Empathy and adolescent male sex-offenders.

This study provides data on empathy for 82 adolescent male sex-offenders and 108 male nonoffenders. No statistically significant association was found between scores on a 4-item measure of empathy and sex-offender status.

Prevalence of prior adult sexual contact in a sample of adolescent male sex offenders.

The present study provides data on the prevalence of prior adult sexual contact among a sample of 47 adolescent male sex offenders and 109 male nonoffenders. Offenders (61.7%) reported a higher rate of sexual touching by an adult than did nonoffenders (19.3%).

Self-report versions of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale: an assessment of a sample of normals.

The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was administered to 180 undergraduates and 50 medical clinic patients to obtain normative data for this widely used instrument. These data should prove useful to clinicians who assess obsessive-compulsive symptomatology.

Atenolol treatment of paruresis.

Atenolol, a cardioselective beta blocker, was administered following unsuccessful treatment with propranolol to a male with a significant history of paruresis. During atenolol therapy, the client reported a decrease in ANS symptoms but no increase in ability to urinate in public restrooms. Rationale for use of atenolol is discussed.

Propranolol treatment of paruresis (psychogenic urinary retention): a brief case report.

Propranolol, a nonselective beta-blocker, was administered to a client with paruresis (psychogenic urinary retention) following a novel in vivo exposure treatment. The client did not report a significant increase in his ability to urinate in public facilities during subsequent exposures. Rationale for including propranolol as an adjunct to exposure therapy of paruresis is discussed.

Relationships between catastrophic cognitions and body sensations in anxiety disordered, mixed diagnosis, and normal subjects.

Clark's (Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24, 461-470, 1986) cognitive model proposes that panic attacks result from the catastrophic misinterpretation of certain body sensations. The present study examined correlations between feared body sensations and catastrophic cognitions. It was hypothesized that regardless of diagnostic status meaningful correlations between sensations and cognitions would be obtained. Three groups--anxiety disordered patients (n = 33), nonanxiety disordered patients (n = 57), and normals (n = 60)--completed the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire and the Body Sensations Questionnaire. Results generally supported the hypothesis and the cognitive model of panic and anxiety. Limitations of the correlational methodology are discussed, and treatment implications are noted.

Ephedrine-induced thermogenesis as an adjunct to cognitive restructuring and covert conditioning: a proposal for treatment of obese individuals.

Experimental investigators have discussed the therapeutic potential of ephedrine as a thermogenic agent in the treatment of obese individuals. Because research into thermogenesis and the role of sympathetic nervous system stimulation in weight control primarily has emphasized pharmacological interventions, the authors suggest that cognitive restructuring and covert conditioning procedures could be valuable psychotherapeutic additions to a pharmacologically derived weight-loss regimen. Furthermore, it is concluded that additional clinical research is necessary to determine the efficacy of integrating ephedrine therapy and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapeutic procedures as adjuncts to a multidimensional program for treating obesity.

Cognitive bias and irrational belief as predictors of avoidance.

Cognitive bias, i.e. overestimates of subjective probability and cost of catastrophic events, and irrational belief were explored as predictors of avoidance. Three groups-anxiety disordered clients, a mixed group of clinic outpatients, and normals--were administered several self-report inventories. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate a modified version of the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire, the Belief Scale, and the Body Sensations Questionnaire as predictors of avoidance, as measured by the Mobility Inventory. It was hypothesized that frequency x probability x cost of catastrophic cognitions (and the occurrence of the events they represent) would be a better predictor of avoidance than frequency alone. It was also hypothesized that irrational thinking would be a significant predictor of avoidance. The results generally supported the hypotheses, with subjective probability emerging as a particularly potent predictor of avoidance. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Bethanechol chloride as a suggested adjunct to prolonged in vivo exposure therapy in the treatment of paruresis.

A major difficulty in treating paruresis (psychogenic urinary retention) by prolonged in vivo exposure therapy involves the individual's inability to initiate urination in response to anxiety-provoking stimuli easily and frequently enough to generalize the desired behavior to everyday situations. Administration of bethanechol chloride, a parasympathomimetic compound that facilitates urination by prompting contraction of the detrusor muscle of the bladder, prior to therapeutic sessions is suggested to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of in vivo desensitization procedures in the treatment of paruresis.