Vladan Starcevic
The University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School, Faculty Member
Research Interests:
The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and related disorders (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD]) and major depressive disorder (MDD) at any time during pregnancy and during each pregnancy trimester... more
The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and related disorders (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD]) and major depressive disorder (MDD) at any time during pregnancy and during each pregnancy trimester and ascertain the proportions of women with an onset of these disorders during pregnancy. Several questionnaires and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview were administered to 200 women at each pregnancy trimester. Complete data were obtained from 148 participants. The most prevalent anxiety disorder at any time during pregnancy was panic disorder (PD), followed by generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and OCD. Unlike all the other disorders, the prevalence rates of OCD increased steadily from the first to the third trimester. Approximately one half of women with OCD and about one third of women with PD, GAD and MDD at any time during pregnancy had an onset of these disorders during pregnancy. Pregnancy may be a risk factor for an onset of OCD and to a lesser extent, for an onset of PD, GAD and MDD. Absence of remission of OCD during pregnancy despite treatment may suggest treatment resistance of OCD at this time. These findings have implications for recognition, prevention and treatment of anxiety disorders during pregnancy.
Research Interests: Psychiatry, Anxiety Disorders, Australia, Medicine, Anxiety, and 14 moreProspective studies, Pregnancy, Humans, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Prevalence, Adult, Disease Progression, ANXIETY, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Pregnancy complications, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Cyberchondria is a clinical entity of excessive and repetitive online health-related searches, associated with health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and intolerance of uncertainty. Its relationships with depressive and somatic... more
Cyberchondria is a clinical entity of excessive and repetitive online health-related searches, associated with health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and intolerance of uncertainty. Its relationships with depressive and somatic symptoms have not yet received much attention. The purpose of this study was to examine the individual and comparative effects of several psychopathology constructs on the severity of cyberchondria. Through an online platform, participants (N = 749) completed specific self-report measures assessing the severity of cyberchondria, anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, depressive, somatic, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Standard and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to assess how well the independent variables influenced the levels of cyberchondria, before and after controlling for age, education, and sex. When measures of all constructs were included in the analysis, all were significant predictors of cyberchondria levels, except for anxiety. Health anxiety made the strongest contribution. When age, education and sex were controlled for, all measures except for anxiety were also significant predictors of cyberchondria severity. Our study confirms that health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and intolerance of uncertainty are all associated with cyberchondria severity, with health anxiety making the strongest unique contribution. Depression and somatic symptoms also predicted cyberchondria severity. These findings have important implications for research and clinical practice.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Science, Personality Disorders, Borderline Personality Disorder, and 15 moreAdolescent, Medicine, Distress, Humans, Paranoia, Hallucinations, Female, Male, Dissociative disorders, Clinical Sciences, Adult, Depersonalization, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT Introduction. Dysphoria is a very complex emotional state that seems to be present in many psychiatric disorders (especially in BPD), but whose psychopathological core is still surrounded by a halo of vagueness, so that measuring... more
ABSTRACT Introduction. Dysphoria is a very complex emotional state that seems to be present in many psychiatric disorders (especially in BPD), but whose psychopathological core is still surrounded by a halo of vagueness, so that measuring its construct empirically is difficult and suitable tests to do that do not exist in Italy. Objectives. To analyze the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Nepean Dysphoria Scale (NDS; Berle & Starcevic, 2012), a self-report questionnaire that measures dysphoria, reflecting its multidimensional nature. Aims. To validate the Italian version of the NDS for a future use in routine clinical practice and, more generally, to assess dysphoria in a more conceptually coherent way. Methods. The NDS was administered to 132 university students, along with other conceptually similar (Beck Depression Inventory II, Dysfunctional Attitude Scale – Form A and Toronto Alexithymia Scale) and conceptually distinct (Anxiety Sensitivity Index – 3) instruments. Then, its characteristics (internal consistency, factor structure, convergent and divergent validity) were examined, comparing them with those of the original version. Results. The 22-item NDS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (alpha = 0.949). A four-factor solution was confirmed, with factors pertaining to irritability, discontent, surrender and interpersonal resentment. There were medium to strong correlations with the Beck Depression Inventory II, and weaker but still significant correlations with Dysfunctional Attitude Scale – Form A, Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Anxiety Sensitivity Index – 3. Conclusions. The Italian version of the NDS shows good psychometric properties, maintaining a high equivalence with the original version. Further research on clinical samples is needed.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Objectives: This study aims to examine the characteristics of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) associated with high levels of schizotypy. Methods: Using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) with 177 individuals with OCD,... more
