Psychology Commons^™

The Role Of Problem Orientation Cognitive Distortions In Depression And Anxiety Intervention For Young Adults., Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Interventions that aim to improve social problem-solving skills can significantly reduce the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms in young people. Anxious and depressed individuals often have a negative orientation to problem solution which acts as a barrier to implementing problem-solving skills. Research with older adults suggests that symptoms impair problem-solving abilities through cognitive processes associated with the development of anxiety and depression. In this study we extend previous investigations by assessing the extent to which specific cognitive distortions and symptoms of anxiety and depression are associated with negative problem orientation in a sample of 285 young adults aged 18 …

Rural Adolescents’ Help Seeking Intentions For Emotional Problems: The Influence Of Perceived Benefits And Stoicism., Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

This paper is the second from a larger multi-cite study developed and led by the third author which explores factors that influence adolescents' help-seeking intentions. Specifically, this paper investigates the extent to which perceived benefits of help seeking, stoicism, gender and symptoms of psychological distress are associated with intentions to seek professional help for emotional problems. A cross sectional self-report questionnaire was administered to adolescents recruited from seven high schools in rural towns in the Riverina region of New South Wales. A total of 778 adolescents were recruited. The sample included 373 male and 404 female participants between 13 and …

Serotonin Transporter (5-Httlpr) Genotype And Childhood Trauma Are Associated With Individual Differences In Decision Making, Scott Stoltenberg

Scott F. Stoltenberg

The factors that influence individual differences in decision making are not yet fully characterized, but convergent evidence is accumulating that implicates serotonin (5-HT) system function. Therefore, both genes and environments that influence serotonin function are good candidates for association with risky decision making. In the present study we examined associations between common polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4; 5-HTTLPR and rs25531), the experience of childhood trauma and decision making on the Iowa gambling task (IGT) in 391 (64.5% female) healthy Caucasian adults. Homozygosity for the 5-HTTLPR L allele was associated with riskier decision making in the first block of …

Predicting Adolescents’ Future Intentions To Seek Help For Mental Health Problems., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

This study examined whether high school students’ current symptoms of general psychological distress, self-rated social problem-solving skills, and recent help-seeking experiences predict their future intentions to seek help for a mental health problem. At Time 1, 98 high school students, aged 12-17 years, completed the study self-report survey that included measures of psychological distress, social problem-solving skill, and recent help-seeking behaviour. At Time 2, three weeks later, the same students completed measures of help-seeking intentions. Students with more severe levels of distress symptoms at Time 1 had lower intentions to seek help for a mental health problem at Time 2. …

Personality Assessment In Dsm--5: Empirical Support For Rating Severity, Style, And Traits, Christopher J. Hopwood, Johanna C. Malone, Emily B. Ansell, Charles A. Sanislow, Carlos M. Grilo, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Anthony Pinto, John C. Markowitz, M. Tracie Shea, Andrew E. Skodol, John G. Gunderson, Mary C. Zanarini, Leslie C. Morey

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Despite a general consensus that dimensional models are superior to the categorical representations of personality disorders in DSM-IV, proposals for how to depict personality pathology dimensions vary substantially. One important question involves how to separate clinical severity from the style of expression through which personality pathology manifests. This study empirically distinguished stylistic elements of personality pathology symptoms from the overall severity of personality disorder in a large, longitudinally assessed clinical sample (N = 605). Data suggest that generalized severity is the most important single predictor of current and prospective dysfunction, but that stylistic elements also indicate specific areas of difficulty. …

Rural Adolescents’ Help Seeking Intentions For Emotional Problems: The Influence Of Perceived Benefits And Stoicism., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

This paper is the second from a larger multi-cite study developed and led by the third author which explores factors that influence adolescents' help-seeking intentions. Specifically, this paper investigates the extent to which perceived benefits of help seeking, stoicism, gender and symptoms of psychological distress are associated with intentions to seek professional help for emotional problems. A cross sectional self-report questionnaire was administered to adolescents recruited from seven high schools in rural towns in the Riverina region of New South Wales. A total of 778 adolescents were recruited. The sample included 373 male and 404 female participants between 13 and …

The Effects Of Need For Autonomy And Preference For Seeking Help From Informal Sources On Emerging Adults’ Intentions To Access Mental Health Services For Common Mental Disorders And Suicidal Thoughts., Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Emerging or early adulthood is the life stage spanning 18-25 years of age. In Australia, anxiety and affective disorders (often classified as ‘common mental disorders’) are prevalent in this age group and suicide is also a concern. Professional mental health care can reduce the long-term impact of these mental health problems and protect against the development of severe forms of these disorders. However, up to three-quarters of young people with mental health needs do not seek professional help for their condition. This study aimed to examine the extent to which belief in the need for autonomy and intentions to seek …

