Despite their widespread use, many self-report mood scales have very limited normative data. To rectify this, Crawford et al. have recently provided percentile norms for a series of self-report scales. The present study aimed to extend the work of Crawford et al. by providing percentile norms for additional mood scales based on samples drawn from the general Australian adult population. Participants completed a series of self-report mood scales. The resultant normative data were incorporated into a computer programme that provides point and interval estimates of the percentile ranks corresponding to raw scores for each of the scales. The programme can be used to obtain point and interval estimates of the percentile ranks of an individual's raw scores on the Beck on normative sample sizes ranging from 497 to 769. The interval estimates can be obtained using either classical or Bayesian methods as preferred. The programme (which can be downloaded at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~psy086/dept/MoodScore_Aus.htm) provides a convenient and reliable means of obtaining the percentile ranks of individuals' raw scores on self-report mood scales.

This study was designed to investigate the relative efficacy of cognitive-behavioral group treatment, including relaxation training, in comparison with a control condition in a sample of 20 outpatients with chronic low back pain. Subjects in both conditions also received the same physiotherapy back-education and exercise program. The control condition included a control for the attention of the therapist in the cognitive-behavioral treatment. The combined psychological treatment and physiotherapy condition displayed significantly greater improvement than the attention-control and physiotherapy condition at post-treatment on measures of other-rated functional impairment, use of active coping strategies, self-efficacy beliefs, and medication use. These differences were maintained at 6 month follow-up on use of active coping strategies and, to a lesser degree, on self-efficacy beliefs and other-rated functional impairment.

Twenty depressed multiple sclerotic patients were randomly allocated either to cognitive-behaviour therapy or to a waiting list control condition. Assessment of depressive symptoms was conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and a four-week follow-up. In comparison to the waiting list condition, cognitive-behaviour therapy was found to result in clinically and statistically significant improvement on most measures. Although the mechanism by which such treatment achieves its effects is unclear, these results clearly support the use of cognitive-behavioural treatments for depression in this population.

This study aims to predict adherence to diabetic treatment regimens and sustained diabetic control. During two clinic visits that were 2 months apart, 63 adult outpatients completed measures of diabetic history, current treatment, diabetic control, adherence, and self-efficacy about adherence to treatment. Results showed that self-efficacy was a significant predictor of later adherence to diabetes treatment even after past levels of adherence were taken into account. Posttest levels of adherence in turn were significantly associated with posttest %HbA1c after control for illness severity. A stepwise multiple regression to predict %HbA1c at post entered pretest measures of diabetic control, treatment type, and self-efficacy, which together predicted 50% of the variance. Results are related to self-efficacy theory and implications for practice are discussed.

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