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[Changes in alexithymia and emotional awareness during psychotherapeutic inpatient treatment].

The aim of the study was to investigate whether alexithymia and emotional awareness could be improved by psychotherapeutic inpatient treatment. The role of alexithymia and emotional awareness in predicting the treatment outcome was investigated. 48 psychosomatically ill patients completed German versions of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS), the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R), the Global Assessment Scale of Function (GAF) and the "Beeinträchtigungs-Schwere-Score" (BSS) to assess the severity of patient psychological impairment. Psychotherapeutic inpatient treatment was associated with a decrease in alexithymia as measured by TAS-20. The expected improvement of emotional awareness failed to be statistically significant. This may be due to the smaller retest reliability of the LEAS. High scores in emotional awareness before therapy as measured by LEAS emerged as a predictor of successful psychotherapy with respect to GAF.

Adult↗

Responsiveness, behavioural arousal and awareness in fetal and newborn lambs: experimental, practical and therapeutic implications.

This review distinguishes between physical responsiveness, behavioural arousal and awareness in fetal and newborn lambs, and summarises the physical and physiological factors which activate and suppress behavioural arousal. Important activators include: rising blood oestrogen concentrations just before birth; physical stimuli during delivery; exposure to cold on delivery, and; elevation in blood oxygen levels following the onset of pulmonary respiration. Suppressors of behavioural arousal and awareness are: low oxygen levels and high concentrations of progesterone and its metabolites in the fetal circulation, and; exposure to a warm intrauterine environment and to a circulating placental factor that inhibits activity including breathing. In view of the relatively high levels of oxygen required to sustain awareness in adult animals, the low levels in fetal circulation, and the actions of other suppressors, it is unlikely that awareness occurs in the fetus. Nevertheless, fetuses perform a range of physical acts that would be supported or initiated by brainstem activity. In addition they show physical responses to potentially painful stimuli during late gestation, but it has yet to be demonstrated that these are linked to perception of pain. It is postulated that perception of pain could only occur once there is a level of oxygenation that supports overall awareness, and under normal circumstances this would only occur once the newborn starts breathing air. The implications for the welfare of fetal lambs and calves during experimental surgery, slaughter of the pregnant dam, collection of blood (serum) from fetuses at slaughter, and during fetotomy are favourable, indicating that current practices, when carefully undertaken, are humane.

Journal Article↗

Knowledge, awareness and perception of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among antenatal patients at Nnewi, Nigeria.

This study investigates STD knowledge, awareness and perception among antenatal patients at a Nigerian teaching hospital. There was general awareness of the common STDs, such as gonorrhoea, 95.5% (n=127) and syphilis 66.92% (n=89), while the least awareness was recorded in chlamydial diseases, 6% (n=8). HIV/AIDS recorded the highest awareness, 96.2% (n=128). There knowledge of causes and treatment was remarkably poor. Only 58.6% (n=78) could recognise bacteria as causing STD. Surprisingly more than half, 72.2% (n=96) still believed that remedy could be obtained from prayer houses, herbs and other non-scientific means. The most common source of information was through media houses: radio 72.9% (n=97), television 64.7% (n=86). Preventive awareness was high, more than half believing that STD is preventable either by abstinence, barrier contraception or by mutual fidelity. Superstitious beliefs, greater influence of traditional medical practices and poverty are some of the numerous problems the few existing STD clinics face in the developing countries. Efforts should be geared towards establishing standard STD clinics and appropriate information disseminating organs. A situation where the herbalists and traditional medical personnel capture the mostly ignorant populace through unrestricted access to the media houses, as currently practiced in Nigeria, should be checked.

