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A Comparative Analysis Of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome Among Individuals Exposed To Different Stressor Events, John P. Wilson, W. Ken Smith, Suzanne K. Johnson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of the present study was to compare post-traumatic stress syndrome among persons involved in nine different stressor events: combat in the Vietnam War; rape; serious life-threatening events; divorce; the death of a significant other; critical, near fatal illness of a significant other; family trauma; multiple traumatic events; and no stressful event. To assess the severity of the symptoms which define post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the Impact of Event Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Stress Assessment Scale for PTSD from the Vietnam Era Stress Inventory (Wilson & Krauss, 1980) and the Sensation Seeking Scale were administered to the …

Coping Strategies Of Female Holocaust Survivors, Marlene Sway

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper describes how Holocaust survivors learned to help themselves and to reestablish their sense of community and self-worth. Sixteen female survivors were interviewed regarding their post-war adjustment. Data from the interviews revealed three themes which the women employed to cope with their post-war stress. These important factors in the adaptation process include establishing a family, building a community, and using work as therapy.

Holocaust Survivors And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders: The Need For Conceptual Reassessment And Development, Jerome Rosenberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The recent interest in various aspects of the Holocaust focus on survivors and their children. One major part of this research has focused on the medical and psychological sequels of the concentration camp and other Holocaust related experiences for which Eitinger (1981) identified seven distinct areas of inquiry. The literature in each of these areas is extensive; however, this work is fraught with problems both at the conceptual and at the treatment levels. This paper is specifically concerned with reviewing research and treatment programs, identifying the major problem areas, and concludes with a suggested conceptual alternative to the prevailing clinical …

Research Issues Surrounding Holocaust Survivors: Adaptability And Aging, Benjamin J. Hodgkins, Richard L. Douglass

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The thesis of this article is that, in spite of a large body of literature on the subject, a significant need exists for sociological research on the long-term consequences of the trauma experienced by survivors of Nazi concentration camps. Most of what is known about the adjustment of Holocaust survivors is based upon limited case histories of survivors who sought psychiatric aid, or requested assistance in qualifying for indemnification payments from the German government. The social and psychological dynamics of successful adjustment to life after the traumatic Holocaust experience by the majority of survivors has largely been ignored. Reasons for …

Speech Results Following Modified Pharyngeal Flap Surgery, Karen S. Zalewski

Masters Theses

It is the purpose of this study to provide a descriptive analysis of 13 patients who have undergone a modified pharyngeal flap surgery completed by one plastic surgeon. Variables associated with the speech of these individuals were based on four measures, including a questionnaire, the Iowa Pressure Articulation Test, the screening portion of the Templin-Darley Test of Articulation, and listener ratings of audio-taped post-surgical speech samples.

Of the eight subject variables studied, two variables were found to be closely associated with speech results. These variables included number of surgeries performed on subjects and number of years in speech therapy. The …

Editor's Introduction To The Special Issue "A Sociology Of Survivors: Post-Traumatic Shock Syndrome", Dennis L. Peck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

It is estimated that between 500,000 and 1.5 million Vietnam veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the nature of which includes sociological and psychological manifestations. However, despite past research efforts, an adequate understanding of the social consequences of PTSD and its effect upon veterans and their families remains largely unexplored.

Grief And The Treatment Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Charles P. Flynn, Alexandra Teguis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The effects of grief and grief-repression are described as being critical aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Qualitative interview and extant program material are utilized to assess the role of grief in the PTSD syndrome, and a program that incorporates grief-related therapy is described. Implications of grief-related therapy for the treatment of PTSD are also discussed.

