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Biomedical subjects

F X Acosta

Publications and source records attributed to F X Acosta.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Using the brief symptom inventory to profile monolingual Spanish-speaking psychiatric outpatients.

As part of a larger study (Acosta, Evans, Hurwicz, & Yamamoto, 1987), a translated version of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was given to 153 monolingual Spanish-speaking psychiatric outpatients in the Los Angeles area. The raw mean scores on the nine primary symptom dimensions and the Global Severity Index (GSI) of the Spanish-speaking population were compared with the published raw mean scores of a normative sample of English-speaking psychiatric outpatients. Results suggested that the Spanish-speaking population had higher symptom levels on several dimensions and the GSI. It was suggested that the BSI could be a potentially useful instrument for self-reported psychiatric symptomatology among the Spanish-speaking population if an appropriate translation of the BSI were used.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Patient requests: correlates and therapeutic implications for Hispanic, black, and Caucasian patients.

A patient's reason for coming to a psychiatric outpatient clinic (his/her request for service) should be the focal point as a therapist develops an appropriate therapeutic plan for that patient. Data have been collected on 173 Hispanic, Black and Caucasian patients with regard to their reasons for coming to the clinic and selected demographic and process/outcome variables. A factor analysis of the patient request data generated three conceptual factors, which account for 13 reasons for coming to the clinic. The relationship of these factors with selected demographic and therapy outcome variables was tested statistically, and implications for therapy with low income and minority patients are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Orienting psychotherapists to better serve low income and minority patients.

As a part of a larger NIMH study, 29 psychotherapists who were beginning training at a large urban psychiatric outpatient clinic participated in a special orientation program. The orientation program had the following objectives: First, to increase the therapists' knowledge about low income and minority patients; second, to increase the therapists' sensitivity to minority patients' requests and problems; and, third, to increase the effectiveness of the therapeutic encounter. The majority of therapists acted as their own controls; they saw patients before and then after participating in the orientation program. Data indicated that therapists improved significantly in knowledge, sensitivity, and effectiveness as a result of the special therapist orientation program.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Self-reported psychiatric symptoms among black, Hispanic, and white outpatients.

Examined ethnic differences among black, Hispanic, and white applicants for outpatient psychotherapy, using symptoms self-reported on the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL 90-R). The relationship between self-reported severity of symptoms and therapist-reported severity of psychiatric diagnoses also was examined in order to assess the utility of SCL 90-R as a predictor of diagnostic severity for these ethnic groups. One hundred sixty-five patients completed the SCL 90-R. The patients were predominantly in the low-income social classes. A significant ethnic effect was found on several symptom dimensions, with black patients less likely to report symptoms than Hispanic or white patients. Hispanic patients were found to report the highest symptom levels on 8 of 11 measures. While, overall, therapist diagnostic severity was related significantly to self-reported symptomatology, the relationship was strongest for white patients, significant but less strong for Hispanic patients, and not significant for black patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Orienting therapists about patients' needs to increase patient satisfaction.

Twenty-nine psychotherapists received orientation about patients' cultural background, expectations, and therapeutic needs. They treated 98 patients before orientation and 73 afterward, and a follow-up interview was conducted 4-6 weeks after completion of therapy. The patients seen after therapist orientation were more satisfied with the services, felt better able to handle problems, were more likely to seek therapy for future problems, and felt more strongly that their needs for clinic services had been met than the patients seen by therapists before orientation. Analyses of therapist experience, patients' ethnicity, and patients' orientation to psychotherapy showed no significant interactions with patient satisfaction.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Preparing low-income hispanic, black, and white patients for psychotherapy: evaluation of a new orientation program.

Examined the effectiveness of a new orientation program designed to prepare low-income white and ethnic minority outpatients for psychotherapy. Sixty-two Hispanic, 51 black, and 60 white psychiatric outpatients in a large public psychiatric clinic participated prior to their first psychotherapy interview. Patients were presented with one of two experimental conditions; the oriented patients saw an audiovisual program that instructed them about psychotherapy, and the control patients saw a program that was neutral with regard to psychotherapy. The patients' knowledge and attitudes toward psychotherapy were assessed with two questionnaires. Results indicated that patients who were oriented were more knowledgeable about psychotherapy and more positive in their attitudes toward psychotherapy than were patients who had not been oriented. The role and utility of brief orientation programs for low-income and ethnic minority outpatients in public mental health facilities are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Telephone prompting to increase attendance at a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic.

Although it has been commonly taught and has been reported elsewhere that telephone prompting increases the rate at which patients keep their first outpatient clinic appointment, this study indicated that the increased rate at which patients kept their first appointment was more likely related to socioeconomic factors (such as having a telephone) than to telephone prompting. The authors conclude that measures to improve services to patients need to be carefully scrutinized before one can assume that results following initiation of a new procedure are in fact due to that procedure.

Appointments and Schedules↗
PubMed1980

Modification of chronic schizophrenics' abstractions through enriched stimuli and social censure.

