Measuring Nonspecific Psychological Distress and Other Dimensions of Psychopathology

Vernon, Sally W.

doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1981.01780360055005

Cited by 85 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The application of a standardized cutoff score has been shown to provide a valid and reliable measure for clinical depression ( Irwin, Artin, & Oxman, 1999 ). However, the CES-D full-scale score provides a measure of general, nonspecifi c psychological distress as well as depressive symptoms ( Vernon & Roberts, 1981 ). In addition to depression, the CES-D appears to tap aspects of state and trait anxiety ( Orme, Reis, & Herz, 1986 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smoking cessation behavior in older adults by race and gender: The role of health problems and psychological distress

Sachs‐Ericsson¹,

Schmidt²,

Zvolensky³

et al. 2009

Nicotine &Amp; Tobacco Research

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vational methods may need to be developed to engage this group in smoking cessation treatment. IntroductionCigarette smoking is the leading cause of premature death among older adults. Older adults who are cigarette smokers have increased medical problems, health care costs, disability, and mortality ( Fillenbaum, Burchett, Kuchibhatla, Cohen, & Blazer, 2007 ;Hsu & Pwu, 2004 ;Rapuri, Gallagher, & Smith, 2007 ). Smoking predicts quality of life as well as mortality ( Ferrucci et al., 1999 ). That is, nonsmokers not only have longer lives, but this increased life expectancy is also associated with more disability-free years of life ( Fried, 2000 ). Given the rapid growth of the elderly population, we expect the medical, social, and economic consequences of smoking among older adults to become a greater burden over the next several decades.Elderly individuals who have smoked for 3 -4 decades can benefi t substantially by abstaining from cigarette smoking. In their review of the literature on the positive effects of smoking cessation among older adults, LaCroix and Omenn (1992) concluded that older smokers who quit smoking have a reduced risk of premature death, markedly reduced risk of coronary events, slower decline in pulmonary function, and slower progression of osteoporosis, thus reducing the risk of hip fractures. Given the severity of health problems associated with smoking in older adults and the signifi cant health benefi ts from quitting smoking even after decades of smoking, understanding characteristics of older smokers and smoking cessation patterns is vital in the development of specialized cessation programs.In the general population, a number of demographic characteristics are related to quit attempts and successful quits. According Abstract Introduction: Initial research on older smokers suggests that a subgroup of smokers with higher levels of psychological distress and health problems may be more likely to quit smoking than older smokers with fewer such problems. The present study, based on prospective data from a biracial sample of older adults ( N = 4,162), examined characteristics of older adult smokers by race and gender. Methods:The present study uses both cross-sectional and prospective data to examine the association between smoking behavior, smoking cessation, health functioning, and psychological distress in a biracial sample of community-dwelling older adults. Results:We found baseline psychological distress to be associated with poor health functioning. Consistent with hypotheses, baseline (Time 1) psychological distress predicted smoking cessation 3 years later (Time 2). Moreover, the change in health problems between Time 1 and Time 2 fully mediated the association between Time 1 distress and smoking cessation.Discussion: Smoking cessation behavior of older adults is best explained by higher levels of distress and health problems regardless of race or gender. These fi ndings may have important treatment implications regarding smoking cessation programs among older adults. Older adult ...

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smoking cessation behavior in older adults by race and gender: The role of health problems and psychological distress

Sachs‐Ericsson¹,

Schmidt²,

Zvolensky³

et al. 2009

Nicotine &Amp; Tobacco Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The 27-item Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Instrument Demoralization Scale [28] was used to measure nonspecific psychological distress. It has been used with community samples as a measure of the total burden of stress [21,30,85] and, in relation to adverse environmental exposures [3,27], demonstrating high internal consistency reliability in white African American and Hispanic urban populations [88]. Maternal educational level at the time of the child's second birthday was measured both continuously and dichotomously, using high school graduation and subsequent education or training as cut points.…”

Section: Personal Interviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and material hardship among inner-city children

