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Charles J Holahan

Publications and source records attributed to Charles J Holahan.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Stress generation, avoidance coping, and depressive symptoms: a 10-year model.

This study examined (a) the role of avoidance coping in prospectively generating both chronic and acute life stressors and (b) the stress-generating role of avoidance coping as a prospective link to future depressive symptoms. Participants were 1,211 late-middle-aged individuals (500 women and 711 men) assessed 3 times over a 10-year period. As predicted, baseline avoidance coping was prospectively associated with both more chronic and more acute life stressors 4 years later. Furthermore, as predicted, these intervening life stressors linked baseline avoidance coping and depressive symptoms 10 years later, controlling for the influence of initial depressive symptoms. These findings broaden knowledge about the stress-generation process and elucidate a key mechanism through which avoidance coping is linked to depressive symptoms.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

The psychobiology of children exposed to marital violence.

We examined the psychological and physiological functioning of a community sample of children exposed to marital violence, comparing them to a clinical comparison group without marital violence exposure. Results replicated past findings of elevated levels of trauma symptomatology in this population. Further, children exposed to marital violence differed significantly from comparison children with respect to sympathetic nervous system functioning and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning. Specifically, elevations were seen in heart rate and salivary cortisol levels, but not in orthostatic challenge response or blood pressure. These results indicate that children exposed to marital violence have a different physiological presentation than controls and may be physiologically "traumatized" by virtue of marital violence exposure.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Unipolar depression, life context vulnerabilities, and drinking to cope.

This study followed baseline samples of 424 unipolar depressed patients and 424 community controls across 10 years to investigate the association between depression and alcohol-related coping and to examine how life context vulnerabilities underlie the risk for depressed individuals to rely on drinking to cope. Findings supported all hypotheses. Depressed patients engaged in more drinking to cope than did community controls. Within individuals, more negative life events and less family support were associated with more drinking to cope across the 4 observations. Depressed patients experienced more negative life events and less family support than did community controls. These underlying life context vulnerabilities explained the relationship between depressed patient status and drinking to cope.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2003

Dispositional and contextual perspectives on coping: toward an integrative framework.

The clinical disciplines have witnessed a rapidly growing literature on the conceptualization and measurement of coping and on the role of coping in confronting stressful life circumstances and maintaining adaptive functioning. This literature has spawned a diversity of concepts and contrasting perspectives on the determinants and effects of coping. To address this complexity, we comment on dispositional and contextual perspectives on the coping process, describe the domains of coping styles and coping skills, and review some measures of these constructs. Next, we present a conceptual framework that integrates key aspects of these constructs and use the framework to guide a selective review of the linkages between personal and social resources, coping skills, and adaptive functioning. We then consider applications of the framework to clinical practice.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2003

Drinking to cope and alcohol use and abuse in unipolar depression: a 10-year model.

This study examined drinking to cope with distress and drinking behavior in a baseline sample of 412 unipolar depressed patients assessed 4 times over a 10-year period. Baseline drinking to cope operated prospectively as a risk factor for more alcohol consumption at 1-, 4-, and 10-year follow-ups and for more drinking problems at 1- and 4-year follow-ups. Findings elucidate a key mechanism in this process by showing that drinking to cope strengthened the link between depressive symptoms and drinking behavior. Individuals who had a stronger propensity to drink to cope at baseline showed a stronger connection between depressive symptoms and both alcohol consumption and drinking problems.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Depressive symptoms and cigarette smoking in American workers.

PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and cigarette smoking in a large sample of American workers. METHODS: We used data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States. Seventy percent of individuals completed a telephone survey. The present study focused on 2593 individuals working for pay. Measures included depressive symptoms, job level, and current smoking status. RESULTS: In a logistic regression analysis, depressive symptoms significantly predicted smoking status among workers (p < .01). In follow-up chi2 analyses, the link between depressive symptoms and smoking was consistent across gender (p < .01) and job levels (p < .01). DISCUSSION: Depressive symptoms among workers present an underlying obstacle to the success of worksite smoking cessation efforts. Findings highlight the need for increased cooperation between workplace mental health and medical health promotion programs and for tailoring smoking cessation programs to depressed workers. Limitations include self-report cross-sectional data and an underrepresentation of minority group members and individuals of low socioeconomic status.

Adult↗