropriate literature was located by searching the English-language citations since 1985 in Index Medicus (search terms included prevention, preventive psychiatry, early intervention, mental disorders, risk factors, and primary prevention), reviewing several textbooks on psychiatric preventive services, and finding additional sources cited in the reference sections of these publications. This paper presents the public health model of disease prevention, which divides prevention activities into primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions. The model is applied to childhood psychiatric disorders and to adult-onset schizophrenia, depressive disorders, and substance use disorders. The review concludes with a discussion of the implications for the clinician and for public health policy.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of comorbid substance use disorders on the course of bipolar disorder: a review.

Population-based studies have documented that among all patients with major psychiatric disorders, those with bipolar disorder have the highest prevalence of comorbid substance abuse and dependence. The cause of this high comorbidity rate has not been clearly established, and the relationship is probably bidirectional. Articles published in English from 1980 through 1997 containing the terms comorbidity, mania, outcome, and substance use were identified by searching Medline and then the bibliographies of the articles identified in this search. The literature review showed several risk factors to be associated with comorbid substance use disorders in bipolar disorder patients: early age of onset, gender, family history of substance use disorders, and presence of mixed mania. Methodological enhancements that have helped to advance understanding in this area include distinguishing between primary and secondary disorders, between the different subtypes of bipolar disorder, and between first and subsequent episodes of illness. In order to determine the temporal sequence of onset, longitudinal studies initiated at the onset of either illness need to be pursued. Increased understanding of the association between bipolar disorder and comorbid substance use disorder will facilitate improved detection and intervention, as well as more-effective preventive measures that could improve outcome for patients with bipolar disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sex differences in marijuana use in the United States.

Marijuana and other cannabis preparations are the most widely used illicit drugs in the United States. A review of the literature reveals a number of sex differences in the epidemiology and adverse medical consequences of marijuana use. In 1995, 6.5% of females and 10.5% of males aged 12 and older reported marijuana use in the previous year. Although 4% more males than females used marijuana, the percentage of males using marijuana between 1994 and 1995 had decreased, whereas the percentage of females using marijuana during that same period had increased. Among females, the age of initiation of use is declining and the prevalence of problems with marijuana is on the rise. Both male and female marijuana users may experience adverse effects of cognitive dysfunction and airway inflammation. However, clinicians should be aware of sex-specific effects of marijuana use, including a possible increased risk of prostate cancer for male users and possible adverse effects on reproductive hormones in female users. Review of the available information on this topic indicates that we have much more to learn about the similarities and differences between males and females with respect to patterns of use, adverse consequences, and vulnerabilities to marijuana.

Cannabis↗