Psychological interventions for arthritis pain management in adults: A meta-analysis.

Context: The psychosocial impact of arthritis can be profound. There is growing interest in psychosocial interventions for managing pain and disability in arthritis patients. Objective: This meta-analysis reports on the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for arthritis pain and disability. Data Sources: Articles evaluating psychosocial interventions for arthritis were identified through Cochrane Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, and Ovid PsycINFO data sources. Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials testing the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in arthritis pain management were reviewed. Data Extraction: Twenty-seven randomized controlled trials were analyzed. Pain intensity was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included psychological, physical, and biological functioning. Data Synthesis: An overall effect size of 0.177 (95% CI = 0.256-0.094) indicated that patients receiving psychosocial interventions reported significantly lower pain than patients in control conditions (combined p = .01). Meta-analyses also supported the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for the secondary outcomes. Conclusions: These findings indicate that psychosocial interventions may have significant effects on pain and other outcomes in arthritis patients. Ample evidence for the additional benefit of such interventions over and above that of standard medical care was found. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differential effects of women's child sexual abuse and subsequent sexual revictimization.

Examines the differential effects of sexual revictimization in a community sample of 248 African-American and White American women (aged 18–36 yrs). Two classifications of sexual revictimization over the life course were used to assess the effects of later sexual and psychological functioning. The findings suggest that unintended pregnancies and abortions were significantly associated with sexual revictimization. Women who reported more than one incident in both childhood and adulthood were also likely to have multiple partnerships and brief sexual relationships. The findings are discussed within the context of the dynamics of sexual revictimization and its effects. Suggestions are offered for therapeutic strategies with survivors in order to minimize the effects of sexual revictimization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contributions of sibling relations to the adaptation of youths with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Associations among sibling relations and the psychosocial and illness-specific adaptation of youths (N?=?66) with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) were examined. The findings suggest that sibling relations, especially sibling conflict, contribute an independent source of variance above and beyond that contributed by demographic characteristics, sibling constellation variables, and important dimensions of family relations in predicting the youths' adaptation. High family-life stress and high sibling status/power contributed unique variance in predicting internalizing behaviors, and male gender and sibling conflict contributed independently to externalizing problems. Sibling conflict also contributed unique variance to the youths' general self-esteem, along with social class and family cohesion, and to their adjustment to IDDM. Data suggest that parent–child dyads and sibling dyads represent interrelated and independent subsystems within the family, and that both subsystems may influence the psychosocial functioning of youths with IDDM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between psychosocial functioning and body fat in preschool children: A longitudinal investigation.

Examined whether preschool children differed on measures of psychosocial functioning both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. 132 children who varied in levels of body fat participated in the study along with their natural parents. Results indicated that the children did not differ in levels of self-esteem and family functioning as a function of their body fat. Prospectively, physical self-esteem weakly (but significantly) correlated with body fat at ages 1 and 2 yrs, and father's perception of family functioning predicted body fat at age 1 yr only. Results suggested that childhood obesity may not develop as a result of psychosocial factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Books in school psychology: 1970 to the present.

Examines the content of school psychology books published between 1970 and 1985. The process of historical review reveals recent trends that have their genesis in both internal professional developments and external social, political, and legal pressures on the field. Perspectives on the current status and potential future of the profession of school psychology, as derived from the literature, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Speculation and volatility spillover in the crude oil and agricultural commodity markets: A Bayesian analysis

This paper assesses factors that potentially influence the volatility of crude oil prices and the possible linkage between this volatility and agricultural commodity markets. Stochastic volatility models are applied to weekly crude oil, corn, and wheat futures prices from November 1998 to January 2009. Model parameters are estimated using Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. Speculation, scalping, and petroleum inventories are found to be important in explaining the volatility of crude oil prices. Several properties of crude oil price dynamics are established, including mean-reversion, an asymmetry between returns and volatility, volatility clustering, and infrequent compound jumps. We find evidence of volatility spillover among crude oil, corn, and wheat markets after the fall of 2006. This can be largely explained by tightened interdependence between crude oil and these commodity markets induced by ethanol production.     

Projection or Persuasive Press? Contrary Effects of Personal Opinion and Perceived News Coverage on Estimates of Public Opinion

This study explores the effects of personal opinion and perceived media content on individuals' assessments of public opinion, as well as the curious phenomenon that, although people perceive public agreement with their own point of view, they tend to see press coverage as disagreeable. One hypothesis, based on theories of projection of personal opinion, predicts that people will see public opinion as much like their own, but a contrary outcome is suggested by 2 interrelated hypotheses, the hostile media effect and the persuasive press inference. Data were collected on 4 issues from a large, representative national sample and provided evidence for all 3 effects. Projection received the most consistent support, but findings indicate that this assimilation effect can be substantially offset by media coverage seen as both disagreeable and influential.