What Makes for the Most Intense Regrets? Comparing the Effects of Several Theoretical Predictors of Regret Intensity.

Several theories have been proposed to account for variation in the intensity of life regrets. Variables hypothesized to affect the intensity of regret include: whether the regretted decision was an action or an inaction, the degree to which the decision was justified, and the life domain of the regret. No previous study has compared the effects of these key predictors in a single model in order to identify which are most strongly associated with the intensity of life regret.

Low-level experimental selenite additions decrease mercury in aquatic food chains and fish muscle but increase selenium in fish gonads.

We investigated whether low-level addition of selenium (Se) could decrease mercury (Hg) in freshwater fish without imposing Se toxicity. Using a regression design, selenite was added to large mesocosms in a lake to achieve target concentrations ≤1.6 μg/L.

Predictors of chronic trauma-related symptoms in a community sample of New Zealand motor vehicle accident survivors.

This study examined 1,500 New Zealand community-residing adults for involvement in serious motor vehicle accident (MVA) and the development of trauma-related symptomatology. The incidence of MVA was 11 %. More than 50 % of the accident victim sub-sample reported hyperarousal, with exaggerated startle, intrusive recollections, situational avoidance, emotional reactivity, and cognitive avoidance.

The impact of childhood sexual abuse on psychological distress among women in New Zealand.

Problems: In order to better understand the long-term impact of child sex abuse, this study examined the association between women's experience of abuse, health symptoms, and psychological distress in adulthood. There is limited information about child abuse outside the United States.

Methods: Nine hundred sixty-one women participated in a structured interview.

Improving the quality of cognitive behaviour therapy case conceptualization: the role of self-practice/self-reflection.

Background: CBT case conceptualization is considered to be a key competency. Prior to the publication in 2009 of Kuyken, Padesky and Dudley's book, little has been documented concerning methods for training conceptualization skills and the conceptualization process is usually perceived as predominantly an intellectual process. In this paper, the Declarative-Procedural-Reflective model of therapist skill acquisition provides a route to understanding how different kinds of knowledge systems can be integrated to enhance therapist skill acquisition.

Mild traumatic brain injury and fatigue: a prospective longitudinal study.

Primary Objective: To examine fatigue prevalence, severity, predictors and co-variates over 6 months post-mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI).

Research Design: Longitudinal prospective study including 263 adults with MTBI.

Procedures: Participants completed the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPSQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Short Form 36 Health Survey-Version 2 (SF-36v2).

The Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test (CUPIT): development, reliability, concurrent and predictive validity among adolescents and adults.

Aims: To describe the empirical construction and initial validation of the Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test (CUPIT), a brief self-report screening instrument for detection of currently and potentially problematic cannabis use.

Design: In a three-phase prospective design an item pool of candidate questions was generated from a literature review and extensive expert consultation. The CUPIT internal structure, cross-sectional and longitudinal psychometric properties were then systematically tested among heterogeneous past-year users.

Traumatic events and mental health in the community: a New Zealand study.

Background: Adverse mental health effects in response to a variety of distressing events in specific populations are well documented. However, comparatively little research has been conducted within large community samples outside North America.

Aims: To assess the prevalence and psychological impact of specific traumatic events in a New Zealand community sample.

Pacific women's decisions about exercise adoption: utilising the stage-of-exercise-adoption model.

Aims: To analyse the exercise patterns of Pacific women utilising the stage-of-exercise-adoption model, and to investigate how the pros and cons of exercising, exercise self-efficacy, self-reported health, and sociodemographic barriers to exercise influence exercise adoption.

Methods: A non-random questionnaire survey of 106 Pacific women living in the North Island of New Zealand.

Results: Thirty percent of the sample was sedentary, 34% were participating in some exercise, and 35% were exercising regularly.

Traumatic events and physical health in a New Zealand community sample.

Traumatic event exposure and physical health were examined in a community-residing sample of 1,500 New Zealand adults. Half (51%) reported past traumatic event exposure, 9% reported recent (past 12 months) trauma exposure, and 40% reported no exposure. After adjusting for gender, ethnic, and age differences, those experiencing crime and accident trauma exhibited significantly deteriorated physical health, as measured by current physical symptoms, chronic medical conditions, and chronic limitations in daily functioning.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and interpersonal functioning in Vietnam War veterans: a mediational model.

This study examines the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and interpersonal functioning in a New Zealand community sample of 756 Vietnam War veterans. The results support previous research findings showing that PTSD adversely affects veterans' interpersonal relationships, family functioning, and marital/dyadic adjustment and show that the effects of PTSD on family functioning and dyadic adjustment are mediated by severity of interpersonal problems. It is suggested that higher levels of PTSD affect the ability of veterans to initiate and maintain interpersonal relationships and that these interpersonal problems are evident in poorer levels of family functioning and poorer dyadic adjustment.

