The system of belief inventory (SBI-15): a validation study in Israel.

This study focused on the validation of measures assessing religiosity by means of three self-report instruments: the System of Belief Inventory (SBI-15R), the Religious Orientation Inventory (ROI), and the Index of Core Spiritual Experiences (INSPIRIT). These instruments were developed and validated previously in the United States. The study measured the extent to which the self-reports maintain their validity when administered in a different country with its own distinct language, culture and religion (e.

Transmission of response to trauma? Second-generation Holocaust survivors' reaction to cancer.

Objective: Opinions differ about the effects of the Holocaust on the adult offspring of survivors. The authors studied cancer patients who were second-generation Holocaust survivors in an attempt to determine whether they react to their illness with the high distress found to be a characteristic of Holocaust survivors.

Method: In a study population of women with breast cancer, 106 second-generation Holocaust survivors were compared to 102 women whose parents were not in the Holocaust.

Childhood imaginary companionship and mental health in adolescence.

An imaginary companion (IC) is a frequently encountered childhood fantasy, invisible to anyone but the child, who may be named, addressed or played with. Whether the presence of an IC is a normal developmental feature has not been determined. We examined psychometric measures and the presence/absence of childhood IC in a sample of 850 mentally healthy adolescents.

Psychological distress in patients with chronic, nonalcoholic, uncomplicated liver disease.

To study whether the presence of significant disease in a major organ, possibly with minimal or no clinical symptoms, would be associated with psychological disturbance, 80 subjects suffering from chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, of nonalcoholic etiology were interviewed. Of these, 64 had either minimal or no physical symptoms. Patients completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES), questionnaires, which measure symptoms of psychological distress.

Prospective study of cancer patients and their spouses: the weakness of marital strength.

In a prospective study, 133 married cancer patients and their spouses were interviewed within a month of diagnosis and administered three self-reports: The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) to assess psychological distress, the Impact of Events Scale (IES) to assess coping, and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES III) to assess family relations. Patients and spouses were moderately distressed. The patient's psychological distress was explained by the level of intrusion, by the spouse's psychological distress and cohesion which had a protective effect (R2.

Pre-adolescent chumship as a buffer against psychopathology in adolescents with weak family support and weak parental bonding.

This study examines the degree to which the existence of a pre-adolescent "chum" interacts with family and social environments to buffer mental distress in adolescents. 831 high school students participated in this study, (male: 355; female: 476; mean age 16.7 +/- 1.

Parental bonding and mental health in adolescence.

Attachment between parent and child plays a crucial role in the healthy development of the child. Accordingly disturbances in parental bonding will be linked with the development of mental disorders later in life. The present study examines the relationship between parental bonding and mental health in healthy adolescents.

Physical punishment and signs of mental distress in normal adolescents.

Adolescents (375 males and 496 females) were administered the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the General Well-Being Scale (GWB), the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), and two questions about each parent, supplementing the PBI, tapping violent punitive behavior. Signs of mental distress in adolescents and reported physical punishment from parents were analyzed. Results indicated that greater physical punishment was associated with higher levels of psychiatric symptoms and lower general well-being.

The role of psychological variables in a group of melanoma patients. An Israeli sample.

This study examined whether there is a difference in the psychological distress and/or coping modes of patients with early localized malignant melanoma. The authors compared the patients diagnosed at stages IA and B of the disease with those diagnosed at stages IIA and B. The population consisted of 100 melanoma patients who agreed to take part in a study of adjustment to chronic disease.

Personality traits and long-term health status. The influence of neuroticism and conscientiousness on renal deterioration in type-1 diabetes.

Stringent long-term control of blood glucose concentration in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) can decrease albuminuria, presumably forestalling development of renal insufficiency. Personality characteristics may influence a diabetic patient's ability and willingness to follow a prescribed regimen to achieve glycemic control. This study investigated the relationship of 2 personality factors to renal deterioration time (from initiation of insulin therapy to renal failure) in 85 patients with IDDM and end-stage renal disease.

Rhinoplasty patients' critical self-evaluations of their noses.

