Stability of emotions for traumatic memories in acute and chronic PTSD

While memory for central factual information regarding an emotional event is considered to be relatively accurate, memory for emotions seem to be quite inaccurate (Christianson & Safer, 1995). We extended this line of research to examine memory for the emotional intensity surrounding a traumatic event (e.g., memory for the fear and horror of the event). We conducted a series of two studies. In Study 1, we examined memory for the emotional intensity of the traumatic event in recent sexual or non-sexual assault victims with acute PTSD at 2 and 12 weeks following the assault. In Study 2, we compared memory for emotional intensity in sexual and non-sexual assault victims with either acute or chronic PTSD at initial assessment and 12 weeks later. For both studies, participants were asked to recall general emotional intensity, fear intensity, and dissociative intensity of the traumatic event. Results suggested that memory for the fear of the traumatic event did not fluctuate over time. However, memory for the general emotional and dissociative intensity did fluctuate over time, decreasing for individuals with acute PTSD and increasing for individuals with chronic PTSD.     

Law,Ethics, and the Needs of History: Mendelssohn,Krochmal, and Moral Philosophy

Although the role of ethics in modern Jewish thought has been widely explored, major works by foundational philosophers remain largely absent from such discussions. This essay contributes to the recovery of these voices, focusing on the Hebrew writings of Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786) and Nachman Krochmal (1785–1840). I argue that these texts reveal the existence of a shared ethical project animating these founding philosophical voices of Jewish modernity, and that reconstructing their claims contributes to broader conversations about the relationship between ethics and law. Mendelssohn and Krochmal present Jewish law as addressing needs emerging from the history of moral philosophy—from the modern histories of Platonic and Aristotelian ethics. Moreover, my reading highlights these thinkers’ ongoing relevance, suggesting that their work illuminates the role of law in ethical cultivation.     

Religious Conversion in a Psychotic Individual

The authors describe the case of a man who appeared to have psychotic symptoms, including self-injurious behavior, but who understood his own experience as a religious conversion. The symptoms, clinical course, and treatment response are described with reference to the works of Kurt Schneider and William James. Empirical studies of the attitudes of psychiatrists, psychiatric patients, and clergypersons about the relationship between religious belief and psychiatric illness are described, and various theoretical models used to understand this relationship are articulated.     

NATURALISM AND THE TRANSCENDENTAL TURN

This paper is to a large extent an exercise in philosophical geography. It traces the way in which a resilient naturalist orientation has derived support, specifically in the analytic tradition, from a central structuring tenet of transcendental idealism. It attempts to bring out the philosophical reasons that drive this Kantian alliance. Attention then turns to the identification of two salient problems that confront this alliance in its most acceptable form. To the extent that a resilient naturalism is desirable, these problems need to be addressed. While the philosophical issue is brought into focus by attending specifically to developments in the analytic tradition, this is primarily a convenience. The preference for a resilient naturalism and the avoidance of metaphysical excess is not by any means confined to that tradition.     

Emotion Regulation Mediates the Relationship between ADHD and Depressive Symptoms in Youth

A significant literature suggests that youth diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for later depression relative to youth without ADHD. Youth with co-occurring ADHD and depression experience more serious impairments and worse developmental outcomes than those with either disorder alone, including increased rates of suicidal ideation and suicide completion. Despite these very serious outcomes, few studies have examined the mechanisms underlying the relationship between ADHD and depression in youth. The present study examined emotion regulation (ER) as a mediator of the relationship between ADHD and depressive symptoms in 69 youth between the ages of 10 and 14, with (n?=?37) and without (n?=?32) ADHD. Parent and youth ratings of depressive symptoms and ER were collected. Youth with ADHD reported significantly more depressive symptoms and poorer ER ability relative to youth without ADHD. ER fully mediated the relationship between ADHD and depressive symptoms. Limitations and clinical implications are discussed.     

COGNITIVE CLOSURE AND THE LIMITS OF UNDERSTANDING

The paper begins by distinguishing between two ways of effecting the dissolution of a philosophical problem: reductive and philosophical. Of these, the former holds out deflationary prospects greater than those of the latter. Attention focuses specifically on McGinn's proposed dissolution of the mind-body problem. Examination of his argument reveals that his naturalist dissolution involves traditional non-naturalist constraints, in a way that counts against his deflationary conclusions. At best his treatment constitutes a philosophical, rather than a reductive dissolution. But there is reason to think that it might in fact constitute a mere relocation of what is, essentially, the same problem that it set out to dissolve.     

Feminism and Psychological Autonomy: A Study in Decision Making

Women seeking to realize the feminist goal of autonomy, defined as self-interested decision making, encounter conflict and anxiety. This study reports a group experience that used life-space drawings and force-field analyses to reduce anxiety and foster autonomous decision making. The 15 women participants in the yearlong study reported at least one action in the area originally designated for decision making. Among the components in the process, participants cited identification with, and support and information from, other group members. The results suggest that for the women in this study, group participation enhanced individual autonomy. Autonomy for me is believing in my own ability to do what I want to do, … then taking productive, creative steps toward fulfilling my own goals. … Autonomy for me is a personal thing, an internal thing, feeling that I have power.*     

Interventions to Empower Adults with Eating Disorders and Their Partners around the Transition to Parenthood

The transition to parenthood is perceived as a stressful life event, when parents experience an immense change of their psychological focus and a reorientation of roles and responsibilities in the family system. This process may be even more challenging in the presence of a parental eating disorder history. This paper reviews the impact of parental eating disorders on the parents, the couple relationship, and their child during the perinatal period. A parental eating disorder is associated with more negative expectations of parental efficacy as well as specific difficulties in couple communication over the child’s feeding, shape, and weight. Providers who better understand the effects of an eating disorder on parental functioning can more effectively intervene early on. We also present couple- or parent-based, empirically supported interventions for adults with eating disorders and their partners in the prenatal and postnatal periods: Uniting Couples in the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa (UCAN) and Uniting couples In the Treatment of Eating disorders (UNITE) both enhance recovery from the eating disorder through a couple-based intervention; the Maudsley Model of Treatment for Adults with Anorexia Nervosa (MANTRA) incorporates the support of partners, when appropriate; Parent-Based Prevention (PBP) focuses on improving parental functioning and reducing risk of negative parental and child outcomes. Finally, we discuss the clinical implications of addressing parental eating disorders and encourage more research on these families.