Abstract

This Clinical Mental Health Academic Award (CMHAA-K07) will assist the applicant's development as an educator and investigator in the contribution of personality processes and life events to mental health in the elderly. The applicant will initiate a series of studies designed to extend his work in suicidal populations to another common life circumstance of the elderly--bereavement. In this study, the spouses of lung cancer patients seen at the University of Rochester Cancer Center will be followed prospectively. Data will be collected shortly after a spouse has entered treatment for lung cancer, and 6 months, 18 months, and 37 months after the spouse's death.
The aims of this study are (1) to describe the subjects' Axis I diagnoses, level of depression (assessed via self-report and clinical ratings), and level of functioning throughout the study period and to compare bereaved spouses six months after loss with a married comparison sample; (2) to test the hypothesized association between prebereavement personality and postbereavement outcome; (3) to examine the relationship between personality and social support; and (4) to describe the subjects' responses to specific personality measures throughout the study period. As well, the applicant will examine similar questions using data collected in a prospective survey study of elderly couples in the Detroit area (n=1,532).

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Academic/Teacher Award (ATA) (K07)
Project #
5K07MH001135-03
Application #
2032822
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (SRCM (01))
Project Start
1994-12-01
Project End
1999-11-30
Budget Start
1996-12-01
Budget End
1997-11-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of Rochester
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Dentistry
DUNS #
208469486
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627

  Publications

Duberstein, Paul R; Chapman, Benjamin P; Tindle, Hilary A et al. (2011) Personality and risk for Alzheimer's disease in adults 72 years of age and older: a 6-year follow-up. Psychol Aging 26:351-62
Kim, Youngmee; Duberstein, Paul R; Sorensen, Silvia et al. (2005) Levels of depressive symptoms in spouses of people with lung cancer: effects of personality, social support, and caregiving burden. Psychosomatics 46:123-30
Duberstein, Paul R; Sorensen, Silvia; Lyness, Jeffrey M et al. (2003) Personality is associated with perceived health and functional status in older primary care patients. Psychol Aging 18:25-37
Abernethy, Alexis D; Chang, H Theresa; Seidlitz, Larry et al. (2002) Religious coping and depression among spouses of people with lung cancer. Psychosomatics 43:456-63
Duberstein, P R (2001) Are closed-minded people more open to the idea of killing themselves? Suicide Life Threat Behav 31:9-14
Conner, K R; Cox, C; Duberstein, P R et al. (2001) Violence, alcohol, and completed suicide: a case-control study. Am J Psychiatry 158:1701-5
Seidlitz, L; Lyness, J M; Conwell, Y et al. (2001) Profile of discrete emotions in affective disorders in older primary care patients. Gerontologist 41:643-51
Conner, K R; Duberstein, P R; Conwell, Y et al. (2001) Psychological vulnerability to completed suicide: a review of empirical studies. Suicide Life Threat Behav 31:367-85
Duberstein, P R; Conwell, Y; Seidlitz, L et al. (2000) Personality traits and suicidal behavior and ideation in depressed inpatients 50 years of age and older. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 55:P18-26
Talbot, N L; Duberstein, P R; King, D A et al. (2000) Personality traits of women with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Compr Psychiatry 41:130-6

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