Integrating psychosocial programs in multisector responses to international disasters.

This article describes the role of psychosocial support programs in American Red Cross-sponsored humanitarian assistance efforts in international disasters. The American Red Cross psychosocial support program consists of four specific components: participatory crisis assessment, dealing with survivors' root shock, community mobilization, and community development. The program is predicated on the assumption that after a disaster, survivors lose their sense of "place". Psychosocial community programs are based on outreach activities by local practitioners trained and supported by the American Red Cross. The approach sees psychological advantages to survivors of continuing to mobilize their own resources; familiarity, trust, and human capital build. The community members themselves decide the steps they are going to take to reestablish "place," thus becoming active participants in reducing the traumatic stress caused by the disaster. The article concludes with three actions that signal successful integration of psychosocial support programs into multisector responses to disasters: reestablishment of a sense of place, community mobilization, and taking actions that lead to a sense of physical and psychological well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Government support of psychological research fiscal year 1957.

"The purpose of the report is to provide information on the amount and sources of funds which are available from the Federal Government for the support of psychological research. In addition, the report reflects the relative emphasis being placed on specific areas within the general field by such support programs and shows the distribution of funds geographically… . In fiscal year (ending June 30, 1957), approximately $15,600,000 were obligated by some 20 departments and subdivisions of the Federal Government for the conduct of research in psychology and closely related areas." 3 tables indicating annual rate of support of extramural research in psychology and related fields are provided; a fourth table indicates obligations by scientific fields for fiscal years 1956, 1957, and 1958. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adopting a public health approach to the delivery of evidence-based parenting interventions.

A public health perspective to the delivery of parenting programs has the potential to greatly increase the impact of evidence-based psychological interventions targeting parents and families. However, a population-level benefit is unlikely to be achieved unless sustained programmatic efforts are undertaken to further increase the reach of efficacious interventions. In addition, such programs need to be adapted to local circumstances, be delivered in a culturally relevant manner, and be used in a sustained way by adoptee organisations if the potential benefits of these interventions are to be realised. The multilevel Triple P system of parenting interventions is used as an example to illustrate the benefits and challenges involved in delivering a comprehensive system of parenting interventions, services, and programs. Practical implications for large-scale implementation and possible future directions for research are identified. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Personality disorder is disease": Comment.

Comments on the article by David Ausubel (see record 1962-03334-001) which argued that mental disorders are a disease. The point made by the current author that the facts that all behavior is mediated through neural structures and physiological processes and that impairment in these may result in disturbed behavior in no way support the proposition that the use of medical measures in treating behavior disorders is justified. Medical interventions for psychological disturbances seem to be warranted only when it can be demonstrated that, first, such procedures are directed toward the alleviation of certain underlying physical anomalies, and second, that the disturbances can be best treated by means of such interventions. Moreover, the fact that physical or psychological interventions can affect behavior in no way bears on the question of whether the condition represents a disease process or not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Cancer-related fatigue: A systematic and meta-analytic review of non-pharmacological therapies for cancer patients": Correction to Kangas, Bovbjerg, and Montgomery (2008).

Reports an error in "Cancer-related fatigue: A systematic and meta-analytic review of non-pharmacological therapies for cancer patients" by Maria Kangas, Dana H. Bovbjerg and Guy H. Montgomery (Psychological Bulletin, 2008[Sep], Vol 134[5], 700-741). The URL to the Supplemental Materials for the article is listed incorrectly in two places in the text. The incorrect listings appear on p. 704 (in the last two lines of the third paragraph) and on p. 705 (in the third and fourth lines of the first paragraph in the second column). The correct URL for the Supplemental Materials is http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0012825.supp, which is provided on the first page of the article beneath the abstract. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2008-11487-005.) Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a significant clinical problem for more than 10 million adults diagnosed with cancer each year worldwide. No "gold standard" treatment presently exists for CRF. To provide a guide for future research to improve the treatment of CRF, the authors conducted the most comprehensive combined systematic and meta-analytic review of the literature to date on non-pharmacological (psychosocial and exercise) interventions to ameliorate CRF and associated symptoms (vigor/vitality) in adults with cancer, based on 119 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCT studies. Meta-analyses conducted on 57 RCTs indicated that exercise and psychological interventions provided reductions in CRF, with no significant differences between these 2 major types of interventions considered as a whole. Specifically, multimodal exercise and walking programs, restorative approaches, supportive-expressive, and cognitive-behavioral psychosocial interventions show promising potential for ameliorating CRF. The results also suggest that vigor and vitality are distinct phenomena from CRF with regard to responsiveness to intervention. With improved methodological approaches, further research in this area may soon provide clinicians with effective strategies for reducing CRF and enhancing the lives of millions of cancer patients and survivors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Herbert Freudenberger.

