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Biomedical subjects

E Midlarsky

Publications and source records attributed to E Midlarsky.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Influence of shape and weight on self-evaluation in bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: To compare three related but different measures of excessive concerns about shape and weight in bulimia nervosa (BN): influence of shape and weight (influence; DSM-IV Criterion D), overconcern with shape and weight (overconcern; DSM-III-R Criterion E), and dissatisfaction with shape and weight (dissatisfaction). METHOD: One-hundred twenty BN patients, 27 restrained eaters (RE), and 28 normal controls (NC) were assessed via the Eating Disorders Examination and self-report measures. RESULTS: Influence and overconcern, but not dissatisfaction, successfully discriminated BNs from NCs but not from REs. A minority of patients with BN obtained low scores on both influence and overconcern. However, there were few differences between those patients with low scores and those with high scores on numerous clinical characteristics. DISCUSSION: Influence and overconcern are equally valid measures of the excessive concerns about shape and weight characteristic of BN.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Assessing problems with religious content: a comparison of rabbis and psychologists.

This study measured distinctions made by a sample of clergy and mental health professionals in response to three categories of presenting problems with religious content: mental disorder, religious or spiritual problem, and "pure" religious problem. A national, random sample of rabbis (N = 111) and clinical psychologists (N = 90) provided evaluations of three vignettes: schizophrenia, mystical experience, and mourning. The participants evaluated the religious etiology, helpfulness of psychiatric medication, and seriousness of the presenting problems. The rabbis and psychologists distinguished between the three diverse categories of presenting problems and concurred in their distinctions. The results provide empirical evidence for the construct validity of the new DSM-IV category religious or spiritual problem (V62.89). Use of the V code allows for more subtle distinctions among the variety of problems that persons bring to clergy and mental health professionals. These distinctions may also provide a foundation for the initiation of co-professional consultation.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2000

Gender and racial correlates of personal control among emotionally disturbed older adults.

Black and white community-dwelling women and men over sixty-five years of age, all of whom had been referred for psychotherapy, were interviewed to determine their perceived control (internal vs. external) over the causes and solutions to their problems. Personal control orientations were found to vary both by race and by gender. Men perceived themselves as having more control over causes than did women, but women perceived themselves as having more control over solutions than did men. Blacks perceived themselves as more responsible both for causes and solutions than did whites. Of the four groups studied, white females saw themselves as having the least control over the causes of their problems, but those perceiving higher levels of control over causes were most depressed. White males saw themselves as having the least control over solutions, but those with higher levels of perceived control had lower levels of depressive symptomatology.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Altruism and the Vietnam War veteran: the relationship of helping to symptomatology.

This study examines the relationships among demographic factors, combat experiences, personality characteristics, altruism, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. Participants were Vietnam War veterans currently undergoing treatment for PTSD. The developmental level of internalized schemas of interpersonal relations (object relatedness) and the altruistic intent to help were significant predictors of PTSD symptomatology, with lower levels of symptomatology associated with higher levels of altruism. Results indicated that predispositional variables and altruistic intentions may be important factors to consider in designing and implementing treatment programs for chronically impaired veterans with PTSD.

Altruism↗
PubMed1999

Competence and adjustment of siblings of children with mental retardation.

Adjustment and competence of siblings who had a brother or sister with mental retardation were compared to those of control siblings who had brothers or sisters with no disabilities. Results indicated no overall differences for internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, or for self-esteem and competence based on group membership, gender, or gender match. However, boys with a brother or sister with mental retardation had difficulty in school functioning. In addition, a greater number of girls with brothers and sisters with mental retardation expressed their distress through internalization.

Achievement↗
PubMed1999

Altruistic moral judgment among older adults.

This study investigated altruistic moral judgment among the elderly, and examined its relationships to demographic and personality variables, self-reported helping, and subjective social integration (the perception that one is integrated into one's social milieu). The moral judgment interview included three stories, each of which contained a moral dilemma. Participants solved each dilemma and gave reasons for their solutions. The moral dilemmas and scoring system emphasized the positive, prosocial aspects of morality, rather than a prohibition-oriented approach. The categories used most often were, in descending order of frequency 1) pragmatic needs-of-others oriented reasons, 2) empathy-based reasons, 3) reasons based on internalized and/or abstract moral principles, and 4) hedonistic reasons. Of the higher levels of moral judgment, only reasoning based on abstract internalized principles had significant positive relationships with self-reported helping, the personality correlates of helping, and with subjective social integration into one's social milieu.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Assessing adolescents' prosocial behavior: the Family Helping Inventory.

This study examined the structure and psychometric properties of a self-report measure of adolescents' helping behavior within the family--the Family Helping Inventory (FHI)--and of its two scales, the Sibling Helping Scale (SHS) and the Parent Helping Scale (PHS). The FHI was administered to 202 adolescents along with several existing measures of prosocial tendencies and with a measure of Machiavellianism. Factor analyses yielded four internally consistent subscales for the SHS and five for the PHS, all of which were conceptually related to inventories reflecting family support among adults. Both convergent and discriminant validity were demonstrated as well.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

The generous elderly: naturalistic studies of donations across the life span.

The relation between age and altruism was examined in two experiments conducted in naturalistic settings. In both studies, individuals from 5 to over 75 years of age had opportunities to donate money to a charity concerned with the welfare of infants with birth defects. The effect of a variable designed to evoke the needs rule was also observed by using both pregnant and nonpregnant charitable solicitors. Results of both studies yielded a significant main effect of solicitor condition on donations. Study 1 yielded a linear increase with age in numbers of people donating; however, retired persons generally donated less money than did younger adults. In Study 2, which controlled for financial costs, elderly persons proved to be the most generous. These results underscore the importance of personal resources and helping opportunities in influencing altruism among older persons.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Applicability of the Group Personality Projective Test within a prison population.

Administered the Group Personality Projective Test (GPPT) to 60 male offenders incarcerated in a state penitentiary. A board of 10 prisoners selected inmates who clearly had demonstrated one of three patterns of assaultive behavior: undercontrolled aggressives, overcontrolled aggressives, and over controlled psychopaths. A control group was chosen randomly from the prison population, as well. Results failed to support the hypothesis that GPPT scores significantly differ among relatively homogeneous prisoner subgroups or between these groups and the control group of non-assaultive prisoners.

Aggression↗