Biomedical subjects

George A Clum

Publications and source records attributed to George A Clum.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A meta-analytic study of self-help interventions for anxiety problems.

The present study examined the effectiveness of self-help (SH) interventions for individuals with anxiety problems. Thirty-three studies, targeting a variety of anxiety disorders and problems, met criteria for inclusion with 1,582 clinical and subclinical participants. Self-help formats included books, audio/videotapes, and computer/Internet-based programs. The average effect sizes (Cohen's ds) comparing SH interventions to control groups for target symptoms were .62 at posttreatment and .51 at follow-up. When compared to therapist-directed interventions (TDIs), the average effect sizes (Cohen's ds) for target problems were -.42 at posttreatment and -.36 at follow-up. Format of SH materials, type of target disorder, presence of minimal therapist contact, and other study parameters were examined for their effect on treatment outcome. The results were discussed from the perspective of a stepped-care approach for anxiety problems.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

An Internet-based self-change program for traumatic event related fear, distress, and maladaptive coping.

This study compared the efficacy of an Internet-based, 8-week self-help program for traumatic event-related consequences (SHTC) (n = 13) to a wait-list (WL) condition (n = 14). The SHTC consisted of cognitive-behavioral modules that progressed from the least anxiety-provoking component (i.e., information) to the most anxiety-provoking (i.e., exposure). Participants were those who had experienced a traumatic event and had been experiencing subclinical levels of symptoms associated with the event. Participants mastered the material in each module before proceeding to the next module. Pre- and post-treatment assessments revealed that SHTC participants decreased avoidance behavior, frequency of intrusive symptoms, state anxiety, and depressive symptoms, and increased coping skills and coping self-efficacy significantly more than WL participants. SHTC participants demonstrated more clinically significant improvement than WL individuals.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2003

The relative contribution of diagnostic and psychosocial factors in the prediction of adolescent suicidal ideation.

Examined the relative importance of diagnostic and psychosocial factors in the prediction of adolescent suicidal ideation. Seventy-three high school students exhibiting emotional disturbance in the school setting completed a diagnostic interview and self-report measures assessing social support, family environment, negative life events, and problem solving. Using hierarchical regression analyses, only the presence of a pure internalizing disorder predicted suicidal ideation in addition to psychosocial variables. Interactions were found between psychiatric disorders and psychosocial variables. These results underscore the importance of including both diagnostic and psychosocial variables in research examining risk factors for adolescent suicidal behavior. Further, they suggest that adolescents presenting with psychiatric disorders, high levels of stress, and poor social support networks should be monitored for suicidality.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Social support and problem-solving as moderators of the relationship between childhood abuse and suicidality: applications to a delinquent population.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between childhood abuse, social support, and problem-solving appraisal within a juvenile delinquent sample. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to assess whether childhood abuse, social support, and problem-solving appraisal were independently predictive of suicidality, and further, whetherproblem-solving appraisal and social support moderated the childhood abuse-suicidality relationship. Childhood sexual abuse was found to be an independent predictor of suicidal ideation and behavior. In addition, both problem-solving confidence and social support moderated the relationship between childhood abuse and suicidal ideation. The results of this study underscore the importance of both problem-solving appraisal and social support to suicidality in adolescents with a history of abuse.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Psychiatric symptoms and their relationship to suicidal ideation in a high-risk adolescent community sample.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the importance of diagnostic factors in the prediction of adolescent suicidal ideation in a high-risk community sample. METHOD: Seventy-three high school students, aged 14 to 18 years, identified by school personnel as exhibiting emotional disturbance participated in the study. Psychiatric disorders were assessed with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Epidemiologic Version 5, and suicidal ideation with the Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideation. RESULTS: Seventy-four percent of the sample met criteria for a psychiatric disorder. Continuous measures of psychiatric symptoms provided stronger prediction of suicidal ideation than dichotomous measures. In particular, severity of symptoms associated with mood disorders afforded the strongest prediction of suicidal ideation. Moreover, although significantly related to suicidal ideation at the bivariate level, symptoms associated with disruptive behavior, anxiety, and substance use disorders did not predict suicidal ideation over and above mood disorder symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents presenting with emotional disturbance should be carefully screened for depression given the strong relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Furthermore, improved prediction of suicidal ideation may be obtained through the utilization of continuous measures of psychiatric symptoms in suicide research.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1982

Relaxation training and cognitive redirection strategies in the treatment of acute pain.

Relaxation training, relaxation instructions, and redirection of attention techniques were compared to a no-treatment control in the treatment of acute ischemic pain. Relaxation instructions were ineffective in reducing state anxiety, verbally reported pain or distress or pain measured during presentation of the stimulus by cross-modality matching. Relaxation training was effective in reducing distress during presentation of the stimulus and verbally reported pain. The attention-redirection technique reduced pain as measured by cross-modality matching. The interaction hypothesis was supported, re. the two measures of distress during presentation of the painful stimulus. As externality increased, the effectiveness of relaxation training increased. However, there was no consistent decrease in distress for subjects high on externality in the relaxation instruction group.

Attention↗