National Study of School Psychologists’ Use of Evidence-Based Assessment in Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study aimed to better understand predictors of evidence-based assessment practices for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Nationwide, 402 school psychologists were surveyed for their knowledge of and training and experience with ASD on assessment practices, including reported areas of training needs. The majority of school psychologists reported that they did not engage in comprehensive assessment of ASD, which was defined as assessments that consider all areas of development in addition to the use of ASD-specific instruments. Results from logistic regression revealed that experience and training, working with young children with ASD, and geographic location predicted use of evidence-based assessment practices. Experience and training with ASD was the strongest predictor of evidence-based assessment. No differences in training needs were indicated by school psychologists whose practices were consistent with evidence-based assessment and those whose practices were not. Overall, the results identified gaps between best and current practices by school psychologists and highlight areas of need for additional training and professional development.     

Keeping ‘True’: A Case Study in Conceptual Ethics

Suppose our ordinary notion of truth is ‘inconsistent’ in the sense that its meaning is partly given by principles that classically entail a logical contradiction. Should we replace the notion with a consistent surrogate? This paper begins by defusing various arguments in favor of this revisionary proposal, including Kevin Scharp’s contention that we need to replace truth for the purposes of semantic theorizing (and thus, in particular, to formulate the inconsistency theory of truth itself). Borrowing a certain conservative metasemantic principle from Matti Eklund, the article goes on to build a positive case for the opposite policy: retaining truth as-is. The thought is basically that bivalence for the bulk of what we say in the course of ordinary, scientific, and philosophical inquiry should suffice to justify keeping ‘true’. Two versions of the story are told: one more philosophical, drawing on an analogy to Lewis’ response to Putnam’s paradox; the other more technical, invoking a deviant strand of mathematical work on the semantic paradoxes.     

National Survey of Psychologists’ Training and Practice in Breaking Bad News: A Mixed Methods Study of the MUM Effect

Research on breaking bad news has involved undergraduates, medical students, and physicians. However, to date, no studies have examined how, or whether, psychologists are trained to break bad news, as well as their current practice of breaking bad news. This mixed methods study explored the training and practice of 329 licensed psychologists/APA members in breaking bad news, using the MUM effect as a theoretical backdrop. Results suggest (1) psychologists are, as hypothesized, significantly more reluctant to break bad news than good news, (2) anxiety accounts for 30.6% of the variance in their reluctance, and (3) three-out-of-four psychologists break bad news “to some extent” or more, most typically related to a patient’s psychological health, major Axis I diagnosis, or learning disability. Results also suggest most psychologists are not trained to break bad news, with only 2.7% being familiar with existing recommendations and guidelines; and anxiety, concerns for self/other, context, and norms play an important role in the bad news breaking process. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed and a training model is proposed.     

A Longitudinal Study of Nurses’ Work-Life Balance: a Case of a Regional Teaching Hospital in Taiwan

Work-life balance is essential for nurses who are in direct contact with patients in healthcare organizations. This study employs the measurement of nurses’ behaviors rather than the measurement of their perceptions to identify critical demographic variables influencing the work-life balance. A work-life balance dimension measured by a four-point frequency scale from the Chinese version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire is used to assess nurses’ behaviors in practice from a longitudinal viewpoint based on a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan. The results show that experience in organization, respondents reporting events in the past 12 months, and experience in position are three critical factors to impact nurses’ work-life balance. Moreover, “work all day without break,” “change the individual or family plan because of the work,” and “work overtime” are the most critical questions in the work-life balance that can be the targets for hospital management to enhance the balance of nurses’ work-life conditions in the hospital.

