No description available.

No description available.

This study explores the use of single session hypnosis in the treatment of tobacco cigarette smoking cessation. A volunteer subject pool of 75 subjects was divided into three groups. One group received a single session relaxation hypnosis method with positive, future-oriented suggestions. The second group received Herbert Spiegel's single session hypnosis method (Spiegel, 1978). The third group was a modified waiting list control group. One week post-treatment results show cessation rates of 40% for relaxation hypnosis, 22% for the Spiegel method, and 5% for the no treatment control group. These rates declined at one month to 26%, 15% and 0%, respectively. Cessation rates reduced further at three months and remained the same at six months; relaxation hypnosis 15%; Spiegel method 11%; and control at 0%. Pearson Chi-Square Analysis showed the difference between groups to be significant at one week and at one month. At three months, the treatment effect was no longer evident and the groups were not significantly different. The secondary focus of this study was to compare the response distributions of post-treatment abstainers to those of continuing smokers on pre-treatment questionnaires. Significant differences indicate that abstainers had higher scores on five Multi-Dimensional Personality Questionnaire scales (Tellegen, 1982). Three scales (Absorption, Social Potency and Positive Affectivity) were significant at all follow-up periods. Two others (Well-Being and Well-Being II) were significant at one month and at one week and one month, respectively. Abstainers versus smokers were also compared on the Hypnotic Induction Profile (Spiegel, 1973). Induction scores were not significant but Eye-Roll Sign scores were significant. Abstainers versus smokers were also compared using demographics, smoking history, stages of change, and processes of change (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983, 1992). None of these variables were significant when comparing abstainers and smokers on pre-treatment questionnaires. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Eight Vietnam veterans received stress management training in a 5 week, 8 session program. Controls (n = 7) continued routines of no treatment or combinations of varied outpatient treatments. All met DSM-III-R criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, measured by the Impact of Events Scale (IES, Horowitz, 1979), Symptom Checklist, Revised (SCL-90 -R, Derogatis, 1977, 1983) and interview. Subjects were referred by public agencies or recruited by public advertisement. Veteran ages ranged from 36 to 57 years. Educational level ranged from 12 to 18 years. Methods were adapted from Keane, et al. (1985) and stress management training literature. Procedures involved training in deep and applied relaxation, generalization of relaxation skills, cognitive behavioral therapy of affect, control (Meichenbaum, 1983) cognitive restructuring, and self-assertion (Linehan, 1976), and applied relaxation and desensitization by paired subject training. Pretest, posttest, delayed posttest (experimental group) measures were the IES, SCL-90 -R, Profile of Mood States (POMS, McNair, et al., 1981), and Social Adjustment Scale, Self-Report (SASSR, Weissman et al., 1978). Factors used were the Self Administered Alcoholism Survey (SAAS, Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, Revised, 1979) and a profile self-inventory. Treatment subjects showed significant reductions in specific measures of affect, and intrusion and denial/avoidant symptoms (Horowitz, 1976). Control subjects showed nonsignificant changes at posttest. Results suggest PTSD symptoms are influenced by an affective, psychophysiologic dependent state and symptomatic autonomic system arousal. Study significance is that stress management for control of affect arousal seems a significant factor for integrated treatment of PTSD.

No description available.

The nurse-client relationship is the context in which all nursing care is delivered. Despite changing trends in mental health nursing, authenticity has been identified as an enduring aspect of the therapeutic relationship. A behavioral aspect of therapeutic relationships that expresses authenticity on the part of the clinician is self-disclosure. The decision to self-disclose to clients remains a complex and unexplored area of clinical practice. As healthcare and economic trends push for briefer treatment in mental health, nurses are exploring new ways to build the therapeutic alliance more efficiently. Research from other disciplines indicates that therapist self-disclosure may have therapeutic value. This hermeneutic, phenomenologic study explored the experiences and the meaning that psychiatric nurse clinicians make of self-disclosure, and inevitably, nondisclosure in their therapeutic relationships with clients. Participants included 13 European American nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists board-certified in mental health nursing with at least 4 years experience. Data were collected from demographic questionnaires, interviews, written correspondence, and researcher notes. Narrative analysis revealed five types of self-disclosure: (a) environmental; (b) intentional-direct; (c) intentional-indirect; (d) unintentional-direct; and (e) unintentional-indirect. The data also yielded antecedents contributing to decisions by participants for both disclosure and non-disclosure with clients. Goals, benefits, positive experiences, risks and negative outcomes were explored for clinician self-disclosure. The participants’ perceptions of the meaning of self-disclosure were described. Results showed the context that participants developed for actual use of self-disclosure was well developed with specific antecedents. Self-disclosures were usually seen as effective when carefully applied based on assessment of the client’s developmental stage, the length of the relationship, client need, and boundary strength. Self-disclosure, to be effective, seems to be associated with a level of context-dependent discernment and relational skill found in the experienced or expert nurse. Finally, changing patterns in the use of self-disclosure by nurse clinicians emerged from the interview data. Implications for practice include participants’ belief that self-disclosure by the clinician is unavoidable and that it can contribute to strengthening or weakening the therapeutic alliance. As such, self-disclosure by clinicians warrants training and discussion. Further research in the area of nurse clinician self-disclosure, especially client perceptions of the experience and its meaning, is indicated.

