When past meets present: the relationship between website‐induced nostalgia and well‐being

The present research examined whether social media websites increase feelings of nostalgia, and whether this nostalgic reverie promotes psychological and social health. Specifically, in comparison to control conditions, participants exposed to the websites Dear Old Love and Dear Photograph reported greater feelings of nostalgia (Studies 1–3), positive affect (Studies 1 and 3), life satisfaction (Study 1), and relationship need satisfaction (Study 2). Further, mediational analyses revealed that increased thoughts of nostalgia heightened subjective well‐being and social connectedness. Study 3 showed that the relationship between nostalgia and positive affect was specific to the Dear Photograph website and did not generalize to any website focused on close relationships. The implications of this research for nostalgia, internet use, and well‐being are further discussed.     

Parallels Between Action‐Object Mapping and Word‐Object Mapping in Young Children

Across a series of four experiments with 3‐ to 4‐year‐olds we demonstrate how cognitive mechanisms supporting noun learning extend to the mapping of actions to objects. In Experiment 1 (n = 61) the demonstration of a novel action led children to select a novel, rather than a familiar object. In Experiment 2 (n = 78) children exhibited long‐term retention of novel action‐object mappings and extended these actions to other category members. In Experiment 3 (n = 60) we showed that children formed an accurate sensorimotor record of the novel action. In Experiment 4 (n = 54) we demonstrate limits on the types of actions mapped to novel objects. Overall these data suggest that certain aspects of noun mapping share common processing with action mapping and support a domain‐general account of word learning.     

Impulse control disorders in Parkinson’s disease: Predominant role of psychological determinants

Objectives: Impulse Control Disorders (ICDs) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) have previously almost exclusively been considered to result from anti-parkinsonian medication. However, this biomedical perspective has failed to achieve a full understanding of the phenomenon and it is argued that a failure to consider psychological factors is a critical omission.

Design: The present study examined the predictive relationship between ICDs in PD and a range of psychological measures, whilst controlling for a number of biomedical determinants.

Main outcome measures: One hundred participants with idiopathic PD completed questionnaires that assessed demographic and clinical characteristics, psychological measures and the presence of ICDs (QUIP-RS).

Results: Increased use of a ‘negative’ coping strategy, stronger illness identity, more emotional illness representations and stress were found to be significant predictors of ICDs, and different psychological predictors were associated with different ICDs. Medication was not found to predict ICDs in the presence of psychological factors, either when total treatment levels were considered or when agonist dose was considered alone.

Conclusions: This study provides the first quantitative evidence of a predominant predictive relationship between psychological factors and ICDs in PD. The results suggest that psychological interventions may have useful therapeutic role to play for ICDs in PD.     

Early Developmental Screening for Children in Foster Care

Limited data exist about the ideal timing of developmental screening for young children entering foster care, and current best practice recommends screening by 1 month into care to prioritize resources for evaluation. Therefore, we aimed to: (1) compare detection rates for potential developmental delay (DD) at foster care entry before and after implementation of a developmental screen and (2) examine accuracy of developmental screening when performed at entry and 1 month into care. Charts of 124 children <6 years evaluated for an initial foster care health assessment (IFCHA) were reviewed to determine baseline detection rates for potential DD. The Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) screening tool was then prospectively administered to 167 children <6 years during their IFCHA to determine detection rates. One month following the IFCHA, caregivers were re-contacted, and the screen was re-administered. Accuracy of the initial PEDS screen was compared to the 1 month PEDS screen by calculation of sensitivity and specificity. At baseline, potential DD was detected in 34 % of children at the IFCHA compared to 46 % after implementation of the PEDS (P = 0.041). Compared to the 1 month screen, the early screen had a sensitivity of 75 % and specificity of 88 %. Use of a developmental screening tool at foster care entry increased detection of potential DD, and the results remained consistent with screening 1 month later. These results support use of a developmental screen for children in foster care and suggest that screening be performed as early as possible to expedite necessary evaluations and referrals.     

Predicting Treatment Outcomes From Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder

Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) with therapist support shows promise as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Yet, not all patients respond to ICBT. It is therefore important to identify predictors of ICBT outcomes to determine who is likely to benefit. Relative to the large literature on predictors of outcomes for in-person CBT for OCD, very few studies have investigated ICBT predictors. Therefore, we analyzed predictors of outcome in an open trial (n = 30) of ICBT for OCD using the OCD-NET platform, which consists of 10 online modules delivered with therapist support. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) was administered by independent raters as the primary outcome measure at baseline and posttreatment. In this sample, greater baseline OCD severity and OCD-related avoidance behaviors were associated with higher end-state OCD symptoms (i.e., poorer outcome). Patients with a past history of face-to-face CBT for OCD also had worse outcomes. Although these results require replication, these factors may identify individuals at risk for poor ICBT outcomes.     

The development and content of an interpersonal psychotherapy group for postnatal depression

Postnatal depression (PND) usually causes distressing symptoms for sufferers and significant impairments in relationships. Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-G) provides the experienced therapist with a brief, focused, and manualized approach to helping women recover from the debilitating effects of PND. This paper describes the background and development of IPT-G for PND. The evidence for the effectiveness of individual and group IPT formats with this population is summarized. The triad of theories underpinning IPT are discussed with an emphasis on the important role of attachment styles during the transition to parenthood. Its strengths, which include its unique package of targets, tactics, and techniques, are highlighted. The benefits and challenges of IPT-G are also explored, and the results of a randomized controlled trial are summarized. Finally, a case study illustrates how IPT-G specifically addresses the social role transitions, conflicts, losses, and social isolation that mothers commonly experience.