Service utilization among veterans with schizophrenia and a comorbid anxiety disorder.

Objective: The objective was to assess the prevalence and impact of anxiety disorders on service utilization among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined diagnostic, utilization, and medication records included in the VHA National Psychosis Registry. Relationships between schizophrenia and anxiety disorders were evaluated along demographic and service utilization dimensions.

Self-efficacy and quality of life among people with bipolar disorder.

People with bipolar disorders report a lower quality of life than the general population does, and few mutable factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people with bipolar disorders have been identified. Using a cross-sectional design, these analyses examined whether self-efficacy was associated with mental and physical HRQoL in a sample of 141 patients with bipolar disorder who completed baseline assessments for two randomized controlled trials. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that higher levels of self-efficacy were associated with higher mental and physical HRQoL, after controlling for demographic factors and clinical factors (including mood symptoms, comorbid medical conditions, and substance use).

Pain conditions among veterans with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the rates of chronic, noncancer pain conditions in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) System.

Method: This cross-sectional study used administrative data extracted from VHA treatment records of all individuals receiving VHA services in fiscal year 2008 (N=5,195,551). The associations between severe psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) and chronic pain (arthritis, back pain, chronic pain, migraine, headache, psychogenic and neuropathic) were evaluated using a series of logistic regression analyses.

Indigenous perspectives on depression in rural regions of India and the United States.

Depression is a major health concern in India, yet indigenous Indian perspectives on depression have often been disregarded in favor of Western conceptualizations. The present study used quantitative and qualitative measures modeled on the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC) to elicit beliefs about the symptoms, causes, treatments, and stigma associated with depression. Data were collected from 92 students at a university in the Himalayan region of Northern India and from 97 students at a university in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States.

Negative life experiences and the development of cluster C personality disorders: a cognitive perspective.

Early negative experiences have long been thought to play an important role in the development of personality disorders. Most of the literature regarding these early life experiences has focused on borderline personality disorder, with only occasional focus on other personality disorders. Utilizing cognitive theory of personality disorders (Beck et al.

Does gender moderate associations among impulsivity and health-risk behaviors?

The present study explores the relations among gender, impulsivity and three health-risk behaviors relevant to young adults (tobacco use, alcohol problems and gambling problems) in a sample of 197 college-age individuals. We sought to determine whether impulsivity is associated with health-risk behaviors in the same ways for men and women. For tobacco use and gambling problems, men were at higher risk than women, and impulsivity was not significantly associated with higher risk.