Presents a citation for Herbert Freudenberger, whose professional career has been devoted to innovation in the development of psychological interventions to alleviate human suffering. Throughout his career he has instilled the principles of trust, respect, and human dignity into the psychotherapeutic process. His seminal work in identifying and exploring the emotional burnout experienced by caregivers in human service professions has brought profound changes in the way a new generation of students is being trained. A biography is provided for Freudenberger, along with a selected bibliography of his works. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological and activity-based interventions for cancer-related fatigue.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 27(1) of Health Psychology (see record 2008-00647-018). The text directing readers to view supplementary materials online was omitted. That information is provided here: "Supplementary materials to this article may be viewed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.26.6.660.supp."] Context: Fatigue is among the most common and distressing symptoms experienced by cancer patients. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of psychological and activity-based interventions against cancer-related fatigue in cancer patients. Data Sources: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials of psychological and activity-based interventions involving adult cancer patients in which fatigue was an outcome were reviewed. Extraction: Forty-one trials were reviewed and 30 were included in a meta-analysis. Data Synthesis: Fifty percent of psychological trials and 44% of activity-based trials rated fair or better in quality yielded significant findings favoring the intervention condition. Meta-analysis yielded an overall effect size of 0.09 (95% CI = .02- .16) favoring nonpharmacological conditions. Further analysis indicated that effect sizes were significant for psychological interventions (dw = .10, 95% CI = .02-.18) but not activity-based interventions (dw = .05, 95% CI = -.08 - .19). Conclusions: Findings provide limited support for use of nonpharmacological interventions to manage cancer-related fatigue. The lack of research with heightened fatigue as an eligibility criterion is a notable weakness of the existing evidence base. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological and activity-based interventions for cancer-related fatigue": Correction.