Occupational Stress And Depression Among Vietnam Veterans, Christian Ritter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An exploratory analysis was conducted to assess the effect of exposure to a distal source of extreme trauma on current levels of depression. The purpose of this study was to assess the nature of the relationships among: (1) exposure to the extreme stressor of combat in Vietnam; (2) persistently difficult life conditions; and (3) psychological distress. The impact of various stressors on current psychological distress is evaluated in light of the mediating influence of personal coping resources. Findings suggest that exposure to combat has neither a direct nor an indirect effect on current levels of depression. Exposure to combat was …

Post-Traumatic Stress And Attributions Among Incest Family Members, Inger J. Sagatun

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper presents a discussion of the relationship between attribution models of self-blame and coping strategies among members of incest families. The findings suggest that incest victims are more likely to experience prolonged post-traumatic stress than are offenders and their spouses. The argument is made that by focusing on individual adjustment, therapy programs may be neglecting the interactive effect of attributions made by other family members, the legal system and outside observers. The author concludes by suggesting that a sociological model in which the relationship between social reactions to incest and attributions is addressed would enhance the effectiveness of self-help …

Post-Traumatic Stress And Life-Destructive Behavior, Dennis L. Peck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Results of content analysis of investigative reports and suicide notes illustrating the association between traumatic stress and life-destructive behavior are reported. A breakdown of interpersonal relationships and the inability to adapt to situational arrangements over which they lack control are shown to be factors critical to understanding committers' motivations to suicide.

The Effects Of The Holocaust: Psychiatric, Behavioral, And Survivor Perspectives, Zev Harel, Boaz Kahana, Eva Kahana

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this paper the authors review perspectives related to Holocaust victims, limitations of Holocaust studies are discussed, and suggestions for viewing the long-range post-traumatic effects of the Holocaust upon its victims from social and behavioral science perspectives are advanced. The views of survivors toward post-war adjustment, drawn from interviews with Holocaust victims, are also presented.

Toward An Understanding Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders: An Historical And Contemporary Perspective, Sangeeta Singg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article traces the historical views that led to development of current scientific perspectives of the diagnostical concept post-traumatic stress disorder. Examples of the catastrophic precipitants of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as war, natural and man-made disasters, and rape are presented, and a description of the current clinical perspective is provided. Because post-traumatic stress disorder often involves all aspects of a person's life, the use of multimodal therapy soon after the trauma is experienced is recommended to prevent the symptoms from occurring.

The Effect Of Discrimination Training On Salt And Sugar Taste Thresholds Of Preschool Children, Susan M. Castine

Masters Theses

Using a single-subject A-B-C-D design, this study examined NaCl and sucrose taste thresholds in water, tomato juice, and milk with four 4-year-old children. Taste thresholds were determined by presenting several concentrations of an adulterant (i.e. NaCl, sucrose) in each vehicle, in blocks of ten trials. Subjects evaluated each taste sample by pressing one of two levers (Yes/No response). Detection threshold was defined as the level at which there was 50% correct responding. During Baseline, subjects received no feedback regarding the accuracy of their response. During the differential reinforcement phase, subjects received reinforcement following each correct response. Results suggested that detection …

Attendant Care And Occupational Therapy, Barbara Barrett Lucas

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the current status and future potential of the relationship between attendant care and occupational therapy. Survey results showed that a large number of occupational therapists and in independent living centers, and that there is potential for an increase of occupational therapy involvement in attendant care.

A Study Of Treatment Effects Of Short-Term Hospitalization, Sherwin R. Van Klompenberg

Masters Theses

This research addressed the effects of short-term multifaceted inpatient treatment programs upon the severity of depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory.

The study was designed as a pre-post test using the Correlated t Test to analyze the results. The descriptive analysis describes what is presently taking place in a short-term hospital facility. The treatment staff indicated which treatment modalities should impact specific items on the Beck Depression Inventory. The data analysis supports the hypothesis that short-term multifaceted inpatient treatment will have a positive treatment effect upon depression. Statistical analyses were also conducted upon various population subgroups.

The treatment …

The Therapeutic Use Of Hope, Bonnie Lee Timmer Aardema

Dissertations

Hope is a fundamental element of human behavior which activates, shapes, and sustains psychological development. The literature presents hope as a significant nonspecific factor in psychotherapy; however, the specific use of hope is not examined. There has been little exploration or specification of the characteristics, dynamics, and effects of hoping on individual psychology. The author examines hope as a psychological construct and presents a theory of hope development, loss, and distortion, and a model is presented for the therapeutic use of hope in counseling and psychotherapy.

