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Biomedical subjects

P Lafferty

Publications and source records attributed to P Lafferty.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Mental health problems on Operation Resolute (Bosnia).

Mental health problems have been studied in a total of 2201 consultations with British troops in a primary health care practice on Operation Resolute (Bosnia) from 1 January to 31 March 1996. About one in 40 (2.5%) of the consultations were for mental health problems; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depressive disorder, and grief reaction were the most common disorders, followed by acute adjustment reaction and panic disorder. Most cases pre-dated deployment. The number of cases repatriated to the UK was 17, about 10% of the total number of patients repatriated from theatre in this period.

Bosnia and Herzegovina↗
PubMed1989

Differences between more and less effective psychotherapists: a study of select therapist variables.

This study examined differences between more and less effective trainee psychotherapists. Therapists were assigned to one of two groups depending on whether the preponderance of their patients' changes in symptomatology indicated more or less improvement over the course of therapy. Therapist variables included emotional adjustment, relationship skills, eliciting patient involvement, credibility, directiveness, and theoretical orientation. Less effective therapists were revealed to have lower levels of empathic understanding, to rate their patients as more involved in treatment, and to rate themselves as more supportive than the more effective therapists. Less effective therapists also valued comfort and stimulation significantly more and valued intellectual goals significantly less than did more effective therapists.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Field dependence or cognitive impairment in alcoholics.

The nature of the association of field dependence with alcoholism has been predominantly postulated as predispositional in most studies, but as consequential in others. Using the EFT measure and additional measures of cognitive impairment, a significant decrease in both field dependence and cognitive impairments was found to occur within a 3-week period of treatment for alcoholism. Significant moderate-level correlations between field dependence and cognitive measures support an interpretation of the alcohol-field dependence association as being mediated by alcohol-induced cognitive impairment. Methodological differences and differences in measurement instruments may account for the conflicting findings. These results support the hypothesis that field dependence in alcoholics is a consequence of cognitive impairment resulting from alcoholism.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Properties of a Ca2+ and Mg2+ stimulated ATPase in the rat caudate nucleus.

Adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity which could be stimulated maximally by either Ca2+ or Mg2+ was identified in a synaptosomal fraction from rat brain caudate nucleus. The thermodynamic properties of the Ca2+ and Mg2+ stimulated enzymes were similar to each other. Oligomycin, sodium azide and dinitrophenol had no significant inhibitory effects on stimulation by either cation. In vitro incubation of the ATPase with cis- or trans-flupenthixol, chlorpromazine or trifluoperazine, but not with haloperidol, significantly inhibited stimulation by either cation. The DA receptor agonist 2-amino-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (ADTN) inhibited stimulation of the enzyme by either cation, while d-amphetamine, SKF 38393, pergolide and LY-171555 had no significant effects. Nomifensine at 10(-3) M inhibited the cation stimulation by about 33%. In vivo administration of dopamine (DA) receptor antagonists (haloperidol, cis- and trans-flupenthixol, spiperone, chlorpromazine and trifluoperazine) and the agonist apomorphine neither inhibited nor stimulated ATPase activity. It appears from these data that the ATPase activity is not under DA receptor modulation. In addition, our tentative conclusion is that one enzyme is involved, because both Ca2+ and Mg2+ produced similar maximal stimulations, the activities as a function of temperature were similar, the enzyme could not be further stimulated with Ca2+ after maximal stimulation by Mg2+ (and vice versa), and the behaviour of the ATPase activity to all drugs tested was similar.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quality of life, survivorship, and psychosocial adjustment of young women with breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery and radiation therapy.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To examine changes in quality of life (QOL), psychosocial adjustment, and survivorship issues over time of women younger than 45 years who underwent breast-conserving surgery and radiation therapy (RT) for breast cancer. DESIGN: Repeated measures, longitudinal design. METHODS: Data were collected at four time points: start of RT, midpoint of RT, end of RT, and six months after RT. Three instruments were used to collect data: Quality-of-Life Index, Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale, and the newly developed Adaptation to Survivorship Experience. Subjects also participated in an indepth interview at the start of RT. SETTING: A large radiation oncology department located in an urban teaching hospital in the Northeast United States. SAMPLE: 23 women with newly diagnosed stage I or II breast cancer who were starting RT following breast-conserving surgery, with a mean age of 37.8 years (range = 25-45 years). MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: QOL, psychosocial adjustment, and adaptation to survivorship experience. FINDINGS: Although subjects adjusted their lives to accommodate RT, QOL declined from the start of RT to midpoint, with gradual improvement reported six months later. Social and sexual adjustment declined from start of RT to six months later. Negative perceptions of the survivorship experience and worry about cancer increased from the start of RT to six months later. CONCLUSIONS: Young women with breast cancer experience changes in QOL, psychosocial adjustment, and adaptation to survivorship issues during RT. Changes may not reflect what is observed in clinical practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses need to be aware of changes in QOL, psychosocial adjustment, and survivorship to better understand and support young women during RT.

Adaptation, Psychological↗