Body-esteem, body mass index, and risk for disordered eating among adolescents in synchronized swimming

The aim of this study was to examine dimensions of body-esteem, Body Mass Index, and their relations with eating disorder symptoms among 42 elite adolescent athletes engaged in competitive synchronized swimming (M = 15.4 yr., SD = 1.2) and to compare them with 40 athletes in sports with no emphasis on leanness (M = 16.5 yr., SD = .93), and 50 nonathlete college female students (M = 16.3 yr., SD = 1.1). They completed the Body-esteem Scale and the Eating Attitudes Test, and the Body Mass Index was computed. Analysis showed synchronized swimmers reported greater negative feelings about their appearance than the two other groups and low perceptions of how others evaluate their physical appearance. Participants did not differ on the EAT-26. Regression analyses showed that Body Mass Index and Body-esteem Appearance accounted for 38% of the variance in log-transformed Dieting scores of synchronized swimmers. Results are discussed in relation to the literature.     

Relations between female students' personality traits and reported handicaps to rhythmic gymnastics performance

The present study evaluated the relative contributions of Self-esteem, Trait anxiety, and Public Self-consciousness to self-handicapping on a sex-typed task, within a specific academic sport context. Prior to the competitive examination used to recruit French Physical Education Teachers, female sport students (N = 74) were asked to list and rate on a 7-point scale handicaps which could be disruptive to their Rhythmic Gymnastics performance. Self-esteem did not account for significant variance in any category of handicaps. Trait Anxiety was negatively related to handicaps related to Rhythmic Gymnastics and to Social and Work Commitments. Public Self-consciousness was significantly related to endorsement of Friends and Family Commitments handicaps. These results were discussed in relation to the literature.     

Visual representations of dynamic actions from static pictures

We investigated how subjects used their knowledge of biomechanical constraints when judging whether different items were in balance or in the process of falling, as a function of their angle of slant. In the first experiment, the stimuli were pictures of postures of a human body, of a wooden mannequin, and of a skeleton. The results show that for these 3 items, fall responses appeared for a smaller slant angle for a backward slant than for a forward one. This difference may reflect the influence of biomechanical constraints. To verify whether the asymmetry of the responses to the mannequin and the skeleton was genuine or due to some semantic context effect, a second experiment was run with only pictures of a wooden mannequin. The same asymmetry was observed. In a third experiment, falling judgments were obtained for pictures of a human body and of a structurally comparable artifactual object. The asymmetry of the fall responses appeared only for the human body.     

The Clown's Use of Empathy: An Interview with Bob Berky

Excerpts from an interview with Bob Berky reveal the clown's keen understanding of empathic attunement, what psychotherapists, pastoral counselors, and persons in pastoral care maintain is a vital correspondence toward authentic interpersonal presence. Berky discusses the use of silence and movement to free the individual with whom he invites to his stage from rigid personas and limiting preconceptions. He underscores the life-giving possibilities of the laugh of recognition—the realization that we share a kindred experience of being human, and can release our unique potentials toward creative connection and difference.     

Correlates of Mental Disorders in the Quebec General Population of 6 to 14-Year Olds

Previous epidemiological studies of correlates of child and adolescent mental disorders in the general population have focused more on child/adolescent and socioeconomic/sociodemographic characteristics than on family characteristics. Moreover, there are no generally accepted methods to analyze and interpret correlates. The purpose of the Quebec Child Mental Health Survey in this regard was twofold: (1) to identify correlates of DSM-III-R internalizing and externalizing disorders according to informant (youth, parent, teacher), for three age groups (6–8, 9–11, and 12–14 years), including relevant family characteristics not considered in previous studies; and (2) to interpret the relative importance of risk indicators by ranking correlates according to strength and consistency of association across age groups. Logistic regression models suggest the inconsistency of correlates across informants. The ranking of correlates reveals that individual and family characteristics make a more important contribution than do socioeconomic characteristics, thereby supporting the relevance of proximal variables in the development of psychopathology.     

The relationship between spirituality and depressive symptom severity,psychosocial functioning impairment,and quality of life: examining the impact of age,gender, and ethnic differences

Research has documented the contribution of spirituality on overall health and mental health among college students. However, very few studies have explored the impact of cultural and ethnic differences on the effect of spirituality on mental health outcomes in this population. The aims of this study were to examine the relationships among spirituality, depressive symptom severity, psychosocial functioning impairment, and quality of life in a large multi-ethnic sample of college students and explore the impact of age, gender, and ethnicity on these relationships. The sample consisted of Latino, African-American, Caucasian, and Caribbean/West Indian college students. Findings indicated that spirituality, believing in God's presence, age, gender, and ethnicity were significantly related to depressive symptoms. These factors were also associated with impairment in psychosocial functioning and quality of life related to depression.     

Manualized Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Social Anxiety in At-Risk Mental State and First Episode Psychosis: A Pilot Study of Feasibility and Outcomes

Social anxiety has received scant attention in studies of schizophrenia and related psychoses. However, some data suggest it may be an obstacle to vocational and functional outcome. This pilot study investigated the feasibility of a group-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBGT) to reduce social anxiety in those at risk for developing psychosis or in the early phase. Twenty-nine patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) or at ultra high risk for developing psychosis or often referred to as at-risk mental state (ARMS) with comorbid social anxiety attended a CBGT intervention weekly for 14 weeks in 90-minute sessions. Baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up ratings of social anxiety were measured using the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, the Social Phobia Inventory, and the Brief Social Phobia Scale. Psychotic symptoms and general psychopathology were also measured before and after the intervention. Results suggest that the proposed CBGT is feasible and beneficial for socially anxious patients at risk, or with experience of, psychosis. Participants significantly improved on three outcome measures of social anxiety after completing this intervention (all p’s < .002). Participants who completed treatment also showed a significant reduction on measures of depression and negative symptoms. Future research should examine the relative efficacy of this brief manualized CBGT intervention for the treatment of social anxiety and psychotic symptoms in a larger randomized controlled trial.     

Construction and initial validation of the Work Context Inventory

Although the importance of taking the work context into account is now a given when attempting to better understand behavior at work and career development, it is not always effectively considered, and a consensus regarding this context is difficult to reach. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the present study developed the Work Context Inventory, composed of 36 items drawn from analyses of work situations. The inventory describes 9 dimensions related to empowerment, relationships with others at work, and performance requirements. The study discusses this theoretical and empirical model by comparing it with other models that were based on different conceptual and methodological approaches. Finally, we present the practical implications of using this model, such as to support career mobility or skill development.     

Linking job demands and resources to burnout and work engagement: Does passion underlie these differential relationships?

This study examined the role of passion for work in the health impairment and motivational processes proposed by the job demands-resources model. Based on the dualistic model of passion, we proposed that harmonious and obsessive passion intervene simultaneously in the relationship between (1) job demands and burnout/engagement, and (2) job resources and burnout/engagement. This model was tested in two occupational samples: nurses (n = 1,179) and teachers (n = 745). Results from structural equation modeling support the proposed model in both samples. That is, both types of passion partially mediated the relationship between job demands and burnout, while harmonious passion partially mediated the relationship between job demands and engagement. Moreover, harmonious passion partially mediated the relationship between job resources and burnout/work engagement. Implications for burnout research and management practices are discussed.