Adolescent dating violence may lead to adverse health behaviors. We examined associations between sexual teen dating violence victimization (TDVV) and sexual risk behaviors among U.S. high school students using 2013 and 2015 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (combined n = 29,346). Sex-stratified logistic regression models were used to estimate these associations among students who had dated or gone out with someone during the past 12 months (n = 20,093). Among these students, 10.5% experienced sexual TDVV. Sexual TDVV was positively associated with sexual intercourse before age 13, four or more lifetime sexual partners, current sexual activity, alcohol or drug use before last sexual intercourse, and no pregnancy prevention during last sexual intercourse. Given significant findings among both sexes, it is valuable for dating violence prevention efforts to target both female and male students.

The self-complexity model (Linville, 1987) predicts that individuals who have numerous self-aspects with little overlap among them will be buffered against the effects of stressful life events and will experience less depression. Despite some evidence to this effect, many replication attempts have failed (cf. Rafaeli-Mor & Steinberg, 2002). The present studies reexamine the self-complexity model, incorporating recent theoretical and methodological critiques of its original formulation (e.g., Brown, Hammen, Wickens, & Craske, 1995; Rafaeli-Mor, Gotlib, & Revelle, 1999). Two prospective studies provide some support for a revised self-complexity hypothesis, which examines separately the effects of differentiation (number of self-aspects) and integration (overlap among them) and considers more carefully the role of stress.

Adults’ recollections of how often they were teased as children are positively associated with their social anxiety symptoms. It has therefore been suggested that childhood teasing may play a role in the development of social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, existing studies have not determined whether adults with SAD were actually teased more as children or whether their current symptoms have distorted their memories of childhood events. This study examined reports of childhood teasing in adults with SAD before and after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). If recollections of childhood teasing are colored by SAD symptoms, then reported frequency of teasing might be more likely to decrease as symptoms improve after CBT. However, if individuals’ memories of teasing are unbiased, they should not substantially change with the reduction of symptoms after CBT. Ninety-one participants with SAD completed the Teasing Questionnaire-Revised (TQ-R) before and after 12 sessions of group CBT. CBT was effective in reducing SAD symptoms, whereas recollections of the frequency of childhood teasing did not change significantly after treatment. These results are consistent with the possibility that recollections of childhood teasing are not substantially biased by symptoms of SAD, and they lend support to previous studies which suggest that adults with SAD endured higher frequencies of teasing as children compared to controls.

This study explores the association between financial knowledge and financial fragility. Data from the 2015 National Financial Capability Study were used to create an index of financial fragility. Relationships between this index and three different measures of financial knowledge were assessed. To mitigate potential endogeneity in the financial knowledge measures, such as neighborhood effect defined as social interactions or characteristics of communities that influence socioeconomic and health behaviors or outcomes of individuals, the neighborhood average education level in US zip code units was used as an instrumental variable. The results from the baseline Ordinary Least Squares regression models and Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression models indicated a negative relationship between financial knowledge and financial fragility; the effect was greater when the instrumental variable was used. Our findings with the neighborhood effect suggest which groups could be a focus for future research as well as offering practical interventions. Further, when designing and implementing educational and behavioral interventions, the knowledge-based approach should gain continued support from financial education, planning, and counseling programs.

In the worrisome context of increasing rates of intimate partner violence and a number of recent deaths reportedly occurring in domestic situations, the establishment and maintenance of effective intervention strategies is a critical public health concern. The present study aimed to evaluate the functioning of a regional intersectoral rapid intervention collaboration agreement (called A-GIR) initiated to respond preventatively to situations identified as high risk of domestic homicide, in Quebec, Canada. In order to better understand how such a collaboration may be successfully implemented, a qualitative analysis was conducted of the perceived functioning of A-GIR and the factors that favor its success as well as issues that should be addressed in this and other such initiatives to ensure efficient and effective practices that prevent the loss of life. Participants (N = 15) were active A-GIR members, who responded to semi-structured interviews which were thematically analyzed. Results are discussed in relation to established partnership action evaluation criteria. The study highlights the necessary conditions for the success of a collaborative agreement such as A-GIR.

This study examines male–female differences of juveniles arrested for a sex offense. A cross-national sample of juvenile boys (n = 177) and a population of juvenile girls (n = 177) arrested for a sex offense are utilized for this analysis. It is hypothesized that (1) boys and girls differ substantially in their offending patterns. Based on Moffitt’s social-amplification hypothesis, it is also hypothesized that (2) juveniles who act with a co-offender commit more serious offenses (i.e., more likely to be arrested for rape and have more victims) compared to those who act alone. The results show boys differ from girls: juvenile girls are slightly younger, more likely to be White, more likely to have a co-offender, less likely to commit rape, and be processed formally by law enforcement. The results yielded indicated social amplification appears to occur when girls offend with a co-offender, but not when boys acted with a co-offender.

This research examines predictors of antigay violence (physical assault, sexual assault, and property damage) using Finkelhor and Asdigian’s (1996) revised routine activities theory, which predicts that target congruence increases victimization risk. Results indicate about half of the sample experienced at least one type of victimization, while 25% experienced two or more types. Physical violence was the most common type of antigay victimization, with property damage and sexual assault occurring less often. Having a higher level of contact with gay/lesbian organizations and being out of the closet or open about sexual orientation increases the risk of both physical assault and property damage. More frequent drinking to intoxication also increases the risk of antigay-motivated physical assault. The sexual assault model was not significant. Implications for future research and prevention are discussed.

Interpersonal violence is pervasive and is related to numerous negative psychological outcomes. This study examines self-compassion and psychological flexibility as potential protective factors for the range of diverse problems associated with interpersonal trauma. A community sample of 27 women (mean age = 37.74, SD = 16.16) participated in a larger pilot intervention study for psychological distress related to interpersonal violence. In this treatment-seeking sample, self-compassion was positively associated with psychological flexibility and negatively linked to higher levels of trauma-related distress, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as well as problems related to the self and relations with others. The results suggest that self-compassion and psychological flexibility may function as protective factors in the development of problems in survivors of interpersonal violence.

Every day, 16 American youths between the ages of 10 and 24 years are murdered; 84% of these fatalities involve a firearm. Nearly half of traumatic youth deaths result from violence-related injuries. In 2013, 580,250 youth suffered nonfatal, assault-related injuries, necessitating emergency department treatment. The aim of this multisite pilot study was to examine the process, feasibility, and challenges of violence brief interventions (VBIs). The participants were youth between 15 and 25 years of age, at 2 major Level 1 trauma centers (TCs; TC1, TC2) in the Southeastern United States. Eligible participants (N = 38; TC1: n = 20, TC2: n = 18) received at least 1 VBI during their hospital stay, which provided information about individual screening results and elicited patients’ perspectives on violent and risky behaviors. More participants at TC2 than at TC1 completed 2 VBI sessions. Barriers to and support of implementation were identified at both sites, and factors for improving implementation were identified, including the need for staff support through clinical guidelines and coordinated prevention and outreach programs. Further research is needed to identify factors for successful implementation of VBIs in TCs.

With nearly 97% of incidents within the past 40 years committed by men, mass public shootings are a gendered social problem. Yet, empirical research on this phenomenon largely neglects gender hierarchy and cultural factors as predictors, in favor of individual- and event-level characteristics. Despite calls from scholars to place masculinity and threats to patriarchal hegemony at the center of analyses, no empirical studies to our knowledge have examined the role of gender inequality in mass public shootings. The findings indicate that gender inequality, structural and ideological, are important predictors of mass public shootings and that future research should continue to investigate such violence from a gendered lens.

Research has shown that the Flash Technique (FT) appears to reduce memory-related disturbance and may reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. This paper discusses the connections between FT and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. In FT, clients remind themselves of a traumatic memory without dwelling on it and focus instead on a positive engaging focus and then blink their eyes when prompted. This paper summarizes numerous models describing how the brain processes traumatic material and presents a model for how FT may work in the brain. It proposes that during the blinking, the patient’s periaqueductal gray (PAG) may take over, sensing the reminder of the traumatic memory and reflexively triggering the amygdala. In Porges’s neuroception model, the PAG assesses danger without going through the conscious brain. Recent fMRI data show that for patients with posttraumatic stress disorder, there is enhanced connectivity from the amygdala to the left hippocampus. Thus, triggering the amygdala may, in turn, activate the left hippocampus, which may then provide a brief access to the traumatic memory. Given the brief access, there is insufficient time for the amygdala to go into overactivation. The client remains calm while accessing the traumatic memory, thus setting up the prediction error necessary for possible memory reconsolidation. This process is repeated during blinking in FT allowing memory reconsolidation to proceed. This model requires experimental confirmation.