Objectives: This study aims to examine the characteristics of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) associated with high levels of schizotypy. Methods: Using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) with 177 individuals with OCD, patients with OCD and high levels of schizotypy (OCD-HS) were compared to patients with OCD and low levels of schizotypy (OCD-LS) on a range of clinical characteristics. Self-report and clinician-administered instruments were used. Results were adjusted for the severity of OCD symptoms, age, marital status and comorbidity using logistic regression. Results: Patients with OCD-HS were younger and less likely to have been married. OCD-HS was associated with higher rates of symmetry/order obsessions, ordering/arranging compulsions, checking compulsions, co-occurring major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders and greater general psychopathology. Previously reported associations, such as higher total scores on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) were not significant when adjusted for differences in demographic variables and comorbidity. Conclusions: Patients with OCD-HS were associated with specific OCD symptoms and comorbid conditions and may warrant a specific treatment approach.
Research Interests: Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Schizophrenia, Psychopathology, and 15 moreComorbidity, Schizotypy, Humans, Female, Diagnosis, Male, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Compulsive behavior, Self report, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Psychology and Worry
IntroductionOver the past decade, emotion dysregulation has become a very popular term in the psychiatric and clinical psychology literature and it has been described as a key component in a range of mental disorders. For this reason, it... more
IntroductionOver the past decade, emotion dysregulation has become a very popular term in the psychiatric and clinical psychology literature and it has been described as a key component in a range of mental disorders. For this reason, it has been recently called the “hallmark of psychopathology” (Beauchaine et al., 2007). However, many issues make this concept controversial.ObjectivesTo explore emotion dysregulation, focusing on problems related to its definition, meanings and role in many psychiatric disorders.AimsTo clarify the psychopathological core of emotion dysregulation and to discuss potential implications for clinical practice.MethodsA literature review was carried out by examining articles published in English between January 2003 and June 2015. A search of the databases PubMed, PsycINFO, Science Direct, Medline, EMBASE and Google Scholar was performed to identify the relevant papers.ResultsAlthough, there is no agreement about the definition of emotion dysregulation, the following five overlapping, not mutually exclusive dimensions were identified: decreased emotional awareness, inadequate emotional reactivity, intense experience and expression of emotions, emotional rigidity and cognitive reappraisal difficulty. These dimensions characterise a number of psychiatric disorders in different proportions, with borderline personality disorder and eating disorders seemingly more affected than other conditions.ConclusionsThis review highlights a discrepancy between the widespread clinical use of emotion dysregulation and inadequate conceptual status of this construct. Better understanding of the various dimensions of emotion dysregulation has implications for treatment. Future research needs to address emotion dysregulation in all its multifaceted complexity.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Psychology and Dysphoria
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
A feeling of emptiness is commonly encountered in clinical practice, but it is poorly understood, with incongruent approaches to its definition and possible role in various disorders. This review examines the conceptualization of the... more
A feeling of emptiness is commonly encountered in clinical practice, but it is poorly understood, with incongruent approaches to its definition and possible role in various disorders. This review examines the conceptualization of the feeling of emptiness and its place in psychopathology. We found an imbalance between theoretical approaches to this phenomenon and empirical research, and argue that more studies using adequate assessment tools are needed. Based on our literature review, we propose that a feeling of emptiness is a complex, negative emotional state that is experienced in different ways by different individuals. This feeling includes a physical or bodily component, a component of aloneness or social disconnectedness, and a component of a deep sense of personal unfulfillment or lack of purpose. The feeling of emptiness is related to other emotional states (dysphoria, boredom, loneliness, and numbness) and overlaps to some extent with them. Although the feeling of emptiness...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is one of the most puzzling psychiatric disorders. In order to improve its understanding and management, we have recently proposed an interpersonal dysphoria model that emphasizes the key... more
Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is one of the most puzzling psychiatric disorders. In order to improve its understanding and management, we have recently proposed an interpersonal dysphoria model that emphasizes the key role of the complex emotional state of dysphoria in BPD. The purpose of this study was to test the interpersonal dysphoria model using a structural equation modeling analysis. Sampling and Methods: The sample consisted of 105 patients with BPD and 105 healthy controls. A total of five self-report instruments and three semistructured interviews were administered to the participants. Results: The best-fitting structural model fit the data well in the BPD sample. Background dysphoria and negative interpersonal disposition were significant predictors of situational dysphoria, which in turn was a significant predictor of various symptoms of BPD. This model differs from the originally proposed one in terms of impaired empathy not being a component of nega...