Rauh

2004

Neurotoxicology and Teratology

175

148

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Because of the growing concern that exposures to airborne pollutants have adverse effects on fetal growth and early childhood neurodevelopment, and the knowledge that such exposures are more prevalent in disadvantaged populations, we assessed the joint impact of prenatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and material hardship on the 2-year cognitive development of inner-city children, adjusted for other sociodemographic risks and chemical exposures. The purpose was to evaluate the neurotoxicant effects of ETS among children experiencing different degrees of socioeconomic disadvantage, within a minority population. The sample did not include children exposed to active maternal smoking in the prenatal period. Results showed significant adverse effects of prenatal residential ETS exposure and the level of material hardship on 2-year cognitive development, as well as a significant interaction between material hardship and ETS, such that children with both ETS exposure and material hardship exhibited the greatest cognitive deficit. In addition, children with prenatal ETS exposure were twice as likely to be classified as significantly delayed, as compared with nonexposed children. Postnatal ETS exposure in the first 2 years of life did not contribute independently to the risk of developmental delay, over and above the risk posed by prenatal ETS exposure. The study concluded that prenatal exposure to ETS in the home has a negative impact on 2-year cognitive development, and this effect is exacerbated under conditions of material hardship in this urban minority sample.

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“…54 Others are out of the clinical examination tradition: leading examples are the Wing, Cooper, and Sartorius Present State Examination (PSE)47; the Spitzer, Endicott, Fleiss, and Cohen Psychiatric Status Schedule (PSS)55; and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) developed by Endicott and Spitzer.56 Moreover, at least two new interview instruments are being developed and used with general population samples. One of them is the Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Interview (PERI) that we constructed largely out of structured questions with fixed alternative response formats like most self-report instruments.34 It provides 25 symptom scales, all content-meaningful and all with demonstrated internal consistency reliabilities in different demographic groups in samples from the general population as well as psychiatric patients.34 57,58 Another is called the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) and is being developed by Robins and her colleagues. 59 It is a hybrid based on some elements of each tradition.…”

Section: Innovations In Procedures For Case Identification and Diagnosismentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives on the past and future of psychiatric epidemiology. The 1981 Rema Lapouse Lecture.

Dohrenwend¹

1982

Am J Public Health

185

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Two generations of epidemiological studies of the true prevalence of mental disorders have been conducted since the turn of the century. The first and smaller in number took place prior to World War II and was characterized by the use of records and key informants to define "cases." The second, utilizing the greatly expanded nomenclatures that followed World War II, were based for the most part on personal interviews with all subjects or samples thereof in communities all over the world. In total, more than 80 different communities were studied by more than 60 different investigators or teams of investigators in these first and second generation studies. The legacy from these studies comes in two main parts: the Health 1982; 72:1271-1279 following World War 11.2 A third generation reflecting some of the same trends toward greater precision in diagnosis evident in DSM-III has barely begun to make an appearance in the last two or three years.Our initial purpose in this paper is to describe briefly the nature of the first and second generation studies, their main findings, and some of the key problems and issues they pose.We shall then attempt to discern directions that might be taken in the next generation of studies. The First Generation of StudiesIn 1855 Edward Jarvis, a physician and epidemiologist in Massachusetts, submitted a report of what was probably the most complete and influential attempt to investigate the true prevalence of mental disorder conducted in the nineteenth century.3 Jarvis was well aware of the inadequacy of treated rates for estimating either the amount or the distribution of disorder in communities; he had, in fact, published a classic study showing that such rates varied inversely with geographic distance from treatment facilities.4 Therefore, he conducted a survey of general practitioners supplemented by reports of other key informants such as clergymen where sufficient information from general practitioners was not available. These informant reports were checked against the records of mental hospitals and other official agencies and

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Measuring Nonspecific Psychological Distress and Other Dimensions of Psychopathology

Cited by 85 publications

References 43 publications

Smoking cessation behavior in older adults by race and gender: The role of health problems and psychological distress

Smoking cessation behavior in older adults by race and gender: The role of health problems and psychological distress

Developmental effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and material hardship among inner-city children

Perspectives on the past and future of psychiatric epidemiology. The 1981 Rema Lapouse Lecture.

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