The interactive effects of metabolic syndrome, blood pressure, and mental health in worksite employees.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD), CVD-related conditions, and mental health disorders are prevalent in the US workforce. We examined associations between metabolic syndrome (METS), blood pressure (BP), and mental health indicators in 1813 employees (25.4% women; 74.6% men) from a large manufacturing firm. METHODS: Employees participated in a health screen. Biometric measures were body mass index, waist circumference, BP, and fingerstick determinations of blood lipid-lipoproteins and glucose. Mental health was assessed with 5 self-reported questions regarding anger, depression, anxiety, and family and work stress. Multivariate analysis of covariance tested for differences in BP and mental health indicators in employees (370 employees with METS, and 1443 employees without). RESULTS: Participants were primarily middle-aged (44.8 +/- 0.3 years), overweight (27.9 +/- 0.1 kg/m(2)) men (n = 1352) and women (n = 461) with a resting BP of 122.5 +/- 0.3 mm Hg and 79.8 +/- 0.2 mm Hg, respectively. Diastolic BP (DBP) was found to be 5 mm Hg higher in men with METS compared with men who did not have METS. When questioned, men with higher DBP stated that they often experienced anxiety (n = 39; 91.0 +/- 2 mm Hg) compared with men who reported they rarely experienced anxiety (n = 112; 86.2 +/- 1.9 mm Hg) (P = 0.020). Similarly, systolic BP (SBP) tended to be 4 mm Hg higher in men with METS who stated they often experienced anxiety (n = 39; 138.9 +/- 2 mm Hg) compared with men who reported they rarely experienced anxiety (n = 112; 134.5 +/- 1.2 mm Hg) (P = 0.119). Diastolic BP tended to be 2 mm Hg higher among men with METS who stated they often experienced anger (n = 117; 89.4 +/- 0.9 mm Hg) compared with those who indicated they rarely experienced anger (n = 157; 87.3 +/- 0.8 mm Hg) (P = 0.086), and DBP was 3 mm Hg higher in men with METS who reported overwhelming work stress (n = 83; 89.7 +/- 1.1 mm Hg) compared with those reporting little work stress (n = 79; 86.6 +/- 1.2 mm Hg) (P = 0.176). In contrast, no associations were found between BP and mental health in men without METS, and in women, regardless of the presence or absence of METS (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Men with METS who reported higher levels of anxiety, anger, and work stress had higher BP than men without METS, who also reported lower levels of these mental health indicators. The METS appeared to adversely interact with BP and mental health in men at this worksite. Our findings suggest worksite health promotion programs can improve the cardiometabolic and mental health profile of US employees.

Cardiovascular health status and health risk assessment method of preference among worksite employees.

We investigated whether employees (n = 62) selecting a self-report Health Risk Assessment (HRA) would be at increased CVD risk compared to employees (n = 114) choosing an HRA with measurement of cardiovascular (CVD) health indicators. Participants were mostly middle-aged (44.1 +/- 0.8 yr) men (71.6%) displaying borderline features of the cardiometabolic syndrome. Although there were no significant differences between the groups regarding their measured CVD health status or self-reported lifestyle habits, employees in both groups consistently over-stated their level of cardiovascular health. Contrary to reports in the literature, cardiovascular health status did not appear to influence employee HRA method of preference.Editors' Strategic Implications: These findings await replication in other samples, both more diverse and less self-selected. Nonetheless, the authors' methods and their conclusions about workers' over-estimation of their health and the lack of differences across assessment methods will be useful to employers, health professionals, and all practitioners with an interest in health risk assessments.

Anxiety sensitivity: stability in prospective research.

Several recent panic prevention studies suggest that anxiety sensitivity, as measured by the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), may not be stable under certain conditions. In two investigations [Behav. Ther. 32 (2001) 725; Disertation Abstr. Int. 62 (2001) 4226], wait-list or no-treatment conditions produced ASI scores at follow-up that were significantly reduced from baseline and comparable to those of the intervention groups. Although design characteristics could not rule out regression to the mean as the source of these changes, the authors suggested that these findings were most likely due to nonspecific factors such as reassurance, support, or the expectation of receiving subsequent treatment. The present study sought to replicate and extend these findings by analyzing the contribution of a detailed diagnostic assessment on ASI scores. Two cohorts of high-risk-for-panic participants scoring in the high range of the ASI were studied. Cohort 1 received a detailed diagnostic assessment and then either no-treatment or one of two anxiety sensitivity reduction interventions. Cohort 2 did not receive a detailed diagnostic assessment or an intervention. Both groups were followed up 2 weeks after baseline assessment. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that ASI total and subscale scores are unstable in the presence of structured interviews. Participants receiving a diagnostic assessment produced ASI scores that were significantly lower than at baseline with the average ASI score dropping from the high to the average range. ASI scores of participants not receiving a diagnostic assessment, however, were unchanged from baseline.

