Measuring Associations of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Suicide Prevention Campaign on the Use of Crisis Support Services

Campaigns have become popular in public health approaches to suicide prevention; however, limited empirical investigation of their impact on behavior has been conducted. To address this gap, utilization patterns of crisis support services associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) suicide prevention campaign were examined. Daily call data for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, VCL, and 1‐800‐SUICIDE were modeled using a novel semi‐varying coefficient method. Analyses reveal significant increases in call volume to both targeted and broad resources during the campaign. Findings underscore the need for further research to refine measurement of the effects of these suicide prevention efforts.     

Family Functioning in Pediatric Trichotillomania

Little is known about how pediatric trichotillomania (TTM), a clinically significant and functionally impairing disorder, is impacted by, and impacts, family functioning. We explored dimensions of family functioning and parental attitudes in a sample of children and adolescents who participated in an Internet-based survey and satisfied conservative diagnostic criteria for TTM (ages 10–17, n = 133). Analyses reveal trends toward higher levels of dysfunction in families of TTM youth relative to normative samples, although no differences achieved statistical significance. However, scores on the Family Assessment Measure and the Attitudes Toward My Child scales were similar to those in clinical samples of youth with cystic fibrosis, an eating disorder, or an anxiety disorder. While these results indicate that family functioning and parental attitudes in TTM were not generally or extremely problematic, family issues may nevertheless warrant particular clinical evaluation and attention in more severe TTM cases.     

Parent-Collected Behavioral Observations: An Empirical Comparison of Methods

Treatments for disruptive behaviors are often guided by parent reports on questionnaires, rather than by multiple methods of assessment. Professional observations and clinic analogs exist to complement questionnaires, but parents can also collect useful behavioral observations to inform and guide treatment. Two parent observation methods of child aggression and noncompliance were compared: the Parent Daily Report (PDR) and Behavior Record Cards (BRC). Parents tracked misbehavior for 2 weeks using the PDR or BRC. BRC data proved to be more accurate, though both systems yielded strong reliability and moderate validity. The BRC is recommended to clinicians on empirical and conceptual grounds.     

Parental Emotion Coaching: Associations With Self-Regulation in Aggressive/Rejected and Low Aggressive/Popular Children

This study investigated associations between maternal and paternal emotion coaching and the self-regulation skills of kindergarten and first-grade children. Participants were 54 children categorized as either aggressive/rejected or low aggressive/popular by peer reports. Findings indicated a statistical trend for fathers of low aggressive/popular children to engage in more emotion coaching than fathers of aggressive/rejected children. Paternal emotion coaching accounted for significant variance in children's regulation of attention. Maternal emotion coaching moderated the relation between children's status and regulation of emotion. Findings suggest that interventions focused on parental emotion coaching may prove beneficial for increasing the self-regulation and attention skills of children with social and conduct problems.     

The Attention and Executive Function Rating Inventory (ATTEX): Psychometric properties and clinical utility in diagnosing ADHD subtypes

Klenberg, L., Jämsä, S., Häyrinen, T., Lahti‐Nuuttila, P. & Korkman, M. (2010). The Attention and Executive Function Rating Inventory (ATTEX): Psychometric properties and clinical utility in diagnosing ADHD subtypes. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 439–448. This study presents a new inventory, the Attention and Executive Function Rating Inventory (ATTEX), and examines the psychometric properties and the clinical utility of ATTEX in indentifying the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder combined type (ADHD‐C) and the ADHD predominantly inattentive type (ADHD‐I) in school environments. A normative sample of Finnish 7‐ to 15‐year‐old children and adolescents (N = 701) and a clinical sample consisting of children with ADHD‐C (N = 190) and ADHD‐I (N = 25) were examined with the ATTEX and the ADHD Rating Scale‐IV. The ATTEX and its scales had good internal consistency reliability (0.67–0.98) and criterion validity (0.68–0.95). Normative data was provided for the total normative sample and for boys and girls separately. Gender differences were noted in the ATTEX scores, boys having consistently higher scores on all ATTEX scales. The effect of age was significant only for one of the ten scales, the Motor hyperactivity scale, 7‐year‐olds having more problems of hyperactivity than 14‐year‐olds. Lower parent education level and the child’s learning difficulties were related to higher ratings of EF problems in ATTEX. When different cutoff scores for boys and girls were applied, ATTEX was sensitive in identifying children with attention deficit disorders. In addition, ATTEX was accurate in differentiating children with ADHD‐I from children with ADHD‐C. In this Finnish sample, ATTEX showed solid psychometric properties and could be used as a reliable tool in the diagnostic evaluation of ADHD‐C and ADHD‐I.     

The Great Black Hope: Hope and Its Relation to Suicide Risk among African Americans

Positive psychology has garnered considerable scholarly interest recently and has been suggested to hold promise in the application to suicide research and prevention; however, empirical research has lagged behind these suggestions. This is the first study to examine the relationship between hope and a specific theory of suicide in African Americans. It was hypothesized that (1) hope would negatively predict the interpersonal suicide risk factors of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness; and positively predict acquired capability to enact suicide; (2) hope would negatively predict suicidal ideation; and (3) the interpersonal suicide risk factors would predict suicidal ideation. Results were primarily as predicted. Implications for hope theory and Joiner's theory of suicidal behavior are discussed, as well as implications for clinical practice.     

A Systematic Review of Suicide Prevention Programs for Military or Veterans

Military personnel and veterans have important suicide risk factors. After a systematic review of the literature on suicide prevention, seven (five in the U.S.) studies of military personnel were identified containing interventions that may reduce the risk of suicide. The effectiveness of the individual components was not assessed, and problems in methodology or reporting of data were common. Overall, multifaceted interventions for active duty military personnel are supported by consistent evidence, although of very mixed quality, and in some cases during intervals of declines in suicide rates in the general population. There were insufficient studies of U.S. Veterans to reach conclusions.