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Biomedical subjects

S M Saunders

Publications and source records attributed to S M Saunders.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Syzygy, science, and psychotherapy: the Consumer Reports study.

Results from a Consumer Reports (CR) survey indicated that psychotherapy has proven to be quite effective and that longer-term therapy has been more effective than shorter-term therapy. Critiques of the methodology of this study have included the claim that (a) the self-selected sample was biased in favor of people who felt that they had benefited from psychotherapy, (b) the use of retrospective accounts led to a further positive bias, and (c) the validity of the outcome assessment was questionable. Supplemental data from other sources, including prospective data from a large sample of psychotherapy patients, are presented to augment the interpretation of the results of the CR study and to illustrate how some critiques of research results can be evaluated systematically.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Pretreatment correlates of the therapeutic bond.

This study examined the association between pretreatment client characteristics and the therapeutic bond, which is defined as the emotional aspect of the therapeutic alliance. Three types of interpersonal problems and four indicators of emotional distress were measured and compared to the therapeutic bond and its subscales (role investment, empathic resonance, and mutual affirmation) measured early in treatment. Interpersonal problems related to being overly detached were associated with a poorer quality bond and, in particular, with a tendency to feel as if the therapist does not understand what the client is thinking and feeling (lower empathic resonance). Higher levels of distress were correlated negatively with the therapeutic bond. Analyses indicated that interpersonal problems were better predictors of the bond than was distress. The relevance of these findings for practitioners is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Characterization of the reactivities of volatile organic compounds using a master chemical mechanism.

A comprehensive description of the ozone-forming potentials of 101 organic compounds has been constructed under North American urban "averaged conditions" using a detailed master chemical mechanism and a simple air parcel trajectory model. This chemical mechanism describes the reactions of 3603 chemical species taking part in more than 10,500 chemical reactions. An index value has been calculated for each organic compound, which describes the increment in ozone concentrations found downwind of an urban area following the emission of a fixed increment in the mass emission of each organic compound. These indices, termed photochemical ozone creation potentials (POCPs), have been expressed on a scale relative to ethylene (ethene) = 100, and, a reactivity scale has been generated for alkanes, alkenes, and oxygenated and halogenated organic compounds. A high degree of correlation (R2 = 0.9) was found between these POCP values and the most widely accepted urban reactivity scale. While the reactivities of most of the 86 organic compounds compared fell within a consistent range, significant discrepancies were found for only 5 compounds. Single-day or multiday conditions appear to be important in establishing quantitative reactivity scales for the less reactive organic compounds.

Ethylenes↗
PubMed1999

Clients' assessment of the affective environment of the psychotherapy session: relationship to session quality and treatment effectiveness.

This study investigated clients' affective experience during therapy. Clients (N= 268) completed Therapy Session Reports (TSR) in an early session of treatment. The two sections of the TSR that assess how the client felt and how the client perceived the therapist to be feeling were combined and factor analyzed. Six stable and meaningful factors were derived (Client Distressed, Client Remoralized, Reciprocal Intimacy, Therapist Confident Involvement, Client Inhibited, and Therapist Distracted). Affect scale scores were created and compared to session quality and treatment effectiveness. Clients' affective experience was highly correlated with patient-rated session quality. The association between clients' affective experience during the session and treatment effectiveness was fairly strong for relatively brief therapy but insignificant for relatively lengthy treatment. The implications for practitioners, who--in contrast to most measures of therapeutic process--have easy access to clients' in-session emotional experiences, are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Individual psychotherapy outcome and process research: challenges leading to greater turmoil or a positive transition?

Psychotherapy is facing challenges that relate to the emergence of managed health care, the possibility of a national health care system, and advances in biological psychiatry. These situations have created pressure to achieve a more accurate assessment of psychotherapeutic effectiveness. Psychotherapy has been proven to be generally effective; however, there is uncertainty as to why. The field is currently experiencing apparent turmoil in three areas: (a) theory development for psychotherapeutic effectiveness, (b) research design, and (c) treatment technique. This chapter reviews the dynamics within each of the areas and highlights the progress made in treating mental disorders. We conclude that recent advances in research design may provide a transition that will bring psychotherapy closer to becoming a unified paradigm with an acceptable theory of effectiveness.

Female↗
PubMed1996

Patterns of mental health service utilization.

How many and which individuals, with which psychiatric disorders, receive (and do not receive) mental health services from which professionals in what settings? This question falls within the purview of mental health services research, which is a multidisciplinary field that brings together the methodologies of epidemiology, econometrics, and clinical research. First, in this article, we present an explication of what is known about those individuals in need of psychotherapy and how they access services. Next, we describe the numbers, professional affiliations, and service sites of professionals who are engaged in the practice of psychotherapy. We summarize our current knowledge about the actual utilization of psychotherapy services relative to the needs of patients and the professional background of therapists. Finally, we identify aspects of psychotherapy service utilization that are, as yet, unaddressed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

A shooting incident in an elementary school: effects of worker stress on public safety, mental health, and medical personnel.

The effects of impact of event and five categories of worker stress were studied with 140 police, fire, medical, and mental health personnel who were involved in emergency service work following a shooting in an elementary school. A questionnaire distributed 6 months after the incident was utilized. Public safety personnel reported a recollection of significantly fewer intrusive thoughts than medical and mental health professionals immediately following the incident. Groups did not differ in intrusive or avoidance scores on the Impact of Event Scale 6 months after the event and all groups showed a significant decrease in both scores over time. Stepwise linear regression showed that a self-reported qualitatively heavy work load predicted intrusiveness and avoidance of thoughts both immediately after and at the 6-month anniversary of the incident. Additionally, time pressure and quantitatively heavy work load also predicted avoidance score at the time of the incident. Results are discussed in terms of control models of anxiety and as foci for debriefing with affected personnel.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1994

Formal help-seeking behavior of adolescents identifying themselves as having mental health problems.

OBJECTIVE: In response to evidence of poorly met mental health needs, a study of formal help-seeking behavior of adolescents was conducted. METHOD: Responses (n = 17,193) to a school-based survey were examined. Overall, 24.9% identified themselves as having a serious problem. Students who felt they "needed professional help" were contrasted to those who did not. Among students who felt they needed help, those who did not seek it were contrasted to those who did. RESULTS: Deciding professional help was needed was most strongly associated with history of abuse, physical health, suicidal ideation, and gender. Obtaining help was associated with suicidal ideation, informal help-seeking behavior, the interaction between race and socioeconomic status, parental marital status, and having a checkup within the previous year. CONCLUSIONS: This study establishes that different factors influence adolescents' identifying a need and actually obtaining help.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Differences in dental caries in 5-year-old children within and between adjacent districts on the south coast of England.

Examination of the differences in caries patterns in 5-year-old children between adjacent English South Coast districts prompted a more specific study using larger samples in more discrete localities. Although the overall caries levels varied significantly between the two districts, no significant differences were found between two defined areas of social deprivation. The children in one area were predominantly of Indian or Pakistani background and in the other mainly white Caucasian and it is suggested that differences in caries experience are related to indicators of social deprivation, rather than ethnicity. Even in relatively affluent districts, where caries levels are no longer a general problem, the dental needs of vulnerable groups of children may remain unidentified within a more favourable overall picture, and thus unmet, unless specific areas are monitored closely taking into account indicators of social deprivation.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1989

'The great debate'.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities↗