Approaches to Cognitive Remediation of Neuropsychological Deficits in Schizophrenia: A Review and Meta-Analysis

A review and critique of the literature pertaining to the use of cognitive remediation techniques in patients with schizophrenia is presented. The review is organized into three sections, according to the neuropsychological deficit targeted for remediation: 1) executive-function, 2) attention, and 3) memory. With regards to executive-function, despite an initial report suggesting that Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance cannot be remediated, subsequent studies suggest that performance can be improved on a variety of dependent measures including perseverative errors, categories achieved, and conceptual level responses. These observations were confirmed by a meta-analytic investigation that revealed large mean effects sizes (d ₊ = 0.96) for these studies. Effect sizes were homogenous across discrepant remediation strategies and dependent measures. With regards to attention, serial scanning can be improved with instruction and reinforcement, whereas there is mixed evidence suggesting that practice-based attention drills can improve performance on measures of sustained attention in schizophrenia. With regards to memory, relatively simple semantic and affective elaborate encoding strategies elevates verbal list-learning memory in patients with schizophrenia to levels consistent with controls. A similar encoding procedure, combined with vigilance training, produces substantial improvement in social cue recognition. Avenues for future research are discussed.     

Providing a Transcultural Genetic Counseling Service in the UK

This paper uses a broad definition of culture to explore the practice of transcultural genetic counseling through three case studies. The first case involves a White genetic counselor seeing an Asian family, the second, an Asian genetic counselor seeing an Asian family and the third, a hearing genetic counselor seeing a culturally Deaf client. Boundaries, transference and countertransference reactions are considered within each transcultural encounter and the author of each case reflects in detail on their role in the client interaction and their impact on the transcultural dynamic. The cases are used to illustrate some cultural beliefs or characteristics that may challenge the genetic counselor’s expectations. The value of identifying and interpreting these differences to facilitate useful clinical work is considered. The paper debates, where possible, whether it is helpful to culturally match genetic counselor and client.     

Resource Document on Access to Firearms by People with Mental Disorders

The American Psychiatric Association, (“APA”), with more than 36,000 members at present, is the Nation's leading organization of physicians who specialize in psychiatry. APA provides for education and advocacy and develops policy through Position Statements. It promotes enhanced knowledge of particular topics relevant to psychiatric practice and patient care through Resource Documents. Since 1993, the APA has developed various positions and resource materials related to firearms and mental illness, incorporating evolving themes as new issues emerge. This paper reflects the APA's 2014 Resource Document on “Access to Firearms by People with Mental Disorders.” This article is derived from work done on behalf of American Psychiatric Association and remains the property of APA. It has been altered only in response to the requirements of peer review. Copyright © 2015 American Psychiatric Association. Published with permission (original adopted by the American Psychiatric Association 2014).     

Unraveling the Relationship between Well-Being,Sustainable Consumption and Nature Relatedness: a Study of University Students

Many empirical studies have found an association between sustainable consumption and well-being. However, the direction of causality between these constructs remains unclear. Well-being could be an antecedent of sustainable consumption or, sustainable consumption a driver of well-being; also, there could be a reciprocal relationship between these two constructs. Alternatively, both well-being and sustainable consumption could be outcomes of another construct that could be masking a relationship between well-being and sustainable consumption. This study aims to advance the well-being and sustainable consumption research by testing these three relationships in a longitudinal study with young consumers (n = 369). The findings show that when controlling for the constructs at Time 1, the relationship between the focal constructs is no longer significant. Results lead to support the hypothesis that sustainable consumption and well-being are explained by a particular trait of the individual, nature relatedness, so that individuals with greater nature relatedness are more likely to adopt a sustainable lifestyle and have greater well-being. Nature relatedness thus acts as a predictor of both focal constructs. This result implies that by nurturing nature relatedness, societies will achieve the double dividend of well-being and sustainability.

     

“It Depends on What You Mean by ‘Disagree’”: Differences between Parent and Child Perceptions of Parent–Child Conflict

We examined a new structured interview of parent?Cchild conflict that assesses parent and child perceptions of behavioral conflict about daily life topics (e.g., doing chores, homework), and whether discrepancies exist on beliefs about these topics. In a sample of 100 parents and children ages 10 to 17?years (M?=?13.5?years, 52 males, 57?% African-American), informants could reliably distinguish between perceived behavioral conflicts and perceived discrepant beliefs about topics. These scores were also significantly related to questionnaire reports of parent?Cchild conflict. Parent and child questionnaire reports did not significantly differ, yet on the structured interview, parents reported significantly greater levels of perceived conflict and discrepant beliefs relative to child reports. Additionally, structured interview reports of conflict demonstrated incremental validity by relating to child self-reports of delinquent behaviors, when accounting for questionnaire conflict reports. The findings have implications for increasing understanding of the links between parent?Cchild conflict and psychosocial outcomes.     

Does Positivity Matter? The Impact of Interparental Interactions on Young Adult Conflict Management

The main purpose of our study was to examine the impact of positive inter-parental interactions on the conflict management of young adults. Based on social cognitive theory (SCT), it was hypothesized that exposure to interparental positive interactions would mediate the intergenerational transmission of conflict. The findings only partially supported SCT and provided evidence for intergenerational transmission of conflict. However positivity did not buffer this association. Important contributions of this study include a better theoretical understanding of positivity in relationships and evidence for the intergenerational transmission of positive and negative conflict management tactics. Implications for researchers, clinicians, and educators are presented.     

A descriptive study of emotion concepts using dimensional models of core affect / Un estudio descriptivo de los conceptos emocionales desde los modelos dimensionales de los estados afectivos

Abstract

The study of emotions from a dimensional perspective has allowed for important steps towards the understanding of human emotional experiences. However, there are still many questions to be addressed. One, of special relevance, refers to which emotion concepts we use to refer to different emotional experiences. Thus, the primary purpose of this research was to identify which emotion concepts we use in our daily life to refer to eight specific core affects identified by the combination of valance (positive and negative), arousal (activated and deactivated) and time perspective (anticipatory and retrospective). Further, we focused on the degree of specificity of those emotion concepts and whether the levels of specificity vary among different core affects. Our results evidenced that the specificity and breadth of our emotional vocabulary varies between different core affects.