Coregulation in mother-infant dyads: links to infants' cardiac vagal tone

This investigation explored links between mother-infant coregulated communication patterns and infants' emerging parasympathetic regulatory processes (cardiac vagal tone). Participants included 56 first-time mothers and their 6-mo.-old infants (31 girls, 25 boys). A 4-min. baseline EKG was gathered from the infant and an ensuing 15-min. mother-infant dyadic free-play episode was videotaped and coded using Fogel's 1994 Regional Coding System. This system was developed to describe variations in coregulated features of communication among dyads, ranging from symmetrical patterns to disruptive patterns of coregulation. Analysis suggests a positive link between infants' cardiac vagal tone and more symmetrical features of coregulated communication patterns in mother-infant dyads. Cardiac vagal tone was also negatively correlated with unilateral features of coregulation communication systems. These findings point toward the potential relation between emerging physiological regulatory abilities of infants and the more relational regulatory processes in mother-infant dyads.     

Psychosocial functioning of young adults who have experienced and recovered from major depressive disorder during adolescence

The authors examined whether adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) was associated with difficulties in young adult functioning and whether differences would remain significant after accounting for nonmood disorder, MDD recurrence, functioning in adolescence, or current mood state. A total of 941 participants were assessed twice during adolescence and at age 24. In unadjusted analyses, adolescent MDD was associated with most young adult functioning measures. Associations were not due to interactions with adolescent comorbidity, but differences in global functioning and mental health treatment appeared as a result of MDD recurrence. Accounting for levels of functioning in adolescence or for current depression at age 24 eliminated the remaining associations. The implications of these findings for efforts to prevent MDD in adolescence are discussed.     

Life events and depression in adolescence: relationship loss as a prospective risk factor for first onset of major depressive disorder

Although stressful life events have consistently been linked to the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD), most research has not distinguished 1st episodes from recurrences. In a large epidemiologic sample of older adolescents (N = 1,470) assessed at 2 time points, the risk conferred by a recent romantic break-up was examined as a predictor of 1st onset versus recurrence of MDD. Results indicated a heightened likelihood of 1st onset of MDD during adolescence if a recent break-up had been reported; in contrast, a recent break-up did not predict recurrence of depression. These results held for both genders and remained significant after controlling for gender. Additional analyses to determine the discriminant validity and specificity of these findings strongly supported the recent break-up as a significant risk factor for a 1st episode of MDD during adolescence. Implications of these findings and subsequent research directions are discussed.     

Characteristics and Components of the TADS CBT Approach

In this paper, we describe the Acute phase of a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) developed for and utilized in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). The Acute phase of TADS CBT consists of eight skills that were considered essential to any CBT intervention for adolescent depression (e.g., mood monitoring, increasing pleasant activities, identifying cognitive distortions and developing realistic counter-thoughts). In addition, five optional individual CBT skills (e.g., relaxation, affect regulation) can be incorporated into treatment, depending on the needs of the adolescent. We describe each of these individual skills by reviewing the rationale for their inclusion in the treatment protocol and describing the format that is used to teach the skill area. Recommendations are provided for dealing with common challenges that can occur in the teaching of each skill module. It is our hope that clinicians will find this a useful introduction to this particular form of treatment and a practical guide to dealing with clinical problems common to the delivery of any cognitive behavioral intervention with depressed teens.     

Parental ratings of daily behavior and child cognitive test performance after pediatric mild traumatic brain injury

This study aimed to evaluate the degree to which the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) measure overlapping vs. distinct constructs in pediatric patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to examine the demographic and injury correlates of such constructs as well as those of cognitive test performance. A total of 100 parents completed the BRIEF and the CBCL within 1 to 12 months after the injury of their child. Groups were contrasted based on the presence vs. absence of impairment on, respectively, the BRIEF and the CBCL. Exploratory maximum likelihood factor analysis was used to evaluate latent constructs. Correlates of the various factor scores were evaluated through regression analysis and contrasted with those of a test of verbal learning and memory.The results revealed that the BRIEF and the CBCL disagree about the presence vs. absence of impairment in about one quarter of cases. A prior history of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was associated with an increased likelihood of impairment on both the BRIEF and the CBCL, whereas prior outpatient psychiatric treatment was associated with the increased likelihood of selective impairment on the CBCL. Latent constructs manifested themselves along cognitive regulation, emotional adjustment and behavioral regulation factors. Whereas premorbid characteristics were the exclusive correlates of these factors, performance on a test of verbal learning and memory was negatively affected by intracranial lesions on neuroimaging.It is concluded that the BRIEF and the CBCL offer complementary and non-redundant information about daily functioning after pediatric mild TBI. The correlates of cognitive test performance and parental behavior ratings after such injuries are different and reflect a divergence between premorbid and injury-related influences.     

The last stand of the psychocultural cold warriors: military contract research in Vietnam

In 1966, the social scientists of the Simulmatics Corporation arrived in Saigon. Tasked by the Pentagon with helping to pacify South Vietnam, they conducted political and social psychological research on Viet Cong defectors, government soldiers, and Vietnamese villagers. This essay argues that Simulmatics's work captures some of the ironies of Cold War social science: its tendency to mask militarization behind the rhetoric of peaceful nation-building, its blurring of data collection and intelligence gathering, and its ambitious dedication to revealing the unseen contents of hearts and minds while remaining ignorant of the historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts in which its subjects lived.