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PubMed2004

Social problem solving abilities and psychosocial impairment among individuals recuperating from surgical repair for severe pressure sores.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The relationship of social problem solving abilities, health locus of control beliefs, and psychosocial impairment were examined among individuals with spinal cord injuries who were hospitalized following surgical repair of severe pressure sores. METHODS: Individuals were approached after surgical repair and completed measures of problem solving, health locus of control beliefs, and psychosocial impairment after admission to the rehabilitation hospital. RESULTS: The sample reported greater psychosocial impairment than observed in comparative data, but they did not differ from another sample in terms of health locus of control beliefs. Correlational analyses revealed that a negative orientation toward problem solving was significantly predictive of psychosocial impairment, consistent with prior research. However, a second study found persons assigned to a brief problem solving intervention did not differ on any measure from participants in a control group. DISCUSSION: Implications of these results are discussed from theoretical and clinical perspectives. Although social problem solving abilities were predictive of psychosocial impairment in a predicted direction, the lack of effects for the intervention suggests greater precision is needed to understand individual needs and to develop individualized intervention protocols.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1995

Social Problem-Solving Inventory for Adolescents (SPSI-A): development and preliminary psychometric evaluation.

This article describes a multiphase developmental process and psychometric evaluation of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory for Adolescents (SPSI-A). The SPSI-A consists of the following three scales: Automatic Process, Problem Orientation, and Problem-Solving Skills. The three subscales of the Problem Orientation Scale include Cognition, Emotion, and Behavior. The four subscales of the Problem-Solving Skills scale consist of Problem Identification, Alternative Generation, Consequence Prediction, and Implementation/Evaluation/Reorganization. Preliminary internal consistency, stability, content, construct, and criterion validity data are presented for freshmen and sophomore high school students. Collectively, the data provide evidence that the SPSI-A is a promising measure of adolescent problem-solving skills and motivation.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Increasing problem solving in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: the choices diabetes program.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this pilot study was to test the hypothesis that adolescents with type 1 diabetes can learn to become better problem solvers in diabetes self-care and thereby improve their metabolic control. METHODS: Fifty-three adolescents aged 13 to 17 with type 1 diabetes were randomly assigned to either a 6-week problem-solving diabetes education program or to a control group (usual care). A1C levels were obtained as well as assessments of problem solving, frequency of behavior, level of responsibility, and 24-hour behavior recall at baseline and 6 months. RESULTS: The experimental group participants showed significantly improved problem-solving test scores and A1C values from baseline to 6 months, changes not evident in the control group. At 6 months, the experimental group participants were doing blood glucose testing more often than those in the control group. However, there was no significant difference in problem-solving test scores or A1C values. CONCLUSIONS: This 6-week intervention for adolescents with diabetes resulted in better problem-solving skills, more frequent blood glucose testing, and improved A1C values. The results suggest that a diabetes problem-solving program for adolescents can be effective in improving metabolic control.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Knowledge and clinical problem-solving.

A consistent finding in the literature on measures of clinical problem-solving scores is that there are very low correlations across different problems. This phenomenon is commonly labelled 'content-specificity', implying that the scores differ because the content knowledge necessary to solve the problems differs. The present study tests this hypothesis by presenting groups of residents and clinical clerks with a series of simulated patient problems in which content was systematically varied. Each subject also completed a multiple choice test with questions linked to each diagnosis presented in the clinical problems. Three of the four problem-solving scores showed low correlations, even to two presentations of the same problem, and no relationship to content differences. None of the scores were related to performance on the multiple choice test. The results suggest that variability in problem-solving scores is related to factors other than content knowledge, and several possibilities are discussed.

