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Although personality strengths are assessed frequently in occupational and managerial settings and in children, they have been less used in studies of personality disorder. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of a measure of personality strengths derived from the comprehensive version of the Personality Assessment Schedule (CPAS) (i.e., positive and reinforcing traits) on clinical symptoms and functioning. Eighty‐nine patients with anxiety and depression seen at the 30‐year follow‐up point in a cohort study (Nottingham Study of Neurotic Disorder) were administered the Comprehensive version of the PAS (CPAS). A factor analysis of the results determined the main groupings and their impact on long‐term outcomes as well as their association with change of outcomes over 30 years. Five positive factors (strengths), forceful considerateness, emotional toughness, cautiousness, independence and discernment accounted for 67.2% of the variance using both Varimax and Promax rotations. Low positive scores were strongly associated with suicide attempts, moderate/severe personality disorder, cothymia (mixed anxiety‐depression), greater symptomatology and poor social function. High scores were protective of serious pathology and particularly effective in inhibiting suicidal behaviour. The promotion of personality strengths may be of value in preventing suicidal behaviour and helping pro‐social change in those with personality disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) is a widely used measure of optimism and pessimism, with three positively worded and three negatively worded content items. This study examined the structural validity and invariance, internal consistency reliability, and convergent and divergent validity of the English and Spanish versions of the LOT-R among Hispanic Americans. A community sample of Hispanic Americans ( N = 422) completed self-report measures, including the LOT-R, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, in their preferred language of English or Spanish. Based on the literature, four structural models were tested: one-factor, oblique two-factor, orthogonal two-factor method effects with positive specific factor, and orthogonal two-factor method effects with negative specific factor. Baseline support for both of the English and Spanish versions was not achieved for any model; in all models, the negatively worded items in Spanish had non-significant factor loadings. Therefore, the positively worded three-item optimism subscale of the LOT-R was examined separately and fit the data, with factor loadings equivalent across language-preference groups. Coefficient alphas for the optimism subscale were consistent across both language-preference groups (αs = .61 [English] and .66 [Spanish]). In contrast, the six-item total score and three-item pessimism subscale demonstrated extremely low or inconsistent alphas. Convergent and divergent validity were established for the optimism subscale in both languages. In sum, the optimism subscale of the LOT-R demonstrated minimally acceptable to good psychometric properties across English and Spanish language-preference groups. However, neither the total score nor the pessimism subscale showed adequate psychometric properties for Spanish-speaking Hispanic Americans, likely due to translation and cultural adaptation issues, and thus are not supported for use with this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both psychological type and religious orientation have provided tools for understanding the make-up of church congregations and for examining the extent to which different styles of church services may appeal to distinct congregational profiles; however the relationship between the two instruments is relatively little studied to date. Some 390 individuals who attended a Christmas carol service in a Church of England cathedral completed both the Francis Psychological Type Scales and the New Indices of Religious Orientation. Higher Quest scores were found among Intuitive types than Sensing types, replicating an earlier finding by Ross and Francis. Unlike the earlier study, the present survey also identified significantly higher Quest scores for perceiving rather than judging types. A further comparison of the combined SJ type with the remainder of the sample showed the former to have lower Quest scores. The findings are discussed and suggestions made for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The authors tested three possible pathways linking prenatal maternal depressive symptoms to adolescent depressive symptoms. These pathways went through childhood Irritability Symptoms, Anxiety/Depressive Symptoms or Conduct Problems. Method Data were collected from 3,963 mother-child pairs participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Measures include maternal depressive symptoms (pre- and postnatal); toddler temperament (2 years); childhood (7-13 years) irritability symptoms, anxiety/depressive symptoms, conduct problems, and adolescent depressive symptoms (16 years). Results Irritability Symptoms: This pathway linked sequentially - prenatal maternal depressive symptoms, toddler temperament (high perceived intensity and low perceived adaptability), childhood irritability symptoms, and adolescent depressive symptoms. Anxiety/Depressive symptoms: This pathway linked sequentially - prenatal maternal depressive symptoms, toddler temperament (negative perceived mood), childhood anxiety/depressive symptoms, and adolescent depressive symptoms. Childhood conduct problems were not associated with adolescent depressive symptoms, above and beyond irritability symptoms and anxiety/depressive symptoms. Conclusions Results suggest evidence for two distinct developmental pathways to adolescent depressive symptoms that involve specific early and midchildhood features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provision of borderline personality disorder (BPD) awareness workshops was a direct result of consultations with service users and carers in Somerset, which identified the need for local education and training. An interactive and interpersonal model of delivery was used that aimed to increase knowledge and understanding of BPD. The evaluation included a specifically developed self-report measure called e-KALM. Following positive evaluation from service users and carers, further workshops have been completed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study uses data from an online survey of parish churches carried out in 2013 for the Church of England. It obtained a sample of 1480 clergy, mainly stipendiary. As expected from previous studies, there were relatively high frequencies of psychological types marked by introversion, intuition, feeling, and judging. Gender differences were small. Clergy also provided self-assessments of their abilities in a number of areas related to parish ministry. Personality has substantial effects on these leadership strengths, although the types that have positive associations are often not those most commonly found among Anglican clergy. A single scale can be created for most of the qualities (including managing, motivating, innovating, etc.), but empathising and connecting do not belong on the same dimension. If clergy are to be deployed effectively, it may be desirable to distinguish between positions calling for good