Clinical Predictors of Depression in Patients with Low-Grade Brain Tumors: Consideration of a Neurologic Versus a Psychogenic Model

Few studies have examined quality of life issues in patients with brain tumors, though coping with cancer is stressful and is associated with heightened levels of depression. We used regression to examine the clinical factors that might predict depression in a group of 57 adults with low-grade brain tumors after surgery but prior to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. A neurological model comprised of tumor characteristics and treatment was compared with a psychogenic model comprised of both psychosocial and psychodynamic variables. Demographic variables and level of fatigue were also included. A model consisting primarily of fatigue (also clinically elevated) and secondarily of tumor location and aggressiveness of surgical treatment accounted for 33% of the depression score. In a small group at a later follow-up when patient depression was clinically elevated (4–6 years after baseline), fatigue, female sex, cognitive dysfunction, increased family support, and increased report of physical symptoms were associated with depression. The late out findings remain exploratory because of the small sample size, but they suggest that depression develops over time and results from a combination of neurological and psychosocial problems that ensue initial treatments. Treating these collateral problems may reduce the complications from depression.     

Less is more? Effects of exhaustive vs. minimal emotion labelling on emotion regulation strategy planning

Previous research suggests that labelling emotions, or describing affective states using emotion words, facilitates emotion regulation. But how much labelling promotes emotion regulation? And which emotion regulation strategies does emotion labelling promote? Drawing on cognitive theories of emotion, we predicted that labelling emotions using fewer words would be less confusing and would facilitate forms of emotion regulation requiring more cognitively demanding processing of context. Participants (N?=?82) mentally immersed themselves in an emotional vignette, were randomly assigned to an exhaustive or minimal emotion labelling manipulation, and then completed an emotion regulation strategy planning task. Minimal (vs. exhaustive) emotion labelling promoted higher subjective emotional clarity. Furthermore, in terms of specific emotion regulation strategies, minimal emotion labelling prompted more plans for problem solving and marginally more plans for reappraisal, but did not affect plans for behavioural activation or social support seeking. We discuss implications for the cognitive mechanisms supporting the generation of emotion regulation strategies.     

Thriving and Ethnic Discrimination: A Mixed‐Methods Study

Using mixed methodology, the authors examined facilitators to psychological thriving—or positive changes after adversity—in the context of ethnic discrimination among Latina/o adults. Several themes emerged from qualitative interviews (n = 10), including proving others wrong, ethnic identity, and community involvement. Quantitative analyses (n = 97) indicated that U.S. identity moderated the relationship between ethnic microaggressions and thriving such that high levels of U.S. identity were associated with lower thriving. Implications and future directions are discussed. Usando una metodología mixta, los autores examinaron los facilitadores de la prosperidad psicológica (o cambios positivos tras la adversidad) en el contexto de la discriminación étnica en personas latinas adultas. Varios temas surgieron de las entrevistas cualitativas (n = 10), entre los que se incluyen demostrar que otros estaban equivocados, la identidad étnica y la implicación de la comunidad. Los análisis cuantitativos (n = 97) indicaron que la identidad estadounidense moderó la relación entre las microagresiones étnicas y la prosperidad de tal modo que unos altos niveles de identidad estadounidense se asociaron con una baja prosperidad. Se discuten las implicaciones y direcciones futuras.     

Streets of resilience: Exploring the role of educational outreach projects with street connected young people in Guatemala City

We explored resilience amongst street connected young people (SCYP) in Guatemala City in relation to two community‐based educational outreach projects who work with at risk young people. We investigated (a) how these projects adapt and constructed meaningful spaces of safety and protection for SCYP and (b) how their interactions with the families of SCYP impact on well‐being amongst SCYP. We focused on resilience‐building elements and practices, rather than on the dangers of street connectedness. Using ethnographic interviews, participatory photography, and image elicitation, we worked with eight young people and four adult project volunteers. Our research yielded evidence that dwellings, market stalls, and buildings used for religious purposes are being adapted as spaces of aspiration and opportunity to promote resilience. We found evidence of rifts between education projects and parents, and evidence for strategies for repairing these rifts. Our findings highlight the importance of community educational organisations in Guatemala City and have implications for their practice.     

Intervention,stimulus control,and generalization effects of response interruption and redirection on motor stereotypy

This study evaluated the effects of response interruption and redirection (RIRD) on motor stereotypy (hand and body movements) in a child with neurodevelopmental disorders. We also assessed whether a stimulus paired with RIRD could acquire inhibitory control when tested during nonintervention conditions. Compared with baseline phases in a reversal design, RIRD decreased both hand and motor stereotypies, and there was evidence of stimulus control. Extending RIRD to a second setting was also effective. The care providers responsible for intervention implemented RIRD with fidelity, and they rated the procedure positively. Clinical and research implications from these findings are discussed.     

Training behavioral technicians to implement naturalistic behavioral interventions using behavioral skills training

Training behavioral technicians mainly focuses on teaching accurate implementation of structured behavioral intervention programs. Often behavioral technicians are unable to adequately promote their clients' learning in less structured environments, which can limit opportunities for generalization of the clients' skills to the natural environment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using behavioral skills training to coach behavioral technicians on the implementation of naturalistic behavioral interventions. Naturalistic behavioral interventions take advantage of naturally occurring situations to teach new skills and practice mastered skills in natural settings, thus promoting generalization across environments and in the presence of natural contingencies. Five behavioral technicians were trained to implement a novel protocol based on play therapy. Specifically, they were coached to engage in well‐defined positive behaviors during their interactions with clients (e.g., labeled praise). All participants reached mastery criteria, maintained skills at follow‐up, and demonstrated generalization of skills with novel clients.     

Children lose confidence in their potential to “be scientists,” but not in their capacity to “do science”

Over the course of middle childhood, children's interest and beliefs about their own capacities for success in science often decline. This pernicious decline is especially evident among underrepresented groups, including girls, members of some racial and ethnic minorities, and children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The present research (N = 306, ages 6–11) found that while children lose interest and feelings of efficacy about their potential to “be scientists” across middle childhood, they maintain more robust interest and efficacy about “doing science.” These patterns were confirmed in both longitudinal and cross‐sectional analyses; effects were stable or increased across time and age. Mediation analyses revealed that the positive effect of action framing is partially accounted for by children's views that the group of people who do science is more inclusive than the category of scientists. These findings suggest that using action‐focused language to encourage children in science is more inclusive and may lead to more science engagement across middle childhood than language that emphasizes scientists as an identity category. Implications for educational practices will be discussed.     

The cognitive interview: does it successfully avoid the dangers of forensic hypnosis?

Seventy-two undergraduates viewed a videotape of a bank robbery that culminated in the shooting of a young boy. Several days later, participants were interviewed about their recollection of events in the film through baseline oral and written narrative accounts followed by random assignment to a hypnosis (HYP) condition, the cognitive interview (CI), or a motivated, repeated recall (MRR) control interview. Participants also completed a forced interrogatory recall test, which indexed potential report criterion differences between the interview conditions. In terms of information provided for the first time during treatment interviews, HYP led to greater productivity than the CI or the MRR interview, which did not differ significantly from each other. Evidence that these differences in recall resulted primarily from report criterion differences rather than differences in accessible memory was obtained from the forced interrogatory recall test. In this test, no differences were observed between the three interview conditions. Finally, the data revealed that participants' hypnotic ability was associated with the recall of erroneous and confabulatory material for those tested in the HYP and CI conditions but not those in the MRR condition. This suggests that some CI mnemonics may invoke hypnotic-like processes in hypnotizable people.