Effects of maternal depressive symptoms on sensitivity to infant distress and non-distress: Role of SES and race

The goals of the present study were to examine the extent to which (a) maternal depressive symptoms (prenatal vs. postnatal depressive symptoms) undermine maternal sensitivity toward both infant distress and non-distress; (b) such effects are stronger in the context of socioeconomic risk. SES risk and depressive symptoms interacted such that depressive symptoms, both pre and postnatal, only predicted lower sensitivity among mothers at heightened SES risk. The effects were comparable for sensitivity to distress and non-distress and did not vary by maternal race.     

Bimodal familiarization re-sensitizes 12-month-old infants to other-race faces

Perceptual narrowing in the domain of face perception typically begins to reduce infants’ sensitivity to differences distinguishing other-race faces from approximately 6 months of age. The present study investigated whether it is possible to re-sensitize Caucasian 12-month-old infants to other-race Asian faces through statistical learning by familiarizing them with different statistical distributions of these faces. The familiarization faces were created by generating a morphed continuum from one Asian face identity to another. In the unimodal condition, infants were familiarized with a frequency distribution wherein they saw the midpoint face of the morphed continuum the most frequently. In the bimodal condition, infants were familiarized with a frequency distribution wherein they saw faces closer to the endpoints of the morphed continuum the most frequently. After familiarization, infants were tested on their discrimination of the two original Asian faces. The infants’ looking times during the test indicated that infants in the bimodal condition could discriminate between the two faces, while infants in the unimodal condition could not. These findings therefore suggest that 12-month-old Caucasian infants could be re-sensitized to Asian faces by familiarizing them with a bimodal frequency distribution of such faces.     

自我监控对大学生社会回避及苦恼的影响

目的了解自我监控对大学生社会回避和苦恼的影响。方法对282名大学生施测了自我监控量表和社会回避与苦恼量表,根据自我监控量表分,把被试分为四组。结果高自我监控大学生组的社交回避及苦恼得分显著低于其他三组。结论自我监控对大学生社会回避与苦恼有显著影响。     

Perceptual narrowing in face- and speech-perception domains in infancy: A longitudinal approach

During the first year of life, infants undergo a process known as perceptual narrowing, which reduces their sensitivity to classes of stimuli which the infants do not encounter in their environment. It has been proposed that perceptual narrowing for faces and speech may be driven by shared domain-general processes. To investigate this theory, our study longitudinally tested 50 German Caucasian infants with respect to these domains first at 6 months of age followed by a second testing at 9 months of age. We used an infant-controlled habituation-dishabituation paradigm to test the infants’ ability to discriminate among other-race Asian faces and non-native Cantonese speech tones, as well as same-race Caucasian faces as a control. We found that while at 6 months of age infants could discriminate among all stimuli, by 9 months of age they could no longer discriminate among other-race faces or non-native tones. However, infants could discriminate among same-race stimuli both at 6 and at 9 months of age. These results demonstrate that the same infants undergo perceptual narrowing for both other-race faces and non-native speech tones between the ages of 6 and 9 months. This parallel development of perceptual narrowing occurring in both the face and speech perception modalities over the same period of time lends support to the domain-general theory of perceptual narrowing in face and speech perception.     

Mental health and quality of life in non-binary transgender adults: a case control study

Abstract

Background: The social challenges that non-binary people experience, due in part to social intolerance and the lack of validation of non-binary gender identities, may affect the mental health and quality of life of this population. However, studies that have distinguished between non-binary and binary transgender identities are lacking.

Aim: To compare the mental health and quality of life of a community sample of non-binary transgender adults with controls (binary transgender people and cisgender people) matched on sex assigned at birth.

Method: A total of 526 participants were included. Ninety-seven were classified as non-binary and were compared with two control groups: 91 people classified as binary and 338 cisgender people. Only transgender people not on gender affirming hormone treatment or who had not undergone gender affirming surgery were included. Participants were invited to complete an online survey that included mental health and quality of life measures.

Results: Non-binary people reported significantly better mental health than binary transgender people, but worse than cisgender people. Overall, there were no significant differences in quality of life between non-binary and binary transgender participants assigned male at birth and transgender females, but non-binary assigned males at birth had better scores on the psychological and social domains of quality of life than transgender males. Quality of life was better across all domains in cisgender people than transgender groups.

Conclusion: There is an inequality with regard to mental health and quality of life between non-binary (and binary) transgender people and the cisgender population that needs to be addressed. The better mental health scores in non-binary people may reflect lower levels of body dissatisfaction among the non-binary population. Mental health problems and poor quality of life are likely to have social causes and hence legislative measures and broader government-led inclusive directives should be put in place to recognize and to validate non-binary identifying people.     

How well do various types of support buffer psychological distress among transgender and gender nonconforming students?

Background: Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals experience an increased prevalence of many psychological disorders, leading many to reach out for support from family, friends, mental health professionals, and religious or community networks. Nonetheless, experiences seeking support are often negative, and many psychotherapists report feeling underprepared to work with TGNC clients. To better understand the experiences of TGNC individuals and better equip psychotherapists in their work with TGNC clients, we investigate which sources of support most successfully buffer psychological distress among TGNC individuals.

Aims: This study aims to identify differences in levels of various types of support (social, family, religious, and living-situation) between cisgender and TGNC individuals and examine how these types of support may or may not buffer psychological distress among TGNC individuals.

Method: We used a United States national sample of 3,090 students (1,030 cisgender men; 1,030 cisgender women; 349 transgender; 681 endorsing another gender identity) from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health 2012–2015 database which provided basic demographic information through the Standardized Data Set. Psychological distress was measured through the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms 34-item questionnaire.

Results: TGNC individuals reported more distress, less family support, more social support, and less frequent religious affiliation than cisgender men and women. Family and social support emerged as the strongest predictors of distress for both TGNC and cisgender individuals. Though religious affiliation and living on-campus buffered distress among cisgender students, they did not buffer distress among TGNC students.

Conclusion: Our study highlights disparities in distress and support between TGNC and cisgender individuals. We found that although religious affiliation and on-campus living are beneficial for cisgender students, neither systematically buffers distress for TGNC students. These findings illustrate the impact minority stress and systemic discrimination may have on TGNC individuals and provide suggestions for therapeutic intervention in work with TGNC individuals.