Research Interests:
ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to characterise international trends in the use of psychotropic medication, psychological therapies, and novel therapies used to treat obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).MethodsResearchers in the... more
ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to characterise international trends in the use of psychotropic medication, psychological therapies, and novel therapies used to treat obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).MethodsResearchers in the field of OCD were invited to contribute summary statistics on the characteristics of their samples. Consistency of summary statistics across countries was evaluated.ResultsThe study surveyed 19 expert centres from 15 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States) providing a total sample of 7,340 participants. Fluoxetine (n = 972; 13.2%) and fluvoxamine (n = 913; 12.4%) were the most commonly used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications. Risperidone (n = 428; 7.3%) and aripiprazole (n = 415; 7.1%) were the most commonly used antipsychotic agents. Neurostimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, dee...
Research Interests: Cognitive Science, Neurology, Deep Brain Stimulation, Medicine, Humans, and 15 moreFemale, Male, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Benzodiazepines, Clinical Neurology, Antipsychotics, Middle Aged, Adult, Internationality, Medical Pharmacology, Mental Health and Psychiatry Nursing, Cross Cultural Study, Aripiprazole, Exposure and Response Prevention, and Antipsychotic agents
To collate data from multiple obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treatment centers across seven countries and five continents, and to report findings in relation to OCD comorbidity, age of onset of OCD and comorbid disorders, and... more
To collate data from multiple obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treatment centers across seven countries and five continents, and to report findings in relation to OCD comorbidity, age of onset of OCD and comorbid disorders, and suicidality, in a large clinical and ethnically diverse sample, with the aim of investigating cultural variation and the utility of the psychiatric diagnostic classification of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Researchers in the field of OCD were invited to contribute summary statistics on current and lifetime psychiatric comorbidity, age of onset of OCD and comorbid disorders and suicidality in their patients with OCD. Data from 3711 adult patients with primary OCD came from Brazil (n=955), India (n=802), Italy (n=750), South Africa (n=565), Japan (n=322), Australia (n=219), and Spain (n=98). The most common current comorbid disorders were major depressive disorder (28.4%; n=1055), obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (24.5%, n=478), gener...
Research Interests:
Objective: To explore the clinical reasoning processes underpinning diagnostic and management decision-making in treating patients presenting with psychological distress in general practice. Method: Practising GPs were invited to attend... more
Objective: To explore the clinical reasoning processes underpinning diagnostic and management decision-making in treating patients presenting with psychological distress in general practice. Method: Practising GPs were invited to attend small-group workshops in which two case histories were presented. Discussion was GP-facilitated and recorded for thematic analysis. GPs provided demographic data, completed personality and attitudinal questionnaires, and answered a series of multiple-choice questions embedded in the cases. Results: GPs recognize the possibility of psychiatric disorders early in the clinical reasoning process, but are cautious about applying definitive diagnoses. GPs perceive that patients may be resistant to a psychiatric diagnosis and instead emphasize the need to build rapport and explore and exclude physical comorbidities. GPs see patients with a broad spectrum of distress, illness and impairment, in whom the initial presentation of psychological symptoms is often...
