{"title":"Measurement of subjective variables: the Discan method.","authors":"A C Singh, C D Bilsbury","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":75416,"journal":{"name":"Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. Supplementum","volume":"347 ","pages":"1-38"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1989-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13902373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Torture of a Norwegian ship's crew. The torture, stress reactions and psychiatric after-effects.","authors":"L Weisaeth","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During the summer of 1984, 14 seamen, the entire crew of a Norwegian ship, were seized upon arrival in Libya. They were kept under arrest for 67 days and subjected to psychological and physical torture because they were suspected of being enemies of the Libyan state. Within the first few days of imprisonment one seaman had been murdered, another had been abducted and was believed to be dead, and a third had been severely physically maltreated. The immediate reactions to the extreme stress were fear, depression and rage. Not a single seaman gave in to the torture. Shortly after their release, all the seamen underwent thorough medical examinations. Six of them suffered from clear-cut post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and one more seaman developed the disorder two months later. In spite of comprehensive treatment, the same seven sailors, or 54% of the crew, still suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder six months after their release. Used in conjunction with clinical interview, general mental status rating scales (GHQ 20, STAI, State Anxiety Inventory), and specific post-traumatic rating scales (Amnesty Score, IES intrusion subscale, PTSS-10) had a high sensitivity and specificity in discriminating between cases and non-cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":75416,"journal":{"name":"Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. Supplementum","volume":"355 ","pages":"63-72"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1989-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13765256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Suicide prevention and antidepressants. Proceedings of a symposium of the 15th meeting of the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Brussels, June 1989.","authors":"","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":75416,"journal":{"name":"Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. Supplementum","volume":"354 ","pages":"1-71"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1989-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13732724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A study of behavioural responses to an industrial disaster.","authors":"L Weisaeth","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Based upon 7 response variables we categorized the impact behaviour of 123 industrial employees who had been exposed to a disastrous factory explosion and had survived without suffering severe injuries. The subjects were personally examined and the data controlled by cross-interviews shortly after the disaster. In the analysis the subjects were divided into a high stress (n = 64) and a medium stress exposure group (n = 59) based upon their closeness to the explosion centre. The 7 variables were cognitive function, inadequate behaviour, help received, leadership, cooperative activity, absolute and relative rescue efforts. While about 50% of the total number reported some disturbance in their cognitive control, and 34% of the high stress exposure group experienced a near total loss of cognitive control, severe inadequate behaviour did not occur. Modelling and corrective social interactions may have played an important role in this. Still, 20% of the high stress exposure group had some behavioural response that increased the risk to their life or that of others. The 7 scores were added to an index and cut-off points established to separate 3 different groups of behavioural responses: 29% of the high stress group displayed Maladaptive Disaster Behaviour; inhibited behaviour and uncontrolled flight behaviour dominated in this group. Adaptive Disaster Behaviour was rated in 34% and Optimal Disaster Behaviour in 37%. The following background variables correlated strongly to Optimal Disaster Behaviour: high level of disaster training/experience, male sex, age above 40, maritime occupational background, above average intellectual ability, a life history without mental health problems. A discriminant analysis with 8 variables predicted correctly whether the response would be Optimal or less than that in 84% of the 121 subjects tested in the analysis. A high level of disaster training/experience yielded an overall correct prediction rate of 63.6%, and a sensitivity of 81%, specificity of 85.9% and positive predictive power of 70.7% in predicting Optimal Disaster Behaviour.</p>","PeriodicalId":75416,"journal":{"name":"Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. Supplementum","volume":"355 ","pages":"13-24"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1989-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13766955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The stressors and the post-traumatic stress syndrome after an industrial disaster.","authors":"L Weisaeth","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute and subacute post-traumatic stress reactions are reported among 246 employees of an industrial factory which was severely damaged by an explosion and fire. Sixty-six A-subjects had narrow escape experiences (high stress exposure group), while 59 B-subjects were less severely exposed (medium stress exposure group). The 121 C-subjects were not present at work when the explosion occurred (low stress exposure group). A response rate of 97.6% was achieved at the primary examination, and a 100% response at the 7 months