Effet de la thérapie des schémas sur la dépression de la personne âgée institutionnalisée : 3 études de cas uniques de type AB en lignes de bases multiples

IntroductionSchema therapy has confirmed its effectiveness in caring for depression. However, few studies have evaluated its effectiveness of an institutionalized elderly population.ObjectiveThe aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the efficiency of this therapy for the treatment of depression in 3 elderly people, with no neurocognitive disease, living in a nursing home.MethodClinician conducted a single case experimental protocol AB with multiple baseline for 3 participants who were experiencing depressive symptoms. Participants were randomized in 3 baselines and performed respectively 8, 7, and 6 intervention sessions.ResultsThe results highlight progressive effectiveness for two of the three residents. From baseline to the end of the therapeutic sessions (11 weeks), the improvement was significant and clinically observable for the activation of the schemas (–1.4 and –2 points on average) as well as for the level of depression (–8 and –9 points to the GDS).ConclusionThis pilot study indicates the effectiveness and replicability of schema therapy as therapeutic intervention for depression in elderly people.     

跨文化沟通能力对来华留学生抑郁的影响：身份认同差异的中介作用

为探讨来华留学生个人-表现认同差异、个人-关系认同差异在跨文化沟通能力与抑郁之间的中介作用,采用跨文化智力问卷、个人-表现认同差异问卷、个人-关系认同差异问卷、抑郁量表对301名来华留学生进行调查。结果发现：①相关分析表明跨文化沟通能力与个人-表现认同差异、抑郁呈显著负相关;个人-表现认同差异、个人-关系认同差异与抑郁两两呈显著正相关。②链式中介效应检验显示,跨文化沟通能力不能直接影响抑郁,但存在两条间接路径：个人-表现认同差异的单独中介以及个人-表现认同差异和个人-关系认同差异的链式中介。本研究表明,身份认同差异在跨文化沟通能力与来华留学生抑郁的关系中起重要的中介作用,研究结果能为来华留学生抑郁的预防和干预提供有益启示。     

The relationship between children's overweight and quality of life: A comparison of Sizing Me Up,PedsQL and Kid-KINDL

Background/Objective: Overweight and obese children are likely to encounter negative impact on psychological well-being and quality of life (QoL). Hence, for overweight and obese children, measuring QoL could go beyond simply assessing objective medical parameters and cover their physical health, psychological well-being, and social interaction. Generic (Kid-KINDL and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory [PedsQL]) and weight-related (Sizing Me Up) measures are two major types of QoL measurement instruments; however, little is known about the differences between them. Method: We recruited 569 3rd to 6th graders from eleven schools in Southern Taiwan. In addition to the three QoL questionnaires, the Child Depression Inventory and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were applied. Results: Depression had significantly negative associations with all three QoL questionnaires. Self-esteem was only associated with Kid-KINDL. Body mass index had a significantly stronger relationship with Sizing Me Up than its relationships with PedsQL and Kid-KINDL. In other words, the items related to body size concerns in Size Me Up significantly contributed to impaired overweight/obese children’s QoL. Conclusions: The study further identified the characters and strength of these QoL measures for better suggestions on evaluating physical and psychological issues for overweight/obese children.     

Longitudinal Model Predicting Self‐Concept in Pediatric Chronic Illness

Although self‐concept has been identified as salient to the psychosocial adjustment of adolescents dealing with a chronic illness (CI), little research has focused on its predictors it. Given that depression and parent–child attachment have been linked to self‐concept in the population at large, the goal of this study was to evaluate these relationships longitudinally in a sample of adolescents with CI. Using participant data from the Mastering Each New Direction (MEND) program, a 3‐month psychosocial, family based intensive outpatient program for adolescents with CI, we employed multilevel modeling to test longitudinal changes in self‐concept, as predicted by depressive symptoms and parent–child attachment, in a sample of 50 youths (M_age = 14.56, SD_age = 1.82) participating in MEND. Both “time spent in the program” and decreases in depressive symptoms were associated with increases in self‐concept over time. Higher baseline levels of avoidant attachment to both mother and father were also associated with greater initial levels of self‐concept. Targeting depressive symptoms and supporting adaptive changes in attachment may be key to promoting a healthy self‐concept in pediatric CI populations. The association between avoidant attachment and higher baseline self‐concept scores may reflect differences in participants’ autonomy, self‐confidence, or depression. Limitations of the study include variability in the amount of time spent in the program, attrition in final time point measures, and the inability to fully examine and model all potential covariates due to a small sample size (e.g. power).     

