The American psychologist
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The American psychologist · Jul 2018
ReviewThe strength of the causal evidence against physical punishment of children and its implications for parents, psychologists, and policymakers.
The question of whether physical punishment is helpful or harmful to the development of children has been subject to hundreds of research studies over the past several decades. Yet whether causal conclusions can be drawn from this largely nonexperimental research and whether the conclusions generalize across contexts are issues that remain unresolved. ⋯ They then review research demonstrating that physical punishment is linked with the same harms to children as is physical abuse and summarize the extant research that finds links between physical punishment and detrimental outcomes for children are consistent across cultural, family, and neighborhood contexts. The strength and consistency of the links between physical punishment and detrimental child outcomes lead the authors to recommend that parents should avoid physical punishment, psychologists should advise and advocate against it, and policymakers should develop means of educating the public about the harms of and alternatives to physical punishment. (PsycINFO Database Record
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The American psychologist · May 2014
ReviewApplying the interprofessional patient aligned care team in the Department of Veterans Affairs: Transforming primary care.
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, serving more than 8 million veterans. VHA is currently undergoing extensive changes to its health care delivery model, moving toward the full implementation of the patient-centered medical home. ⋯ Moreover, VHA mental health staff serves critical leadership functions supporting primary care in the broad transformation that is required to implement the medical home. In this article, we review the implementation of mental health integration into this new model of care.
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The American psychologist · May 2014
ReviewOpportunities for psychologists in palliative care: Working with patients and families across the disease continuum.
Interdisciplinary palliative care services have been rapidly expanding in health care settings over the past 10 years, particularly through the establishment of interdisciplinary palliative care teams. Relatively few of these teams formally include psychologists, although their skills of enhancing patients' and families' well-being and lessening suffering make an enormous contribution to the care provided. ⋯ Using a case-based approach, we then explore the contribution of psychologists to the patient- and family-centered approach espoused by palliative care, including the knowledge, skills, and self-awareness needed to work effectively with these very ill patients and their families. We close with a call to action to better train and integrate psychologists into the rapidly growing field of palliative care.
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The American psychologist · Feb 2014
ReviewHypnotic approaches for chronic pain management: clinical implications of recent research findings.
The empirical support for hypnosis for chronic pain management has flourished over the past two decades. Clinical trials show that hypnosis is effective for reducing chronic pain, although outcomes vary between individuals. ⋯ Neurophysiological studies reveal that hypnotic analgesia has clear effects on brain and spinal-cord functioning that differ as a function of the specific hypnotic suggestions made, providing further evidence for the specific effects of hypnosis. The research results have important implications for how clinicians can help their clients experience maximum benefits from hypnosis and treatments that include hypnotic components.
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The American psychologist · Feb 2014
ReviewCognitive-behavioral therapy for individuals with chronic pain: efficacy, innovations, and directions for research.
Over the past three decades, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has become a first-line psychosocial treatment for individuals with chronic pain. Evidence for efficacy in improving pain and pain-related problems across a wide spectrum of chronic pain syndromes has come from multiple randomized controlled trials. ⋯ Innovations in CBT delivery formats (e.g., Web-based, telephone-delivered) and treatments based on CBT principles that are delivered by health professionals other than psychologists show promise for chronic pain problems. This article reviews (a) the evidence base for CBT as applied to chronic pain, (b) recent innovations in target populations and delivery methods that expand the application of CBT to underserved populations, (c) current limitations and knowledge gaps, and (d) promising directions for improving CBT efficacy and access for people living with chronic pain.