This study was designed to shed light on the relationship between victimization and offending, a pattern commonly known as the victim–offender overlap, by exploring whether victimization and pessimism toward the future interact in association with self-reported delinquency. This study was performed on 1,300 (444 males, 645 females, and 211 sex not identified) members of the 2018 High School Senior Monitoring the Future cross-sectional study. Multiple regression analysis was conducted using a maximum likelihood estimator and bias-corrected bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals. The analysis revealed that victimization and the victimization × pessimism interaction correlated significantly with delinquency, after controlling for a series of demographic, family, and peer factors. These results indicate that pessimism toward the future may exacerbate the already strong relationship known to exist between victimization and delinquency.

Objective: Many thousands of people still receive electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) but it remains highly contested. A recent audit of the United Kingdom patient information leaflets found multiple inaccuracies and omissions, minimizing risks and exaggerating benefits (e.g., only six leaflets mentioned cardiovascular events). This study reports efforts to improve accuracy for patients and families. Methods: Letters were sent twice to managers of all 51 United Kingdom National Health Service Trusts, (regional bodies which deliver most healthcare) detailing the audit’s findings and the accuracy of their own Trust’s leaflet, also asking what changes would be undertaken. Results: Only nine Trusts responded and three committed to improvements. The Royal College of Psychiatrists released a slightly better but still highly misleading information sheet. Efforts to engage Government and all other relevant United Kingdom bodies failed. Conclusions: Trusts are unwilling to correct misinformation/ provide balanced information.

Mainstream psychiatry is unable to decide on its model of mental disorder. While the great bulk of research is biologically oriented, many practitioners prefer a more holistic model integrating biological, psychological, and social factors. The “biopsychosocial model” attributed to George Engel appears to offer theoretical support, but the evidence is that it does not exist in any form suitable for science. This puts psychiatry in an invidious position, exposed to allegations of misconduct with no obvious defense.

In 1962, in the wake of the thalidomide crisis, a new Amendment to the Food and Drugs Act introduced Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) into the regulations governing the licensing of medicines. It was believed that requiring companies to demonstrate their products were effective through RCTs would contribute to safety. In 1962, RCTs were a little-understood technique. It was thought trials would produce generalizable knowledge with similar outcomes for successive trials. As a result, regulators adopted a criterion of two positive placebo-controlled trials for licensing medicine. For physicians keen to stall therapeutic bandwagons and eliminate ineffective treatments, a negative RCT result was a good outcome. When it made a gateway to the market, companies, in contrast, had an interest to transform RCTs from assessments that might throw up unexpected or negative results into Randomized Controlled Assays (RCAs) that efficiently generated approvable results. This article outlines the differences between RCTs and RCAs, the steps companies took to transform RCTs into RCAs, and the consequences of this transformation.

The authors examined threatened and attempted suicide among partner-violent male respondents in a family court domestic violence intervention court based on the reports of 101 women petitioning the court for orders of protection. Suicidal behavior was prevalent; 45.5% of respondents had a history of threatened suicide and 12.9% had a history of suicide attempts. Most recent threats were clustered in the previous 6 months (70.5%) with one-fourth occurring within a week of the petition, potentially indicating a desperate response to a deteriorating relationship. Attempts were not clustered in recent months. Men with a history of threatened or attempted suicide were shown to have been more violent at the index offense and greater domestic violence severity overall, potentially indicating a subsample of more severely partner-violent men also at particularly heightened risk for suicide. The study of suicidal behavior in partner-violent men may inform the prevention of suicide and severe domestic violence.

This study examined the risks and protective factors for experiencing bullying and especially racist bullying among internationally adopted children in Finland. Factors examined were related to children's background, adoptive family, children's social problems and social skills, and their associations with bullying experiences. About 56.9% of children reported bullying victimization and 24.2% racist bullying victimization. Boys were at bigger risk of becoming bullied (B = 0.14, p < .05), as were children with disability (B = 0.11; p < .05). The continent of birth (European; B = 0.51; p < .001) and adoptive family's lower socioeconomic status (SES; B = 0.16; p < .05) were associated with increased victimization. Child's social problems increased the likelihood of victimization for both general (B = 0.59, p < .001) and racist bullying (B = 0.10, p < .001). Child's social skills appeared as a protective factor against general bullying (B = 3.87; p > .001). This study shows that interventions for tackling children's social problems and improving their social skills may reduce children's risk for bullying involvement.

This article utilizes a country case study design to describe the implementation of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy training in Brazil. The primary focus is on the methodology, adaptations, adjustments, and cultural considerations necessary to incorporate in-person and virtual training in this country. Additionally, the article will explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic to address National Government Guidance related to social distancing. This guidance required adjustments to training delivery, clinical and self-practice, clinical supervision, and consultation. Finally, the article outlines the advantages and disadvantages of implementing EMDR therapy training in Brazil, expanding to how models of good practice could be implemented in other countries, such as Angola and Mozambique, to include cultural adaptation, sensitivity, and replication.

Most mental health clinicians treating trauma survivors are exposed to repeated details of clients’ traumatic experiences, and some of these clinicians may experience symptoms of indirect trauma through vicarious traumatization (VT), which has the potential of negatively impacting professional quality of life (ProQOL). The ProQOL Scale was developed to measure both negative and positive effects of working with those who have experienced traumatic stress. The purpose of this study was to determine if clinicians who are trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, as compared to trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) and prolonged exposure (PE), would relate to aspects of their ProQOL differently. Second, it was hypothesized that the ProQOL model would predict VT in TF-CBT and PE clinicians, but not in EMDR therapy clinicians. Fifty-four trauma clinicians who reported their primary modality of treatment as EMDR, PE, and TF-CBT were studied. Participants completed a survey that included demographic information, the ProQOL Scale, and the Vicarious Trauma Scale (VTS). Hierarchical ordinary least squared regression revealed that the empirical ProQOL model did not predict VT scores in EMDR therapy clinicians as it did for non-EMDR therapy clinicians. This study implies that there could be aspects of the EMDR therapy methodology that may support a clinician’s healthy worldview when empathetically bonding with traumatized clients, thereby fostering longevity for both clients and clinicians.

This narrative scoping literature review explores a significant clinical population, pregnant women with co-occurring substance misuse, through the lens of adaptive information processing and the potential for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy intervention. A data search in PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Knowledge, Science Direct, Cochran, and Scopus databases focusing on literature published within the last 10 years. Due to the distinctiveness of the issue, 10 research articles met the required inclusion criteria. The results confirm that EMDR can deliver effective outcomes for women with co-occurring substance use disorder during pregnancy. However, the rationale for using EMDR as a “sole-treatment” intervention appears insufficient. Instead, there is an argument supporting the utilization of integrative approaches. This review highlights the limited research available for this essential population and discusses the need for further study and investigation.

The current meta-analysis aims to synthesize existing studies on the effectiveness of both trauma-focused and addiction-focused eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for people with substance use disorder (SUD). Search and selection procedures involved screening 1,733 references, yielding 10 studies published between 2008 and 2021 from 8 countries with 561 participants. After the removal of one outlier study, the results showed EMDR to be effective on a variety of outcomes for people with SUD (n = 9, d = .654, 95% CI [.332, .985], p < .001). Regarding the effects on SUD outcomes, meta-analysis also showed EMDR to be effective (n = 7, d = .580, 95% CI [.209, .951], p = .002). Specifically, EMDR was effective with SUD treatment engagement and severity, but not necessarily the reduction of cravings, and also effective for reducing comorbid posttraumatic and depressive symptoms. This meta-analysis is limited by the number of studies and participants, heterogeneity in methods of included studies, the quality of studies, and other factors.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has a rapidly growing evidence base; however, research into its changes in attachment security during EMDR therapy is limited. This pilot study aimed to explore changes in attachment security in a clinical sample of adults who received EMDR therapy for symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). It also explored the quality of the therapeutic alliance in relation to changes in attachment security. A within-subject, repeated-measures design was used. Eighteen participants received fifteen EMDR sessions on average and completed self-report measures of attachment, PTSD, CPTSD, and therapeutic alliance. A decrease in attachment insecurity was observed. Changes in attachment security were partially associated with the quality of the therapeutic alliance and changes in symptomatology. This study contributes to the emerging literature on change in attachment and EMDR therapy.

