Effects of stress inoculation training on self-report, behavioural and psychophysiological reactions to abseiling

The study examined the effect of stress inoculation training on the level of self-reported stress and anxiety, overt signs of distress and the physiological impact of the stress of abseiling. Twenty volunteer subjects were randomly assigned to either a 'no training' control group or a stress inoculation training group, following which both groups of subjects had to complete a test abseil from the roof of a 21.2 m building. Prior to descent, two self-report measures were taken: an intensity score derived from the word or phrase chosen by subjects from the Perceived Stress Index to best describe their feelings and a state anxiety score from Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Overt distress was also evaluated by a 'blind' observer also using the Perceived Stress Index. In addition, heart rate was monitored just prior to and throughout the abseil using a telemetry system. The stress inoculation group showed significantly less self-reported anxiety and stress and less behavioural signs of distress as judged by the observer. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of heart rate. In addition, while self-report and the assessment of the observer were highly inter-correlated, these measures were poorly correlated with heart rate.     

The library's role in the continuing education of health professionals

Health sciences librarians have historically viewed disseminating information to health professionals as a major role. Typically, they have provided individualized services and are among the professions that help health professionals further their education after finishing formal education. Another group directly involved in health professional continuing education is continuing education (CE) providers who offer ongoing learning through group activities. These two professions often reached the same audiences in the past, and their different approaches--individual and group--were complementary. Health professionals who needed information immediately or who wished individual learning used the library while those who wanted to hear eminent colleagues tended to use CE meetings or seminars; some did both. The librarians and CE providers rarely interacted, but this is now changing. With the introduction of personal computers, medical librarians have expanded their responsibilities to include formalized classroom instruction. At the same time, CE providers have increased their scope beyond formalized group instruction into individualized education. Librarians and CE providers can either collaborate and share their expertise or they can compete against each other.     

Language disability: A case study

Conclusion This paper has described the intertwining of linguistic, cognitive, and emotional development in a boy who has a severe language disability. Development proceeded through the usual stages and at the expected ages, yet there were interesting shifts and interactions that appear to be a function of Tony’s individual developmental style, and also, possibly, of intervention. One is particularly struck by the diminishing significance of language comprehension difficulties; expressive problems continue to be troublesome, but verbal conceptual ability has developed well and Tony has acquired an enthusiasm and affection for words. He will continue to struggle with verbal expression, but he knows his difficulty well and has made enough strides in working with it to hold his own in a relatively demanding private school. Early identification of the problem and intervention that has spanned nearly seven years have permitted the observation of developmental regressions and advances which, if viewed statically, might have been misinterpreted. More important, the continued involvement has made possible an emotional commitment between student and therapist that, one hopes, has had a steadying effect and that has led to the investment of verbal content with more richly textured meanings.