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Biomedical subjects

R M Bagby

Publications and source records attributed to R M Bagby.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Dependency, self-criticism and attributional style: a reexamination.

The relationship between dependency and self-criticism personality dimensions, as measured by the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), and attributions to content-specific (affiliative, achievement) hypothetical outcome domains on the Expanded Attributional Style Questionnaire (EASQ) was examined. Dependency did not correlate with either affiliative or achievement domains, whereas self-criticism correlated with both. Replicating previous findings there was also no evidence of differential causal assignment across the attributional dimensions. These results add to an accumulating literature suggesting that the DEQ might not be measuring two independent personality types.

Achievement↗
PubMed1994

The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale--I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure.

Addressing shortcomings of the self-report Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), two studies were conducted to reconstruct the item domain of the scale. The first study resulted in the development of a new twenty-item version of the scale--the TAS-20. The TAS-20 demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and a three-factor structure theoretically congruent with the alexithymia construct. The stability and replicability of this three-factor structure were demonstrated in the second study with both clinical and nonclinical populations by the use of confirmatory factor analysis.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The Twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale--II. Convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity.

A previous paper described the development of the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and reported preliminary evidence of reliability and factorial validity of the scale. This paper describes a study that further evaluated the construct validity of the TAS-20 by examining its relationship with measures of personality traits theoretically related or unrelated to the alexithymia construct, as well as its relationship with an observer-rated measure of alexithymia. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity of the TAS-20 was demonstrated in samples of university students by a pattern of correlations with the scales of the NEO Personality Inventory and separate measures of psychological mindedness and need-for-cognition that was consistent with theoretical predictions. The concurrent validity of the scale was demonstrated by positive correlations with observer-ratings of alexithymia in a sample of behavioural medicine out-patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Major depression and the self-criticism and dependency personality dimensions.

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire was used to assess the personality dimensions of dependency and self-criticism in 52 depressed patients before and after treatment and in 22 healthy family practice patients. Neither personality dimension was significantly influenced by change in depressed mood, and the recovered depressed patients had higher levels of dependency and self-criticism than the comparison subjects.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed1994

Detecting malingered and defensive responding on the MMPI-2 in a forensic inpatient sample.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the various validity scales and indices on the MMPI-2 to detect malingered (fake-bad), and defensive (fake-good) responding. The entire sample consisted of 165 college students who completed the MMPI-2 under one of three conditions--fake-bad, fake-good, or respond honestly--and 173 forensic inpatients who completed the test as part of a routine evaluation. To detect faking-good and faking-bad, cutting scores for the validity scales and indices were established from the fake-good and fake-bad groups and were compared to the honest and patient groups. Corresponding sensitivity and specificity rates were then determined. Four validity indicators appeared to be moderately effective-at detecting fake-bad profiles: F, F--K, the MMPI-2 version of revised Gough Dissimulation Scale, and Wiener's Obvious-Subtle index, whereas the fake-good indicators were much less effective--only F--K and the Obvious-Subtle index appeared to have moderate utility.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Is alexithymia a non-neurotic personality dimension? A response to Rubino, Grasso, Sonnino & Pezzarossa.

Rubino, Grasso, Sonnino & Pezzarossa (1991) reported a significantly higher level of alexithymia in neurotic and delusional patients than in psychosomatic patients, and concluded that alexithymia is not a non-neurotic personality dimension. Further empirical data are cited, however, that contradict this conclusion and support the view that alexithymia is a type of affect deficit.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1993

Clinical features of situational and nonsituational major depression.

Clinical lore has long supported the subtype of situational or reactive depression. To date, however, there has been limited empirical research support for this subtype of major depression. We examined demographic, clinical and personality features of situational and nonsituational depression in 89 outpatients with unipolar nonpsychotic major depressive disorder. Situational depressives had a less recurrent course of illness and appeared to respond more completely to the antidepressant used for their current episode. Demographic and personality measures did not distinguish situational and nonsituational depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Alexithymia and the recognition of facial expressions of emotion.

Slides of photographs depicting posed facial expressions of nine different emotions were presented to 131 females and 85 males who were asked to identify the emotion(s) being experienced by the person in each photograph. Subjects were then administered the 20-item version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale; the 33rd and 66th percentiles were used to categorize subjects into high, moderate, and low alexithymia groups. Results showed that the high alexithymia group was significantly less able to recognize facial expressions of emotions than the low alexithymia group. There was no significant effect for gender on the ability to recognize facial emotions. The results suggest the presence of deficits in the perception of nonverbal emotion in alexithymia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire in major depression.

The authors examined Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire scores in 40 patients with unipolar nonpsychotic major depression before and after antidepressant treatment. They found that scores on the novelty seeking and reward dependence dimensions were not affected by depressed state or by treatment response status. However, scores on the harm avoidance dimension were significantly lower in antidepressant responders and were altered by depressed state.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Alexithymia in panic disorder and simple phobia: a comparative study.