Examined the abstracting abilities of good and poor premorbid chronic schizophrenics on single and multiple proverbs, as well as the effects of censure on each group. Two groups of 16 Ss each, comparable in terms of education, IQ and age, were presented with single and multiple sets of proverbs in two sessions and were asked to give the meanings of the proverbs. Half of each group received immediate negative verbal feedback when their performance fell below criteria. Both groups showed significant improvement in the multiple proverb condition. There was also a significant Group X Censure interaction. It is suggested that good premorbids may suffer more from interference in processing stimuli, while poor premorbids suffer more from interference in response selection or from a motivational deficit.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

The misunderstood Spanish-speaking patient.

The authors examined the reactions of Spanish-speaking patients and of therapists to initial therapy interviews conducted with or without an interpreter. Twenty-one patients who used an interpreter, 40 bilingual patients, and the 16 psychiatric residents who conducted the interviews completed questionnaires aimed at evaluating therapy and communication effectiveness. A number of patient and therapist perceptions were significantly different. Patients interviewed with interpreters felt understood and helped and wanted to return, whereas the therapists responded that patients seen with interpreters felt less understood and less helped and did not want to return. The authors recommend more bilingual/bicultural therapists and an effort to help present therapists realize how valuable their efforts with patients who need an interpreter are.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed1980

Helping minority and low-income psychotherapy patients "Tell It Like It Is".

The development and field testing of an instructional slide/cassette program entitled "Tell It Like It Is" are described. The program is a major component of a three-year study to assess the effects of patient orientation, therapist orientation, and the interaction of the two upon the psychotherapy process and outcome for working class and low income Mexican American, Black American, and Anglo American patients.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1979

Barriers between mental health services and Mexican Americans: an examinations of a paradox.

The paradox of underutilization of mental health services by Mexican Americans is critically examined. It is argued that Mexican Americans live under high levels of psychological and environmental stress that would ordinarily lead to mental health problems and an increased utilization of mental health services. A number of barriers to the use of mental health services by Mexican Americans are examined. Included among these barriers are such factors as the relationship between social class and treatment offered, stereotypes concerning Mexican American folk psychiatry, limitations imposed by language differences, and the effects of stereotypes between Anglo Americans and Mexican Americans. Paradoxical findings in some studies which show a positive perception of mental health services by Mexican Americans are seen to further underscore the need for more research on the Mexican American's position. Stereotypes and generalizations about Spanish-speaking and bilingual Mexican American's approaches to psychotherapy are challenged in the light of recent empirical findings. Recommendations for future research directions and for improving the delivery of mental health services are presented.

Acculturation↗
PubMed1979

Preferences and self-disclosure in relation to psychotherapist professional and ethnic identification.

This study examined the effects of psychotherapist ethnicity and expertise on preferences and self-disclosure. Thirty-four white Anglo American college students, 20 male and 14 female, listened to one of two matched psychotherapy tapes. The therapist was identified by background introductions as being either professional or nonprofessional and as either of Anglo American or Mexican American ethnicity. After hearing the tape, the Ss' perceptions and willingness to talk to the therapist were measured on a self-disclosure scale and an attitude-toward-therapist scale. Ss showed significantly higher self-disclosure to the therapist introduced as an Anglo American professional. The Mexican American nonprofessional also received significantly higher negative attitude-toward-therapist scores compared to the other therapist conditions.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1978

Self-disclosure in relation to psychotherapist expertise and ethnicity.

The self-disclosure styles of Mexican Americans and their possible role in the limited participation of Mexican Americans in mental health services were explored. Ninety-four Mexican American and 93 Anglo American junior college students listened to one of four therapist introductions, then responded to questionnaires designed to measure self disclosure and self acceptance. Both groups indicated a substantial willingness to disclose about themselves to therapists. Mexican Americans proved lower in self-disclosure scores than Anglo Americans. Mexican Americans were found to disclose less to Mexican American therapists than did Anglo Americans to Anglo American therapists. Sex differences in self-disclosure were negligible. Both Mexican Americans and Anglo Americans scored in the direction of high self-acceptance. The findings held for comparable socioeconomic levels.

Educational Status↗
PubMed1975

Etiology and treatment of homosexuality: a review.

The major causal theories of and treatment approaches to male and female homosexuality are critically reviewed. Neither biological, psychoanalytic, nor learning and social-learning theories are found to provide convincing evidence for the etiology of homosexuality. All of these accounts, however, are viewed as providing mixed empirical support for their predictions, with social-learning research presenting the most consistent evidence. It is argued that both social-learning research findings and results from retrospective studies suggest that homosexuality may best be linked to the early qualitative learning and development of one's gender identity and gender role. Both psychoanalytic therapy and behavior therapy are found to have minimal successes and many failures. Most therapeutic successes seem to be with bisexuals rather than with exclusive homosexuals. The combined use of psychotherapy and specific behavioral techniques is seen to offer some promise for heterosexual adaptation with certain kinds of patients. However, it is argued that better prospects for intervention in homosexuality lie in its prevention through the early identification and treatment of the potential homosexual child.

Behavior Therapy↗