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Biomedical subjects

L A McWilliams

Publications and source records attributed to L A McWilliams.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

A comparison of symptom checklist 90-revised profiles from patients with chronic pain from whiplash and patients with other musculoskeletal injuries.

STUDY DESIGN: A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised profiles (SCL-90-R) from a group of patients with whiplash injuries (n = 67) and a group with mixed musculoskeletal pain (n = 91). OBJECTIVES: To test the discriminant validity of the characteristic SCL-90-R whiplash profile as proposed by Wallis and Bogduk using a multivariate statistical technique. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: On the basis of two studies by themselves and their colleagues, Wallis and Bogduk proposed a characteristic SCL-90-R profile evident in samples of patients with whiplash injuries. Their assertion has not been tested empirically in any published studies. METHODS: The participants in this study consisted of 158 patients at a rehabilitation hospital who completed the SCL-90-R under standard instructions and subsequently were diagnosed by a team comprising a chiropractor, physical therapist, and physician. The participants were categorized as having whiplash-associated disorders or pain caused by other musculoskeletal injuries. A profile analysis following Hotelling's method was used to determine the comparability of SCL-90-R profiles from the two groups. RESULTS: The profile analysis showed no statistically significant differences between the groups with regard to either the shape or the overall elevation of their psychological profiles. The SCL-90-R profiles from both groups were similar to those reported from other chronic pain syndromes, with elevations on the Somatization, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Psychoticism scales. CONCLUSIONS: The current study failed to support the validity of a distinctive SCL-90-R profile for patients with whiplash injuries. Instead, the results suggest that the psychological consequences of experiencing chronic pain from whiplash-associated disorders are similar to the psychological consequences of chronic pain from other musculoskeletal injuries.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Does the social concerns component of the anxiety sensitivity index belong to the domain of anxiety sensitivity or the domain of negative evaluation sensitivity?

The present study utilized an exploratory factor-analytic approach (i.e. principal-components analysis; PCA) to investigate whether the Social Concerns component of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI [Peterson, R. A., & Reiss, S. (1992). Anxiety Sensitivity Index manual (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: International Diagnostic Systems.]) is best conceptualized as belonging to the domain of anxiety sensitivity (AS) and/or the domain of negative evaluation sensitivity (NES). A sample of university students (N = 216) was administered measures of both NES (i.e. Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation scale; Leary, 1983) and AS (i.e. ASI). Participants' responses to the items comprising these measures were subjected to a PCA with oblique rotation. Factors representing the NES construct and the three lower-order AS constructs (i.e. AS Physical, Psychological and Social Concerns) were obtained. Subscales derived from these four factors were positively and significantly correlated with one another and loaded on a single higher-order factor labeled Threat Sensitivity. Thus, the present findings suggest that the AS Social Concerns factor is distinct from NES and the other lower-order components of AS. However, correlational analyses and higher-order PCA indicated that the AS Social Concerns factor taps a blend of AS and NES as well as something unique and distinct from both global AS and NES.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Impact of adult attachment styles on pain and disability associated with arthritis in a nationally representative sample.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate Mikail et al.'s hypothesis that adult attachment styles are associated with important pain-related variables such as pain and disability levels. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was used to examine the relation between measures of adult attachment styles and both pain and disability. SETTING: The data used were obtained from the National Comorbidity Survey, a large and nationally representative sample of community-dwelling individuals aged 15 to 54 years. In the present study, individuals (n = 381) in the National Comorbidity Survey with arthritis or related conditions were included. OUTCOME MEASURES: Ratings regarding three adult attachment styles (secure, anxious, and avoidant) were obtained by administering Hazan and Shaver's attachment self-report in an interview format. Pain and disability were assessed in a similar manner using four-point rating scales. RESULTS: Ratings of insecure attachment were positively and significantly correlated with both pain and disability. A multiple regression analysis revealed that pain severity and the rating of anxious attachment could account for 20.3% of the variance in disability. CONCLUSIONS: The attachment theory holds promise for understanding reactions to pain conditions, and Mikail et al.'s model warrants further investigation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Alcohol consumption in university women: a second look at the role of anxiety sensitivity.

The study reexamined the relationship between anxiety sensitivity (AS) and drinking behavior in a sample of university women (N = 197) taking into account recent theoretical considerations regarding the possible hierarchical nature of the AS construct. To assess the incremental validity of this construct, the amount of variance in drinking behavior accounted for by measures of AS and trait anxiety was investigated with several multiple regression analyses. Contrary to expectations, measures of both constructs failed to account for significant variance in drinking behavior. McNally's [1996: Rapee RM, editor. Current Controversies in anxiety disorders. p 214-244] hypothesis regarding a trait anxiety by AS interaction received weak support as the combination of these two variables accounted for a small (i.e., 1.6%) portion of variance in one drinking variable (viz., monthly intoxication). Correlational analyses revealed only two small and marginally significant associations between the lower-order components of AS (i.e., fears of physical, cognitive, and publicly observable symptoms of anxiety) and the drinking measures. Potential reasons for the failure to replicate or extend Stewart et al.'s [1995: J Anxiety Disord 9:283-392] findings of significant positive associations between AS and both weekly alcohol consumption and excessive drinking are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Parental problem drinking and anxiety disorder symptoms in adult offspring: examining the mediating role of anxiety sensitivity components.

Preliminary studies have implicated childhood exposure to parental problem drinking as a possible factor in the development of anxiety sensitivity (AS). The present retrospective study was designed to examine the role of exposure to distressing parental problem drinking behaviors, over and above the role of parental alcoholism, in the development of various AS components (psychological, physical, and social concerns) in the offspring. We also examined the possible mediating role of AS components in explaining relations between parental drinking problems and anxiety-related symptoms in the adult offspring. A sample of 213 university students provided retrospective reports of both distress related to parental drinking [Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST)] and parental alcoholism [maternal and paternal forms of the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST)]. Participants also reported on their own current AS levels [AS Index (ASI)], general anxiety symptoms [State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait subscale (STAI-T)], and lifetime history of uncued panic attacks [Panic Attack Questionnaire-Revised (PAQ-R)]. Scores on the CAST predicted AS psychological and physical concerns (but not social concerns) over and above participant gender and parental alcoholism measured by the SMASTs. Moreover, AS psychological concerns proved a consistent modest mediator of the relations between parental problem drinking on the CAST and both general anxiety and uncued panic outcomes in the offspring. Thus, exposure to distressing parental problem drinking behavior may be one factor that contributes to elevated AS psychological concerns in the child, which in turn may contribute to the development of anxiety disorder symptoms in the offspring.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is there a negative association between anxiety sensitivity and arousal-increasing substances and activities?

Little research has addressed McNally's hypothesis [(1996). Anxiety sensitivity is distinguishable from trait anxiety. In: R. M. Rapee (Ed.), Current controversies in the anxiety disorders (pp. 214-227). New York: The Guilford Press.] that anxiety sensitivity (AS) should be negatively associated with the use of arousal-increasing substances. In the present study, we examined the relationship between AS and the self-reported use of two widely available stimulants--nicotine and caffeine--and exercise frequency in a sample of 256 university students. A measure of trait anxiety was also incorporated within the design. The associations between use of both substances and levels of AS and trait anxiety were weak and nonsignificant. Although inconsistent with McNally's hypothesis, some significant findings were found when the lower-order components of AS (i.e., fears of physical, psychological, and publicly observable symptoms of anxiety) were examined. The associations between exercise frequency and the anxiety measures, indicating a negative relationship, were generally consistent with McNally's hypothesis. Implications of these findings are discussed with reference to future investigation.

Adult↗