Bright light treatment decreases depression in institutionalized older adults: a placebo-controlled crossover study.

BACKGROUND: An important parallel exists between patients with seasonal affective disorder and institutionalized older adults. Many older patients, as a result of global physical decline and immobility, are confined to their rooms, experiencing little natural sunlight. Thus, institutionalized older adults are at risk for chronic light deprivation. Testing the hypothesis that chronic light deprivation might be responsible, at least in part, for some depression among institutionalized older adults, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of morning bright light treatment on depression among older adults residing in a long-term care facility. METHODS: In a placebo controlled, crossover design, participants (N = 10, six women and four men; M age = 83.8) received each of the following: (i) 1 week (5 days) of 10,000 lux (therapeutic dose); (ii) 1 week (5 days) of 300 lux (placebo); or 1 week of no treatment (control). Each week of light treatment was 5 consecutive days, 30 minutes daily, with a wash-out period consisting of 1 week between conditions. RESULTS: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) scores at baseline during all treatment conditions were positively correlated (r = .81, p < .01) with months of institutionalization, where participants with higher GDS scores experienced more time institutionalized. Scores on the GDS remained unchanged during the placebo and control conditions, but depression scores decreased significantly during the 10,000 lux treatment (pretest GDS M = 15 vs posttest GDS M = 11, p < .01). After the 10,000 lux treatment, 50% of the participants no longer scored in the depressed range. Improvement during the 10,000 lux condition was positively correlated (r = .62, p < .05) to baseline GDS scores, where participants with higher GDS scores experienced greater improvement following the 10,000 lux treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that bright light treatment may be effective among institutionalized older adults, providing nonpharmacological intervention in the treatment of depression. Furthermore, the length of institutionalization may play an important role in determining the efficacy of bright light treatment for older adults in the nursing-home setting.

Assessing attitudes toward gay marriage among selected Christian groups using the lost-letter technique.

100 each envelopes were distributed to Christian church parking lots and general public parking lots. Letters were addressed to either the "Gay Marriage Foundation" or to a neutral organization. Significantly more neutral letters (n = 75) were returned than "Gay Marriage Foundation" letters (n = 36) from both types of locations, but no differences were found for return rates. Gay marriage may be a controversial topic for people in this area of California. The limitations of the lost-letter technique prohibit fine distinctions; however, one may infer attitudes toward gay marriage may not be more negative among Christian church attendees than in the general public.

Families and parenting: a comparison of lesbian and heterosexual mothers.

Mothers (24 lesbian and 35 heterosexual) were asked to complete a questionnaire of four scales, Index of Family Relations, Index of Parental Attitudes, Family Awareness Scale, and Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Analysis of the mean scores indicated that these lesbian and heterosexual mothers gathered in a snowball sampling had remarkably similar scores on self-reported stress, adjustment, competence, and quality of the relationship with their families, although variability was larger for the lesbian group.

Gender portrayals in telephone books for gay community versus Pacific-Bell Yellow Pages.

Photographic images (N = 2,700) from three 1997 Pacific-Bell Yellow Pages (n = 1,976) and from three 1996-97 gay, lesbian, and bisexual community telephone books (n = 724) were classified into three groups by visible features (definite male, definite female, and gender nonspecific). The latter were excluded. The proportion of male photographic images was larger in gay community books than in Pacific-Bell telephone books.

College students' attitudes toward finding a mate to escape depression: sex differences.

College student respondents (n = 128) were compared on their consideration of finding a mate or significant other as a strategy for a hypothetical teacher ("Terry") displaying symptoms of dysthymic disorder (DSM-IV criteria). The sex of "Terry" was manipulated by descriptive pronoun (he or she) only. Analysis indicated differences based on sex of Terry and sex of respondent. Respondents favored finding a mate for the hypothetical male more than the female. Men, more than women, supported finding a mate or significant other for the teacher.

Gender differences regarding peer influence and attitude toward substance abuse.

Gender role socialization differentially influences attitudes toward substance abuse for boys and girls. Students (n = 968, 456 = males, M age = 16.20, SD = 1.20) were administered a questionnaire to assess their perceptions of attitudes toward substance abuse. Boys' approval was significantly different than the level of approval estimated for girls on teenagers drinking beer or wine coolers chi 2 (4,n = 931) = 418.58, p < .00001, drinking hard liquor chi 2 (4,n = 921) = 432.49, p < .00001, driving after drinking chi 2 (4,n = 924) = 492.32, p < .00001, smoking marijuana chi 2 (4,n = 921) = 609.62, p < .00001, smoking cigarettes chi 2 (4,n = 927) = 480.35, p < .00001, taking diet pills to lose weight chi 2 (4,n = 914) = 185.05, p < .00001, and taking diet pills to get high chi 2 (4,n = 921) = 428.43, p < .00001. Teens viewed getting drunk at a party as more acceptable than driving after drinking 2 (4,n = 921) = 264.10, p < .00001, but gave boys more approval than girls for driving after drinking. Possible implications of these findings are discussed.

Lost-letter technique: attitudes toward gay men and lesbians.

As only 10 of 210 "lost" postal cards with messages supportive of lesbian, gay male, and elderly artists were returned after 30 days, careful methodological study is needed.

University students' perceptions of deaf parents.

A methodology for assessing attitudes toward nontraditional parents was developed. 54 university students with a mean age of 26.5 yr. (SD = 10.2 yr.) participated in a study which assessed attitudes toward deaf parents by asking subjects to rate the adoptive suitability of an unmarried applicant based on a scenario describing the individual as a deaf woman, deaf man, hearing woman, or hearing man. Women were perceived as more suitable to adopt daughters, and men were perceived as more suitable to adopt sons. Applicants' hearing status and gender influenced perceived suitability to adopt a son but not a daughter.

Prevalence of undetected alcohol dependence in the mental health diagnostic interview.

The prevalence of undetected alcohol dependence was examined utilizing the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test for 118 (68 women) users of community mental health services as part of a Quality Assurance Review. Clinicians did not uniformly request information about substance abuse in the diagnostic interview and did not uniformly address alcohol abuse in the treatment plan when alcohol dependence was diagnosed. Other programs may have similar problems.

Gender stereotypes for paranoid, antisocial, compulsive, dependent, and histrionic personality disorders.

To assess similarity between gender-role stereotypes and the personality disorder prototypes, university students (31 women and 13 men) were asked to assign gender to six descriptions of DSM-III--R personality disorders. Significant agreement was found in gender assignment for five of the six descriptions. Descriptions of the paranoid, antisocial, and compulsive personality disorders were viewed as male, and descriptions of the dependent and histrionic personality disorders were viewed as female. The description of schizoid personality disorder was not significantly gender-typed.

Influence and adaptability in families with deaf parents and hearing children.

This study assessed the influence of individual family members in functional families, primarily to determine whether hearing children of deaf parents have more influence than do hearing children of hearing parents. Eight families with deaf parents and a hearing child and eight all hearing families were videotaped while planning a family meal together. It was found that deaf-parented families share many traits with hearing families. However, there were some differences. The hearing children of deaf parents had a greater number and percentage of their ideas accepted than did the hearing children of hearing parents. Differences were also noted between the deaf fathers and the hearing fathers. The deaf-parented families were more adaptable, as measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale. The observed difference in child influence, in and of itself, is neither good nor bad. Deafness of one family member, in an auditory dependent environment, may require a more flexible family power structure. Professionals assessing deaf-parented families should be sensitive to the special adaptive needs required for healthy functioning of the family.