Distinguishing manifestations of anxiety: how do personality traits of compulsive checkers differ from other anxious individuals?

To better understand relations between personality and anxiety in general, and personality differences between compulsive checkers and nonchecking anxious individuals in particular, the current study was conducted. Participants included a nonclinical undergraduate sample of 36 compulsive checkers, 33 nonchecking anxious controls and 33 nonchecking nonanxious controls who were compared on five basic personality dimensions: emotional stability, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and intellect (Goldberg, 1992). Results indicated that a combined group of all anxious individuals was less extraverted and less emotionally stable than nonchecking/nonanxious controls. Results further indicated that compulsive checkers were less emotionally stable and more conscientious than nonchecking anxious controls. The implications of these findings, as well as the impact of the order of personality item presentation, are considered and discussed.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression. Applications and outcome.

This article discusses cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression, including evidence for its efficacy and how to choose between this therapy and antidepressants. The use of this therapy to prevent relapse also is presented.

Relations among psychological trauma, dissociative phenomena, and trauma-related distress: a review and integration.

Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in relations among psychological trauma, dissociative phenomena, and various forms of trauma-related distress that has spawned a prolific amount of research. To date, a relatively comprehensive review of this recent research is lacking. Thus, this paper provides such a review to help summarize and synthesize recent findings, illuminate study limitations, and offer suggestions for future research. In general, findings have revealed fairly strong and consistent relations among the constructs of trauma, dissociation, and trauma-related distress (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, bulimia); individuals who have experienced a traumatic event are more likely to dissociate than individuals who have not, and individuals who experience more dissociative phenomena are more likely to also experience higher levels of trauma-related distress. It is theorized here that dissociative phenomena and subsequent trauma-related distress may relate to fears about death and fears about loss or lack of control above and beyond the occurrence of the traumatic event itself. Such fears about death and loss/lack of control may also help differentiate traumatized individuals who psychologically suffer to varying degrees. Possible functions of dissociation in response to trauma and in relation to forms of trauma-related distress are considered and discussed.

The relation between personality and anxiety: findings from a 3-year prospective study.

The authors tested the extent to which the personality dimensions of neuroticism, extraversion, and psychoticism (H. J. Eysenck & S. B. G. Eysenck, 1975) prospectively predicted global anxiety (assessed by items from the Brief Symptom Inventory: L. R. Derogatis & M. S. Spencer, 1982). The authors also examined prospective relations among these personality dimensions and depression to evaluate the specificity of findings. Participants were 466 young adults, primarily undergraduate students, assessed twice over a 3-year interval. An interaction between neuroticism and extraversion predicted both global anxiety and depression 3 years later. Findings indicated that personality, in particular the combination of high neuroticism and low extraversion, may play an important predisposing, etiological role in anxiety. Interpretations and implications of the predictive importance of the Neuroticism x Extraversion interaction in anxiety are discussed, and further speculations about the relation between anxiety and depression are put forth.

The role of childhood stressors in the intergenerational transmission of alcohol use disorders.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined relations between childhood stressors (e.g., disrupted family rituals, embarrassment, neglect, abuse), family history of paternal alcoholism, and alcohol use disorders in late adolescence and early adulthood. Of particular interest was the extent to which stressor exposure mediated the association between paternal and offspring alcohol use disorders. METHOD: A mixed-gender sample of 457 (238 female) participants, approximately half (N = 234) with a family history of paternal alcoholism, were assessed for alcohol use disorders and childhood stressors via clinical interviews. RESULTS: Family history of paternal alcoholism was associated with every childhood stressor examined, often strongly. In addition, a number of childhood stressors (e.g., verbal, emotional, physical and sexual abuse) were related to an alcohol use disorder in late adolescence/early adulthood. However, only a portion of the effect of family history on a subsequent alcohol use disorder was accounted for by the childhood stressors we examined. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that self-reported childhood stressors are strongly related to a family history of alcoholism, but are only moderately and inconsistently related to the development of an alcohol use disorder. Moreover, they appear to, at best, only partially mediate the relation between family history of alcoholism and an alcohol use disorder.

Coping strategies and posttraumatic stress disorder in female victims of sexual and nonsexual assault.

The coping behaviors and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of 215 female assault victims (103 rape victims and 112 nonsexual assault victims) were assessed within 2 weeks following the assault (Time 1), and 133 of them (62%) were followed up 3 months later (Time 2). Posttrauma symptom severity significantly decreased during the 3-month study period, but PTSD severity levels at Times 1 and 2 were highly correlated. Three coping scales were constructed on the basis of exploratory factor analyses: Mobilizing Support, Positive Distancing, and Wishful Thinking. Three months postassault, rape victims showed higher levels of wishful thinking and PTSD than nonsexual assault victims. Wishful thinking showed a positive association and positive distancing a negative association with PTSD severity, controlling for assault type, initial levels of PTSD severity, and other coping strategies. The clinical relevance of these findings is discussed.

Arousal, numbing, and intrusion: symptom structure of PTSD following assault.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated hypotheses concerning the importance of symptoms of numbing in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: Symptoms of PTSD were assessed in 72 female rape victims and 86 female victims of nonsexual assault approximately 3 months after the crimes occurred. A principal-components factor analysis of subjects' symptoms was then undertaken. RESULTS: The analysis yielded three factors: arousal/avoidance, numbing, and intrusion. These were somewhat different from the symptom clusters in DSM-III-R, since effortful avoidance and numbing symptoms did not load on the same factor. Numbing symptoms appeared to be particularly important in identifying individuals with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: The results imply that there are two patterns of posttrauma symptoms, one characterizing PTSD and the second characterizing a phobic reaction.