Mental health professionals face a high degree of burnout. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (EMDR G-TEP) at reducing distress and burnout in staff working within an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service and if outcomes changed over number of sessions attended. Twenty-two staff attended and measures examining burnout and subjective distress ratings of the targeted memory were taken pre- and post-intervention and at one-month follow-up. 95.5% reported finding the sessions helpful. A statistically significant reduction was observed on total burnout and on personal and work-related subscales; and a significant improvement in subjective units of disturbance was also observed. There was no interaction between changes in burnout and number of sessions attended. EMDR G-TEP has the potential to offer a novel method to improve staff wellbeing within mental health settings. Further research is recommended.

After 15 years of dedicated and outstanding service, Dr. Louise Maxfield, Founding Editor of the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, has retired from her editorial responsibilities. This editorial introduces the first issue under the joint editorship of Dr. Derek Farrell and Jenny Ann Rydberg, who highlight the need to address the future of EMDR therapy in general and the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research in particular, and welcome a community-informed discussion on new directions.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a widely used evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The mental processes underlying both PTSD and EMDR treatment effects are often explained by drawing on processes that involve the automatic formation and change of mental associations. Recent evidence that contrasts with these explanations is discussed and a new perspective to PTSD and EMDR treatment effects is proposed that draws on automatic inferential processes and can be readily integrated with the dominant (Adaptive Information Processing) model. This new perspective incorporates insights from cognitive theories that draw on predictive processing and goal-directed processes to elucidate (changes in) automatic inferences that underlie PTSD symptoms and EMDR treatment effects. Recommendations for clinical practice are provided based on this new perspective.

The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II) remains the most widely used brief screening tool for identifying dissociative symptoms despite limitations of the instrument and the training of those who use it. Standard eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy procedures require a thorough clinical assessment and formally screening for the presence of a dissociative disorder. This aids development of an accurate case conceptualization prior to the preparation and trauma reprocessing phases of EMDR therapy. Reliance on DES-II mean scores as the sole measure of dissociative features—particularly with persons reporting a history of early childhood neglect or abuse—is insufficient to determine readiness for safely reprocessing traumatic memories. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) Guidelines for Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder in Adults, Third Revision, noted that employing standard EMDR therapy with individuals suffering from an unrecognized dissociative disorder was reported as a risk for significant harm. EMDR-trained clinicians’ standard practice of screening for dissociative disorders must evolve beyond a casual reliance upon the DES-II. Consistent use of a mental status examination and reliable diagnostic tools is needed. Several relevant assessment tools are reviewed with their strengths and limitations. The authors recommend that clinicians apply these approaches even when their intent is to screen out persons whose presenting difficulties lie outside their scope of practice or research design.

Recent research has provided new information on the impact of COVID-19 and previous pandemics on the mental health of healthcare professionals (HCP). Several studies have found that HCP are greatly affected by pandemics and may develop anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The stress caused by the intense working conditions and the fear of contracting and transmitting the virus are major vulnerability factors for these workers, increasing their risk of developing a mental health condition. It is therefore essential to provide appropriate support to this population in order to reduce and avoid the psychological burden of the current pandemic on their mental health. Considering the data previously published on the COVID-19 pandemic and past epidemics, the present article aims to provide an epidemiological review of the psychological impact of a pandemic on healthcare professionals. Furthermore, it examines, from a theoretical perspective, whether EMDR early interventions (EEI) may constitute an effective solution in order to provide psychological support to HCP in hospitals. Lastly, the article will identify various protocols for EEI, which, it argues, should be the approaches of choice for providing early support following a potentially traumatic event.

EMDR protocols, theories, and guides tend to presume or prescribe a monolinguistic approach. However, there are many bilinguals whose knowledge of a second language (L2) is sufficiently advanced to allow them to interact with EMDR therapists, but who might also possess memories encoded in a first language (L1), which is strategically useful in EMDR. The objectives of this clinical practice study were to (a) describe the real-world use of EMDR therapy in which the L1 of an EMDR recipient is selectively integrated into processing by a therapist who need not know the recipient’s L1 and (b) demonstrate an adaptation of the standard EMDR therapy protocol to support full resolution of memory material among clients with exposure to more than one language.

Major trauma centers have increased survival following serious physical injury, resulting in increased demand for specialist multidisciplinary rehabilitation. We aimed to explore the feasibility of using early intervention eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in an acute inpatient setting, using a non-concurrent, multiple-baseline, pre-post test case-series design. Unfortunately, no patients were recruited. This paper sets out the challenges and reflections of setting up a psychological intervention study in this setting and provides suggestions for further research.

Autistic people commonly experience co-morbid mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and low mood. General consensus is that autistic people can benefit from evidence-based psychological therapies, with the acceptability and effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy becoming a growing area of interest. One hundred and three EMDR therapists were asked if and how they adapt the standard EMDR protocol to make the process and content more tailored to the needs and preferences of autistic people. We analyzed the qualitative responses of participants to these questions, including barriers and adaptations to all eight phases of the EMDR standard protocol. Overall, therapists emphasized the need for flexibility and responsiveness to the individual client, and the importance of autism-specific knowledge and autism-informed clinical supervision. Implications and future directions are discussed.

The intensive care survivor population is increasing. Critical illness can lead to long term psychological distress for a significant proportion of intensive care survivors. This situation has been brought into even starker focus with the impact of COVID-19. Critical illness can lead to long term psychological distress for a significant proportion of intensive care survivors. Risk factors for post-intensive care psychological distress include delirium experiences. This single case study describes the therapeutic process and utility of the Recent-Traumatic Episode Protocol (R-TEP), an eye movement Desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy protocol for early intervention, with an ICU survivor where therapy was conducted remotely. The treatment provision is unusual in terms of the use of the R-TEP protocol and therapy not being in person. Treatment response was assessed using three standardized measures pre-treatment, post-treatment and at 4-month follow-up, and through qualitative feedback. The advantages of the R-TEP structure are discussed and the need for further research with the ICU survivor population considered.

Most research evaluating eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has taken place in community settings, leaving the impact for service users within inpatient environments less clear. This systematic review sought to identify, summarize, and critically evaluate studies that investigated the impact of EMDR on symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within adult inpatient mental health settings. Seven databases were systematically searched to identify published and unpublished articles eligible for inclusion. Eleven studies, published between 1995 and 2020, were included within this review. All studies showed that EMDR improved PTSD symptoms, across a variety of study populations. However, these findings are limited by the (a) preponderance of case study designs (preventing causal attribution); (b) provision of synchronous treatments; (c) poor methodological quality; and (d) high heterogeneity across studies. Prior research has shown EMDR’s effectiveness and safety for vulnerable populations. While the evidence is beginning to support its use with those experiencing PTSD symptoms within adult inpatient settings, it is premature to strongly recommend it as a routine intervention. Future research within this area is recommended.

L’échelle des expériences dissociatives (DES-II) reste l’outil de dépistage rapide le plus largement utilisé pour repérer les symptômes dissociatifs, malgré les limites de l’instrument et de la formation de ses utilisateurs. Les procédures standard de la thérapie de désensibilisation et de retraitement par les mouvements oculaires (EMDR) nécessitent une évaluation clinique approfondie et un dépistage systématique de la présence d’un trouble dissociatif. Cela permet de développer une conceptualisation précise du cas avant les phases de préparation et de retraitement des traumatismes de la thérapie EMDR. Le fait de se fier aux notes moyennes du DES-II comme mesure unique de traits dissociatifs – en particulier chez les personnes rapportant des antécédents de négligence ou de maltraitance dans leur petite enfance – est insuffisant pour déterminer si l'on peut retraiter en toute sécurité les souvenirs traumatiques. Les lignes directrices de la Société internationale pour l’étude du traumatisme et de la dissociation (ISSTD) pour le traitement du trouble dissociatif de l’identité chez les adultes, troisième révision, le relèvent : l’emploi de la thérapie EMDR standard avec des personnes souffrant d’un trouble dissociatif non reconnu a été signalé comme un risque de dommage important. Les pratiques standard des cliniciens formés à l'EMDR en matière de dépistage des troubles dissociatifs doivent évoluer au-delà d'une confiance aveugle dans le DES-II : l'utilisation systématique d'un examen de l'état mental (MSE) et d'outils de diagnostic fiables est impérative. Plusieurs outils d’évaluation pertinents sont passés ici en revue, avec leurs forces et leurs limites. Les auteurs recommandent aux cliniciens d’appliquer ces approches même si leur intention est d’écarter des personnes dont les difficultés se situent en dehors de leur champ d’action ou de leur plan de recherche.

