British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 50(4), November 2011, pp.412-424.
Publisher:
Wiley
... The participants completed assessments of coping preference, insight, self-esteem, and anxiety. Analysis of the findings revealed that the high-mastery group had a greater preference for coping with stressors by thinking and talking about them, and greater insight than all other groups, and higher levels of feeling accepted by peers than the intermediate-mastery group. The intermediate-mastery group reported higher levels of resignation when facing stressors and more social phobia than the other 2 groups. The findings demonstrate that mastery appears to be linked to coping preference, insight, self-esteem, and anxiety in a generally non-linear manner.
Metacognitive dysfunction is a recognised feature of schizophrenia. For instance, many people with schizophrenia have difficulty forming ideas about what other people are thinking and have a limited idea of their own mental processes. This article focuses on mastery, a domain of metacognition that reflects the ability to use knowledge about mental states to respond to psychological challenges. The aim of the study was to determine whether persons with schizophrenia who possessed different capacities with regard to mastery also exhibited different kinds of difficulties in different elements of daily function. The participants were 98 adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder classified into 3 groups on the basis of ratings of their capacity for metacognitive mastery. The participants completed assessments of coping preference, insight, self-esteem, and anxiety. Analysis of the findings revealed that the high-mastery group had a greater preference for coping with stressors by thinking and talking about them, and greater insight than all other groups, and higher levels of feeling accepted by peers than the intermediate-mastery group. The intermediate-mastery group reported higher levels of resignation when facing stressors and more social phobia than the other 2 groups. The findings demonstrate that mastery appears to be linked to coping preference, insight, self-esteem, and anxiety in a generally non-linear manner.
WEBB Alicia K., JACOB-LAWSON Joy M., WADDELL Erin L.
Journal article citation:
Aging and Mental Health, 13(6), November 2009, pp.838-846.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Many mentally ill older adults are stigmatised, which reduces their quality of life and discourages them from seeking help. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with this stigma. The attitudes of 101 older adults aged from 51 to 87 years towards three hypothetical older women with depression, anxiety or schizophrenia were investigated by means of a questionnaire. The results
Many mentally ill older adults are stigmatised, which reduces their quality of life and discourages them from seeking help. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with this stigma. The attitudes of 101 older adults aged from 51 to 87 years towards three hypothetical older women with depression, anxiety or schizophrenia were investigated by means of a questionnaire. The results suggested that schizophrenic persons are viewed as most dangerous and dependent, and thus are probably at greatest risk of social isolation which can compromise their quality of life. The anxious persons were seen as the most responsible for their illness, and may be at risk of suffering stigma and discrimination. Depression fell in the middle of the two on all measures. Men were more critical of the mentally ill than women, and older adults also had more negative views of the mentally ill. Higher education was associated with lower levels of social distance towards depressed and anxious older adults. It I suggested that these findings can be used to improve education to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness in older adults.
British Journal of Psychiatry, 189(5), November 2006, pp.463-464.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
The authors examined neuropsychological functioning at age 13 years in adolescents who later developed schizophreniform disorder, compared with healthy controls and with adolescents diagnosed as having had a manic episode or depression or anxiety disorder. Participants were from an unselected birth cohort. Attentional, executive and motor impairments at age 13 were found in those who later
The authors examined neuropsychological functioning at age 13 years in adolescents who later developed schizophreniform disorder, compared with healthy controls and with adolescents diagnosed as having had a manic episode or depression or anxiety disorder. Participants were from an unselected birth cohort. Attentional, executive and motor impairments at age 13 were found in those who later fulfilled diagnostic criteria for schizophreniform disorder, suggesting that these impairments may be the earliest emerging neuropsychological impairments in schizophrenia-related disorders.
British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 50(4), November 2011, pp.339-349.
Publisher:
Wiley
... compared with non-clinical controls. The clinical participants who reported lower primary needs after a delay were more likely to exhibit higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress.
