The words people use in disclosing a trauma were hypothesized to predict improvements in mental and physical health in 2 studies. The first study reanalyzed data from 6 previous experiments in which language variables served as predictors of health. Results from 177 participants in previous writing studies showed that increased use of words associated with insightful and causal thinking was linked to improved physical but not mental health. Higher use of positive relative to negative emotion words was also associated with better health. An empirical measure that was derived from these data correlated with subsequent distress ratings. The second study tested these models on interview transcripts of 30 men who had lost their partners to AIDS. Cognitive change and empirical models predicted postbereavement distress at 1 year. Implications of using computer-based text analyses in the study of narratives are discussed.

The Brief Pain Inventory short form (BPI-sf) is a validated, widely used, self-administered questionnaire developed to assess the severity of pain and the impact of pain on daily functions. A modified version was used daily in randomised control trials of patients with arthritis undergoing treatment with cyclooxygenase-2 specific inhibitors and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Results indicate that the modified BPI-sf, much like the original scale, was internally reliable, consistent over time, and had good construct, as well as convergent and predictive validity in assessment of patients suffering from conditions of chronic pain. Each scale and individual pain intensity item refers to changes in osteoarthritis pain associated with medication use. The modified BPI-sf, like the parent scale, is a valid and reliable tool for situations in which pain is assessed daily and minimises the burden placed on patients to record information necessary for scientific investigations.

Depressive affect was associated with mortality risk, highlighting the importance of diagnosis and treatment of depression among HIV-infected gay and bisexual men. Replication of this effect in incident cohorts with well-characterized dates of HIV infection is needed and, if replicated, an exploration of mediating pathways suggested.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a measure of patient satisfaction for patients receiving treatment for either acute or chronic pain: the Pain Treatment Satisfaction Scale (PTSS). Development of the initial questionnaire included a comprehensive literature review and interviews with patients, physicians and nurses in the United States, Italy and France. After initial items were created, psychometric validation was run on responses from 111 acute pain and 89 chronic pain patients in the United States. Analyses included principal components factor analysis tests of reliability, clinical validity and confounding. The hypothesized structure of the questionnaire was supported by statistical analyses, and seven overlapping or inconsistent items were removed. The multi-item domains of the final PTSS included 39 items grouped in five dimensions: information (5 items); medical care (8 items); impact of current pain medication (8 items); satisfaction with pain medication which included the two subscales medication characteristics (3 items) and efficacy (3 items); and side effects (12 items). Internal consistency reliability coefficients were good (ranging from 0.83 to 0.92). The test-retest reliability coefficients (ranging from 0.67 to 0.81) were good for all dimensions except medication characteristics (0.55). All dimensions except medical care discriminated well according to pain severity. The satisfaction with efficacy dimension, hypothesized to change in the acute pain population, indicated good preliminary responsiveness properties (effect size 0.37; P<0.001). The PTSS is a valid, comprehensive instrument to assess satisfaction with treatment of pain based on independent modules that have demonstrated satisfactory psychometric performance.

Directors of American Psychological Association-accredited doctoral programs in counseling psychology (95% response) and clinical psychology (99% response) provided data regarding number of applications, credentials of incoming students, rates of acceptance, and the theoretical orientations and research areas of the faculty. The acceptance rates of PhD clinical and PhD counseling psychology programs were comparable (6% vs. 8%), despite the higher number of applications (270 vs. 130) to clinical programs. Compared with clinical students, counseling students were more likely to represent ethnic minorities and have master's degrees, but were otherwise similar in academic credentials. Clinical faculty were more likely to be involved in research with pathological populations and associated with medical settings, whereas counseling faculty were more involved in research concerning career processes, human diversity, and professional issues. These results should alert applicants and their advisors to robust differences across these specializations and should enhance matching between programs and students.