Canada↗

PubMed2002

Problem-solving skills and emotional distress in spouses of men with prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer, the most common cancer in American men, may increase the risk of emotional distress in patients and their spouses. Problem-solving skills may be related to the emotional distress of the spouses. METHOD: Thirty-two spouses of prostate cancer patients completed measures of problem-solving skills and emotional distress. RESULTS: Proactive problem-solving skills were related to less emotional distress in spouses. Subtypes of problem-solving skills were differentially related to emotional distress. CONCLUSIONS: Enhancement of problem-solving skills may contribute to improved health-related quality of life of spouses of prostate cancer patients.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2002

Cognitive functioning and social problem-solving skills in schizophrenia.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the relationships between symptoms, cognitive functioning, and social skill deficits in schizophrenia. Few studies have incorporated measures of cognitive functioning and symptoms in predictive models for social problem solving. METHOD: For our study, 44 participants were recruited from consecutive outpatient admissions. Neuropsychological tests were given to assess cognitive function, and social problem solving was assessed using structured vignettes designed to evoke the participant's ability to generate, evaluate, and apply solutions to social problems. A sequential model-fitting method of analysis was used to incorporate social problem solving, symptom presentation, and cognitive impairment into linear regression models. Predictor variables were drawn from demographic, cognitive, and symptom domains. Because this method of analysis was exploratory and not intended as hierarchical modelling, no a priori hypotheses were proposed. RESULTS: Participants with higher scores on tests of cognitive flexibility were better able to generate accurate, appropriate, and relevant responses to the social problem-solving vignettes. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that cognitive flexibility is a potentially important mediating factor in social problem-solving competence. While other factors are related to social problem-solving skill, this study supports the importance of cognition and understanding how it relates to the complex and multifaceted nature of social functioning.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

A controlled, problem-solving, group-based intervention with vulnerable incarcerated young offenders.

Recent research has indicated that vulnerable incarcerated young offenders--such as those at risk of suicidal behaviour, those on formal protection due to their inability to assimilate into mainstream, and those who are bullied but remain in normal circulation--display impoverished problem-solving abilities. Furthermore, deficits in their problem-solving skills are significantly correlated with levels of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a time-limited, group-based problem-solving training intervention compared with a no-treatment control for vulnerable, incarcerated young offenders. A total of 46 young offenders were equally allocated to intervention or control groups. Intervention participants experienced significant reductions in their levels of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness and improvement in their self-assessed social problem-solving abilities. Gains in aspects of self-assessed problem-solving ability and mental health for the intervention group continued to be evident at 3-month follow-up. Methodological concerns in this study and directions for future research are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Childhood depression and conduct disorder: I. Behavioral, affective, and cognitive aspects of family problem-solving interactions.

We assessed the family interactions of depressed, conduct-disordered, mixed depressed-conduct-disordered, and nonclinic children, ages 7-14 years, during a standardized family problem-solving discussion in the clinic. The child's and the mother's problem-solving proficiency, aversive behavior, and associated affective behavior (depressed and angry-hostile) were observed. The child and mother also rated each other's affect during the interaction for the dimensions sad, angry, critical, and happy on Likert-type scales. The child's and mother's cognitive constructions about the interaction were assessed using video-mediated recall. Although all clinic groups had lower levels of effective problem solving than did nonclinic children, their deficiencies were somewhat different. Mixed and depressed children displayed high levels of depressed affect and low levels of angry affect, whereas conduct-disordered children displayed both angry and depressed affect. In addition, conduct-disordered children had lower levels of positive problem solving and higher levels of aversive content than did non-conduct-disordered children. Depressed and conduct-disordered children had higher levels of self-referent negative cognitions than did mixed and comparison children, and depressed children also had higher other-referent negative cognitions than did all other groups. The study provides support for theories and treatment that stress the importance of family problem-solving and conflict resolution skills in child psychopathology.

Affect↗

PubMed1982

Problem solving in hyperactive, normal, and reading-disabled boys.

