Long-term Evaluation of Genetic Counseling Following False-Positive Newborn Screen for Cystic Fibrosis

This cross-sectional mixed method study was a long-term follow-up evaluation of families who participated in an earlier survey of their understanding of cystic fibrosis (CF) genetics and their infants’ false-positive CF newborn screening (NBS) results. Thirty-seven of the original 138 parents participated in the follow-up telephone survey. Results showed parents who received genetic counseling at the time of their infants’ diagnostic sweat tests had significantly higher long-term retention of genetic knowledge than those without genetic counseling. However, both groups still had misconceptions and lacked accurate information about the actual risk associated with being a CF carrier. Most parents either had already informed (65%) or planned to inform (19%) their children about the child’s carrier status. Mean child age at the time of disclosure was 9.2 years. Situational prompts were the most common reasons for informing their children. Neither parental knowledge, medical literacy, nor parental education predicted whether parents informed their children about their carrier status. False-positive NBS results for CF were not associated with parental perceptions of child vulnerability 11–14 years after the testing. Although the sample from this study was small, these findings underscore the benefits of genetic counseling at the time of the diagnostic sweat test and offer information that can assist parents in talking with their children about the implications of having one CFTR mutation.     

GENDER IDENTITY AND ADVERSARIAL SEXUAL BELIEFS AS PREDICTORS OF ATTITUDES TOWARD SEXUAL HARASSMENT

The present study replicates the work of Konrad and Gutek (1986) within a college sample and extends their work by examining the impact of gender identity and adversarial sexual beliefs as predictors of attitudes toward sexual harassment. One hundred seven college students indicated specific aspects of their direct experiences with sexual harassment and then completed several attitudinal measures. Endorsement of adversarial sexual beliefs and experience with sexual harassment significantly predicted negative (less tolerant) attitudes toward sexual harassment for male respondents. Strong gender group identity and the endorsement of adversarial sexual beliefs significantly predicted negative (less tolerant) attitudes toward sexual harassment for female students. Implications for the focus of intervention strategies within an academic environment are discussed.     

Psychosocial mediators of antiretroviral nonadherence in HIV-positive adults with substance use and mental health problems.

This study used data from 1,889 HIV-positive patients on antiretroviral (ARV) medications who participated in the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study to investigate whether nonadherence to ARV medications among patients with mental health and substance use problems could be explained by difficulty getting and negative attitudes toward ARV medications, poor fit of the regimen with lifestyle, lack of instruction and cues for remembering the regimen from a health care provider, and poor support from others for taking ARV medications. Difficulty getting ARV medications and poor fit with lifestyle were significant mediators of nonadherence for patients with a probable psychiatric disorder. Difficulty getting medication was a mediator for heavy drinkers, and poor fit with lifestyle was a mediator for drug users who drank heavily. Further research is needed to identify and address the barriers to adherence in these populations.     

Grief and Attitudes Toward Suicide in Peers Affected by a Cluster of Suicides as Adolescents

Eighty‐five young adults exposed to a cluster of peer suicides as adolescents completed measures of attitudes toward suicide, grief, and social support. Closeness to the peers lost to suicide was positively correlated with grief and the belief that suicide is not preventable, with grief further elevated in close individuals with high social support from friends. Overall, social support was related to healthy attitudes about suicide including preventability, yet it was also related to some stigmatizing beliefs. Compared with 67 young adults who had not been exposed to a suicide cluster, the exposed sample was more likely to think that suicide is normal but more likely to think of it as incomprehensible.     

Behavioral contrast: Research and areas for investigation

Behavioral contrast occurs when a change in reinforcement rate in one context results in a change in behavior in the opposite direction in an unchanged context. Despite decades of study by basic researchers, behavioral contrast has remained largely an unstudied phenomenon among applied researchers. The purpose of this paper is to occasion translational and applied research on behavioral contrast with the aim of predicting and controlling socially significant behavior in unchanged contexts. We present a brief history of contrast and related definitions, review research with human and nonhuman subjects, and suggest future directions for applied and translational researchers.