Symptoms Of General Psychological Distress Research Articles

Hope attenuates the negative impact of general psychological distress on goal progress.

Symptoms of general psychological distress disrupt goal pursuit; however, not everyone is equally impacted by distress when pursuing goals. We tested whether hope, self-efficacy, and/or grit buffered the impact of symptoms of general psychological distress on longitudinal goal progress. Undergraduate students reported on these constructs and, 2 months later, their progress toward five personal goals (N = 117). Although greater levels of baseline psychological distress predicted less goal progress, the impact of psychological distress on goal progress was moderated by hope, β = .20, SE = 0.07, p < .01. More specifically, at higher hope, participants reported similar goal progress regardless of baseline distress symptoms, while at lower hope, baseline distress was negatively associated with goal progress. Hope may function as a buffer against the association between general psychological distress and impaired goal progress.

Factor Structure of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) Among Korean University Students

Background: The prevalence of mental health issues among university student populations is a growing concern. Therefore, a reliable standardized instrument is important for identifying students’ symptoms. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), a 12-item self-report measure, designed to screen for mental disorders in general practice and community settings, is a promising instrument. Although the GHQ-12’s underlying factor structure has been investigated internationally in a variety of settings, the best factor structure is still unclear in South Korea, particularly in university settings. Therefore, this study investigated the GHQ-12’s factor structure for a sample of South Korean university students. Methods: In this research, 504 undergraduate students participated; they were aged 18–28 years and attended a four-year university course in South Korea. The collected data were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which tested previously proposed factor structures for the GHQ-12, including single-factor, correlated two-factor, and three-factor models. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that Graetz’s three-factor model, representing anxiety and depression, social dysfunction, and loss of confidence, fitted the data better than a unidimensional model or correlated two-factor models. Reliability analysis showed that the total GHQ-12 had adequate internal consistency. . Conclusions: The current study suggests that Graetz’s three-factor solution provided the best fit to our data and that the Korean version of the GHQ-12 is a robust measure of general psychological distress symptoms. Moreover, our results further indicate the potential utility of also using the overall GHQ-12 score as a measure of general psychological distress, thus yielding significant advantages in both research and university settings.

The association between inflammatory markers and general psychological distress symptoms.

This study explored the association between low-grade inflammation measured using multiple common inflammatory markers and general psychological distress symptoms. A total of 68,463 Korean adults were included. White blood cell counts with differential count, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin and rheumatoid factor were measured. General psychological distress symptoms were assessed using 18 questions of psychosocial well-being index short form (PWI-SF). Among the eight inflammatory markers measured, WBC count, segmented neutrophil count, monocyte and CRP level were significantly and independently associated with broad psychological symptoms. In contrast, fibrinogen and ferritin showed a weak association with limited number of items. No significant association was detected with lymphocyte and RF. General psychological distress symptoms were associated with multiple inflammatory markers in Korean adults. The association patterns differed by the types of inflammatory markers. Additional investigation into the relationship between general inflammatory markers and diverse psychological distress symptoms is warranted.

Testing a Model of Functional Impairment in Telephone Crisis Support Workers.

It is well known that helping professionals experience functional impairment related to elevated symptoms of psychological distress as a result of frequent empathic engagement with distressed others. Whether telephone crisis support workers are impacted in a similar way is not currently reported in the literature. The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesized model of factors contributing to functional impairment in telephone crisis support workers. A national sample of 210 telephone crisis support workers completed an online survey including measures of emotion regulation, symptoms of general psychological distress and suicidal ideation, intentions to seek help for symptoms, and functional impairment. Structural equation modeling was used to test the fit of the data to the hypothesized model. Goodness-of-fit indices were adequate and supported the interactive effects of emotion regulation, general psychological distress, suicidal ideation, and intentions to seek help for ideation on functional impairment. These results warrant the deliberate management of telephone crisis support workers' impairment through service selection, training, supervision, and professional development strategies. Future research replicating and extending this model will further inform the modification and/or development of strategies to optimize telephone crisis support workers' well-being and delivery of support to callers.

Association Between Levels of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and General Psychological Distress Symptoms

Association Between Levels of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and General Psychological Distress Symptoms

Effectiveness of a freely available computerised cognitive behavioural therapy programme (MoodGYM) for depression: Meta-analysis.

