Healthy Nests Transition to Parenthood Program: A Mixed-Methods Study

Intimate partner relationship distress is associated with a wide range of negative adult and child outcomes. The transition to parenthood is often a time in the life of a couple where relationship distress increases and satisfaction and intimacy decrease and thus is an ideal time for targeted intervention. The Healthy Nests (HN) intervention is a three-meeting, strength-focused couples intervention for first-time parents designed to decrease maladaptive relationship conflict and increase couple well-being. The authors conducted a mixed-methods exploratory study investigating participants' overall experiences with the HN intervention and measured outcomes associated with relationship satisfaction, help seeking, father involvement, substance use, and depression. A total of 130 parents (65 dyads) participated in a randomized intervention and educational materials–only alternative intervention. Twenty dyads were interviewed as a part of the qualitative portion of the study. While the authors did not find significant quantitative effects on key outcomes, the qualitative findings suggested that participants had a positive experience with the HN intervention and indicated it was useful to have designated time and space to communicate as a couple. Qualitative findings also suggest that the focus on “aspects of strength” and “areas of change” in their relationship was useful. Implications for practice, research, and training are discussed.     

Examination of MMPI–2–RF Substantive Scales as Indicators of Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance Components

A new suicide-specific diagnostic entity, acute suicidal affective disturbance (ASAD), was recently proposed to fill a void in the nomenclature. Although several studies have examined the reliability, validity, and potential clinical utility of ASAD, no studies have examined personality indicators of ASAD. This study sought to examine the association between personality and psychopathology factors, as assessed by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Revised Form (MMPI–2–RF), and constructs that comprise ASAD in a sample of 554 psychiatric outpatients who completed all measures prior to their intake appointments. A smaller subset of patients (N = 58) also completed a measure designed to assess lifetime ASAD symptoms. Results indicated that ASAD symptoms were associated with traits characterized by emotional turmoil and atypical cognitive processes. Further, suicide-related criteria that comprise ASAD were related to low positive emotionality and hopelessness, whereas the overarousal criteria were associated with somatic symptoms and an inability to tolerate frustration and stress. These findings expand on previous research that examines the convergent and discriminant validity of ASAD and could inform clinical treatment by providing insight into personality traits that might be associated with acute suicide risk.     

Between Remembering and Forgetting the Years of Political Violence: Psychosocial Impact of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Peru

This article analyzes the association between knowledge of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), evaluation of TRC's achievements, experience of victimization, attitudes toward remembering and forgetting past political violence, perceptions of socioemotional climate (SEC), belief in forgiveness and attitudes toward violence in Peru based on a study conducted in three Peruvian cities with different rates of victimization due to political violence during 1980–2000 (n = 1200). Results showed that a positive attitude toward remembering the past of political violence was predominant and related to a positive evaluation of TRC's achievements. Attitude toward remembering also has an ambivalent collective effect increasing both positive and negative SECs, and it is less accepted by victims of political violence. On the other hand, attitude toward forgetting is less accepted by participants, and it also has an ambivalent effect by increasing positive and negative SECs. Attitude toward forgetting has more societal costs, since it is related to attitudes toward violence and decreased knowledge and a positive evaluation of TRC. In general, findings suggest that remembering traumatic events has an emotional cost, but also it is shown that remembering seems to be more beneficial for society in the long‐term than forgetting.     

From Professionals to Potential First Ladies: How Newspapers Told the Stories of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama

This research project examined 151 articles from three prominent newspapers published in the United States, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, to analyze the coverage of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama during the 2008 presidential election. A content analysis was conducted to investigate the quantity of and common frames and themes found in articles related to the two potential first ladies. Among the major findings of this project were the common references made in the newspaper articles to controversies related to McCain and Obama, raising the question of whether increased coverage of controversies is one of the prices paid for “having it all,” both personally and professionally, as a presidential candidate’s spouse.     

