Development of the Weight- and Body-Related Shame and Guilt scale (WEB-SG) in a nonclinical sample of obese individuals

In this article, we present the evaluation of the psychometric properties of a new self-report measure of Weight- and Body-Related Shame and Guilt (WEB-SG). The main purpose of the study was to measure shame and guilt feelings separately in obese individuals and investigate differing behavioral and emotional correlates of these emotions. Altogether, 331 obese participants completed the WEB-SG and other established self-report measures. A subset of the participants completed a 6-month follow-up. The WEB-SG proved to be internally consistent and temporally stable over a 6-month period. Regarding the factorial structure, a two-factor conceptualization was supported. The construct validity of the WEB-SG subscales was evidenced by a substantial overlap of common variance with related measures. The subscales Shame and Guilt showed differential correlation patterns to other scales. The WEB-SG is a brief, psychometrically sound measure for assessing body shame and guilt concerning weight control in obese individuals.     

Transdiagnostische Fertigkeiten in Abhängigkeit vom Behandlungssetting

Transdiagnostic skills (e.g. skills such as emotion regulation or social competence) are an important part of psychotherapy in outpatient as well as inpatient settings. To date there are no studies that answer the question whether both patient groups are comparable regarding several skills or if they differ. In the present study 102 outpatients were compared to 183 inpatients in 7 different skills. The difference between the two groups was smaller than a priori assumed. At the beginning of treatment inpatients had a lower ability to manage stress (mainly in the management of exhaustion). This could be interpreted as an indication that inpatients have more difficulties in coping with daily hassles which leads to greater exhaustion. To conclude, the improvement of skills should attract interest in both settings. Furthermore, a special focus on interventions to decrease deficits in stress management should be considered for in-patient treatment.     

Nichtspezifische,funktionelle und somatoforme Körperbeschwerden

In the S3 guidelines on non-specific, functional and somatoform bodily complaints, a broad group of medical and psychological societies as well as patient representatives have for the first time achieved an evidence-based consensus on terminology and care of these patients. This paper summarizes the main background information and recommendations for psychotherapists. For mild courses treatment by the general practitioner with establishment of a biopsychosocial explanatory model and physical as well as social activation is usually sufficient. More severe courses call for cooperative, coordinated management, including regular appointments with the general practitioner, graded activation and psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral, in addition to psychodynamic interpersonal or hypnotherapeutic imaginative psychotherapy. In particularly severe courses multimodal and if necessary day clinic or inpatient treatment is needed. Additionally the patient guidelines for affected people and their relatives are presented.     

Admiration and adoration: Their different ways of showing and shaping who we are

Admiration and adoration have been considered as emotions with the power to change people, yet our knowledge of the specific nature and function of these emotions is quite limited. From an interdisciplinary perspective, we present a prototype approach to admiration and what has variously been labelled adoration, worship, or reverence. Both admiration and adoration contribute to the formation of personal and collective ideals, values, and identities, but their workings differ. We offer a detailed theoretical account of commonalities and differences in the appraisal patterns and action tendencies associated with the two emotions. This analysis reveals that admiration motivates the internalisation and emulation of ideals embodied by an outstanding role model. Adoration motivates adherence to the teachings and expectations of a meaning maker and benefactor perceived as superhuman or sacred. Thus, the primary function of admiration is to promote individual learning and change, whereas adoration primarily serves to bind communities together.     

Biofeedback bei kraniomandibulären Dysfunktionen

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a painful condition present in 3% of the population. The aim of the present study was to develop a biofeedback-based cognitive-behavioral treatment for chronic TMD (BFB-KVT) and to evaluate its effectiveness compared to dental treatment. A total of 26 patients suffering from chronic TMD were randomly assigned to either BFB-KVT (n=15) or occlusal splint treatment (n=11). Preliminary data showed that both treatments reduced pain intensity and jaw disability. Greater improvement of pain-related disability was found for BFB-KVT, and its acceptance by the patients was higher. The proposed protocol appears to be an effective treatment for chronic TMD. The evaluation in a larger sample and of long-term efficacy will follow.     

Is Fear of Others Linked to an Uncertain Sense of Self? The Relevance of Self-Worth, Interpersonal Self-Concepts, and Dysfunctional Beliefs to Paranoia

The assumption that a low sense of self-worth can give rise to paranoid delusions is relevant from a therapeutic perspective, but research has been inconsistent. The present study sought to investigate how interpersonal self-concepts and global self-worth relate to psychotic and depressive psychopathology in persons with psychosis. Participants with psychosis (n = 83) and healthy controls (n = 33) were assessed for global self-worth, interpersonal self-concepts, and dysfunctional beliefs using the Frankfurt Self-Concept Scale and the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale. Symptoms were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory, the Paranoia Checklist, and the Beck Depression Inventory. We hypothesized that perceived threat to self-worth, as expressed in dysfunctional acceptance beliefs and negative interpersonal self-concepts, would be uniquely associated with persecutory delusions. In contrast, low global self-worth would be strongly associated with symptoms of depression. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the association between symptoms and self-concepts. As expected, low global self-worth was associated with depression, whereas the more specific perception of not being accepted by relevant others was most clearly related to psychotic symptoms. Almost half of the variance in paranoia scores was explained by negative interpersonal self-concepts and the interaction between negative interpersonal self-concepts and dysfunctional acceptance beliefs. Thus, cognitive interventions for delusions might be improved by focusing more on interpersonal self-concepts.     

Paruresis

The paruretic disorder, a special subtype of social phobia, is presented. It has been almost completely neglected by German research. The disorder manifests in an inability to urinate in public rest rooms. The corresponding fears concern the loss of visual and/or acoustic privacy. Based on considerations about its etiology and pathogenesis a cognitive behavior-therapeutic intervention is recommended. This is illustrated by a case vignette of a 29-year-old male patient.