QT & RR variability spots the earliest autonomic deregulation in diabetes

Step 1

Preliminary MANOVA/ANOVA showed significant effects on the ensemble of spectral variables of every single factor (status: normal or patient group; intervention; gender) with no significant factor interactions. Significant effects of intervention or status on main RR spectral variables and on a few QT spectral variables were also documented.

Step 2

Non-parametric tests showed that diabetics had (mildly to moderately) shorter mean RR, while their RR-LF was always singificantly lower than those found in normals—a difference propagated to QT-LF but not to idioventricular QT-LF. In the intra-group there were similar responses to interventions except stress with respect to mean RR. Consistent reduction in RR-LF under moderate or no change in mean RR suggests vagal down-regulation that, judging by idioventricular QT-LF showing, goes perhaps before a similar process with sympathetic control of ventricles. This phase delay may introduce an early arrhythmic risk worth dealing with in secondary prevention.     

You are Such a Bad Child! Appraisals as Mechanisms of Parental Negative and Positive Affect

Although parent cognitions are considered important predictors that determine specific emotional reactions and parental practices, models on the cognitive strategies for regulating parental distress or positive emotions are not well developed. Our aim was to investigate the nature of cognitions involved in parental distress and satisfaction, in terms of their specificity (parental or general) and their processing levels (inferential or evaluative cognitions). We hypothesized that parent's specific evaluative cognitions will mediate the impact of more general and inferential cognitive structures on their affective reactions. We used bootstrapping procedures in order to test the mediation models proposed. Results obtained show indeed that rather specific evaluative parental cognitions are mediating the relationship between general cognitions and parental distress. In terms of the cognitive processing levels, it seems that when parents hold both low self-efficacy and parental negative global evaluations for the self/child, this adds significantly to their distress.     

Cognitive-Behavioral Processes Based on Using the ABC Analysis by Trainees’ for Their Personal Development

As cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) has proven to be an evidence-based intervention for many mental health problems, the requirement for training programs has increased. Although there is promising data on the skills outcomes of such programs, trainees’ affective/behavioral changes mechanisms and in their faulty thinking patterns during the personal development of such training are unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate which are the most common irrational/dysfunctional beliefs of trainees during a cognitive-behavioral intervention training and their maladaptive consequences, as well as the methods of restructuring that they prefer to change these beliefs into rational/functional ones and achieve more adaptive consequences. 94 participants in a cognitive-behavioral interventions training program filled out 340 ABC, forms related to negative events at work and in personal life, as part of the personal development component in the training program. The obtained qualitative data was coded by three trained ratters in accordance to the current cognitive model of CBT. Contingencies analysis showed that demandingness, awfulizing and global evaluation (GE) are most frequently associated with anxiety, while low frustration tolerance is associated with anger. Comfort, affiliation, achievement themes were most frequently associated with anxiety, while fairness was most frequently associated with anger. Pragmatic cognitive restructuring was the most frequently used by trainees. We found evidence that confirmed many of the theoretical predictions form the cognitive model of CBT in respect to the associations between irrational/dysfunctional cognitions and dysfunctional emotions as well as some particularities for this specific population.     

Alleviation of Side Effects and Distress in Breast Cancer Patients by Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Cognitive and behavioral interventions (CBI) have been used for breast cancer patients with various stages of the disease or undergoing different treatments. However, no quantitative review has summarized their efficacy on the side effects of treatment, distress, and quality of life in the acute treatment setting after diagnosis. This meta-analysis synthesizes data from 19 randomized clinical trials in order to: (a) provide an estimation of overall effect of CBI in breast cancer patients during treatment for breast cancer, i.e., neo-adjuvant and adjuvant treatment; (b) provide average effect sizes on side effects of treatment, distress, and quality of life; and (c) test possible moderators of effect size. The results show that CBI yielded a small effect size overall, specifically on general side effects of treatment, nausea, vomiting, distress, and quality of life. Individual and behavioral interventions seem to elicit better results on distress and on general side effects of treatment, respectively. While more studies are needed with regard to specific side effects (i.e., fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbance), the overall results clearly support the use of CBI in breast cancer patients during treatment.     

Good omens? The intricate relations between educational and vocational identity in adolescence

Abstract

This study examines the relation between educational and vocational identity in Romanian adolescents. Access to work-relevant experiences is very limited among Romanian adolescents, and most encounters with career constructs are confined to educational settings. Hence, to gain a better understanding of how identity processes in the educational and vocational domains support or inhibit each other, we aimed at investigating: (a) educational and vocational identity statuses through cluster analysis and (b) associations between identity statuses in these life domains. Participants were 1551 Romanian youth, aged 14–20 (39.3% girls), who completed measures of educational and vocational identity. Results indicated that, in the Romanian context, educational and vocational identities are closely linked, as adolescents draw information for future career development mostly from their educational experiences. Implications for youth policies and for applied interventions sensitive to socioeconomic and cultural realities are discussed.     