The authors found that 14 (46.7%) of 30 patients with panic disorder had alexithymia, compared with four (12.5%) of 32 patients with simple phobia. Consistent with the conceptualization of alexithymia as a psychological deficit affecting emotion regulation, the patients with panic disorder had significantly less ego strength and independence and significantly higher levels of anxiety and somatic complaints than the patients with simple phobia.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Anxious and nonanxious depression.

The authors used the anxiety summary score described by Clayton and associates to assess anxious and nonanxious subtypes of depression in a group of 134 outpatients with major depression. Patients with anxious depression were only slightly less likely to respond to their first tricyclic antidepressant than patients with nonanxious depression. When functional severity or symptom severity was controlled for, this differential treatment response did not hold.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Predictors of response to lithium and triiodothyronine augmentation of antidepressants in tricyclic non-responders.

Although both lithium and triiodothyronine (T3) augmentation strategies may be rapid, safe, and effective ways of treating patients who fail to respond to tricyclics, little is known about the clinical or biochemical correlates of response. We examined clinical and endocrine variables which distinguished T3 and lithium responders from each other and from non-responders in a post-hoc analysis of two studies involving 51 subjects who had received these augmentation strategies under double-blind conditions. Lithium non-responders were more severely depressed and had more insomnia and weight loss than responders. T3 responders could be distinguished from lithium responders by greater weight loss. There were no reliable clinical differences between T3 responders and non-responders. Thyroid function tests did not differ between any of the treatment or response groups. Our findings suggest that clinical but not endocrine variables may distinguish responders to these two augmentation strategies.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Feigning schizophrenic disorders on the MMPI-2: detection of coached simulators.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and, more recently, its revised version (the MMPI-2) have represented the "gold standard" in the psychometric assessment of malingering and other response styles. In this study, we provide a stringent test of the MMPI-2 validity indices and their ability to detect feigned schizophrenia in four groups of simulators (n = 72). Simulators were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (a) coached on symptoms of schizophrenia, (b) coached on strategies for the detection of fakers, (c) coached on both symptoms and strategies, or (d) uncoached. Simulators were compared to subjects responding under an honest condition (n = 13) and a comparison group of schizophrenic inpatients (n = 37). We found knowledge of strategies alone allowed many simulators (i.e., one third or more, depending on the validity indices) to elude detection. In contrast, knowledge of the disorder appeared less useful to simulators in avoiding detection. Coaching on both strategies and symptoms was not as effective as strategies alone. Consistent with previous studies, uncoached simulators were detected with moderately high levels of accuracy.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Faking specific disorders: a study of the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS).

An untested assumption of malingering research is that persons who feign mental illness will not attempt to fake a particular disorder, but will be content to fabricate non-specific and possibly global psychiatric impairment. We tested the effectiveness of the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS) to detect feigning of three diagnostic groupings: schizophrenia, mood disorders, and PTSD on 45 psychologically knowledgeable correctional residents. We found that the SIRS maintained its powers of discrimination with respect to clinical samples. Similar research on faking specific disorders is needed on the MMPI-2 and other psychological measures.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Diversion of mentally disordered offenders: a legitimate role for clinicians?

Consultations to the courts often extend beyond criminal competencies and may include implicit statements regarding the diversion of mentally disordered offenders to treatment facilities. Arguments for diversion are based on humanitarian interests and treatment needs. Arguments opposing diversion recommendations emphasize (a) the variability of opinions regarding treatability, (b) the lack of sufficient outcome data, and (c) the potential for negative consequences in offering unsolicited opinions on diversion. Initial data from 271 pretrial evaluations underscore the range in psychiatric use of diversion recommendations, although inpatient referrals in particular appear to be based on clinical status.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Alexithymia and somatic complaints in psychiatric out-patients.

This study investigated the prevalence of alexithymia and its relationship with somatic complaints in a sample of 118 general psychiatric out-patients. Of the sample 39.8% scored in the alexithymic range of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Compared with the non-alexithymic patients, the alexithymic patients scored significantly higher on several Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) scales that collectively measure a diverse and extensive range of somatic symptoms and bodily concerns. In addition, the alexithymic patients had significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression, and general psychological turmoil. Although the alexithymic and non-alexithymic patients did not differ on the MMPI Repression and overall Hysteria Scales, which reflect the defenses of denial and repression, the alexithymic patients had significantly less ego strength and were significantly more dependent and more likely to engage in impulsive and acting out behaviours. The overall pattern of results is consistent with the view that alexithymic individuals are prone to both 'functional' somatic symptoms and symptoms of emotional turmoil because they are not well equipped psychologically.

Adult↗