Reducing adolescent cell phone usage using an interdependent group contingency

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of an interdependent group contingency on cell phone usage in an alternative high school classroom. We used an ABAB reversal design to test the effects of the contingency on the cell phone usage of the entire class and an individual student. Results showed a reduction in the cell phone use of the class and the individual when the group contingency was in effect, demonstrating a functional relation between the contingency and student cell phone usage. These findings suggest that group contingencies may be efficacious for teachers to use within their classrooms to curb cell phone usage. Further study of this intervention is warranted to determine its generality.     

Fidelity Failures in Brief Strategic Family Therapy for Adolescent Drug Abuse: A Clinical Analysis

As evidence‐based family treatments for adolescent substance use and conduct problems gain traction, cutting edge research moves beyond randomized efficacy trials to address questions such as how these treatments work and how best to disseminate them to community settings. A key factor in effective dissemination is treatment fidelity, which refers to implementing an intervention in a manner consistent with an established manual. While most fidelity research is quantitative, this study offers a qualitative clinical analysis of fidelity failures in a large, multisite effectiveness trial of Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) for adolescent drug abuse, where BSFT developers trained community therapists to administer this intervention in their own agencies. Using case notes and video recordings of therapy sessions, an independent expert panel first rated 103 cases on quantitative fidelity scales grounded in the BSFT manual and the broader structural‐strategic framework that informs BSFT intervention. Because fidelity was generally low, the panel reviewed all cases qualitatively to identify emergent types or categories of fidelity failure. Ten categories of failures emerged, characterized by therapist omissions (e.g., failure to engage key family members, failure to think in threes) and commissions (e.g., off‐model, nonsystemic formulations/interventions). Of these, “failure to think in threes” appeared basic and particularly problematic, reflecting the central place of this idea in structural theory and therapy. Although subject to possible bias, our observations highlight likely stumbling blocks in exporting a complex family treatment like BSFT to community settings. These findings also underscore the importance of treatment fidelity in family therapy research.     

Modeling of variables related to problematic social media usage: Social desirability tendency example

Social media usage has been popular for the last decade. Individuals use their social media environments for various reasons such as to socialize, play games, have fun and share posts. Overuse of these environments may lead to negative psychological and behavioral consequences for individuals. Additionally, it increases the worries about potential addicted/problematic use of social media. In this study, it is aimed to determine the level of problematic social media usage of participants who are active social media users and to analyze the relationships between problematic social media usage and various personal characteristics and social variables. Study in relational screening model is carried out with the participation of 580 volunteers. Partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling is used to analyze the data obtained through various scale according to the research model. The structural equation modeling analysis shows that there is a significant relationship between problematic social media usage and the daily time of social media usage, the use of frequency of social media for recognition, publicity, communication/interaction and education, loneliness, and social anxiety. The variable which shows higher correlation between problematic social media usage is social anxiety.     

The BAI–PC as a Screen for Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD in Primary Care

Despite the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in medical settings, mental health problems often go undetected and patients do not receive appropriate treatment. The main goal of this study is to provide additional information about the Beck Anxiety Inventory – Primary Care (BAI–PC), a brief instrument that screens for patients with anxiety. This study provides information on the performance of the BAI–PC as a screening instrument for depression and PTSD in addition to its original purpose as a screening instrument for anxiety. This efficient tool can identify patients who can benefit from effective psychological treatments and facilitate referrals to psychologists working in medical settings.     

Validity and Reliability of a Pre-Employment Screening Test: The Counterproductive Behavior Index (CBI)

The Counterproductive Behavior Index (CBI) is a 120-item, true-false questionnaire developed to assess five aspects of counterproductive workplace behavior: Dependability Concerns, Aggression, Substance Abuse, Honesty Concerns, and Computer Abuse, plus an overall measure of Total Concerns. It also yields a Good Impression score. To assess predictive validity, undergraduates with significant work experience simulated persons who had each of the five counterproductive behaviors but were exercising care not to get caught trying to conceal that behavior. All differences between simulated and normative responding were highly significant, with a median sensitivity of .89 for a specificity of .90. For similar participants, construct validity correlations ranged from .37 though .72 with a median of .50, and the correlation of CBI Total Concerns with a Total Validity Index was .66. Test-retest reliabilities of the CBI scales ranged from .79 to .94 with a median correlation of .87. These compare favorably with previously reported internal consistencies (Cronbach alphas). Analysis of the CBI scores of the original normative group at different levels of Good Impression showed that none of the six Concerns scores were affected by attempts to make a good impression until the Good Impression score reached the 90th percentile.     