Emotional display rules and emotion self‐regulation: Associations with bullying and victimization in community‐based after school programs

We explored linkages among different components of emotional competence and bullying and victimization in children enrolled in community after school programs. Seventy‐seven children were recruited from after school programs and their display rule knowledge for sadness and anger was evaluated. Their emotion self‐regulation skills and bullying experiences were also assessed. Knowledge of display rules for sadness was a negative predictor of physical victimization whereas emotional lability/negativity was positively related to bullying. Boys bullied more than girls and family income was negatively related to bullying and emotional lability/negativity and positively associated with emotion self‐regulation. Emotion self‐regulation mediated the relation between family income and bullying. Analyses also suggested that bullies and bully‐victims had poorer emotion self‐regulation skills than non‐bullies/victims or victims. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of shyness and friendship on socioemotional adjustment during the college transition

This study identified (a) friendship changes during the first year of college, and how this change is affected by shyness, and (b) how shyness and friendship individually and in combination affect socioemotional well‐being. In Fall and Spring, first‐year college students reported on shyness, friendship quality and stability, internalizing symptoms, loneliness, and life satisfaction. There was substantial stability in friendships, particularly among shy students. A Person × Interpersonal Environment Interaction predicted socioemotional well‐being. Shy students with high‐quality versus low‐quality friendships reported lower internalizing symptoms. Although shyness was associated with increased loneliness and decreased life satisfaction, high‐quality friendships showed modest evidence of moderating these relationships. Many students maintained precollege friendships, but high‐quality friendships were particularly beneficial for shy students.     

Comparison of interventions to treat prompt dependence for children with developmental disabilities

Prior research has examined interventions to prevent prompt dependence from occurring during the training of novel skills. Nevertheless, the relative efficacy and efficiency of different intervention procedures may be idiosyncratic across learners, suggesting the potential benefit of an individualized assessment. The purpose of the current study was to extend the literature on prompt dependence by comparing interventions for 3 participants with developmental disabilities who consistently engaged in correct responses following prompts but did not perform tasks independently. We compared the efficacy and efficiency of 3 interventions including differential reinforcement, prompt fading, and extended response interval. Intervention results differed across participants, indicating that the most efficacious and efficient intervention for prompt dependence should be individualized via assessment.     

Temperature increases in preterm infants during massage therapy

Temperature was assessed in 72 preterm infants randomly assigned to a control or a massage therapy group. A greater increase in temperature was noted for preterm infants receiving massage therapy versus a control group, even though the incubator portholes remained open during the 15 min massage therapy session but not for the control group over an equivalent time period.     

Breastfeeding and antidepressants

Although a large literature supports the benefits of breastfeeding, this review suggests that breastfeeding is less common among postpartum depressed women, even though their infants benefit from the breastfeeding. Depressed mothers, in part, do not breastfeed because of their concern about potentially negative effects of antidepressants on their infants. Although sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxol) concentrations are not detectable in infants’ sera, fluoxetine (Prozac) and citalopram (Celexa) do have detectable levels. Unfortunately these findings are not definitive because they are based on very small sample, uncontrolled studies. As in the literature on prenatal antidepressant effects, the question still remains whether the antidepressants or the untreated depression itself has more negative effects on the infant. It is possible that the positive effects of breastfeeding may outweigh the positive effects of the antidepressants for both the mother and the infant. In addition, some alternative therapies may substitute or attenuate the effects of antidepressants, such as vagal stimulation or massage therapy, both therapies being noted to reduce depression. Further studies of this kind are needed to determine the optimal course of therapy for the benefit of the depressed, breastfeeding mother and the breastfed infant.     

Effects of Performance Context on Processing Speed and Performance Ratings

The present study demonstrated that the presence of evaluatively polarized context performances not only produces contrast and halo effects on judgments of a target performance, but also causes judgments to be made much faster. Processing speed and positive halo were highly correlated, supporting the notion that halo in performance ratings results from raters' recall and use of a single, general impression. Furthermore, regression analyses demonstrated that processing speed mediates the relationship between context and halo. The relationship between these findings, halo, processing speed, and general impressions, as well as implications for performance appraisals, are discussed.