Child anger proneness moderates associations between child-mother attachment security and child behavior with mothers at 33 months

Child-mother attachment security, assessed via a modified Strange Situation procedure (Cassidy & Marvin, with the MacArthur Attachment Working Group, 1992), and parent-reported child proneness to anger were examined as correlates of observed child behavior toward mothers during a series of interactive tasks (N = 120, 60 girls). Controlling for maternal sensitivity and child gender and expressive language ability, greater attachment security, and lower levels of anger proneness were related to more child responsiveness to maternal requests and suggestions during play and snack sessions. As hypothesized, anger proneness also moderated several security-behavior associations. Greater attachment security was related to (a) more committed compliance during clean-up and snack-delay tasks for children high on anger proneness, (b) more self-assertiveness during play and snack for children moderate or high on anger proneness, and (c) more help-seeking during play and snack for children moderate or low on anger proneness. Findings further our understanding of the behavioral correlates of child-mother attachment security assessed during late toddlerhood via the Cassidy-Marvin system and underscore child anger proneness as a moderator of attachment-related differences in child behavior during this developmental period.     

Effects of symptom presentation order on perceived disease risk

People are quick to perceive meaningful patterns in the co-occurrence of events. We report two studies exploring the effects of streaks in symptom checklists on perceived personal disease risk. In the context of these studies, a streak is a sequence of consecutive items on a list that share the characteristic of being either general or specific. We identify a psychological mechanism underlying the effect of streaks in a list of symptoms and show that the effect of streaks on perceived risk varies with the length of the symptom list. Our findings reveal a tendency to infer meaning from streaks in medical and health decision making. Participants perceived a higher personal risk of having an illness when presented with a checklist in which common symptoms were grouped together than when presented with a checklist in which these same symptoms were separated by rare symptoms. This research demonstrates that something as arbitrary as the order in which symptoms are presented in a checklist can affect perceived risk of disease.     

Modifications in basal and stress-induced hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity in rats chronically treated with an angiotensin II receptor blocker

5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a prominent role as a metabolic stress sensor. The role of hypothalamic AMPK in response to restraint and surgical stress has not been previously investigated. It has been recently suggested that the renin-angiotensin system, in addition to its role in stress regulation, may play a significant role in regulating metabolic pathways including the regulation of the AMPK system. This study was thus aimed to evaluate the effects of candesartan, an angiotensin II AT1 receptor blocker drug, on hypothalamic AMPK activity under basal conditions and after restraint in conscious rats or after surgical stress under general anesthesia. Male Wistar rats were treated with 5 mg/kg/day candesartan in the drinking water for 2 weeks. The hypothalamic AMPK activity was determined under basal and stress conditions, using a kinase activity assay. Chronic administration of candesartan significantly increased hypothalamic AMPK activity. Hypothalamic AMPK activity was also increased by restraint stress whereas no change was observed during surgical stress under anesthesia. The high levels of hypothalamic AMPK activation observed in candesartan-treated rats were not changed by restraint stress but were reduced to control levels by anesthesia and surgery. In conclusion, chronic candesartan treatment and restraint stress in conscious rats stimulate the hypothalamic AMPK activity, whereas surgical stress under anesthesia inhibits pathways regulating the AMPK activity even in candesartan-treated rats.     

Bridging the Gap Between Hospital and Community-Based Mental Health Services

Depression and anxiety affect a person’s ability to move from hospital to community and engage in valued occupations. The purpose of this study was to understand the effectiveness of an occupational therapist-led transitional service for people with mood and anxiety disorders. Using a mixed-method design consisting of retrospective pre-post analysis of outcome measures and qualitative analysis of interviews with key stakeholders, statistically and clinically significant improvements were seen in depression and anxiety symptoms as well as occupational engagement after completion of the service. This study highlights the unique contributions of occupational therapist-led programing in mental health recovery.     

It’s my safe space: The life-saving role of the internet in the lives of transgender and gender diverse youth

Abstract

Background: Public awareness of Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) identities has grown significantly; however, acceptance and support remain elusive for many TGD youth. Resultant experiences of marginalization and stigmatization contribute to elevated rates of psychological distress and suicidality among TGD youth. Emergent evidence suggests that the internet may offer TGD youth safety, support, and community previously unavailable.

Aim: The primary aim of this qualitative inquiry is to engage in an in-depth exploration of the online experiences and processes which help protect against psychological distress and promote well-being among TGD youth.

Methods: Data were culled from a mixed-methods, online study of sexual and gender minority youth from across the United States and Canada which followed Institutional Review Board approved protocols. Participants for this study represent a sample (n?=?260) of TGD participants aged 14–22 (x? = 17.30). Data were analyzed using Charmaz’ grounded theory strategies.

Results: Data revealed that the internet offers TGD youth affirming spaces that, for the most part, do not exist in their offline lives. Online, TGD youth were able to engage meaningfully with others as their authentic selves, often for the first time. These experiences fostered well-being, healing, and growth through five processes: 1. Finding an escape from stigma and violence, 2. Experiencing belonging, 3. Building confidence, 4. Feeling hope, and 5. Giving back.

Discussion: The unique and innovative ways in which participants use online spaces to foster resilience offer important insights to inform affirmative practices with TGD young people.     

“White Skin”: Lyotard’s Sketch of a Postcolonial Libidinal Economy

ABSTRACT

In 1975 Jean-François Lyotard published a short text entitled Pacific Wall. A mash-up of philosophy, fiction, biography, and art criticism, it is highly gnomic if read in isolation. Studied alongside other works from this period, however, it may be understood as sketching a postcolonial libidinal economy. The book’s central concept, “white (or blank) skin” avoids any simple identification and instead expresses a series of permutations of desire in relation to race and sex: it is equally the skin of white heterosexual women and of black homosexual men; equally the otherness at the borders of capital’s expansion and the supposed identity at the heart of Empire. Lyotard suggests that political issues endemic to the postcolonial situation may be understood in terms of feelings such as lust, jealousy, fear, and the desire for revenge, and that these circulate and mutate along with the flows and transformations of capital.     

An Examination of Historical Loss Thinking Frequency and Rumination on Suicide Ideation in American Indian Young Adults

No research has empirically investigated whether frequency of historical loss thinking is a potential risk factor for suicide ideation in American Indians. Results of this study demonstrated that the frequency of historical loss thinking was positively associated with brooding and reflection at a small magnitude, but was not directly related to suicide ideation. Bootstrapping analyses indicated small indirect effects of historical loss thinking frequency on suicide ideation through brooding and reflection individually, but only through brooding when analyzed in a parallel mediation model. These findings suggest that American Indians who more frequently engage in historical loss thinking may be susceptible to suicide ideation via an increase in ruminative tendencies, specifically brooding.