Hematological and immunological acute mental stress responses of people who are severely and profoundly mentally retarded.

Relocation stress may be one factor increasing the mortality rate of people who are severely and profoundly retarded (S/P MR) when they transfer from institutional to community living arrangements. However, no research exists concerning acute stress effects with groups who are S/P MR. In this project, 28 residents of a state facility for those with S/P MR were exposed to five-minute structured educational tasks. Venous blood samples were drawn before and after the stressor. Granulocytes, red blood cells, hemoglobin, and plasma protein increased while monocytes decreased after stress. Immune cell subsets did not change significantly. Hemoconcentration, an important factor in thrombosis and ischemia, may relate to relocation stress in S/P MR populations. Methodological factors limit generalization but additional research with larger samples, more indices of stress, more poststress blood samples, and additional stressors are encouraged.

Absolute versus relative values: effects on medical decisions and personality of patients and physicians.

BACKGROUND: Speculation suggests that health care workers and patients who believe in ethical values that do not change--absolute values--will respond differently to ethical problems and personality tests than those who affirm changing-relative values. METHODS: We did a cross-sectional survey to investigate the effects of absolute vs relative values on (1) decision making concerning ethical dilemmas and (2) questionnaire assessments of hostility, forgiveness, and social desirability. Two groups of participants were medical/surgical inpatients (n = 60) at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center and practicing physicians (n = 73) in the larger Johnson City, Tennessee, area. RESULTS: In both groups, relativists were more approving of birth control for sexually active single women, physician-assisted suicide, and abortion. For patients but not physicians, several indices of hostility were higher for relativists than absolutists. No overall group differences existed as a function of value type for forgiveness or social desirability scores. However, subgrouping by religious faith affected response pattern. CONCLUSION: The absolute/relative value dichotomy predicted differences in approval ratings for both physicians and patients. Ethically sensitive health care and health care training should explicitly consider this dimension of personal values.

Transient loss of serum protective activity following short-term stress: a possible biochemical link between stress and atherosclerosis.

Very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) are toxic to aortic endothelial cells in vitro, and toxicity preventing activity (TxPA) inhibits this toxic effect of VLDL. Stress, an established arteriosclerosis risk factor, was examined for its effect on TxPA and on the ability of serum to protect endothelial cells from in vitro injury by VLDL. A standardized mirror tracing task with noise was administered to four healthy subjects. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 30, (stressor) 35, 50 and 80 min. Cortisol and non-esterified fatty acids increased during the stress period. TxPA significantly decreased following the stressor and had recovered by 80 min. When the ratio of non-TxPA/TxPA rose above 2, serum was no longer able to protect the cells from VLDL injury. If endothelial cells in vivo respond similarly to the endothelial cells in culture, the effect of stress on atherosclerosis may be mediated through these transient decreases in TxPA.

Effects of acute stress on lymphocyte beta 2-adrenoceptors in white males.

The effects of acute cold pressor stress on peripheral blood cells and lymphocyte beta 2-adrenoceptor density and affinity were examined in 18 young, healthy normal white male volunteers. Blood samples were drawn two times before and three times after the stressor. The percents of lymphocytes and neutrophils, plasma cortisol and the beta 2-adrenoceptor density were significantly different among blood samples. There were no differences between samples in total white blood cell count, and percent of monocyte, basophil and eosinophil or beta 2-adrenoceptor affinity. The results suggest that cold pressor stress causes lymphocytosis and increases the lymphocytic beta 2-adrenoceptors concentration. Methodological issues, acute vs chronic condition effects, immune cell subset variations and the psychosomatic activity-affect model were discussed. Such adrenoceptor changes may provide one mechanism by which stress can affect the onset of cardiac/hypertensive disorders.

Effects of stress and blood type on cortisol and VLDL toxicity preventing activity.

Past research has associated ABO blood type and mental stress with cardiovascular risk. We studied the effects of blood type (A vs. O) coupled with a mirror drawing stressor on very low density lipoprotein toxicity-preventing activity (TxPA) and plasma cortisol levels. Exposure to the stressor significantly decreased TxPA and increased cortisol for the total group of 25 older adult males. However, the stress response patterns of the 15 blood type A males were different from those of the 10 type O subjects. The blood type A group had higher initial levels of TxPA and cortisol as well as quicker stress recovery rates than the type O group. ABO blood type may be an important behavioral hematologic variable to assess in studies concerning biochemical stress response or cardiovascular risk.

Relationship between blood groups and behavior patterns in men who have had myocardial infarction.

Consistent correlations have been found between physical dysfunctional states and blood factors. Some of these disorders have possible psychosomatic components (eg, duodenal ulcer, myocardial infarction). This study focused on the relationship between blood types and various indices of behavior patterns (eg, type A behavior scores, anger ratings) in young patients who had had an initial myocardial infarction. Patients with blood type O scored significantly higher on type A behavior scales and related indices than those having blood type A. Those with blood group B responded on several scales between those with types A and O. We discuss the utility of blood groupings in future research in the prediction of myocardial infarction, methodologic limitations, the relationship of these results to temperament studies, Jenkins Activity Survey subtest patterns, anti-H reactivity pattern, and hypotheses relating blood factors and behavioral traits in patients with psychosomatic disorders.

Diary writing as a means to increased self-evaluation.

The completion of a structured diary task is considered as a means of increasing self-evaluation. Seventeen drug dependence inpatients completed 5 weeks of the diary. Change was assessed using a self-rating of self-evaluation skill and the Rotter Locus of Control Scale. Pre-post changes on both indices indicated significantly increased internalization/self-evaluation. Clinically, the diary procedure has been helpful in gathering baseline information, encouraging self-evaluation habits, facilitating rapport, providing material useful in understanding cognitive style, and validating therapy progress. Clinicians are cautiously encouraged to use the diary procedure with substance dependence patients although design confounding variables limit the extent of the endorsement.

The analysis of group contingency data.

The data analyses utilized in group contingency projects are reviewed. Previous studies are cited to emphasize advantages of nonconsolidated ("individual") over consolidated analyses. Several procedures are described that enable applied researchers to incorporate nonconsolidated data analyses in group contingency studies.