Telling the Truth About Power

SUMMARY

In this culture, those in power do not usually talk about it and the rest of us tend not to recognize it either. A similar situation exists in therapy, where the therapist herself may not be aware of her own power-over tactics. This article suggests methods that may help therapists to acknowledge their power and also to change from power-over actions to mutually empowering relationships. From this line of thinking, there follows an exploration of altering the concept of boundaries in therapy into mutually constructed agreements between patient and therapist. This article was presented at the Summer Training Institute of the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute, June, 2003.     

The Validity of a Brief Risk Assessment Tool for Predicting Suicidal Behavior in Veterans Utilizing VHA Mental Health Care

Suicide risk among military veterans is an important and ongoing concern. The Veterans Administration (VA) mandates suicide risk screening of all veterans seen for mental health issues, but little is known about the effectiveness of this screening. A retrospective chart review to examine all suicide risk screens at VA San Diego between October and December 2012 (n = 3,365) was conducted to assess whether results were associated with suicidal behavior over the subsequent 12 months. Patients judged to be at increased risk for suicide were 3 to 16 times more likely to attempt suicide and 7 to 25 times more likely to engage in self‐directed violence over the next 12 months compared with others. The screening tool may be a useful addition to clinical practice.     

Cognitive Predictors of English Reading Achievement in Chinese English-Immersion Students

This study investigated the effects of English and Chinese phonological awareness (PA) and naming speed (NS) on English reading achievement and the evidence for cross-linguistic transfer in Chinese English-immersion students. English PA was a significant predictor of English reading achievement for immersion students in Grades 2 and 4. There was little evidence of cross-linguistic transfer from Chinese PA and NS to English reading achievement. English immersion students performed equal to non-immersion students on NS and mathematics in both grades, and in Chinese PA in Grade 4. Results are discussed in terms of theories of reading development in second language.     

Experimental Test of Escape Theory: Accessibility to Implicit Suicidal Mind

This study tested the Escape Theory prediction that individuals blaming themselves for failure experience increased accessibility to implicit suicidal mind. One hundred and thirty‐eight undergraduate medical students were randomly assigned to three groups: failure‐related priming, success‐related priming, and control. Following experimental conditions, participants completed a death/suicide Implicit Association Test. Results revealed significant differences between groups in accessibility to implicit suicidal mind. Furthermore, priming manipulation interacted with individual differences in locus of control (LOC). Significant differences in accessibility to implicit suicidal mind were observed in individuals with internal LOC, while effects of priming manipulation were eliminated in individuals with external LOC.     

Risk Factors for Attempting Suicide in Heroin Addicts

In order to examine risk factors for attempting suicide in heroin dependent patients, a group of 527 abstinent opiate dependent patients had a psychiatric interview and completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Patients who had or had never attempted suicide were compared on putative suicide risk factors. It was found that 207 of the 527 heroin abusers (39.3%) had attempted suicide. Attempters were younger; more were female, reported childhood trauma, a family history of suicidal behavior, a history of aggression, treatment with antidepressant medication, and alcohol and cocaine dependence. Logistic regression revealed that a family history of suicidal behavior, alcohol dependence, cocaine dependence, and treatment with antidepressant medication were significant predictors of attempting suicide. These results suggest that attempting suicide is common among opiate dependent patients and that both distal and proximal risk factors may play a role.