吸毒者心理社会生活质量分析

本研究旨在考察吸毒者的心理社会生活质量。云南地区194名吸毒者和198名正常被试参与了此项研究。结果表明：1)吸毒者和正常人在幸福感、自尊感、社会交往焦虑感、无力感、无意义感等方面都有显著差异,吸毒者的心理社会生活健康质量较差;2)不同性别、从事不同工作、兄弟姐妹数目和父母教育水平不同的吸毒者的心理社会生活质量不同;3)首次吸毒和复吸的大多数原因是心理因素。本研究对有关结果对吸毒者戒毒及教育的指导意义进行了讨论。     

A retrospective survey of community based utilization of Tay Sachs screening in Eight New Jersey counties

The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of utilization of Tay Sachs disease screening by the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Pregnant women who were referred to one of three genetic centers in New Jersey for amniocentesis unrelated to Tay Sachs screening were the study population. 4490 charts were reviewed retrospectively to determine the at risk population for Tay Sachs disease (Ashkenazi Jews) and whether or not patients and their spouses had elected Tay Sachs screening prior to referral. A group of 25 patients who did not elect screening were questioned as to their specific reason for declining Tay Sachs screening. Overall community utilization was 90%. Of the couples who did not elect screening, 64% felt that their risk to have an affected child was too small, 16% could not recall Tay Sachs screening being offered to them, 8% felt that screening was inconvenient. Tay Sachs screening as a voluntary preventive health care program has a high utilization rate in our study group.     

Education and testing strategy for large-scale cystic fibrosis carrier screening

Population-based screening for cystic fibrosis carrier mutations presents a number of challenges for genetic counselors, owing primarily to the inability of current DNA testing technology to identify all possible mutations and the difficulty involved in conveying the concept of residual risk to those patients who test negative. To address these issues, we are conducting a pilot study, as part of a consortium established by the National Center for Human Genome Research, to explore the efficacy, acceptance, and psychosocial impact of various approaches to carrier screening in an ethnically diverse Southern California population. This article reports the patient instructional and screening strategies we developed in the initial phase of the project in order to optimize our chances of answering these questions and delivering this service on a large scale.     

Update and Review: Maternal Serum Screening

Maternal serum levels of alpha fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and unconjugated estriol (uE3) can be used to screen pregnancies for neural tube defects, Down syndrome, Trisomy 18, and pregnancy complications. This article summarizes the most recent information regarding maternal serum screening, including genetic counseling issues.     

Are General Practitioners Willing and Able to Provide Genetic Services for Common Diseases?

Primary care in the United Kingdom has been advocated as an optimal location for the provision of genetic services for common diseases. Little, however, is known about general practitioners' own views toward this suggestion or the possible demand for such services from patients. To assess general practitioners' attitudes to providing genetic services for common diseases, and to estimate the demand from patients for these services, we used a single-page postal questionnaire survey of all 359 general practitioners registered with the Oxfordshire Health Authority; 339 (94%) responded. These physicians reported that a mean 4.1 patients (95% CI, 3.3–4.9) out of every 1,000 consulting them were concerned about their own risk of a common disease associated with a diagnosis in a family member. Half of the general practitioners (95% CI, 45–56%) counseled about genetics in the last year. A majority of general practitioners accept the need to provide genetic services, but far fewer are competent to do so. Although 60% (95% CI, 55–65%) believed they should be involved with genetic screening for common diseases, only 29% (95% CI, 24–34%) felt sufficiently prepared to take family histories and draw pedigrees, and only 15% (95% CI, 11–19%) felt sufficiently prepared to counsel patients about their genetic test results. Given the necessary training and information, 63% (95% CI, 58–68%) and 64% (95% CI, 59–69%) were willing to provide these services. Even with training and information, not all would be willing to provide these services, and lack of time may be a major deterrent. Practice-enabling strategies, such as computerized aids in genetics, may be useful.