FROM FREUD TO FEMINIST PERSONALITY THEORY: GETTING HERE FROM THERE

After a discussion of the impact of psychoanalysis on psychological thinking about personality theory and the changes that have been taking place within psychoanalytic theory about women, eight criteria arising out of feminist therapy theory are stated. These criteria represent suggested minimum conditions that a woman-based theory of female development and personality needs to fulfill. Freudian theory, current psychoanalytic theory, and several feminist theories are then evaluated in light of the stated criteria. The author concludes that feminists have arrived at some degree of general agreement about personality theory, although they have often arrived at their specific approaches via diverse theoretical routes.     

Physical activity and body image: Intertwined health priorities identified by transmasculine young people in a non-metropolitan area

Abstract

Background: A dearth of research exists about the health behaviors of transgender young people (TYP). As we seek to learn more about transgender (trans) health, community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches are crucial for incorporating TYP’s needs into the formulation of research questions and development of health behavior programing.

Aim: Explore body image and exercise as priorities among TYP.

Methods: Trans masculine young adults (N?=?16) in a small city in the Midwest took part in semi-structured interviews about their health behaviors and priorities. Theme analysis was used to capture key patterns in participants’ responses. Specific analysis steps included initial and more specific coding, analytical memos, organizational matrices and reports, and discussion about results with participants.

Results: Participants identified exercise and body image as connected primary health concerns. They discussed these issues in terms of three themes: Body shape as motivation for exercise; Poor body image, stigma and fear as exercise barriers, and; Exercise or lack of, as destructive. Participants wanted to exercise to achieve a certain body shape, not for health or as stress relief. They cited gyms as unwelcoming, however. They also worried about discrimination and did not feel sufficiently comfortable with their bodies to exercise. When they could not exercise, they used harmful behaviors, like restricted eating, to achieve a specific male shape.

Conclusions: Using participatory methods allowed us to understand the priorities of a group of Transmasculine young people. Our findings suggest that it is important to continue to explore TYP’s body-related motivations for exercise and understand the balance between exercise as a positive health behavior, and a potentially harmful one, in light of TYP’s complex body image concerns. Trans friendly gyms and gym policies could promote safe exercise and continued anti trans discrimination work and policy advocacy can promote the safety of TYP in all spaces.     

Parentification and mental health symptoms: mediator effects of perceived unfairness and differentiation of self

Existing research indicates that parentification can result in positive and negative outcomes for individuals; however, little is known about the mechanisms that account for the variability. This study tested a theoretical model of the relation between parentification tasks and mental health symptoms, with perceived unfairness and differentiation of self (DoS) as mediators. The results supported the proposed model in a sample of 783 college students. A significant total indirect effect existed between the latent construct of parentification and that of mental health symptoms. Significant specific indirect effects were observed between parentification and mental health symptoms with perceived unfairness as a mediator; between parentification and DoS with perceived unfairness as a mediator and between perceived unfairness and mental health symptoms mediated by DoS. Implications for clinical work with adult clients who have experienced parentification in their family of origin are addressed.     

Seemingly Harmless Racial Communications Are Not So Harmless: Racial Microaggressions Lead to Suicidal Ideation by Way of Depression Symptoms

Racial microaggressions, a contemporary form of subtle discrimination that occurs in everyday interactions, are associated with a variety of negative mental health outcomes. Research has not extended the connection between racial microaggressions and negative mental health to include suicide risk. Given the well‐known association between negative mental health outcomes and suicide risk, the current study examined whether racial microaggressions predicted suicidal ideation through depression symptoms among 405 young adults of color. Depression symptoms mediated the relationship between racial microaggressions and suicidal ideation. This is the first study to associate racial microaggressions to suicide risk. Societal and clinical implications are discussed.