Psychological dimensions associated with suicidal ideation and attempts in the National Comorbidity Survey

Three important psychological dimensions in the suicide literature (neuroticism, self-criticism, and hopelessness) were examined in relation to suicidal ideation and attempts in the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey (Kessler et al., 1994; n = 5,877), after first controlling for the effects of previously identified sociodemographic and psychiatric variables related to suicidality in this nationally representative sample (Kessler, Borges, & Walters, 1999). Analyses were conducted separately for lifetime, current (12-month), and past history of suicidal ideation and attempts. Brief indices of self-criticism and hopelessness were robustly associated with suicide attempts across all three time frames. The results support the value of examining psychological individual differences over sociodemographic and psychiatric diagnoses alone in the comprehensive assessment of factors associated with suicidality in the general population.     

Deficits in perceived social support associated with generalized social phobia

Social phobia is a common anxiety disorder associated with significant impairment in social and occupational functioning. To date, few studies have examined the relationship between social phobia and perceived social support, a construct with important relationships to physical and mental health. The present study examined data from 2 widely used measures of perceived social support administered to 132 individuals with DSM-IV generalized social phobia. These data were compared with those obtained from a healthy control group and from several clinical and non-clinical samples reported in the literature. Persons with generalized social phobia scored significantly lower on both measures of social support compared with all other groups. It is suggested that deficits in perceived social support associated with generalized social phobia may play a role in the development of co-morbid problems and should be explicitly targeted by treatments for social phobia. Low correlations between perceived social support and social anxiety measures suggest that perceived support should be specifically evaluated in this population.     

Measuring motivations for intercollegiate athlete alcohol use: a confirmatory factor analysis of the drinking motives measure

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Drinking Motives Measure (DMM) on a sample of 227 collegiate athletes. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the 4-factor structure of the DMM provided a better fit than either 2- or 1-factor models, but the overall fit of the 4-factor model was moderate at best. A revised 3-factor model consistent with prior research (M. L. Cooper, M. Russell, J. B. Skinner, & M. Windle, 1992) provided the best fit. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that the 3 DMM factors included in the revised model accounted for 17%-21% of the unique variance on alcohol consumption variables. Results provide preliminary evidence supporting the internal consistency, construct validity, and convergent validity of the revised 3-factor DMM with collegiate athletes.     

Confirmatory factor analysis of the multidimensional scale of perceived social support in clinically distressed and student samples

Previous authors (e.g., B. R. Sarason, Shearin, Pierce, & Sarason, 1987) have found that perceived social support can affect the emotional well-being of an individual. Consequently, the effective assessment of social supports is a key issue in both research and clinical practice. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988) divides perceived social support into 3 distinct constructs-that derived from Family members, from Friends, and from Significant Others. This study is the first to assess the MSPSS using confirmatory factor analysis in both a college student (N = 549) and psychiatric outpatient (N = 156) sample. Based on several goodness-of-fit indicators, a 3-factor model for the MSPSS was supported in both samples, as was a single, higher order domain of Global social support. The perceived social support factors of Family and Friends consistently had the strongest associations with symptomatology. These results support the use of the MSPSS as a brief instrument for assessing the hierarchical structure of perceived social support in a variety of samples.     

Anxiety sensitivity in six countries

In the present study, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised (ASI-R; ) was administered to a large sample of persons (n=2786) from different cultures represented in six different countries: Canada, France, Mexico, The Netherlands, Spain, and the United States. We sought to (a) determine the factor structure and internal consistency of the ASI-R and (b) examine the correlations of the measure with psychiatric symptoms and personality dimensions in a single European non-English speaking country (The Netherlands). Partially consistent with the original hypothesis, the underlying structure of the anxiety sensitivity construct was generally similar across countries, tapping fear about the negative consequences of anxiety-related physical and social-cognitive sensations. Lower-order factors were moderately to strongly correlated with one another and showed good internal consistency. The observed lower-order ASI-R factors correlated with established psychiatric symptoms and with the personality trait of neuroticism. Partial correlations indicated that both factors are useful in accounting for variance in symptom measures. We discuss the results of this investigation in relation to the cross-cultural assessment of the anxiety sensitivity construct.     

Constraints on definite article alternation in speech production: To “thee” or not to “thee”?