     

Flexible Manualized Treatment for Pediatric Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: A Case Study

The following case study describes the treatment of an 8 year-old girl with early-onset obsessive compulsive disorder using a manualized cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention (CBT/EPR) protocol, implemented using a “flexibility within fidelity” approach. The case study focuses on how the treatment manual was successfully implemented in a flexible manner to address unique aspects of the case. These unique factors included the child’s extreme shyness at the beginning of treatment (with implications for rapport building), the primarily obsessional presentation of this child’s symptoms, the child’s avoidance of discussing the content of her obsessive thoughts, and secondary depressive symptoms (excessive guilt, frequent crying, and sadness) that contributed to the child’s impairment and distress. Assessment of progress indicated improvement in symptoms after four sessions of cognitive skill building and again in the last five sessions after implementing increased exposure to obsessive thoughts using narrative techniques. The implications for clinicians and student therapists, including the importance of rapport building, developmentally tailoring treatment, and flexibly implementing treatment to address the unique characteristics of the individual patient are discussed.     

An Investigation of Couples’ Help-Seeking: A Multiple Case Study

Research of the effectiveness of couples counseling has demonstrated clear benefits (e.g.; Lebow et al. (Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38(1):145–168, 2012)). However, relatively few couples initiate counseling and seek help. This exploratory study employed a qualitative multiple case study approach to heterosexual couples (N?=?7) that were currently in the process of seeking conjoint therapy to identify intra and interpersonal factors that influence relational help-seeking. Participants reported that female partners were the first to perceive a problem and suggest seeking professional help. In turn, male partners reported feeling a sense of failure and fear of judgment when considering couples counseling. Patterns of blame, withdrawal, and aggression contributed to increased distress, which eventually led these couples to counseling, some with mixed-agendas for services.     

Results from a National Survey of Psychologists in Medical School Settings—2003

Preliminary results are presented from a 2003 collaborative survey of psychologists employed in medical schools and academic health centers. The findings are reported along with comparable data from a similar survey conducted in 1997. There were several noteworthy changes in results from 1997 to 2003. Salaries increased substantially at all ranks, though women’s earnings remain lower than men’s. There were increases in the percentage of respondents who completed their doctorates 20 or more years ago, and in the percentages holding higher academic ranks and having tenure. However, there was a decrease in the absolute number and percentage of psychologists at lower ranks who received their doctorates recently. Overall, the findings indicate that psychologists have established a secure home in medical school settings. Future reports will present more detailed analyses of the 2003 dataset as well as additional comparisons with the 1997 survey data.     

Couples’ Experiences of Hope When Participating in the Reflecting Team Process: A Case Study

Hope is believed to be influential to therapeutic change. However, no studies have explored couples’ experiences of hope during participation in a reflecting team process. This exploratory case study attends to this gap in the research literature. Three couples reported on their experiences of hope in relation to participating in the reflecting team process as part of their couple therapy. Themes related to hope were identified during three separate stages of the intervention: anticipating, participating in, and debriefing the reflecting team process. Reflecting team experiences related to hope included: seeking new perspectives, maintaining a positive momentum, identifying strengths, normalizing difficulties, presenting inspiring possibilities, providing support, highlighting growth, and strengthening resolve. These findings serve as a foundation for attending to clients’ hope as an active force during the reflecting team process.     

An Analyst’s Experience Working In A Skilled Nursing Facility: A Case Study

With the closing of long-term psychiatric facilities, no alternative social institution has arisen to treat those persons whose chronic mental illness makes self-care impossible. This paper explores the typical paths to placement in a skilled nursing facility or nursing home and the author’s experience in working with this population using the principles and techniques of interpersonal psychoanalysis. She presents several case examples and explicates both the analyst’s and the patient’s transference. The author discusses the difficulties inherent in creating an analytic space in such a setting and working outside of the usual psychoanalytic frame.     

