The Integration of Family and Group Therapy as an Alternative to Juvenile Incarceration: A Quasi‐Experimental Evaluation Using Parenting with Love and Limits

The current study employed a quasi‐experimental design using both intent‐to‐treat and protocol adherence analysis of 155 moderate‐ to high‐risk juvenile offenders to evaluate the effectiveness of Parenting with Love and Limits® (PLL), an integrative group and family therapy approach. Youth completing PLL had significantly lower rates of recidivism than the comparison group. Parents also reported statistically significant improvements in youth behavior. Lengths of service were also significantly shorter for the treatment sample than the matched comparison group by an average of 4 months. This study contributes to the literature by suggesting that intensive community‐based combined family and group treatment is effective in curbing recidivism among high‐risk juveniles.     

Exploring the Current Usage and Preferences for Everyday Technology among People with Serious Mental Illnesses

While literature reports people with serious mental illnesses can benefit from everyday technology, evidence supporting whether or not they are using it in their daily lives is limited. This study investigated what people with serious mental illness are using technology for, what they would like to use it for, and why they are currently not using particular features. Results indicated 97.1% of participants own or use a wireless device, 82.4% use text messaging, 64.7% use email, and 70.6% use voicemail. Implications for further research as well as implications for therapeutic interventions using technology are discussed.     

Psychometric Comparison of Dissociative Experiences Scales II and C: A Weak Trauma‐Dissociation Link

The debate regarding the relationship between dissociation and trauma has raised questions regarding the validity of measures of dissociation. Dalenberg et al.'s ( 2012 ) meta‐analysis included studies using the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES II), but excluded the DES‐Comparison (DES‐C) scale, claiming that it lacked validity as a measure of dissociation. Lynn et al. ( 2014 ) contended that omitting those studies might have skewed the results. In the current study, we compared the psychometric properties of both measures in two nonclinical US adult (student, general population) samples to evaluate the convergent and discriminant validity of the scales. We found support for the DES‐II as a measure of dissociation as well as the validity and reliability of the DES‐C, which compares well to the DES II. Compared with studies in Dalenberg et al., we found lower correlations between trauma and dissociation. No empirical basis exists to exclude studies using the DES‐C in literature reviews. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimal testing time for suppression of competitors during interference resolution

Interference between competing memory traces is a common cause of memory failure. Recent research has demonstrated a suppression mechanism that operates at retrieval to resolve interference. Using an adaptation of the suppression paradigm in Healey, Ngo, and Hasher [(2014). Below-baseline suppression of competitors during interference resolution by younger but not older adults. Psychological Science, 25(1), 145–151. doi:10.1177/0956797613501169], we tested whether the ability to suppress competing memory traces varies with the synchrony between optimal arousal period and time of testing. We replicate the below-baseline suppression effect for young adults tested at optimal times of day, and present novel evidence that they do not show competitor suppression during non-optimal times of day. In fact, competitors are actually strengthened at non-optimal times. Our results suggest that the ability to resolve interference by suppression varies with circadian arousal.     

The Timing and Intensity of Maternal Employment in Early Childhood: Implications for Canadian Children

This study focused on the associations between timing and intensity of maternal employment in early childhood and the developmental outcomes of young Canadian children. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth using multiple linear regression. We tested the associations between mothers’ employment in the first four years of children’s lives and motor and social development of zero to 4-year-old-children and receptive language of 4 and 5-year-old-children. We also examined the association between working more than 20?h a week during the first 2 years of children’s lives and children’s outcomes. We found that mothers who returned to work when their children were between 0 and 4 years old had enhanced motor and social development in comparison to children of mothers who did not work during this time. Additionally, findings showed that relative to children of mothers who worked 20?h or less a week in the first 2 years of their children’s lives, in particular between 12 and 17 months, children of mothers who worked more than 20?h had lower receptive language scores at 4 and 5 years of age. These findings have implications for maternity and parental leave policy in Canada.     

Assessing the impact of autonomous motivation and psychological need satisfaction in explaining adherence to an exercise referral scheme*

Given the mixed findings concerning self-determination theory in explaining adherence to exercise referral schemes (ERS), the present study attempted to examine whether autonomous motivation and psychological need satisfaction could predict ERS adherence. Participants referred to an 8-week ERS completed self-report measures grounded in self-determination theory and basic needs theory at baseline (N = 124), mid-scheme (N = 58), and at the end of the scheme (N = 40). Logistic regressions were used to analyse the data. Autonomous motivation measured at mid-scheme explained between 12 and 16% of the variance in ERS adherence. Autonomy, relatedness and competence measured at mid-scheme explained between 18 and 26% of the variance in ERS adherence. This model also explained between 18 and 25% when measured at the end of the scheme. The study found limited evidence for the role of autonomous motivation in explaining ERS adherence. Stronger support was found for the satisfaction of the three needs for autonomy, relatedness and competence in predicting ERS adherence. Future research should tap into the satisfaction of all three needs collectively to help foster ERS adherence.     

The influence of culture on disaster mental health and psychosocial support interventions in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia (SEA), which has borne the brunt of some of the most severe natural disasters in the past decade, has unfortunately, been largely under-represented in the world literature on disaster mental health. This article describes cultural factors that may inform the design and conduct of disaster-related mental health psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions. Specifically, it discusses cultural nuances in emotional expression, shame, power distance, collectivism, and spiritual beliefs and their implications on providing post-disaster psychosocial interventions. It describes the MHPSS interventions implemented in the region using the Johns Hopkins Perspectives Model of Disaster Mental Health categories of resistance, resilience and recovery. Given the challenges on the delivery of MHPSS, there is a need for evidence-based interventions and to ensure that disaster responders in SEA understand the cultural factors that impact the delivery of MHPSS interventions.     

Predictors of Parenting Stress for Abusive and Nonabusive Mothers

We examined a model of parenting stress for abusive mothers (n = 80) and nonabusive mothers (n = 86) using linear regression analyses. Predictors in the model included (a) the degree to which mothers were bothered by child misbehavior, (b) mothers’ general psychological functioning, and (c) observed child behavior during parent–child interactions. Whether abuse status moderated the relations between each predictor and parenting stress was also explored. Results indicated that mothers’ psychological functioning significantly predicted parenting stress; however, neither mothers’ intolerance for their children’s misbehavior nor observed child behavior were significant predictors of parenting stress in the regression model. A test of moderation revealed a significant interaction between parental intolerance and abuse status such that intolerance predicted parenting stress level only for abusive mothers. A comparison of correlations indicated that abusive mothers’ level of parenting stress was more closely related to their intolerance for child conduct problems than to the child’s behavior during play with their mothers. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for interventions to reduce parenting stress experienced by nonabusive and abusive mothers.     

Antecedent stimulus control: using orienting cues to facilitate first-word acquisition for nonresponders with autism

Although considerable progress has been made in improving the acquisition of expressive verbal communication in children with autism, research has documented that a subpopulation of children still fail to acquire speech even with intensive intervention. One variable that might be important in facilitating responding for this nonverbal subgroup of children is the use of antecedent orienting cues. Using a multiple baseline design, this study examined whether individualized orienting cues could be identified, and whether their presentation would result in the production of verbal expressive words. The results showed that this antecedent stimulus control procedure produced improvements in responding to verbal models in all of the children, and subsequent gains in speech for some of the children. Theoretical and applied implications of orienting cues as they relate to antecedent stimulus control for children with autism are discussed.