Cheryl Koopman

Bio: Cheryl Koopman is an academic researcher from Stanford University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) & Social support. The author has an hindex of 72, co-authored 218 publications receiving 14683 citations. Previous affiliations of Cheryl Koopman include Columbia University & NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital.

Stanford presenteeism scale: health status and employee productivity.

Abstract: Workforce productivity has become a critical factor in the strength and sustainability of a company’s overall business performance. Absenteeism affects productivity; however, even when employees are physically present at their jobs, they may experience decreased productivity and below-normal work qu

Supportive-expressive group therapy and distress in patients with metastatic breast cancer: a randomized clinical intervention trial.

Abstract: Background Metastatic breast cancer carries with it considerable psychosocial morbidity. Studies have shown that some patients with metastatic breast cancer experience clinically significant anxiety and depression and traumatic stress symptoms. Supportive-expressive group psychotherapy was developed to help patients with cancer face and adjust to their existential concerns, express and manage disease-related emotions, increase social support, enhance relationships with family and physicians, and improve symptom control. Methods Of 125 women with metastatic breast cancer recruited into the study, 64 were randomized to the intervention and 61 to the control condition. Intervention women were offered 1 year of weekly supportive-expressive group therapy and educational materials. Control women received educational materials only. Participants were assessed at baseline and every 4 months during the first year. Data at baseline and from at least 1 assessment were collected from 102 participants during this 12-month period, and these participants compose the study population. Results Primary analyses based on all available data indicated that participants in the treatment condition showed a significantly greater decline in traumatic stress symptoms on the Impact of Event Scale (effect size, 0.25) compared with the control condition, but there was no difference in Profile of Mood States total mood disturbance. However, when the final assessment occurring within a year of death was removed, a secondary analysis showed a significantly greater decline in total mood disturbance (effect size, 0.25) and traumatic stress symptoms (effect size, 0.33) for the treatment condition compared with the control condition. Conclusion Supportive-expressive therapy, with its emphasis on providing support and helping patients face and deal with their disease-related stress, can help reduce distress in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Evaluation of an internet support group for women with primary breast cancer.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Women with breast carcinoma commonly experience psychologic distress following their diagnosis Women who participate in breast cancer support groups have reported significant reduction in their psychologic distress and pain and improvement in the quality of their lives Web-based breast cancer social support groups are widely used, but little is known of their effectiveness Preliminary evidence suggests that women benefit from their participation in web-based support groups METHODS Seventy-two women with primary breast carcinoma were assigned randomly to a 12-week, web-based, social support group (Bosom Buddies) The group was semistructured, moderated by a health care professional, and delivered in an asynchronous newsgroup format RESULTS The results indicate that a web-based support group can be useful in reducing depression and cancer-related trauma, as well as perceived stress, among women with primary breast carcinoma The effect sizes ranged from 038 to 054 Participants perceived a variety of benefits and high satisfaction from their participation in the intervention CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that the web-based program, Bosom Buddies, was effective in reducing participants' scores on depression, perceived stress, and cancer-related trauma measures The effect size of the intervention was in the moderate range Although web-based social support groups offer many advantages, this delivery mechanism presents a number of ethical issues that need to be addressed Cancer 2003;97:1164–73 © 2003 American Cancer Society DOI 101002/cncr11174

Predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms among survivors of the Oakland/Berkeley, Calif., firestorm.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine factors predicting the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms after a traumatic event, the 1991 Oakland/Berkeley firestorm. The major predictive factors of interest were dissociative, anxiety, and loss of personal autonomy symptoms reported in the immediate aftermath of the fire; contact with the fire; and life stressors before and after the fire. METHOD: Subjects were recruited from several sources so that they would vary in their extent of contact with the fire. Of 187 participants who completed self-report measures about their experiences in the aftermath of the firestorm, 154 completed a follow-up assessment. Of these 154 subjects, 97% completed the follow-up questionnaires 7-9 months after the fire. The questionnaires included measures of posttraumatic stress and life events since the fire. RESULTS: Dissociative and loss of personal autonomy symptoms experienced in the fire's immediate aftermath, as well as stressful life experiences occurring later, significantly predicted posttraumatic stress symptoms measured 7-9 months after the firestorm by a civilian version of the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and the Impact of Event Scale. Dissociative symptoms more strongly predicted posttraumatic symptoms than did anxiety and loss of personal autonomy symptoms. Intrusive thinking differs from other kinds of posttraumatic symptoms in being related directly to the trauma and previous stressful life events. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that dissociative symptoms experienced in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic experience and subsequent stressful experiences are indicative of risk for the later development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Such measures may be useful as screening procedures for identifying those most likely to need clinical care to help them work through their reactions to the traumatic event and to subsequent stressful experiences. Language: en

Reducing HIV sexual risk behaviors among runaway adolescents.

