Predictors of Social Anxiety in Children and Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease

The aim of this study was to examine the potential moderating effect of age on the child-reported pain–social anxiety relationship in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD). Participants were children and adolescents (ages 8–17; 33 girls, 25 boys) diagnosed with SCD who completed measures of social anxiety and severity of usual pain. Caregivers provided demographic information, and mean hemoglobin levels were computed as a measure of objective disease severity. Ratings of more severe pain were associated with greater social anxiety, including fear of negative evaluation, for older children and adolescents only, revealing a moderating effect of age. Increased relevancy of peer relationships in adolescence, limited social contacts due to SCD complications, and misreading of social cues (e.g., maladaptive coping response to pain) may explain why older children and adolescents reported greater social anxiety in the presence of a stressor such as pain.     

Combining descriptive and functional analysis logic to evaluate idiosyncratic variables maintaining aggression

For one boy with developmental disabilities, we conducted naturalistic observations and saw that aggression occurred during instructional task presentations. Next, in an experimental analysis, we manipulated the manner in which instructions were presented. Results showed that differentially high rates of aggression were observed when the manner in which instructions were presented was manipulated. Based on the results of the assessment, a successful intervention was developed that incorporated the idiosyncratic finding observed during both the naturalistic observations and the experimental analysis. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interchangeability of Results From Computerized and Traditional Administration of the BIDR: Convenience Can Match Reality

Although interchangeability of results across computer and paper modes of administration is commonly assumed, recent meta-analyses and individual studies continue to reveal mean differences in scores for measures of socially desirable responding (SDR). Results from these studies have also failed to include new methods of scoring and crucial aspects of scaling, reliability, validity, and administration emphasized in professional standards for assessment that are essential in establishing equivalence. We addressed these shortcomings in a comprehensive, repeated measures investigation for 6 ways of scoring the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR), one of the most frequently administered companion measures of SDR in research and practice. Results for many previously unexamined, standards-driven aspects of scaling, reliability, and validity strongly supported the interchangeability of scores across modes of administration. Computer questionnaires also took considerably less time to complete and were overwhelmingly favored by respondents in relation to physical characteristics of the measures, appraisals of the the assessment experience, and perceived quality of information obtained. Collectively, these results highlight the importance of following professional standards when constructing and administering computerized assessments and the evolution of computer technology in providing viable, effective, and accepted platforms for administering and scoring the BIDR in numerous ways.     

Searching for Wholeness Amidst Traumatic Grief: The Role of Spiritual Practices that Reveal Compassion in Embodied,Relational, and Transcendent Ways

Pastoral Psychology - How can body-centered spiritual practices help those experiencing traumatic grief? Research on trauma recovery using Porges’s polyvagal theory demonstrates the central...     

Exploring families’ experiences of health: contributions to a model of family health

Child health and developmental outcomes are influenced by the health of the family and the context created. Research suggests symptoms of poor family health (e.g. suboptimal family interactions, parenting stress) yet there is limited understanding of the factors which contribute to robust family health which may unveil opportunities for targeted intervention and family health promotion. The present study examined families’ experiences of family health and factors contributing to family health. We performed a qualitative study using constructivist grounded theory methods to guide our understanding of family health for families with typically developing children aged 5–18. Interviews were conducted in family homes and all members were invited to participate. Data from interviews were transcribed, coded, thematically analyzed, and verified with select families. Ten families, including 10 mothers, 8 fathers, and 15 children participated in the study. Participants described family health as a process of balance, living purposefully, and sharing experiences together in alignment with family identity. Mediating family health were processes of awareness and reflection, and adapting, adjusting, and changing in response to family life including external stress factors. Results highlight the possibility for healthcare practitioners to facilitate families’ self-reflection and awareness about their health in order to mediate family health development.     