general leaders and those where the emphasis is on pastoral work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently diagnosed concurrently with a personality disorder (PD) in adulthood. Both are trait-like chronic disorders with substantial similarities. Aim: To measure the accuracy of the International Personality Disorder Examination screening questionnaire (IPDE-SQ) in identifying ADHD in adults from a psychiatric population. Method: Participants (n = 119) from mental health services completed an ADHD interview and the IPDE-SQ. Main results: Although many IPDE-SQ subscales demonstrated good sensitivity in identifying ADHD, a potential 11-item scale from IPDE-SQ components had excellent sensitivity (84%) and specificity (82%). Conclusions: An 11-item subscale from the IPDE-SQ shows potential as a screening instrument for ADHD in an adult psychiatric population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that personality pathology has been associated with the onset and continued perpetration of intimate partner violence, yet if and how this relates to the cessation of such behaviours remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether personality pathology differentiated 37 intimate partner violent men who had suspended the use of violence against their intimates ('desisters'), 50 persisters, and 49 non-violent controls using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III subscales. Cluster A and Cluster B disorders at a diagnostic level were more often reported in men who had used violence against intimates compared to men in the control group. The rates and percentages of clinically meaningful traits and disorders were lower for the desisters than the persisters, with the desisters more like the controls than the persisters. The findings suggest that the initial stage of the desistance process may be related to personality pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigated whether a group of firesetters ( n = 68) could be distinguished, psychologically, from a matched group of non-firesetting offenders ( n = 68). Method: Participants completed measures examining psychological variables relating to fire, emotional/self-regulation, social competency, self-concept, boredom proneness, and impression management. Official prison records were also examined to record offending history and other offense-related variables. A series of MANOVAs were conducted with conceptually related measures identified as the dependent variables. Follow-up discriminant function and clinical cut-off score analyses were also conducted to examine the best discriminating variables for firesetters. Results: Firesetters were clearly distinguishable, statistically, from non-firesetters on three groups of conceptually related measures relating to: fire, emotional/self-regulation, and self-concept. The most successful variables for the discrimination of firesetters determined via statistical and clinical significance testing were higher levels of anger-related cognition, interest in serious fires, and identification with fire and lower levels of perceived fire safety awareness, general self-esteem, and external locus of control. Conclusions: Firesetters appear to be a specialist group of offenders who hold unique psychological characteristics. Firesetters are likely to require specialist treatment to target these psychological needs as opposed to generic offending behavior programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the impact of personality disorder (PD) on the health of people living in the community. The authors set out to examine the association between PD and general health, using a cross-sectional survey of a representative community sample in London, UK. A total of 1,698 adults aged 16 years or over from 1,075 randomly selected households were recruited and interviewed face-to-face by trained interviewers. Using multivariable logistic regression, the authors examined the cross-sectional association between PD screen status, as assessed by the Standardised Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS), and self-rated health, adjusting for demographic and health covariates. Of the participants, 14.5% screened positively for PD. A greater proportion of those scoring positively for PD reported poor self-rated health, compared to screen negative participants (41.3% versus 15.0%). This association was reduced, but remained significant, after adjustment for potential confounders (unadjusted odds ratio (OR) = 3.99, 95% CI [2.93, 5.42]; fully adjusted OR = 1.53, 95% CI [1.02, 2.29]. Of note, subthreshold symptoms of PD were significantly associated with poor self-rated health (unadjusted OR per unit SAPAS score increment = 1.53, 95% CI [1.40, 1.67]; fully adjusted OR = 1.19, 95% CI [1.07, 1.33]. Furthermore, people screening positive for PD were more likely to report multiple (three or more) long-standing illnesses. The authors conclude that in the general population, individuals who are at high risk for PD are independently at increased risk of poor general health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background A model of psychologically informed offender management for high risk of harm offenders with personality disorder (PD) was piloted, in which NHS psychologists worked alongside London probation staff. Aim The aim of the study was to evaluate the initiatives taken to develop probation staff's capability to work effectively with the group of offenders. Method Self-report measures assessing competency for working with PD and team climate were administered to the probation staff ( N = 150) at baseline and at 1 year follow-up. At follow-up, qualitative data was also collected from a subset of Public Protection Unit staff ( N = 17), evaluating their experience of the project. Results The probation staff significantly improved across a range of generic and forensic PD-related competencies. The largest improvements were found in the Public Protection Unit, which received the highest level of support. There was also a significant improvement in one facet of team climate (team vision). The qualitative findings suggested that the primary areas of skills development were in the participants' understanding of PD and their capacity to identify PD and to develop treatment and management pathways. Conclusions The results provide evidence for the effectiveness of the project model that supports its implementation on a broader scale. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the power of the five-factor model of personality to explain individual differences recorded on measures of the three religious orientations, a sample of 198 adults in England completed established measures of the three religious orientations (intrinsic, extrinsic, and quest) and the big five personality factors (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness). The data demonstrated that individual differences in the three religious orientations were largely independent of the five personality factors, apart from a significant positive correlation between intrinsic religiosity and agreeableness. These findings support Piedmont's contention that religiosity is largely independent of personality when personality is operationalised in terms of the big five factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing the New Indices of Religious Orientation (NIRO), this study examines the theory that different religious orientations are related to individual differences in psychological type as developed by Carl Jung and operationalized by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Data provided by 481 weekly churchgoing Christians who completed the MBTI and the NIRO demonstrated that quest religious orientation scores were higher among intuitives than among sensers, but were unrelated to introversion and extraversion, thinking and feeling, or judging and perceiving; that intrinsic religious orientation scores were higher among extraverts than introverts, higher among sensers than intuitives and higher among feelers than thinkers, but unrelated to judging and perceiving; and that extrinsic religious orientation scores were unrelated to any of the four components of psychological type. The findings relating to Jungian psychological type differences are applied in order to elucidate the psychological significance of extrinsic, intrinsic, and quest orientations to religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies concerning the changing landscapes of religiosity and spirituality in the lives of young people in England and Wales draw attention to decline in traditional religiosity and to growth in alternative spiritualities. The present study examined whether such alternative spiritualities occupy the same personality space as traditional religiosity. A sample of 2,950 13- to 16-year-old pupils attending 11 secondary schools in England and Wales completed the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity and an index of paranormal belief, alongside the abbreviated-form Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised. The data demonstrated that these two forms of belief were related in different ways to Eysenck's dimensional model of personality space. While attitude toward Christianity occupied the space defined by low psychoticism scores (tendermindedness) and high lie scale scores (social conformity), paranormal belief was related to high psychoticism scores (toughmindedness) and was independent of lie scale scores. These findings support the view that alternative spiritualities may be associated with different personalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sample of 122 female students attending a Pentecostal Bible College in England completed Form G (Anglicised) of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The data demonstrated preferences for extraversion over introversion, for sensing over intuition, for feeling over thinking, and for judging over perceiving. The predominant type was ISFJ (16%), followed by ESFJ (12%). Comparison with the population norms demonstrated an over-representation of intuitives among this sample of Bible College students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advocates of the secularization thesis describe radical decline in the significance of the Christian tradition among young people in England. In this context, a sample of 5,808 pupils age 11 to 15 years provided data about their religious identity and practice and completed the short-form Revised Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (as a measure of psychological health) and the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity (as a measure of their affective commitment to the Christian tradition). The data showed that half of the pupils retained some connection with the Christian tradition and that a positive attitude toward Christianity was associated both with lower psychoticism scores and with higher neuroticism scores. There is evidence, therefore, to link a positive view of Christianity with some indicators of better psychological health (lower psychoticism) and with some indicators of poorer psychological health (higher neuroticism). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A random sample of 1,057 male stipendiary parochial clergy completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The data demonstrate that clergy serving in rural ministry tend to be more introverted, more socially conforming and less toughminded. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the shape of rural ministry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Alcohol craving is a key element of the alcohol dependence syndrome. However, there is a lack of consensus about the precise nature of craving and the most appropriate method of measurement. Alcohol urges measured by the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire showed a unidimensional structure and evidence of validity and reliability in a US clinical population. The main aim of this study was to establish the validity of the AUO in an untreated UK clinical population, and its relationships to drinking and personality factors. Subjects All subjects (n = 80) were alcohol-dependent (DSM-IV) and presenting for pre-treatment assessment at a community alcohol team in South-west London. Method All subjects completed the AUO, Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADO), Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAB and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPO) and provided a breath specimen for alcohol analysis (BAL). Results Principal components analysis of AUQ revealed one factor which accounted for 69% of variance with high interitem correlations, and an alpha reliability of 0.93. AUO was significantly correlated with SADO, BAC, state and trait anxiety and negatively correlated with time since last drink. There were no significant correlations between AUO and any of the EPO subscales. SADQ was correlated with neuroticism, but not other EPO subscales. A regression analysis showed that only SADO, time since last drink and BAL were significant predictors of alcohol urges. Conclusions This study confirmed the AUQ factor structure and provided further evidence for the validity of AUQ. The relationship between BAL and urges deserves further research. The results did not support the contention that anxiety and personality factors predict urges when drinking-related variables, which also predict urges, are controlled for. The AUQ is a useful measure for clinical and experimental alcohol craving research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the relationship between personality and public and personal religiosity among a sample of women. Eysenck's dimensional model of personality suggests that individual differences can be most adequately summarized in terms of the three orthogonal dimensions of extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism. Early attempts to locate religiosity in Eysenck's model of personality focused unsuccessfully on extraversion and neuroticism. The article has three main conclusions. First, the size of the correlation between personal prayer and public church attendance confirmed that, although these two measures were closely related, they were not tapping the same dimension of religiosity. Second, the EPQR-A functioned reliably for the 16- to 18-year-old age group, with satisfactory alpha coefficients for short scales, although the Psychoticism scale was less satisfactory than the extraversion and the neuroticism subscales. Third, the correlations between the psychoticism scores and the two measures of religiosity were both in the hypothesized direction and slightly significant, although neither extravers ion nor neuroticism was significantly correlated with personal prayer or public church attendance.

The Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was given to 457 boys and 431 girls in Austria. Factor comparisons indicated that the dimensions of psychoticism, extraversion, neuroticism, and social desirability were identical in Austria and in England. Minimal item changes were required to produce a viable Austrian scoring key with satisfactorily high reliabilities for all dimensions except in the case of P for girls, which was somewhat weaker. Austrian norms indicated that boys score higher than girls on P and E but lower on N and L. Direct cross-cultural comparisons revealed few marked personality differences between Austrian and English children, there being a slight tendency for the former to score higher on psychoticism, extraversion and the lie scale but slightly lower on neuroticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that examines relationships between scores on the Dynamic Personality Inventory, psychological disturbance and academic performance. This study was administered in the 84 undergraduates who entered the School of Architecture at University College London, London, England in October 1964, 1965 and 1966. Results showed personality differences between health service users and non-users. Users reporting psychological symptoms have personality attributes similar to those which relate to academic success and similar to the qualities selected by the architecture department.

The article presents the study investigating the personal relevance and the choice of constructs for the repertory grid technique (RGT). According to the researchers, psychological tests revealed that the response depends on its personal relevance to the subject of the stimulus. The study was conducted with two groups of neurotic patients who were consecutively admitted to a therapeutic community unit at Claybury Hospital in London, England. Psychological tests includes Mill Hill Vocabulary Scale, Gough-Sanford Rigidity Scale, Hysteroid/Obsessoid Questionnaire, Symptom-Sign Inventory, and the adopted RGT.

