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Biomedical subjects

R E Bucher

Publications and source records attributed to R E Bucher.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

[Knowledge and drug abuse among students in Brasília, Brazil].

A survey on how much students know about drug use was conducted among State-owned schools in Distrito Federal: 994 primary school pupils and 829 high school students were screened up altogether with 351 graduate school students from the University of Brazilia. A 56-question anonymous questionnaire was administered on social-demographical information, acquaintance with drugs, motivation for use and its frequency, and supply sources. It was found out that, indeed, pupils and students alike knew a great deal about drugs, their information, in general, originating in the mass media. Alcohol is the most widely used "legal" drug. Medical drugs, inhalants, marijuana and cocaine follow on. Among medical drugs, tranquilizers are second to none, and generally gotten through a doctor's prescription. This, coupled to the inhalant boom, deserves a top priority attention on the part of authorities. The research suggests that, instead of emphasizing on danger-oriented divulgation, prevention campaigns should reinforce and accurate the youths' knowledge on drugs so that they are made fully aware of what drug has in store for them. At the same time, campaigns should instruct adults (i.e teachers, professionals, and parents) that drug abuse problems are better dealt with when resorting to appropriate attitudes, instead of giving up in despair.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[The therapeutic approach to drug addicts].

Difficulties of biological, psychological, social and legal nature may be seen involved in the treatment of drug-addict persons. In this study, the major models used in the treatment are analysed, so as so one may arrived at a new model which will better integrate the various factors involved. The major models may be brought down to three: the medical psychiatric model which emphasizes the biological dependency on drugs and which equates drug addiction and "mental illness"; the behavioristic model which utilizes directive conditioning and desensitizing techniques, as well as educational and suggestional means, in order to determine new kinds of behavior; the relational model which takes origin from psychoanalysis and the systemic approach and sponsors a non-directive treatment of the drug-addict through the exploration and work on his personal and social unconscious conflicts, drive and desires, as well as his self-destructive tendencies. To assure the drug-addict a way to assume responsibility for his own behavior and to be free by respecting other people's rights, it is necessary to elaborate an integrative model of treatment which will consider also the anthropological specificity of the problems, referring also to the Brazilian society.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1982

[Psycho-oncology and its contribution to the multifactorial approach to cancer].

Psycho-oncology is a relatively new field in the investigation of cancer, although it represents a rather old concern. Those studies in the Literature which contribute to the understanding of the etiology of cancer are discussed. Papers on its treatment are not included. The investigation of psychosocial and personality factors which may influence cancer pathogenesis is exceedingly difficult due to the complexity of this phenomenon, whose morbid entity has been questioned. Most authors consider it a multi-dimensional process. Also, several methodological aspects are discussed. Numerous studies have revealed some interesting results, although these are far from complete. This makes it still impossible to draw definite causal relation. Aspects such as family and individual constellations of factors which appear to predispose to cancer appear as important. Concerning breast carcinomas, a triad of relevant traits have been identified: depressive-masochistic structure, ambivalent or negative attitude toward femininity, and chronic psychic stress. This is a promising start, despite the fact that these traits are quite general. It is hoped that further investigations may throw more light on the pathogenesis of cancer, allowing a clearer definition of preventive and therapeutic measures, both more effective and humane.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1981

[Suicide attempts according to age and sex].

This study reports of a further analysis on the data presented in a previous work. The intention of the present study was to analyse exhaustively the relationship between some social and demographic variables with some aspects of attempts to suicide. The variables for this study were chosen on the basis of the completeness of data. Sex, age, single vs. married, and family relationship of the subjects were the predictive variables; the aspects of attempts to suicide considered were: number, kinds, means, and motives of attempts. An analysis of canonical correlation failed to show clearly any common relationship of the demographic variables in regard to the aspects of attempts to suicide. In fact, the first group of covariates resulted in a correlation of .40 whose chi square was 22.16 for a p less than .10. However, an univariate analysis of multiple regression for each of the four aspects of attempts to suicide over the four demographic variables showed that a) age of subjects has a definite relationship with the motives to commit suicide, that is, with age; the motives to attempt suicide change predominantly from family difficulties to problems of a more social and professional character; b) also, it was observed a generalized tendency on the part of male subjects to show attempts to suicide of a more serious nature, namely, they plan their attempts and make use of means of a more lethal nature (poison instead of simple drugs). However, it must be noted that the male sample was older than the female, making it hard to decide in this case whether age or sex of the subjects would be the best predictor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

[Psychological and psychodynamic aspects of the diabetic].

The diabetic patient, because of his similarities with the psychosomatic one, became an interesting subject of study for the clinical psychologist. Also, the question has been raised of the relationship between diabetes and depression, particularly in their somatized or disguised states. The present study reports data about the psychological characteristics as well as the psychodynamic structure of the diabetic patient. Twenty diabetic women (with a mean age of 36 years) were examined through a personal data questionnaire and the Szondi Test (five applications). Responses showed many family and personal psychopathological histories as well multiple psychosomatic complaints. The results of the projective test were compared with those of twenty depressed women. The differences appeared highly significant. This results shows that the psychodynamic structures of the diabetic and the depressed individual are quite different. However, in agreement with the results of previous researchers, we cannot consider the diabetic structure to be a specific one, since it appears to be quite similar to the psychosomatic one. It seems that we are here dealing with the "common person" basic structure, adapted to the milieu in a defensive manner and maintaining a rigid control over his drives. When discharged, these tensions manifest themselves in a preferred implosive manner, thus producing psychosomatic symptoms. From this point of view, the diabetic illness appears to be related to a psychodynamic cluster which utilizes the somatization as the preferred defensive mechanism. The relation, however, does not seem to be a causal one, but it seems rather to be parallel to the somatic problem of the diabetic subject.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[The personality of the alcohol. Socio-cultural, psychopathological and psychodynamic variables].

86 chronic alcoholics hospitalized in three psychiatric clinics, were studied through a questionnaire and the Szondi Projective Test. Dividing the sample into two groups, "social" and psychotic alcoholics brought several significant differences to light. The mean age of the psychotic patients was lower than of the "social" alcoholics, suggesting that the pathology of the former had begun sooner. Furthermore, the projective test revealed that the pathology of the psychotic patients was qualitatively different in that they use negation and selfblocking defense mechanisms at a self-destructive level. This hinders individualization and fixates the patient, without internal consistency, at a level of pre-genital regression which is manifested in their social marginality.

Adult↗