An Innovative Treatment Approach for Children With Anxiety Disorders and Medically Unexplained Somatic Complaints

Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents are largely undetected and the majority of youth do not receive services. Given the deleterious consequences of anxiety disorders, early identification and intervention have public health implications. In order to increase identification and treatment of anxious youth, expansion to nonpsychiatric settings (i.e., pediatric medical settings, schools) is necessary. Pediatric medical offices represent ideal settings for detection and intervention for several reasons: (1) access to large numbers of children, (2) high prevalence of unrecognized anxiety disorders in medical settings, and (3) an association between anxiety disorders and medically unexplained somatic symptoms. This paper describes a cognitive-behavioral intervention for youth who present to pediatric medical settings with nonmedical somatic symptoms and undiagnosed anxiety disorders. We explain the rationale for and focus of our treatment approach, present two case studies illustrating the treatment process, and conclude with a discussion of implementation considerations.     

Exploring Different Forms of Job (Dis)Satisfaction and Their Relationship with Well‐Being,Motivation and Performance

Job satisfaction is often treated as a one‐dimensional construct. In contrast, Bruggemann ( 1974 ) postulated six distinct forms of (dis)satisfaction: four types of satisfaction (progressive, stabilised, resigned, pseudo) and two types of dissatisfaction (constructive, fixated). Despite her theory's practical relevance, few researchers have explored its assumptions or applications. The current study aimed to characterise a German‐speaking employee sample (n = 892) according to Bruggemann's theory using mixture modelling. We investigated stability of the (dis)satisfaction forms over a five‐month period, as well as their relationship with well‐being, motivation and (self‐reported) performance. We found latent clusters corresponding to most Bruggemann types, though no distinction between progressive and stabilised satisfaction was possible. While cluster membership varied over time, some clusters (e.g. resigned satisfaction) were more stable than others (e.g. constructive dissatisfaction). Overall satisfaction level explained 25–51 per cent variance in well‐being and motivation, and 13–16 per cent variance in performance. Including forms of satisfaction improved cross‐sectional prediction by 2–6 per cent explained variance. Results suggest that unfavourable consequences of job dissatisfaction may be limited to fixated—not constructive—dissatisfaction, though no consistent longitudinal effects emerged. We argue that exploring qualitative differences in job satisfaction promotes a more nuanced and potentially useful understanding of the relationship between satisfaction and work outcomes.     

Does Self-esteem Negatively Impact Crime and Delinquency? A Meta-analytic Review of 25 Years of Evidence

Self-esteem has been deemed an important variable in many theories over the past 100 years, and several interventions are aimed at improving self-esteem in order to prevent criminal and delinquent behavior. However, no systematic attempt to quantify the collective results of this variable’s effect on criminal and delinquent behavior has been undertaken, and only one narrative literature review has taken place. This meta-analysis seeks to inform the research by focusing on 48 effect sizes from 42 studies spanning 25 years (1990–2015) and 71,130 individuals. Our findings indicate that self-esteem has a small, negative but significant effect on crime and delinquency.     

Maternal Sensitivity and Anxiety: Impacts on Child Outcome

ABSTRACT

Children of anxious parents have been shown to be at an increased risk of developing an anxiety disorder. Thus, it is critically important to identify factors that increase or decrease that risk. The depression literature has shown that maternal sensitivity decreases negative child outcome associated with maternal depression. The current study was designed to determine whether maternal sensitivity may buffer children of anxious mothers in a similar way. Three hypotheses were tested. First, that anxious mothers would display less sensitivity than nonanxious mothers in interactions with their children; that there would be an interaction between sensitivity and anxiety on child outcome; and that sensitivity would account for variance in child outcome beyond that attributed to anxiety. One hundred and twenty-five mothers (75 anxious) and their children (ages 3–12) completed the study. Mothers were administered the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-IV and Parent, and a subset also completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Children completed the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-Child. Dyads also engaged in two interaction tasks (one cognitive, one social) which were coded for maternal sensitivity and three child outcome behaviors. Results showed that anxious mothers displayed less sensitivity in the social task but not in the cognitive task. An interaction between anxiety and sensitivity was found only when predicting child negativity in the social task. Finally, maternal sensitivity was found to account for variance in child outcome beyond that of anxiety. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.