Journal Article↗

The investigation of factors underlying deficits in self-awareness and self-regulation.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To examine a theoretical model which suggests that a contribution of both psychological and neuropsychological factors underlie deficits in self-awareness and self-regulation. RESEARCH DESIGN: Multivariate design including correlations and analysis of variance (ANOVA). METHODS: Sixty-one subjects with acquired brain injury (ABI) were administered standardized measures of self-awareness and self-regulation. Psychological factors included measures of coping-related denial, personality-related denial and personality change. Neuropsychological factors included an estimate of IQ and two measures of executive functioning that assess capacity for volition and purposive behaviour. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The findings indicated that the relative contribution of neuropsychological factors to an outcome of deficits in self-awareness and self-regulation had a more direct effect than psychological factors. In general, measures of executive functioning had a direct relationship, while measures of coping-related and personality-related denial had an indirect relationship with measures of self-awareness and self-regulation. CONCLUSION: The findings highlighted the importance of measuring both neuropsychological and psychological factors and demonstrated that the relative contribution of these variables varies according to different levels of self-awareness and self-regulation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Awareness of publication guidelines and the responsible conduct of research.

We have conducted a longitudinal survey of NIH-funded F32 postdoctoral fellows to determine if mandated instruction in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) has measurable effects on awareness of, attentiveness to, and behavioral judgments about research ethics and authorship and publication. Of 418 F32 fellows participating in the study, 50% were aware of and had referred to guidelines on authorship and publication practices while 50% were either unaware of or had not referred to guidelines. Groups were similar with regard to total number of peer-reviewed publications and total number of first author publications, years of research experience, years since completing their doctoral degree, and receipt of RCR training. The equal distribution of guideline awareness and use, and group similarities with regard to career development and achievement provided us with an opportunity to consider whether awareness of and use of guidelines is associated with broader judgments about author roles and responsibilities. The findings suggest that awareness and utilization of guidelines are, at best, only modestly associated with more ethically appropriate judgments and attitudes about author roles and responsibilities among novice F32's.

Authorship↗

Changes in bodily awareness induced by immersive virtual reality.

The recent proliferation of virtual reality technology has attracted the interest of social scientists who study human behavior and perceptual experience. Such computer simulations are able to present technologically rendered environments, where the properties of the physical world are approximated or manipulated to varying degrees. The present study sought to investigate the influence of an immersive virtual experience on the perceptual awareness of the body. A body awareness questionnaire was administered to users of a desktop and an immersive implementation of a virtual environment (the Cityscape). The results indicated a significant main effect for the mode of presentation (i.e., desktop or immersive), no gender effects, and no interaction effect between gender and the mode of presentation. Test of between-subjects effects for the mode of presentation found significant differences on a number of body awareness dimensions. The desktop group were found to experience higher levels of skin, muscular, and cardiovascular awareness, while the immersive group experienced higher levels of body boundary ambiguity and aural awareness.

Adult↗

Trends in the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of cardiovascular disease risk factors among noninstitutionalized patients with a history of myocardial infarction and stroke.

Rates of hypertension, high low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus awareness, treatment, and control for persons with a history of myocardial infarction and stroke were compared by using two nationally representative samples of the US population: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 1988-1994 (n = 1,004) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 1999-2002 (n = 512). Estimated numbers of adult myocardial infarction and stroke survivors increased from 6.32 to 6.78 million and from 3.85 to 4.96 million, respectively. Among such survivors, awareness of a previous diagnosis of hypertension and prevalence of self-reported diabetes mellitus remained stable while awareness of high LDL cholesterol increased from 43.3% to 60.2% (p < 0.01). Among those aware of their diagnosis, pharmacologic treatment for high LDL cholesterol increased from 33.1% to 78.4% and pharmacologic treatment for diabetes mellitus increased from 80.0% to 93.6% during this time (each p < 0.01), while pharmacologic treatment for hypertension increased nonsignificantly. Among those receiving pharmacologic treatment, hypertension and high LDL cholesterol control increased from 48.9% to 59.3% (p = 0.05) and from 5.1% to 33.1% (p < 0.01), respectively. In contrast, glycemic control among diabetics decreased from 45.0% to 33.2% (p = 0.20). The number of US myocardial infarction and stroke survivors increased between 1988-1994 and 1999-2002, and substantial improvements occurred in the awareness, treatment, and control of high LDL cholesterol in this population.

Adult↗

Pilot study of testicular cancer awareness and testicular self-examination in men attending two South London general practices.

