Differentiation of Self Mediates College Stress and Adjustment

Differentiation of self involves the capacity to modulate affect, maintain a clear sense of self, and balance intimacy and autonomy in significant relationships. Given the central role of family relationships for individual functioning, the authors tested whether differentiation mediated or moderated relations between college stress and personal adjustment. Differentiation of self partially mediated effects of academic and financial stress and exerted a direct influence on adjustment. Limitations, directions for future research, and implications for counseling are discussed.     

Differential Effectiveness of Behavioral Parent-Training and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Antisocial Youth: A Meta-Analysis

Extended the findings from previous meta-analytic work by comparing the effectiveness of behavioral parent-training (BPT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth with antisocial behavior problems. Youth demographic variables were also examined as potential moderators of the effectiveness of these 2 types of interventions. Thirty BPT studies and 41 CBT studies met inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. The weighted mean effect size (ES) for all interventions was 0.40. Youth age was found to moderate the outcome of the 2 interventions, with BPT having a stronger effect for preschool and school-aged youth and CBT having a stronger effect for adolescents. The results also indicate that there may be systematic differences in the outcomes associated with BPT and CBT when the setting of the intervention is considered, suggesting the need to carefully consider the effect of setting in future research. This study also highlights the need for outcome research dealing with more diverse populations and the better classification of research participants on different developmental trajectories of antisocial behavior.