Personality Disorders Predict Relapse After Remission From An Episode Of Major Depressive Disorder: A 6-Year Prospective Study, Carlos M. Grilo, Robert L. Stout, John C. Markowitz, Charles A. Sanislow, Emily B. Ansell, Andrew E. Skodol, Donna S. Bender, Anthony Pinto, M. Tracie Shea, Shirley Yen, John G. Gunderson, Leslie C. Morey, Christropher J. Hopwood, Thomas H. Mcglashan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Objective: To examine prospectively the course of major depressive disorder (MDD) and to test for the moderating effects of personality disorder (PD) comorbidity on relapse after remission from an episode of MDD.

Method: Participants were 303 patients (196 women and 107 men) with current DSM-IV diagnosed MDD at baseline enrollment in the Col­laborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study. Major depressive disorder and Axis I psychiatric disorders were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, and Axis II PDs were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders. The course of MDD was assessed with the Longitudinal Interval Follow­up Evaluation …

Developing Constructs For Psychopathology Research: Research Domain Criteria, Charles A. Sanislow, Daniel S. Pine, Kevin J. Quinn, Michael J. Kozak, Marjorie A. Garvey, Robert K. Heinssen, Philip Sung-En Wang, Bruce N. Cuthbert

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

There exists a divide between findings from integrative neuroscience and clinical research focused on mechanisms of psychopathology. Specifically, a clear correspondence does not emerge between clusters of complex clinical symptoms and dysregulated neurobiological systems, with many apparent redundancies. For instance, many mental disorders involve multiple disruptions in putative mechanistic factors (e.g., excessive fear, deficient impulse control), and different disrupted mechanisms appear to play major roles in many disorders. The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework is a heuristic to facilitate the incorporation of behavioral neuroscience in the study of psychopathology. Such integration might be achieved by shifting the central research focus …

Psychometric Characteristics And Clinical Correlates Of Neo-Pi-R Fearless Dominance And Impulsive Antisociality In The Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study, Edward A. Witt, Christopher J. Hopwood, Leslie C. Morey, John C. Markowitz, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Carlos M. Grilo, Charles A. Sanislow, M. Tracie Shea, Andrew E. Skodol, John G. Gunderson, M. Brent Donnellan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

This study evaluates the validity of derived measures of the psychopathic personality traits of Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality from the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992) using data from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (baseline N = 733). These 3 issues were examined: (a) the stability of the measures over a 10-year interval, (b) their criterion-related validity, and (c) their incremental validity relative to an alternative NEO-PI-R profile-rating approach for assessing psychopathy. NEO-PI-R Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality scales were relatively stable across 10 years and demonstrated differential associations with measures of personality pathology and psychopathology …

Methodological Considerations For Treatment Trials For Persons With Borderline Personality Disorder, Mary C. Zanarini, Barbara Stanley, Donald W. Black, John C. Markowitz, Marianne Goodman, Paul Pilkonis, Thomas R. Lynch, Kenneth Levy, Peter Fonagy, Martin Bohus, Joan Farrell, Charles A. Sanislow

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

BACKGROUND: The National Institute of Mental Health convened an international group of experts to examine the conduct of treatment trials for persons with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The rapid growth of treatment research had led to the recognition that investigators face unique methodological issues with these challenging patients.

METHODS: Conference members reviewed critical aspects of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy trial design for patients with BPD.

RESULTS: This article summarizes discussions held on March 17-18, 2005.

CONCLUSION: This paper addresses the most pressing issues in sample selection and trial design pertaining to BPD; issues that have bedeviled both investigators submitting applications and …

State Effects Of Major Depression On The Assessment Of Personality And Personality Disorder, Leslie C. Morey, M. Tracie Shea, John C. Markowitz, Robert L. Stout, Christopher J. Hopwood, John G. Gunderson, Carlos M. Grilo, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Shirley Yen, Charles A. Sanislow, Andrew E. Skodol

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to determine whether personality disorders diagnosed during a depressive episode have long-term outcomes more typical of those of other patients with personality disorders or those of patients with noncomorbid major depression.

