Date of Award

8-1991

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. William A. Carlson

Second Advisor

Dr. Edward Trembley

Third Advisor

Dr. Robert Wait

Abstract

This study comprised a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial for evaluating the pharmacological efficacy of ibuprofen when given in combination with pseudoephedrine on an outpatient basis to 52 patients diagnosed with sinus headache. The patients were administered a psychological test battery consisting of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) (Gough, 1948), the Millon Behavioral Health Inventory (MBHI) (Millon, Green, & Meagher, 1979), and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire (Nowlis & Green, 1957) to evaluate the possibility that specific psychological and personality characteristics might differentiate these patients from individuals on whom the psychological test instruments were normed. Additionally, the probability was examined that certain psychological test scales might serve to predict which patients might be least likely to respond to treatments designed to alleviate their physiological symptoms.

The results of this study suggest that differences exist between sinus headache patients and individuals on whom the test instruments were normed, in that the sinus headache patients were found to endorse significantly lower scores on the Tension-Anxiety, Depression-Dejection, Anger-Hostility, Fatigue-Inertia, and Confusion-Bewilderment scales, along with significantly higher scores on the Vigor-Activity scale of the POMS.

CPI scale elevations for the sinus headache patients were also significantly different from the normative data values for the Dominance, Communality, Achievement via Conformance, Achievement via Independence, Flexibility, Femininity/Masculinity, Work Orientation, Management Potential, and v.1 scales, further suggesting that important psychological differences exist between the sinus headache patients and individuals on whom the test instruments were normed.

Examination of the MBHI data did not support the hypothesis that specific personality attributes of sinus headache patients were correlated with their responses to the medications used in this study. Further investigation is recommended with this instrument for the purposes of determining the utility of the MBHI in predicting headache patients' response to treatment.

The specific psychological and personality characteristics manifested by the sinus headache patients are discussed, along with limitations of this study, treatment ramifications, and areas for further investigation.

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Dissertation-Open Access

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