BACKGROUND: Testicular cancer (TC) awareness and testicular self-examination (TSE) have never been evaluated adequately in UK general practice. TC has a 96% cure rate if detected early. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to estimate awareness of TC and practice of TSE in a general practice population. METHOD: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was carried out in 250 consecutive male attenders aged 18-50 years in two general practices, one inner city, and one suburban. After obtaining informed consent, male patients in the waiting room were asked to complete a brief confidential questionnaire about TC and TSE. RESULTS: The response rate was 81%. Mean age was 32 years (range 18-50). Seventy-five per cent of responders described themselves as white, 12% Asian, 6% black and 7% other ethnic groups. Ninety-one per cent were aware of TC but only 26% knew both the age group most affected (25-34 years) and that TC can be curable if detected early. Although 49% of responders had carried out TSE in the past year, only 22% were practising according to recommendations: feeling for lumps at least monthly. TSE was associated with age >35 years, white ethnicity, knowing someone with TC, having attended a Men's Health Clinic and having heard of the 'Everyman' TC awareness campaign. CONCLUSION: Although awareness of TC in this GP population was reasonable, less than half were practising TSE. Further public health campaigns may be needed.

Adolescent↗

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in a general population sample of 26,913 adults in the Greek EPIC study.

BACKGROUND: Premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases could be prevented by the effective control of hypertension. Nationwide data for the status of hypertension in the adult Greek population are not available. METHODS: In the context of the Greek component of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC), 26 913 volunteers, aged 20-86 years, were recruited from several regions of Greece. Blood pressure measurements were taken by trained physicians and standard interviewing procedures were used to record medical history, and socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics. The data were modelled through multiple regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension (based on two arterial blood pressure measurements on a single occasion) is 40.2% for men and 38.9% for women (age-adjusted to the adult Greek population of 2001). In the sample examined, awareness among hypertensives is 54.4%, pharmaceutical treatment among those aware is 83.9%, and effective control among hypertensives is 15.2%. Prevalence of hypertension increases with age and is higher in rural areas and among individuals of lower education. Awareness and control of hypertension is higher among older individuals, among women and among the highly educated. Moreover, awareness of hypertension is higher among rural residents, whereas control of hypertension is more effective among urban residents. CONCLUSIONS: In a large sample of the general Greek population, the prevalence of hypertension among men is lower than the average among the EU countries, whereas the corresponding prevalence among women is higher. Awareness and control of hypertension is lower in Greece than in other western countries, making them public health priorities.

Adult↗

Intraoperative awareness in fast-track cardiac anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Fast-track cardiac anesthesia, using low-dose narcotics combined with short-acting anesthetic and sedative agents, facilitates early tracheal extubation after cardiac surgery. The incidence of awareness with this anesthetic technique has not been investigated previously. The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate the incidence of intraoperative awareness with explicit memory of events during fast-track cardiac anesthesia. METHODS: Data were collected prospectively over a 4-month period from 617 consecutive adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery at a university hospital. All patients received a fast-track cardiac anesthetic regimen. Patients underwent a structured interview by a research nurse 18 h after extubation. A standard set of questions was asked during this interview to determine if the patient had explicit memory of any event from induction of anesthesia to recovery of consciousness. RESULTS: Nine patients did not complete a postoperative interview because of death (n = 7) or postoperative confusion (n = 2). The last memory before surgery reported in 420 (69.1%) patients was waiting in the holding area at the operating suite, and in the remaining 188 (30.9%) patients it was lying on the operating table before induction of anesthesia. Two patients (0.3%) had explicit memory of intraoperative events. One of the two patients also had explicit memory of pain. Neither patient reported adverse psychological sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: The authors report an incidence of awareness in fast-track cardiac anesthesia of 0.3%. This is the lowest incidence of awareness currently reported during cardiac surgery. This low incidence of awareness may be related to the use of a balanced anesthetic technique involving the continuous administration of volatile (isoflurane) or intravenous (propofol) anesthetic agents before, during, and after cardiopulmonary bypass.

Anesthesia↗

Integrating cost awareness with ethics in the undergraduate medical curriculum.