Research Interests: Psychology, General Practice, Psychiatry, Mental Health, Primary Health Care, and 15 moreGlobal Positioning System, Medicine, Mental Illness, Distress, Humans, Female, Diagnosis, Male, Mental Disorders, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, General Practitioners, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests: Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Consumer Health Information, Medicine, and 14 moreAnxiety, Humans, Affective Disorders, Female, Male, Generalizability Theory, Information Seeking Behavior, Meta Analysis, Moderation, ANXIETY, Internet, Hypochondriasis, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests:
Background and aims: Despite the many benefits of technological advancements, problematic use of emerging technologies may lead to consumers experiencing harms. Substantial problems and behavioral addictions, such as gambling and gaming... more
Background and aims: Despite the many benefits of technological advancements, problematic use of emerging technologies may lead to consumers experiencing harms. Substantial problems and behavioral addictions, such as gambling and gaming disorders, are recognized to be related to Internet-based technologies, including the myriad of new devices and platforms available. This review paper seeks to explore problematic risk-taking behaviors involving emerging technologies (e.g., online gambling and gaming, online sexual behaviors, and oversharing of personal information via social networking sites) that have the potential to lead to problematic outcomes for individuals.Results and discussion: Previous research has focused on policy frameworks for responding to specific issues (e.g., online gambling), but a broader framework is needed to address issues as they emerge, given lags in governments and regulators responding to dynamically evolving technological environments. In this paper, key ...
Research Interests:
Objective: According to recent phenomenological literature, dysphoria is the psychopathological core of borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is a complex emotional state that consists of persistent tension, irritability, discontent... more
Objective: According to recent phenomenological literature, dysphoria is the psychopathological core of borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is a complex emotional state that consists of persistent tension, irritability, discontent and unhappiness, which is difficult to modulate and is associated with impulsivity. Under certain circumstances, this basic "kind" of dysphoria ("background dysphoria") can be experienced differently, as "situational dysphoria". The latter is a sense of pressure, an urge to act and a feeling of quasi-explosion that is mostly related to interpersonal triggers. The aim of this study was to present the process of developing a questionnaire for measuring situational dysphoria in BPD (the Situational Dysphoria Scale, SITDS) and test its psychometric properties. Method: The sample consisted of 105 borderline patients recruited from adult psychiatric outpatient services and residential inpatient communities. The SITDS was devel...
Research Interests:
The main aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to calculate and compare the frequencies of obsessions and compulsions in women with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during pregnancy (OCD-P), the postpartum period (OCD-PP)... more
The main aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to calculate and compare the frequencies of obsessions and compulsions in women with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during pregnancy (OCD-P), the postpartum period (OCD-PP) and when they are neither pregnant nor postpartum (OCD-NPP). Fourteen studies were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed that aggressive obsessions were much more common in OCD-PP than in OCD-P and OCD-NPP and that washing/cleaning compulsions were less frequent in OCD-PP than in OCD-P and OCD-NPP. These differences were significant, whereas the frequencies of various obsessions and compulsions did not distinguish between OCD-P and OCD-NPP. Obsessions about accidental harm to the infant and other infant-focused obsessions, checking compulsions, self-reassurance and seeking reassurance from others were also relatively common in OCD-PP. Clinical manifestations of OCD-PP are relatively specific and differ from those of OCD-P and OCD-NPP, whereas OCD-P does not seem to have distinct clinical features. Although these findings do not necessarily suggest that OCD-PP is a distinct subtype of OCD, they have important conceptual and clinical implications.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Background/Aim. To examine gender differences in the major psychopathologic features in agoraphobia with panic disorder. Method. The study was conducted as a clinical study. The sample consisted of 119 patients, 32 men (26.9%) and 87... more