Reports an error in "Systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological and activity-based interventions for cancer-related fatigue" by Paul B. Jacobsen, Kristine A. Donovan, Susan T. Vadaparampil and Brent J. Small (Health Psychology, 2007[Nov], Vol 26[6], 660-667). The text directing readers to view supplementary materials online was omitted. That information is provided here: "Supplementary materials to this article may be viewed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.26.6.660.supp." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-16656-002.) Context: Fatigue is among the most common and distressing symptoms experienced by cancer patients. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of psychological and activity-based interventions against cancer-related fatigue in cancer patients. Data Sources: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials of psychological and activity-based interventions involving adult cancer patients in which fatigue was an outcome were reviewed. Extraction: Forty-one trials were reviewed and 30 were included in a meta-analysis. Data Synthesis: Fifty percent of psychological trials and 44% of activity-based trials rated fair or better in quality yielded significant findings favoring the intervention condition. Meta-analysis yielded an overall effect size of 0.09 (95% CI = .02- .16) favoring nonpharmacological conditions. Further analysis indicated that effect sizes were significant for psychological interventions (dw = .10, 95% CI = .02-.18) but not activity-based interventions (dw = .05, 95% CI = -.08 - .19). Conclusions: Findings provide limited support for use of nonpharmacological interventions to manage cancer-related fatigue. The lack of research with heightened fatigue as an eligibility criterion is a notable weakness of the existing evidence base. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cancer-related fatigue: A systematic and meta-analytic review of non-pharmacological therapies for cancer patients.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 135(1) of Psychological Bulletin (see record 2008-18777-005). The URL to the Supplemental Materials for the article is listed incorrectly in two places in the text. The incorrect listings appear on p. 704 (in the last two lines of the third paragraph) and on p. 705 (in the third and fourth lines of the first paragraph in the second column). The correct URL for the Supplemental Materials is http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0012825.supp, which is provided on the first page of the article beneath the abstract.] Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a significant clinical problem for more than 10 million adults diagnosed with cancer each year worldwide. No "gold standard" treatment presently exists for CRF. To provide a guide for future research to improve the treatment of CRF, the authors conducted the most comprehensive combined systematic and meta-analytic review of the literature to date on non-pharmacological (psychosocial and exercise) interventions to ameliorate CRF and associated symptoms (vigor/vitality) in adults with cancer, based on 119 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCT studies. Meta-analyses conducted on 57 RCTs indicated that exercise and psychological interventions provided reductions in CRF, with no significant differences between these 2 major types of interventions considered as a whole. Specifically, multimodal exercise and walking programs, restorative approaches, supportive-expressive, and cognitive-behavioral psychosocial interventions show promising potential for ameliorating CRF. The results also suggest that vigor and vitality are distinct phenomena from CRF with regard to responsiveness to intervention. With improved methodological approaches, further research in this area may soon provide clinicians with effective strategies for reducing CRF and enhancing the lives of millions of cancer patients and survivors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction.

The development of effective interventions that focus on the manipulation and utilization of behavioral and psychological variables to influence health outcomes is an important component of health psychology. Investigators in clinical health psychology make important contributions to our basic understanding of the role of behavioral and psychological factors in disease and contribute to improved patient care in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs. The purpose of the present series of Health Psychology articles is to provide readers who may not be familiar with research in clinical health psychology with a sample of research in this area and to emphasize that the journal is an outlet for research in clinical health psychology. This series of articles represents some of the diversity and strengths of research in clinical health psychology. The investigations range from controlled laboratory investigations to worksite field interventions. The scope of outcome and process measures encompasses behavioral, subjective, and physiological changes. The studies utilize both hypothetico-deductive and inductive theoretical models to generate hypotheses. Finally, several of the studies provide outcomes that clinically benefit the study participants. It is hoped that identification of Health Psychology as a resource for clinical health psychology research will stimulate the submission of more high-quality articles in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based psychological treatments for distress in family caregivers of older adults.

This review identifies evidence-based psychological treatments (EBTs) for reducing distress, and improving well-being, of family members caring for an older relative with significant cognitive and/or physical impairment. Three categories of psychologically derived treatments met EBT criteria: psychoeducational programs (N = 14 studies), psychotherapy (N = 3 studies), and multicomponent interventions (N = 2 studies). Specifically, support within the psychoeducational category was found for skill-training programs focused on behavior management, depression management, and anger management and for the progressively lowered threshold model. Within the psychotherapy category, cognitive-behavioral therapy enjoys strong empirical support. Within the multicomponent category, programs using a combination of at least 2 distinct theoretical approaches (e.g., individual counseling and support group attendance) were also found to be effective. Suggestions for future research include the development of more well-integrated multicomponent approaches, greater inclusion of ethnically diverse family caregivers in research protocols, and greater incorporation of new technologies for treatment delivery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Ty?h?n Job Search Program in Finland: Benefits for the unemployed with risk of depression or discouragement.

The impact of preventive interventions for the unemployed may vary depending on the context of the labor policies and benefit systems of the country where it is implemented. The Ty?h?n Job Search Program was based on a method developed in the United States for recently unemployed workers. This study examined outcomes of the intervention in the context of the European labor market for participants who had been unemployed for a longer period. A total of 1,261 unemployed Finnish job seekers participated in a randomized field study. At the 6-month follow-up, the program had a beneficial impact on the quality of reemployment, especially among those who had been unemployed for a moderate time period. The program also significantly decreased psychological distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Institutionalized Psychologists?