Self- and informant-ratings on the patient competency rating scale in patients with traumatic brain injury.

The Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS) provides self- and informant-ratings of everyday memory and gives a guide to patients' awareness of their difficulties. Research using the PCRS has focussed on groups with severe TBI and little is known about ratings of functioning in other severity groups or in a non-TBI population. In the current study the TBI group (n = 53) overrated their pre-accident competency compared to controls (n = 131).

Job-related tension, self-esteem and psychological distress in rehabilitation professionals.

We examined perceptions of job-related tension among a non-random sample of 52 New Zealand rehabilitation service providers. We considered the relations between job tension and psychological distress and the extent to which feelings of self-esteem moderated this relationship. Major findings are that (a) there is a consistent positive relationship between job tension and general psychological distress; (b) there is a consistent negative relationship between self-esteem and both job tension and general distress; (c) self-esteem moderates the effect of job tension on general distress in that high levels of job tension were associated with increases in psychological distress among respondents with low self-esteem while among respondents with high-self esteem, job-related tension had little negative impact on feelings of psychological distress.

A perspective on occupational concerns of rehabilitation service providers.

While the roles, functions and personality characteristics of rehabilitation service providers have been widely researched, much less is known about the correlates and consequences of occupational stress in these groups. In the present study measures of occupational stress, job tension, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and affective well-being were completed by 52 rehabilitation service providers drawn from a range of agencies in New Zealand. Respondents also completed two open-ended questions assessing significant stresses in their work and strategies whereby stress could be reduced.

Psychosocial aspects of chronic lower leg ulceration in the elderly.

The perceived health of a group of elderly people with chronic lower leg ulceration was compared with health perceptions of a matched group of controls. The perceived psychological well-being, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and social supports of the two groups were also compared. The people with leg ulceration described significantly more problems with activity and mobility, pain, and health worries and concerns than the control group.

Contextual issues for vocational placement coordinators: some preliminary findings.

While vocational placement is seen as an important component of the rehabilitation process, the experience of being a vocational placement officer has not been well documented in New Zealand. In the present study, previously developed and validated measures of occupational stress (defined as responsibility pressure, quality concern, role conflict, and job vs non-job conflict) and general life satisfaction were completed by 16 vocational placement officers employed by the Accident Compensation Corporation. Subjects also completed two open-ended questions assessing significant stresses in their work and strategies whereby stress could be reduced.

Alcohol knowledge and experience in children aged 9 and 11.

An interview study of New Zealand children initially aged 9 (n = 743) and at the second interview aged 11 (n = 795) investigated the children's knowledge and experience of alcohol. The majority had tried alcohol and, by age 11, over 40% had at least a sip or drink in a typical month. There were indications of a shift towards a more adult drinking pattern in that more children at age 11 drank from their own glass but no increase in the proportion of those with experience of drinking from age 9 to 11.

Impact of a handicapped child on mental health of parents.

In a cross sectional study the mental health of parents of physically and mentally handicapped preschool children was compared with that of parents of healthy preschool children. The social networks of the parents with handicapped children were also studied to determine factors that might influence psychiatric morbidity. The mothers of the handicapped children showed significantly more psychiatric morbidity than the control mothers, but the fathers did not show the same deleterious effect on mental health.

Aquatic acetylene-reduction techniques: solutions to several problems.

Previous methods of performing aquatic acetylene-reduction assays are described and several problems associated with them are discussed. A refinement of these older techniques is introduced and problems that it overcomes are also discussed. A depth profile of nitrogen fixation (C2H4 production), obtained by the refined technique, is shown for a fertilized Canadian Shield lake in the Experimental Lakes Area of northwestern Ontario.

Acetylene reduction assays for nitrogen fixation in freshwaters: a note of caution.

Lake water samples were observed to transform [14-C]ethylene into water-soluble compounds that were undetectable by conventional acetylene reduction assay procedures. Methane oxidizing bacteria, which are known to be common in freshwaters, appeared to be responsible for this activity. As much as 28 percent of added ethylene has been observed to be transformed and this figure is probably an underestimate.

Laryngeal dysfunction and the pulmonary syndrome of the newborn.

;The pulmonary syndrome of the newborn' is a term used for a complex group of lesions. It has been found that in the important forms of this disorder lesions of the larynx are very common, probably constant, and are ulcers of pressure type occurring on the vocal folds and ventricular bands (;true' and ;false' cords). Abnormal closure of the larynx, especially spasm, must be the cause of the ulceration.