The author draws from the philosophical, eschatological, and psychological literature concepts regarding the characteristics …

Process Theory: A Reliability And Validity Study, Barbara Pritchard Nash

Dissertations

Process Theory is a new personality/diagnostic system designed by Dr. Taibi Kahler. It is described in detail and compared to other such systems in the psychological literature. A study was conducted to determine the system's interdiagnostician reliability, inter-measure reliability, external validity, and convergent validity with Millon's Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). Forty subjects, 20 normal and 20 clinical, were interviewed on tape. The tapes were assessed by three expert diagnosticians. The normal subjects were given the Personality Pattern Inventory (PPI), which is the Process Theory personality test. The clinical subjects were given the MCMI. Interdiagnostician reliability was assessed among the three …

The Differential Effects Of Biobehavioral Feedback On Physiological Reactivity In Type A Coronary-Prone Males, Gary Michael Chavoya

Dissertations

The concept of Type A coronary-prone behavior underscores the unique relationship between a specific constellation of biobehavioral events and the pathogenesis of coronary illness. The principle purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether exaggerated arousal in Type As could be successfully modified as a function of biobehavioral feedback. Twenty-seven males with minimum JAS A-B total scores of 75% were initially exposed to two conditions of behavioral challenge emphasizing time pressure and competition stress. Results indicated that both types of challenge were associated with significant increases in multiple indices of autonomic arousal (multi-site EMG, skin temperature, pulse rate, systolic …

Using Group Psychotherapy For Enhancing Late Adolescent Selfconcept: Comparing The Effects Of Hypnosis And Rational-Emotive Therapy, James J. Buldas

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether university students, classified as late adolescents, could enhance their self-concept as measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) Total Positive Score. Seven hypotheses which stated the null relationship between self-concept enhancement and the treatment modalities of hypnosis and rational-emotive therapy, when compared over an eight week period of time were derived. A review of the literature showed that the belief that low self-concept is etiologic in psychopathology is widespread in the clinical literature.

A sample of university students enrolled in Psychology 100 (N = 54) were pre, post and follow-up tested …

Adolescent Eating Attitudes And Behaviors, Linda Kron Brundage

Dissertations

This study sought to establish a baseline of eating attitudes and behaviors among a non-clinical population of adolescents. Three major questions were addressed: Does a spectrum of weight and diet concern exist among adolescent girls which ranges from dieting for cosmetic reasons to anorexia and bulimia? What is the relationship between attitudes and behaviors at a young age and eating disorders at a later age? What are some of the ways boys and girls differ regarding eating attitudes and behaviors? In addition to these major questions an attempt was made to quantify the incidence anorexia and bulimia.

The Eating Disorder …

Grief Adjustment In The Compulsive Personality, James Lewis Young

Dissertations

Researchers in the field of grief (Parkes 1972, Bowlby 1980) theorized that personality is probably the major factor in determining how well one recovers from grief. Since Lindemann's (1944) study of surviving loved ones who died in a night club fire in Boston, most researchers have worked under the assumption that a survivor must go through the grief process in order to recover adequately, and that those who do not grieve will have poor recovery. Since the compulsive personality style has difficulty expressing emotions, it was hypothesized by this researcher that compulsives would recover more poorly than others in the …

A Quantitative Study Of The Distinctive Proteins Of The Eosinophil: A Comparison Of Normals And Eosinophilic Patients, James M. Olson

Honors Theses

Eosinophils have long been associated with parasitic and allergic diseases. Methods of procurement and purification of eosinophils in the last ten years have allowed intensive investigation into their components, properties, functions, and mechanisms (Gleich et al, 1982). The goals of this project are to separate eosinophils in blood samples taken from patients with eosinophilia and from normals based on density over distontinuous Metrizamide gradients; to determine quantitatively the levels of the three distinctive proteins of the eosinophil, specifically MBP, EDN, and ECP; and to compare the levels of these proteins found in eosinophils of patients with eosinophilia to the amounts …

Some Principles Of Decision Making Under Uncertainty In Long-Term Treatment Situations, Julius A. Roth

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Comparative information from field notes of four studies of long-term treatment institutions form the basis for developing propositions about decisions made under conditions of uncertainty. These propositions fall under the general rubrics of decision making when action involves danger, when decisions are made to control clients' or subordinates' behavior, and when a choice must be made between alternatives. The propositions are illustrated with examples taken from the four studies.