Telephone-Administered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Case Study of Anxiety and Depression in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic medical illness with a high incidence of psychiatric comorbidity, specifically depression and anxiety. Research on treatment of such psychiatric complications is scarce. Non-pharmaceutical treatment options are especially attractive. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapeutic treatment option that has been successful in other chronically medically ill populations with comorbid depression and anxiety. The current research had two aims. The first was to pilot the feasibility of screening and identifying PD patients with symptoms of anxiety and depression in a specialized outpatient clinic. The second aim was to pilot the feasibility of telephone-administered CBT for the treatment of depression and anxiety in persons with PD, which was done through a case series comparing telephone-administered CBT to a Support strategy. A fairly large portion (67.5%) of patients screened in the outpatient clinic were identified as having symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. Results also indicated that CBT delivered via the telephone is a useful approach for targeting psychiatric symptoms in this population. A case example is given to illustrate the clinical considerations associated with delivering therapy via telephone to persons with PD. This study was conducted at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX. The first author was previously affiliated with the Houston Center for Quality of Care and Utilization Studies.     

The Significance of Fallibilism Within Gettier’s Challenge: A Case Study

Taking his conceptual cue from Ernest Sosa, John Turri has offered a putative conceptual solution to the Gettier problem: Knowledge is cognitively adept belief, and no Gettiered belief is cognitively adept. At the core of such adeptness is a relation of manifestation. Yet to require that relation within knowing is to reach for what amounts to an infallibilist conception of knowledge. And this clashes with the spirit behind the fallibilism articulated by Gettier when stating his challenge. So, Turri??s form of response is irrelevant to that challenge, which was intended to pose a conceptual problem within fallibilist conceptions of knowledge. (And that failure on Turri??s part needs to be highlighted to remind epistemologists of the need to assess Gettier cases by a fallibilist standard. Although that need was described earlier by Robert Almeder, apparently his advice is being overlooked. This paper develops it anew, in a more general form.)     

Toward the Formation of a “Cultural Mosaic”: A Case Study

This study describes an intervention designed to promote integration between Ethiopian and Israeli students (N = 93) in Grades 2 to 5 and adaptation of these immigrants to school norms of behavior and to discipline. The metaphor of cultural mosaic was used for describing the goal state. To achieve a comprehensive school reform, the curriculum was enacted on four levels: individual student, school and classroom, staff, and community (parents and local council). The intervention effects were evaluated in three domains via questionnaires, interviews, and observations – the domains being the academic, behavioral, and personal-social realms. Four stages were identified in the process: an opening stage, the euphoria stage, the setback stage, and the final stage of a new equilibrium. Results suggest that both the natives' and the immigrants' needs and difficulties have to be attended to in each of the stages. The social domain was found to be the most salient in the integration process, although integration within it may take less time and be more feasible than academic accommodation.     

When Clients No-Show: An Empirical Analogue Study of Psychologists’ Response Strategies

Empirical studies of psychotherapists’ responses to clients who no-show, i.e., fail to attend appointments without notification or follow-up, are notably absent from the literature. The current study surveyed licensed psychologists to assess their responses to outpatient no-show situations. Participants responded to one of two vignettes depicting a client diagnosed with either major depression with a history of suicidality or generalized anxiety disorder. Results indicated that across conditions, the majority of psychotherapists would attempt to contact the client who no-showed; would make their first attempt within a few days of the no-show; would make repeat attempts if necessary; and would rely primarily on phone calls to the client’s cell and home numbers as methods of contact. Compared to those who responded to the vignette featuring the anxious client, participants who responded to the vignette featuring the depressed client reported a significantly shorter wait between the no-show and the contact attempt and a significantly greater number of contact attempts. Implications and clinical relevance are discussed.     

Effects of Self-Control Training on Tinnitus in a Deaf Patient — A Case Study

Abstract

The treatment of a deaf woman with severe tinnitus using a behavioural approach including relaxation and various forms of behavioural and cognitive coping strategies is described. The patient received therapy in five one-hour sessions during which specially adapted methods like the use of sign interpretation, visual prompts and written instructions were used. Positive results in various self-reports made both after treatment and at a five-month follow-up are discussed.     