To investigate the effectiveness of a freely available computerised cognitive behavioural therapy programme (MoodGYM) for depression (primary outcome), anxiety and general psychological distress in adults. We searched PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Social Science Citation Index and references from identified papers. To assess MoodGYM's effectiveness, we conducted random effects meta-analysis of identified randomised controlled trials. Comparisons from 11 studies demonstrated MoodGYM's effectiveness for depression symptoms at post-intervention, with a small effect size ( g = 0.36, 95% confidence interval: 0.17-0.56; I2 = 78%). Removing the lowest quality studies ( k = 3) had minimal impact; however, adjusting for publication bias reduced the effect size to a non-significant level ( g = 0.17, 95% confidence interval: -0.01 to 0.38). Comparisons from six studies demonstrated MoodGYM's effectiveness for anxiety symptoms at post-intervention, with a medium effect size ( g = 0.57, 95% confidence interval: 0.20-0.94; I2 = 85%). Although comparisons from six studies did not yield significance for MoodGYM's effectiveness for general psychological distress symptoms, the small effect size approached significance ( g = 0.34, 95% confidence interval: -0.04 to 0.68; I2 = 79%). Both the type of setting (clinical vs non-clinical) and MoodGYM-developer authorship in randomised controlled trials had no meaningful influence on results; however, the results were confounded by the type of control deployed, level of clinician guidance, international region of trial and adherence to MoodGYM. The confounding influence of several variables, and presence of publication bias, means that the results of this meta-analysis should be interpreted with caution. Tentative support is provided for MoodGYM's effectiveness for symptoms of depression and general psychological distress. The programme's medium effect on anxiety symptoms demonstrates its utility for people with this difficulty. MoodGYM benefits from its free accessibility over the Internet, but adherence rates can be problematic and at the extreme can fall below 10%. We conclude that MoodGYM is best placed as a population-level intervention that is likely to benefit a sizeable minority of its users.

A randomized controlled trial of the computerized CBT programme, MoodGYM, for public mental health service users waiting for interventions.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the computerized CBT (cCBT) programme, MoodGYM, for the reduction in symptoms of general psychological distress (the primary outcome), depression, anxiety, stress, and impaired daily functioning. A randomized controlled trial, with a waiting list control condition, in a routine clinical setting. Participants were 149 public mental health service users (aged 18-61 [M = 35.3 years; SD = 10.3]) waiting for interventions. Self-report outcome measures were administered online at baseline and post-intervention (i.e., after 32 days). After high dropout rates, a post-intervention completers analysis examined 28 MoodGYM participants and 38 waiting list control participants. MoodGYM was significantly more effective than the waiting list control for the reduction of symptoms of general psychological distress (F[1, 64] = 4.45; p < .05) and stress (F[1, 64] = 5.35; p < .05) but not depression, anxiety, or impaired daily functioning. Due to their high associated dropout rates, self-help cCBT programmes such as MoodGYM should not be provided as front-line treatments. However, as it is likely to be agreeable and beneficial to some service users, perhaps self-help cCBT should be provided as an additional treatment option.

The mental health of Australian elite athletes.

Currently, little is known about the prevalence of mental disorders in athletes. This study aims to investigate Australian elite athletes' symptoms of general psychological distress and common mental disorders. A cross-sectional survey design was employed to assess self-reported symptom prevalence. A total of 224 elite athletes (118 female, 106 male) from national sporting organisations in Australia were administered a self-report internet-based survey comprising measures of demographic status and mental health symptoms. Overall, 46.4% of athletes were experiencing symptoms of at least one of the mental health problems assessed. Percentages meeting criteria for mental disorders were similar to previous epidemiological studies of both international athlete and community samples: depression (27.2%), eating disorder (22.8%), general psychological distress (16.5%), social anxiety (14.7%), generalised anxiety disorder (7.1%), and panic disorder (4.5%). Injured athletes had higher levels of both symptoms of depression (t=3.23, p=.001) and generalised anxiety disorder (t=2.26, p=.025). The level of symptoms of mental health problems reported by elite athletes appears similar to that observed in the community. However, caution must be exercised in interpreting the findings, as possible demographic differences between athletes and comparison population datasets may exist. Furthermore, self-selection of respondents in the present study may have reduced the representativeness of the sample and the validity of the comparisons. Athletes, particularly those currently injured, should be well-supported to seek help for mental disorders through access to mental health professionals.