Reliability And Validity Of The Black English Sentence Scoring System, Yvette D. Hyter

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent validity and interscorer reliability of a specific diagnostic tool of language assessment which is designed to be nonbiased for dialectally different children. Black English Sentence Scoring (BESS; Nelson, 1983), which is based on Lee's (1974) Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS), is a system for analyzing spontaneous language samples that gives cred it for the normally developing features of Black English dialect. The sample consisted of 17 children between three and seven years who were residing in Michigan in communities where Black English was spoken frequently. All were identified as having language …

The Effects Of Alprazolam And Triazolam On Two Methods Of Induced Aggression In Rats, Howard Kiel Plummer

Masters Theses

Two new benzodiazepine tranquilizers, alprazolam and triazolam were used to try to reduce aggression in rats produced by isolation or drugs. Both reduced elements of isolation-induced aggression, and triazolam was more potent. Little reduction was found in drug-induced aggression by either tranquilizer. It is unknown why aggression was not reduced for the drug-induced method, but it is possible that a synergism existed between the two methods of inducing aggression, since the same rats were used for both methods. Different rats were used for each tranquilizer. Reduction in aggression for the isolated rats seems consistent with results for other benzodiazepine tranquilizers.

Alcoholism: The Insidious Disease, Kathryn Van Bruggen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to describe alcoholism as a disease, it s likely etiology, symptoms, methods of treatment and prognosis. Problems due to alcoholism are reported as they affect not only the alcoholic but the family, job and community as well. Education will help identify an alcoholic problem before it becomes too advanced. Various treatment modalities are discussed, including Alcoholics Anonymous. This study relates to the impact on the family and how the family can exacerbate the problem. Conclusions are based on observations of alcoholics and families of alcoholics in a therapeutic setting and literature review.

A Modification Of The Dry-Bed Training For The Treatment Of Nocturnal Enuresis, Abubaker Muftah Abdurrazek

Masters Theses

The present study explored the effectiveness of the Dry-Bed Training (DBT) method without positive practice (20 trips to the toilet) and urine alarm. It also compares the efficacy of the DBT with and without the urine alarm. Eight nocturnally enuretics, aged 6 to 12 years, were assigned to two groups, experimental and control; each consisted of three boys and one girl. During the first phase of treatment, the experimental group underwent the DBT without positive practice and urine alarm, whereas the control group underwent the DBT with positive practice but no alarm. Subsequently, the urine alarm was introduced to both …

Behavioral Interventions For The Cessation Of Cigarette Smoking Behavior: A Literature Review, Russell David Matthews

Masters Theses

The negative impact of cigarette smoking on health has been medical knowledge for many years. This provides the behavioral investigator with a large population of subjects engaging in a maladaptive behavior which is easily defined and measured and highly resistant to extinction. This study critically reviews published accounts of behavioral interventions for cessation of cigarette smoking, which were listed in the Psychological Abstracts, and other published bibliographies, 1964-1984. Despite the volume of studies reviewed, very few demonstrated effectiveness over time. The author concludes while several techniques proved to be effective initially, their effectiveness diminished within months after application. However, several …

Acute Effects Of Phenytoin And Thioridazine, Alone And Combination, Upon Water Intake And Body Weight Changes In Rats, Miriana Witzig-Krstic

Masters Theses

Concommitant medication of anticonvulsants and psychotropics appears to be predominant among mentally retarded, geriatric, and psychiatric in- and out-patient populations. Despite suggested interaction and toxicity resulting from such combination treatment, substantial data remains unavailable. This study was designed to explore effects of dual treatment of thioridazine

Mental Health Status Of Malay Students At U.S. Colleges And Universities, Md. Shuaib Che Din

Dissertations

The basic premise of this study was that foreign students are faced with problems during much of their stay in the United States. It was the purpose of this study to determine the effects of everyday life strains on the mental health status of Malay students at U.S. colleges and universities. Specifically, this study looked at the relationships between the symptoms of psychiatric disorders of depression, psychological coping resources of self-esteem and self-mastery, and the background variables. Also this study attempted to determine the levels of depression, self-esteem, and self-mastery; the manifestation of the depressive symptoms according to the domains …