The couple typology described by Johnson and Ferraro (2000) provided the framework for this analysis of narrative accounts of couples in violent heterosexual relationships. Participants were 15 bidirectionally violent couples who were interviewed separately for about 1 hour each. Modified analytic induction guided the analyses. We categorized the violence in the relationships of these 15 couples in the following ways: 11 were categorized as “common couple” violence; two as “violent resistance”; one as “mutual violent control”; and one couple was categorized as what we named “pseudo-intimate terrorism.” We present rich descriptions of each category and motivations for and impacts of aggressive behavior as well as our rationale for classifying couples the way we did. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) has been identified as a contributing factor to the development and maintenance of anxiety. Individuals with high AS are sensitive to bodily cues and anxiety-related thoughts and often misinterpret these stimuli as catastrophic or dangerous. Similarly, negative and positive metacognitive beliefs (i.e., beliefs about thinking) are believed to increase internal threat monitoring and the use of maladaptive coping strategies, which may increase the impact of AS on anxiety. As such, the purpose of the present study was to examine the moderating role of metacognitive beliefs on the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and anxiety. Adult participants (N = 417), recruited through an online crowdsourcing website, completed a battery of measures assessing the constructs of interest. Results from multiple linear regression indicated that the relationship between AS and anxiety became significantly stronger as negative and positive metacognitive beliefs increased, thus suggesting that negative and positive metacognitive beliefs may exacerbate the effect of AS on anxiety. The development of risk profiles that incorporate AS and negative and positive metacognitive beliefs may be beneficial for early identification of individuals at high risk for the development of anxiety.

This article describes the specific cognitive behavioral techniques that were employed to treat a client with a 20-year history of compulsive water drinking. It is suggested that working with client’s placement of attention is necessary, especially when there are no ‘thoughts’ to debate with.

The present research evaluated the efficacy of a skills-based bibliotherapy approach to sexual assault prevention for college-aged women. One hundred and ten participants were followed prospectively for 16 weeks. A self-help book, written by the authors, was compared to a wait-list control on several self-report measures. Results revealed significant differences between groups, with bibliotherapy participants reporting decreased participation in risky dating behaviors and improvement in sexual communication strategies across a variety of dating situations. However, results suggested that the self-help book was no more effective than the wait-list control in reducing rates of sexual victimization. Limitations of the study and directions for future sexual assault prevention research with women are discussed.

The following phenomenological hermeneutic study investigated the perception and modeling of caring by 13 experienced nurse educators toward nursing students within the classroom setting. Three influences in the nurse educator’s world were entitled versus engaged students, large versus small classrooms, and struggle versus support from the university. The following themes emerged from the textual analysis: embodied caring, why we care, developing a rhythm of caring, influences on caring, and caring communication. The unique contribution of this research brings a renewed perspective on caring. Caring is the essence of nursing and should be the focal point of nursing education.

Research on the role that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) plays as a moderator of the relationship between exposure to violence and violent recidivism is limited. The Pathways to Desistance data were analyzed to examine these relationships. Survival analysis was used to examine ADHD as a risk factor predicting time to violent recidivism. Cox-proportional hazard modeling was used to assess the impact of ADHD on violent recidivism risk and examine ADHD as a moderator of the relationship between exposure to violence and violent recidivism. Results indicated that ADHD predicted quicker time to recidivism. The effect of witnessed violence was significantly weaker for participants with ADHD at baseline than those without ADHD at baseline. The direct effect of ADHD diagnosis at baseline on violent recidivism risk was only significant when the hypothesized interaction terms were included in the model. These findings suggest that individuals with ADHD may be less vulnerable to the impact of witnessing violence on their own risk for perpetrating violence. Effective targeting of treatment should be understood within this context.

There is a dearth of research on the relation of men’s cumulative experiences of nonintimate victimization (polyvictimization) to their victimization in intimate relationships. This study examines the association between nonintimate polyvictimization (including being abused as a child, cyberbullied, stalked, physically assaulted, and experiencing property crime) and the severity of intimate partner violence victimization in men. The sample of 8,784 men in current married/common-law relationships was drawn from a random sample of the 2014 Canadian General Social Survey. About 3% of the men (an estimate of about 265,000 men in Canada) experienced the most severe forms of partner abuse, including the combination of emotional abuse and controlling behaviors, physical violence, and the resulted injuries. Among these severely abused men, about one-third were polyvictims. As expected, a nonintimate polyvictimization predicted the increased severity of male partner abuse victimization, controlling for sociodemographic variables. These findings highlight the importance of preventing nonintimate polyvictimization of men that can help reduce their partner violence victimization.

This research first aimed to test the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a model to understand the intentions to call a helpline of victimized males and females. A sample of 99 participants (53 males; 46 females) who were suffering violence at the time of participation were considered for analysis. Our results indicate that males and females’ attitudes and subjective norms significantly predicted intentions. Second, this study aimed to measure Gender Role Conflict (GRC) in victimized men and test its association with TPB constructs. GRC occurs when rigid, sexist, or restrictive gender roles result in the restriction, devaluation, or violation of others or the self. Our results indicate that GRC was only negatively associated with perceived behavioral control. Additionally, in our sample of men who filled the GRC measure (n = 245), victimized men reported significantly higher GRC than non-victimized men. Overall, our findings indicate gender specificities in the intentions to call a helpline and suggest that GRC plays an important role in seeking help for men.

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal mediationa(l pathways on the link between various straining experiences and suicidal ideation and to test whether its relationship was mediated by the role of negative emotions, constraints, and motivations. Data for this study were collected as part of the Korean Welfare Panel Study, which was a longitudinal study conducted among 7,027 Korean households, surveyed annually from 2006 to 2012. The results indicated that bullying victimization had important effects on negative emotions, although bullying victimization was not significant for later suicidal ideation. Peer delinquency was significantly correlated with negative emotions and positively predicted later suicidal ideation. Also, the significant impact of bullying victimization was transmitted to suicidal ideation through negative emotions. It implies that individuals’ negative life events predicted strain or stressors generating negative emotions that, in turn, led to a high risk of suicidal ideation as a possible coping skill.

On American college campuses, numerous students have died as a result of hazing activities perpetrated in fraternities, sororities, and other student groups. Still, little is known about the common characteristics among these hazing deaths. This study aims to investigate the circumstances surrounding these fatal incidents by examining hazing deaths that occurred at institutions of higher education in the United States from 1994 to 2019. This analysis revealed common characteristics related to the victims, organizations, institutions, incidents, and outcomes of these deaths. The findings support past hazing research, as victims were predominantly males pledging social fraternities. Although hazing deaths were widespread, there was variation among institutional characteristics, region, and size. The perpetrators of these incidents faced legal ramifications, including criminal convictions and civil lawsuits. The recognition of these trends can improve our understanding of the conditions present when dangerous hazing activities occur and the best practices for prevention and response.

Hispanic/Latinx individuals disproportionately experience intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to their non-Hispanic/Latinx counterparts, and little is known about IPV among college-aged Hispanic/Latinx students. This study examines the rates of IPV victimization and perpetration and their correlates among Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic White college students by analyzing cross-sectional survey data of 3,397 Hispanic/Latinx and White college students enrolled in seven universities. Compared to their White counterparts, Hispanic/Latinx students reported higher rates of IPV victimization and perpetration. Age, gender, drug use, and adverse childhood experience were associated with both IPV victimization and perpetration, while ethnicity was only associated with IPV perpetration. This study’s findings highlight the urgent need for more culturally sensitive IPV prevention services and responses to support Hispanic/Latinx college students.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a form of psychotherapy used for individuals who have experienced stress-related injuries. Having an unpleasant experience of previous childbirth can cause anxiety and fear of labor in women during the next childbirth. The aim of this study was investigating the effect of the EMDR therapy on childbirth anxiety among multiparous women in the next normal pregnancy, following a prior stillbirth. A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted with 30 pregnant women after they were admitted for delivery in an urban hospital in Qazvin, Iran, in 2016. The participants were selected using a convenient sampling method and then were randomly assigned into two groups, EMDR intervention (n = 15) and usual treatment control (n = 15). The Van den Bergh Pregnancy-Related Anxiety questionnaire was used to collect data before treatment (on admission when recruited for study) and after treatment (within 24 hours after childbirth). The EMDR therapy for the intervention group was performed with a 90-minute session when participants were admitted in hospital for delivery. The control group received only routine care. Data were collected using descriptive and inferential statistics and p < .05 was considered statistically significant. A statistically significant reduction in the mean anxiety in the EMDR intervention group compared to the control group was reported. Also, a reduction in the scores of posttest compared with pretest was observed in the EMDR intervention group (p < .01). The EMDR therapy reduced childbirth anxiety in pregnant women during normal pregnancy, following previous stillbirth.

