Participants (N=54) of seven eight-week educational/support groups for relatives of patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias evaluated the helpfulness of their group experience. The supportive aspects of the group and the information provided about medical and behavioral management of the patient were most highly rated. (Author/NRB)

Estimated age-adjusted Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised intelligence quotient (IQ) scores using linear regression techniques and continuous norming of two samples of psychiatric inpatients (total N=150) in Veteran's Administration hospital. Results support use of estimation procedure in clinical and research settings desiring brief but…

Compared Anxiety Management Training (AMT) and Relaxation as Self-Control (RSC) in reducing stress in 55 anxious medical outpatients. At posttreatment and follow-up assessments, both AMT and RSC groups reported significantly less anxiety, stress reactivity, general physiological arousal, depression, and anger than controls. (JAC)

The Medicare prospective payment system does not adequately account for severity of illness. Whether teaching hospitals treat a case mix of patients with more severe illness than do nonteaching hospitals was tested in a study using two severity measures, Horn's severity of illness index and Gonnnella's "disease staging." (Author/MLW)

Two models of moral responsibility in dentistry--the beneficence model (to know what is in the best interest of those served) and the autonomy model (the patient has values and beliefs underlying his/her perspective on his/her own best interests)--are outlined, and a framework for resolving conflict between the two is presented. (MSE)

Three articles discuss (1) an investigation of how nurses' attitudes, knowledge, and practice changed after a continuing education program on nursing management of adults with essential hypertension; (2) a study showing that even with enforced behavior changes, attitudes are slow to change; and (3) a workshop on principles of effective patient…

A program developed at the University of Arizona College of Medicine that used patient instructors to evaluate interviewing skills of medical students is described. Patient instructors are nonphysicians who are taught to function in the roles of patient, teacher, and evaluator. (Author/MLW)

Studied an intra-institutional relocation of a long-term care facility by documenting changes in the environment and in residents' and staff members' use of space and patterns of behavior. Behavioral changes were conceptualized as attempts to adapt to the larger design and altered layout of the new facility. (JAC)

An interview with parents of a child with cerebral palsy recount their struggles to find a diagnosis and treatment for their daughter and express their anger over the lack of information and help they were given by professionals. They emphasize the need for honesty and straightforwardness in professionals dealing with parents. (CL)

Examined the effectiveness of a new orientation program designed to prepare low-income White and ethnic minority outpatients (N=173) for psychotherapy. Results indicated that patients who were oriented were more knowledgeable about psychotherapy and more positive in their attitudes toward psychotherapy than were patients who had not been oriented.…

Studied predictor variables related to the outcome of spouse-aided therapy in 28 married patients with persisting psychiatric disorders. Results showed significant, sustained improvement in couples' ratings of personal and target problems after therapy. Poor response was linked to extrapunitiveness, denial, and adherence to an illness model of…

Examined factors influencing the evaluation of a patient contemplating suicide, in a study of 138 health care professionals. Results showed subjects' evaluations, acceptance, and behavior were affected by their belief that the patient had cancer and/or was dying, and by their own degree of death anxiety. (JAC)

Examined the applicability of the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ-30) to clinical populations to identify and measure frequency of ideation associated with depression. Findings showed significant differences between clinically depressed treatment-seeking clients and nondepressed samples and significant correlation with other widely used…

The sources and elements of a model for teaching persons with diabetes the importance of adhering to a prescribed regimen are discussed, including perceived threat of the disease, benefits of therapy, barriers to compliance, personal variables, individual state of health, and social pressures. (MC)

The changing social milieu has removed the charity patient but not the need for a teaching population. The University Hospital's program is described, in which patients prepaid a fixed, single fee for all obstetrics-related care through the third post partum day. (LBH)