Assessing the scholarly impact of health psychology: A citation analysis of articles published from 1993 to 2003.

ObjectiveWe conducted a citation analysis to explore the impact of articles published in Health Psychology and determine whether the journal is fulfilling its stated mission.DesignSix years of articles (N = 408) representing three editorial tenures from 1993-2003 were selected for analysis.Main outcome measuresArticles were coded for several dimensions enabling examination of the relationship of article features to subsequent citations rates. Journals citing articles published in Health Psychology were classified into four categories: (1) psychology, (2) medicine, (3) public health and health policy, and (4) other journals.ResultsThe majority of citations of Health Psychology articles were in psychology journals, followed closely by medical journals. Studies reporting data collected from college students, and discussing the theoretical implications of findings, were more likely to be cited in psychology journals, whereas studies reporting data from clinical populations, and discussing the practice implications of findings, were more likely to be cited in medical journals. Time since publication and page length were both associated with increased citation counts, and review articles were cited more frequently than observational studies.ConclusionArticles published in Health Psychology have a wide reach, informing psychology, medicine, public health and health policy. Certain characteristics of articles affect their subsequent pattern of citation

Activity Disruption and Depressive Symptoms in Women Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer

ObjectiveWomen with breast cancer are at increased risk of depression, and the extent to which valued activities are disrupted by one's illness has been correlated with depressive symptoms in women with early stage breast cancer. This association has not been examined in women with Stage IV (metastatic) cancer, and the temporal directionality of this relationship remains unclear. The goal of the current study was to examine longitudinal, reciprocal relationships between illness-related disruption of social and recreational activities and self-reported symptoms of depression in a sample of women living with Stage IV breast cancer.MethodParticipants were 103 women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Women completed measures of depressive symptoms and activity disruption at study entry (T1) and at 3-month follow-up (T2).ResultsActivity disruption at study entry did not significantly predict changes in total depressive symptoms or in negative affective or somatic symptoms but did predict reductions in positive affect. Total depressive symptoms at study entry predicted increases in activity disruption, as did negative affective symptoms.ConclusionsDepressive symptoms, specifically negative affective symptoms such as sadness, may exacerbate social and recreational activity disruption in women with metastatic breast cancer. Cancer-related activity disruption may, in turn, result in reductions in positive affect. These results highlight the importance of examining specific constellations of depressive symptoms and suggest that maintaining valued activities may help to preserve enjoyment of life for patients with Stage IV cancer

Activity disruption and depressive symptoms in women living with metastatic breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Women with breast cancer are at increased risk of depression, and the extent to which valued activities are disrupted by one’s illness has been correlated with depressive symptoms in women with early stage breast cancer. This association has not been examined in women with Stage IV (metastatic) cancer, and the temporal directionality of this relationship remains unclear. The goal of the current study was to examine longitudinal, reciprocal relationships between illness-related disruption of social and recreational activities and self-reported symptoms of depression in a sample of women living with Stage IV breast cancer. METHOD: Participants were 103 women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Women completed measures of depressive symptoms and activity disruption at study entry (T1) and at 3-month follow-up (T2). RESULTS: Activity disruption at study entry did not significantly predict changes in total depressive symptoms or in negative affective or somatic symptoms but did predict reductions in positive affect. Total depressive symptoms at study entry predicted increases in activity disruption, as did negative affective symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms, specifically negative affective symptoms such as sadness, may exacerbate social and recreational activity disruption in women with metastatic breast cancer. Cancer-related activity disruption may, in turn, result in reductions in positive affect. These results highlight the importance of examining specific constellations of depressive symptoms and suggest that maintaining valued activities may help to preserve enjoyment of life for patients with Stage IV cancer