METHOD: The authors used 6-year outcome data collected from the multisite Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (CLPS). Diagnoses and personality measures gathered from the study cohort at the index assessment using interview and self-report methods were associated with symptomatic, functional, and personality measures at 6-year follow-up. Of 668 patients initially recruited to the CLPS, 522 were followed for 6 years. All participants had either a …

Author Guidelines For Reporting Scale Development And Validation Results In The Journal Of The Society For Social Work And Research, Peter Cabrera-Nguyen

Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen

In this invited article, Cabrera-Nguyen provides guidelines for reporting scale development and validation results. Authors' attention to these guidelines will help ensure the research reported in JSSWR is rigorous and of high quality. This article provides guidance for those using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In addition, the article provides helpful links to resources addressing structural equation modeling, multiple imputation for missing data, and a general resource for quantitative data analysis.

General Psychological Distress Symptoms And Help-Seeking Intentions In Young Australians, Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Epidemiological studies suggest that young people might have a tendency to avoid help when they experience symptoms of psychological distress. There is growing evidence that many young people prefer no help from anyone for their mental health problems. The current study examined the association between symptoms of general psychological distress and intentions to seek help from friends, family and professional mental health sources in a sample of 109 trade (TAFE) students from regional and rural Australia. Participants were 67% male and aged from 15-25 years. Higher levels of general psychological distress symptoms were associated with stronger intentions to not seek …

Adolescents' Suicidal Thinking And Reluctance To Consult General Medical Practitioners, Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Appropriate help-seeking is widely recognized as a protective factor, and vital for early treatment and prevention of mental health problems during adolescence. General medical practitioners (GPs), that is, family doctors, provide a vital role in the identification of adolescents with mental health problems and the provision of treatment as well as access to other specialists in mental health care services. The current study is part of a larger multi-cite study developed and led by the first author. It examines the association between suicidal ideation and intentions to seek help from a GP for suicidal thoughts, emotional problems and physical health …

Help-Negation And Suicidal Ideation: The Role Of Depression, Anxiety And Hopelessness., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

Help-negation is expressed behaviorally by the refusal or avoidance of available help and cognitively by the inverse relationship between self-reported symptoms of psychological distress and help-seeking intentions. The current study is part of a larger multi-cite research program developed and led by the first author. It examines the association between suicidal ideation and intentions to seek help from friends, family and professional mental health sources in a sample of 302 Australian university students. Participants were 77.5% female and aged from 18-25 years old, with 85.4% aged 21 years or younger. Higher levels of suicidal ideation were related to lower help-seeking …

Research Domain Criteria (Rdoc): Toward A New Classification Framework For Research On Mental Disorders, Thomas R. Insel, Bruce N. Cuthbert, Marjorie A. Garvey, Robert K. Heinssen, Daniel S. Pine, Kevin J. Quinn, Charles A. Sanislow, Philip S. Wang

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Current versions of the DSM and ICD have facilitated reliable clinical diagnosis and research. However, problems have increasingly been documented over the past several years, both in clinical and research arenas (e.g., 1, 2). Diagnostic categories based on clinical consensus fail to align with findings emerging from clinical neuroscience and genetics. The boundaries of these categories have not been predictive of treatment response. And, perhaps most important, these categories, based upon presenting signs and symptoms, may not capture fundamental underlying mechanisms of dysfunction. One consequence has been to slow the development of new treatments targeted to underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

Trajectories Of Ptsd And Substance Use Disorders In A Longitudinal Study Of Personality Disorders, Meghan E. Mcdevitt-Murphy, Gilbert R. Parra, M. Tracie Shea, Shirley Yen, Carlos M. Grilo, Charles A. Sanislow, Thomas H. Mcglashan, John G. Gunderson, Andrew E. Skodol, John C. Markowitz

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

The Stability Of Personality Traits In Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder, Christopher J. Hopwood, Daniel A. Newman, M. Brent Donnellan, John C. Markowitz, Carlos M. Grilo, Charles A. Sanislow, Emily B. Ansell, M. Tracie Shea, Andrew E. Skodol, Thomas H. Mcglashan, John G. Gunderson, Mary C. Zanarini, Leslie C. Morey

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Although stability and pervasive inflexibility are general criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) personality disorders (PDs), borderline PD (BPD) is characterized by instability in several domains, including interpersonal behavior, affect, and identity. The authors hypothesized that such inconsistencies notable in BPD may relate to instability at the level of the basic personality traits that are associated with this disorder. Five types of personality trait stability across 4 assessments over 6 years were compared for BPD patients (N = 130 at first interval) and patients with other PDs (N = 302). Structural …