The main purpose of the current study was to evaluate the relationship between early abusive experiences (sexual abuse, parental violence, and witnessing parental violence) and subsequent couple adjustment with a theoretical model that incorporates attachment and psychological distress as mediator variables. We specifically examined the variability in long-term psychosocial characteristics of child abuse survivors across women and men. A representative sample of French-Canadian couples composed of 632 men and women completed measures of child abuse, attachment, psychological distress, and dyadic adjustment. Structural equation analyses showed that, for both women and men, sexual abuse was related to dyadic adjustment through anxiety about abandonment and psychological distress. For men, experiencing physical or psychological violence was associated with dyadic adjustment through psychological distress. For women, there was an indirect relationship between witnessing physical violence and dyadic adjustment through abandonment anxiety. Differences between men and women in the long-term adjustment to childhood sexual abuse were small and not consistent with a gender-specific model of psychosocial repercussions.

Transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the identification of dysfunctional processes and intervention principles shared across psychopathology. From a neuropsychological perspective, deficits of executive functions and social cognition have been identified as common mechanisms involved in the genesis and maintenance of different psychopathological disorders. The present article describes a new psychotherapy model, the integrated neuropsychological therapy (INPT), built on the principles of transdiagnostic CBT and neuropsychology. Case formulation is operationalized into three levels of functioning, that is, automatic, reflective, and strategic, considering both neuropsychological processes and clinical contents. Treatment planning involves three phases, that is, preparation, enhancement, and change, each consisting of different treatment modules defined according to the above levels of functioning. These modules are selected based on the patient’s profile defined during case formulation. The theoretical foundations of INPT are provided, and a case description is presented, which illustrates the implementation of the treatment model.

El presente artículo reporta los resultados de seguimiento de nuestro estudio de campo (Jarero & Uribe, 2011), en el que se investigó la aplicación del Protocolo de Terapia de Reprocesamiento y Desensibilización a través del Movimiento Ocular para Incidentes Críticos Recientes (EMDR-PRECI) en una situación de masacre humana. Se aplicó una sola sesión de tratamiento a 32 empleados forenses de la Procuraduría General del Estado de Durango en México, quienes estaban trabajabando con 258 cuerpos recuperados de fosas clandestinas. Los resultados pre y post-tratamiento mostraron una mejoría significativa, tanto en el grupo de atención inmediata (GAI), como en el grupo de atención demorada (GAD), en los puntajes de la Impact of Events Scale (IES) y en el Short PTSD Rating Interview (SPRINT). En este estudio reportamos la evaluación de seguimiento, la cual se realizó después de 3 y 5 meses de la aplicación del tratamiento. Los puntajes obtenidos en el seguimiento muestran que los resultados del tratamiento original se mantuvieron, y que continuó presentándose una disminución significativa de los síntomas de estrés postraumático y de TEPT auto-reportados, entre el post-tratamiento y el seguimiento. Durante el período de seguimiento, los empleados continuaron su labor forense con los restos humanos recuperados y estuvieron permanentemente expuestos a estresores emocionales aterradores y a amenazas constantes relacionadas con su seguridad. Lo anterior sugiere que el EMDR-PRECI fue una intervención temprana efectiva al reducir el estrés postraumático en un grupo de adultos traumatizados que continuaron laborando bajo estresores extremos en una situación de masacre humana. Parece ser que el tratamiento ayudo a prevenir el desarrollo de TEPT crónico y a aumentar la resiliencia psicológica y emocional.

Given the soaring costs of higher education, financial aid is helpful to reduce the direct costs of college. Student loans are the most common financial support for college students. The purpose of this research was to estimate whether student loan holding and amounts were negatively associated with life satisfaction utilizing 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. This study utilized the fixed-effects-logit model to demonstrate the association. The results showed that holding student loans was negatively associated with life satisfaction. But there was no statistically significant association when student loans were measured as the actual amount. The existence of student loans rather than the amount was what was associated with decreased utility in the short term. This study mainly focused on the change of “within-group” effect on life satisfaction in the short run. The findings underscore the importance of education savings from parents and use of student loans on overall life satisfaction practitioners.

The article describes Tools of the Mind—an instructional program developed 25 years ago and now implemented in a variety of early childhood settings across the United States and in Canada. Based on the principles of cultural-historical psychology, this program addresses developmental and learning needs of young children by offering a comprehensive curriculum and by delivering professional development for early childhood educators. The article provides examples of how Vygotskian and post-Vygotskian ideas get embodied in Tools of the Mind instructional strategies with a special emphasis on make-believe play as a leading activity for preschool- and kindergarten-aged children. The authors discuss the results of several evaluation studies conducted on Tools and how these results helped to shape the current state of the program.

The goal of the study was to determine factors associated with domestic violence in menopausal women. This was a cross-sectional study that 350 menopausal women participated. Data gathering used a World Health Organization’s violence against women instrument. Emotional violence was recognized as one of the most experienced types of domestic violence (48%). According to the multivariate logistic regression model, the status of exposure to sexual violence (before marriage) and the partner’s substance abuse was the most robust risk factors for domestic violence, while factors such as employment of women and satisfaction of income were protective against domestic violence. This study has highlighted the factors associated with domestic violence that health program managers need to address.

Most research to date has focused on perpetrators of mass murder incidents. Hence, there is little information on victims. We examined 973 mass murders that occurred in the United States between 1900 and 2019 resulting in 5,273 total fatalities and 4,498 nonfatal injuries for a total of 9,771 victims (on average 10 victims per incident). Approximately 64% of victims of mass murder were White individuals, 13% were Black individuals, 6% were Asian individuals, and 14% were Latinx individuals. Given the higher number of nonfatal injuries per non-firearm mass murder event (11.0 vs. 2.8, p < .001), the total number of victims was only 50% higher for mass shootings (5,855 victims) vs. non-firearm mass murder events (3,916 victims). Among the 421 incidents of mass murder in the United States since 2000, Black, Asian, and Native American individuals were overrepresented among victims of mass shootings compared with their representation in the general U.S. population, and White individuals were underrepresented (all p ≤ .002). Findings of racial/ethnic differences were similar among victims of mass murder committed with means other than firearms for Black, Asian, and White individuals. These findings highlight different areas of victimology within the context of these incidents.

The aim of this article is to discuss the importance of theory development within caring science and whether abduction, as a distinctive type of inference, can contribute to this. We need to understand the role of theory in our discipline, the strategies used to develop it, the criteria used to critique it, and the possibilities for abductive reasoning to enhance theory development within caring science. Abduction paves the way for a deeper knowledge of understanding and is closely connected to the ontological questions

Financial self-efficacy is associated with positive financial behaviors. This study investigated factors associated with financial self-efficacy among student loan borrowers based on original data collected through an online national survey of student loan borrowers between age 25 and 75. Results revealed that perceived student loan literacy prior to accruing higher education debt was significantly associated with current financial self-efficacy, while general financial literacy during repayment did not appear to be correlated with financial self-efficacy. This study draws on social cognitive theory to suggest that student loan literacy prior to accruing debt may act as a mastery experience, improving financial self-efficacy when the repayment period arrives. Given the increasing prevalence of student loans across all generations, this study underscores the need for early education and mentoring from financial professionals about student loan borrowing.

Our research examined the association between intimate partner violence and relationship satisfaction among victims. The negative association between victimization and relationship satisfaction was substantially stronger for females than for males. Comparisons between respondents reporting about same-sex relationships with those reporting about opposite-sex relationships provided evidence that the amplified victimization/satisfaction association among female victims is a victim-gender effect rather than an actor-gender effect. In other words, our findings suggest that aggression harms the quality of the intimate partnerships of females much more so than the partnerships of males regardless of whether a male or a female is the perpetrator. We supplemented dialogue about the direct implications of our findings with discussions about how these results may raise conceptual questions about the adequacy of the instruments scholars use to study partner aggression.

This study investigated the effect of the victim’s gender and the perpetrator’s attractiveness on the observer’s blame on the male and female victims of coercive sexual contact. Two hundred and ninety-six participants (184 females) were enrolled in an experiment in which the victim’s gender and the offender’s attractiveness were manipulated using vignettes depicting cross-gender sexual assault. Participants rated emotions that the victims experienced in being assaulted and attributed victim blame. The results indicate that the male victim was blamed more than the female victim, especially when the female perpetrator was described as attractive. The female victim was perceived as having experienced more negative emotions and fewer positive emotions than the male victim. The effect of the victim’s gender on victim blaming was mediated by both positive and negative emotions.

