A dark side of leadership: Corporate psychopathy and its influence on employee well-being and job satisfaction

Although psychopathy often is considered the most toxic of the “types” that make up the Dark Triad of personality (psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism), its role in organizational leadership is the least explored. Using the B-Scan 360, a measure of corporate psychopathy, we investigated the relationships among employees’ perceptions of psychopathic traits in their supervisors, employee psychological distress, work–family conflict, and job satisfaction. Participants in two different samples, one civic and the other financial, rated their supervisors with the B-Scan 360, and completed self-report measures of psychological distress, work–family conflict, and job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that in each sample B-Scan 360 scores of supervisors were directly and negatively related to employee job satisfaction. The two samples differed somewhat in the associations of the B-Scan 360 with employee psychological distress and work–family conflict. Overall, the results illustrate the effects of perceived psychopathic traits in supervisors on employee well-being and job-related attitudes.     

A Model of Psychological Distress for Mothers of Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

We functionally defined and tested a model of psychological distress for mothers of children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This operationalized model includes three latent constructs which are hypothesized to influence mother's psychological symptomatology: Parenting Stress, Parent Characteristics, and Environment Characteristics. Structural equation modeling was used to reformulate and test the measurement models and the overall model. Data supported a model with some empirically-based model revisions founded on both comparisons of best fit and by an examination of statistical modification indices. The final model maintained the Parenting Stress and Parental Characteristics constructs, but replaced independent environmental variables with a more generalized construct of life stress.     

Does Age Moderate the Relation Between Social Negativity and Psychological Distress?: A Meta-Analytic Investigation

Recently, Finch et al. (Journal of Personality, 1999) reported the results of a meta-analysis in which social negativity was demonstrated to be positively related to psychological distress. In the present investigation, we employed meta-analytic techniques to test competing hypotheses as to whether age amplifies or dampens the relation of social negativity and psychological distress. A total of 104 effect sizes (e.g., concurrent correlations between self-report measures of social negativity and psychological distress) from 53 independent samples were extracted from 46 journal articles. Contrary to hypotheses, the relation between social negativity and psychological distress was not significantly different for samples of older (60 + years) and younger (<60 years) adults. An explanation was provided for why the present meta-analysis and previous narrative reviews have resulted in discrepant conclusions about negativity effects.     

Worry and Pathological Worry in Patients with Psoriasis: Cross Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) in Four Samples of Patients

The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Penn state Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) in patients with psoriasis. A series of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were undertaken to assess the reliability, stability and validity of the measure. Patients with psoriasis from four samples (consecutive attendees, anxious patients, depressed patients, and 6-month follow-up of consecutive attendees) completed the PSWQ and measures assessing related constructs of anxiety and depression (HADS) and coping (COPE). The clinical severity of patients psoriasis was also assessed by dermatologists using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Exploratory factor analysis was undertaken and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to examine the clinical utility of the PSWQ cut-off score for normal and pathological worry. Exploratory factor analysis suggested that the PSWQ is essentially unidimensional in patients with psoriasis. Intraclass correlation demonstrated that, over a 6-month period, the reproducibility of the PSWQ total scale was good in patients with anxiety and moderate in patients with depression. ROC analysis suggested that the optimum cutoff differentiating pathological worry was > 60, which is commensurate with findings in adult mental health more generally. The PSWQ cutoff for pathological worry showed a lower specificity for depression than anxiety. The PSWQ is an appropriate measure of pathological worry in patients with psoriasis. The cutoff on the scale for pathological worry demonstrates appropriate conceptual overlap with subordinate distress categories of anxiety and depression.     

Religious Coping, Psychological Distress and Disability Among Patients with End-Stage Pulmonary Disease

A growing body of literature suggests that individuals who face life-threatening situations turn to religion to help them cope. Religion has been cited as the most frequently used resource to cope with stressful events (K. I. Pargament, 1997). The present study was the first to investigate the religious coping methods of patients with lung disease who are awaiting transplant and to identify which coping methods are associated with distress and disability. The study was an exploratory, cross-sectional analysis of 90 patients with end-stage pulmonary disease who were being evaluated for transplant. Results indicated that religiosity was highly prevalent. Patients employed a combination of religious coping efforts, but mostly used coping methods considered positive. Patients with late-onset pulmonary diseases used religious coping strategies more frequently than patients with cystic fibrosis. Hierarchical regression analyses identified a subset of religious coping strategies that predicted 27%, 14%, and 34% of the unique variance in depression, overall disability, and psychosocial disability, respectively.     

