The Effect of PTSD Symptom Change on Suicidal Ideation in a Combined Military and Civilian Sample Engaged in Cognitive Processing Therapy

In light of the well-established relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal ideation (SI), there has been a push for treatments that simultaneously improve symptoms of PTSD and decrease SI. Using data from a randomized controlled hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial, the current study investigated the effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT; Resick, Monson, & Chard, 2016) on PTSD and SI. The patient sample (N = 188) was diverse in military and veteran status, gender, and comorbidity, and 73% of the sample endorsed SI at one or more points during CPT. Participants demonstrated significant improvement in SI over the course of CPT. Multilevel growth curve modeling revealed a significant association between PTSD symptom change and change in SI. Results from cross-lagged multilevel regressions indicated that PTSD symptoms predicted SI in the next session, yet SI in a given session did not predict PTSD symptoms in the next session. Potentially relevant clinical factors (i.e., military status, gender, depression diagnosis, baseline SI, study consultation condition) were not associated with the relationship between PTSD symptoms and SI. These results add to the burgeoning literature suggesting that evidence-based treatments for PTSD, like CPT, reduce suicidality in a range of individuals with PTSD, and that this reduction is predicted by improvements in PTSD symptoms.     

Employee psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: A longitudinal study of demands,resources, and exhaustion

Many governments react to the current coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic by restricting daily (work) life. On the basis of theories from occupational health, we propose that the duration of the pandemic, its demands (e.g., having to work from home, closing of childcare facilities, job insecurity, work-privacy conflicts, privacy-work conflicts) and personal- and job-related resources (co-worker social support, job autonomy, partner support and corona self-efficacy) interact in their effect on employee exhaustion. We test the hypotheses with a three-wave sample of German employees during the pandemic from April to June 2020 (N_w1 = 2900, N_w12 = 1237, N_w123 = 789). Our findings show a curvilinear effect of pandemic duration on working women's exhaustion. The data also show that the introduction and the easing of lockdown measures affect exhaustion, and that women with children who work from home while childcare is unavailable are especially exhausted. Job autonomy and partner support mitigated some of these effects. In sum, women's psychological health was more strongly affected by the pandemic than men's. We discuss implications for occupational health theories and that interventions targeted at mitigating the psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic should target women specifically.     

Taking Care of Each Other: How Can We Increase Compliance with Personal Protective Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chile?

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal protective measures (e.g., social distancing, handwashing, and mask wearing) have been adopted as a cornerstone to limit the spread of the disease. Yet, the effectiveness of these measures depends on people's levels of adherence. In this article, we apply social-psychological research to the study of compliance with personal protective measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile. We consider three possible models underlying adherence: (1) sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors, (2) instrumental factors, and (3) normative factors. We draw on data from a longitudinal nonrepresentative panel study (Study 1, n = 32,304) and a cross-sectional representative survey (Study 2, n = 1,078) to explore the impact of these different factors on personal protective measures compliance. Findings show the strongest support for the role of instrumental and normative factors, in that people who comply with protective measures report to a greater extent that relatives and friends comply too and tend to perceive high risk of COVID-19. We finish by proposing policy recommendations to promote effective strategies to contain the spread of the virus.     

Psychobiosocial experiences in sport: Development and initial validation of a semantic differential scale

ObjectivesTo develop and validate the Psychobiosocial Experience Semantic Differential scale in sport (PESD-Sport), a new measure to assess discrete emotions and performance-related experiences in sport as conceptualized within the individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF; Hanin, 2000, 2007, 2010) framework.MethodIn Study 1, we developed a preliminary 53-item version of the scale using a semantic differential format in the construction of the items pertaining to 12 psychobiosocial modalities. We chose this format to attain a clear representation of psychobiosocial states between opposites along perceived performance functionality (i.e., functional, dysfunctional). The preliminary scale was then administered in a sample of 280 athletes. In Study 2, a 30-item scale derived from Study 1 was cross validated in a second independent sample of 302 athletes.ResultsFindings from Study 1 provided preliminary evidence of factorial and construct validity for a 10-modality, 30-item model (3 items for each modality). Findings from Study 2 supported the factor structure of a model containing 30 items loading into 10 modalities (i.e., unpleasant/pleasant emotions, confidence, anxiety, assertiveness, cognitive, bodily-somatic, motor-behavioral, operational, communicative, and social support). Convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity of the PESD-Sport was also demonstrated.ConclusionBased on a substantive theoretical framework, this new measure of discrete emotions and performance-related experiences can advance the knowledge on the relationship between psychobiosocial states and performance. The scale could also inform applied interventions aimed at improving psychobiosocial experiences for performance enhancement.     

