Control cognitions and causal attributions as predictors of fatigue severity in a community sample

Control cognitions and causal attributions of fatigue were examined in relation to Weiner's Causal Attribution theory in a community sample. Participants were 97 females and 43 males, aged 18-83 years. Weiner's dimensions of stability and uncontrollability and physical and psychosocial attributions of fatigue were related to fatigue severity. Escape-avoidance coping mediated between psychosocial causal attributions of fatigue to fatigue; whereas planful problem-solving and exercise moderated between stability cognitions to fatigue and psychosocial attributions of fatigue to fatigue, respectively. This, the cause(s) of fatigue were perceived as stable, uncontrollable, and involving physical and psychosocial factors, participants reported worse fatigue. Taken together, the results suggest that fatigue treatments may be most effective when they are tailored or matched to the belief systems of the individuals with fatigue.     

A Pilot Study of an Acceptance-Based Separated Family Treatment for Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa

The treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN) has improved significantly with the increased emphasis on family-based intervention. Yet despite advances, a substantial number of adolescents do not respond optimally to existing treatment models and thus there is a need for treatment alternatives that address barriers to recovery. We developed and piloted an acceptance-based separated family treatment (ASFT) with 6 adolescents with AN or subthreshold AN (eating disorder not otherwise specified, with the primary symptoms of restriction and severe weight loss). Treatment acceptability was adequate. Overall, parents rated the treatment as credible and expected improvement in their child's condition. Five of the 6 adolescents treated with ASFT restored weight to their ideal body mass index as indicated by age, height, and sex and determined by individual growth charts. Many demonstrated improved psychological health and adaptive functioning. There was evidence of broad effects, with parents reporting decreased anxiety and caregiver burden. ASFT holds promise as a treatment option for AN. The efficacy of this therapeutic approach should be tested in larger trials and compared to current family-based interventions to determine unique effects.     

The social milieu of dogmen and dogfights

This article examines the world of dogfighting. Our technique was to let the responses speak for themselves, thus presenting the world of dogfighting in full vivid detail and then to offer both summarization and interpretation. Our purpose was to capture the essence of dogfighting from those who have experienced it.     

Written prayers and religious coping in a paediatric hospital setting

Hospitalised children represent a threatened future to parents. Such stressors call forth people's coping styles. Some individuals cope religiously or spiritually, and religious coping through prayer may be utilised. A sample of prayers written in a paediatric hospital chapel was coded by styles of religious coping evident within them. Styles associated with coping to gain control of their situation and with coping by seeking comfort from God were present. Seeking to cope for gaining control of a situation was more common than seeking comfort from God during the event. Written prayers did not contain evidence of coping by making meaning. Regression analysis showed that the probability of writing a prayer to gain control decreased over time and a trend towards increasing probability of writing a prayer expressing coping by seeking God's comfort. Clinical implications are discussed. Future research should include a larger sample and cognitive interviews with prayer writers.     

The impact of religious behaviours on the health and well-being of emerging adults

Emerging adulthood is a life stage in which the frequency of religious behaviours often wanes while the risk of mental illness, substance abuse, and risky sexual behaviour increases. The current study explores the role that religious behaviours might play in mitigating these risks among college-attending emerging adults. Survey data were collected on religious service attendance, prayer and meditation, substance use, sexual activity, and life satisfaction. Results revealed a significant effect for religious service attendance on substance use and sexual behaviour and for the frequency of prayer/meditation on life satisfaction, marijuana use, and sexual intercourse. Group comparisons revealed that emerging adults who participated in religious activities reported lower rates of substance use, less sexual behaviour, and greater satisfaction with life. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Developing a family-based depression prevention program in urban community mental health clinics: a qualitative investigation

Extensive research documents that children of depressed mothers are at a significantly higher risk for developing a variety of socioemotional difficulties than children of nondepressed mothers. Yet, little prevention research has been conducted for this population, and low-income, minority, and urban families are rarely included. To address this deficit, we are developing the Protecting Families Program (PFP), a family-based multicomponent depression prevention program for mothers in treatment at urban community mental health agencies and their school-aged children. To inform intervention development and begin relationship building with the agencies, patient and staff focus groups were conducted in the participating agencies. Eighteen mothers with depression participated, and eight major themes were identified: (1) depression symptoms, (2) generational legacy, (3) parenting difficulties, (4) child problems, (5) social support, (6) stressful life events, (7) therapy and other helpful activities, and (8) desired treatment. In the focus groups with 10 mental health providers, the five major themes identified were parenting difficulties, lack of social support, life stress, current mental health practices, and intervention development. The findings support the multicomponent design of PFP, which focuses on increasing knowledge of depression, enhancing social support, and improving parenting skills. The study helped clarify many of the challenges of conducting research in a community mental health system.     

Relationship between team identification and trait aggression: a replication

Research yielded no significant relationship between sport fandom and trait aggression. The current study replicated previous efforts using the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, an updated version of the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory. In contrast to past work, the current study did yield a significant relationship between fandom and aggression for men.     

Trait Attributions About College Students With a Physical Disability: Circumplex Analyses and Methodological Issues1

Trait attributions concerning able-bodied college students and those with a physical disability were investigated in two studies. In Study 1, 194 able-bodied students completed extensive adjective checklists in one of four experimental conditions: stimulus person physically disabled (wheelchair user) male, disabled female, able-bodied male, or able-bodied female college student. To avoid self-presentation biases, subjects completed checklists not in terms of their own views but in terms of commonly held stereotypes. Results showed that not only were fewer socially desirable and more undesirable traits attributed to students with a disability than to able-bodied students, but when tested for “sameness” vs. “oppositeness” using two circumplex models, traits attributed to students who have a disability were clearly the “opposite” of those attributed to able-bodied students. In Study 2, 115 students completed a trait checklist based on the findings of Study 1 with reference to one of the four stimulus persons. Although subjects reported their own views, the results were consistent with those of Study 1. It was also found that stereotyping in the socially desirable direction was related to stereotyping in the undesirable direction; both were related to lack of ease with students with a disability. Common stereotypes of wheelchair user students are listed and the implications of the findings for the design of programs to reduce prejudice and integrate students with a disability into academic life are discussed.     

Job Interview Strategies For People with a Visible Disability1

A total of 117 students participated in the present investigation, which compared wheelchair-user and able-bodied job applicants as well as two interview-taking strategies available to wheelchair users: disclosing the disability during the telephone screening or not doing so and acknowledging it only during a face-to-face interview. Results show that wheelchair-user applicants were evaluated more favorably than able-bodied applicants during the telephone interview, a finding consistent with the positivity bias and “sympathy effect” findings of others. After a face-to-face interview, wheelchair-user applicants who did not disclose their disability over the telephone were evaluated somewhat more favorably than those who did so. However, they were less likely to be selected for the job. The implications of the results for theory, research, and practice are discussed.     

Preservation of orthographic knowledge in aphasia

A simple untimed lexical decision task was designed to test implicit letter recognition in aphasic patients. Half of the nonwords used in this task were orthographically regular pronounceable pseudowords, and half were orthographically irregular unpronounceable letter strings. Twenty-five randomly chosen aphasic patients with mild to severe degrees of aphasia participated in the study. Although only six of the patients performed the lexical decision task successfully, all 25 demonstrated the ability to distinguish orthographically regular from irregular letter strings and, by implication, the ability to recognize and make use of the identities of written letters.