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G Affleck

Publications and source records attributed to G Affleck.

63 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Sex differences in the association of cerebral hemispheric specialization of spatial function with conservation task performance.

The association of locus of cerebral hemispheric specialization of spatial function with identity and equivalence conservation judgments was tested in a group of 4- to 6-year-old right-handed children (N = 31). Separate multiple regression analyses for males and females revealed that locus of specialization of spatial function was irrelevant for performance on the equivalence conservation task but was a significant factor in male identity conservation performance. Whereas right hemisphere specialization was advantageous for males, it was of no significant import for females. Results are discussed in the light of previous research on the use of differing cognitive stratergies by males and females in problem-solving situations.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Depression among patients with a chief complaint of chronic fatigue.

The prevalence of mood disorders among patients with chronic fatigue was examined in a group of 100 adults who had experienced fatigue symptoms for an average of 13 years. Patients received a comprehensive history, physical and laboratory evaluation and completed the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Among 44 patients with depressive illness, the onset of their first depressive episode was strongly associated with and preceded the onset of chronic fatigue. The BDI, fatigue history, demographic factors, and findings from the physical examination and laboratory had only modest success in discriminating those patients with depressive illness from other patients. We conclude that depressive illness is an important precursor of chronic fatigue.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mood states associated with transitory changes in asthma symptoms and peak expiratory flow.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the within-person relations between transitory changes in mood, asthma symptoms, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). METHODS: Thrice-daily for 21 consecutive days, 48 adults with moderate to severe asthma entered information in palm-top computers about their mood and asthma symptoms. A multidimensional model of mood, ie, the mood circumplex, informed the assessment of mood arousal and mood pleasantness. At each observation, participants also recorded their PEFR with peak flow meters that stored blinded data. Albuterol doses were also monitored electronically. Before and after the 21-day study, spirometric measures of airways obstruction were taken under controlled conditions. RESULTS: Random effects regression models revealed a significant, but weak, within-person relation between symptoms and PEFR. Changes in mood vectors with an arousal component were significantly related to PEFR changes, whereas changes in mood vectors with a pleasantness component tracked changes in asthma symptom reports, even after adjustment for contemporaneous PEFR and after controlling for time of day and albuterol dosing. Comparison of spirometric assessments with unsupervised PEFR suggested that part of the relation between mood arousal and PEFR may be attributable to the "effort-dependence" of peak flow self-monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: Different dimensions of mood were associated with transitory changes in asthma symptoms and PEFR. This may be one reason why individuals with asthma misperceive the severity of their symptoms in relation to underlying airways obstruction.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Concerns of children with a chronic illness: a cognitive-developmental study of juvenile diabetes.

Chronically ill children become increasingly able to understand their illnesses as they develop intellectually. But cognitive development also brings the ability to grasp the meaning of a poor prognosis or functional limitations, which may take an emotional toll on the youngster. We studied this problem in a sample of children with insulin-dependent diabetes. Those who had more advanced disease concepts were more worried about their diabetes. Children saw their parents as worried primarily about current management of the disease, suggesting that youngsters' concerns about the future were difficult to discuss at home. There is a need for clinicians and parents to integrate emotional support into the education and management of chronically ill children.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hypochondriasis influences quality-of-life outcomes in patients with chronic fatigue.

BACKGROUND: To determine how hypochondriacal symptoms influence the quality-of-life outcomes of patients with a chief complaint of chronic fatigue. METHODS: Cross-sectional cohort study of a consecutive sample of 71 patients (mean duration of fatigue of 4.1 years). Forty-eight (68%) patients met criteria for current major depression and 32 (45%) met criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). All patients received a comprehensive medical and psychiatric evaluation. Quality-of-life and physical, depressive and hypochondriacal symptom scores were assessed through reliable self-report questionnaires and a structured interview. A path model expressing the relation between predictor variables (hypochondriasis and depression), intervening variables (physical symptoms) and quality of life was postulated and evaluated using structural equation methods. RESULTS: The paths linking hypochondriasis with physical symptoms and mental health and the path connecting physical symptoms and quality of life were each statistically significant. The model applied especially well to patients who fulfilled CFS criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of life of chronic fatigue patients correlates with the severity of their physical symptoms and their hypochondriacal disposition toward illness.

Adolescent↗