Identification,Response, and Referral of Suicidal Youth Following Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training

Gatekeeper training is a public health approach to suicide prevention that encourages community members to identify those at risk for suicide, respond appropriately, and refer for clinical services. Despite widespread use, few studies have examined whether training results in behavior change in participants. This study employed a naturalistic pre–post design to follow 434 participants in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, finding small but significant increases in self‐reported identification of at‐risk youth, some helpful responses to youth, and numbers of youth referred to treatment from pre‐test to 6‐ to 9‐month follow‐up. Changes in active listening and helping behaviors meant to support treatment referrals (such as convincing a youth to seek treatment) were not observed over time. Additional analyses explored predictors of self‐reported skill utilization including identification as a “natural helper” and attitudes about suicide prevention.     

Depressive Symptoms and Suicide Risk in Older Adults: Value Placed on Autonomy as a Moderator for Men but Not Women

Risk for suicide is elevated among older men. We examined whether value placed on autonomy amplifies the relation between depressive symptoms and suicide risk differently for older men and women. Participants were 98 community‐dwelling older adults, M age 73.6 (SD = 8.6), 65.1% female, 93.1% White. Questionnaires measured suicide risk (SBQ‐R), depressive symptoms (CESD), and value placed on autonomy (PSI‐II autonomy). Among men, depressive symptoms were associated with suicide risk only when PSI‐II autonomy was elevated. Among women, greater depressive symptoms were associated with suicide risk at all levels of PSI‐II autonomy. Further research on attitudes toward autonomy is warranted.     

Self-guided behavioral skills training: A public health approach to promoting nurturing care environments

The World Health Organization identified the promotion of “Nurturing Care Environments” as a global health priority. Responsive caregiving, 1 of 5 domains describing nurturing care, is critical for healthy child development. Relatively little research has evaluated population-level interventions aimed to increase responsive caregiving during the first 1,000 days of an infant's life. In this pilot study, we evaluated an intervention designed for population-level dissemination that targeted responsive caregiving. The self-guided behavioral skills training aimed to teach mothers to imitate infant vocalizations. The intervention was delivered within an on-line asynchronous training. All 3 mothers increased vocal imitative behavior following training without receiving coaching or behavior-specific feedback from an implementer. The results offer a preliminary proof of concept with implications for population-level intervention design and evaluation.     

Medically Documented Suicide Ideation Among U.S. Army Soldiers

We used administrative data to examine predictors of medically documented suicide ideation (SI) among Regular Army soldiers from 2006 through 2009 (N = 10,466 ideators, 124,959 control person‐months). Enlisted ideators (97.8% of all cases) were more likely than controls to be female, younger, older when entering service, less educated, never or previously deployed, and have a recent mental health diagnosis. Officer ideators were more likely than controls to be female, younger, younger when entering service, never married, and have a recent mental health diagnosis. Risk among enlisted soldiers peaked in the second month of service and declined steadily, whereas risk among officers remained relatively stable over time. Risk of SI is highest among enlisted soldiers early in Army service, females, and those with a recent mental health diagnosis.     

Effects of Response Blocking and Programmed Stimulus Control on Motor Stereotypy: A Pilot Study

We evaluated response blocking with programmed stimulus control, wearing tennis wrist bands, to reduce motor stereotypy in a student with autism. Response blocking was effective and subsequent analysis revealed that wearing the tennis wrist bands alone maintained low frequency stereotypy. Results suggest that controlling effects from a procedure such as response blocking can be transferred to a programmed stimulus in the absence of physical intervention.     

A Brief Group Intervention Using Video Games to Teach Sportsmanship Skills to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Impaired social skills represent a fundamental deficit for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Despite the potential importance of “good sportsmanship,” this social skill has received relatively little attention in the literature. The current study utilized a Behavioral Skills Training (BST) approach to teach three sportsmanship skills (i.e., complimenting, turn taking, and being a good sport) during video game play (Wii Sports). Six children with ASD completed this study. Findings suggest BST can be used effectively to teach sportsmanship skills to children with ASD. The use of video-game technology as part of social skills intervention programs is also discussed.     

Magnetic resonance imaging changes in a patient with migraine attack and transient global amnesia after cardiac catheterization

The presence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in patients with transient global amnesia has been an interesting phenomenologic finding. Several theories surround the occurrence of this syndrome, but little is known about its true physiopathology. We present a case of transient global amnesia after cardiac catheterization associated with migraine headache and MRI changes compatible with an ischemic insult. A discussion on potential explanations for this finding is made, as well as a review of the pertinent literature.