Suicidal Behaviors in the African American Community

This article reviews the risk and protective factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors in the African American community. The authors provide a brief review of the history of suicide research in African American communities and critique some of the paradigms and underlying assumptions that have made it difficult to address the problem of suicidal behaviors in the African American community. The article also summarizes the articles that are presented in this special edition of the Journal of Black Psychology on suicidality in the African American community.     

Museum tours in genogram construction: A technique for facilitating recall of negative affect

Anger museums, hurt museums, and loss museums are presented as a technique for facilitating recall whenever clients appear to have difficulty remembering family relationships and the affect with which these relationships were invested. The purpose of the recall is to facilitate the process of differentiation. Museum tours are presented as a technique for helping individuals re-enter and re-view their own history within the context of the functioning and relationships of the family of origin. Museum tours in genogram construction are an attempt to achieve what Bowen referred to as discrimination between the emotions and intellect, i.e. the process of differentiation.     

The Effectiveness of Strategies for Increasing Social Interaction with a Physically Disabled Person1

The effectiveness of strategies a physically disabled person can use to increase a nondisabled person's willingness to engage in social interaction were investigated. In the strategies, the disabled person engages in behavior demonstrating that he/she is not preoccupied with the disability. Female college students chose the amount of time to be spent listening to music versus social interaction before and after learning that the other was a disabled male. The subject witnessed via “closed circuit” TV (actually a videotape) a brief interaction between the male and another female in the waiting room from which the subject had just come. In the Interest in others condition, the male encouraged the female to talk about herself. In the Typical activities condition, the male mentioned he had to pick up tickets, organize a party, and study for an exam. In the Athletic activities condition, the male mentioned he went swimming and bowling. In the Request condition, the male asked the female to pick up a paper he had dropped. In the Control condition, there was limited interaction. In the Inappropriate communication condition, the male mentioned the same activities as in the Typical activities condition but talked continuously without waiting for polite interest from the female. Changes in preference for social interaction were significantly more positive in the Attentive to others, Typical activities and Athletic activities conditions than in the Control conditions. It was concluded that demonstrating interest in others, typical activities and athletic activities are effective strategies.     

Stability of biodata keys and dimensions across English-speaking countries: A test of the cross-situational hypothesis

Questions have been raised about the generalizability of biodata instruments across situations. In the present study, the stability of a biodata scoring key and factor structure was examined across two situations—the insurance industry in the United States and the United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland. Results indicated that the validity of a biodata scoring key could be successfully transported. Confirmatory factor analysis, using a maximum likelihood estimation procedure (LISREL), also indicated that the biodata factor structure was stable across the countries and cultures. The reliability and validity of the dimension scores also were successfully transported. The results provide new support for the contention that biodata keys, as well as underlying dimensional structures, can generalize across situations, specifically English-speaking countries and cultures.This research was conducted while the first two authors were at LIMRA, International.     

Molecular carrier testing for the fragile X syndrome: Issues for genetic counselors

Molecular analysis of the fragile X (FMR-1) gene identifies female fragile X carriers, but appropriate genetic counseling can only be provided if the limitations of the testing methods are understood. Molecular analysis of this gene is achieved with both the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot techniques. PCR is faster and can determine the actual number of CGG repeats, which modifies genetic counseling substantially. However, for a sizeable percentage of women, PCR alone is not conclusive, and Southern analysis is necessary to complete the study. While this procedure takes longer, it is usually conclusive. Women who present for genetic counseling and carrier testing in the second trimester of pregnancy need this information quickly, and for them the turn-around time is paramount. It is critical that genetic counselors understand these methods so that they can educate their clients and facilitate appropriate follow-up.     

ORGANIZATION OF INFORMATION AND THE DETECTION OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION

Abstract— This report examines several factors that influence the detection of gender discrimination in organizations We presented subjects with information about the qualifications and salaries of women and men in 10 departments of a hypothetical company The information was created so that one or the other gender was undercompensated relative to its qualifications Subjects rated the fairness of salaries and recalled the average qualifications of the women and men Ordinal inequity, which occurred when the gender with the better qualifications received a lower salary within a department, was easily detected Discrimination that did not violate ordinal equity within a department was more difficult to detect The results indicate that the way information is presented to subjects influences the processing of the information and the ease with which unfairness is perceived In addition, subjects judged the discrimination to be more unfair when women, rather than men, were disadvantaged     

A randomized trial comparing the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa delivered via telemedicine versus face-to-face

OBJECTIVE: A major problem in the delivery of mental health services is the lack of availability of empirically supported treatment, particularly in rural areas. To date no studies have evaluated the administration of an empirically supported manual-based psychotherapy for a psychiatric condition via telemedicine. The aim of this study was to compare the relative efficacy and acceptability of a manual-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for bulimia nervosa (BN) delivered in person to a comparable therapy delivered via telemedicine. METHOD: One hundred twenty-eight adults meeting DSM-IV criteria for BN or eating disorder-not otherwise specified with binge eating or purging at least once per week were recruited through referrals from clinicians and media advertisements in the targeted geographical areas. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 20 sessions of manual-based, CBT for BN over 16 weeks delivered either face-to-face (FTF-CBT) or via telemedicine (TV-CBT) by trained therapists. The primary outcome measures were binge eating and purging frequency as assessed by interview at the end of treatment, and again at 3- and 12-month follow-ups. Secondary outcome measures included other bulimic symptoms and changes in mood. RESULTS: Retention in treatment was comparable for TV-CBT and FTF-CBT. Abstinence rates at end-of-treatment were generally slightly higher for FTF-CBT compared with TV-CBT, but differences were not statistically significant. FTF-CBT patients also experienced significantly greater reductions in eating disordered cognitions and interview-assessed depression. However, the differences overall were few in number and of marginal clinical significance. CONCLUSIONS: CBT for BN delivered via telemedicine was both acceptable to participants and roughly equivalent in outcome to therapy delivered in person.     

Community-based co-occurring disorder (COD) intermediate and advanced treatment for offenders

Against a backdrop of increasing concern about the adequacy of treatment for co-occurring substance use and mental disorders (typically known as "co-occurring disorders," or COD) in the criminal justice system, this article attempts to provide empirical evidence for a typology of levels of COD treatment for offenders in both prison and community settings. The paper investigates two levels of treatment programs for COD; "intermediate" programs, in which treatment programming has been designed primarily for offenders with a single disorder, and "advanced" programs, in which programming has been designed to provide integrated substance abuse treatment and mental health services. Findings from a national survey of program directors indicated that both intermediate and advanced COD treatment programs were similar in their general approach to substance abuse treatment, but differed considerably in their treatment of mental disorders, where the advanced programs employed significantly more evidence- and consensus-based practices. Results provide support for the distinction between intermediate- and advanced-level services for offenders with COD and support a typology that defines advanced programs as integrating a range of evidence- and consensus-based practices so as to modify treatment sufficiently to address both diseases.     

A self psychological and relational approach to group therapy for university students with bulimia

Bulimia is a complex disorder that can significantly interfere with psychosocial functioning. It is a particularly significant problem among adolescents and young women in college and university settings. The preponderance of literature on group therapeutic approaches for this disorder is from a cognitive-behavioral perspective. In this paper, we present a psychodynamic group therapy approach for female university students, informed specifically by self psychological and relational frameworks. Through clinical illustrations, we demonstrate how the group provides selfobject experiences, including mirroring, idealizing, twinship, and adversarial experiences, and how the group becomes the arena through which group members can experience, express, and understand emotions. The interpersonal context of the group uniquely provides opportunities for members to examine their bulimic symptoms in relation to interactions that take place outside of or within the group.