On the longevity of behavioral interventions for challenging behavior

The capacity for a treatment to maintain its effects over time may be the most critical component of behavioral interventions for challenging behavior as treatments that fail to persist are likely to be of little value to society. We reviewed the quality and quantity of different types of post-intervention data for the treatment of challenging behavior in studies published over the last 7 years. We found that for the majority of participants at least one measure of maintenance, fading, or follow-up was reported but with limited information regarding the quality of those measures. Reports of secondary variables related to post-intervention data (e.g., latency to measurement) were also uncommon. We discuss possible explanations for the paucity of post-intervention data, barriers to obtaining post-intervention data, strategies for obtaining these data, and implications for the external validity of behavioral interventions for challenging behavior. We provide recommendations for increasing the probability that post-intervention data are included in applied research on challenging behavior.     

Correspondence between resident- and staff-report on the QABF: Do justice-involved youth agree with residential staff?

Residents in juvenile residential treatment facilities (JRTFs) often display various emotional, behavioral, and educational needs. Researchers have recently developed behavioral interventions to increase residents' appropriate behavior such as cooperation with facility staff instructions, accepting feedback from facility staff, and tolerating unpleasant events. However, there is not a generally accepted tool for assessing the operant function of residents' problem behavior in JRTFs. For various logistical reasons, indirect functional assessments may be more appropriate in a JRTF than manipulating either antecedent or consequent events. This study obtained scores on the Questions About Behavior Function (QABF) assessment for 17 residents from two dormitory staff members for each resident. To increase the number of respondents, each resident completed a QABF for their own behavior. Results revealed moderate to high correspondence (i.e., agreement) for highest and lowest potential operant function of problem behavior between combinations of JRTF staff and residents. These preliminary findings suggest additional research with the QABF in JRTFs is warranted.     

自闭症和智力障碍儿童行为问题与父母焦虑的关系:育儿压力的中介作用与领悟社会支持的调节作用

为探讨自闭症和智力障碍儿童行为问题与其父母焦虑的关系及其内在作用机制,研究采用问卷法对1023名自闭症和智力障碍儿童父母进行调查。结果表明：(1)自闭症和智力障碍儿童行为问题对父母焦虑具有正向预测作用;(2)育儿压力在儿童行为问题和父母焦虑间起中介作用;(3)儿童行为问题与育儿压力的关系受到领悟社会支持水平的调节,调节作用只在智力障碍儿童父母群体中显著。研究结果有助于揭示自闭症和智力障碍儿童行为问题对父母焦虑的影响及作用机制,对改善自闭症和智力障碍儿童父母育儿压力与焦虑具有一定指导意义。     

Quand le syndrome de l’imposteur influence la recherche de feedback : étude des relations entre le syndrome de l’imposteur et les stratégies de recherche utilisées chez les employés

IntroductionThe impostor syndrome is a frequent phenomenon that can have deleterious consequences for the individual from a psychological point of view. It is a vicious circle in which the individual perceives feedback as a threat. This syndrome seems to impact the individual's feedback seeking strategies.ObjectivesThe aim of our study is to show that impostor syndrome will have an effect on the type of feedback seeking used by employees with their supervisor.MethodThrough an online questionnaire with 370 French-speaking employees, we assessed the impostor syndrome, the level of perceived experience, and the types of strategies used in seeking feedback from the superior.ResultsOur results show, after controlling for perceived experience and gender, that individuals with a strong imposter syndrome tend to seek feedback more often and in a less direct way (i.e., indirect, or observational).ConclusionThese results confirm the hypothesis of a link between the impostor syndrome and feedback seeking. The latter would be an element to be considered in the understanding of the impostor syndrome and its consequences.     

自闭症谱系障碍社交动机理论：机制及干预探索

自闭症谱系障碍(Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD)表现为社会交往困难以及重复刻板兴趣或行为。社交动机理论提出ASD个体是由于社交动机缺乏导致的社交障碍。目前该理论缺乏理论元素及结构关系的系统论证, 及基于此理论的低龄ASD儿童群体的研究证据。本研究拟采用心理实验法、眼动及近红外脑成像技术, 探索低龄ASD儿童早期社交奖赏、社交定向异常眼动标记及眶额叶脑区活动的神经机制。此外, 通过音乐奖赏强化学习的干预方式改善该理论的核心元素(社交奖赏), 观测能否改善ASD儿童的社交动机。本研究的开展有望对该理论进行系统验证, 并形成改善社交行为的潜在干预方案。     

Ten principles of counselling: Grounded theory in a mixed methods research project

This grounded theory (GT) study is part of an extensive mixed methods research project to develop general principles for counselling. Nine hundred counselling protocols were examined. The material is characterised by a quantitative amount of data with a qualitative character. The research is based on the systemic-constructivist research paradigm. The variety of perspectives is an important aspect of the work. Therefore, it is important that the entire research process with GT takes place in exchange with other research settings in order to minimise the limitations caused by the perspective of the researchers. During the research process, there was an intensive examination of GT in order to adapt it to the research project. By using the GT to analyse the extensive qualitative material, the actions of the counsellors were observed and 10 counselling principles were developed. This article presents the research process and the findings.     

