Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
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Self-concealment is the predisposition to hide negative personal information. The present research examined whether self-concealment was associated with acute and chronic pain. ⋯ Self-concealment was found to be associated with higher levels of pain in both healthy and chronic pain samples. Moreover, the findings also suggest that intervention methods using the self-determination theory framework (i.e., autonomy and competence supportive) might be effective for individuals with chronic pain.
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The current prospective study explored how male cardiac patients' perceptions of received support (i.e., active engagement, protective buffering, and overprotection) moderated the associations between female partners' perceptions of provided support and patients' recovery outcomes: psychological well-being, cholesterol levels, and smoking cessation. ⋯ As hypothesized, the effect of partners' perceptions of support provided on patients' recovery was moderated by patients' own perceptions of the support received. The effect of this interaction was determined by the specific types of support provided or received and by the specific recovery outcome that was measured. The clinical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.
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Comparative Study
Somatosensory amplification mediates sex differences in psychological distress among cardioverter-defibrillator patients.
The present study examined whether female patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) report more psychological distress than male patients, and whether somatosensory amplification mediates this relationship. ⋯ Somatosensory amplification mediated the relationship between female sex and heightened anxiety, phobic anxiety, and somatic health complaints in ICD patients. Women may be more likely to misinterpret bodily sensations as indicative of deterioration in their condition. Interventions focusing on modifying these dysfunctional beliefs may reduce their psychological distress.
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Attachment insecurity has been hypothesized to be a risk factor for the development of disease and chronic illness. This study was the first to investigate associations between adult attachment ratings and a wide range of health conditions. ⋯ The findings were generally supportive of the theory that insecure attachment is a risk factor for the development of disease and chronic illness, particularly conditions involving the cardiovascular system. Further research regarding the role of attachment in the development of specific health conditions is warranted.
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In this study, we examined the effect of choice-set size and numeracy levels on a physician-in-training's ability to choose appropriate Medicare drug plans. ⋯ Our data indicate that even physicians-in-training perform more poorly when choice size is larger, thus raising concerns about the capacity of physicians-in-training to successfully navigate Medicare Part D and help their patients pick the best drug plan. Our results also illustrate the importance of numeracy in evaluating insurance-related information and the need for enhancing numeracy skills among medical students and physicians.