Measurement invariance of the Phubbing Scale across 20 countries

Mobile phone addiction is a robust phenomenon observed throughout the world. The social aspect of mobile phone use is crucial; therefore, phubbing is a part of the mobile phone addiction phenomenon. Phubbing is defined as ignoring an interlocutor by glancing at one's mobile phone during a face-to-face conversation. The main aim of this study was to investigate how the Phubbing Scale (containing 10 items) might vary across countries, and between genders. Data were collected in 20 countries: Belarus, Brazil, China, Croatia, Ecuador, India, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, UK, Ukraine and USA. The mean age across the sample (N = 7696, 65.8% women, 34.2% men) was 25.32 years (SD = 9.50). The cross-cultural invariance of the scale was investigated using multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (MGCFA) as well as the invariance analyses. Additionally, data from each country were assessed individually via confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs). We obtained two factors, based on only eight of the items: (a) communication disturbances and (b) phone obsession. The 8 items Phubbing Scale.     

Attachment patterns moderate the relation between coping flexibility and illness acceptance among kidney transplant recipients

Background and Objectives: Post-transplant kidney recipients may experience psychological concerns which have been associated with negative health behaviors. Illness acceptance might have an important role in this process. In line with the Conservation of Resources Theory (COR), the current study aimed to examine the relationship between coping flexibility, attachment patterns and illness acceptance among post-transplant kidney recipients, and to evaluate whether attachment patterns moderate the link between coping flexibility and illness acceptance.

Design: The study employed a cross-sectional design.

Methods: Ninety-four post-transplant kidney recipients completed questionnaires assessing demographic and medical characteristics, illness acceptance, coping flexibility and attachment patterns.

Results: Our results indicated that coping flexibility was positively associated with illness acceptance. Moreover, attachment moderated this link, as high coping flexibility was associated with increased illness acceptance among individuals with low levels of attachment anxiety, a finding which was not significant when high levels of anxiety were reported.

Conclusions: This study highlights the potential importance of building greater flexibility in order to enhance illness acceptance among kidney transplants recipients. Moreover, the role of insecure attachment patterns in health-related outcomes among kidney transplants recipients is emphasized.     

What is the End Point of Psychotherapy Integration? A Commentary

This commentary on six papers about assimilative integration considers the place assimilative integration, as defined by Messer, ought to have in the discussion on psychotherapy integration. After briefly summarizing the contribution of each paper, with particular attention to whether the paper takes a position on the end point of psychotherapy integration, the author compares the relative benefits of assimilative integration to those of a unified grand theory. He argues that assimilative integration, as an end point, is preferable to a unified grand theory because it has a more generative influence on both theory evolution and clinical practice.     

Langfristige Folgen sexuellen Missbrauchs Minderj?hriger

Beyond its immediate effects, experiences of sexual abuse in childhood have long been analyzed with regard to possible long-term consequences. Based mainly on reviews and meta-analyses, this paper provides an overview on the state of research. Long-term effects of child sexual abuse have been researched with regard to numerous somatic, emotional, cognitive, behavioural and social characteristics. Research also touches upon questions of interindividual variability of long-term effects and factors influencing type, severity, stability and development of sexual abuse in childhood effects. The paper addresses typical research problems related to establishing connections between symptoms found in victim populations and victim experiences made years or decades ago.