The article focuses on the study about the use of the Maudsley Personality Inventory (M.P.I.) on university students. The main objective of the study was to determine how useful the M.P.I. was for forecasting the development of psychological symptoms as well as academic achievements. The M.P.I. was distributed twice, first in the first year and the retest approximately two and a half years later, to a sample of the 1960 intake of students at University College London. Analysis of the results indicated that the scores fluctuate with the clinical state of the subjects, and thus both neuroticism and extraversion scores of symptom-prone students are less reliable than the normal ones.

The article reports on the survey concerning the psychological problems of medical students in 1960. The students from the University College in London, England completed a specially designed questionnaire seeking details of health record at school, social and family factors, and parental attitudes. Results shows that one-third of the sample reported psychological symptoms. It was also observed that those judged more severely disturbed tended to report symptoms earlier. However, measures of personality and intelligence did not themselves correlate significantly with academic success.

The article examines the diagnostic and personality classifications of the pre-treatment scores of neurotic patients entering Forest and Orchard House at Claybury in London, England. During the study period, 77 patients were admitted but the ten of them were either transferred to the acute admission wards or left the community wards, and 29 were discharged as having completed their treatment process. Meanwhile, the diagnostic category assessment was assigned by consultant psychiatrist and the personality allocation was derived from ratings of their personality traits. Based on the results, changes at both the symptom and attitude-belief level as measured by the hysteria/obsessiod questionnaire were observed.

Provides information on a study which investigated the intelligence level and personality of drug users in Birmingham, England. Subjects and methodology of the study; Measures used for the intelligence tests and personality inventory; Discussion on the results of the study.

Information about the 5th Q conference held at Kings College, Durham University in Durham, England from October 26-28, 1989 is presented. It states that Donald J. Brenner, director of the Stephenson Research Center, School of Journal at the University of Missouri, was the program director of the conference. It outlines various papers presented during the course of the conference on topics including U.S. Foreign Policy, national interest in Korea, and Canadian identity.

The article presents a stability study of the Eysenck Personality Inventory, using samples of patients and non-patients drawn from the undergraduate population at Sussex University in England. The stability coefficient of a test is a contaminated test parameter which reflects both the error variance assessed by the dependability coefficient and the function constancy coefficient reflecting change in the factor being measured and hence not a test parameter at all. The results suggest either that neuroticism and extra version are less stable traits than is usually claimed, or that the test is an unsatisfactory measure of these traits.

The Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-J) was translated into Spanish and was completed by 436 boys and 405 girls from various schools from the southern area of Mexico City, aged 12.12 +/- 1.91 and 11.93 +/- 1.94 years, respectively. The aims of the study were firstly, to show that the factors of psychoticism (P), extraversion (E), neuroticism (N) and social desirability (L) were present and measurable in Mexico. Secondly, to present a valid scoring key for this country, with appropriate items and reasonably high alpha reliabilities. Finally, to make comparisons between Mexican and English children, using only items in common to both scoring keys. Results showed that factor comparisons ranged from 0.91 to 0.99. Sex differences were the usual ones found in most cross-cultural studies, i.e. boys scoring higher than girls on P and E, but lower on N and L. Cross-cultural comparisons found that Mexican children scored higher on E and L than their English counterparts, but lower (for girls only) on N. The four factors were deemed to be measurable in Mexico as well as in England.

Alcohol is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The prevention of alcohol problems would result in significant savings to the NHS and society. Screening is an important step in preventing problems. This study examines the costs of screening patients for alcohol problems. Over a 21-month period doctors, nurses and a specialist worker screened medical and orthopaedic admissions to the York District Hospital. A cost-effectiveness analysis of screening data was carried out. Costs were measured by time taken to screen and the relative costs of employing different occupational groups. Effects included the screening rates of each occupational group and those identified as at risk. Results suggested a greater positive case identification rate could be achieved by employing a specialist worker, but at greater cost. The cost-effectiveness evaluation helps clarify the resource consequences of a screening programme and can be a useful aid in the decision-making process.

