Vulnerability factors in depression: The facets of sociotropy and autonomy

Sociotropy-autonomy (Beck, 1983) describes a set of personality dimensions that relate to an individual's vulnerability to depression. Two recently developed scales, the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (Clark & Beck, 1991) and the Personal Style Inventory (Robinset al., 1994), have been developed in order to assess these personality dimensions. Typically, these measures are used in isolation and little published information is available concerning their interrelationship. The present study examined the relationship between the two scales and specified the various factors that emerge when the items of the two scales are integrated. Six hundred fifty-two participants responded to the Personal Style Inventory (Robinset al, 1994) and the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (Clark & Beck, 1991). A factor analysis on all of the items of the two scales revealed a five-factor structure (two sociotropy, two autonomy, and one achievement factor). The relationships among depression, the five derived factors, and the original scales developed by Clark and Beck (1991) and Robinset al. (1994) were critically examined. The results are discussed in the context of vulnerability to depression.     

Blunted amygdala activity is associated with depression severity in treatment-resistant depression

Up to 50% of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) do not recover after two antidepressant medication trials, and therefore meet the criteria for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is one promising treatment; however, the extent to which MBCT influences clinical outcomes relative to baseline neural activation remains unknown. In the present study we investigated baseline differences in amygdala activation between TRD patients and healthy controls (HCs), related amygdala activation to depression symptoms, and examined the impacts of MBCT and amygdala activation on longitudinal depression outcomes. At baseline, TRD patients (n = 80) and HCs (n = 37) participated in a functional magnetic resonance imaging task in which they identified either the emotion (affect labeling) or the gender (gender labeling) of faces, or passively viewed faces (observing). The TRD participants then completed eight weeks of MBCT or a health enhancement program (HEP). Relative to HCs, the TRD patients demonstrated less amygdala activation during affect labeling, and marginally less during gender labeling. Blunted amygdala activation in TRD patients during affect labeling was associated with greater depression severity. MBCT was associated with greater depression reductions than was HEP directly following treatment; however, at 52 weeks the treatment effect was not significant, and baseline amygdala activation across the task conditions predicted depression severity in both groups. TRD patients have blunted amygdala responses during affect labeling that are associated with greater concurrent depression. Furthermore, although MBCT produced greater short-term improvements in depression than did HEP, overall baseline amygdala reactivity was predictive of long-term clinical outcomes in both groups.     

Metacognitive therapy in treatment-resistant depression: a platform trial

Patients with treatment-resistant depression received up to 8 sessions of metacognitive therapy (MCT) targeting attentional control, rumination, worry, and metacognitive beliefs. A baseline period was followed by weekly sessions with follow-up assessments at 6 and 12 months post treatment. Large and statistically significant improvements occurred in all symptom measures at post treatment and were maintained over follow-up. Two out of 3 process measures significantly improved at post treatment and all of these measures were improved at follow-up. Treatment was associated with similar response rates on the BDI and Hamilton rating scale. Using liberal criteria 80% of completers were classified as recovered at post treatment and 70% at follow-up on the BDI. In the intention to treat sample 66.6% were recovered at post treatment and 58.3% at follow-up. More stringent criteria showed 60% recovery rates at post treatment and at 12 m. The results suggest that MCT could be a brief and effective treatment and they provide a precedent for more definitive randomized controlled trials.     

A network conceptualization of the multiple facets of distress tolerance

ABSTRACT

Background and Objectives: Using a network analysis (NA) approach, the current study examined the relations among different facets of Distress Tolerance (DT). The NA approach quantifies and displays relations among variables in a visual network consisting of nodes (symptoms) and edges (partial correlations between symptoms). Design: An exploratory NA approach evaluated how manifestations of DT uniquely and systematically relate to one another. Methods: Undergraduate students (N?=?288) completed 10 commonly used measures of DT including cognitive, behavioral, and self-report measures. Results: Results indicated all relations in the network were positive apart from social sensitivity and suppression. Further, individual DT facets did not form distinct community structures (nodes that cluster together and thus have stronger relations with each other than other nodes in the network). Conclusions: The lack of community structures suggests that DT is a general ability to tolerate distress that is comprised of many different facets rather than the idea that DT is hierarchical and comprised of distinct domains; a current debate within the literature. The self-reported ability to tolerate life demands and tasks was the most influential facet in the overall network suggesting the Frustration Discomfort Scale may be the best global measure of DT.     

Assessing multiple facets of gender identity: the gender identity questionnaire.

314 men and 451 women participated in a study to assess the reliability and validity of the multifaceted Gender Identity Questionnaire. Reliability coefficients of the (sub)scales varied between .67 and .80; content, criterion, and construct validity were satisfactory.     

Capturing the multiple facets of mall experience: Developing and validating a scale

Many constructs have been tied to the customer experience in shopping malls, including hedonic shopping motivations, activities, excitement, and emotional and cognitive reactions. Yet the literature has not addressed the notion of the mall experience as a construct in and of itself. The current research aim is to conceptualize the mall experience through the development and validation of a measurement scale. We present a four‐stage process of scale development and validation, based on three studies with four separate samples of mall shoppers, in which the final stage employs the scale to predict mall equity and loyalty. The suggested scale offers a quantitative measurement of four different mall experiences—seductive, functional, social recreation, and social scene—which differ in their components. This work extends theory in understanding, conceptualizing, and measuring the customer experience in the retail space. On the practical level, the developed scale can serve as a means for planning a mall's marketing mix and launching marketing campaigns in order to attract various groups of customers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vagus nerve stimulation therapy in a patient with treatment-resistant depression: a case report of long-term follow-up and battery end-of-service

