0000000000040972

AUTHOR

María José Galdón

Emotional suppression and breast cancer: validation research on the Spanish Adaptation of the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS).

Emotional suppression has played an important role in the research on psychosocial factors related to cancer. It has been argued to be an important psychological factor predicting worse psychosocial adjustment in people with cancer and it may mediate health outcomes. The reference instrument in the research on emotional suppression is the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS). The present study analysed construct validity of a new Spanish adaptation of the CECS in a sample of 175 breast cancer patients. The results confirmed the proposal by Watson and Greer claiming that the CECS is composed of three subscales that measure different dimensions, but not independent, from emotional control…

research product

Enhancing the efficacy of treatment for temporomandibular patients with muscular diagnosis through cognitive-behavioral intervention, including hypnosis: a randomized study

Objective This study evaluated the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), including hypnosis, in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) with muscular diagnosis. Study Design Seventy-two patients (65 women and 7 men with an average age of 39 years) were selected according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD, and assigned to the experimental group (n = 41), receiving the 6-session CBT program, and the control group (n = 31). All patients received conservative standard treatment for TMD. The assessment included pain variables and psychologic distress. Results There were significant differences between the groups, the experimental group showing a higher improvement …

research product

Psychological assessment of patients with temporomandibular disorders: confirmatory analysis of the dimensional structure of the Brief Symptoms Inventory 18.

Abstract Objective This article analyzes the psychometric and structural properties of the Brief Symptoms Inventory 18 in a sample of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), given the convenience of a brief evaluation of distress in these patients. Methods Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out in a sample of 114 patients with TMDs. Two models were tested: the theoretical model with the original structure proposed—which considers three dimensions—and the empirical model obtained through the exploratory factor analysis initially carried out by Leonard R. Derogatis—which consists of the four-factor structure. Results Both models reached satisfactory indexes in confirmatory fac…

research product

Multidimensional approach to the differences between muscular and articular temporomandibular patients: Coping, distress, and pain characteristics

Objective This study analyzes the differences in psychological variables and symptomatology between temporomandibular disorder diagnosis subgroups. Study design The sample included 114 temporomandibular disorder patients that were evaluated in coping, distress, and temporomandibular characteristics. Diagnostic muscular (n = 58) and articular (n = 56) subgroups were compared in these variables through a MANCOVA. Results Muscular patients show a higher level of general distress, specifically in the anxiety and somatization subscales and a more active coping style, with a tendency of a minor use of humor and a higher number of parafunctional habits, specifically, biting nails, hangnails, and l…

research product

A longitudinal study of psychosocial distress in breast cancer: prevalence and risk factors.

This longitudinal study was conducted among 102 women with non-metastasic breast cancer to identify the time evolution and prevalence of distress at specific times through diagnosis and treatment of disease: preliminary diagnosis, surgery, definitive diagnosis and chemotherapy. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the role of demographic, medical and psychosocial factors on distress. The results indicated that prevalence of distress was higher at initial diagnosis (25%) than the following time points (approximately 17%). The differences inter-individuals in the levels of distress were observed over the four assessments. No relation between distress and demographic and medical factors wa…

research product

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Breast Cancer Patients: Temporal Evolution, Predictors, and Mediation

This study (N = 102 women) evaluated the time course of posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) at different stages of nonmetastastic cancer diagnosis and treatment: during treatment, at the end of treatment, and at a 6-12 months follow-up. We also assessed the contribution of demographic, trait, and state predictors to PTSS, and coping processes as proximal mediators of the relation between Type C personality and PTSS. Results indicated that PTSS remained constant across all phases. There were significant correlations (range = .28 to .81) between PTSS and psychosocial variables and age, but not with other sociodemographic or medical factors. A linear growth curve model showed that hopel…

research product

An examination of the psychometric structure of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory in temporomandibular disorder patients: a confirmatory factor analysis

Abstract Background This paper seeks to analyse the psychometric and structural properties of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) in a sample of temporomandibular disorder patients. Methods The internal consistency of the scales was obtained. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was carried out to test the MPI structure section by section in a sample of 114 temporomandibular disorder patients. Results Nearly all scales obtained good reliability indexes. The original structure could not be totally confirmed. However, with a few adjustments we obtained a satisfactory structural model of the MPI which was slightly different from the original: certain items and the Self control scale were elimina…

research product

Improving the Diagnostic Accuracy of the Distress Thermometer: A Potential Role for the Impact Thermometer

Abstract Context Screening for and management of distress in clinical practice is an important issue in the field of psycho-oncology. The Distress Thermometer (DT) is a common screening tool, but other methods recently have been proposed, with the aim of improving its diagnostic accuracy. Objectives To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the DT alone and combined with the Impact Thermometer (IT), via the use of two possible combination methods. Methods A heterogeneous sample of 385 adult patients with cancer completed the DT, the IT, and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18. Results The results of the DT were comparable with those found in previous studies, indicating that the DT was adequate …

research product