Ostracism, the act of being ignored or excluded, exerts an immediate and painful threat to an individual's primary needs for belonging, meaningful existence, control, and self-esteem. Individuals with schizophrenia are particularly likely to experience ostracism due to negative attitudes towards this condition. The aim of this study was to assess the immediate and delayed effects of ostracism in these individuals, and to explore associations between any observed effects and indices of negative affect and clinical symptoms. The study participants were 21 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 20 non-clinical controls. The participants engaged in a virtual ball-toss game with 2 fictitious others. All participants played the game on 2 separate occasions, participating in both an inclusion and an ostracism condition. A questionnaire which assessed primary needs was completed by both groups immediately after the game and again 8 minutes later in the ostracism condition only. The findings suggest that, while the initial impact of ostracism does not differ between the 2 groups, the negative impact of social exclusion lasts longer in individuals with schizophrenia compared with non-clinical controls. The clinical participants who reported lower primary needs after a delay were more likely to exhibit higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress.
Subject terms:
self-esteem, schizophrenia, social exclusion, anxiety, depression, emotions;
Journal of Social Service Research, 37(1), January 2011, pp.61-72.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
... those with a mental health history, 53% of facility residents had depression, 37% had schizophrenia, 19% had anxiety disorder, and 15% had manic depression. Nursing homes serving people with a mental health history are more likely to be for profit, have a greater number of beds, have lower occupancy rates, and have more residents with Medicaid as the primary payer. This information can be used
Nursing homes have been identified as the primary source of institutional care for older adults with a mental health history, and to have a higher prevalence of mental health disorders among their residents compared to older people in the community. The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics among nursing homes serving residents with a mental health history, and to examine the characteristics of the facilities that serve this population. A retrospective, cross-sectional design was conducted using the 2003 national Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting facility data merged with the resident-level Minimum Data Set resulting in 2,499 nursing homes. Across these facilities, 22% of the total residents had a diagnosis of a mental disorder not including any form of dementia. Among those with a mental health history, 53% of facility residents had depression, 37% had schizophrenia, 19% had anxiety disorder, and 15% had manic depression. Nursing homes serving people with a mental health history are more likely to be for profit, have a greater number of beds, have lower occupancy rates, and have more residents with Medicaid as the primary payer. This information can be used to inform nursing home practice and policy to ensure adequate mental health care provision.
Subject terms:
long term care, mental health problems, nursing homes, older people, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression;
Journal of Mental Health, 19(2), April 2010, pp.184-192.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
London
... lower self-esteem, higher self-stigma, and also higher levels of anxiety and avoidant coping 5 months later. Findings indicated that the High Negative/Poorer Attention group had significantly poorer social functioning, lower appraisal of their competence, higher levels of anxiety, and a higher preference for ignoring stressors five months after classification. In conclusion, the research showed
Previous research has identified a subgroup of patients with schizophrenia who had both higher levels of negative symptoms and relatively poorer attentional function, and who had uniquely lower self-esteem and greater internalized stigma. This study aimed to investigate whether 77 of the original 99 participants previously classified as having High Negative/Poorer Attention would continue to have lower self-esteem, higher self-stigma, and also higher levels of anxiety and avoidant coping 5 months later. Findings indicated that the High Negative/Poorer Attention group had significantly poorer social functioning, lower appraisal of their competence, higher levels of anxiety, and a higher preference for ignoring stressors five months after classification. In conclusion, the research showed that negative symptoms with attention deficits may lead to more social and psychological dysfunction than negative symptoms or attention deficits alone, and people with high levels of negative symptoms and poor attention may represent a meaningful subgroup with unique psychosocial difficulties that persist over time.
Subject terms:
self-concept, self-esteem, schizophrenia, social exclusion, anxiety, coping behaviour;
British Journal of Psychiatry, 186(5), May 2005, pp.386-393.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Despite interest in early treatment of schizophrenia, premorbid and prodromal symptomatology remain poorly delineated. The aim was to compare pre-illness symptomatology in patients at high risk of schizophrenia who progress to illness with that of high-risk subjects who remain well and with normal controls. Using Present State Examination (PSE) data, symptomatic scales were devised from participants of the Northwick Park Study of first-episode schizophrenia and scores were compared on the first and last PSEs of participants of the Edinburgh High Risk Study. At entry, when still well, high-risk individuals who subsequently became ill (mean time to diagnosis 929 days; s.e.=138 days) scored significantly higher on‘situational anxiety’, ‘nervous tension’, ‘depression’, ‘changed perception’and ‘hallucinations’than those remaining well and normal controls, who did not differ. With illness onset, affective symptomatology remained high but essentially stable. In genetically predisposed individuals, affective and perceptual disorders are prominent before any behavioural or subjective change that usually characterises the shift to schizophrenic prodrome or active illness.