Free Time Management Makes Better Retirement: A Case Study of Retirees’ Quality of Life in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between free time management and quality of life for retirees. Data were collected by convenience sampling from the four main districts of Taiwan. Overall, 454 usable questionnaires were received. The data showed a positive relationship between free time management and quality of life (r?=?0.72, p?<?.05). However, contrary to this, the relationships between time allocation and quality of life were not significant or even negative. These results indicate that retirees who effectively manage their free time can enjoy a better quality of life. Suggestions are made based on the observed relationship and some directions for future research are discussed.     

Women’s Reporting of Physical Assaults to Police in a National Sample: A Brief Report

Research examining reporting decisions of women physically assaulted by any type of perpetrator is scarce. This study used data from the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS) to examine how victim characteristics, assault characteristics, emotions during the assault, and postassault disclosure to informal social support sources affect victim and third-party reporting decisions in physical assault incidents. Results showed that victim education, race and ethnicity, victim–offender relationship, crime severity, perceived life threat, and disclosure to informal social support sources were related to victim reporting, whereas victim employment and marital status were associated with third-party reporting.     

A Case Study of Negative Affixes in Sadegh Hedayat’s Letters: The Effect of Bipolar Mood Disorder

This research studies the morphological features found in Sadegh Hedayat’s letters, who, based on linguistic and psychological studies, may have had bipolar disorder. It aims to assess the impact of various types of moods on the frequency of negative affixes through qualitative analysis of the letters’ text. The letters are written in Persian, and include six negative derivational affixes. As bipolar disorder includes four episodes, all letters are analyzed on the basis of six negative affixes concerning the episodes using SPSS. The results indicate that each episode shows totally different characteristics in using negative affixes. In fact, Hedayat mostly used negative affixes in depression, confirming psychological studies, and it is revealed that he mostly used negative affixes in hypomania when he experienced an irritated mood. Moreover, the frequency of negative affixes in mixed episode shows a combination of hypomania and depression, which is in agreement with previous studies. Additionally, euthymia shows few negative affixes.     

Chronic Patients’ Autonomy in Iranian Hospitals: A Qualitative Study

The autonomy of chronic patients in Iranian hospitals is challenged by impaired functioning resulting from chronic illness, a negative image in society, and effects related to hospitalization. Comprehensive interviews and observations of 34 patients, nurses, and physicians were performed to assess the autonomy of chronic patients in Iran. Conceptualization, constant comparison, and the combination of data resulted in the identification of 5 main categories related to autonomy: welcoming paternalism, self-expression, self-proof, shared decision making, and self-determination. Authority scrambling was a central category describing chronic patients’ perceptions of their autonomy during hospitalization. These patients sought to maintain their independence despite serious threats to their autonomy.     

“Editing” Genes: A Case Study About How Language Matters in Bioethics

Metaphors used to describe new technologies mediate public understanding of the innovations. Analyzing the linguistic, rhetorical, and affective aspects of these metaphors opens the range of issues available for bioethical scrutiny and increases public accountability. This article shows how such a multidisciplinary approach can be useful by looking at a set of texts about one issue, the use of a newly developed technique for genetic modification, CRISPRcas9.     

Prospero Moisè Loria: A Case Study of Jewish Secularism in Liberal Italy

In his will, Prospero Moisè Loria (1814–92) requested an autopsy and cremation and left his large inheritance to the municipality of Milan to establish a secular philanthropic institution, the Società umanitaria, “to enable all the disenfranchised poor, without distinction.” Loria and other Italian Jews were at the heart of secularist activity in Italy’s culture wars, as demonstrated by their engagement with secular philanthropy, battles for cremation, and Freemason activity. By exploring Loria as the most generous nineteenth-century Italian Jewish philanthropist, along with his affiliation with the Alliance israélite universelle as a secular Jewish institution in the Mediterranean, this essay shows how forms of secularism and Jewishness could coexist for Italian Jews and how secularism in Italy could include a commitment to a Jewish collective, and thus seeks to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the composite mixture of secular Italians and to a discussion of Jewish secularism in an international context.