Describes Cassel Psych Center, a computerized biofeedback clinic, where the "well" patient is a major concern, and where biofeedback instruments are used with computers to form a Computerized-Biofeedback Clinical Support System. The Center's activities are designed to parallel the services of the pathologist in a medical setting. (PAS)

Studied relationships between depth of depression, anaclitic and introjective depressive experiences, and illness behavior in 37 chronic pain patients. Depth of depression and degree of introjective depressive experiences showed similar positive covariation with a broad range of illness behavior, hypochondriasis, disease conviction, affective…

Describes how the discussion of a few short poems on abortion was used to show how the special language of poetry can help doctors share the experience of their patients, as well as recognize their own feelings and attitudes. (JL)

Explored the life-styles of elderly wanderers and nonwanderers in long-term care. Paired t-tests confirmed hypotheses indicating that wanderers had engaged in a higher level of social and leisure activities and had experienced more stressful events, motoric reactions to stress, and motoric behavioral styles prior to their illness. (Author)

Investigated a stress management training program for 11 hospitalized drug-abusing patients, compared to a control group in different psychotherapy programs. Results indicated that the stress management treatment group produced significant decreases in trait anxiety. Subjects used the stress management techniques to overcome insomnia, anger, and…

Compared effectiveness of a systematic social skills group training program to a bibliotherapy program group and a treatment control group. Results showed that the skills training group improved significantly more than the control group and showed superior improvement on the self-report measure. Results failed to demonstrate the efficacy of…

Compared MMPIs of 80 male and 80 female drug abusers with MMPIs of 550 male and 695 female medical patients. Male drug abusers obtained significantly higher scores than male medical patients on all clinical scales. Female drug abusers obtained significantly higher scores than female medical patients on seven scales. (Author)

Compared studies predicting outcomes of psychotherapy. Level of prediction success in both projects was modest. Particularly for the rated benefits score, the profile of variables showed similar levels of success between the projects. Successful predictions were based on adequacy of personality functioning, match on marital status, and length of…

Examined utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) as a longitudinal predictor of psychosocial adaptation to cancer. A post hoc discriminant analysis revealed that 75% of all patients could have been correctly classified into a high-distressed v a low-distressed cancer patient group using only the MMPI. (Author)

A self-assessment survey instrument was developed to detect abuse of both alcohol and other drugs in patients using a large urban medical center. A high degree of patient acceptance is documented, contrary to expectations of many physicians. The instrument as an adjunct to the usual medical history is proposed. (Author)

Comments are offered on a recent article by Leonard on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) as a suicide predictor. Her appraisal of former studies and her consideration of the differences among individuals with different suicidal behaviors are critically evaluated. A response from Leonard follows. (Author/BEF)

To evaluate the Veterans Administration mental health services, a survey was conducted of staff opinion regarding the importance of several specific goals for these services. Goals dealing with development of patient skills necessary for self-support, elimination of psychological disorders, and protection of patients from violence received the…

Scores of specialized Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) scales (the Prejudice scale, the Ego-Strength scale, and the MacAndrew Alcoholism scale) were related to the scores of the standard MMPI scales. However, individual scores of the three specialized scales could not be accurately predicted from the standard scales. (Author/BEF)

The development of evaluative instruments to measure treatment outcomes in mental health has long been the exclusive function of the professional. Incongruent client-therapist perceptions of change suggests a new role for the client, as innovator in conceptualizing and designing self-report change measures. (Author)

Studied male psychiatric patients' social sensitivity and self-awareness in a human relations training program. The two variables were significantly related. Self- awareness was not related to group acceptance. Results indicate a decrease in patient's symptoms but not as a function of social sensitivity or self-awareness. (JAC)