No abstract

Evidence converges from a wide range of contexts to suggest that the causal beliefs held by an individual, or predominant in a group of individuals, are of considerable practical significance and theoretical interest. A good system for analysing naturally occurring expressions of causal belief would provide the possibility of testing and exploring this supposition without having to rely on possibly artificial questionnaire responses. A rationale for such a system is described and a study of the reliability of the coding procedure is reported. It has proved possible to formulate definitions of the five major dimensions identified in the attribution literature so that, while they are not all orthogonal, each provides unique information. The coding system is shown to have adequate reliability, and to generate substantial quantities of data. The findings from these data are generally in accordance with those obtained using more traditional methodologies, and provide substantive information about the subject population. The method is proposed as an effective technique for empirical investigations of the forms, stability and significance of naturally expressed causal beliefs.

SUMMARY A number of factors thought to influence psychological adjustment to multiple sclerosis were studied. Patients' knowledge about their disorder was assessed, but neither their knowledge, level of disability, nor demographic characteristics were related to adjustment. Better adjustment was however associated with having more contact with able-bodied people.Poor psychological adjustment is common in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. Surridge' reported that 27% of his community sample of multiple sclerosis patients were depressed, the symptoms being probably psychogenic in nature. Dalos et a12 measured the prevalence of emotional disturbance in a sample of clinic attenders, dividing patients into those whose symptoms were in remission, and those with either an acute exacerbation of symptoms or with a progressive, non-remitting form of multiple sclerosis. They found that 90% of the latter group had some degree of emotional disturbance, while the figure was 39% for the group whose symptoms were in remission.Little research has been conducted on the psychological factors which determine the patient's adjustment to multiple sclerosis. Matson

One in five UK police officers suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, yet there is no gold standard measure of trauma exposure available. This study coded 4,987 exposures reported by 1,531 UK police officers, using their own language. The resulting checklist describes over 70% of typical ‘worst’ reported traumatic incidents (plus situational factors, including Covid19). The Police Traumatic Experiences Checklist is a practical tool of value for self-assessment and peer support, and can facilitate attempts by Occupational Health and management to improve monitoring and treatment access.

No abstract