M.A. / In all communities studied, most people suffer from headaches sometime in their life (Blau, 1991; Selby, 1983). A small portion of this group suffer from both migraine and tension-type headache on a regular basis. Currently the main treatment modality for headache is pharmacological in nature. This type of treatment is limited in as far as it does not address the concomitant psychological variables that often accompany chronic headaches. Furthermore, it seems that most psychophysiological therapies were developed in the USA and Canada over the last 30 years, but thus far research has not been done within the South African context. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an individualized psychophysiological treatment program for individuals suffering from migraine and tension-type headache. A change in headache activity and mood states such as anxiety and depression was envisaged. Seven subjects suffering from both migraine and tension-type headache were selected to participate in the study. The A-B-A single-subject design was employed allowing three weeks before and after the intervention for baseline recordings. The intervention consisted of seven sessions of cognitive coping training and electromyographic biofeedback. All subjects kept daily records of their headache activity over the eleven week period. They completed the Psychological Assessment of Headache Questionnaire, levels of depression and anxiety were assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory which were administered three weeks prior to and after the intervention. Results indicated that subjects who exhibited a decrease in headache frequency and intensity and an increase in the number of headache-free days per week, were those who were not habituated to analgesic medication. Subjects who reported no differences at all with regard to headache activity were those who suffered from chronic daily headache. Those subjects were older and consumed analgesic and other medications daily. These findings support those found in literature (Blanchard & Andrasik, 1988). All but one subject reported lower scores at post-assessment on indicators of depression and state-anxiety. Even though there were no significant improvements regarding headache activity, for certain subjects. The overall aim of the study, namely to evaluate the effectiveness of individualized treatment strategies, were addressed and contribute to future intervention studies.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International.

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published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

No description available.

The present thesis was designed to test the proposition that human health can be understood as embedded in a mind/body system. In this light, the primary goal of the thesis was to test several key principles of systems theory as it applies to the natural workings of a psychosomatic system. These primary principles are (i) variables composing a system are interrelated; (ii) dynamic fluctuation of those variables occurs on a continual basis; and (iii) mutual influence of system components occurs through internal feedback. Using an ecological self-report methodology, data on affective states and physical symptomology was collected intensively over a 20 day period among healthy adults as they went about their day-to-day lives. Analysis of the data found evidence for all three systems principles. Specifically, unpleasant affect and physical symptomology were related both concurrently and in a temporal or predictive fashion. These two variables fluctuated in a dynamically stable pattern over a daily and particularly, over a weekly cycle, and the variations in each variable over time were co-related. Finally, a negative feedback process was found to occur, such that heightened levels of unpleasant affect predicted elevated symptomology, while higher levels of symptoms led to lower levels of unpleasant affect. Further, declines in unpleasant affect led to declines in symptomology, thus serving to bring both body and mind back into a healthier balance. The results of the research are discussed as they pertain to each systems principle, a commentary on the testing of systems theory is offered, and implications of the research are discussed in terms of health care practice, work performance, and our understanding of human health.