Diagnostic problem solving was examined in groups of hyperactive, normal, and nonhyperactive reading-disabled boys matched on age and verbal IQ. On the matrix solution task employed (a version of the game of 20 Questions) hyperactives used less efficient questions and strategies than the other two groups, in spite of the task being designed to maximize the performance of the hyperactives. Reading-disabled children were not significantly worse than normal children on the task. The results were interpreted as suggesting that the attentional difficulties of hyperactives retard the development of strategies for solving complex problems. Nonhyperactive reading-disabled children may be less affected in this area because of the absence of significant attentional difficulties.

Attention↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Social problem-solving partnerships with family caregivers.

The goal of this pilot study was to compare the effectiveness of home and telephone social problem-solving partnerships on primary family caregiver outcomes and to determine whether certain caregiver and stroke survivor characteristics influenced these outcomes. Thirty primary family caregivers were assigned to either a home visit, telephone contact, or control group. A registered nurse trained caregivers in the intervention groups in a series of seven telephone calls or home visits during a 12-week period to use social problem-solving skills in managing caregiving problems. Primary family caregiver outcomes were compared before the intervention, during the intervention (at 2 and 5 weeks after discharge), and after the intervention (at 13 weeks after discharge). Compared to the home and control groups, the telephone group had a significant reduction in depression, more positive problem-solving skills, and greater caregiver preparedness during the intervention, and improved, but nonsignificant depression, problem-solving, and caregiver preparedness scores postintervention. Race, age, and education were significant for selected outcomes.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Social support from a friend, perceived support, and social problem solving.

This research combined experimental and correlational methods to investigate the effects of social support on social problem-solving effectiveness and perceived stress. During a wait period, college students were given the opportunity to work on practice items from a mildly stressful social problem-solving task, either alone or in the company of a close friend. Participants and friends were allowed to talk about the practice items but were not required to do so, and supportive transactions were tape recorded and content analyzed. All students then completed social problem-solving and perceived stress items alone. Participants who waited with friends did not show superior problem-solving effectiveness unless companions provided particular supportive behaviors. Participants with high perceived support scores rated the experiment as less stressful than those with low scores, but perceived support was not related to companions' actual supportive behaviors. The results were discussed in terms of implications for understanding the mechanisms of social support.

Depression↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Problem-solving cancer care education for patients and caregivers.

PURPOSE: A program evaluation was conducted to explore the potential effects of a 90-minute problem-solving education session for persons with advanced cancer and their families. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM: Patients with advanced cancer and their families, who were visiting a tertiary-care outpatient setting, were invited to attend a 90-minute individualized educational session that taught basic problem-solving principles using a cognitive-behavioral framework. Pre-education and posteducation data were collected about the confidence of participants in providing care, their feelings about being informed about resources, and their perceptions of their problem-solving ability. RESULTS: At baseline, most participants reported low confidence about their ability to provide cancer care and felt uninformed about community resources, but they viewed themselves as moderate-to-good problem solvers. Forty-two educational sessions were delivered to 49 caregivers and 40 patients. Two months later, participants reported feeling more informed about community resources and achieved higher posteducation scores for problem-solving ability. More caregivers than patients reported that reading The Home Care Guide for Cancer made a great deal of difference in their approach to home care. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Most educational sessions for families affected by cancer focus on delivering information, not on building skills. These findings suggest that a one-on-one educational session that teaches problem-solving skills can be successfully delivered in a busy clinic setting. Family caregivers are especially likely to benefit from this program.

Caregivers↗

PubMed1975

Problem-solving training groups for hospitalized psychiatric patients.

Small groups lasting eight sessions each and aimed at improving patient's interpersonal problem-solving skills were conducted for a total of 41 hospitalized psychiatric patients. Forty control patients received the same pre and posttests but notraining. Twenty-three patients participated in play-reading groups without problem-solving training (placebo condition). Three separate 3 by 2 repeated measures analyses of variance showed that hospitalization alone improved the patient's functioning on the criterion test of problem-solving, but the problem-solving training groups advanced the improvement significantly. More disturbed patients made only slightly greater gains than less disturbed ones. The hospital stay was significantly shorter for the experimental and the placebo groups than for the control sample.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

A review of life span research with the Twenty Questions Task: a study of problem-solving ability.