The challenge to train medical students in cost awareness regarding medical care led to a program at the Oregon Health Sciences University that integrates concern for costs with medical ethics. Cost awareness is a perspective that balances the physician's ethical obligations toward individual patients with their duties toward society whose pooled resources pay for medical services. The program integrates the subject of cost awareness into major required courses spanning the four-year curriculum. First-year students see costs in the context of an overview of social aspects of medical care. For second-year students, cost awareness is incorporated into training in basic clinical skills. Third- and fourth-year students are shown the bill for one of their patients and analyze their ward experiences from the perspective of resource utilization. Junior and senior students examine the impact of the legal system and professional ethics on health care costs. Elective course work on cost awareness is also available.

Clinical Clerkship↗

Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the elderly: the Three City study.

OBJECTIVE: To study management of hypertension in the elderly in a large population-based study and to evaluate the prevalence of hypertension and factors related to awareness, treatment, and control. DESIGN: The Three City study, a population-based study among 9693 non-institutionalized individuals aged 65 years and over. METHODS: Blood pressure was measured with an automated electronic device, and treatment assessed, during home interview. Hypertension was defined by a mean blood pressure of two measurements superior to or equal to 160/95 mmHg and/or the intake of antihypertensive medications. RESULTS: In the final working sample of 9090 people, 62% were hypertensive. More than two-thirds were aware of their hypertension and 81% were treated with antihypertensive drugs. Among 4573 treated hypertensive participants, 35% had a blood pressure over 160/95 mmHg and 69% over 140/90 mmHg. Women were more frequently aware of their hypertension, more frequently treated, and more frequently controlled than men. A history of cardiovascular disease, high body mass index, diabetes and high frequency of visits to the general practitioner were related to higher percentages of awareness and treatment. Among treated hypertensive patients, those with a history of cardiovascular events or who visited their general practitioner more often or who more often had their blood pressure measured were more frequently controlled. Awareness was strongly associated with treatment, but was inversely related to control of hypertension among treated hypertensive patients. CONCLUSIONS: Management of hypertension, and particularly its control among treated hypertensive patients, needs to be improved in people aged 65 years and over.

Aged↗

Public awareness of the existence of inherited high cholesterol.

BACKGROUND: Underdiagnosis of inherited high cholesterol (IHC) may be reduced if at-risk populations are aware of IHC existence and actively seek diagnosis. This study describes correlates of the public's IHC awareness. METHODS: Telephone interviews were conducted with 4117 Dutch adults. RESULTS: Half of the respondents were aware of IHC; however, their knowledge was superficial. Awareness was weakly predicted by family history of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and not by own CVD status. Awareness was associated with higher health-related knowledge and experiences with cholesterol testing. CONCLUSIONS: Professionals should help the public to relate their own and family CVD history to IHC.

Adult↗

An ERP study of change detection, change blindness, and visual awareness.

Electrophysiological correlates of change detection and change blindness were studied in 12 observers. The ERP difference between detected changes and undetected changes was considered an electrophysiological correlate of visual awareness. Two distinct electrophysiological responses correlated with the awareness of change. First, awareness was associated with a negative amplitude shift at posterior sites around 200 ms after the change in the stimulus. The latency of the negative shift varied as a function of the task difficulty and the speed of becoming aware of the change. Second, ERPs to detected changes became more positive as compared with undetected changes around 400 ms after the change in the stimulus, peaking at parietal sites. We suggest that the earlier negativity is associated with a change in the content of visual awareness, whereas the later positivity may reflect more global processes needed in decision making and action planning.

Adult↗

Objective self-awareness and individuation: an empirical link.