Chronic Life Stress, Cardiovascular Reactivity, and Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in Adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To examine cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between chronic life stress, cardiovascular reactivity, and a marker of subclinical cardiovascular disease in a multiethnic sample of adolescents. METHODS: Participants were 158 healthy adolescents who completed self-report measures of chronic negative life stress as well as assessments of heart rate and blood pressure reactivity to acute laboratory stressors at two timepoints, approximately 3.3 years apart. At Time 2, intima-media thickness (IMT), a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis, was also measured. RESULTS: In hierarchical regression models adjusting for demographic variables and body mass index, chronic negative life stress at Time 2 was concurrently associated with greater diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity to stress (β = 0.18, p = .016), but neither chronic stress nor cardiovascular reactivity was concurrently associated with IMT. Increasing life stress from Time 1 to Time 2 was accompanied by increasing cardiovascular reactivity (β’s = 0.14 to 0.20, p < .05), and increasing DBP reactivity over time was also associated with IMT (β = 0.24, p = .03), though increasing chronic life stress was not directly related to IMT. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents exposed to chronic, negative stressors that worsen over time may show heightened cardiovascular reactivity that puts them at risk for subclinical atherosclerosis

Living With Limited Time: Socioemotional Selectivity Theory in the Context of Health Adversity

The current research was designed to test the applicability of socioemotional selectivity theory (SST; Carstensen, 2006), a life span theory that posits that perceived time remaining in life (time perspective) is a critical determinant of motivation, to individuals who face foreshortened futures (limited time perspective) due to life-limiting medical illness. In Study 1, we investigated whether life goals and biases in attention and memory for valenced emotional stimuli differed between women living with metastatic breast cancer (n = 113; theoretically living under greater limited time perspective than peers without cancer) and similarly aged women without a cancer diagnosis (n = 50; theoretically living under greater expansive time perspective than peers with cancer) in accordance with SST. As hypothesized, metastatic group goals reflected greater emphasis on limited versus expansive time perspective relative to comparison group goals. Hypotheses regarding biases in attention and memory were not supported. Study 2 followed metastatic group participants over 3 months and revealed that, consistent with hypotheses, whereas limited time perspective goals predicted decreased intrusive thoughts about cancer, expansive time perspective goals predicted decreased perceived cancer-related benefits. Together, these studies suggest that SST is a useful lens through which to view some components of motivation and psychological adjustment among individuals confronting medically foreshortened futures

Living with limited time: Socioemotional selectivity theory in the context of health adversity.

The current research was designed to test the applicability of socioemotional selectivity theory (SST; Carstensen, 2006), a life span theory that posits that perceived time remaining in life (time perspective) is a critical determinant of motivation, to individuals who face foreshortened futures (limited time perspective) due to life-limiting medical illness. In Study 1, we investigated whether life goals and biases in attention and memory for valenced emotional stimuli differed between women living with metastatic breast cancer (n = 113; theoretically living under greater limited time perspective than peers without cancer) and similarly aged women without a cancer diagnosis (n = 50; theoretically living under greater expansive time perspective than peers with cancer) in accordance with SST. As hypothesized, metastatic group goals reflected greater emphasis on limited versus expansive time perspective relative to comparison group goals. Hypotheses regarding biases in attention and memory were not supported. Study 2 followed metastatic group participants over 3 months and revealed that, consistent with hypotheses, whereas limited time perspective goals predicted decreased intrusive thoughts about cancer, expansive time perspective goals predicted decreased perceived cancer-related benefits. Together, these studies suggest that SST is a useful lens through which to view some components of motivation and psychological adjustment among individuals confronting medically foreshortened futures

Assessing the scholarly impact of health psychology: a citation analysis of articles published from 1993 to 2003.

ObjectiveWe conducted a citation analysis to explore the impact of articles published in Health Psychology and determine whether the journal is fulfilling its stated mission.DesignSix years of articles (N = 408) representing three editorial tenures from 1993-2003 were selected for analysis.Main outcome measuresArticles were coded for several dimensions enabling examination of the relationship of article features to subsequent citations rates. Journals citing articles published in Health Psychology were classified into four categories: (1) psychology, (2) medicine, (3) public health and health policy, and (4) other journals.ResultsThe majority of citations of Health Psychology articles were in psychology journals, followed closely by medical journals. Studies reporting data collected from college students, and discussing the theoretical implications of findings, were more likely to be cited in psychology journals, whereas studies reporting data from clinical populations, and discussing the practice implications of findings, were more likely to be cited in medical journals. Time since publication and page length were both associated with increased citation counts, and review articles were cited more frequently than observational studies.ConclusionArticles published in Health Psychology have a wide reach, informing psychology, medicine, public health and health policy. Certain characteristics of articles affect their subsequent pattern of citation