Despite interest in early treatment of schizophrenia, premorbid and prodromal symptomatology remain poorly delineated. The aim was to compare pre-illness symptomatology in patients at high risk of schizophrenia who progress to illness with that of high-risk subjects who remain well and with normal controls. Using Present State Examination (PSE) data, symptomatic scales were devised from participants of the Northwick Park Study of first-episode schizophrenia and scores were compared on the first and last PSEs of participants of the Edinburgh High Risk Study. At entry, when still well, high-risk individuals who subsequently became ill (mean time to diagnosis 929 days; s.e.=138 days) scored significantly higher on‘situational anxiety’, ‘nervous tension’, ‘depression’, ‘changed perception’and ‘hallucinations’than those remaining well and normal controls, who did not differ. With illness onset, affective symptomatology remained high but essentially stable. In genetically predisposed individuals, affective and perceptual disorders are prominent before any behavioural or subjective change that usually characterises the shift to schizophrenic prodrome or active illness.
British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44(1), March 2005, pp.127-132.
Publisher:
Wiley
Emotion, especially anxiety, has been implicated in triggering hallucinations. Reasoning processes are also likely to influence the judgments that lead to hallucinatory experiences. We report an investigation of the prediction of hallucinatory predisposition by emotion and associated processes (anxiety, depression, stress, self-focused attention) and reasoning (need for closure, extreme responding). Data were analysed from a questionnaire survey in a student population (N = 327). Higher levels of anxiety, self-focus, and extreme responding were associated with hallucinatory predisposition. Interactions between these three variables did not strengthen the predictive effect of each. Depression, stress, and need for closure were not found to be predictors of hallucinatory experience
Emotion, especially anxiety, has been implicated in triggering hallucinations. Reasoning processes are also likely to influence the judgments that lead to hallucinatory experiences. We report an investigation of the prediction of hallucinatory predisposition by emotion and associated processes (anxiety, depression, stress, self-focused attention) and reasoning (need for closure, extreme responding). Data were analysed from a questionnaire survey in a student population (N = 327). Higher levels of anxiety, self-focus, and extreme responding were associated with hallucinatory predisposition. Interactions between these three variables did not strengthen the predictive effect of each. Depression, stress, and need for closure were not found to be predictors of hallucinatory experience in the regression analysis. Emotional and reasoning processes may both need to be considered in the understanding of hallucinatory experience.
Subject terms:
mental health problems, problem solving, psychology, schizophrenia, students, anxiety, emotions;
British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44(1), March 2005, pp.113-125.
Publisher:
Wiley
Current psychological theories state that the clinical outcome of hallucinatory experiences is dependent on the degree of associated distress, anxiety, and depression. This study examined the hypothesis that the risk for onset of psychotic disorder in individuals with self-reported hallucinatory experiences would be higher in those who subsequently developed depressed mood than in those who did
Current psychological theories state that the clinical outcome of hallucinatory experiences is dependent on the degree of associated distress, anxiety, and depression. This study examined the hypothesis that the risk for onset of psychotic disorder in individuals with self-reported hallucinatory experiences would be higher in those who subsequently developed depressed mood than in those who did not. A sample of 4,670 individuals with no lifetime evidence of any psychotic disorder were interviewed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Schedule (CIDI) at baseline and 1 and 3 years later. At Year 3, individuals with CIDI evidence of psychotic symptoms were interviewed by clinicians to identify potential onset of psychotic disorder. Psychotic disorder was specified at three levels; two involving severity of positive symptoms of psychosis, and one using additional clinical judgment of need for care. Given the presence of hallucinatory experiences at baseline, the increase in risk of having the psychosis outcome at Year 3 was higher in the group with depressed mood at Year 1 than in the group without depressed mood at Year 1 (any level of psychotic symptoms: risk difference 17.0%, 95% CI - 1.7, 35.7; severe level of psychotic symptoms: risk difference 21.7%, 95% CI 3.2, 40.2; needs-based diagnosis of psychotic disorder: risk difference 16.8%, 95% CI 0.4, 33.3). The results are in line with current psychological models of psychosis that emphasize the role of secondary appraisals of psychotic experiences in the onset of clinical disorder.
Subject terms:
psychology, schizophrenia, severe mental health problems, anxiety, depression, diagnosis;