For more information, contact
Lynn Schultz-Writsel
Kimberly Cordero,
Cecilia Obejero
Michael Roy of the Press Room in Chicago: (312) 949-3262.
New Research at the 2000 APA Annual Meeting
Wednesday/Thursday, May 17-18
A Placebo-Controlled Trial of St. John's Wort in Major Depression
Richard C. Shelton, M.D., David L. Dunner, M.D., Uriel Halbreich, M.D., Michael E. Thase, M.D., Robert M.A. Hirschfeld, M.D., Alan J. Gelenberg, M.D., Martin B. Keller, M.D.
St. John's wort is an over-the-counter remedy that purportedly has antidepressant properties. The researchers sought to determine whether St. John's wort was an effective treatment for patients with depression of at least moderate severity. Two hundred outpatients with depression were given St. John's wort at increasing doses over a four-week period. While no side effects of the treatment were reported, the effectiveness of the remedy was no greater than that seen with placebo treatment.
Sexual Energy Scale (SES): A Simple Valid Screening Tool for Measuring Sexual Dysfunction
Julia K. Warnock, M.D., Anita L.H. Clayton, M.D., William R. Yates, M.D., J. Clark Bundren, M.D.
A public health concern that has been gaining increasing attention is sexual dysfunction. The progress of research and treatment of this disorder can be furthered by the development of an effective and easy-to-use assessment measure. The researchers developed a simple scale in which the patient rates his or her current sexual energy level on a scale from 1 to 10. They found that this measure was a good predictor of a patient's sexual dysfunction severity as determined following a full clinical interview.
The Other Half of Teen Pregnancy: Characteristics of Male Partners and Opportunities for Physician Intervention
Daniel P. Chapman, Ph.D., Robert F. Anda, M.D., Vicent J. Feliti, M.D., Dale Nordenberg, M.D., Janet Croft, Ph.D., John Santelli, M.D., James S. Marks, M.D.
Teen pregnancy prevention measures have focused their efforts primarily on adolescent girls, in effect ignoring the other half of the equation. The researchers found that of the teenage boys who admitted impregnating an adolescent girl, 63% reported experiencing an adverse event during childhood (such as abuse or a troubled home), and 33% experienced two or more. In fact, the greater the number of adverse events experienced, the higher the likelihood that the adolescent was involved in a teen pregnancy. The results suggest that physician assessment of child abuse, as well as finding out the sexual activity and contraceptive knowledge of subjects who report such abuse, may be important components of teen pregnancy prevention.
Ethnic Variations in Psychiatric Treatment
Wendy L. Colquitt, Ph.D., Diane Herbeck, M.A., Harold Alan Pincus, M.D.
The researchers sought to determine the manner in which racial/ethnic minorities experience health care limitations. From data taken from a nationwide sample of more than 1,800 psychiatric patients, they found that racial/ethnic minorities were more likely to have psychotic symptoms, to be treated in public treatment settings as inpatients, and be covered by Medicaid or have no insurance. These findings suggest that additional research is required to determine whether these variations result in different outcomes and quality of care.
Minority Patient Response to Physician Race and Nonverbal Behavior in Analogue Medical Encounters
Mara S. Arguette, Ph.D., Kimberly M. Collins, Carlos A. Roberts
A group of 79 minority patients watched videotapes of both African American and white physicians that also differed in forms of nonverbal expressiveness (i.e., variations in the amount of eye contact, smiling, etc.) Physicians that showed this greater degree of engagement improved their patient's recall, willingness to disclose information, and motivation to comply with treatment. While African American patients preferred African American physicians regardless of nonverbal behavior, the results suggest that white physicians can improve their minority patients' satisfaction by displaying greater degrees of nonverbal empathy.
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