Social Support Functions During a Slowly-Evolving Environmental Disaster: The Case of Amphibole Asbestos Exposure in Libby, Montana.

Previous research concluded that victims of rapid-onset natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes) receive and provide high levels of instrumental support.

The role of social toxicity in responses to a slowly-evolving environmental disaster: the case of amphibole asbestos exposure in Libby, Montana, USA.

Experiencing a disaster has significant negative effects on psychological adjustment. Case study accounts point to two consistent trends in slowly-evolving environmental disasters: (a) patterns of negative social dynamics, and (b) relatively worse psychological outcomes than in natural disasters. Researchers have begun to explicitly postulate that the social consequences of slowly-evolving environmental disasters (e.

A Typology of Communication Dynamics in Families Living a Slow-Motion Technological Disaster.

With increasing numbers of communities harmed by exposures to toxic substances, greater understanding of the psychosocial consequences of these technological disasters is needed. One community living the consequences of a slow-motion technological disaster is Libby, Montana, where, for nearly 70 years, amphibole asbestos-contaminated vermiculite was mined and processed. Former mine employees and Libby area residents continue to cope with the health consequences of occupational and environmental asbestos exposure and with the psychosocial challenges accompanying chronic and often fatal asbestos-related diseases (ARD).

Community-level social support responses in a slow-motion technological disaster: the case of Libby, Montana.

Social support is an important resource for communities experiencing disasters. However, a disaster's nature (rapid- versus slow-onset, natural versus technological) may influence community-level responses. Disaster research on social support focuses primarily on rapid-onset natural disasters and, to a lesser extent, rapid-onset technological disasters.

Studying the process of clinical communication: issues of context, concepts, and research directions.

Much cancer-related health communication research has involved studies of the effects of media campaigns and strategies on secondary prevention. Cancer diagnosis rates, however, continue to affect millions of people. The need exists for communication studies to address the quality of the clinical interaction, the point of actual care delivery in addressing diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.

Parents' Empathic Responses and Pain and Distress in Pediatric Patients.

We investigated the relationship between parents' empathic responses prior to their children undergoing cancer treatment procedures and children's pain/distress during the procedures. We hypothesized: (1) parents' empathic distress would be positively associated with children's pain/distress, (2) parents' empathic concern would be negatively associated with children's pain/distress; and (3) parents' enduring dispositions and social support would be associated with their empathic responses. Parents completed: (1) measures of dispositions and perceived social support several weeks before their children underwent the procedures, and (2) state measures of empathic distress and empathic concern just before the procedures.

Using social cognitive theory to explain consumers' behavioral intentions in response to direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.

Background: Previous research describing consumers' communication behaviors in response to direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) suggests a social cognitive rationale to explain DTCA-related communication behavior.

Objective: Guided by social cognitive theory, the objective of this study was to explore outcome expectancy and self-efficacy beliefs as predictors of individuals' intentions to communicate with their physicians about an advertised drug.

Methods: One hundred and seven female college students completed a questionnaire, read an advertisement for an oral contraceptive drug, and completed a second questionnaire.

Prescription drug abuse information in D.A.R.E.

This investigation was designed to examine prescription drug-related content and learning objectives in Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.

Parent communication and child pain and distress during painful pediatric cancer treatments.

Children with cancer often consider treatment procedures to be more traumatic and painful than cancer itself. Previous research indicates that parents' behavior before and during painful medical procedures influences children's distress level. Understanding parents' naturally occurring communication patterns is essential to identifying families in need of an intervention to enhance coping and emotional well-being.

Direct-to-consumer print ads for drugs: do they undermine the physician-patient relationship?

Background: Critics of direct-to-consumer print advertising for drugs (DTCA) contend it alters physician-patient communication by promoting greater patient participation and control. We assessed the nature of messages in print DTCA to identify potential guidelines they may provide to consumers for communicating with physicians.

Methods: We analyzed all unique advertisements (ie, excluded ads repeated across issues or magazines) in 18 popular magazines (684 issues) from January 1998 to December 1999 (n=225).

At the intersection of micro and macro: opportunities and challenges for physician-patient communication research.

The health care relationship model is undergoing dramatic change. Micro-level communication patterns yield health care relationship models (e.g.