The prevalence, nature, associations and outcome of psychiatric morbidity among four hundred and fifty severe general medical admissions are described. Affective disorder was diagnosed in 13 percent of men and 17 percent of women. It was associated with a history of previous psychiatric disorder and current social problems. Persistent affective disorder after discharge was associated with continuing medical and social problems. Alcohol problems were common in men, especially in those with social problems, and often went unrecognized by medical staff. Cognitive impairment was confined to the elderly and was associated with longer hospital stay and high mortality. Patients with emotional and cognitive disorder make considerable demands on medical, social and psychiatric services during and following admission. The implications for improved recognition and management of psychiatric morbidity in general medical patients are discussed.

Data are presented from a study of acculturation and psychiatric disorder in 291 Greek Cypriot immigrants from the general population of Camberwell, south London. We hypothesized that 'pre-acculturation' would protect against mental disorder, that difficulties in the period immediately after migration would increase the risk of disorder, and that disorder would be least common among those in the middle range of the acculturation spectrum. Of pre-acculturation factors, only previous knowledge of English was associated with reduced prevalence. Difficulties in the settling-in period were clearly related to current disorder. No relationship was apparent between present acculturation and disorder, but this disguised an interesting but unpredicted gender effect: in males, disorder was most prevalent in the highly acculturated; in females, in the least acculturated.

Of 40 depressed and anxious patients who received treatment during the Sheffield Psychotherapy Project, 31 completed the BDI and SCL-90 at two-year follow-up. At both group and individual levels, outcomes were very similar to those obtained at the completion of treatment. Substantial minorities of patients reported major life events and seeking further help for psychological problems during the two years, but these reports were not reliably associated with symptoms at follow-up. Patients recalled very different elements in prescriptive and exploratory therapies as helpful, with a notable emphasis upon prescriptive therapy's relaxation and anxiety management as a source of problem solution.

The use of logistic regression to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in community samples is illustrated here with data from a study of post-natal depression in 702 primiparous Cambridge mothers. The method is also used to validate the primary screening instrument (in this case the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale--EPDS), and to estimate the effects of cofactors, such as maternal age, previous psychiatric history and social class.

The 28-item GHQ was administered to 282 Punjabi and white British patients visiting two Health Centres in Bedford. We discovered that ethnicity is not significantly correlated with GHQ 'caseness', but that differences exist in somatic and depressive symptomatology. The discussion relates these findings to debates about the psychiatric morbidity of Asian immigrants and somatization.

The cost-efficiency of psychotherapy research can be enhanced by (a) dissemination of the rationale and design of large-scale investigations whilst still under way, (b) incorporation of process measures within comparative outcome studies, (c) cumulative development of a series of related studies, and (d) sharing of recordings and other data with other investigators. We present the rationale and design, including full details of process and outcome measures, of the second Sheffield psychotherapy project, in which 120 white-collar, professional and managerial employees presenting with major depressive disorder receive either eight or 16 sessions of either prescriptive (cognitive/behavioural) or exploratory (relationship-oriented) therapy in a 2 x 2 design. Ethical considerations prompted the analysis of preliminary outcome data on 48 clients. Results suggested substantial clinical improvement, of similar magnitude for both methods and both durations of treatment, except that exploratory therapy appeared more effective than prescriptive in relation to interpersonal difficulties. Other workers are invited to build collaboratively on this research by making their own process analyses of recordings available from this study, relating these analyses to the existing impact and outcome data, and developing comparable data sets based on the design and initial results of this project.

The Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ), a screening instrument developed for psychiatric disorders in developing countries, was administered to 149 mothers, half of whom where non-white, attending a well-baby clinic in Manchester, United Kingdom. Psychiatric interview confirmed that high scorers on the SRQ could be given DSM-III diagnoses of anxiety and depression, but the cut-off point on SRQ for being a definite psychiatric case was found to be 7/8, higher than previous validation studies. This was the same for Asians as well as white mothers. Comparison of somatic versus psychological scores between Asian and white mothers showed no significant difference across the range of total SRQ scores. Over half of the mothers who were psychiatric cases were attending their doctors and all the Asian women doing so were attending for somatic symptoms. This study suggests that when measured in a well-baby clinic, somatic and psychological symptoms are reported equally frequently by white and Asian immigrant women in the United Kingdom but somatic symptoms predominate when Asian women consult a doctor.