“Being human”: A grounded theory approach to exploring how trainers on clinical psychology doctorate programmes decide whether or not to disclose personal experiences of psychological distress to clinical psychology doctorate trainees

Objective

Recent research and guidelines recommend that trainers on clinical psychology doctorate training programmes consider disclosing personal experiences of psychological distress to trainees. Disclosure is thought to promote cultures of openness, validate and normalise trainee distress, encourage trainee disclosure and help-seeking and challenge stigmatising narratives. However, little is known about how trainers decide whether, what or how to disclose. This study aims to address that gap by exploring the processes and factors involved in trainers deciding whether or not to disclose personal experiences of psychological distress to trainees, generating findings of relevance across counselling, psychotherapy and psychology training courses.

Methods

In-depth interviews were conducted with nine trainers on UK clinical psychology doctorate programmes from around the country and analysed in accordance with constructivist grounded theory methods.

Results

Findings indicated that participants valued disclosure personally and professionally but were wary of the dangers of disclosure. Disclosure decisions were made by judging the context against internally held criteria. If criteria were not met, then disclosures were not made. Outcomes, whether positive or negative, served to reinforce the value of disclosure and the importance of managing risks, creating a positive feedback loop.

Conclusions

The findings of this study suggest factors that are important for trainers to consider when deciding whether or not to disclose. The six-factor framework developed may be useful for trainers to consider within reflective practice, supervision or during guided self-reflection in order to make safe, helpful and ethical decisions.     

Examining Influences on Problem Recognition and Help-Seeking for Child Externalizing Behaviors Among African American Mothers

Childhood behavior problems are one of the most common clinical referrals. If left untreated, these behaviors can result in detrimental consequences to the child’s development (Wehmeier et al., 2010; Scholtens et al., 2012). Behavior parent training has been identified as first-line treatment for oppositional behavior; however, many racial minority families fail to enroll in behavior parent training. The current study examines maternal help-seeking for children displaying oppositional behavior in hopes to delineate variables that might influence parent training enrollment among African American families. Participants were 112 African American mothers who were provided child behavior vignettes and completed measures assessing factors related to problem recognition, parental attributions, child rearing values, mental health stigmatization, racial identity, and treatment utilization. Results found that when presented with a child displaying clinically significant externalizing child behaviors, slightly more than half of African American mothers recognized clinically significant child behavior problems. Mothers were more likely to engage in behavioral parent training if problematic behavior was recognized. Additionally, mothers’ attributions of child behavior, cultural values, and mental health stigmatization were influential to help seeking. This study supports the importance of considering cultural variables that impact problem recognition and subsequent treatment utilization among African American families.     

Making Lemonade out of Lemons: Dialectical Behavior Therapy via Telehealth During a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a burden on healthcare systems and increased demand for mental healthcare at a time when in-person services are limited. Many programs offering dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for complex clients have pivoted to telehealth in order to increase access to critical mental healthcare. There is, however, limited research on the provision of telehealth treatment for clients with complex psychopathology more broadly, or the telehealth implementation of DBT more specifically. The aim of this study was to examine the use of telehealth services and related clinician attitudes and experiences in the context of DBT. We examined the degree of telehealth platform adoption among DBT clinicians, as well as changes in stress and self-care strategies. A supplemental aim was to gather clinicians’ recommendations for providing DBT via telehealth. Participants included N = 99 DBT practitioners (79.8% female; 20.2% male). Qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data analysis. Findings show that telehealth DBT has been widely adopted among DBT clinicians, and that clinicians’ attitudes to telehealth DBT are cautiously optimistic. Participants described three main areas of stress associated with DBT via telehealth provision, as well as lost and novel self-care strategies.     

Behavioral Parent Training Engagement Among Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The purpose of the current study was to examine engagement with Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and assess openness to novel delivery formats for BPT (e.g., telehealth, group). Participants were caregivers of 501 children with ASD (ages 2–6) enrolled in the SPARK (Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge) online national registry. The study assessed: (1) rates of child disruptive behavior diagnoses, (2) engagement and satisfaction with BPT, (3) parent and child factors (e.g., diagnostic history), and (4) openness to novel delivery formats. Almost 25% of young children with ASD in this sample had disruptive behavior problems rising to the level of a diagnosis of ADHD or ODD and thus would benefit from BPT. However, only one third of these families had actually been referred to BPT. Families indicated high level of interest in participating in BPT, with a particular interest in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) as well as novel delivery formats such as telehealth and group. Specific components of the therapy and delivery formats were indicative of parent satisfaction (e.g. groups, longer treatment sessions, longer treatment length). Specific parent and child characteristics were predictive of openness to novel formats (e.g. parental depression, more severe behavioral challenges, lower verbal skills). Results underscore the need for increased referrals and access to BPT programs the ASD population. Both parent and child characteristics are important for determining appropriate delivery formats.