Hostility and quality of life among Hispanics/Latinos in the HCHS/SOL Sociocultural Ancillary Study

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if hostility is associated with physical and mental health-related quality of life (QoL) in US. Hispanics/Latinos after accounting for depression and anxiety.

Methods: Analyses included 5313 adults (62% women, 18–75 years) who completed the ancillary sociocultural assessment of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Participants completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Spielberger Trait Anxiety Scale, Spielberger Trait Anger Scale, Cook–Medley Hostility cynicism subscale and Short Form Health Survey. In a structural regression model, associations of hostility with mental and physical QoL were examined.

Results: In a model adjusting for age, sex, disease burden, income, education and years in the US., hostility was related to worse mental QoL, and was marginally associated with worse physical QoL. However, when adjusting for the influence of depression and anxiety, greater hostility was associated with better mental QoL, and was not associated with physical QoL.

Conclusions: Results indicate observed associations between hostility and QoL are confounded by symptoms of anxiety and depression, and suggest hostility is independently associated with better mental QoL in this population. Findings also highlight the importance of differentiating shared and unique associations of specific emotions with health outcomes.     

Dyadic Coping in the U.S.: Psychometric Properties and Validity for Use of the English Version of the Dyadic Coping Inventory

A majority of individuals living in the U.S. experience unhealthy levels of stress; however, romantic partners can help mitigate stress’ deleterious effects by coping together (dyadic coping). The Dyadic Coping Inventory (DCI) measures coping behaviors when one or both partners experience stress. Specifically, the DCI measures a) partner’s self-report of his/her own (Self) and their partner’s (Partner) behavior, and b) Common DC during the experience of a common stressor. Despite its wide use, the DCI has not yet been validated for use in the United States (U.S.). The aim of this study was to address this gap in the literature. Using a sample of 938 individuals in the U.S. currently involved in a romantic relationship, we validated the English version of the DCI by analyzing its factorial structure and psychometric properties. Results supported the theoretically assumed factorial structure of the DCI. Convergent and discriminant validity, as well as measurement invariance across gender and culture using the original Swiss sample, was confirmed. The English version of the DCI is a valid self-report instrument for assessing couples' coping in the U.S.     

Youth Negative Affect Attenuates Associations Between Compromise and Mother–Adolescent Conflict Outcomes

The study of conflict processes often focuses on the manner in which disagreements are resolved, such that relationship deterioration is a product of the failure to negotiate. However, conflict management tactics may not be the most salient feature of parent–adolescent conflicts because these relationships are obligatory, with power unevenly distributed, and negotiated resolutions unanticipated. Instead, parent–adolescent relationships may be more sensitive to the affective tenor of the interchange than the manner in which the dispute is resolved. In two studies, we examined the premise that relationship damage arising from disagreements between mothers and adolescent children is a product of negative affect and failure to compromise. Concurrent analyses involved reports from 101 (33 boys, 68 girls) adolescents (M = 13.89 years old) about conflict with mothers. Longitudinal analyses involved reports from 271 (112 boys, 159 girls) adolescents (M = 11.6 years old at the outset) about conflict with mothers at two time points 1 year apart. Compromise and youth negative affect were moderately correlated; when both were included as predictors of adverse relationship consequences arising from conflict, negative affect accounted for almost all of the variance, concurrently and prospectively. Scholars and practitioners who advise families that negotiated resolutions to disagreements help to avoid relationship disruption may be discouraged in their efforts unless a similar emphasis is placed on minimizing negative affect.     

Comparison of Informed Consent Preferences for Multiplex Genetic Carrier Screening among a Diverse Population

Multiplex genetic carrier screening is increasingly being integrated into reproductive care. Obtaining informed consent becomes more challenging as the number of screened conditions increases. Implementing a model of generic informed consent may facilitate informed decision-making. Current Wayne State University students and staff were invited to complete a web-based survey by blast email solicitation. Participants were asked to determine which of two generic informed consent scenarios they preferred: a brief versus a detailed consent. They were asked to rank the importance of different informational components in making an informed decision and to provide demographic information. Comparisons between informational preferences, demographic variables and scenario preferences were made. Six hundred ninety three participants completed the survey. When evaluating these generic consents, the majority preferred the more detailed consent (74.5 %), and agreed that it provided enough information to make an informed decision (89.5 %). Those who thought it would be more important to know the severity of the conditions being screened (p?=?.002) and range of symptoms (p?=?.000) were more likely to prefer the more detailed consent. There were no significant associations between scenario preferences and demographic variables. A generic consent was perceived to provide sufficient information for informed decision making regarding multiplex carrier screening with most preferring a more detailed version of the consent. Individual attitudes rather than demographic variables influenced preferences regarding the amount of information that should be included in the generic consent. The findings have implications for how clinicians approach providing tailored informed consent.     

“Can We Say the N-word?”: Exploring Psychological Safety During Race Talk

Classroom interactions that engender psychologically safe climates have rich developmental potential; these interactions often facilitate engagement in academic risk-taking and exploration (Cooper, 2013). On the contrary, classroom interactions that are threatening to adolescents’ identities send messages of devaluation and can negatively impact feelings of belonging and academic achievement, particularly for youth of color (Sherman et al., 2013). In efforts to help explicate the interrelations between racial-identity linked risks and threats and psychological safety in classroom learning contexts, this exploratory case study examined two 9th grade English Language Arts teachers’ negotiation of attunement, authenticity, and power sharing during race talk. Our in-depth analysis of these classrooms suggested the following teacher moves may be particularly important for psychological safety during race talk: teacher moves that (a) support or inhibit power sharing, (b) indicate high or low levels of teacher attunement, and (c) demonstrate or mask the teacher’s authenticity. These results have implications for understanding the co-construction of psychological safety in classrooms during identity-salient and racialized interactions.     

The Relationship between Traumatic Life Events and Hoarding Symptoms: A Multi-Method Approach

Hoarding Disorder is characterized by difficulties with discarding and frequently excessively acquiring possessions, resulting in substantial clutter. Previous research has implicated trauma in the development of hoarding, but no study to date has examined the relationship between trauma and hoarding using hypothetical hoarding paradigms. This study investigated the association between traumatic events and both self-report and hypothetical indices of hoarding symptoms. We predicted that frequency of trauma would be associated with greater hoarding symptoms (across self-report and hypothetical indices). Undergraduate students (N = 80) completed self-report measures of hoarding symptoms and trauma, and hypothetical measures of acquiring and saving tendencies. As expected, more frequent trauma, and physical/sexual trauma in particular, was associated with greater acquiring tendencies. However, frequency of trauma was not significantly correlated with saving tendencies or self-reported hoarding symptoms. Future research should replicate these findings using longitudinal designs to confirm whether trauma actually serves as a risk factor for hoarding. Replication in a clinical sample is needed to better understand the implications of these results for intervention.     

Alcohol-aggression expectancies and dispositional rumination moderate the effect of alcohol consumption on alcohol-related aggression and hostility

Alcohol consumption increases aggression, but only in some drinkers. This study extends previous work to show how expectancies for alcohol-induced aggression and dispositional rumination moderate the link between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related aggression and hostility in a sample of 285 men and women. Alcohol-aggression expectancies and quantity of alcohol interacted to predict alcohol-related hostility and aggression. Trait rumination moderated the effect of alcohol consumption on aggressive acts. Finally, women who ruminated were more likely to report alcohol-related aggression than were men who ruminated. These results suggest that alcohol expectancies for aggression and rumination constitute two important cognitive facilitators of alcohol-related aggression and hostility, and that gender plays an important role in these relations.