An experiment was conducted to determine whether the phenomenal experiences associated with the states of objective and subjective self-awareness are those which typically are associated with the states of individuation and deindividuation. In order to test this hypothesis, 20 male and 20 female matched pairs of subjects completed 15 self-descriptive statements on a Who Am I questionnaire under conditions of experimentally manipulated self-awareness (high vs. low). The obtained responses were then coded on 21 dimensions of self-conception, including several suggested by Gordon (1968). Converging result from a number of different measures indicated that increased objective self-awareness led to a more individuated conception of self. More specifically, objective self-awareness appeared to increase responding on dimensions which reflect individuation but to decrease responding on dimensions which reflect deindividuation suggested that this effect held strongly for low self-monitoring subjects. The self-descriptions of high self-monitoring subjects, however, appeared to be relatively unaffected by situationally induced self-awareness.

Female↗

Effect of awareness of language law on language access in the health care setting.

BACKGROUND: Federal law obligates health care providers receiving federal funding to ensure language access to limited English-proficient (LEP) individuals who cannot communicate with their provider. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether LEP individual awareness of this law improved language access through interpreter utilization. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In June 2003, a telephone survey of 1,200 Californians was conducted in 11 non-English languages. MEASUREMENTS: The survey included items on English proficiency, awareness of language law, health care utilization, and communication methods. Language access was defined as having a provider who speaks the individual's language (language-concordant) or utilizing an interpreter. RESULTS: There were 1,000 LEP participants, of whom 371 (37%) were aware of the language law. Four hundred and ninety-one (49%) of LEP participants had a language-concordant provider. Of the remaining 509 LEP participants without a language-concordant provider, 111 (22%) reported interpreter utilization in the health care setting. After controlling for age, gender, education, income, insurance status, years in the United States, health care utilization, and level of English proficiency, awareness of law was not associated with interpreter utilization (odds ratio [OR] 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38, 1.17; P=.16), but was associated with having a language-concordant provider (OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.19, 2.26; P=.003). CONCLUSION: Awareness of language law is not sufficient to resolve language barriers for LEP individuals. Provider and organization level barriers to language access must be addressed.

Communication↗

Awareness and use of folic acid among women in the lower Mississippi Delta.

CONTEXT: National and state efforts to increase folic acid awareness and use may not be reaching large segments of the population. PURPOSE: This study examines folic acid awareness and use among women of childbearing age in a representative, economically at-risk rural sample and identifies factors that influence awareness and use. METHODS: A cross-sectional random digit dialing telephone survey was completed with a representative sample of 646 women aged 14-45 years in 36 counties of the lower Mississippi Delta. Folic acid awareness and supplement use were estimated by percentages weighted to reflect the 36-county population. Pregnancy intentions and the ability to become pregnant were used to predict awareness and use among a subsample of sexually active women. FINDINGS: Compared to national samples, Delta women were less likely to have heard of folic acid (75% vs 64%) or to take a regular (5-7 days/wk) folic acid supplement (34% vs 22%). The proportion of women who took regular folic acid supplements was very low among some subgroups: African Americans (14%), those 14-19 years of age (12%), and those with low incomes (13%) and low educational levels (14%). Of the women who reported being sexually active, the ability to become pregnant more than doubled their likelihood of regular supplement use. CONCLUSIONS: The national folic acid campaign has not reached many women in the rural Mississippi Delta. A new mode of folic acid education is needed that is focused on low-income and young women and women not planning pregnancies. In the Delta and similar geographic regions, health care providers, black church leaders, and youth group leaders could be valuable advocates for folic acid.

Adolescent↗

Awareness of periodontal diseases: the professional and the civil servant.

Newly qualified dentists and dental hygienists should have a good level of awareness of periodontal diseases. However, for a variety of reasons this knowledge may not be regularly updated or applied in practice. This paper considers how professional awareness can be influenced by such factors as: maintaining an up to date understanding of the nature of periodontal diseases, the routine use of appropriate screening and examination techniques, factors influencing assessment of treatment need, patient records, continuing professional education and an understanding of patient expectations. It goes on to describe how civil servants may help to stimulate improvements in awareness levels to periodontal diseases by promoting continuing education, epidemiological research and national oral health strategies as well as through legislation and regulation. The paper concludes that although a range of organisations can promote improvements in professional awareness, unless simultaneous efforts are made to improve the awareness of the general public to periodontal diseases, it is difficult to see how there can be an improvement in the periodontal health of the population.

Adolescent↗