Background/Aim. To examine gender differences in the major psychopathologic features in agoraphobia with panic disorder. Method. The study was conducted as a clinical study. The sample consisted of 119 patients, 32 men (26.9%) and 87 women (73.1%) with the basic diagnosis of agoraphobia with panic disorder. All the patients were evaluated with the clinical instruments suitable for the assessment of various clinical features associated with agoraphobia with panic disorder - questionnaires (the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 90, the Panic Appraisal Inventory, the Fear Questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory), and the clinical rating scale (the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale). After the data collection, the sample was divided into two groups by the gender. Then the groups were compared. Results. There were no differences between the genders in the global psychopathologic features (the age at the onset of a disorder, duration of a disorder, severity and freq...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Although mental health issues in ageing individuals have been receiving more attention, borderline personality disorder (BPD) in older adults and the elderly has been relatively neglected. This article aims to review the... more
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Although mental health issues in ageing individuals have been receiving more attention, borderline personality disorder (BPD) in older adults and the elderly has been relatively neglected. This article aims to review the current state of knowledge about BPD in these age groups. RECENT FINDINGS Studies have consistently reported decreasing prevalence rates of BPD among ageing individuals. This may be attributed to the ageing process itself and/or different clinical features due to which meeting the diagnostic criteria for BPD becomes more difficult. Ageing individuals with BPD often present in a way that makes them look 'atypical' compared to younger individuals with the same condition. In particular, this pertains to somewhat attenuated and less overt manifestations of impulsivity. However, the basic pattern of overall symptoms instability continues to characterize ageing individuals with BPD, in addition to depressive symptoms, feeling of emptiness, anger, unstable interpersonal relationships, turbulent responses when needs are not met, various somatic complaints and other symptoms. SUMMARY Clinicians should be aware of different clinical features of BPD as patients get older. Diagnostic criteria for BPD may need to be revised to reflect this reality, allow accurate diagnosis and minimize the risk of overlooking BPD in ageing individuals.
Research Interests:
Abstract Background Although a feeling of emptiness is listed only as a symptom of the DSM-5 borderline personality disorder, it is commonly encountered in other disorders. The aim of this study was to validate the Italian version of the... more
Abstract Background Although a feeling of emptiness is listed only as a symptom of the DSM-5 borderline personality disorder, it is commonly encountered in other disorders. The aim of this study was to validate the Italian version of the Subjective Emptiness Scale (SES-I), a 7-item self-report instrument assessing the feeling of emptiness. Methods Participants in one clinical group (n = 63) and one non-clinical group (n = 48) completed the SES-I along with several other instruments. A principal component analysis was used to analyze the structure of the SES-I and Cronbach's alpha and Rho's Spearman were used to establish aspects of reliability and validity, respectively. Results The SES-I has a unidimensional structure reflecting the core feature of the feeling of emptiness. It showed an excellent internal consistency (a = 0.92) and convergent validity, as demonstrated by significant correlations with scores on the Beck Depression Inventory – II and conceptually related scales and subscales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory – III and Personality Inventory for DSM-5. Divergent validity was also demonstrated for the SES-I. SES-I scores in the clinical group were significantly higher than in the non-clinical group. A significant relationship was not found between the feeling of emptiness and self-harming behavior, impulsivity and acting-out. Limitations A small sample size, several significant differences between the clinical and non-clinical groups and diagnostic heterogeneity in the clinical group limit generalizability of the study. Conclusion The SES-I is a valid and reliable instrument, which should improve assessment of the feeling of emptiness and help clinicians better understand this complex phenomenon.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Correlations between instruments measuring the same construct reflect their concurrent validity. Little is known about changes in correlations between such instruments employed in studies with repeated assessment. The aim of this... more