Latina/o Children Living With an Immigrant Mother With Depression: Developmental and Cultural Nuances in Recognition and Coping

The psychological experience of maternal depression and its impact on immigrant Latina/o families often goes unrecognized and unaddressed. Children may feel especially helpless and confused about the changes they observe in their mothers’ mood and behavior, and about the deterioration of family relationships. Given the interdependence of family structures of immigrant Latina/o households, maternal depression can be detrimental to Latina/o youth attributions and coping strategies, and to their relationship with their mothers. The quantitative focus of most research on maternal depression in Latina/o samples limits our understanding of family processes in maternal depression. The current qualitative study explores the perceived impact of maternal depression on Latina/o youths’ attributions and coping strategies. This inquiry involved focus groups with 12 participants aged 9–16 years to explore their perspectives on maternal depression. All youth had participated in a 12‐week multifamily group intervention focused on building family and cultural strengths to address maternal depression on immigrant Latina/o families. Findings of the focus groups illuminated the essential experience of youth living with maternal depression, and indicated that there are developmental considerations for how youth recognize and make meaning of maternal depression, and cope with disrupted family life. Additionally, youth reported engaging in these culture‐specific ways of coping: using close sibling relationships and family structure as support, having fathers and extended family members engage in additional and restorative parenting practices, and participating in religious practices to seek refuge from family stress. We propose considerations for intervention and further areas of research.     

Overcoming Negative Aspects of Perfectionism through Group Treatment

The tendency to hold and pursue excessively high standards for oneself and for others can interfere with academic achievement. Counsellors who work in university settings are often presented with students whose capabilities do not reflect their levels of achievement. This study reports on the evaluation of an eight-week group intervention designed to help university students shift from negative and often debilitating perfectionism to positive and enhancing perfectionism. The group treatment focused on changing attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and interpersonal interactions affected by perfectionism using combined cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal approaches. Standardized measures, including the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck et al., BDI-II manual. San Antonio: The Psychological Corporation, 1996), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (Beck and Steer, Beck Anxiety Inventory: Manual. San Antonio: The Psychological Corporation, 1993), and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Hewitt and Flett, Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 60, 456–470, 1991a), provided data for pre- and post analysis of a treatment group (n = 30), and comparison groups of students attending group programs on career planning (n = 30) and attending psychology classes (n = 30). Results show that students participating in the treatment group significantly reduced their levels of depression, anxiety, and perfectionism in comparison to students who did not attend the treatment program. Implications of the findings suggest the importance of considering perfectionism on a continuum of negative and positive influences while helping students to address the intrapersonal and interpersonal dimensions of perfectionism.     

Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation: The Development and Initial Validation of the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R)

As interest grows in mindfulness training as a psychosocial intervention, it is increasingly important to quantify this construct to facilitate empirical investigation. The goal of the present studies was to develop a brief self-report measure of mindfulness with items that cover the breadth of the construct and that are written in everyday language. The resulting 12-item measure demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and evidence of convergent and discriminant validity with concurrent measures of mindfulness, distress, well-being, emotion-regulation, and problem-solving approaches in three samples of university students. To address potential construct contamination in two items, data are also presented on an alternate 10-item version of the measure.

Presentation of Mexican Americans to a Memory Disorder Clinic

Despite the rapidly growing nature of the Mexican American population in the United States, relatively little is known regarding cognitive aging among this minority group compared to non-Hispanic, white individuals. The current study was conducted to describe the nature of cognitive and affective characteristics of Mexican American patients with dementia or other cognitive disorders on initial presentation to a Memory Disorder Clinic. Archival data were reviewed from this specialty clinic for 219 patients who were evaluated for the first time over a 2-year period. Twenty-two Mexican American patients were identified, and a sample of 22 matched non-Hispanic white patients was derived for comparison. When compared to non-Hispanic white patients, Mexican Americans were found in fewer numbers, reported higher levels of anxiety and depression, and produced lower scores on neurocognitive assessments. Results support the notion that Mexican American patients present for cognitive assessment and treatment at a greater stage of impairment severity as compared to non-Hispanic whites.     

A prospective investigation of the impact of attachment style on stress generation among clinically depressed individuals

The present study sought to determine if attachment style contributed to the generation of stressful life events among clinically depressed individuals during the course of treatment. Participants (N=68) were interviewed about life stressors experienced during a 3-month treatment protocol using a contextual approach (Life Events and Difficulties Schedule; [Brown, G. W., & Harris, T. O. (1978). Social origins of depression: A study of psychiatric disorder in women. New York: Free Press]). Results suggested interactive effects between severity of depression and attachment style on stress associated with future sociotropic and dependent life events. Mildly depressed individuals who reported a dismissing attachment style (higher levels of avoidant attachment and lower levels of anxious attachment) or preoccupied style (lower levels of avoidant attachment and higher levels of anxious attachment) experienced higher levels of stress associated with sociotropic events. Likewise, a dismissing attachment style predicted stress associated with dependent events among mildly depressed individuals. These effects were not present among our more severely depressed participants.     

Self-criticism, low self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and over-evaluation of shape and weight in binge eating disorder patients

Despite the fact that negative self-evaluations are widely considered to be prominent in eating disorders, the role of self-criticism has received little empirical attention. The vast majority of research on the construct of self-criticism has focused on its role as a specific personality vulnerability factor in depression-related phenomena. In this study of 236 patients with binge eating disorder, confirmatory factor analysis supported self-criticism, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and over-evaluation of shape and weight as distinct, albeit related, constructs. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that the relation between self-criticism and over-evaluation of shape and weight was partly mediated or explained by low self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Continued efforts to understand the role of self-criticism in eating disorders appear warranted.