Toward promoting generative cultures of intentional mentoring within academic settings.

Mentoring promotes ongoing learning of clinical psychologists, regardless of their expertise and experience. Most academic programs, however, do not possess vigorous mentoring cultures in which mentors simultaneously are learners. Academic programs are largely based on "mastery" philosophies that tacitly aim mentoring at less-experienced peers. This orientation can make stigmatizing mentoring opportunities, especially for psychologists from underrepresented populations. Using concepts from experiential learning theory, we articulate interventions to invigorate mentoring cultures and make mentoring less stigmatizing.

The effects of hypnotic and nonhypnotic imaginative suggestion on pain.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have compared placebo and suggested pain reduction. PURPOSE: Hypnotic and nonhypnotic imaginative analgesia suggestions were compared against a placebo in reducing experimental pain. The mediator role of response expectancies and the moderator role of hypnotic and nonhypnotic imaginative suggestibility were evaluated. METHODS: Sixty participants previously assessed for hypnotic and nonhypnotic imaginative suggestibility were assigned to one of two experimental conditions or a no-treatment control condition. In the "placebo first" condition, participants received placebo, followed by imaginative and then hypnotic analgesia suggestions. In the "placebo last" condition, participants received imaginative and then hypnotic suggestions, followed by placebo. RESULTS: Imaginative and hypnotic suggestions did not differ significantly and were more effective than no treatment in reducing pain. The placebo was no different from the analgesia suggestions and was more effective than no treatment, but only when administered after the suggestions. Pain reduction was mediated by expectancy but was not significantly related to suggestibility or hypnotizability, the latter operationalized as hypnotic suggestibility with imaginative suggestibility statistically controlled. CONCLUSIONS: In the general population, nonhypnotic imaginative suggestions may be as effective as hypnotic suggestions in reducing pain. Response expectancies would seem to be an important mechanism of placebo and suggested pain reduction.

Relationships among compulsive hoarding, trauma, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The current study investigated aspects of post-traumatic stress disorder and attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among hoarders. Compared to a sample of 36 controls, hoarders (n=26) reported a significantly greater number of different types of trauma, more frequent traumatic experiences, more symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and greater comfort derived from possessions. These findings are consistent with previous reports of extensive comorbidity associated with hoarding behaviors, and may reflect the potential usefulness of assessing PTSD and ADHD symptoms at the outset of hoarding treatments, as well as considering alternative pharmacological interventions.

Actual and perceived memory deficits in individuals with compulsive hoarding.

Memory problems have been hypothesized to underlie compulsive hoarding behavior [Frost and Hartl, 1996: Behav Res Ther 34:341-350]. This study examined memory performance, memory confidence, and memory beliefs in 22 individuals with severe hoarding symptoms and 24 matched normal control subjects. Participants were administered two measures of learning and memory that required strategic planning and organization for successful performance: the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) and California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). Self-reports of memory confidence, perceived consequences of forgetting, importance of remembering, and need to keep possessions in sight also were assessed. In comparison to controls, participants with compulsive hoarding recalled less information on delayed recall of the RCFT and CVLT and used less effective organizational strategies on the RCFT but not the CVLT. Hoarders also reported significantly less confidence in their memory, more catastrophic assessments of the consequences of forgetting, and a stronger desire to keep possessions in sight. Results provide initial evidence of learning and memory impairment and poor memory confidence in subjects with compulsive hoarding.

Experience of maltreatment as a child and acceptance of violence in adult intimate relationships: mediating effects of distortions in cognitive schemas.