This research examined how parental communication and family resources provided during adolescence relate to domain-specific financial management behaviors for a sample of 1,245 young adults age 18–34. Using data collected by an online survey administration organization, bivariate analysis results indicated that higher levels of parental communication about proper consumer skills and tangible and intangible family resources were associated with better financial behaviors. Financial behaviors were also found to vary significantly across different levels of family income. Multivariate regression analyses revealed two noteworthy interactions in which intangible resources and financial behaviors varied by level of family income. Better financial behaviors in adulthood were associated with more intangible resources for middle- and upper-income families during adolescence. The reverse was indicated for young adults from lower income families. Control variables of education level, employment status, and gender also showed significance with financial behaviors.

Both self-efficacy and self-regulation have been connected to financial behaviors and financial outcomes of households; however, their associations have been studied independently. This study examined the association between general self-regulation (i.e., mindfulness practice, self-care behaviors, and conflict management) and financial management behavior, mediated by financial self-efficacy. Data was gathered from 693 individuals in couple relationships residing in the Southeastern United States of America who participated in a Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education training program. Analyses of data showed that general self-regulation and financial self-efficacy were positively associated with financial management behaviors and that general self-regulation was indirectly associated with financial management behaviors through financial self-efficacy. Implications of this study suggest that by coupling financial education, counseling, and coaching interventions with broad-based self-regulation programming, such as mindfulness or relationship training, clients will realize more significant improvements in financial management behaviors.

The negative effects of trauma and other adverse life experiences have been shown to interfere with individual, family, and societal functioning. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is empirically supported and recommended as a frontline treatment for psychological trauma in numerous practice guidelines. It provides both effective and efficient treatment without the need for detailed descriptions of the disturbing event or homework. This allows field teams to provide culturally sensitive therapy on consecutive days for those in remote areas and in crisis situations. Humanitarian assistance organizations have conducted projects internationally to provide EMDR therapy after both natural and manmade disasters and have helped develop sustainable mental health resources worldwide. This brief introduction provides an overview of current programs, treatment rationale, and a call for future action.

Congruency theory predicts that sociotropic and autonomous individuals may experience negative life events differently, focusing primarily on the social and achievement themes of events, respectively. The present study investigated this hypothesis in 175 undergraduate students, who completed measures of sociotropy and autonomy, depressive symptoms, and life event self-worth impact appraisals. Both negative interpersonal and personal failure-related events were related to participants’ senses of self-worth in the social and achievement domains, supporting a continuous model of life event classification. Sociotropy and specific autonomy subfactors showed differential associations with self-worth impact ratings. Recommendations for future research, psychological assessment, and treatment of depressive responses to negative life events in sociotropic and autonomous individuals are discussed.

Thirty years after its introduction in 1989, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has evolved to become a comprehensive psychotherapy, guided by Shapiro's adaptive information processing model. Her model views most mental health disorders as stemming from unprocessed earlier disturbing events. This understanding of the etiological role of trauma has opened the door for EMDR treatment of multiple types of presentations. There are now more than 44 randomized controlled trials that have investigated EMDR treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), early traumatic stress, and traumatized children. In addition, there are 28 randomized controlled trials which have evaluated its use with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, psychosis, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance use disorder, and pain. Seventy-five percent of these studies provided Shapiro's standardized procedure, while others tested modifications developed for specific populations. The focus of treatment varied across the studies, with various targets being processed to achieve good outcomes. The research demonstrates EMDR's effectiveness in reducing/eliminating PTSD and trauma-related symptoms, and in improving symptoms related to presenting problems and disorders. EMDR can be considered to have well-established efficacy for the treatment of PTSD. The emerging evidence for EMDR's efficacy with disorders other than PTSD must be considered preliminary and in need of replication conducted with randomized controlled trials using rigorous methodology. EMDR's position in various treatment guidelines is discussed, and the needs for future research are elaborated.

Women are at notable risk for negative reactions from others following sexual victimization which serve to intensify negative post-traumatic outcomes. The current study tested the effectiveness of cognitive bias modification-appraisal (CBM-App) training targeting post-traumatic cognitions theorized to be impacted by positive and negative social support with 45 female undergraduates, grouped by experiencing overall positive or negative post-assault support. Whereas all participants experienced improvements in post-traumatic cognitions at 1-week follow-up, a crossover effect for intrusion symptoms was found; CBM-App training reduced intrusions in participants with negative support experiences yet increased intrusions in participants with positive support experiences. While findings highlight the need for careful selection of post-trauma interventions, the study is the first to integrate findings from CBM-App, sexual assault, and social support literature. Socially relevant post-traumatic cognitions appear to be malleable and may be an important focus of treatment for survivors who experienced negative post-assault support.

This article reports preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing psychotherapy (EMDR) therapy, applying bilateral alternating tactile stimulation in treating cognitive symptoms in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). A single-case experimental design was used in seven clinical cases. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Intolerance of Uncertainty, Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire, and Negative Problem Orientation Questionnaire were administered at five points during pretreatment (which established the baseline phase serving as each participant's control), at three points during the treatment phase, at the end of it, and at the 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Each participant received 16 treatment sessions. Visual, statistical, and clinical significance analyses were conducted. The cognitive symptoms treated were: excessive worry, intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive avoidance, and negative orientation to problems. All four cognitive symptoms subsided, with large effect sizes in all cases, between pre- and posttreatment, which can be observed in the visual and statistical analysis of each case. Pre- and post-cognitions are specified in each case. According to the clinical significance analysis, all participants evidenced a change towards an improvement. Finally, evidence is given in favor of the usefulness of EMDR therapy for the treatment of cognitive symptoms in participants diagnosed with GAD. However, these results must be considered cautiously when generalizing data.

The study investigates the cumulative impact of child maltreatment and victimization in adolescence on violent behavior in young adulthood in a nonclinical high-risk sample. The sample consists of 1,526 incarcerated young men (14 to 24 years) who were interviewed with standardized instruments during their prison term. Violent and nonviolent offenders with and without repeated victimization experiences throughout the life cycle were compared. Results show that child maltreatment doubles the risk for violent victimization in adolescence. Repeated victimization experiences in adolescence heighten the risk for later violent offending. This is the case for officially registered violence and self-reported violent behavior. In addition, child maltreatment increased the probability of self-reported violence as well. However, the interaction effect of victimization in childhood and victimization in early adolescence counteracted the main effects. Being repeatedly victimized throughout the early life cycle slightly reduced the probability of being a frequent offender.

Medications to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can increase students’ ability to stay awake to cram for exams. Although popularly viewed as “academic steroids,” there is no evidence that ADHD medications promote complex cognitive functioning or scholarship. To the contrary, compelling new evidence indicates that ADHD drug treatment is associated with deterioration in academic and social-emotional functioning. Yet, ADHD diagnosis and drug treatment have risen unabated for decades. Today, ADHD medications are so prevalent on college campuses that students falsely perceive these drugs as relatively benign and freely use them for nonmedical reasons, resulting in record numbers of adverse events and deaths. This article describes the nature of the ADHD drug abuse epidemic, rules some colleges have implemented to manage risk, and actions that any educational institution may consider to combat ADHD drug abuse and to promote student health and campus safety.

Students’ perspectives of student health centers as a resource for sexual violence were examined. A qualitative, descriptive research design was used. Data were collected from 37 female undergraduate students in March 2016. Four focus groups were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. Three themes emerged: (a) supports and barriers to using student health centers for sexual violence; (b) student health centers’ responsibility to educate students about sexual violence; and (c) student health centers’ responsibility to use campus-wide, comprehensive sexual violence efforts. Participants provided several recommendations to assist student health centers with addressing sexual violence. To maximize utility as an on-campus sexual violence resource, student health centers should foster a climate that is supportive of students’ use of the facility and tailor their efforts to address students’ needs. Student health center recommendations and suggestions for future research are provided.

Health disparities are projected to increase as more individuals delay obtaining needed healthcare. Increasing vulnerability of these persons results when they are unable to access care. Community-based nurses, particularly nurse practitioners (NPs), are well-positioned to respond to these calls for nursing. In the process of responding, a variety of ethical issues have been identified. A naturalistic inquiry of community-based NPs was conducted in order to enhance understanding of these issues. A Level of Ethical Issues Framework emerged with the patient-nurse practitioner covenant as the core ethical value that guides the NPs’ care of vulnerable persons. By focusing on the covenant and by increasing our understanding about the needs of diverse communities, NPs and all nurses can develop appropriate responses to the widening disparities among vulnerable members of our communities.