Processing efficiency in preschoolers’ memory span: Individual differences related to age and anxiety

In self-paced auditory memory span tasks, the microanalysis of response timing measures represents a developmentally sensitive measure, providing insights into the development of distinct processing rates during recall performance. The current study first examined the effects of age and trait anxiety on span accuracy (effectiveness) and response timing (efficiency) measures from word and digit span performance in a preschool sample (N = 76, mean age = 57 months, SD = 11). Children were reassessed 8 months later using the same two tasks plus a test of nonword memory span and a measure of articulation rate. The results at the second time point (T2) confirmed the effects of age on both processing effectiveness and efficiency. Trait anxiety was an additional negative predictor of span effectiveness (especially for digit span) and efficiency (in the case of word and nonword span). The findings are discussed in the context of factors contributing to early short-term memory development and attentional control theory.     

Perfectionistic concerns predict increases in adolescents’ anxiety symptoms: a three-wave longitudinal study

Background and Objectives: Although perfectionism has been proposed to be a risk factor for the development of anxiety, research on perfectionism and anxiety symptoms in adolescents is scarce and inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the two higher-order dimensions of perfectionism – perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns – predict the development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms. An additional aim of the present study was to examine potential reciprocal effects of anxiety symptoms predicting increases in perfectionism.

Design: The study used a longitudinal design with three waves spaced 4–5 months apart.

Methods: A non-clinical sample of 489 adolescents aged 12–19 years completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire.

Results: As expected, results showed a positive effect from perfectionistic concerns to anxiety symptoms, but the effect was restricted to middle-to-late adolescents (16–19 years old): Perfectionistic concerns predicted longitudinal increases in adolescents’ anxiety symptoms, whereas perfectionistic strivings did not. Furthermore, anxiety symptoms did not predict increases in perfectionism.

Conclusions: Implications for the understanding of the relationship between perfectionism and anxiety symptoms are discussed.     

Developing Managerial Skills Through Coaching: Efficacy of a Cognitive-Behavioral Coaching Program

Managerial coaching is currently seen as an effective leadership practice facilitating learning process of the employees for performing better and being more effective in organizations. This article builds on recent research on the importance of the managerial coaching by empirically investigating the effects of a cognitive-behavioral coaching programme over mid-level managers. Due to the similarities between managerial coaching behaviors and transformational leadership behaviors, we have adopted the transformational leadership model as theoretical framework for evaluating management behaviors. The study used a pre-posttest approach to test the effects of the coaching program especially designed for 23 mid-level managers having as responsibility the supervision of production teams in a multinational organization. The major aims of the program consisted of: developing managerial coaching skills, assertive communication skills, motivation of subordinates. Overall, the analysis of results elicited an increase of scores in the leadership behavior dimensions measured by multifactor leadership questionnaire that are part of the managerial coaching skills. Besides, the effectiveness perceived as an indicator of performance was significantly higher upon completion of the coaching program. Findings suggest that coaching, as a professional development method, has great potential to contribute to the managerial behaviors that facilitate development at subordinate level, as they are captured by some transformational and transactional scales. Such knowledge can be informative for practitioners as well in developing effective managers and leaders and understanding and managing employee attitudes and behaviors in organizations.     

Temperament and behaviour problems in children: A multilevel analysis of cross-cultural differences

Early temperament attributes have been linked to emerging behaviour problems and significant long-term consequences; however, these relations are rarely examined cross-culturally. The present study addresses this gap, employing multilevel modelling to explain within- and between-culture variances with respect to temperament predicting a spectrum of behaviour problems across 14 nations from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium (JETTC). A total of 865 children between 17 and 40 months, with approximately equal age distribution across this developmental period and about equivalent representation of genders, were recruited from 14 nations. Greater negative emotionality was associated with more internalizing problems, whereas higher surgency and effortful control predicted fewer internalizing difficulties. Controlling for age and gender, temperament explained significant within- and between-culture variances in internalizing and externalizing problems (at the broad-band and fine-grained levels), as well as sleep problems. For internalizing difficulties, temperament accounted for more between-culture variance. In contrast, for externalizing difficulties, temperament accounted more for how individuals within the same culture differed from their same-culture counterparts. The within-culture findings suggest universal patterns of temperament-problem relations, informing cultural adaptation of interventions; between-culture findings enhance understanding of the implications of the cultural niche for normative behaviour and adjustment.