Attachment theory and systemic practice: research update

Attachment theory offers a way of thinking about the dyadic relationships within the family system. Family systems theory and therapy can contribute to attachment theory, as dyadic relationships do not exist in isolation but within the context of other relationships. Research at the interface between systemic practice and attachment theory is reviewed with examination of the central role they may play together in the developing understanding of family relationships.     

Evidence for Free Radical-Mediated Reduction of Lymphocytic 5′-Ectonucleotidase During Stress

Previously we showed that stress and depression could result in a 50% lowering of lymphocytic 5-ectonucleotidase (NT) which could be resolved by a diet high in antioxidants. This study suggested that high levels of free radicals mediated by stress/depression may be involved in lowering NT activities. The aim of the present study was to assess whether oxygen radicals could directly affect NT and whether excess free radicals generated in stress/depression may affect tissue ascorbate stores. Exam-stressed students and depressed patients were compared respectively to these students at low stress and depressed patients on high antioxidant intakes. In this study, NT correlated positively with tissue ascorbate stores. A range of antioxidants were tested as possible inhibitors of oxy radical interaction with NT using nitroblue tetrazolium reduction to for-mazan with superoxide anion. At physiological plasma concentrations, ascorbate inhibited this reduction but dehydroascorbate, tocopherol, retinol, selenium, urate, and reduced glutathione were ineffective. Superoxide anion directly reduced lymphocytic NT activity and this effect was reversed by either 100 molar ascorbate in vitro or a high antioxidant intake in vivo. In conclusion, the low NT activities and ascorbate stores found in stressed/depressed people appear to be mediated by higher levels of free radicals reported in these subjects. These conclusions are consistent with published reports of (1) normal NT levels in melancholic patients on high antioxidant diets; (2) heightened inflammatory reponses during stress/depression; (3) low serum levels of zinc in depressed patients.     

Source Monitoring: ERP Evidence for Greater Reactivity to Nontarget Information in Older Adults

Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) were collected concurrently with stimulus presentation during a source monitoring task. Younger adults were less likely than older adults to make source monitoring errors and their ERP records showed far greater discrimination between target stimuli and familiar but nontarget foils. Older adults not only made more source errors but produced high amplitude late positivities to the nontarget foils even when these foils were correctly rejected. Under divided attention conditions, younger adults performance was similar to that of the older adults both behaviorally and electrophysiologically. These data illustrate the role that attentional resources play in the ability to inhibit response tendencies and suggest that age differences in source monitoring may be more related to attentional control than inefficiencies in the encoding of contextual information. As well, they suggest that the ERP late positivity may represent a more general response to item salience rather than serve as an index of recollection as is the current view.     

Female playwrights of the eighteenth century: Shaping the marketplace of love

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis -     

Mental health consumer survey on a shoestring budget — it is possible!

Consumers of service in a decentralized unit of a county mental health services organization were surveyed. Two samples, one of 100 and one of 386 former clients, were selected for a questionnaire survey of satisfaction and perception of ensuing changes. This report is offered as an example of what a busy clinical team can accomplish in the midst of its basic task of providing therapeutic and diagnostic help.     

Examination of efficacious,efficient, and socially valid error‐correction procedures to teach sight words and prepositions to children with autism spectrum disorder

Prior research shows that learners have idiosyncratic responses to error‐correction procedures during instruction. Thus, assessments that identify error‐correction strategies to include in instruction can aid practitioners in selecting individualized, efficacious, and efficient interventions. The current investigation conducted an assessment to compare 5 error‐correction procedures that have been evaluated in the extant literature and are common in instructional practice for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Results showed that the assessment identified efficacious and efficient error‐correction procedures for all participants, and 1 procedure was efficient for 4 of the 5 participants. To examine the social validity of error‐correction procedures, participants selected among efficacious and efficient interventions in a concurrent‐chains assessment. We discuss the results in relation to prior research on error‐correction procedures and current instructional practices for learners with ASD.