ABSTRACT
The present study examined a relapse prevention (RP) program delivered via bibliotherapy in the treatment of individuals with panic attacks. Compared with a wait list control group, individuals receiving RP exhibited significant reductions on measures of frequency of panic attacks, panic cognitions, anticipatory anxiety, avoidance, and depression. In addition, individuals in the RP group were more likely to attain a "clinically significant change" in status on both panic-free status and level of avoidance more frequently than individuals in the control group. When compared with treatment effects evaluated in two prior phases of the study, the obtained results appear to be the product of a synchronous effect of bibliotherapy and minimal phone contact during the 6-month follow-up period. The results reflect the importance of brief therapist contact in increasing motivation for active participation in bibliotherapy interventions.
Subject(s)
Bibliotherapy , Panic Disorder/therapy , Patient Compliance , Self Care , Social Support , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Bibliotherapy/methods , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Education as Topic , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Secondary Prevention , Teaching Materials , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
The present paper utilized meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of interventions in which components of self-regulation theories (e.g., self-monitoring, self-reinforcement) were the primary treatment intervention utilized in treating habit disturbances, depression, anxiety and health-related problems with adults. The effect size (ES)1 comparing interventions utilizing all combinations of self-regulatory components to no intervention at all was d = .25 (p < .005). The ES comparing interventions utilizing self-monitoring (SM) plus any other self-regulatory component(s) to interventions utilizing SM alone was d = .42 (p < .001). Differential effectiveness was demonstrated for various combinations of self-regulatory components.
Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/therapy , Self Care/psychology , Self-Assessment , Adult , Anxiety Disorders/therapy , Depression/therapy , Female , Health Status , Humans , Male , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the antiviral drug amantadine (AMN) administered in combination with thymosin alpha 1 (T alpha 1) and murine alpha/beta interferon (IFN) on mice infected with influenza A PR8 virus. Combined treatment with AMN and T alpha 1, for 4 days, followed by a single injection of IFN, was initiated 1 h after intranasal viral inoculation. The effectiveness of this new chemoimmunotherapy protocol was seen in the long-term survival of a high percentage of animals and was statistically significant when compared to treatment with single agents in conjunction with chemotherapy or to chemotherapy alone. In addition, chemoimmunotherapy treatment reduces the viral titre in the lungs as well as restoring the immunological parameters tested (natural killer cell activity; cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses; CD4+/CD8+ lymphocyte subsets) with respect to all other groups. These results suggest the potential use of these immunomodulating agents in combination with an antiviral drug in controlling PR8 influenza virus infection.
