Self-inflicted and other-inflicted intentional burns versus unintentional burns: A comparison study.

Burn injuries are associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Intentional burn injuries are not well understood, and warrant study to improve adjustment and outcomes. The present study examined group differences between intentional and unintentional burn injuries, comparing individuals with self-inflicted (SIB; n=109) and other-inflicted (OIB; n=109) burns to an unintentional burn (UB) group. Compared to UB, those with intentional (SIB, OIB) burn injuries were more likely to be young, female, unmarried, unemployed, abuse substances, and have positive alcohol/drug screens at hospital admission. Individuals with intentional burns report more psychological distress, lower quality of life in some areas, and lower life satisfaction. When SIB and OIB were examined individually, OIB were more likely to be African American compared to SIB and UB. OIB also had more anxiety and paranoia than UB. SIB was more likely than OIB and UB to have had medical problems or psychiatric disorders and treatment prior to the burn injury. Those with SIB were 3 times more likely than UB to die in the hospital even after controlling for age, severity of burn, and inhalation injuries. Moreover, the SIB group had high rates of suicidal ideation at discharge and follow-up. Treatment implications for burn treatment providers were discussed

Disclosure, Stress, and Depression's Relationship to Negative Self-Image in People Living with HIV/AIDS

Poster examining how disclosure, perceived stress, and depression influences the self-image of HIV+ individuals

Positive and Negative Affect: Differential Impact of Optimism, Pessimism, and Coping in People Living with HIV/AIDS

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLH) struggle with depression. Recent research suggests that depression affects medical regimen adherence, disease progression, and risky sexual behaviors. The present study uses a stress and coping theory viewing HIV-related stigma and physical symptoms as stressors in PLH. Results suggest whereas symptoms and stigma consistently predict negative affect, positive affect, and overall depression, the role of optimism, pessimism, active coping, denial, and behavioral disengagement is not as clear. Pessimism and denial predict negative affect and depression. Optimism and behavioral disengagement predict depression and positive affect. Active coping only predicts positive affect. Focusing on positive and negative affect as distinct components that contribute to overall depression may help researchers develop interventions more effectively

Stigma, Coping, Pessimism, and Symptom Load: Covariates of Depression in Men and Women with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

This poster investigates HIV-related self-stigma and prevalence of symptoms as stressors for people living with HIV

Stigma, Coping, Pessimism, and Symptom Load: Covariates of Depression in Men and Women with HIV/AIDS

Poster examines how stigma, coping, pessimism, and symptom load influence depression in men and women living with HIV/AIDS

Complimentary/Alternative Medicine and Perceived Stress in People Living with HIV/AIDS

This poster examines the difference between contemporary and alternative medicine (CAM) and non-CAM users' total symptoms, dispositional optimism, pessimism, and perceived stress as well as how symptom load and outcome expectancies might predict stress perceptions

Trauma, Dispositional Forgiveness, and Depression in People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

This poster examines how therapeutic interventions to identify and address symptoms of trauma, as well as to promote forgiveness of unpleasant experiences, would be associated with lower rates of depression in people living with HIV/AIDS

Organization of mnemonic and response operations within prefrontal cortex

There is mounting evidence that prefrontal cortex (PFC) is activated during mnemonic operations such as working memory maintenance and also during response-related operations. In the current study, we examine the neural organization of mnemonic and response operations with respect to each other within PFC. Stimulus-evoked and sustained functional MRI activity was recorded during performance of a mental calculation task. The presence or absence of mnemonic and response demands was manipulated in a 2 x 2 factorial design with conditions requiring: (1) memory encoding and maintenance (M+); (2) response selection and execution (R+); (3) encoding, maintenance, and response execution (M+R+); (4) neither mnemonic nor response-related processes (M-R-). The first step of the analyses identified PFC voxels exhibiting differential activity during (M+) vs. (R+) trials. Within these voxels, we then examined activity during multiple phases of (M+R+) trials. Greater stimulus-evoked and sustained activity was observed within the anterior extent of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 46) during R+ vs. M+ trials. In contrast, greater activity was observed in the posterior extent of dorsolateral PFC during M+ vs. R+ trials. Importantly, both regions were activated during (M+R+) trials. Activity levels during all of these conditions exceeded levels observed during (M-R-) control trials. These results suggest that integrative functions of PFC that allow past information to guide future actions may emerge from communication between discrete subregions supporting mnemonic and response operations

Trauma, Dispositional Forgiveness, and Depression in People Living with HIV/AIDS

Poster examining how trauma and variant levels of dispositional forgiveness is associated with depression among HIV+ individuals

Disclosure, Stress, and Depression's Relationship to Negative Self-Image in People Living with HIV/AIDS

This poster examines the relationships between disclosure, stress, self-image, and depression in people living with HIV/AIDS