Research with the Twenty Questions Task which was aimed at investigating problem solving across the life span was reviewed. This research indicates that the use of an efficient problem-solving strategy increases during childhood and then decreases again during the later adult years. Investigations of the determinants of performance on the Twenty Questions Task indicate that both age and education are significantly related to performance. Training research further indicates that both young children and elderly adults are able to learn to use a more efficient strategy; modeling appears to be a very effective training technique. Attempts to facilitate the performance of elderly adults by means other than direct training have met with less success. No improvement in performance was obtained either in a study in which an attempt was made to increase elderly adults' motivation, in a study in which elderly adults were given additional practice with the Twenty Questions Task, or in a study in which an attempt was made to facilitate elderly adults' confidence in their ability to perform cognitive tasks. However, performance was facilitated when the demands of the task were made either so easy that the possibility of the use of an efficient strategy was obvious or so difficult that the necessity of using an efficient strategy in order to solve the problem was obvious. The results of all of the studies were discussed as fitting a model of life span cognitive development recently proposed by Denney.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Development of e-Learning for problem solving approach of nursing students.

The problem-solving approach to nursing is labeled the "nursing process". It is common to use cases of simulated patients described on paper as teaching materials in order to learn nursing processes. In the present study, we developed a prototype e-learning system for improving the problem solving abilities of nursing students. The teaching materials included the following 8 nursing education categories: basic nursing; adult nursing (chronic and acute); pediatric nursing; mental health and psychiatric nursing; community health nursing (maternal and child, and geriatric); and occupational health nursing.

Education, Distance↗

PubMed1982

The effect of teaching method on endodontic problem solving.

A study was conducted to determine the effects of seminars and computer-assisted self-evaluation (CASE) modules on third-year dental students' endodontic problem-solving abilities. Students studying by a combination of seminars and CASE modules did not differ in their ability to solve endodontic problems compared with students receiving CASE modules, but they demonstrated greater ability than did students in a control group or those participating only in seminars. Analysis of gain scores from pretest to post-test among the treatment groups showed significant improvement in learning after instruction, but failed to identify any method as more effective in facilitating this improvement. Previous grade point average was not a factor in problem-solving ability or in improvement instruction.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed2004

[The effect of problem solving group counseling on the index of obesity and health habits of obese children].

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate the effects of problem solving group counseling on the index of obesity and health habits for obese children. METHOD: Forty seven obese children participated in the study(Exp.=22, Cont.=25). Children were recruited from the forth and fifth grade with higher than 20% of the obesity degree. The problem solving counseling lasted for 10 weeks. In order to evaluate the effects of counseling, physical characteristics and health habits were measured three times; pretest, posttest, and at 10 weeks follow-up. The obtained data was analyzed by chi(2)-test, t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA, using the SPSS WIN 10.0 program. RESULT: Problem solving group counseling was effective on the physical characteristics(BMI, obesity degree, body fat ratio, waist measurement) and health habits over time. Children in the experimental group controlled their body weight better and reported lower scores in the index of obesity than children in the control group at 10 weeks follow-up. CONCLUSION: This counseling program helped obese children modify their health habits so that they could decrease their scores in the obesity index. It can be concluded that problem-solving counseling enhanced problem-solving abilities of obese children, which could help modify their ordinary health habits.

Child↗

PubMed2002

A diabetes problem solving support group: issues, process and preliminary outcomes.

This report covers the development, process and outcomes of a yearlong diabetes problem solving support group. Using the task-centered group work model, the participants developed the skills for solving problems of a psychosocial nature. Issues, such as the formation of the group, the roles of facilitators and members, group process, results, and implications for practice, are discussed.

Diabetes Mellitus↗