Factor analyses of the Beck Depression Inventory--II (A. T. Beck, R. A. Steer, & G. K. Brown, 1996) have frequently produced 2 different 2-factor oblique structures. The author used confirmatory factor analyses to compare these structures with a general-factor model with 2 orthogonal group factors. The general-factor model fit as well as or better than the 2-factor models when applied to item data from previous studies (3 clinical and 2 college samples). Communalities associated with the General Depression factor ranged from 71% to 82%. Cognitive and Somatic group factors were indicative of intropunitiveness and fatigue. It was concluded that the general-factor model gives an acceptable empirical explanation of item covariance structure and offers a conceptual interpretation that is well suited to clinical practice and research.

BACKGROUND: There are few population-based childhood cancer registries in the world containing stage and treatment data. METHODS: Data from the population-based Australian Paediatric Cancer Registry were used to calculate incidence rates during the most recent 10-year period (1997 -2006) and trends in incidence between 1983 and 2006 for the 12 major diagnostic groups of the International Classification of Childhood Cancer. RESULTS: In the period 1997 -2006, there were 6184 childhood cancer (at 0 -14 years) cases in Australia (157 cases per million children). The commonest cancers were leukaemia (34%), that of the central nervous system (23%) and lymphomas (10%), with incidence the highest at 0 -4 years (223 cases per million). Trend analyses showed that incidence among boys for all cancers combined increased by 1.6% per year from 1983 to 1994 but have remained stable since. Incidence rates for girls consistently increased by 0.9% per year. Since 1983, there have been significant increases among boys and girls for leukaemia, and hepatic and germ-cell tumours, whereas for boys, incidence of neuroblastomas and malignant epithelial tumours has recently decreased. For all cancers and for both sexes combined, there was a consistent increase ( þ 0.7% per year, 1983 -2006) at age 0 -4 years, a slight nonsignificant increase at 5 -9 years, and at 10 -14 years, an initial increase (2. 7% per year, 1983 -1996) followed by a slight nonsignificant decrease. CONCLUSION: Although there is some evidence of a recent plateau in cancer incidence rates in Australia for boys and older children, interpretation is difficult without a better understanding of what underlies the changes reported.

A cold pressor task (CPT) was used with 203 college students (112 women and 91 men) in a study of sex differences in pain response. Physiological measures were taken before and after pain induction, and sex-differentiating personality traits were assessed with the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ). The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) was given with standard instructions prior to the CPT, and it was re-administered after the CPT with modified instructions to assess catastrophic thinking during the CPT. Hypotheses were formulated into an explanatory model that was evaluated by path analysis. Pain induction elevated blood pressures and cortisol levels for both sexes, but systolic blood pressure reactivity and cortisol response were greater in men, even with sex differences in CPT tolerance times controlled statistically. Post-CPT PCS scores were positively related to pain ratings and negatively related to tolerance, but baseline PCS scores did not predict tolerance or pain ratings. Pre-PCS scores were not well correlated with post-PCS scores (r=0.46) and underestimated post-PCS scores, particularly for women. The Sex difference on the post-CPT PCS was largely attributable to the PAQ personality trait of Emotional Vulnerability. The differential results obtained from assessing catastrophizing before and after the CPT emphasized the importance of specifying the context in which catastrophizing is assessed (both timing and instructions). Theoretical considerations in the construct of catastrophizing are also highlighted, including, but not limited to, the confounding of variables such as pain intensity and unpleasantness.

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale‐Revised (Wechsler, 1981) was given to 70 male VA patients, and IQs were estimated from seven subtests that require about half the administration time of the full test. Estimates correlated well with Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs, and mean estimated IQs differed by less than 1 IQ point from actual means. Error sizes in predicting Full Scale IQs were small (M = 1.96) and exceeded 4 IQ points in only 3 cases. In comparison, error sizes for the Doppelt (1956) abbreviation (M = 3.71) were significantly larger and were greater than 4 IQ points in 20 cases.

This study empirically examined MBCT for the treatment of headache pain. Results indicated that MBCT is a feasible, tolerable, acceptable, and potentially efficacious intervention for patients with headache pain. This study provides a research base for future RCTs comparing MBCT to attention control, and future comparative effectiveness studies of MBCT and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

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Chronic pain is a common and costly experience. Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) are efficacious for an array of chronic pain conditions. However, the literature is based primarily on urban (white) samples. It is unknown whether CBT works in low-socioeconomic (SES), minority and non-minority groups. To address this question, we conducted a Randomized Controlled Trial within a low-SES, rural chronic pain population. Specifically, we examined the feasibility, tolerability, acceptability, and efficacy of group CBT compared to a group education intervention (EDU). We hypothesized that while both interventions would elicit short- and long-term improvement across pain-related outcomes, the cognitively-focused CBT protocol would uniquely influence pain catastrophizing. Mixed design ANOVAs were conducted on the sample of eligible participants who did not commence treatment (N=26), the intent-to-treat sample (ITT; N=83), and on the completer sample (N=61). Factors associated with treatment completion were examined. Results indicated significantly more drop-outs occurred in CBT. ITT analyses showed that participants in both conditions reported significant improvement across pain-related outcomes, and a nonsignificant trend was found for depressed mood to improve more in CBT than EDU. Results of the completer analyses produced a similar pattern of findings; however, CBT produced greater gains on cognitive and affect variables than EDU. Treatment gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up (N=54). Clinical significance of the findings and the number of treatment responders is reported. Overall, these findings indicate CBT and EDU are viable treatment options in low-SES, minority and non-minority groups. Further research should target disseminating and sustaining psychosocial treatment options within underserved populations.

Outcomes of rehabilitation programs for work disability might be improved by incorporating interventions that specifically target catastrophic thinking. Community-based models of psychosocial intervention might represent a viable approach to the management of work disability associated with musculoskeletal disorders.