A recent study showed that the pronunciation of the definite article in English (as either a reduced "thuh" or an unreduced "thee") depends on a number of different factors, including the pronunciation, spelling, and stress assignment of the following word (Raymond, Fisher, & Healy, 2002). However, it is not clear from previous research whether these factors influenced performance implicitly in normal speech production or whether explicit knowledge of the object of the experiment was relied on. In Experiment 1, we examined implicit performance on pronunciation of the definite article and found more systematic behavior than had previously been observed but, again, an influence of the pronunciation, spelling, and stress assignment of the following word. In Experiment 2, we tested the influence of the following word on definite article production during language development for two groups of children 8 and 10 years of age. This experiment showed increasing use of the unreduced form during development and a further influence of orthography. We interpret these results in terms of an interaction between perception and production in which the production system makes use of generalizations on the basis of both phonological and orthographic representations generated in perception.     

Neuroticism and self-criticism associated with posttraumatic stress disorder in a nationally representative sample

Broad and specific psychological traits may uniquely differentiate trauma victims with PTSD from trauma victims without PTSD, but there is a need for representative, population-based research. We investigated elevated neuroticism and self-criticism in association with the presence versus absence of PTSD in a nationally representative sample of adults who experienced a traumatic stressor. Respondents were from the National Comorbidity Survey Part II (N=5877) (). Individuals who experienced one or more traumatic events were selected (N=3238). In separate regression analyses, elevated levels of neuroticism and self-criticism were each significantly associated with PTSD among men and women who had experienced one or more traumatic events. After controlling for types of traumas experienced and other previously identified factors (Bromet, Sonnega, & Kessler, 1998. American Journal of Epidemiology, 147, 353-361), neuroticism remained significantly associated with PTSD in women and both neuroticism and self-criticism remained significant in men. Evidence from this nationally representative sample of adults who experienced traumatic events suggests that self-criticism and especially the broad personality domain of neuroticism may represent robust psychological dimensions associated with the presence of PTSD.     

Does class size in first grade relate to children's academic and social performance or observed classroom processes?

This study evaluated the extent to which first-grade class size predicted child outcomes and observed classroom processes for 651 children (in separate classrooms). Analyses examined observed child-adult ratios and teacher-reported class sizes. Smaller classrooms showed higher quality instructional and emotional support, although children were somewhat less likely to be engaged. Teachers in smaller classes rated typical children in those classes as more socially skilled and as showing less externalizing behavior and reported more closeness toward them. Children in smaller classes performed better on literacy skills. Larger classrooms showed more group activities directed by the teacher, teachers and children interacted more often, and children were more often engaged. Lower class sizes were not of more benefit (or harm) as a function of the child's family income. First-grade class size in the range typical of present-day classrooms in the United States predicts classroom social and instructional processes as well as relative changes in social and literacy outcomes from kindergarten to first grade.     

Anxiety sensitivity and major depression: examination of affective state dependence.

An emerging body of research suggests that anxiety sensitivity (AS), and particularly a facet of AS labelled fear of cognitive dyscontrol, is elevated in depressed individuals and is associated with severity of depressed mood. The current prospective study extended previous work by investigating the extent of affective state dependency in the AS-depression relationship in 51 patients who had major depressive episode (MDE) at baseline assessment (Time 1) and did not have MDE 1 year later at follow-up (Time 2). Despite considerable reduction in severity of depressed mood, scores on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (M=27) remained elevated. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that, after controlling for both Time 1 and Time 2 depression severity, Time 1 AS continued to predict residual Time 2 AS and increased prediction of variance from approximately 25% to 50%. Time 1 fear of cognitive dyscontrol AS continued to significantly predict Time 2 fear of cognitive dyscontrol AS when Time 2 fear of physical symptoms AS was statistically controlled. A subsample of recovered patients who displayed only minimal depression symptoms was compared to a matched sample of community controls. While the two groups did not significantly differ on level of depressed mood, the formerly depressed patients had significantly higher levels of AS. Implications for a proposed "depression sensitivity" are discussed.     

The Moderating Effect of Depression Symptoms on the Concordance between the Experience and Verbal Disclosure of Emotion

Within-person studies of emotional disclosure have found evidence of a disclosure-discordance effect of depression, whereby the positive association between the intensity of one’s emotional experience and verbal disclosure of that experience weakens with increasing depression symptoms. Because these previous studies have exclusively been naturalistic ones, we examined the disclosure-discordance effect of depression in the lab. Participants (N?=?115) completed a measure of depression symptoms and viewed a series of emotionally evocative photographs. Emotion-expressive behavior while viewing each photograph was rated by judges, subjective emotional experience was assessed via self-report, and emotional disclosure just after the photograph was viewed was rated by different judges. Multilevel analyses indicated that depression symptoms moderated the association between the behavioral (i.e., facial) expression of emotion intensity and disclosure of emotion. Moderation was not supported in analyses with self-reported emotional intensity as a predictor. These findings partly supported the disclosure-discordance effect, and they inform methods of empirically examining the effect of depression symptoms on the verbal disclosure of emotion.