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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Four Potential Criteria For Deciding When To Use Antidepressants Or Psychotherapy For Unipolar Depression: A Literature Review, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika Sep 2012

Four Potential Criteria For Deciding When To Use Antidepressants Or Psychotherapy For Unipolar Depression: A Literature Review, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika

Vicki Bitsika

Objective: To evaluate the literature supporting four potential criteria for deciding whether to use psychotherapy or pharmacology when treating depression.

Method: Literature review of the evidence from the last 10 years on presenting patient’s demographics, aetiology, comorbidity, and genetic factors, as predictors of treatment outcome efficacy.

Results: Demographic information has little support as a potential criteria for decision-making; aetiology (melancholic vs. non-melancholic) has significant support; presence of personality disorder comorbidity is unproven as a criterion but may have some value; genetic predisposition has the strongest evidence supporting it as a criteria for treatment decision-making.

Conclusion: Although some presenting cases will …


How Prostate Cancer Patients Cope With The Effects Of Diagnosis And Treatment: Development Of The Effects Of Prostate Cancer Coping Strategies Scale, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie Sep 2012

How Prostate Cancer Patients Cope With The Effects Of Diagnosis And Treatment: Development Of The Effects Of Prostate Cancer Coping Strategies Scale, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

Background: The elevated anxiety and depression experienced by prostate cancer (PCa) patients can impair their decision-making as well as decrease their psychological well-being and weaken relationships with partner and family. Although standardised assessment models exist for identifying the symptoms of anxiety or depression, relatively little attention has been given to identifying the causal antecedents that PCa patients encounter and that may lead to anxiety or depression, nor their own attempts to cope with those antecedents. This study investigated the coping strategies used by a sample of PCa patients in response to the specific stressors and lifestyle changes that arose from …


Variability In Anxiety And Depression Over Time Following Diagnosis In Patients With Prostate Cancer, Christoper Sharpley, David Christie, Vicki Bitsika Sep 2012

Variability In Anxiety And Depression Over Time Following Diagnosis In Patients With Prostate Cancer, Christoper Sharpley, David Christie, Vicki Bitsika

Vicki Bitsika

To determine the presence and nature of variability in anxiety and depression in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) over 3 years following diagnosis, 442 patients with PCa completed standardized anxiety and depression inventories via survey between 1 and 36 months after receiving their initial diagnosis. Data were analyzed from a series of 3-month cohorts, and results indicated that total scores and incidence of clinically significant anxiety and depression varied over time, but that this variability was restricted to specific subfactors of anxiety and depression. Provision of effective psychological treatment to patients with PCa is discussed.


Understanding The Functionality Of Depression Among Australian Breast Cancer Patients: Implications For Cognitive And Behavioural Interventions, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie Sep 2012

Understanding The Functionality Of Depression Among Australian Breast Cancer Patients: Implications For Cognitive And Behavioural Interventions, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

Background: Depression in breast cancer (BCa) patients can reduce quality of life, relationships and treatment compliance, thus constituting a major target for cognitive behavioural (CBT) interventions. Although CBT treatments, which are built upon consideration of the roles of antecedents and consequences for depressive behaviour, are effective, the nature of those antecedents which trigger depression among BCa patients has received relatively little attention.

Purpose: Hypotheses were (1) to determine if BCa patients were experiencing either or both of punishment type I and II and (2) to identify if these aspects of punishment were related to overall depression.

Method: Two hundred fifty-three …


How Is Resilience Associated With Anxiety And Depression? Analysis Of Factor Score Interactions Within A Homogeneous Sample, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Kylie Peters Sep 2012

How Is Resilience Associated With Anxiety And Depression? Analysis Of Factor Score Interactions Within A Homogeneous Sample, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Kylie Peters

Vicki Bitsika

Aim: To explore the ways in which resilience is associated with anxiety and depression within a homogenous sample.Methods: 401 Australian university students completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Zung SelfratingAnxiety and Depression Scales. Factor scores from the resilience scale were regressed against total anxiety and depression scores, combined anxiety-depression scores and the underlying factors of the combined anxiety-depression construct.Results: Self-confidence and optimism were most strongly negatively associated with anxiety and depression, followed by being decisive and solution-focussed and seeking challenges, having a strong purpose and being persistent, although different combinations of factors predicted anxiety than did depression. Spiritual beliefs …