The Impact of Acceptance and Commitment Training and Multicultural Training on the stigmatizing attitudes and professional burnout of substance abuse counselors

Empirically validated methods for reducing stigma and prejudice toward recipients of behavioral healthcare services are badly needed. In the present study, two packages presented in one day workshops were compared to a biologically oriented Educational Control condition in the alleviation of stigmatizing attitudes in drug abuse counselors. One, Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), utilized acceptance, defusion, mindfulness, and values methods. The other, Multicultural Training, sensitized participants to group prejudices and biases. Measures of stigma and burnout were taken pre-training, post-training, and after a three month follow-up. Results showed that Multicultural Training had an impact on stigmatizing attitudes and burnout post-intervention but not at follow-up, but showed better gains in a sense of personal accomplishment as compared to the Educational Control at follow-up. ACT had a positive impact on stigma at follow-up and on burnout at post-treatment and follow-up and follow-up gains in burnout exceeded those of Multicultural Training. ACT also significantly changed the believability of stigmatizing attitudes. This process mediated the impact of ACT but not Multicultural Training on follow-up stigma and burnout. This preliminary study opens new avenues for reducing stigma and burnout in behavioral health counselors

Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms in College Students: The Complex Interplay between Alexithymia, Emotional Dysregulation and Rumination.

Both Emotional Cascade Theory and Linehan's Biosocial Theory suggest dysregulated behaviors associated with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) emerge, in part, because of cycles of rumination, poor emotional recognition and poor emotion regulation. In this study we examined relationships between rumination, alexithymia, and emotion regulation in predicting dysregulated behaviors associated with BPD (e.g. self-harm, substance use, aggression), and explored both indirect and moderating effects among these variables. The sample comprised 2261 college students who completed self-report measures of the aforementioned constructs. BPD symptoms, stress, family psychological illness, and alexithymia exerted direct effects on behaviors. Symptoms had an indirect effect on behaviors through rumination, alexithymia and emotional dysregulation. In addition, the relationship between symptoms and dysregulated behaviors was conditional on level of rumination and alexithymia. Implications for early identification and treatment of BPD and related behaviors in college settings are discussed

Effect of surgical treatment on hypertension in Cushing's syndrome

The effect of a surgical cure of hypercortisolism on hypertension in 54 patients with Cushing's syndrome was assessed. The correlation between preoperative duration of hypertension and posttreatment blood pressure was significant (P < .01). Restoration of normal cortisol was associated with blood pressure normalization in 39 out of 54 cases. Duration of hypertension of patients with normalized blood pressure was significantly shorter than that of patients with persistent hypertension postoperatively (P < .0001). Duration of hypertension, ie, long-lasting exposure to increased cortisol, appears to be the determinant of persistent hypertension following successful surgery in Cushing's syndrome

Inhibin B levels in azoospermic subjects with cytologically characterized testicular pathology

5noreservedBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Inhibin B, a heterodimeric glycoprotein of gonadal origin, is the most important circulating form of inhibin in human males and an inverse relationship between inhibin B and FSH plasma levels was been recently observed. Azoospermia represents the end-point of different kinds of testicular damage, ranging from a normal spermatogenic pattern (obstructive forms) to the complete absence of germ cells (Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome, SCOS). Furthermore, azoospermia may be related to maturational disturbances at different levels (spermatogonial, spermatocytic, spermatidic). To better define the relationship between testicular damage and inhibin levels and to evaluate the diagnostic value of this hormone in the management of subjects with azoospermia, we performed specific inhibin B assays in a group of azoospermic subjects affected by different kinds of testicular pathology. PATIENTS: Eighty-nine azoospermic men were studied by testicular ultrasound examination, fine needle aspiration of the testes and hormonal parameters (FSH, LH and testosterone, inhibin B). Thirty normozoospermic subjects were considered as controls for seminal and hormonal parameters. DESIGN AND RESULTS: On the basis of cytological analysis five different testicular appearences were identified in azoospermic patients: (i) Sertoli cell only syndrome (SCOS); (ii) Severe hypospermatogenesis; (iii) Spermatogonial and/or spermatocytic arrest; (iv) Spermatidic arrest; (v) Normal germ line (obstructive forms). No difference in LH and testosterone levels was found among the different groups. A significant negative correlation was present between inhibin B and FSH both in azoospermic men (r = - 0.503, P &lt; 0.0001) and normozoospermic controls (r = -0.361, P &lt; 0.05). Groups characterized by obstructive azoospermia and spermatidic arrest showed inhibin B concentrations similar to normozoospermic subjects (130.7 +/- 73.5, 160.3 +/- 35.1 and 148.5 +/- 46.8 ng/l, respectively), while groups characterized by SCOS, severe hypospermatogenesis and spermatogonial and/or spermatocytic arrest showed mean inhibin B concentrations significantly lower than controls (56.5 +/- 56.0, 57.9 +/- 31.2; 48.9 +/- 16.7 ng/l, respectively). In the group of SCOS, 8 out of 42 subjects (19.0%) showed inhibin B concentrations within the normal range despite high FSH levels. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that, in humans, spermatids play an important role in the mechanism regulating inhibin B secretion by Sertoli cells. The significance of this hormone as a diagnostic parameter in azoospermic patients does not seem to be specific because it does not permit discrimination between obstructive forms or spermatidic arrest. Furthermore, despite an evident clinical, cytological and hormonal pattern for SCOS, inhibin B levels are normal in some of these patients. The significance of this latter result remains to be elucidated.mixedFORESTA, C.; BETTELLA, A; LUISI, S.; PETRAGLIA, F.; PISTORELLO, M.Foresta, C.; Bettella, A; Luisi, S.; Petraglia, F.; Pistorello, M