This is the first case report of a patient who received long-term (69-month) adjunctive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and reached VNS battery end-of-service (EOS). The patient is a 41-year-old female with depression who entered a study of adjunctive VNS therapy for TRD. Her Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) scores dropped from a mean of 33.5 (pre-implantation baseline period) to 16 at the end of the 12-week acute-phase treatment period, and then fluctuated from <7 (normal range) to scores in the moderately depressed range (approximately 20) during long-term follow-up. Three and one-half years after VNS implantation, the patient's HAM-D scores began to increase from a score of 18 to a peak score of 27 approximately 16 months later (5-years post-implantation). The patient subsequently reported that she could no longer feel stimulation from the device and device interrogation 2 weeks later indicated battery EOS. The patient was hospitalized due to worsened depression, the pulse generator was replaced, and medication adjusted. HAM-D scores through the subsequent 9 months of follow-up returned to a pattern of fluctuations within the range noted during the long-term follow-up period prior to VNS battery EOS.     

The psychological structure of pride: a tale of two facets

To provide support for the theoretical distinction between 2 facets of pride, authentic and hubristic (J. L. Tracy & R. W. Robins, 2004a), the authors conducted 7 studies. Studies 1-4 demonstrate that the 2 facets (a) emerge in analyses of the semantic meaning of pride-related words, the dispositional tendency to experience pride, and reports of actual pride experiences; (b) have divergent personality correlates and distinct antecedent causal attributions; and (c) do not simply reflect positively and negatively valenced, high- and low-activation, or state versus trait forms of pride. In Studies 5-7, the authors develop and demonstrate the reliability and validity of brief, 7-item scales that can be used to assess the facets of pride in future research.     

FIRO-B: factors and facets

10 FIRO-B intercorrelation matrices were factor analysed; one matrix was derived from new FIRO-B data, all the other matrices were found in the literature. The correlation matrices were also subjected to meta-analysis. The findings suggested that the four FIRO-B scales associated with Inclusion and Affection are facets of the ubiquitous interpersonal superfactor, Nurturance, but the two FIRO-B Control scales each express an orthogonal construct both of which relate to the super-factor, Dominance.     

Assessing postpartum depression: Evidences for the need of multiple methods

IntroductionDifferent methods and instruments are frequently used to measure postpartum depression (PPD) in research, e.g. PPD-specific scales, DSM-based diagnostic interviews and rating scales assessing general depression. However, it is unsure whether these measures would lead to the same results, e.g. in the identification of “depressed” women or in their relations to third variables.Objective(s)We compared different measures of PPD and their relations with a third variable, namely the mothers’ marital satisfaction.MethodWe recruited 65 mothers to take part in a study about the impact of PPD on the development of early family relations. Maternal PPD was assessed with multiple methods (i) a PPD-specific scale, (ii) a DSM-based diagnostic interviews and (iii) a rating scale designed to assess the severity of depressive symptoms. We assessed mothers’ marital satisfaction with the Marital Adjustment Test (MAT).ResultsResults showed weak overlap between PPD-specific scale and DSM-based diagnosis of PPD, and modest correlations between the PPD-specific scale and the general depression rating scale. Only the score on the PPD-specific scale could predict marital satisfaction.ConclusionAs we found discrepancies between different measures of PPD, we suggest being cautious in the choice of measures and using multiple methods to measure PPD in a comprehensive way.     

The heritability of conscientiousness facets and their relationship to IQ and academic achievement

The heritability of conscientiousness has been one of the least explored of the NEO PI domains. Here we focus on the facet scales of the conscientiousness domain, estimating both their heritability and their correlations with measures of IQ and academic achievement (Queensland Core Skills Test; QCST) in a sample of adolescent twins and their non-twin siblings. Our findings confirmed positive associations between IQ and the facets of Competence and Dutifulness (ranging 0.11–0.27), with academic achievement showing correlations of 0.27 and 0.15 with these same facets and 0.15 with Deliberation. All conscientiousness facets were influenced by genes (broad sense heritabilities ranging 0.18–0.49) and unique environment, but common environment was judged unimportant. A multivariate genetic analysis including Competence, Dutifulness, IQ (verbal, performance) and QCST scores showed that common variance was primarily explained by a general additive genetic factor (loadings ranging 0.15–0.84). Future multivariate genetic analysis which incorporates Openness to Experience dimensions may improve the interpretation of these findings.     

The many facets of speech production and its complex effects on phonological processing

In our commentary, we discuss two additional points about developmental speech production. First, we suggest that more precision is needed to accurately describe ‘speech production’ processes, and we suggest that hierarchical constructs from the adult literatures on articulatory phonology and speech motor control may be applicable to infants as well. Second, we discuss the implications from data that indicate that the effects of production are subject to task‐, attentional‐, linguistic‐, and experience‐related demands.     

Managerial career stage and facets of job satisfaction

The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between a three-stage model of careers (establishment, advancement, and maintenance) and facets of managers' job satisfaction. Four hundred eighty-three managers responded to a questionnaire regarding the length of time they had been in their occupation and their satisfaction with various aspects of work. The results indicated that career stage moderated managers' satisfaction with all facets of work. Specifically, managers in the establishment stage were significantly more satisfied than those in the advancement and maintenance stages with five of the six facets studied. Further analyses indicated that the first year in the occupation accounted for the differences in satisfaction obtained in the three-stage model. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for the study of managerial careers and the need for consistency in the operational definition of career stages.