Validation of the Beck Depression Inventory-II in a low-income African American sample of medical outpatients

The psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) are well established with primarily Caucasian samples. However, little is known about its reliability and validity with minority groups. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the BDI-II in a sample of low-income African American medical outpatients (N=220). Reliability was demonstrated with high internal consistency (.90) and good item-total intercorrelations. Criterion-related validity was demonstrated. A confirmatory factor analysis supported a hierarchical factor structure in which the BDI-II reflected 2 first-order factors (Cognitive and Somatic) that in turn reflected a second-order factor (Depression). These results are consistent with previous findings and thus support the use of the BDI-II in assessing depressive symptoms for African American patients in a medical setting.     

The role of mindfulness and compassion in early adults' subsequent mental health,coping and compliance with health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective longitudinal study

The present study explored prospective links between trait mindfulness and compassion on subsequent coping and compliance with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and indirect effects via well-being and internalized distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included N = 736 US college students who participated in a three-wave longitudinal study across a single academic year. The first two assessment waves took place in 2018 and 2019, respectively, while the third wave took place in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed self-report measures of trait mindfulness, compassion, well-being, internalized distress, coping, and compliance with CDC health guidelines. Results of a series of autoregressive, cross-lagged panel models revealed that trait mindfulness was associated with better coping via indirect effects of greater well-being and lower internalized distress. Greater compassion was linked with greater adherence to CDC guidelines. Findings suggest that trait mindfulness and compassion may play a role in college students' coping and compliance during the pandemic.     

Rotated Drawing: The Range of Performance and Anatomical Correlates in a Series of 16 Patients

Recently there has been interest in an unusual neuropsychological disorder in which the patient copies a complex drawing in a position which is grossly rotated relative to the original. This disorder is of interest partly because of its relationship to current theories of the process of object recognition, but the range of performances typically seen, as well as its anatomical correlates, remain obscure. We report 16 cases who produced grossly rotated drawings of the Rey and Taylor Complex Figures. These patients were drawn from an unselected series of 240 cases, with a wide variety of lesion types and sites. The performances of the 16 patients displayed striking similarities. We describe the formal features of these drawings and plot their anatomical correlates.     

Limits to Infants' Knowledge of Objects: The Case of MagicalAppearance

Young infants have an impressive knowledge of material objects. They appreciate that distinct objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time, are internally cohesive units that maintain their boundaries, and exist continuously in space and time. We report a surprising limit to this body of understanding: Although 8-month-olds responded to the "magical" disappearance of an object as an unexpected event, they did not so respond to a magical appearance. These results suggest that infants' understanding of objects differs from adult cognition in important respects. We discuss four possible ways in which this finding can be reconciled with evidence that infants appreciate the spatiotemporal continuity of objects.     

Practical guidelines in the use of symptom validity and other psychological tests to measure malingering and symptom exaggeration in traumatic brain injury cases

The detection of malingering or symptom exaggeration has become an essential component in forensic neuropsychological evaluations, particularly in cases involving personal injury claims. Symptom Validity Tests refer to those measures that can be utilized to detect test performance that is so poor that it is below the level of probability, oftentimes even among brain-damaged populations. This article outlines legal standards for expert testimony in regard to forensic neuropsychological personal injury evaluations. The article provides an outline of specific Symptom Validity Tests and Indicators, and reviews literature supporting test sensitivity and validity. In addition, the use of symptom checklists and questionnaires is discussed, as well as the appropriate use of Symptom Validity Tests and Indicators to establish the presence or absence of malingering or symptom exaggeration.     

Filial maturity: Analysis and reconceptualization

The concept of filial maturity has often been utilized to describe the nature and quality of the adult parent-child relationship. This paper will critically evaluate filial maturity as a central construct for understanding filial relations, present a reconceptualization of the concept, and identify areas for further empirical and conceptual elaboration.