Psychic Distress, Life Crisis, and Use of Psychotherapeutic Medications: National Household Survey Data

doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1978.01770330019001

You are seeing this message because your Web browser does not support basic Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing and what you can do to make your experience on this site better.

Vol. 35 No. 9, September 1978

Online Only
	•	Online First Table of Contents

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

•	Online Features

This Article
•	References
•	Full text PDF
•	Correction
•	Reply to article
•	Send to a friend
•	Save in My Folder
•	Save to citation manager
•	Permissions

Citing Articles
•	Citation map
•	Citing articles on HighWire
•	Citing articles on Web of Science (145)
•	Contact me when this article is cited

Related Content
•	Similar articles in this journal

Social Bookmarking
	What's this?

Psychic Distress, Life Crisis, and Use of Psychotherapeutic Medications

National Household Survey Data

Glen D. Mellinger, PhD; Mitchell B. Balter, PhD; Dean I. Manheimer, MA; Ira H. Cisin, PhD; Hugh J. Parry, PhD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1978;35(9):1045-1052.

Abstract

• Findings are reported from a nationwide survey of a crosssectionprobability sample (N = 2,552) of US adults. Data on psychicdistress were obtained from a shortened version of the Hopkinssymptom checklist, data on life crises from a shortened versionof the Holmes-Rahe social readjustment rating scale. Methodsfor collecting data on use of psychotherapeutic medicationswere validated in a separate study. Data are presented on theprevalence of high levels of psychic distress and life crisisamong various age, sex, and other demographic subgroups; onthe relation between life crisis and psychic distress; and onthe relation of life crisis and psychic distress to use of psychotherapeuticmedications and alcohol. The findings suggest an illness behaviormodel for the use of psychotherapeutic medications in outpatientpractice, and they lend little support to a "selfindulgent consumer"interpretation.

Author Affiliations

From the Institute for Research in Social Behavior, Berkeley, Calif (Dr Mellinger and Mr Manheimer), and the Psychopharmacology Research Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (Dr Balter), and the Social Research Group, George Washington University (Drs Cisin and Parry), Washington, DC.

Footnotes

Accepted for publication April 10, 1978.

A preliminary version of this article was presented at the NationalInstitute of Mental Health Conference on the prescribing anduse of Antianxiety Agents: Clinical, Pharmacologic, and SocialConsiderations, Bethesda, Md, May 3, 1974.

Reprint requests to Institute for Research in Social Behavior,Claremont Hotel, Berkeley, CA 94705 (Dr Mellinger).

Add to CiteULike CiteULike Add to Connotea Connotea Add to Delicious Delicious Add to Digg Digg Facebook Add to Reddit Reddit Add to Technorati Technorati Twitter What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Medication Use with Implications for Sleep in Elderly Dementia Caregivers
Riccio et al.
Home Health Care Management Practice 1999;12:42-49.
ABSTRACT

Stress in Clinical Psychologists
Cushway and Tyler
Int J Soc Psychiatry 1996;42:141-149.
ABSTRACT

A Comparison of Male and Female Cocaine Abusers
Griffin et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1989;46:122-126.
ABSTRACT

A 2.5-Year Follow-up of Depression, Life Crises, and Treatment Effects on Abstinence Among Opioid Addicts
Kosten et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1986;43:733-738.
ABSTRACT

Changes in Popular Attitudes and Beliefs About Tranquilizers: 1970-1979
Clinthorne et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1986;43:527-532.
ABSTRACT

Insomnia and Its Treatment: Prevalence and Correlates
Mellinger et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1985;42:225-232.
ABSTRACT

Prevalence and Correlates of the Long-term Regular Use of Anxiolytics
Mellinger et al.
JAMA 1984;251:375-379.
ABSTRACT

Symptom Checklist Syndromes in the General Population: Correlations With Psychotherapeutic Drug Use
Uhlenhuth et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1983;40:1167-1173.
ABSTRACT

Misuse of the Symptom Checklist 90-Reply
Kass et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1983;40:1152-1153.
ABSTRACT

Discordance Between the SCL-90 and Therapists' Psychopathology Ratings: Implications for Clinical Assessment
Kass et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1983;40:389-393.
ABSTRACT

Life Events and Symptoms: Fourier Analysis of Time Series From a Three-Year Prospective Inquiry
Grant et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1982;39:598-605.
ABSTRACT

A Cross-National Survey of Mental Illness and Treatment
Baskin
Cross-Cultural Research 1982;17:246-270.
ABSTRACT

Benzodiazepines -- Panacea or Poison?
Lader
Aust N Z J Psychiatry 1981;15:1-9.

Continuities in Community-Based Psychiatric Epidemiology
Murphy
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1980;37:1215-1223.
ABSTRACT

Benzodiazepines: Dependence and Withdrawal
Ayd
JAMA 1979;242:1401-1402.
ABSTRACT

| | |