Passion,grit and mindset of Iranian wrestlers: A socio-psychological approach

The study presents a socio-psychological analysis of the conventional psychological concept of passion, grit and mindset among Iranian elite wrestlers, along with exploring the associations of the aforementioned variables. We conducted a cross-sectional, correlational questionnaire survey among 124 international and national Iranian top male wrestlers and recruited 106 male and female Iranian university students as a control group to provide more rationale of the variables within the context. Passion Scale, Grit-S Scale and Theories of Intelligence Scale (TIS) were used to measure the variables. The wrestlers scored high on the passion, grit and growth mindset scales, higher than the controls. Further analysis indicated a positive association between passion, grit and growth mindset on wrestlers as a whole and the subgroups. There were, however, no differences in terms of the level of competency and achievement within the groups of wrestlers, which counters former findings. This research contributes valuable insights into how passion, grit and growth mindset, considering the interplay between individual agency and an apt social context, sustain athletes’ desire for tough training; motivate them to overcome a series of setbacks and challenging situations in order to meet further achievements in such a competitive sport. The research further provides insight into a distinctive sport culture and proposes how the socio-cultural context of athletes impacts their mentality and achievement.     

Cumulative lifetime stress exposure,depression, anxiety,and well-being in elite athletes: A mixed-method study

Research suggests that elite athletes are at increased risk of poor mental health, partly due to the intense demands associated with top-level sport. Despite growing interest in the topic, the factors that influence the mental health and well-being of elite athletes remain unclear. From a theoretical perspective, the accumulation of stress and adversity experienced over the life course may be an important factor. To investigate this possibility, we employed a mixed-method design to: (a) examine whether cumulative lifetime stress predicted depression, anxiety, and well-being in elite athletes; and (b) help explain why cumulative lifetime stress exposure might have resulted in poor mental health and well-being. Ninety-five elite athletes (M_age = 29.81, SD = 10.88) completed the Stress and Adversity Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, and the Scales of General Well-Being. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that total count and severity of lifetime stressor exposure significantly predicted greater depression (β = .42, p < .001; β = .46, p < .001) and anxiety symptoms (β = .34, p = .003; β = .28, p = .018), and worse well-being (β = -.42, p < .001; β = -.30, p = .015). Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with six athletes. Thematic analysis revealed that cumulative lifetime stress exposure fostered poor mental health and well-being by promoting maladaptive long-term coping strategies, increasing susceptibility to future stress, and limiting interpersonal relationships. We believe these findings can help practitioners identify, and intervene accordingly with, elite athletes at risk of experiencing stress-related mental health problems.     

Validating the semantic misattribution procedure as an implicit measure of gender stereotyping

The current research tested the validity of the semantic misattribution procedure (SMP)—a variant of the affect misattribution procedure—as an implicit measure of gender stereotyping. In three studies (N = 604), prime words of gender‐stereotypical occupations (e.g., nurse, doctor) influenced participants' guesses of whether unknown Chinese ideographs referred to male or female names in a stereotype‐congruent manner. Priming scores of gender stereotyping showed high internal consistency and construct‐valid correlations with explicit measures of sexism. Discriminant validity of gender stereotyping scores was tested by investigating relations with priming effects involving grammatical gender (e.g., mother, father). Evidence for discriminant validity was obtained when (1) trials from the two priming measures were presented in a blocked rather than interspersed manner and (2) the measure of stereotypical gender priming preceded the measure of grammatical gender priming. Overall, the SMP showed good psychometric properties and construct validity for the assessment of gender stereotyping.     

Identifying repressors: A methodological issue for health psychology

Abstract

The majority of studies in health psychology use self-report measures. However, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that this methodology may be problematic for a significant minority of the population: individuals who possess a repressive coping style (repressors). Repressors, who fail to report negative affect, answer many self-report measures in a positive fashion. Research has identified an association between repressors, who are identified by low trait anxiety scores and high defensiveness scores, and adverse health outcomes. Therefore, repressors are an important group for health psychologists to investigate. Health psychology research should use more than one method of data collection in an attempt to unravel this difficult methodological problem.     

Mentalizing skills of non-native,early signers: A longitudinal perspective

Using a population-based sample consisting of 401 6- to 12-year-olds, this study examined normative age and sex distributions on motor activity as measured in an actigraphic-based motion tracking system (MTS) and on attention-related functions derived from a Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Specific objectives were to present new knowledge on age-related change in motor activity and to study age effects on changes in motor activity and CPT performance as a function of time on task. Further, continuous relations between the two ADHD symptom domains and CPT performance and motor activity, and importantly, age effects in these relations were examined. CPT performance improved, and level of motor activity decreased with age. Linear associations between the two ADHD symptom domains and several of the CPT and MTS parameters support available research describing the nature of ADHD as a continuous dimension with variable expression throughout the general population. Further, our study is one of the first to provide developmental data using a time on task design, particularly with regard to motor activity. Imperative for ADHD future research are our results showing that age matters in the relation between ADHD behaviours and neuropsychological function.     

Using a Sharp Instrument to Parse Apart Strategy and Consistency: An Evaluation of PPT and Its Assumptions

Potential Performance Theory (PPT) is a general theory for parsing observed performance into the underlying strategy and the consistency with which it is used. Although empirical research has supported that PPT is useful, it is desirable to have more information about the bias and standard errors of PPT findings. It also is beneficial to know the effects of violations of PPT assumptions. The authors present computer simulations that evaluate bias and standard errors at varying levels of strategy, consistency, and number of trials per participant. The simulations show that, when the assumptions are true, there is very little bias and the standard errors are low when there are moderate or large numbers of trials per participant (e.g., N = 50 or N = 100). But when the independence assumption is violated, PPT provides biased findings, although the bias is quite small unless the violations are large.