General psychological distress symptoms and help-avoidance in young Australians

Epidemiological studies suggest that young people might have a tendency to avoid help when they experience symptoms of psychological distress. There is growing evidence that many young people prefer no help from anyone for their mental health problems. The current study examined the association between symptoms of general psychological distress and intentions to seek help from friends, family and professional mental health sources in a sample of 109 trade (TAFE) students from regional and rural Australia. Participants were 67% male and aged from 15–25 years. Higher levels of general psychological distress symptoms were associated with stronger intentions to not seek help from anyone and weaker intentions to seek help from friends and family for mental health problems. The variable ‘negative beliefs about treatment’ was also associated with a stronger intentions to not seek help and weaker intentions to seek help from mental health professionals. Help-avoidance in relation to symptoms of general psychological distress and beliefs about mental health treatment is discussed, together with suggestions for encouraging appropriate and effective help-seeking in young people.

Adjustment of caregivers of pediatric patients with brain tumors: a cross‐sectional analysis

The purpose of the study was to compare the psychological adjustment of caregivers of children with brain tumors who are on-treatment with caregivers of children who are off-treatment. Data were collected from 90 participants: 47 (52.2%) caregivers of children undergoing active treatment (on-treatment) and 43 (47.8%) caregivers of children off-treatment on measures of global psychological distress and illness and caregiving related distress. Results revealed that the two groups differed significantly in their reported symptoms of general psychological distress, with the off-treatment caregivers reporting significantly lower levels of general distress. However, off-treatment caregivers continued to experience elevated levels of uncertainty and caregiving burden related to their child's illness. There is significant evidence suggesting that the burden of caring for a child with a brain tumor is ongoing, continuing well into the off-treatment period. These results also suggest that the psychosocial functioning of these caregivers is best assessed using measures designed specifically to evaluate illness-related psychosocial functioning (e.g. the Parent Experience of Child Illness, Impact on Family Scale).

Clinical features and personality traits associated with psychological distress in systemic sclerosis patients

Objective The aim of the present study was to identify certain clinical parameters and personality characteristics associated with various forms of psychopathology in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. Methods Fifty-six SSc patients participated in the study, and 74 healthy participants served as controls. A wide range of clinical information was collected, and the following self-report instruments were used: General Health Questionnaire, Symptom Distress Checklist-90-R, Defense Style Questionnaire, Sense of Coherence (SOC) Scale, and Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire. Results The odds of being assessed with a psychiatric diagnosis upon interview were 4.5 times greater among SSc patients compared with controls. Disease duration and lower rates of SOC were found to be associated with elevated symptoms of general psychological distress. Elevated symptoms of depression were strongly associated with esophageal involvement, hostility, and defense style used. Elevated symptoms of anxiety were mainly associated with arthritis-related painful conditions and SOC, while psychotic-like symptoms were only associated with age and a specific personality structure. Conclusions SSc patients experience elevated symptoms of psychological distress. Several clinical parameters are associated with distress, but the role of various personality traits could not be disregarded. Early psychiatric assessment and intervention could prevent psychological distress in SSc patients.

The connection between disgust and obsessions and compulsions in a non-clinical sample

Abstract Although obsessive-compulsive patients (OCD) frequently report thoughts and compulsions about dirt and contamination, there is scarce evidence for a relationship between disgust and OCD. This study investigates whether there is a specific relationship between obsessive symptoms and disgust, independently of general psychological distress symptoms. We tested 278 non-clinical volunteers, through the Disgust Scale [ Haidt, J., McCauley, C., & Rozin, P. (1994). Individual differences in sensitivity to disgust: a scale sampling seven domains of disgust elicitors. Personality Individual Differences . 16, 701–713 ], the Padua Inventory — Revised [PI-R; van Oppen, P., Hoekstra, R. J., & Emmelkamp, M. G. (1985). The structure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Behaviour Research and Therapy , 33, 15–23 ], the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [ Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., & Jacobs, G. A. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y) . Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press ], and the Beck Depression Inventory [ Beck, A. T., & Steer, R. (1987). Beck depression inventory scoring manual. The psychological corporation. New York: Harcourt Brace Janovich ]. A multiple regression analysis showed a significant positive relationship between disgust and obsessive symptoms, after controlling for gender, age, anxiety, and depression. Washing and checking behaviors were best predicted by disgust, while impulses and rumination were best predicted by anxiety and/or depression. These findings are in line with the hypothesis of a specific relationship between disgust and at least some kinds of obsessive symptoms.

