Smoking cessation behaviors of college students using a university health service were examined. Forty successful and 32 unsuccessful quitters were interviewed through an open-ended questionnaire. Differences in success seemed related to techniques used to remain abstinent from cigarette smoking, expectations of ease or difficulty in quitting, and…

Discusses obstacles involved in the routine clinical practice for type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, a disease associated with serious complications and co-morbidity. States that educating patients to take an active role in their care by changing their diet and habits is a challenge to health care educators. Lists tools patients will need to learn to help…

Data from 104 participants in the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Self-Help Course showed that patients had significant increases in enabling skills and use of relaxation/exercise and decreases in depression. Amount of time spent in class was correlated with significant changes over time. (SK)

Evaluated two self-help behavior therapy books for stopping smoking against a minimal treatment program. Results indicated under self-administered conditions, the minimal treatment program was as effective as the behavior therapy books. On the self-report measures, therapist contact was associated with improved treatment outcome for the behavior…

While numerous approaches to inhibit smoking have appeared in the literature, self-management is one technique that allows the client to take a more active part in the treatment. To study the effectiveness of self-management in a single-subject design, an 18 year old female college student who smoked mostly on weekends was told to self-monitor her…

Self-help programs can be used to replace, complement, or supplement formal treatment, but their effectiveness has been underestimated. To test the effectiveness of bibliotherapy in the treatment of problem drinkers, six studies were conducted over 7 years (1975-1982) comparing different treatment approaches. The combined data showed that for…

Self-help groups of elderly persons (N=42), who had been blind for several years, met by phone for short-term problem solving and discussion of coping methods. Results indicated task-centered assignments helped the majority meet their goal of decreasing feelings of hopelessness and increasing social activities outside of the home. (Author)

Group assertion training has employed a variety of techniques including bibliotherapy, behavioral rehearsal, and didactic lecture presentations. Whether didactic information affects behavior, structure, and/or self-evaluation is unknown, and it is not clear whether behavioral practice enhances the effects of didactic training upon behavior,…

Alcohol abuse is a serious problem affecting not only the individual abuser, but also family, friends and society. The effectiveness of contracts as positive tools in the treatment of alcohol abuse was investigated for 15 current abusers randomly assigned to individual therapy sessions. Each subject completed a Personal History Questionnaire, the…

The incidence and extent of irrational beliefs in the obese were investigated as well as subsequent changes in such beliefs as a result of participation in a self-monitored weight control program. Subjects were 53 females who were a minimum of 10 pounds and an average of 32 pounds overweight. The obese sample was administered the Irrational…

Reviewed research on the relationship between health, family communication, and support systems. Described a project encouraging family members to support each other's attempts to alter their diet and exercise patterns. Demonstrated that promoting social support for change among family members can encourage changes in diet and, less effectively,…

Self-observation as a behavior change technique was implemented through behavioral consultation in a public elementary school system. The self-observation procedures were introduced to two subjects with academic problems (assignment completion) and two subjects with behavioral problems (disruptive talk and interruptions, respectively).…

Observed 2 Gamblers Anonymous (GA) groups in South Wales over a 12-month period. Determined 2 broad consequences arose from encountering fellow sufferers: acceptance of diagnosis and commitment to recovery and to will of GA, or rejection of the diagnosis with the knowledge that they are returning to the outside world with a reconstituted…

A 5-week, 12-hour course given to the community emphasized understanding and coping with stress. At the beginning of the course several inventories were administered to the students, who also completed the instruments in a follow-up procedure 10-12 weeks after the end of the seminar. The course focused on recognition of stress signals and the…

The Adventures in Attitudes (AIA) program is a 30-hour structured experiential seminar developed to help participants create positive attitudes and overcome negative ones. Effectiveness of AIA in promoting a positive self concept and moving an individual from an external to an internal locus of control was investigated. Adult subjects (N=6) in the…