Of all the many types of professional positions which psychologists are called upon to fill, one of the most demanding is that of functioning in an institutional setting. The psychological programs at such institutions are, generally, not the most advanced. The psychologist is called upon to function in a setting where the real contributions he can make are very often unknown. There is often a tremendous factor of professional isolation present--the feeling (and fact) of being cut off from professional colleagues and out of the mainstream of psychological life. To further compound the picture, institutional salaries are generally quite low. The present author, noticing these problems in his own state, helped initiate an annual meeting for these psychologists to share ideas of roles, functioning, program development, etc. The individual psychologists who participate, the psychological programs at the institutions, and the quality of service all seem to gain from this group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Character and Fitness Requirements for Professional Psychologists: Training Directors' Perspectives.

Do directors of psychology training programs consider whether program applicants and students possess essential moral character and psychological fitness characteristics? A survey revealed that directors of clinical training (DCTs) in clinical and counseling psychology training programs are very concerned about both character and fitness. DCTs reported that evidence accrued during interviews and from undergraduate references is most salient preadmission and that behavior in the program and in clinical situations is most meaningful postadmission. The authors highlight the practices and perspectives of DCTs when it comes to evaluating character and fitness and conclude with several recommendations for training programs, licensing boards, and psychology training organizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Using community outreach to promote integrated health care: A pilot project.

Although research has demonstrated the efficacy of psychological services for ameliorating physical conditions, consumers are often uninformed of the advantages of integrated health care. To begin to address this knowledge gap, the authors developed, offered, and assessed a 2-hr community outreach program, which included lectures highlighting the benefits of providing psychological services within general health care, a demonstration of stress-reduction techniques, and first-person accounts of the benefits of psychological health care. The preliminary results of the evaluation were positive. It is recommended that similar programs be disseminated in diverse communities. Suggestions for planning and conducting these types of programs are offered. Furthermore, strategies for improving the goals and content of workshops are offered, with a focus on the distinction between promotion of attitudinal change versus practical activism. Finally, implications for community outreach that is intended to inform the public of the value of psychological health care services are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

State psychological association creates a postdoctoral residency and internship training program.

State psychological associations can respond to supply and demand problems for postdoctoral residencies and internships by creating statewide training programs. A state psychological association training model is presented. The Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA) created a nonprofit subsidiary corporation- the Arizona Psychology Training Consortium-to increase the number of high-quality training opportunities in Arizona. The structure and operation of the program are described. The training model emphasizes cultural diversity, psychotherapy, and independent practice. Members of the practice community in Arizona serve as supervisors, trainers, and mentors. From 2001 through 2006, 19 postdoctoral residents and 51 interns completed the program. AzPA has benefited from increased student involvement. Many residents and interns later became association members. Arizona can serve as a model for other states that wish to help their professionals in training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Climate of opinion and methods of readjustment.

The effects which the social prestige of an idea have upon its application in psychological rehabilitation are indicated. The major purpose of the paper is to point out that "… the progress from individual observation to the formation of generalized principles in the field of psychological rehabilitation depends not only on rational effort and good will, and on the presence of devoted specialists, but also conversely on the arrest which progress suffers when considerations of prestige and power begin to influence the methods of readjustment." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress reduction in the workplace: The effectiveness of psychoeducational programs.

Participants in this 3-year field study were 373 employees in the emergency medical service of a municipal fire department. A framework for defining stress and categorizing psychoeducational stress reduction programs was developed. The overall effect as a single treatment type of seven psychoeducational programs based on physiological (M), coping-with-people (A), or interpersonal awareness (I) processes, and the 4 combinations programs, A & I, M & A, M & I, and M & A & I, on measures related to job stress was determined as well as the relative effect of each program in the near and long term. Pre- and postfollow-up improvements were found on standardized psychological instruments and on a job performance measure. Findings support the value of psychoeducational training programs for preventative mental health in the workplace. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)