Since its inception in 1989, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has evolved from a simple desensitization technique to treat posttraumatic stress disorder to a comprehensive psychotherapy approach that treats a broad range of clinical problems in a variety of contexts and with diverse populations. This position paper is the result of a two-year project by the Council of Scholars’ “What is EMDR?” workgroup that was tasked with the particular challenge of defining EMDR therapy, as innovations in the field continue to develop and the need for a consensus definition has become essential. In addition to proposing categories of EMDR therapy, that is, EMDR psychotherapy, EMDR treatment protocols, and EMDR-derived techniques, we identified core elements of EMDR therapy that can serve as a guideline to evaluate future innovations. Additionally, with concepts and procedures evolving over the years, some of the language needed revising to be consistent with current practices. The adoption of these three categories of treatment by the EMDR community would have broad-reaching implications that would generate more qualitative as well as quantitative studies in all categories. For training and clinical practice, it offers clinicians the opportunity to train with a focus on their particular treatment setting in addition to the foundational training that would be universal to all EMDR-trained clinicians. Finally, the interplay in the Council of Scholars between the “What is EMDR?” workgroup and the research, clinical practice, and training and accreditation workgroups will lead to further developments as these areas all inform one another.

The 35-million-dollar Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study is the largest antidepressant effectiveness study ever conducted. STAR*D enrolled 4,041 depressed patients and provided them with exemplary free acute and continuing antidepressant care to maximize their likelihood of achieving and maintaining remission. Patients who failed to get adequate relief from their first antidepressant were provided with up to three additional trials of pharmacologically distinct treatments. This article identifies numerous instances of apparent bias in the conduct and reporting of outcomes from this study. In contrast to STAR*D’s report of positive findings supporting antidepressants’ effectiveness, only 108 of its 4,041 patients (2.7%) had an acute-care remission, and during the 12 months of continuing care, these patients neither relapsed nor dropped out. This article also discusses the roles of the American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in promoting the biased reporting of STAR*D’s results.

Mothers and teachers play a pivotal role in promoting preschool children’s theory of mind. This study explored and compared mothers’ and teachers’ mental-state discourse during storybook reading with children, focusing on their use of mental terms and references to three mental-state aspects: false belief, mental causality, and different points of view. Participants were 60 mothers and their children, and 60 teachers and 300 preschoolers. Mothers read the book to one child and teachers read the same book to groups of 5 children. The book involved a central false-belief theme. Main findings revealed that mothers and teachers elaborated on book-related mental states. However, teachers’ discourse included more mental terms and more references to mental causality and different people’s perspectives. The findings suggest that reading books with rich mental-state contents encourages rich discourse on mental-state elements. Parents and teachers should be guided in how to use their unique knowledge and relationships with children to enrich their mediation of books’ mental-state aspects and discuss them with children.

Associations between child abuse and/or witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) during childhood and women’s health, adult IPV exposure, and health care use were examined. Randomly sampled insured women ages 18–64 (N = 3,568) completed a phone interview assessing childhood exposure to abuse and witnessing IPV, current health, and adult IPV exposure. Women’s health care use was collected from automated health plan databases. Poor health status, higher prevalence of depression and IPV, and greater use of health care and mental health services were observed in women who had exposure to child abuse and witnessing IPV during childhood or child abuse alone, compared with women with no exposures. Women who had witnessed IPV without child abuse also had worse health and greater use of health services. Findings reveal adverse long-term and incremental effects of differing child abuse experiences on women’s health and relationships.

Bibliometric analysis is a quantitative method designed to analyze large volumes of scientific output data and to map the intellectual landscape of a specific area of knowledge by describing its scientometric indicators (e.g., number of publications and citations, etc.) and structural relationships (e.g., co-authorship patterns, keyword clustering, etc.) between its different components. In this article, methods of bibliometric analysis are applied to the corpus of publications on eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy research. A total of 1,150 papers found in the Web of Science database and published between 1994 and early 2021 were included in the analysis. Retrieved bibliometric data was analyzed and visualized using VOSViewer software. Temporal distribution of publications (number of publications per year); spatial distribution of publications (author affiliations); top journals; impact of EMDR research as assessed by highly cited publications; author co-citation as a measure of collaboration; literature co-citation as a measure of internal structure; and key terms were analyzed. The results of the study provide the readers with a broad, “one-stop overview” of the current state of research on EMDR therapy, with a focus on the quantitative characteristics of its output and on the key represented topics.

Introduction: As an innovative procedure, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) 2.0, which is based on standard EMDR, draws attention with its promising results. The adaptation of EMDR 2.0 to groups will be a significant contribution to the psychology literature. Considering the effectiveness of EMDR 2.0 on individual applications, this is a preliminary study that aims to explore the role of EMDR 2.0 on groups by developing the EMDR 2.0 group protocol (EMDR 2.0 GP).

Methods: In this pilot study, EMDR 2.0 GP is applied to a group of seven participants who had been exposed to a traffic incident. The role of EMDR 2.0 GP (three sessions; 3.5 hours in total) on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression, anxiety, and stress was measured. The Impact of Event Scale—Revised and the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used to assess these symptoms at pretreatment, one-week posttreatment, and one-month posttreatment.

Results: The participants (mean age = 47.14 ± 9.65) with a traffic accident experience (mean of the time elapsed = 88.57 ± 38.24 months) received EMDR 2.0 GP. Results showed that the EMDR 2.0 group had significantly lower depression (χ² [2, n = 7] = 9.364, p = .009, Kendall’s W = .668) and stress (χ² [2, n = 7] = 8.667, p = .013, Kendall’s W = .619) on the subscales of DASS-21 and lower intrusions (χ² [2, n = 7] = 6.333, p = .042, Kendall’s W = .452), avoidance (χ² [2, n = 7] = 7.280, p = .026, Kendall’s W = .520), and hyperarousal (χ² [2, n = 7]) = 10.800, p = .005, Kendall’s W = .771) at posttreatment.

Conclusion: The pilot study of EMDR 2.0 GP indicated that this newly developed protocol that was first applied to the group may be effective in reducing depression, stress, and PTSD symptoms among a nonclinical sample. This pilot study supports future randomized controlled EMDR GP applications.

Research has highlighted the negative effects of early neglect and abuse on the development of emotional self-regulation and attachment. Attention has focused more on negative affect states related to past adverse and traumatic experiences than on the deactivating effects of the absence of early shared positive affect states from parent-infant play, warmth, and affection. Treatment strategies for survivors of early neglect and abuse have focused on methods to metabolize memories of traumatic events. Skills development models have emphasized the benefits of distress tolerance, acceptance, and mindfulness training for patients with persistent negative affect states. Research on the benefits of therapeutic interventions intended to increase positive affect indicates they promote prosocial behaviors and creativity, broaden the scope of attention, reduce emotional symptoms and behavioral problems, and improve physical health. Within the field of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, procedures to increase positive affect have generally focused on resource development and installation procedures intended to increase access to positive affect-related memories and images. A neglected clinical issue is the inability of survivors of early neglect to tolerate and integrate actual positive interpersonal experience into positive emotional states, interpersonal scripts, or self-concepts. These deficiencies, characteristic of those with dismissing insecure attachment, help produce and maintain profound psychological, medical, and social problems that limit the ability of patients with these histories from progressing in psychotherapy. This article explores research supporting the potential benefits of an EMDR-related procedure, the positive affect tolerance (PAT) and integration protocol, along with possible mechanisms by which the PAT protocol in general, and its bilateral stimulation procedures, might produce clinical benefits for survivors of early neglect. Case vignettes illustrate the potential challenges of implementing and the potential impact of the PAT protocol. Research designs and assessment tools are described that could clarify the potential benefits of the PAT protocol compared to other treatments designed to increase positive affect.

Introduction: It has been hypothesized that certain persistent physical symptoms (PPS) may be linked to unresolved traumatic or distressing somatic-symptom related memories. EMDR intervention targets and reintegrates distressing memories, thus reducing the re-experiencing of physical sensations. The primary aim of this review was to examine effectiveness of EMDR for PPS. Secondary aims were to investigate effectiveness of EMDR on secondary outcomes (post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression), and to evaluate the acceptability of EMDR for this client group. Method: Six electronic databases (PsycInfo, PsycArticles, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Web of Science and SCOPUS) were searched for peer-reviewed literature, with no restrictions on publication dates. Twenty-eight studies met inclusion criteria. Studies were included if the primary aim of EMDR intervention was to reduce intensity, frequency or reported distress associated with PPS. Studies were quality appraised using the MMAT tool prior to narrative synthesis of key findings. Results: Studies varied in design and included RCT, UCT, case study and case series. EMDR treatment length varied between studies; 1–20 sessions. All studies reported significant improvement in PPS at post-test. Effect sizes were available to report in five studies and ranged from moderate to large. Improvement in secondary outcomes were reported in all repeated measure studies. Where available, large effect sizes were reported for reduction in anxiety and depression. Overall drop-out rates in studies with representative samples was low (10.6%). Quality of research varied; low (42.8%), medium (21.4%), and high (35.7%). Conclusions: There is promising emerging evidence for effectiveness and acceptability of EMDR for a range of PPS. However, firm conclusions on efficacy cannot be made. While comparisons between PPS presentations cannot be drawn due to methodological differences, the findings for pain and tinnitus are the most compelling due to methodological quality. High-quality sufficiently powered RCTs are recommended to determine efficacy.