The Convergent And Discriminant Validity Of Five-Factor Traits: Current And Prospective Social, Work, And Recreational Dysfunction, Christopher J. Hopwood, Leslie C. Morey, Emily B. Ansell, Carlos M. Grilo, Charles A. Sanislow, Thomas H. Mcglashan, John C. Markowitz, John G. Gunderson, Shirley Yen, M. Tracie Shea, Andrew E. Skodol

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

The convergent and discriminant validity of Five Factor Model (FFM) personality traits with concurrent and prospective social, work, and recreational dysfunction was assessed in a large, longitudinal clinical sample. Consistent with five factor theoretical expectations, neuroticism is broadly related to dysfunction across domains; extraversion is primarily related to social and recreational dysfunction; openness to recreational dysfunction; agreeableness to social dysfunction; and conscientiousness to work dysfunction. Findings support five factor theory and the clinical assessment of normative personality traits.

Personality Traits As Prospective Predictors Of Suicide Attempts, Shirley Yen, M. Tracie Shea, Charles A. Sanislow, Andrew E. Skodol, Carlos M. Grilo, Maria O. Edelen, Robert L. Stout, Leslie C. Morey, Mary C. Zanarini, John C. Markowitz, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Maria T. Daversa, John G. Gunderson

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

OBJECTIVE: To examine higher order personality factors of negative affectivity (NA) and disinhibition (DIS), as well as lower order facets of impulsivity, as prospective predictors of suicide attempts in a predominantly personality disordered sample.

METHOD: Data were analyzed from 701 participants of the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study with available follow-up data for up to 7 years. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses was used to examine NA and DIS, and facets of impulsivity (e.g. urgency, lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation and sensation seeking), as prospective predictors of suicide attempts.

RESULTS: NA, DIS and all facets of impulsivity except for …

Differential Impairment As An Indicator Of Sex Bias In Dsm-Iv Criteria For Four Personality Disorders., Christina D. Boggs, Leslie C. Morey, Andrew E. Skodol, M. Tracie Shea, Charles A. Sanislow, Carlos M. Grilo, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Mary C. Zanarini, John G. Gunderson

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

This reprinted article originally appeared in Psychological Assessment, 2005, Vol. 17, (No. 4), 492–496. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2005-16347-014.) The aim of the present study was to investigate the possibility of sex bias in the diagnostic criteria for borderline, schizotypal, avoidant, and obsessive–compulsive personality disorders. A clinical sample of 668 individuals was evaluated for personality disorder criteria using a semistructured interview, and areas of functional impairment were assessed with both self-report and semistructured interview. The authors used a regression model of bias to identify bias as differences in slopes or intercepts between men and …

Ten-Year Stability And Latent Structure Of The Dsm-Iv Schizotypal, Borderline, Avoidant, And Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders, Charles A. Sanislow, Todd D. Little, Carlos M. Grilo, Maria Daversa, John C. Markowitz, Anthony Pinto, M. Tracie Shea, Shirley Yen, Andrew E. Skodol, Leslie C. Morey, John G. Gunderson, Mary C. Zanarini, Thomas H. Mcglashan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Evaluation of the validity of personality disorder (PD) diagnostic constructs is important for the impending revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Prior factor analytic studies have tested these constructs in cross-sectional studies, and models have been replicated longitudinally, but no study has tested a constrained longitudinal model. The authors examined 4 PDs in the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders study (schizotypal, borderline, avoidant, and obsessive-compulsive) over 7 time points (baseline, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 4 years, 6 years, and 10 years). Data for 2-, 4-, 6- and 10-year assessments were obtained in semistructured interviews by …

Self-Criticism Versus Neuroticism In Predicting Depression And Psychosocial Impairment For 4 Years In A Clinical Sample, David M. Dunkley, Charles A. Sanislow, Carlos M. Grilo, Thomas H. Mcglashan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

The present study extended previous findings demonstrating self-criticism, assessed by the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) (Weissman AN, Beck AT. Development and validation of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale: a preliminary investigation. Paper presented at the 86th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1978), as a potentially important prospective predictor of depressive symptoms and psychosocial functional impairment over time. Using data from a prospective, 4-year study of a clinical sample, DAS self-criticism and neuroticism were associated with self-report depressive symptoms, interviewer-rated major depression, and global domains of psychosocial functional impairment 4 years later. Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated …

The Construct Validity Of Rule-Breaking And Aggression In An Adult Clinical Sample, Christopher J. Hopwood, S. Alexandra Burt, John C. Markowitz, Shirley Yen, M. Tracie Shea, Charles A. Sanislow, Carlos M. Grilo, Emily B. Ansell, Thomas H. Mcglashan, John G. Gunderson, Mary C. Zanarini, Andrew E. Skodol, Leslie C. Morey