Abstract: Objective. —Reductions in runaways' sexual risk behaviors were evaluated in response to an intensive program to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Design. —In a nonrandomized control trial, sexual risk behaviors among 78 runaways at one residential shelter who received up to 30 HIV/AIDS intervention sessions were compared with 67 runaways at a nonintervention shelter with sexual behaviors assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 months. Setting. — Runaways were recruited from the only two publicly funded shelters in New York, NY. Participants. —The runaways were aged 11 to 18 years, 64% female, and predominantly black or Hispanic. Intervention. —The intervention addressed general knowledge about HIV/AIDS, coping skills, access to health care and other resources, and individual barriers to safer sex. Main Outcome Measures. —Consistent condom use, a high-risk pattern of sexual behavior, and sexual abstinence over a 3-month time frame were assessed. Main Results. —As the number of intervention sessions increased, runaways' reports of consistent condom use increased significantly (at 3 months, unique R2=.06,P Conclusions. —The demonstrated effectiveness of the intensive HIV/AIDS program highlights the importance of enlarging the scope of most current HIV/AIDS prevention programs. (JAMA. 1991;266:1237-1241)

Improvements in survival and clinical benefit with gemcitabine as first-line therapy for patients with advanced pancreas cancer: a randomized trial.

Abstract: PURPOSEMost patients with advanced pancreas cancer experience pain and must limit their daily activities because of tumor-related symptoms. To date, no treatment has had a significant impact on the disease. In early studies with gemcitabine, patients with pancreas cancer experienced an improvement in disease-related symptoms. Based on those findings, a definitive trial was performed to assess the effectiveness of gemcitabine in patients with newly diagnosed advanced pancreas cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSOne hundred twenty-six patients with advanced symptomatic pancreas cancer completed a lead-in period to characterize and stabilize pain and were randomized to receive either gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 weekly x 7 followed by 1 week of rest, then weekly x 3 every 4 weeks thereafter (63 patients), or to fluorouracil (5-FU) 600 mg/m2 once weekly (63 patients). The primary efficacy measure was clinical benefit response, which was a composite of measurements of pain (analgesic consumption and pain intensity), Karnofs...

Regression Diagnostics: Identifying Influential Data and Sources of Collinearity

Abstract: 1. Introduction and Overview. 2. Detecting Influential Observations and Outliers. 3. Detecting and Assessing Collinearity. 4. Applications and Remedies. 5. Research Issues and Directions for Extensions. Bibliography. Author Index. Subject Index.

Meta-analysis of risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder in trauma-exposed adults.

Abstract: Meta-analyses were conducted on 14 separate risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the moderating effects of various sample and study characteristics, including civilian/military status, were examined. Three categories of risk factor emerged: Factors such as gender, age at trauma, and race that predicted PTSD in some populations but not in others; factors such as education, previous trauma, and general childhood adversity that predicted PTSD more consistently but to a varying extent according to the populations studied and the methods used; and factors such as psychiatric history, reported childhood abuse, and family psychiatric history that had more uniform predictive effects. Individually, the effect size of all the risk factors was modest, but factors operating during or after the trauma, such as trauma severity, lack of social support, and additional life stress, had somewhat stronger effects than pretrauma factors.

The psychological meaning of words: LIWC and computerized text analysis methods

Abstract: We are in the midst of a technological revolution whereby, for the first time, researchers can link daily word use to a broad array of real-world behaviors. This article reviews several computerized text analysis methods and describes how Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) was created and validated. LIWC is a transparent text analysis program that counts words in psychologically meaningful categories. Empirical results using LIWC demonstrate its ability to detect meaning in a wide variety of experimental settings, including to show attentional focus, emotionality, social relationships, thinking styles, and individual differences.