Links exist between being subjected to maltreatment as a child and tendencies to accept violence as normative in adult relationships. Constructivist Self Development Theory suggests that such relationships may be affected by "cognitive disruptions" in "self" and "other" schemas. Mediating effects of distorted cognitive schemas on the association between history of child maltreatment and the acceptance of violence in intimate interpersonal relationships were investigated among 433 men and women. Outcomes indicated that individuals who reported childhood maltreatment were more likely to display distortions in their cognitive schemas and those individuals with disrupted schemas were more likely to accept relationship violence. Least-square multiple regression analyses revealed that distorted beliefs fully mediated the relationship between reporting childhood maltreatment and acceptance of violence, for both men and women. Subsidiary analyses suggested that this full mediation was replicated for schemas involving the self but not for schemas about others.

Cognitive and motor function after administration of hydrocodone bitartrate plus ibuprofen, ibuprofen alone, or placebo in healthy subjects with exercise-induced muscle damage: a randomized, repeated-dose, placebo-controlled study.

RATIONALE: Medications combining hydrocodone bitartrate and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents appear more beneficial than anti-inflammatory medications alone in treating pain and inflammation from acute soft tissue trauma, but opiate side effects may include sedation and impaired cognitive and motor performance. OBJECTIVE: Performance on complex cognitive and motor tasks was evaluated in healthy subjects with exercise-induced muscle damage who were treated with a hydrocodone-ibuprofen combination, ibuprofen alone, or placebo. METHODS: This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, repeated-dose clinical trial compared the effects of hydrocodone bitartrate (7.5 mg) plus ibuprofen (200 mg), ibuprofen alone, and placebo on cognitive and motor function in 72 healthy college men. Muscle damage in the quadriceps of each subject's dominant leg was induced by an eccentric exercise protocol. Subjects took the study medication four times daily (every 4-6 h) for 5 days. Forty minutes after medication ingestion at the same time each day, subjects underwent tests of attention/concentration, motor performance, and reaction time. Four trained assessors rotated among subjects so that none tested the same participant on more than three occasions. RESULTS: Repeated measures analyses of covariance revealed no between-group differences on a complex memory and cognition task or complex reaction time. Subjects using hydrocodone bitartrate plus ibuprofen performed significantly less well on a simple tracking task and made significantly more errors on a simple reaction-time task than the other two groups. These deficits were found to be highly transitory and not related to confusion or fatigue. CONCLUSION: Hydrocodone plus ibuprofen was not associated with deterioration in complex cognition but was related to very transitory decrements in tasks involving simple hand-eye coordination.

Correlation of increased vascular endothelial growth factor with neovascularization and permeability in ischemic central vein occlusion.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a role for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during the onset and clinical course of neovascularization of the iris (NVI) in ischemic central retinal vein occlusion. METHODS: Sixteen patients with ischemic central retinal vein occlusion were followed up for 12 months by clinical examination, retinal and iris angiography, and serial anterior chamber sampling of aqueous humor. Aqueous VEGF level was determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay, and permeability changes were estimated by capillary zone electrophoretic assessment of aqueous albumin. RESULTS: A correlation was found between aqueous VEGF concentrations and the onset, persistence, and regression of NVI; extent of retinal capillary nonperfusion; and vascular permeability. The NVI occurred when aqueous VEGF concentrations were 849 to 1569 pg/mL and regressed fully when they fell below 550 pg/mL. Aqueous concentrations of serum albumin, a marker of increased permeability, correlated with increased VEGF. Placental growth factor was found at low levels only when VEGF levels exceeded 330 pg/mL. The NVI remained VEGF-dependent during the course of the disease, regressing only if VEGF concentrations were reduced after laser ablation of hypoxic retina. CONCLUSIONS: The close temporal correlation between aqueous VEGF levels and the course of neovascularization and permeability in human ischemic central retinal vein occlusion indicates that increased aqueous VEGF level may predict the need for treatment, and that anti-VEGF therapy at an early stage of ischemic central retinal vein occlusion may be therapeutically beneficial.

Virtual reality exposure therapy for the treatment of fear of flying: a controlled investigation.

Forty-five participants who refused to fly during a screening test and who also met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for specific phobia, agoraphobia, or panic disorder with agoraphobia were randomly assigned to 5 sessions of either virtual reality exposure (VRE) or attention-placebo group treatment (GT). At posttreatment, 65% of VRE participants and 57% of GT participants flew during a test flight. Both groups showed significant improvement following treatment on standardized self-report measures of flight anxiety, with a better outcome for the VRE group on 4 of 5 of these measures. At 6-month follow-up, however, most group differences had disappeared; VRE resulted in a better outcome on only 1 of 5 standardized flight anxiety measures.