Relationship between sleep disturbance, depression and anxiety in the 12 months following a cardiac event.

We aimed to assess the prevalence of sleep disturbance in a cardiac patient population over a 12-month period and assess its relationship with treatment adherence, self-efficacy, anxiety and depression. A total of 134 patients consecutively admitted to two Australian hospitals after acute myocardial infarction (31%), or to undergo bypass surgery (29%) or percutaneous coronary intervention (40%) were interviewed at six weeks and four and 12 months. Sleep disturbance was measured using a recode of the Beck Depression Inventory (v.2) item 16. Anxiety and depression were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Sleep disturbance was highly prevalent (69%) at 6 weeks but was not associated with 12-month psychological outcomes. Path analysis revealed that sleep disturbance at 4 months was, however, associated with reduced treatment adherence and self-efficacy, and higher anxiety and depression scores at 12 months. The high prevalence of sleep disturbance in this study and its association with psychological outcomes may have adverse prognostic implications and possibly impede cardiac rehabilitation efforts.

Toward improved statistical reporting in the journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

Philip Kendall's (1997) editorial encouraged authors in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP) to report effect sizes and clinical significance. The present authors assessed the influence of that editorial--and other American Psychological Association initiatives to improve statistical practices--by examining 239 JCCP articles published from 1993 to 2001. For analysis of variance, reporting of means and standardized effect sizes increased over that period, but the rate of effect size reporting for other types of analyses surveyed remained low. Confidence interval reporting increased little, reaching 17% in 2001. By 2001, the percentage of articles considering clinical (not only statistical) significance was 40%, compared with 36% in 1996. In a follow-up survey of JCCP authors (N=62), many expressed positive attitudes toward statistical reform. Substantially improving statistical practices may require stricter editorial policies and further guidance for authors on reporting and interpreting measures.

Impact of criticism of null-hypothesis significance testing on statistical reporting practices in conservation biology.

Over the last decade, criticisms of null-hypothesis significance testing have grown dramatically, and several alternative practices, such as confidence intervals, information theoretic, and Bayesian methods, have been advocated. Have these calls for change had an impact on the statistical reporting practices in conservation biology? In 2000 and 2001, 92% of sampled articles in Conservation Biology and Biological Conservation reported results of null-hypothesis tests. In 2005 this figure dropped to 78%. There were corresponding increases in the use of confidence intervals, information theoretic, and Bayesian techniques. Of those articles reporting null-hypothesis testing--which still easily constitute the majority--very few report statistical power (8%) and many misinterpret statistical nonsignificance as evidence for no effect (63%). Overall, results of our survey show some improvements in statistical practice, but further efforts are clearly required to move the discipline toward improved practices.

Editors can lead researchers to confidence intervals, but can't make them think: statistical reform lessons from medicine.

Since the mid-1980s, confidence intervals (CIs) have been standard in medical journals. We sought lessons for psychology from medicine's experience with statistical reform by investigating two attempts by Kenneth Rothman to change statistical practices. We examined 594 American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) articles published between 1982 and 2000 and 110 Epidemiology articles published in 1990 and 2000. Rothman's editorial instruction to report CIs and not p values was largely effective: In AJPH, sole reliance on p values dropped from 63% to 5%, and CI reporting rose from 10% to 54%; Epidemiology showed even stronger compliance. However, compliance was superficial: Very few authors referred to CIs when discussing results. The results of our survey support what other research has indicated: Editorial policy alone is not a sufficient mechanism for statistical reform. Achieving substantial, desirable change will require further guidance regarding use and interpretation of CIs and appropriate effect size measures. Necessary steps will include studying researchers' understanding of CIs, improving education, and developing empirically justified recommendations for improved statistical practice.

Not the same: a comparison of female and male clients seeking treatment from problem gambling counselling services.

Previous studies of problem gamblers portray this group as being almost exclusively male. However, this study demonstrates that females comprised 46% of the population ( n = 1,520) of persons who sought assistance due to concerns about their gambling from the publicly-funded BreakEven counselling services in the state of Victoria, Australia, in one 12-month period. This suggests that the model of service delivery which is community based counselling on a non-residential basis may be better able to attract female clients than treatment centres where males predominate such as veterans centres. A comparative analysis of the social and demographic characteristics of female and male gamblers within the study population was undertaken. As with previous studies, we have found significant differences between males and females who have sought help for problems associated with their gambling. Gender differences revealed in this study include females being far more likely to use electronic gaming machines (91.1% vs. 61.4%), older (39.6 years vs. 36.1 years), more likely to be born in Australia (79.4% vs. 74.7%), to be married (42.8% vs. 30.2%), living with family (78.9% vs. 61.5%) and to have dependent children (48.4% vs. 35.7%), than males who present at these services. Female gamblers (A$7,342) reported average gambling debts of less than half of that owed by males (A$19,091). These gender differences have implications for the development and conduct of problem gambling counselling services as it cannot be assumed that models of service which have demonstrated effectiveness with males will be similarly effective with females.