Appraisals of Blame in Adjustment in Conjugal Bereavement

Bereaved individuals who had lost a spouse through death (on average 7.2 months previously) engaged in an “empty-chair” monolog task in which they imagined that they had one last opportunity to speak to their deceased spouse. The verbal content of their monolog speech was rated by judges on the appraisal categories deceased as blameworthy and self as blameworthy. As predicted, deceased as blameworthy was associated with greater anger toward the deceased, whereas self as blameworthy was related to greater guilt on a repeated measure assessing affective experience when thinking about the deceased in daily life. In addition, these appraisal categories were positively correlated with measures of symptomatic distress; specifically, deceased as blameworthy was related to general psychological symptoms, whereas self as blameworthy correlated with grief-specific symptoms. Furthermore, deceased as blameworthy was predictive of 14 months post-loss general psychological distress symptoms when statistically controlling for these symptoms at the time of the monolog in a hierarchical regression analysis, thus providing support for its mediating role in later adjustment. The implications of the findings for the assessment of grief outcome and directions for future research are discussed.

Long‐term Outcome of Trauma in Children: The Psychological Consequences of a Bus Accident

The psychological consequences of trauma on 28 Swedish children were examined 1 year and 3 years after a bus accident in western Norway in 1988. Symptoms were assessed by the Impact of Event Scale (IES), semi-structured interviews, and a questionnaire developed for this study. At the 1-year follow-up, large proportions of the sample had symptoms of Intrusion and Avoidance (IES) and symptoms of general psychological distress, but no clinically significant symptoms were observed at the 3-year follow-up. Girls and children who experienced loss in the accident were characterised by high levels of Intrusion, whereas passenger trauma and age were unrelated to the outcome. A bidirectional relationship was observed between the mothers' and the children's symptoms over time, whereas the fathers' symptoms were unrelated to the children's symptoms. The clinical implications of the study are that symptoms in all children of traumatised families deserve attention during the first year post-trauma, and that objective risk indicators (age, sex, and types of trauma) do not provide sufficient information to identify children at risk.

Long-term outcome of trauma in adults: The psychological impact of a fatal bus accident.

The psychological impact of trauma on 36 parents and spouses was examined 1 year (1989), 3 years (1991), and 5 years (1993) after a fatal school bus accident in Western Norway in 1988. The course and outcome of posttraumatic symptoms (Impact of Event Scale [IES]) and symptoms of general psychological distress (SCL-90) were examined in relation to type of trauma (loss vs. no loss) and prior exposure to trauma. A large proportion of the sample reported high levels of symptoms on SCL-90 and IES (Intrusion). No associations were observed between type of trauma and any of the symptom measures. Prior exposure to trauma did not affect the scores on IES but was associated with a sustained vulnerability for general psychological distress (SCL-90). Different trajectories of the symptoms indicate that two psychological processes may be involved in long-term adjustment to trauma.

Long-term outcome of trauma in adults: the psychological impact of a fatal bus accident.

The psychological impact of trauma on 36 parents and spouses was examined 1 year (1989), 3 years (1991), and 5 years (1993) after a fatal school bus accident in Western Norway in 1988. The course and outcome of posttraumatic symptoms (Impact of Event Scale [IES]) and symptoms of general psychological distress (SCL-90) were examined in relation to type of trauma (loss vs. no loss) and prior exposure to trauma. A large proportion of the sample reported high levels of symptoms on SCL-90 and IES (Intrusion). No associations were observed between type of trauma and any of the symptom measures. Prior exposure to trauma did not affect the scores on IES but was associated with a sustained vulnerability for general psychological distress (SCL-90). Different trajectories of the symptoms indicate that two psychological processes may be involved in long-term adjustment to trauma.

Dysfunctional attitudes and psychosocial stress: The differential prediction of future psychological symptomatology

The interactive effects of dysfunctional attitudes, stressful life events, and social support on symptoms of depression and general psychological distress were investigated in the present study. Self-report measures of these five constructs were administered to 57 female undergraduates twice, with 3 months between testing sessions. Whereas the interactions of dysfunctional attitudes with stressful life events and with social support were expected to predict the subsequent severity of symptoms of depression, it was hypothesized that these two-way interactions would not predict symptoms of general psychological distress. These predictions were confirmed, with the exception that the interaction between dysfunctional attitudes and stressful life events was not a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. Specifically, it was found that the combination of a high number of dysfunctional attitudes measured at Time 1 with a low level of social support measured at Time 2 was positively related to the level of depressive symptoms assessed at Time 2. These results suggest that dysfunctional attitudes moderate the relationship between stress and mild depressive symptomatology. The implications of these findings for an interactional model of depression, as well as for directions for future research, are discussed.