The rationale for a research-orientated approach to health visiting is discussed and the application of research material adapted from the behavioural sciences to the study of health visiting practice is considered. A study using the 'matched guise' technique was conducted to determine health visitor student attitudes to accent. The sample consisted of 72 female students from three colleges in the south east of England. Each set of students was randomly divided into a control and variable group. An actor read the stimulus material in four different guises: south east educated accent, Birmingham, Yorkshire and Asian accented English. The control group heard the prestige south east educated accent and the second group heard one of three other accents which acted as the variable. The subjects were then asked to rate the speaker's personality on 17 bipolar scales of personality traits. Significant results were obtained on the personality ratings, but this pattern did not reflect previous research findings. Overall subject scores showed that the speaker was rated as favourably when using the Birmingham, Yorkshire and south east accented English, but significantly less favourably when using the Asian accented English. The possible reasons for these results and the implications for health visiting are discussed.

A model for the systematic adaptation of psychological questionnaires for epidemiological use is presented. Application of the model is illustrated using variants of the Bortner Type A scale in a representative age/sex stratified sample of 256 persons. Through the application of the model the Bortner scale was adapted to compare the effects of scale direction, scale format and example position. Overall the Bortner scale was shown to provide robust measurement which was little affected by response rate, age, sex or by the adaptations of the scale. An association was found of sex with response rate. Interaction effects of sex and scale direction on mean Type A scores, and of example position and scale format on both response rate and Type A score variability were also found. In identifying critical aspects of questionnaire performance, and in providing a coherent framework for their interrelationship, the model acts as a guide to the systematic assessment of questionnaire performance. The use of this model will, therefore, facilitate greater confidence in the interpretation of questionnaire data in epidemiological studies.

Patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital in England were interviewed using both the Present State Examination (PSE) to obtain a standardized diagnosis and the Diagnostic interview for Borderlines (DIB) to measure their borderline status. Comparison of the patients' symptom profiles showed that borderline patients were similar to neurotic patients, but had greater irritability. They were also more likely to receive a clinical diagnosis of hysterical personality disorder with neurotic depression by a British clinician.

Two hundred adult patients aged 16-65 years scheduled to undergo operation under general anaesthesia in a Day Bed Unit were assessed for anxiety at the time of booking and on the day of operation. The nature of previous anaesthetic experience was the prime determinant of the anxiety scores obtained at booking. The score at booking was the prime determinant of the score on the day of operation, with previous experience and type of operation as secondary independent factors. Patients scheduled to undergo oral surgery were particularly anxious. Nineteen percent of patients would have liked to have received something to relieve their anxiety.

An individual's responses to Goldberg's 30-item General Health Questionnaire are usually represented as a single score which provides a measure of the number of psychiatric symptoms reported. No account is taken of the nature of the symptoms. Factor analyses of the GHQ-30 were undertaken in ten randomly selected samples of 600 adults each, and also on 12 age-sex groupings covering the age range 18-98. The results indicate an impressive degree of consistency of the factor structure, and the identification of five distinct factors corresponding to anxiety, feelings of incompetence, depression, difficulty in coping, and social dysfunction.

Twenty Asian psychiatric patients suffering from neurotic illness completed the Urdu version of the HAD Scale. The results were compared with the Clinical Interview Schedule. Somatic symptoms were significantly related to various measures of anxiety but not to those of depression. This finding contradicts the previously held view of linking somatic symptoms with the presentation of depression.

A 7% one-year prevalence rate of conspicuous psychiatric morbidity was found in patients attending a single general practice. The nature of the morbidity was examined by a detailed assessment of mental state and personality, using interview schedules administered by a psychiatrist. Depressive disorders were presented by nearly half of the patients. The overall sex incidence of the disorders was equal, but alcohol abuse was more common in males. A personality disorder was present in 33.9% of all patients seen, although it was rarely diagnosed as the primary problem and was linked to the diagnosis of anxiety states, rather than depressive neurosis. These findings are discussed in relation to other epidemiological studies in primary care.