Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Emetophobia: The Role of Interoceptive Exposure

Emetophobia, or the fear of vomiting, is among the least studied phobias. The literature on the etiology, symptomatology, and treatment of this problem is just beginning to develop. Research to date suggests that for many people with emetophobia, anxiety is triggered by both external and internal factors, but to date only one English-language report describes an intervention that directly targets both external and internal triggers. This paper presents a case in which a cognitive-behavioral treatment (including education about the origin and implications of physical symptoms of anxiety, graduated exposure to feared situations, interoceptive exposure, and cognitive restructuring) was used successfully in the treatment of emetophobia.     

Indirect pathways between depressive symptoms and marital distress: the role of conflict communication, attributions, and attachment style

Previous studies have focused on concomitants of depression and marital distress in order to help explain the relationship between the two, suggesting that several variables, such as conflict communication, attributions, and attachment style, are associated with depression, marital distress, or both. Our contention is that the selected variables may be important mediators (hypothesis 1) or moderators (hypothesis 2) of the concomitance between depression and marital adjustment, exploring the direct and indirect ways in which depressive symptoms and marital adjustment are related. In total, 415 heterosexual couples were recruited, and a series of regression analyses was conducted to test our hypotheses separately for men and women. Results indicated that demand-withdrawal, avoidance, causal attributions, and secure, ambivalent, and avoidant attachment mediated the relation between depressive symptoms and marital adjustment in the female sample, whereas constructive communication and causal and responsible attributions were significant mediators of men's levels of depressive symptoms and marital adjustment. In addition, avoidance and secure attachment moderated the association between depressive symptoms and marital adjustment in the female sample, and causal attributions were significant moderators of the association between depressive symptoms and marital adjustment for men. Several conclusions and implications for theory and future research are discussed.     

Stimulation seeking and hyperactive behavior in children with ADHD: a re-analysis

To examine the stimulation-seeking function of hyperactivity in children with ADHD, Antrop and colleagues analyzed the behavior of 30 hyperactive and 30 nonhyperactive children during a waiting situation, either with or without extra stimulation. The behavior was assessed by frequency measures. In their study it was hypothesized that children with ADHD would show a greater decrease in activity in the presence of stimulation than control children. Since confirmation for this hypothesis was only found for 2 of 25 target behaviors, the present re-analysis included other behavioral measures to assess two relationships: first, how hyperactivity varies under fixed time conditions, using measures of duration and intensity of behavior instead of frequency measures, and second, how the perceived duration of waiting time affects behavior. Analysis indicated that children with ADHD showed a greater decrease in behavior in the presence of stimulation for touching objects and movements of trunk, as reported. Further, children who underestimated the waiting period were more apt to seek additional stimulation in its absence than those who overestimated the waiting period.     

Systemes microscopiques et langage microphysique

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