The impact of chronic bupropion on plasma cotinine and on the subjective effects of ad lib smoking: a randomized controlled trial in unmotivated smokers.

Bupropion is an efficacious non-nicotine medication for smoking cessation; however, its cessation-mediating mechanism is unclear. This randomized, placebo-controlled trial examined the effect of bupropion SR (300 mg/day for 6 weeks) on plasma cotinine and on the subjective effects of smoking in 24 current daily smokers who were not trying to quit or reduce smoking. Subjective effects of smoking, as well as cue-elicited responses were assessed at bi-weekly experimental sessions using validated scales.

Sex differences in hormonal responses to a social stressor in chronic major depression.

Background: Acute depression has been associated with increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) reactivity. While chronicity of depressive illness influences symptoms, course and outcome, its effect on the HPA axis has not been extensively evaluated. The current study evaluated cortisol stress responses to a social challenge in chronic major depressive disorder (CMDD).

Depression and the workplace: a progress report.

There has been considerable interest recently in the relationship between depression and the workplace. This interest is driven by the growing recognition that depressive disorders are highly prevalent in the workplace and have an enormously negative impact on performance, productivity, absenteeism, and disability costs. A variety of clinical research with occupational-related samples has helped to define those at risk for depression and has led to a better understanding of the overlap of the construct of clinical depression with more longstanding occupational health and organizational psychology models such as stress, burnout, and job satisfaction.

The interactive functioning of anxiety and depression in agonistic encounters and reconciliation.

This paper explores the well-known overlap of anxiety and depressive symptoms in mood and anxiety disorders. We suggest that the regulation of both negative and positive affects has served important adaptive functions (especially for coping with threats, losses, failures and defeats), and that in some contexts both affect systems require regulation at the same time (e.g.

Usage and longitudinal effectiveness of a Web-based self-help cognitive behavioral therapy program for panic disorder.

Background: Anxiety disorders are common problems that result in enormous suffering and economic costs. The efficacy of Web-based self-help approaches for anxiety disorders has been demonstrated in a number of controlled trials. However, there is little data regarding the patterns of use and effectiveness of freely available Web-based interventions outside the context of controlled trials.

A PET provocation study of generalized social phobia.

In an investigation of the neural circuits that may mediate the subjective experience of social phobia (SP), six male patients with a primary DSM-IV diagnosis of generalized social phobia watched, in the presence of a group of "communication experts," a videotape of themselves giving an impromptu talk (Exposure condition). In the control Baseline condition, they viewed a videotape of a socially competent stranger giving a talk. Regional cerebral blood flow was measured thrice under each condition.

The 5-factor model of personality and antidepressant medication compliance.

Objective: Medication noncompliance is a significant problem for effective pharmacologic treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Attempts to explore predictors of compliance have primarily focused on demographic characteristics; for the most part, these have been shown to be unrelated to compliance. Conversely, the relation between personality characteristics and compliance has been relatively understudied.

Hypnosis, memory, and frontal executive functioning.

According to the dissociated-control hypothesis forwarded by Woody and Bowers (1994), the effects of hypnosis are consistent with attenuated frontal lobe functioning. The present study was designed to compare the performance of participants with high and low hypnotic ability on a variety of memory tasks thought to be sensitive to frontal lobe functioning, as well as some control memory tasks not considered to be sensitive to such functioning. Results generally indicated that participants with high hypnotic ability have more difficulty with tasks sensitive to frontal lobe functioning, including free recall, proactive interference, and source amnesia tasks, both within and outside of the context of hypnosis.

A Web-based screening instrument for depression and anxiety disorders in primary care.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders are common and result in considerable suffering and economic loss. People suffering from major depressive disorder and/or anxiety disorders are commonly encountered in the primary care setting. Unfortunately, most people with these disorders remain either untreated or inadequately treated; current data suggest that general practitioners fail to diagnose up to half of cases of major depressive disorder or anxiety.

The impact of anxiety disorders on educational achievement.

Anxiety disorders typically have an age of onset in childhood and adolescence, resulting in significant disability in social and occupational functioning. Epidemiological evidence suggests that persons with psychiatric disorders and perhaps especially social phobia are at increased risk for premature withdrawal from school [Am. J.

Quality of life and the anxiety disorders.

Quality of life (QoL) is a concept that has become increasingly used in mental health care. Recent studies have compared the impact of different anxiety disorders on different domains of QoL; however, instruments generally used to assess QoL in this population have varying specificity, considerable redundancy, and occasionally inappropriate content. Three hundred and sixty consecutive admissions to an anxiety disorders clinic were assessed.

Learning needs of patients with congestive heart failure.

Background: It is suggested that more effective and efficient educational intervention can be created by matching the program to patient learning needs. Previous attempts to determine the learning needs of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) find all types of information endorsed as very important to learn.

Objectives: To increase differentiation between patients' ratings of information needs by modifying the CHF Patient Learning Needs Inventory (CHFPLNI) and examined predictors of learning needs.

A confirmatory factor analysis of a self-report version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale.

One of the most popular measures of social phobia is the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS; Liebowitz, 1987). The LSAS is a 24-item semi-structured interview measure of fear and avoidance experienced in a range of social and performance situations. Recently, the LSAS has been modified to a self-report version (LSAS-SR) by several independent groups (Cox, Ross, Swinson, & Direnfeld, 1998; Fresco et al.

Does SSRI augmentation with antidepressants that influence noradrenergic function resolve depression in obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Background: Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) often coexists with major depressive disorder (MDD). Serotonergic antidepressant medications have emerged as the treatment of choice for both OCD and MDD. In the usual course of events, both the patient's OCD and depressive symptoms improve in parallel following initiation of serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) treatment for OCD.