<p> The purpose of the study was to determine whether family and peer risk and protective factors predicted alcohol, marijuana and cigarette use as well as alcohol-related problems among 6^th, 8^th, and 10^th grade students. This study also determined whether age moderated the relation between family and peer influences and substance use outcomes. Results demonstrated that peer alcohol use, peer positive alcohol use attitudes, and family history of drug and alcohol problems were associated with higher alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use, as well as alcohol-related problems. Conversely, parental monitoring and peer negative alcohol use attitudes were associated with lower alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use, as well as alcohol dependence. Moderation analyses demonstrated that among older adolescents&rsquo; social risk and protective factors were associated with higher or lower substance use, respectively. However, younger adolescents&rsquo; reported lower substance use, regardless of the level of the social influence. Implications regarding prevention programs are discussed.</p>

<p>Based on Berry&rsquo;s model of acculturation, when immigrants move to a new country, they choose to live according to any one of the following four acculturation modes: assimilation, integration, separation, or marginalization. The specific cultural and psychosocial characteristics of the acculturating individual or group determine what acculturation mode they will most likely follow. Generation, ethnic identity and modernity are few examples of those cultural and psychosocial referents. The present study examined the relationship of generation first and second, ethnic identity and modernity to acculturation among Lebanese American immigrant women living in the metro-Detroit area. Using the snowball technique, ninety women (first generation = 51, second generation = 39) took part in the study. The participants responded on Qualtrics (online survey platform) to the four measures used in this study: (1) a demographic survey, (2) the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), (3) Traditionalism-Modernism Inventory-Revised (TMI-R), and (4) the Acculturation Rating Scale for Arab Americans II (ARSAA-II). Multiple regression was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that generation and ethnic identity had a significant relationship to acculturation, as they were the best predictors of acculturation in Lebanese American women in the metro Detroit area. Unexpectedly, modernity did not contribute significantly to acculturation. The main implication of this research is that if immigrants&rsquo; generation (first, second, etc.) and ethnic identity are known, then professionals can make meaningful determinations of immigrants&rsquo; acculturation. Discussion of the relationships among the variables as stated in the hypothesis is provided. Implications for future research and practice are also provided. </p>

<p> Test anxiety is problem that affects college students. Explanatory mixed methods research was completed with the objective of understanding the interrelationship of prayer and test anxiety as well as the potential therapeutic effects of Christian prayer on test anxiety. It was hypothesized that Christian prayer would have significant effects on the reduction of physiological test anxiety biomarkers of salivary cortisol (SC), salivary alpha amylase (SAA), and heart rate (HR). The framework of the cognitive attentional theory (CAT) of test anxiety was used as a lens to gain insight into the phenomena of test anxiety and the use of prayer as a hypothesized alleviating agent. Undergraduates among four different majors of study from a university in the Northwest United States were volunteer participants in the study. Forty-eight participants were put into three 20-minute experimental groups to determine if a relationship existed between concentrated Christian prayer and test anxiety. The experimental groups were: Focused Christian Prayer, Guided Meditation, and Study Guide. In order to further understand the relationship of prayer and test anxiety, students were also grouped and analyzed by their scores on the Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS) and their value of prayer in their lives. The mean age of the sample was 20.02 yrs old. SC and SAA were measured with Assay kits ordered from Salimetrics Company, and HR was measured using Gurin Santamedical SM-110 finger pulse oximeters. Two focus groups were conducted to help explain the quantitative data gathered. Results from the quantitative research did not clearly show that prayer is more effective than meditation or a study guide to alleviate biomarkers of test anxiety. Quantitative results did suggest that students who valued prayer higher in their lives experienced less biomarkers of test anxiety. Nine qualitative themes from the two focus groups emerged to help shed light on the findings of the quantitative data. The unique interrelationship of prayer and test anxiety is discussed. More studies on the phenomena of prayer and test anxiety are supported.</p>

<p> This critical analysis of the literature is a comprehensive collection and review of the literature on the strengths-based perspective as it is applied to the treatment of substance use disorders. Literature was collected, analyzed, and critically evaluated to consolidate the existing research on strengths-based treatment approaches, identify ways in which the strengths-based perspective is congruent with culturally competent practice, and to identify strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the literature. Analyses reveal that there are numerous components of the strengths-based perspective that are congruent with culturally competent practice and that strengths-based treatment approaches may serve as an effective adjunct or alternative to traditional treatment approaches for substance use disorders. While additional research is needed to further our understanding of the effectiveness of this approach, preliminary results indicate that there are numerous therapeutic advantages associated with the strengths-based perspective and its use with substance abusing populations. </p>