Psychopathological View of Posttraumatic Stress Reactions is in the Eye of the Beholder. A Commentary on Schok et al.

Schok et al. (2011) concluded that military veterans with “suspicious minds” are at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder. The authors recommended that negative appraisals of peacekeeping missions are prevented or changed to positive appraisals. In developing their argument, they misrepresented previous Dutch research as adopting a “psychopathological perspective.” This commentary criticizes the medicalization of posttraumatic stress responses that tends to ignore contextual factors and moral issues at stake. Also, the implicit assumptions of a “positive psychology” of posttraumatic stress in military veterans are discussed. Results on the process of attributing meaning are presented and related to the differences in theoretical perspective. A contextualized psychology that appreciates human diversity without prejudice and that stimulates moral and cultural sensitivity is advocated.     

Rate-dependent effect of methylphenidate(Ritalin) on fixed-interval behavior in rats

The behavioral effects of 1.0–18.0 mg/kg methylphenidate (Ritalin) injections on leverpressing reinforced under a fixed-interval (FI) 60-sec schedule for water in Mäll-Wistar rats were studied. Effets of methylphenidate were dose-dependent: it increased response rates early in the FI 60-sec adn reduced the higher response rates later in the FI, without changing the average response rate. There was no systematic effect of the drug upon locomotor activity. The local response-rate change during the FI 60-sec are in accord with the rate-dependency hypothesis (Dews, 1958). the bidirectional response-rate changes withing the FI explain why methylphenidate did not affect the average response rate.     

Mueller-Lyer illusion and size estimation performance in schizophrenics compared to normal controls

A size estimation (SE) paradigm and the Mueller-Lyer (ML) illusion were used to examine perceptual disturbances in schizophrenics. 35 reliably diagnosed (DSM III-R) schizophrenics were compared to 20 subjects with no history of psychiatric illness. Perceptual distortions found in previous studies of schizophrenics were only to a certain extent confirmed in the present results. More overestimators were found among the schizophrenics than among the normals on the SE task. The schizophrenics, first of all the chronic patients, also proved to be more prone to the Mueller-Lyer illusion. A reason why the very clear differences between schizophrenics and normals found in previous examinations were not confirmed in the present study, might be that a reliable diagnostic instrument was for the first time used in this kind of study.     

Is there an optimal factor structure of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale in patients with first‐episode psychosis?

The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is the most widely used scale to assess a variety of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and other psychoses. The factor structure of the PANSS has been examined with confirmatory factor analyses in several studies, but not in a well‐defined first‐episode psychosis sample. The aim of this paper is to examine the statistical fit of five different PANSS models in a first‐episode, non‐affective psychosis sample. Confirmatory factor analyses were performed on PANSS data (n = 588). A main criterion for best fit was defined as the Expected Cross Validation Index (ECVI). No tested model revealed an optimally satisfactory model fit index. The Wallwork/Fortgang five‐factor model demonstrated the most optimal psychometric properties. The corresponding subscales of all evaluated five‐factor models were strongly intercorrelated. The Wallwork/Fortgang five‐factor model was found to be statistically and clinically ideal among patients with first‐episode psychosis. Therefore, we recommend this model in forthcoming studies among patients with first‐episode psychosis. However, to prevent the loss of clinically valuable information on an item level, we do not recommend removing any items from the original form. Our study also implies that the specific choice of model will not have a substantial effect on outcome results in studies on the course and outcome in first‐episode psychosis.     

Memory in schizophrenia and affective disorders*

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the stability of memory and information processing in schizophrenics and affectively disturbed patients. Twenty-two schizophrenics, eight affectives and 14 normal controls were tested twice, with an interval of approximately one year. Results showed that normals performed better than schizophrenics and affectively disturbed patients on almost all of the cognitive measures. The differences reached a level of significance on a reaction time test, a vigilance task and a long-term memory task. The only measure where the difference did not reach a level of significance was on a short-term memory test. Groups' performance to some extent changed over time on most of the measures, but the changes were not significantly different for different groups.     

Coping behavior of Finnish adolescents: Remarks on a cross-cultural comparison

As part of a larger cross-cultural project, the present study analyses the coping styles of Finnish adolescents. A sample of 548 adolescents aged 15 to 17 years was investigated. Coping styles were defined by a matrix of 20 coping strategies applied across eight different developmental areas. Factor analysis revealed a three-dimensional structure of coping styles. The first dimension involves activities such as seeking support or taking advice (Active Coping), the second emphasizes the adolescent's appraisal of the situation and the search for a compromise (Internal Coping/Compromising) and the third includes defenses like denial and withdrawal (Withdrawal) and may be regarded as dysfunctional. The Finnish adolescents most frequently employed functional forms of coping like Active Coping and Internal Coping/Compromising: dysfunctional coping style such as Withdrawal was used less often. In addition, significant main effects for age and gender were found. Girls favored more Active Coping and support seeking behavior, as compared to boys. Both functional coping modes showed an increase with age. A comparison of coping styles across eight different problem areas revealed situation specific influences, too. The discussion compares the coping styles of Finnish adolescents with results of two parallel studies focussing on German and Israeli adolescents, using the same instrument. In spite of the considerable impact of environmental and historical conditions in the three countries, the similarities in coping behavior were impressive.