Positive attributional style,life events and their effect on children's mood: Prospective study

The present study extended previous research into the role of cognitive style in predicting depressive symptoms in children by examining positive attributional style for positive events in a prospective manner, with a focus on the influence of prior life experience. A non‐clinical sample of 102 children (aged 10–12 years) was recruited. Participants completed self‐report measures of depression, attributional style, stressful life events, and positive life events on two occasions (approximately 6 months apart). Positive attributional style for positive events moderated the relationship between negative life events and follow‐up depressive symptoms. Number of positive events did not significantly moderate the negative life events–depression symptoms relationship although there was a trend in the expected direction. Positive attributional style for positive events appeared to act as both a mediator and moderator in the positive events–depression symptoms relationship. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Associations of Lifetime Depression with Trauma Exposure,Other Environmental Adversities,and Impairment in Adolescents with ADHD

Depression is a common, potentially devastating comorbidity in youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). Various environmental adversities are well-described as correlates of depression in general pediatric populations, but not in youth with ADHD. In 104 adolescents with ADHD, we examined potential environmental correlates of lifetime depression, including trauma exposure, recent negative life events and current parent-child conflict, along with current and past ADHD severity and current impairment. Controlling for demographic variables, comorbid disorders, and ADHD severity, we noted significant associations between lifetime depression and environmental adversities, including victimization trauma, parent-child conflict, and behaviorally-independent negative life events. Current impairment but not ADHD severity was also highly associated with lifetime depression, controlling for the same covariates. Findings from this preliminary, cross-sectional study suggest that environmental adversities and impairment in youth with ADHD should also be targeted along with the ADHD when contemplating strategies to treat or prevent comorbid depression.     

Do you look to the future or focus on today? The impact of life experience on intertemporal decisions

In this research, we investigate the impact of significant life experiences on intertemporal decisions among young adults. A series of experiments focus specifically on the impact of experiencing the death of a close other by cancer. We show that such an experience, which bears information about time, is associated with making decisions that favor the long-term future over short-term interests (Studies 1 and 2). Underlying this effect appears to be increased salience and concreteness regarding one’s future life course, shifting focus away from the present toward the long run (Studies 3 and 4). Finally, we explore the shift caused by a cancer death of a public figure and examine its stability over time (Study 5). Implications for research on intertemporal decision making and the impact of life events on perceptions and preferences are discussed.     

史事宗易学研究方法析论

夫援史证《易》本为易家释《易》普遍之现象,然自赵宋三李一杨(李光、李杞、李中正、杨万里)开宗奠基后,历宋元明三朝而踵继者众,至有清一朝,更以超迈往古之姿,创猗欤盛哉之势,将史事易学推至极盛。由于此派易学著作甚多,易家援引史事形貌多样,不仅丰富史事易学之内容,亦充实义理易学之内涵,并建构出此派易学独特之体系,值得吾人深入研究。海内外曾从事相关研究者虽不乏其人,惟此派易学研究方法仍有讨论之空间,愿将个人研究之拙见,提供未来研究者之参考,冀收后出转精之效。其内容包括史事易学之定义、史事易家之典型、史事易学发展史略、援史证《易》研究之重点(如援史动机、援史类型、援史与卦爻比附之切当性、援史之史观、以说理为本以援史为末),以及史事易学研究之发展性等等,希望透过文献资料之搜集与分析,进而从易学与易学史之角度推论,俾有助于史事宗易学研究方法之建立,与史事易学研究深度广度之推扩。     

Do traumatic events influence the clinical expression of compulsive hoarding?

Traumatic experiences have been posited as one potential catalyst for the abrupt onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms including compulsive hoarding. To determine whether traumatic life events (TLEs) might influence the expression of compulsive hoarding in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), interview responses to the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) were examined in 180 individuals with OCD. Compared to individuals with OCD who did not meet criteria for hoarding, participants classified as hoarders (24% of the sample) were significantly more likely to have reported at least one TLE in their lifetime. Patients who met criteria for hoarding and who had also experienced TLEs had significantly greater hoarding symptom severity than those hoarders not exposed to trauma. This association was found to be robust. That is, the relationship between TLEs and hoarding symptom severity was not better accounted for by age, age of OCD onset, depressive symptoms, general OCD symptomatology, or mood and anxiety comorbidity. Closer examination revealed that the clutter factor of compulsive hoarding (and not difficulty discarding or acquisitioning) was most strongly associated with having experienced a traumatic event.     

Fluctuations in state implicit self-esteem in response to daily negative events

A repeated assessment study examined changes in state implicit self-esteem after negative events. Multilevel analyses revealed that trait explicit self-esteem and self-concept clarity moderated the within-person association between daily negative events and state implicit self-esteem. People with low trait explicit self-esteem or low self-concept clarity experienced decreases in state implicit self-esteem when they experienced negative life events. In contrast, for people with high trait explicit self-esteem or high self-concept clarity, state implicit self-esteem remained stable after negative events. In addition, changes in state implicit self-esteem remained significant after controlling for state explicit self-esteem and daily negative affect. This study is the first to study changes in implicit self-esteem in the context of daily life events.     

Using indices of happiness to examine the influence of environmental enhancements for nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease

The present study extends the growing behavioral literature on indices of happiness for persons with developmental disabilities to the geriatric population. Data on indices of emotional affect (i.e., happiness) were collected prior to, during, and after each resident was exposed to environmental enhancement activities of various durations. Results showed that every activity improved each resident's level of happiness when compared to pre- and postactivity levels. These outcomes suggest that indexing affect may be as useful for nursing home residents as it has been for individuals with developmental disabilities.     

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.     

Negative life events and stability of sense of coherence: a five-year follow-up study of Finnish women and men

A strong sense of coherence (SOC) is found to be associated with good mental health. This study investigated (1) whether negative life events affect level of SOC, (2) whether initial level of SOC modifies the effect of negative life events on SOC, and (3) whether stability of SOC differs between genders. The data were derived from the 15-year Health and Social Support study (N= 17,271). Ordinary linear regression analysis was used. Negative life events decreased the level of SOC among both genders irrespective of the timing of the event. The more recent the life event, the lower the SOC. A strong SOC in 1998 did not protect SOC from declining during follow-up. Specific gender differences were not discovered. SOC was related to negative changes in people's environment. Initially strong SOC was not more stable than initially mediocre or weak SOC. Men and women reacted quite similarly to negative life events.     

Psychological characteristics of women with eating disorders: Permanent or transient features?

The purpose of the study was to make a psychological profile of Danish women with Eating Disorders, who were not currently hospitalized. 75 women between the ages of 19 and 46 years participated. 22 participants suffered from a clinical eating disorder (ED). 20 women had previously suffered from a clinical ED, and 33 women had never suffered from ED. The study included sociodemographic data, problems in relation to eating and weight, exposure to stressful life events, and the following questionnaires: The Eating Disorder Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Coping Styles Questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Defense Style Questionnaire, and the Trauma Symptom Checklist. Psychologically, women with ED differed significantly from women without ED by using a more primitive defense style, perceiving themselves as being more exposed to stress, using more inefficient methods of coping and having lower self-esteem. Unexpectedly, the study also showed that recovery from an ED was resulting in normalisation of both behavioral and psychological characteristics. The implications of these findings are discussed.