Many applicants for cosmetic rhinoplasty do not appear to have grossly deformed noses. This study was undertaken to determine the accuracy of nasal evaluations in a group of 20 female cosmetic rhinoplasty patients, before and after surgery, relative to a matched nonrhinoplasty control group composed of 25 subjects. Self-assessments and surgeon assessments were obtained for both groups.

Crossing new bridges: the process of adaptation and psychological distress of Russian immigrants in Israel.

Between the end of 1989 and June 1992, 380,152 Russian Jews left the former Soviet Union for Israel, swelling Israel's Jewish population by nearly 10%. Absorbing great waves of immigrants was not new to Israel. Since its establishment in 1948 and the enactment of its Law of Return, large population groups from dozens of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds had immigrated into the country.

Pathogenesis of cognitive complaints in patients on hemodialysis.

Memory-concentration complaints are a common symptom among end-stage renal disease patients receiving hemodialysis. However, assuming an organic basis for these complaints might lead to unnecessary and expensive testing. To further explore the etiology of cognitive complaints, this study examined the contribution of demographic, neuropsychological, medical, affective, and personality variables to memory-concentration complaints in 426 hemodialysis patients.

The impact of culture on perceptions of patient-physician satisfaction.

One of the focal points of the present study was to gain further understanding about whether cultural differences among cancer patients influence the satisfaction of patients with their physicians. The study population comprised randomly selected ambulatory cancer patients at the Sharett Institute of Oncology. Of the 450 patients in the study, 200 were veteran Israelis and most of the other 250 patients were immigrants from the former Soviet Union who arrived in Israel during the past 4 years.

Psychological distress in female cancer patients with Holocaust experience.

This study examined whether severe emotional and physical trauma in the past affects the psychological condition of female patients currently afflicted with cancer. Using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), 41 women with cancer, who had sustained extreme trauma during the Nazi Holocaust of the midcentury, were compared with three different groups: a matched group of cancer patients without Holocaust experience, a physically healthy group of female Holocaust survivors, and healthy women without a Holocaust past. Although psychological distress was comparable in the two healthy groups, it was far higher in Holocaust cancer patients than in either their non-Holocaust counterparts or in the group of healthy Holocaust survivors.

Progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery in cancer patients.

The aim of this study was to gather information on the immediate and long-term effects of six sessions of group Progressive Muscle Relaxation with Guided Imagery on the psychological distress of self-referred cancer patients. Patients' psychological distress and coping with cancer were assessed by three self-reports: the Multiple Locus of Control, the Impact of Events Scale (IES), and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Of the 123 patients who started group therapy, 37 dropped out during its course.

Israeli adolescents' norms of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI).

The internal consistency and concurrent validity of a Hebrew version of Derogatis' Brief Symptom Index (BSI) were assessed in a sample of 840 high school students from three different towns in Israel. The results show high levels of internal consistency and good concurrent validity of the Hebrew version. The type of high school and the country of origin of the subjects' parents had no significant effect on BSI scores.

Holocaust cancer patients: a comparative study.

There is as yet no consensus on the long-term effects of severe life-threatening stresses. In an earlier study (Baider et al. 1992), we gained some understanding of this issue by addressing a specific question: How do individuals who have undergone severe stress in the past cope with a current stress? We investigated whether severe stress occurring in the past had a long-term effect on present coping capabilities.

Adjustment to illness and dropout of chemotherapy.

The study compares the adjustment to illness of a group of 53 cancer patients who dropped out of chemotherapy with a matched group of 53 cancer patients who completed their treatment. The patients were treated in five oncological institutes in Israel. We found differences both in the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS) and Brief Symptom Inventory Scale (BSI).

Group therapy with adolescent cancer patients.

This preliminary study assessed the psychologic distress and group psychotherapy of a small group of adolescents and young adults with cancer. A strong relationship was found between the patients' and parents' amount of psychologic distress. It seems that youngsters with cancer in active medical treatment (as well as their parents) use more denial and that psychotherapy increases psychologic distress.

Gender and adjustment to chronic disease. A study of couples with colon cancer.

The adjustment of 39 couples in which one partner has cancer of the colon was assessed. The main findings were that the adjustment of male patients was superior to that of female patients. In the spouses' group the opposite was found, namely the adjustment of husbands was far worse than that of wives of cancer patients.