Correlations between instruments measuring the same construct reflect their concurrent validity. Little is known about changes in correlations between such instruments employed in studies with repeated assessment. The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the changes in correlations between depression instruments in the course of longitudinal studies. A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and PsycINFO for the period from 1960 to 2013. The total number of collected articles was 3723, of which 61 were included. Three meta-analyses were performed for the changes in correlations between each pair of the three depression scales: Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The effect size in these meta-analyses was obtained by the z-transformation of correlation coefficients. Correlations between depression scales increased over time in 52 studies. Significant changes in correlation coefficients were found for correlations between HAMD and BDI (p<0.001) and for correlations between HAMD and MADRS (p<0.001). An increase in correlations between the scales was associated with a decrease in depression scores and increase in their variability. Univariable and multivariable meta-regression models were not obtained in all three meta-analyses because of the lack of data. A finding that correlations between depression instruments tended to increase over time has significant implications for assessment of the concurrent validity of these instruments. In longitudinal designs it is important to estimate correlations between depression scales over time because different thresholds for scale correlations indicate acceptable concurrent validity at different times.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Psychology, Psychiatry, Medicine, Humans, OCD, and 13 moreFemale, Male, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Interpersonal Relations, Compulsion, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Compulsive behavior, Severity of Illness Index, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Anxiety Disorders, Psychometrics, Treatment, and 15 moreMedicine, Test Validation, Factor analysis, Humans, Questionnaire, Female, Construct Validity, Male, The, Clinical Sciences, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Psychological Stress, and Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
A recent survey of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and Nature revealed that inconsistencies in reported statistics were common. We sought to replicate that survey in the psychiatry literature. We checked the consistency of reported... more
A recent survey of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and Nature revealed that inconsistencies in reported statistics were common. We sought to replicate that survey in the psychiatry literature. We checked the consistency of reported t-test, F-test and chi(2)-test values with their corresponding p-values in the 2005 issues of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (ANZJP) and compared this with the issues of the ANZJP from 2000, and with a similar journal, Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (APS). A reported p-value was 'inconsistent' if it differed (at its reported number of decimal places) from our calculated p-values (using three different software packages), which we based on the reported test statistic and degrees of freedom. Of the 546 results that we checked, 78 (14.3%) of the p-values were inconsistent with the corresponding degrees of freedom and test statistic. Similar rates of inconsistency were found in APS and ANZJP, and when comparing the ANZJP between 2000 and 2005. The percentages of articles with at least one inconsistency were 8.5% for ANZJP 2005, 9.9% for ANZJP 2000 and 12.1% for APS. We conclude that inconsistencies in p-values are common and may reflect errors of analysis and rounding, typographic errors or typesetting errors. Suggestions for reducing the occurrence of such inconsistencies are provided.
Research Interests:
The objective of this study was to examine associations between problem video game use and psychopathology. The Video Game Use Questionnaire (VGUQ) and the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) were administered in an international anonymous... more
The objective of this study was to examine associations between problem video game use and psychopathology. The Video Game Use Questionnaire (VGUQ) and the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) were administered in an international anonymous online survey. The VGUQ was used to identify problem video game users and SCL-90 assessed dimensions of psychopathology. In comparison with other video game players (n = 1789),
Research Interests:
Looking for information about symptoms and illnesses on the Internet is common and often serves useful purposes. However, a number of people who are overly distressed or anxious about their health perform excessive or repeated... more
Looking for information about symptoms and illnesses on the Internet is common and often serves useful purposes. However, a number of people who are overly distressed or anxious about their health perform excessive or repeated health-related searches on the Internet, only to become more distressed or frightened - a pattern defined here as cyberchondria. This behavior, which can also be construed as a form of reassurance seeking and occurs as a manifestation of health anxiety and hypochondriasis, is the focus of this article. The antecedents of cyberchondria, factors that maintain it and its consequences are examined conceptually and in light of the relatively little research that has been performed so far. Managing cyberchondria poses a challenge, and several approaches as part of the treatment of health anxiety and hypochondriasis are described. The article makes suggestions for further research on cyberchondria.