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Biomedical subjects

R H Moos

Publications and source records attributed to R H Moos.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Adaptation to juvenile rheumatic disease: a controlled evaluation of functional disability with a one-year follow-up.

Compared the adaptation of 165 patients with juvenile rheumatic disease (JRD) to that of their healthy siblings. Patients were divided into those with mild functional disability and those with moderate/severe disability. Adaptation in several domains was assessed by parents and children on two occasions 1 year apart. The adjustment difficulties of the JRD children were limited primarily to social functioning but appeared also in the psychological and family problems domains. Compared to "mild" patients, "moderate/severe" patients had more adjustment difficulties; in some areas, mild patients functioned as well as their healthy siblings. Some Time 1 differences were replicated at Time 2. The results help to delineate (a) the specific domains in which children with chronic disease have adjustment difficulties and (b) the factors that put children at risk for developing adjustment problems.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Functioning among mothers and fathers of children with juvenile rheumatic disease: a longitudinal study.

Examined the adaptation of mothers and fathers of children with juvenile rheumatic disease on two occasions, 1 year apart, using 159 married couples at Time 1, and 111 of these couples at Time 2. A stress and coping model was tested in which parental functioning is determined by ongoing life stressors (patient and spouse dysfunction), family resources, and parents' illness-related coping. Mothers reported more depression than fathers did. However, poorer concurrent functioning among both mothers and fathers was explained partly by patients having more functional disability, pain, and psychosocial problems. In addition, spouse's dysfunction and the parent's use of avoidance coping were related to poorer parental adaptation, both concurrently and 1 year later. The implications of the findings for developing stress and coping models of parental adaptation to having a chronically ill child, and for intervention strategies with parents, patients, and families, are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

The long-term course of treated alcoholism: II. Predictors and correlates of 10-year functioning and mortality.

This study examines factors related to mortality and 10-year posttreatment functioning for a sample of alcoholic patients who return to their families after an index residential treatment episode. Of the 113 patients followed 2 years after treatment, 20 had died by the time of the 10-year follow-up. Mortality risk was greater among patients who, prior to treatment, consumed more alcohol and were unemployed. Mortality was more strongly associated with medical conditions, liver problems, medication use and lack of confidants assessed 2 years posttreatment. The course for the surviving patients between the 2-year and 10-year follow-ups was one of improvement in terms of alcohol consumption, relative stability in terms of physical symptoms and depression, and an aging-related decline in social activities and employment. Life context and coping factors assessed 2 years after treatment were predictive of long-term outcome. Persons in less stressful life situations, in more cohesive and organized families, and who more frequently used active cognitive coping responses at the 2-year follow-up tended to function better at the 10-year follow-up. Overall, the findings support the value of embedding long-term follow-up studies in a theory of the disorder that is the target of the intervention.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

The Drinking Problems Index: a measure to assess alcohol-related problems among older adults.

Research on problem drinking among older adults has been hampered by the lack of specialized instruments to assess drinking problems. In this paper, we examine the psychometric properties of a 17-item measure specifically designed to assess drinking problems in this population. The Drinking Problems Index (DPI) exhibits excellent psychometric properties, with an internal consistency reliability estimate of .94, a cross-temporal correlation over a 1-year interval of .66, and cross-sectional correlations with alcohol consumption at two points a year apart of .37 and .42. In addition, the construct validity of the DPI is supported by significant concurrent correlations indicating that persons who have more drinking-related problems experience more depression, have less self-confidence, and participate in fewer social activities. Consistent with the high internal consistency reliability estimate, a factor analysis confirmed that the measure is largely unifactorial. Overall, the findings suggest that the DPI is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing problems associated with drinking in surveys of older persons.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Functioning, life context, and help-seeking among late-onset problem drinkers: comparisons with nonproblem and early-onset problem drinkers.