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Previous research has demonstrated that aggression (AGG) and non-aggressive rule-breaking (RB) represent elements of antisocial behavior with different etiological mechanisms and associations to personality and psychopathology. However, these constructs have not been investigated in an adult clinical sample. In the current study, interview and self-report derived AGG and RB were associated with personality traits and disorders as well as functioning across several domains, family history, concurrent psychopathology, and prospective behaviors. Both AGG and RB were similarly related to disagreeableness. RB was uniquely related to low conscientiousness, cluster B personality disorders, functioning, problems in childhood, suicide risk, arrests, and substance use …

Can Clinicians Recognize Dsm-Iv Personality Disorders From Five-Factor Model Descriptions Of Patient Cases?, Benjamin M. Rottman, Woo-Kyoung Ahn, Charles A. Sanislow, Nancy S. Kim

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Objective: This article examined, using theories from cognitive science, the clinical utility of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of Personality, an assessment and classification system under consideration for integration into the forthcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders. Specifically, the authors sought to test whether FFM descriptors are specific enough to allow practicing clinicians to capture core features of personality disorders.

Method: In two studies, a large nationwide sample of clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and clinical social workers (N = 187 and N = 191) were presented case profiles based on symptom formats from either the …

Improvement In Borderline Personality Disorder In Relationship To Age, M. Tracie Shea, Maria O. Edelen, Shirley Yen, John G. Gunderson, Andrew E. Skodol, Charles A. Sanislow, Carlos M. Grilo, Emily B. Ansell, Maria T. Daversa, Mary C. Zanarini, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Leslie C. Morey

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Objective: It is commonly believed that some features of borderline personality disorder (BPD) improve as individuals reach their late 30s and 40s. This study examined age-related change in borderline criteria and functional impairment, testing the hypothesis that older age would be associated with relatively more improvement than younger age.

Method: A total of 216 male and female participants with BPD were followed prospectively with yearly assessments over 6 years.

Results: Participants showed similar rates of improvement in borderline features regardless of age. A significant age by study year interaction showed functioning in older subjects to reverse direction and begin to …

Future Orientation Of Adolescents In Foster Care: Relationship To Trauma, Mental Health, And Hiv Risk Behaviors, Peter Cabrera, Wendy Auslander, Michael Polgar

Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen

Future orientation has been found to protect against risk behaviors in adolescents from diverse backgrounds. However, no studies have specifically examined future orientation as a potential protective factor against HIV risk behaviors in foster care adolescents. In this study, 343 foster care adolescents were interviewed about their future orientation, mental health, trauma histories, and cognitions related to HIV risk behaviors. Results indicated variability in future orientation, but there were no significant differences by race, gender, and age. Future orientation was significantly associated with mental health, trauma, HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, behavioral intentions, and number of sexual intercourse partners. Furthermore, externalizing behaviors …

An Examination Of The Persistence Of The Residual Child Welfare System In The United States: Addressing Charges Of Radical Theoretical Myopia With Implications For Social Work Practice, Peter Cabrera

Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen

The United States follows what has been termed a residual approach to its public child welfare system. This article describes the residual model and contrasts it with the policies of other industrialized nations. It also explores the causes and persistence of the residual model in the United States through the lens of structural-functionalist theory. By doing so, this article attempts to respond to critics of structural social work who maintain that it is overly reliant on conflict theory and has nothing to offer in terms of distinct practice methods. Suggestions for a structurally informed social work practice are made.

The Construct Validity Of Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder, Christopher J. Hopwood, Leslie C. Morey, John C. Markowitz, Anthony Pinto, Andrew E. Skodol, John G. Gunderson, Mary C. Zanarini, M. Tracie Shea, Shirley Yen, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Emily B. Ansell, Carlos M. Grilo, Charles A. Sanislow

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Although Passive Aggressive personality disorder (PAPD) plays an important role in many theories of personality pathology, it was consigned to the appendix of the fourth edition of the DSM. The scientific basis of this decision has been questioned, but several controversies persist regarding PAPD, including its structure, content validity, overlap with other PDs, and relations to validating variables such as personality traits, childhood experiences, and clinically relevant correlates. This study examined these facets of PAPD's construct validity in a large clinical sample. Results suggest that the construct is unidimensional, internally consistent, and reasonably stable. Furthermore, PAPD appears systematically related to …