Amy K. Silberbogen

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Background Physical activity is recommended as part of guideline-based care for managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at all stages of the disease. However, physical activity interventions are less effective in individuals with co-occurring emotional distress (i.e., depression and/or anxiety symptoms). Interventions that dually prom...

Behavioral interventions targeting low physical activity (PA) and comorbid emotional distress are critically needed to address gaps in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A mixed-methods study was conducted to guide the development of Step-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Step-CBT), a virtual behavioral intervention under s...

Health service psychologists increasingly function as leaders within organizations and consequently engage in the evaluation of others, including other psychologists. Although psychologists may intend to engage in unbiased and fair evaluation practices, conducting truly equitable evaluations is challenging and may require professional development a...

Postdoctoral training in health service psychology (HSP) has evolved as a result of changes within the field of psychology, including a heightened focus on competency-based training. We review the literature on competency-based education and training and its impact on postdoctoral level competencies within the American Psychological Association’s S...

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and exercise capacity. Little is known about the impact of depression symptoms and exercise self-efficacy on improvements in these key PR outcomes. This study examined the impact of baseline depression status and change in depression symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II...

Objective: To examine predictors of uptake (never start), adherence (drop out), and completion of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), as well as PR treatment response based on minimal clinically important difference (MCID) on the six-minute walk test (6MWT) distance and Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire-Self-Report (CRQ-SR). Design: Retrospective, cohor...

Postdoctoral training in health service psychology is an important component in the sequence of formal psychology education. Key historical milestones, as well as recent developments notably shaping the field are reviewed, along with cultural, ethical, and research considerations in postdoctoral training. Current challenges in postdoctoral training...

Pulmonary rehabilitation [PR] is the standard of care for Veterans with COPD. Psychosocial factors may play a role in PR participation. This study examined psychosocial factors among 253 Veterans with COPD (M age = 70.08, SD = 8.14) who completed (n = 110), did not complete (n = 75; “drop outs”), or never started (n = 68) PR. Measures completed at...

Didactic curricula in psychology doctoral internship training programs in health service psychology are important components of the training experience. However, the nature of didactic curricula, including how they are developed and implemented, is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to describe characteristics of didactic programs,...

Postdoctoral training in health service psychology has evolved significantly in the past 70 years as a reflection of our field’s development. This article presents a contemporary perspective on postdoctoral training; its purpose in the sequence of training is conceptualized as advanced competency development in either recognized specialty practice...

The benefit of routine prostate cancer screening is currently under debate; however, many experts recommend that men with elevated risk for the disease discuss the potential risks and benefits of screening with their health care team. Psychological factors have been negatively associated with preventive health behaviors such as cancer screenings. T...

The goal of this pilot study was to examine changes in self-reported levels of mindfulness in the context of an 8-week mindfulness telehealth intervention for military veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants were 24 male veterans with PTSD aged 23 to 66 (M = 55.2). Participants were randomized to either a min...

The primary objective of this pilot study was to develop and implement a telephone intervention for veterans with diabetes and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Additional objectives were to evaluate study feasibility and to conduct exploratory analyses of the influence of the intervention on diabetic self-care, quality of life, treatment adher...

The standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C (pegylated interferon and ribavirin) causes challenging physical and psychological side effects. The current pilot study evaluated the efficacy of a brief, telephone-based, cognitive-behavioral self-management intervention designed to address mood and quality of life within a sample of veterans on anti...

This pilot study examined two telehealth interventions to address symptoms of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans. Thirty-three male combat veterans were randomly assigned to one of two telehealth treatment conditions: mindfulness or psychoeducation. In both conditions, participants completed 8 weeks of telehealth treatm...

“Health is the vital principle of bliss, and exercise, of health.” —James Thomson, 18th century Scottish poet Exercise is considered a crucial component of disease management for individuals with type 2 diabetes, and it is associated with extensive health and mental health benefits. Although the benefits of exercise are well established, most peopl...

Mental health needs of patients with HCV are increasingly being addressed in medical contexts. The authors review the psychosocial issues relevant to patients with hepatitis C and provide mental health treatment recommendations. Patients with HCV are faced with a number of challenges, including adjustment to a chronic medical illness, management of...

Penile prosthesis surgery is a recommended treatment option for a subset of patients who present with erectile dysfunction (ED). Although treatment outcome research indicates that patients are generally satisfied with this intervention, it remains an invasive procedure with risk for complications. A review of the literature reveals general agreemen...

Psychologists are becoming increasingly involved in HIV disease prevention and intervention. Developing the competencies to work effectively with this population requires dedicated educational commitment. It can be challenging to get HIV experience during graduate school, and few programs have faculty devoted to HIV endeavors. The authors propose t...

An association between the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and various pain diagnoses, including arthritis, fibromyalgia, and peripheral neuropathy, has been reported. In this article, we review the literature on the relationship between HCV and pain, highlighting current knowledge as well as methodological issues that exist in many studies. We also presen...

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Structured Interview for the Treatment of the Hepatitis C Virus (SIT-HCV). This comprehensive interview expands upon a standard psychiatric interview by including those medical, psychological, and behavioral factors that are essential to determining a patients psychological appropriateness for interfero...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri, St. Louis, 2003. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-81). Appendices: p. 82-91. Photocopy. s