Role of Secondary Stressors in the Parental Death–Child Distress Relation

This study examined the psychological consequences and secondary stressors associated with death of a parent. The sample (N = 116) consisted of 26 youths who had lost a parent to homicide, 45 youths who had lost a parent to natural death, and 45 nonbereaved youths. Youngsters completed face-to-face interviews, while their guardians completed measures assessing the children's functioning. Results based on both child and guardian reports indicated that parental death was associated with an increase in secondary stressors, regardless of the mode of death. Findings based on guardian reports also revealed that parental death was related to increased internalizing distress, and that parental death due to homicide was related to increased externalizing distress. Furthermore, secondary stressors mediated the parental death–child distress relation such that parental death led to an increase in stressors, which in turn led to increased child distress. Implications for secondary and tertiary preventive interventions are discussed.     

Mother–infant interaction and maternal postnatal psychological distress are associated with negative emotional reactivity among infants and toddlers— A FinnBrain Birth Cohort study

Studies have reported mixed findings regarding the effects of mother-infant interaction and maternal distress on children’s negative emotional reactivity. In the current study (N = 134 and 107), we examined the effects of maternal Emotional Availability (sensitivity, structuring, non-intrusiveness and non-hostility) and maternal psychological distress on negative reactivity among children in the FinnBrain birth cohort study. In addition, the possible moderating effect of mother-infant interaction on the associations between maternal psychological distress and children's negative reactivity was examined. We used questionnaires to asses maternal psychological distress, observations of mother-infant interaction and observations as well maternal reports of child temperament to overcome the key limitations of many studies relying on single-method assessments. Our results showed that higher maternal sensitivity and structuring at 8 months of child’s age were associated with lower mother-reported negative reactivity among children at 24 months. Higher maternal postnatal distress associated with higher parent-reported negative reactivity in children at 12 and 24 months of age when the effects of prenatal distress and the quality of mother-infant interaction were controlled for. Mother-infant interaction and maternal psychological distress did not associate with observations of child negative reactivity. We found no moderation effects of mother-infant interaction regarding the associations between maternal distress and children’s negative emotional reactivity. Our findings reflect the importance of developing interventions to reduce the maternal distress symptoms while enhancing maternal sensitivity and structuring to prevent the possible harmful effects of these on child negative reactivity.     

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for people with dementia experiencing psychological distress: A hermeneutic single-case efficacy design (HSCED) series

Introduction

People with dementia have a high prevalence of psychological distress but are underserved with evidence-based psychological interventions. To promote choice and improve clinical outcomes, there is a necessity to test different psychological intervention options for this population.

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for people with dementia, considering carer-supported, remote delivery and necessary therapy adaptations.

Methods

A hermeneutic single-case efficacy design series was used to analyse the therapy process and change for three clients with dementia and psychological distress. A matrix of quantitative and qualitative data was collated (“rich case records”) and subject to critical analyses by three independent psychotherapy experts (“judges”) who identified change processes and determined the outcome for each client.

Results

Adjudication concluded that one client made positive changes, specifically reliable reductions in psychological distress, which were largely attributable to ACT. Two clients remained unchanged.

Discussion/Conclusion

Where change was achieved, the ACT-specific processes of values, committed action and acceptance, in combination with non-specific therapy factors, including a strong client–carer relationship, existing client interests and individualised therapy adaptations, were facilitative. Hence, ACT may be a feasible and effective vehicle for therapeutic change by helping carers to better meet the needs of their loved ones. Future research to optimise ACT delivery in this population may be beneficial. Furthermore, the assessment of carer factors (e.g., their psychological flexibility and the client–carer relationship) may strengthen the evidence base for systemic ACT use.