Gathering Diverse Perspectives to Tackle “Wicked Problems”: Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Educational Placement

Among students receiving behavioral health and special education services, racial/ethnic minority students are consistently overrepresented in settings separate from general classrooms. Once separated, many young people struggle to improve academically and face significant difficulty upon trying to return to a general education setting. Given the complex, ongoing, and multifaceted nature of this challenge, racial/ethnic disproportionality can be identified as a “wicked problem,” for which solutions are not easily identified. Here, we describe our community-engaged research efforts, eliciting perspectives from relevant partners in an ongoing dialogue, to better integrate diverse stakeholders’ perspectives when attempting to address such disparities. We conducted focus groups and qualitative interviews with members of three stakeholder groups: community-serving organizations, individuals with lived experience of behavioral health conditions, and state-level policymakers, with a shared interest in addressing racial and ethnic disparities. Participant responses illustrated the “wickedness” of this problem and highlighted the need for additional supports for students, families, and school personnel, increased collaboration across relevant systems and agencies, and reduced barriers related to funding. Overall, this methodology bridged differing perspectives to develop, in concert with our partners, a shared language of the problem and a core set of issues to consider when seeking to effect change.     

A Qualitative Systematic Review of Youth Participatory Action Research Implementation in U.S. High Schools

This qualitative systematic review examined the context-specific factors that influence the implementation of youth participatory action research (YPAR) projects in high schools within the United States. Thematic synthesis was conducted to identify and analyze the YPAR implementation factors that were present in 38 peer-reviewed studies. Results indicate the following two analytic themes concerning YPAR implementation in high schools: (a) pedagogical strategies and (b) stakeholder dynamics and needs. The themes provide support for existing ecological frameworks of implementation factors and demonstrate that adult researchers’ project-specific decisions are nested within educational power structures. This paper will discuss the implications of these YPAR implementation themes in executing YPAR projects in high schools.     

The mood-enhancement function of autobiographical memories: Comparisons with other functions in terms of emotional valence

In two studies, we examined the emotional valence of memories used for mood-enhancement in relation to memories serving self, social and directive functions. Our sample included a total of 263 participants aged between 45 and 82 years. In Study 1, participants recalled memories in response to 51 cue words. In Study 2, participants recalled 32 memories that served the four functions (eight memories per function). We used multilevel modeling to take into consideration the hierarchical nature of our datasets (memories nested within individuals). Study 1 showed that emotional valence was positively associated with mood-enhancement and social functions, whereas negatively related to self and directive functions. This relation was strongest for the mood-enhancement function. In Study 2, mood-enhancing memories were rated as more positive than self, social and directive memories. We discussed results in terms of the tripartite model of memory functions and proposed that mood-enhancement should represent a distinct function.     

内-外倾人格对情绪调节的影响及神经机制

内—外倾人格(即外倾性)是与情绪活动密切相关的人格特质：该特质不但影响人类的适应能力与主观幸福感，还与焦虑、冲动等情绪—行为障碍的产生有密切关联。在以往研究中，外倾性与情绪健康的关系集中体现为内—外倾人格对情绪事件易感性的影响，如外倾人格得分的增高伴随着对奖赏刺激更强的积极情绪反应水平。然而，上述联系也有可能是由于外倾性不同的人群具有不同的情绪调节特点导致。因此，可通过系统操纵外倾性人格因素与情绪调节方式，从外倾性人格特质对情绪调节方式及调节效果影响的角度，深入探讨外倾性和人类情绪与健康的关系。拟综合使用行为调查与生理测量、EEG/ERP 与 fMRI 手段，开展如下三个层面的研究工作：1)情绪调节问卷的编制及内、外倾人群情绪调节策略的比较研究；2)外倾性对情绪调节的影响及其脑机制研究，探讨认知情绪调节的生理变化、时间进程及神经基础与内—外倾人格的关系；3)情绪稳定性不同的内、外倾人群其情绪调节的特点及其脑机制研究。通过上述系列研究，深化对情绪与人格关系的认识，从而为心理健康的维护，情绪障碍的治疗及相关疗法的开发应用奠定理论基础。     

Dysfunctional Eating in an Australian Community Sample: The Role of Emotion Regulation,Impulsivity, and Reward and Punishment Sensitivity

This study aimed to examine the role of emotion regulation and reinforcement sensitivity in dysfunctional eating behaviours. Two hundred twenty‐eight adults from the Australian community completed self‐report inventories assessing the variables. Dysfunctional restrained eaters differed from those who did not engage in restrained eating in terms of their emotion regulation, impulsivity, and sensitivity to reward. Difficulties in emotion regulation, low impulsivity, and sensitivity to reward predicted engagement in restrained eating. Emotional eaters significantly differed from those who did not engage in dysfunctional levels of emotional eating in terms of their emotion regulation, impulsivity, and sensitivity towards reward, and difficulties in emotion regulation predicted emotional eating. Finally, dysfunctional external eaters differed from non‐dysfunctional external eaters in terms of their emotion regulation, impulsivity, sensitivity towards reward, as well as sensitivity towards punishment, and difficulties with emotion regulation and sensitivity towards reward predicted external eating. These findings highlight the importance of the inclusion of emotional functioning in models of development and maintenance of eating disorders, and support the potential implementation of treatment interventions that address emotion regulation and include strategies to cope with impulsivity and reinforcement sensitivities.     

Defining and Measuring Mechanisms of Change in Psychological Therapies: The Path Not Taken

Metcalf and Dimidjian (this issue) have provided an important review of the current evidence base for mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and presented a helpful summary of the proposed mechanisms of change. It is necessary to engage in a continuous dialogue regarding the evidence base for change mechanisms, and the article by Metcalf and Dimidjian highlights an important barrier of concern to the field of treatment outcome research. The present commentary aims to expand the discussion regarding the definition, measurement, and evaluation of “mechanisms of change.” Using MBCT as an example, this commentary addresses the ambiguity surrounding the definition and operationalisation of these mechanisms in research on psychological therapies and how the method of measurement may impact the results obtained in clinical trials. It is argued that a potentially fruitful avenue of future research would involve investigation of techniques, important client‐therapeutic processes, and mechanisms in a single study in order to comprehensively evaluate how change occurs.