Life changes requiring substantial social readjustment were utilized to identify a population presumed to be at risk. Respondents who incurred two or more life changes, e.g., death (family member or close friend), divorce, separation, loss of work, incapacitating illness of or accident to self or close family member, imprisonment and/or retirement, in the previous 6 weeks to 1 year and who had not received formal treatment were invited to the intervention. Intervention consisted of cognitive and affective measures utilizing didactic and small-group dynamics. Substantial verbal and nonverbal support was provided. A semi-crossover design was utilized. Less depression, anxiety, and interpersonal (over) sensitivity was indicated. Participants with more life changes as well as those who had experienced death in the family and/or of a close friend improved most.
The short clinical diagnostic self-rating scale for emotional and somatic concerns--Symptom Check List--90 (SCL-90)--was translated into everyday Hebrew and tested on 131 subjects for: 1. Construct validity, using item analysis. 2. Discriminating validity on a gradient of general practice patients and 'normal' controls. The Hebrew SCL-90 was found to retain its validity and to be easily administered and scored in non-treatment situations. It was also used as a tool for generating and substantiating hypotheses on psychosomatic and psychosocial interrelationships.
Although much has been written about the concept, primary prevention has not been integrated into social work practice. The author discusses factors that might move the profession toward adapting this concept and discusses as well those that inhibit its integration.
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