follow-up. The frequency and intensity of post-traumatic stress reactions were linked to the severity (A,B,C) of the stress exposure; specific post-traumatic anxiety reactions reported by more than 80% of A-subjects. The reactions appeared immediately or within hours, only 5% of A had delays of a few weeks. While 24.3% of A had State Anxiety Inventory scores 1 week post-disaster higher than 60, 8.5% of B and 2.5% of C had similar scores. Depressive reactions, social withdrawal, guilt, shame and irritability were less frequent, and appeared nearly always concomitant with anxiety symptoms. While the anxiety symptoms made up a tight knit syndrome, the less frequent non-anxiety symptoms were linked to the post-traumatic anxiety syndrome. The subjects' fears reflected the trauma, they feared inanimate objects, and there were hardly any paranoid ideations. The disaster exposure of the A and B but not of the C group members constituted a stressor which fulfilled the PTSD stressor criterion of the DSM III R. A minority of the C group developed a post-traumatic stress syndrome. After 7 months, all 30 post-traumatic stress reactions were more frequent and severe in the A than B group which again differed from the C group. Irritability was the only post-traumatic stress reaction that increased in frequency and intensity during the 7 months observation period. The findings represent evidence that supports the face validity, descriptive and construct validity of the PTSD diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":75416,"journal":{"name":"Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. Supplementum","volume":"355 ","pages":"25-37"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1989-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13766957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Importance of high response rates in traumatic stress research.","authors":"L Weisaeth","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Non-response and psychological resistance, i.e. degree of unwillingness to undergo the primary examination (screening), and its implications for estimation of PTSD prevalences was measured in a longitudinal study of 246 employees exposed to an industrial disaster (explosion/fire). Resistance including refusal, was measured by counting the number of contacts needed in the calling-in procedure to secure cooperation. Resistance to the primary examination related to severity of exposure (24.2% in the high exposure versus 6.8% in the medium exposure and 4.2% in the low exposure group). If those who initially resisted had been lost to the 7 month follow-up the total response rate would have been 82.8%, with an estimated frequency of high PTSS scores of 15. By increasing the response rate to 100%, the true prevalence of high PTSS scores increase to 22.4%. The initial resistance related strongly (P less than 0.001) to the severity of outcome at 7 months. The potential loss to the follow-up would have included 42% of the PTSD cases, and 64% of the severe PTSD cases would have fallen out, resulting in distorted prevalence rates of PTSD. The high potential loss to follow-up in the high exposure category would reduce the predictor value of belonging to that exposure group. The initial resistance in many who later developed PTSD was found to relate to the psychological defences such as avoidance against the re-experiences in the acute post-traumatic stress syndrome. For traumatic stress studies on the after-effects of shock traumas the implication of findings is that response rates need to be high. For primary and secondary prevention the implication may be that early outreach must be very active.</p>","PeriodicalId":75416,"journal":{"name":"Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. Supplementum","volume":"355 ","pages":"131-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1989-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13766956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Healthy students as adult citizens (mental health of the Finnish student. Follow-up, report V).","authors":"R Holmström","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The longitudinal research project dealing with the mental health of Finnish students was started in the year 1965. This paper is the fifth follow-up report from research phase III. It describes the most healthy subgroup by contrasting it with the ill subgroup. Time and sex as well as external and internal reality are essential aspects of this comparison between the healthy and the ill. Differences between the healthy and the ill have been described in terms of a) external facts, b) background information (phases I and II) and c) subjective inner feelings. The special character of mental health and illness in men and women is also discussed from several points of view. In the attempt to interpret the extensive body of data and to give it a coherent shape, one general hypothesis which has been formed is that women tend to be characterized by a greater 'mobility' between the more mature, adult level and an earlier one, reaching back all the way to the oral aspects of the dyadic relationship. Such mobility and flexibility has both its advantages and its disadvantages. The specific aspects of women's difficulties are easily obscured by the duality of the roles taken on by the woman, and the great difference between them - that of adult woman and that of mother. In particular the maternal role easily comes to mask problematic early elements, which under subsequent conditions of stress may be activated. The male personality is more definite and clearcut in this respect, but by the same token also more rigid.</p>","PeriodicalId":75416,"journal":{"name":"Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. Supplementum","volume":"351 ","pages":"1-27"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1989-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13954135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}