Subfactors of DSM-IV Conduct Disorder: Evidence and Connections with Syndromes from the Child Behavior Checklist

Is conduct disorder (CD) as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) a unitary entity, or do variants of CD exist? We addressed this question, using data collected from the parents of 1,669 Australian boys, aged 6–17. Parents were interviewed to assess DSM-IV Conduct Disorder (DSM-IV CD) criteria. Results revealed 2 subfactors of DSM-IV CD symptoms, made up of overt behaviors (e.g., initiating physical fights) and covert behaviors (e.g., stealing without confrontation). Ordinary least squares regressions showed the 2 CD subfactors to be significantly and uniquely predicted by Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; T. M. Achenbach, 1991a, 1991b) syndromes labeled Aggressive Behavior and Delinquent Behavior, respectively. The results are discussed in terms of the utility of differentiating these 2 variants of CD in future editions of the DSM.     

Psychologists' and counsellors' perspectives on prolonged grief disorder and its inclusion in diagnostic manuals

Introduction: In this research, proposed criteria for what has been termed ‘Prolonged Grief Disorder’ (PGD) (more recently termed, ‘Persistent Complex Bereavement‐Related Disorder’ (PCB‐RD) in the proposed DSM‐V), were presented to psychologists and counsellors. Method: Participants were asked about their views on the ‘disorder’ and whether they considered its inclusion in diagnostic manuals was justified. A total of 185 participants, (147 psychologists, specialist and general, and 38 counsellors) responded to an online survey (part of a larger research project), concerning their attitudes, choices and activities regarding bereavement therapy. In this part of the research, therapists’ perspectives about pathological grief, the recognition of PGD and its inclusion in diagnostic manuals were explored. Fifty‐nine participants took the option of adding written remarks to the survey to expand on their opinions regarding PGD. Results/Conclusions: Tentative support for the inclusion of PGD in diagnostic manuals was given; however many therapists indicated considerable reservations about potential negative repercussions of using such a diagnosis. One‐way between‐groups analysis of variance was undertaken to determine whether participants' opinions varied according to main occupation or specialism; however, no significant difference was found. This research was conducted prior to the latest update to the proposed revision and diagnostic category concerning bereavement in the DSM‐5 of April 2012, but many observations and recommendations concerning PGD made by the therapists participating in this research can be seen to be applicable to PCB‐RD. Implications: The implications of this research for assessing and diagnosing grief, and ways of working with bereaved clients, are discussed.     

Other than “the set pattern”: Developing one’s own thoughts about spirituality and religion

In qualitative research, psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists who had continued to have a personal interest in religion or spirituality reflected on their religious upbringing. The 25 participants interviewed often gave their responses in what can be identified as narrative form. These narratives articulated participants’ often poignant and distinctive, sometimes humorous, experiences. They relate how and why accepted teaching regarding religious and spiritual issues was challenged, usually in adolescence, but for several participants much earlier. Important aspects included differing responses of significant others to the participants’ independent thinking, the beginnings of subsequent religious and spiritual questing, and, for some, the decision to become a psychotherapist.     

Inflectional and derivational morphology in the mental lexicon: Symmetries and asymmetries in repetition priming

Using a repetition priming paradigm, the interrelations between morphologically related words in the mental lexicon were examined in two experiments. In contrast to most previous studies, in which morphologically complex words occur as primes and stems as targets, derivationally and inflectionally complex forms were fully crossed in prime-target pairs. Experiment 1 showed asymmetries in the pattern of priming effects between different inflectional forms of German adjectives. Such asymmetries are problematic for any theory that assumes that all members of an inflectional paradigm share one entry in the mental lexicon. Experiment 2 contrasted derivational and inflectional variants of the same stems used in Experiment 1. Once again, there were same clear asymmetries in the pattern of priming effects. The implications of these results for models of lexical organization of inflectional and derivational morphology are discussed.     

Heart and spirit

In qualitative interview research with 25 psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists in London, Sydney and Melbourne, the author explored how these clinicians experienced, conceptualised and worked with spiritual issues. Bringing to bear their experience on both sides of the couch, this 'information-rich' sample of mainly senior practitioners reflected on a psychoanalytically informed view of spirituality, and its understanding in clinical practice. Two methods of analysis were used. The technique of 'narrative finding' was followed by coding of core ideas, themes and concepts expressed. Participants noted that spirit may be the 'blind spot' of psychoanalysis, and reflected that what they had wanted in their own analyses-and consider that what patients want-is to be able to have spiritual issues addressed in a similar manner to other matters, not prejudged as infantile or pathological. In participants' concepts and experience of spirit, a comfort / challenge dimension was identified. Comfort was taken in having a 'wider view', a more inclusive sense of inter-relatedness, with challenge involving a heightened sense of the unknown and a greater degree of uncertainty.     

Asian Australian acculturation and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help

Research with 112 Asian Australian university students found that adherence to Asian cultural values inversely predicted attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Students completed demographic questions, the Asian Values Scale, the Suinn – Lew Asian Self‐Identity Scale, (which is a measure of acculturation), and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. There was a significant positive relationship between the Asian Australian students' level of behavioural acculturation and their attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Significant differences were found between male and female participants in their attitudes, with female participants indicating greater willingness to seek help. Results also demonstrated a significant difference in gender on acculturation level as well as a significant difference in generational status and acculturation level.     

Contemplating spiritual experience: Winnicott's potential space,Tibetan bardo,and liminality

Abstract

In this paper, ways of contemplating and accommodating the unfamiliar, especially the “other” of spiritual experience, are considered. Some concepts from psychoanalysis, such as Winnicott's “potential space” and his notion of “holding,” are helpful in comprehending spiritual experiences that can easily be misunderstood, or “flattened out” to use Bion's phrase. Interesting and rather remarkable confluences in these concepts from psychoanalysis and from Tibetan Buddhism (bardo) and cultural anthropology (liminality) are considered in their functions of both enabling and comprehending these extraordinary and often life-enhancing experiences.     

Impact of Client Suicide on Psychologists in Australia

Objective

This research aimed to assess the frequency and impact of client suicides on psychologists in Australia.

Method

Participants were 178 psychologists who completed an online self‐report questionnaire concerning the frequency of occurrence and impact of client suicide.

Result

Fifty six (31.5%) participants reported one or more client suicides. Psychologists with more years of experience reported more client suicides. Participants who had experienced a client suicide reported a range of emotional, cognitive and behavioural reactions as well as professional impacts. Ratings of responsibility, preventability and predictability of a client suicide were associated with emotional and/or professional impacts. Beneficial coping responses included talking to supervisors and colleagues, recognising the psychologist is not responsible and having increased acceptance of a client suicide.

Conclusions

The findings have important implications for training, workplace practices and research.     

Processing passive sentences in aphasia: deficits and strategies

Broca's and Wernicke's aphasics' ability to process passive sentences in the absence of semantic cues was investigated in an experiment which varies syntactic complexity and word order. The results indicate that Broca and Wernicke patients use different strategies for sentence comprehension. Wernicke patients use rather general strategies for interpretation, which assign syntactic function according to sequential arrangements of words. Broca's aphasics, by contrast, base their interpretation on specific structural elements of the sentence's surface form, without, however, being able to exploit the full syntactic information of these elements. The different strategies are interpreted to reflect differential underlying deficits.