We compared the functioning and life contexts of late-middle-aged adults classified as late-onset problem drinkers (n = 229), early-onset problem drinkers (n = 475), and nonproblem drinkers (n = 609). Compared with nonproblem drinkers, late-onset problem drinkers consumed more alcohol and functioned more poorly; they also reported more negative life events and chronic stressors, fewer social resources, and more use of avoidance coping. However, late-onset problem drinkers consumed less alcohol, had fewer drinking problems, functioned better, and had more benign life contexts than did early-onset problem drinkers. We found no evidence of an association between age-related loss events and the onset of late-life drinking problems. Very few problem drinkers sought help specifically for their alcohol abuse, but about 25% did seek treatment from mental health practitioners. Problem drinkers who were functioning more poorly and who reported more life stressors and fewer social resources were more likely to seek help.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

Short-term processes of remission and nonremission among late-life problem drinkers.

This prospective study compares alcohol use, functioning, life stressors, social resources, and help-seeking among three groups of older adults: remitted problem drinkers, nonremitted problem drinkers, and nonproblem drinkers. At initial assessment, to-be-remitted problem drinkers had several advantages compared with individuals who would continue to have drinking problems. Specifically, they consumed less alcohol, reported fewer drinking problems, had friends who approved less of drinking, and were more likely to seek help from mental health practitioners. Problem drinkers who remitted improved somewhat over time, but they did not attain the level of functioning or type of life contexts shown by nonproblem drinkers. Time of onset of drinking problems influenced the short-term process of remission: Compared with early-onset individuals, late-onset problem drinkers were more likely to remit over the 1-year interval. The predictors of short-term remission suggested that late-onset problem drinkers may be more reactive to physical health stressors and to social influences than are individuals with more long-standing problems with alcohol.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1979

Student physical symptoms and the social climate of college living groups.

Student physical symptoms were related to the social climates of university living groups. A Physical Symptom Risk Scale, a new subscale of the University Residence Environment Scale, which relates consistently to physical symptom complaints for male, female, and coed living groups, was developed. Living groups characterized by high student physical symptoms were perceived by students as low in involvement and support, high in competition, and low in student influence. The results indicate that certain types of social environments may be "high risk" settings in that they support and possibly facilitate complaints of physical symptoms. These settings may be amenable to early "environmental diagnosis," preventive counseling, and change-oriented social systems intervention.

Competitive Behavior↗
PubMed1979

Family characteristics and the outcome of treatment for alcoholism.

Families in which the alcoholic patient showed better treatment outcome were higher than the other in cohesion, active-recreational orientation and organization, and lower in conflict and control; they also experienced more positive and fewer negative life events, and reported fewer physical and emotional symptoms and disagreements.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

The social climate of alcoholism treatment programs.

The social climate of four residential alcoholism treatment programs was assessed with the Community-Oriented Programs Environment Scale (COPES). The programs differed in terms of their treatment orientations (aversion-conditioning, milieu therapy) and the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients admitted. Results showed that (1) COPES profiles distinguished between the four alcoholism programs in ways that were consistent with their respective treatment orientations; (2) the type of patient admitted to these programs did not systematically affect their treatment environment; and (3) changes occurring within an alcoholism program resulted in corresponding changes in relevant dimensions of the treatment environment. We also discuss the practical utility of the COPES for assessing alcoholism programs.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1976

Orgasmic frequency and plasma testosterone levels in normal human males.

Twenty males participated in a 2-month study examining the relationship between 8 a.m. plasma testosterone levels and orgasmic frequency. Within subjects, higher levels of testosterone are associated with periods of sexual activity. Over subjects, however, the direction of the relationship is reversed. Mean testosterone levels were higher for sexually less active individuals.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

A typology of family social environments.

A sample of 100 families measured on ten dimensions of their social environments was subjected to cluster analysis to develop an empirically based taxonomy of families. Six distinctive clusters of families were indentified: Expression-Oriented, Structure-Oriented, Independence-Oriented, Achievement-Oriented, Moral/Religious-Oriented and Conflict-Oriented. The clusters showed systematic differences in background characteristics such as size, ethnic minority composition, drinking patterns, and family disturbance and incongruence. Some evidence that certain clusters of families are composed of different sub-clusters was presented. An empirically derived taxonomy of the social environments of families may help to understand how different family environments are linked to different family outcomes.

Achievement↗