Reliability coefficients for multiple group item response theory models

Reliability of scores from psychological or educational assessments provides important information regarding the precision of measurement. The reliability of scores is however population dependent and may vary across groups. In item response theory, this population dependence can be attributed to differential item functioning or to differences in the latent distributions between groups and needs to be accounted for when estimating the reliability of scores for different groups. Here, we introduce group-specific and overall reliability coefficients for sum scores and maximum likelihood ability estimates defined by a multiple group item response theory model. We derive confidence intervals using asymptotic theory and evaluate the empirical properties of estimators and the confidence intervals in a simulation study. The results show that the estimators are largely unbiased and that the confidence intervals are accurate with moderately large sample sizes. We exemplify the approach with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in two groups defined by education level and give recommendations for applied work.     

Cortisol Reactivity and Socially Anxious Behavior in Previously Institutionalized Youth

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology - The current study investigated the association between cortisol stress reactivity to a social stressor and observed socially anxious behaviors...     

William Foote Whyte,Street Corner Society and Social Organization

Social scientists have mostly taken it for granted that William Foote Whyte's sociological classic Street Corner Society (SCS, 1943) belongs to the Chicago school of sociology's research tradition or that it is a relatively independent study which cannot be placed in any specific research tradition. Social science research has usually overlooked the fact that William Foote Whyte was educated in social anthropology at Harvard University, and was mainly influenced by Conrad M. Arensberg and W. Lloyd Warner. What I want to show, based on archival research, is that SCS cannot easily be said either to belong to the Chicago school's urban sociology or to be an independent study in departmental and idea‐historical terms. Instead, the work should be seen as part of A. R. Radcliffe‐Brown's and W. Lloyd Warner's comparative research projects in social anthropology.     

Outcome of psychodynamic child psychotherapy in routine practice

The aim of the present naturalistic study was to explore the effectiveness of psychodynamic child psychotherapy in routine practice. The sample comprised 207 psychotherapies with children 4–12?years of age with a broad range of mental health problems. Data on two measures, children’s global assessment scale (CGAS) and strength and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), were collected pre-post therapy. Within-group changes were analysed using repeated measures mixed-models ANOVA. Individual changes were examined by means of clinical significance. The analyses revealed improvement in general functioning, decrease in problem severity and problem impact on the child’s everyday life, as well as an increase in prosocial behaviour. For CGAS, an interaction effect was discovered suggesting a larger improvement for younger children (4–6?years) than for older children (10–12?years). After therapy, 38% (n 76) achieved clinically significant improvement. Time-limited psychotherapy proved favourable for children assigned to that particular treatment modality. The study generated similar results as previous well-controlled trials, revealing statistically significant results in a large sample and in spite the use of non-specific outcome measures. The study provides everyday evidence to the effectiveness of child psychodynamic treatment with parallel parental work for a broad range of child mental health problems.     

Health care practitioners' perceptions of public mental health care in the Eastern Cape,South Africa

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of health care practitioners (HCPs) concerning public mental health care in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data were collected from thirteen purposively selected HCPs using in-depth unstructured interviews (males?=?6, females?=?7). Data were transcribed verbatim and later thematically analysed. The findings suggest that mental health professionals perceive mental health services to be both inadequate and of suboptimal quality. Specifically, they perceived public mental health care to have lower priority, to be poorly resourced and lacking in patient-oriented care qualities.     

Two-year outcome of internet-based relapse prevention for partially remitted depression

The objective of the study was to investigate the long-term effects of internet-based relapse prevention for sufferers of partially remitted depression. Eighty-four individuals with partially remitted unipolar depression were randomized to either internet-based CBT (iCBT) or to a control group. After the ten week intervention period the participants were followed for 24 months and diagnostic interviews conducted to detect relapse. The intervention and monthly self-ratings of depressive symptoms were administered via an internet-based platform that ensured secure communication with all participants. Significantly fewer participants in the iCBT group had experienced a relapse compared with those in the control group two years after the internet-based intervention. The relapse rate in the iCBT group was 13.7% (CI 95% = 2.5–24.9) and in the control group it was 60.9% (CI 95% = 44.8–77). Furthermore, a significantly larger proportion of the iCBT group experienced remission two years after the intervention compared with the control group. Internet-based CBT seems promising for preventing relapse in sufferers of partially remitted depression.     

Predictors of outcome in Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for severe health anxiety

Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for severe health anxiety can be effective, but not all patients achieve full remission. Under these circumstances, knowledge about predictors is essential for the clinician in order to make reliable treatment recommendations. The primary aim of this study was to investigate clinical, demographic, and therapy process-related predictors of Internet-based CBT for severe health anxiety. We performed three types of analyses on data from a sample comprising participants (N = 81) who had received Internet-based CBT in a randomized controlled trial. Outcomes were a) end state health anxiety, b) improvement in health anxiety (continuous change scores), and c) clinically significant improvement. Outcomes were assessed at six-month follow-up. The results showed that the most stable predictors of both end state health anxiety and improvement were baseline health anxiety and depressive symptoms. Treatment adherence, i.e. the number of completed treatment modules, also significantly predicted outcome. Notably, health anxiety at baseline was positively associated with symptom improvement while depressive symptoms was negatively related to improvement. Demographic factors were largely without significant impact on end state symptoms or improvement. We conclude that baseline symptom burden and adherence to treatment have strong predictive effects in Internet-based CBT for severe health anxiety.     

Luthers Geschichtsauffassung

Luther's theological reputation took a severe blow throughout the course of twentieth-century Swedish academic theology. In this paper, I seek to show that a major reason for the increasingly negative evaluation of Luther in Swedish theology had to do with widespread misgivings over Luther's rejection free choice in De servo arbitrio (1525). I give an account of the emergence of these misgivings, trace them through a number of prominent Swedish theologians, and show how they eventually led to severe criticisms of Luther.     

Children With Conduct Problems and Co-occurring ADHD: Behavioral Improvements Following Parent Management Training

To scale up evidence-based treatment of conduct problems, parent management training, Oregon model (PMTO) has been disseminated throughout Norway. This study examined whether Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) predicted the outcomes of PMTO. Of 253 children and families, 97 were reported to have an ADHD diagnosis. Although different at intake, the groups with and without ADHD had close to an equal change in behavioral status following treatment. Maternal depression and family income predicted the combined group's behavior following PMTO. The study indicates that reductions in conduct problems following PMTO are of the same magnitude in children with or without ADHD. However, some characteristics may differentially predict outcomes for children with combined problems.