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Biomedical subjects

V Samsonowitz

Publications and source records attributed to V Samsonowitz.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Assessment of patients with direct conditioned and indirect cognitive reported origin of dental fear.

This study investigated the reported conditioned or cognitive origin of dental phobia in 100 adult patients at a specialized dental phobia clinic. It was shown that a majority of patients reported a conditioned background to their dental fear. Patients' avoidance time and level of dental anxiety corresponded to previously reported data for fearful groups. Individuals with an arousal conditioning etiology of dental fear reported significantly longer avoidance time as compared to individuals with a cognitively learned reaction. With the exception of an elevated level of general fears, most psychometrically assessed emotional reactions were well within normal ranges. However, patients with a non-conditioned, cognitive etiology reported significantly higher levels of trait anxiety and fear of embarrassment. In addition, a separate analysis among women revealed a greater fear of physical injuries among patients with cognitive etiology.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Assessment of patients with phobic dental anxiety.

This study investigated a screening procedure for psychologic distress in adult patients with dental phobia before treatment of dental fear. The screening procedure was performed among 191 individuals in consecutive steps and included a medical/dental history, psychologic interviewing, and testing. Data collected during this process were analyzed and compared with SCL-90(R) data. The screening process was successful in selecting individuals without major psychologic distress problems. Among the excluded patients 91% had general symptoms scores on the SCL-90(R) exceeding a normative population mean, and 95% of included patients had a mean lower than an average for psychiatric outpatients. There were statistically significant differences between included and excluded patients on all subdimensions of the SCL-90. Thus, excluded patients had higher levels of psychologic distress, poorer psychosocial background, and more psychosomatic symptoms. This was accompanied by higher levels of negative attitudes toward dentists and their performance of dentistry, whereas no significant differences were found among the dental fear measures used.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Alcoholics' beliefs about abuse: causes, effects and treatment.

The beliefs that problem drinkers hold about the causes of abuse, effects of alcohol, and methods of treatment were investigated. The drinkers' beliefs about their own abuse as well as their beliefs about other abusers were both studied. It was found that own abuse was mostly explained by internal factors (drinking to reduce distress or to achieve an elated mood) while external factors (e.g. unemployment) were more often referred to as explanations of the abuse by other persons. Alcohol abuse as an illness was a frequently endorsed concept, while explanations in terms of social or macro level factors were rarely accepted. Females tended to accept more explanations of abuse than males. Many of the problem drinkers tended to see very few explanations for their own abuse and to be quite skeptical about treatment. Factor analysis resulted in three factors: acceptance of reasons for abuse, perceived dependence and experienced control of drinking. Cluster analysis indicated that about 25% of the problem drinkers had a high level of acceptance, perceived dependence and control. These problem drinkers may be a prime target group for treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Coping strategies and relapse in alcohol abuse.

This is a study of relapse in problem drinkers and its relation to the employment of techniques for coping with or avoiding tempting situations. A treatment group, consisting of problem drinkers, was instructed in the use of such techniques while another group of drinkers were randomly assigned to a control condition. There was a strong correlation between avoidance of relapse and the use of techniques in both groups but no difference between groups either in relapse or in the use of techniques. There was a tendency for instruction in the use of techniques to be efficient for patients who believed that they could control drinking, but not for others. The treatment seemed to make patients more convinced that it was important to quit drinking.

Adaptation, Psychological↗