Theories of victimization developed independently of theories of offending, in spite of consistent findings of similarities between offenders and victims of crime. This study examines whether Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) general theory of crime, typically used to predict offending, also has relevance in understanding juvenile victimization. The data for this project are drawn from a sample of over 1,200 middle and high school students. Using structural equation models, the findings suggest that higher self-control does directly decrease victimization and that self-control also affects victimization indirectly though opportunities (peer deviance). Implications for the studies of victimization as well as the general theory of crime are discussed.

This investigation examined the efficacy of cognitive therapy, relaxation training, and their combination with 4 children (6-15 years of age) diagnosed with DSM-III-R overanxious disorder using a multiple baseline design across subjects. Each intervention contained an exposure component equalized across treatments. All children improved on child and parent pre-post self-report measures as well as parent and independent clinician’s ratings. Treatment gains were maintained at six month follow-up. While all three treatments were associated with diminished anxiety, evidence suggested that interventions were most effective when “matched” to a child’s problematic response class (i.e. cognitive symptoms, somatic symptoms or both). Implications for treatment of childhood anxiety disorders are discussed.

Survivors of early neglect and other adverse childhood experiences often struggle with general and social anxiety, depressive states, and negative self-concept. Trauma-informed treatment strategies for survivors, such as EMDR therapy, exposure therapy, and cognitive processing therapy, tend to focus on resolving memories of adverse and traumatic experiences. Coping skills development models, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), emphasize training in mindfulness, assertiveness, or self-soothing skills for patients with persistent negative affect states. In the era of trauma-informed psychotherapy, an often-overlooked clinical issue is the impaired ability of survivors of early neglect to tolerate and integrate moments of shared positive interpersonal experience into positive emotional states and positive self-concepts. Survivors of neglect tend to make use of overt or covert avoidance strategies and minimization responses to avoid the discomfort, anxiety, or confusion they experience in what others find to be pleasurable and enriching social interactions. The Positive Affect Tolerance and Integration (PAT) protocol focuses on helping survivors of early emotional neglect to learn to tolerate and assimilate moments of appreciation, praise, and affection. This paper offers principles and a specific series of interventions that incorporate standard EMDR therapy procedures with minor adaptations. In addition to a summary of the PAT protocol, three case examples are described to illustrate selection criteria and potential clinical responses.

This paper advances the biopsychosocial adaptive information processing (BPS-AIP) model and theory (Cotraccia, 2012) by adding consciousness as a mechanism of action activated via social behavior in EMDR. An attention schema is conceptualized as content integrated with dynamic self-models that maintain subjective mental states of biopsychosocial connectivity or disconnectivity. These implicit self-models are portrayed as determining 1) the disposition of the BPS-AIP system of clients presenting for EMDR as more or less connected or disconnected prior to, at the time of, and following, a stressful event; and 2) whether or not stressful events become traumatizing over time. Attention schema theory (Graziano, 2021) is integrated to further describe how establishing and enhancing attentional agency when addressing simple and complex-PTSD facilitates consolidation of autobiographical memory. Self-integration in the context of an attuned therapeutic relationship is described in terms of patterns of tracking attention to promote heightened states of self/other consciousness and activate the innate healing system. Attention schema theory, as a prominent theory of consciousness, adds to BPS-AIP’s compelling description of how an innate neurophysiological system can be integrated with psychosocial components that explain how both subjective and intersubjective experiences are causally relevant to the processing of autobiographical memory.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a biopsychosocial impact on the Greek mental health system by worsening symptoms of depression and stress in the general population. As the need for mental health services increased, the pandemic strongly affected EMDR practice, and training which was mainly online, during 2020. In a small sample consisting of 40 EMDR practitioners, a brief online questionnaire was administered concerning the obstacles that professionals believe they face doing online EMDR therapy in Greece during the pandemic. A conventional qualitative analysis was conducted on the respondents’ feedback by coding the content. Among others, the results showed two categories of practical and psychosocial defects in the efficient application of online EMDR practice. Lack of physical contact, poor application of bilateral stimulation based on technical difficulties, poor computer skills, and physical exhaustion due to continuous lockdown were some of the content subcategories. The results are discussed concerning the current context of the pandemic and local characteristics. Moreover, practical implications for online EMDR practice are discussed.

This article presents two vignettes on the successful use of the Flash Technique (FT) without bilateral stimulation and prompted without blinking. FT was first developed as a protocol to quickly bring down the emotional distress of a traumatic memory during the preparation phase of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, so that EMDR could proceed. A recent model for FT (Wong, 2021) proposes that, with FT, traumatized clients may be able to access their traumatic memory briefly, reflexively, and without the fear response, during blinking. This sets up a prediction error which, with repeated blinking, may lead to memory reconsolidation and processing of the traumatic memory. Since the access to the traumatic memory is reflexive and brief, the processing of the memory is outside of the awareness of the client and of the therapist, which is consistent with the practitioner’s and the client’s experience with FT. Wong’s model is based on published fMRI data from neuroscience and established concepts in working memory research, and the model will be reviewed in some detail in the article. However, it is also based on fMRI data for spontaneous and not-prompted blinking, and does not require bilateral stimulation, implying that processing could occur using FT without bilateral stimulation and without prompted blinking, relying instead only on spontaneous blinking. Our two vignettes provide two data points that support this aspect of Wong’s model.

Much information has been collected on the effects of crime upon victims. Experts have spoken as well about the ripple effects of crime on those close to victims. To date, however, little empirical data are available to assess the impact of crime upon “secondary victims.”

Our research looks at the effects of crime on a sample of persons named by victims of sexual and nonsexual assault as their primary significant others (SOs). We found that distress experienced by SOs did not vary according to victim distress or according to whether the crime was a sexual or nonsexual assault. Female SOs, however, experienced greater fear of crime than male SOs.

High levels of SO distress did not interfere with the ability of SOs to lend supportive actions, but were associated with higher levels of SO unsupportive behavior. Higher levels of unsupportive behavior were also more likely among SOs of sexual assault victims than among SOs of nonsexual assault victims. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Bridging the gap between theory and practice, this study yielded a reliable and valid measure for responsible financial behaviors with the potential to serve practitioners when working with consumers. This research utilized Bandura’s Triadic Model of Causation (Bandura, 1985) to investigate and predict responsible financial behaviors. Data from the 2009, 2012, and 2018 National Financial Capability Study surveys were used to construct a responsible financial behaviors index with five subconstructs for time horizon, money management, risk management, debt awareness, and ownership of baseline financial accounts. Results from a series of regression models identified consistent relationships between the index and variables categorized as cognitive factors (financial knowledge, financial self-efficacy, and financial risk tolerance) and background characteristics (educational attainment, income, and marital status).

Supervisión de casos es un nuevo apartado regular del Journal of EMDR Practice and Research. En este artículo, una terapeuta de desensibilización y reprocesamiento por movimientos oculares (EMDR) describe brevemente un caso complicado en el cual un hombre, “George”, fue derivado a tratamiento EMDR por una depresión que había comenzado hacía más de dos años. Después de haber procesado completamente con EMDR todos los recuerdos traumáticos que había descrito, George continúa gravemente deprimido y la terapeuta pregunta cómo puede proceder de manera eficaz con el tratamiento. Tres especialistas responden por escrito. La primera especialista, Robin Shapiro, describe una lista exhaustiva de posibles etiologías, que incluyen causas de apego, de trauma temprano, genéticas y otras causas biológicas, además del tratamiento de EMDR, de estados del ego o médico adecuado para cada una. El segundo experto, Arne Hofmann, analiza el tratamiento impartido y hace sugerencias de blancos alternativos para el tratamiento y sugiere que la terapeuta podría trabajar con la creencia “nada cambiará” y probar con el protocolo invertido de EMDR. El tercer experto, Earl Grey, recomienda que el terapeuta se centre en trabajar los traumas de “t” pequeña, aún si el paciente indica que apenas tiene perturbación y explica la manera de desarrollar e implementar una “secuencia reparadora de blancos de la vida”.

Offense-related trauma refers to a trauma reaction following the perpetration of a violent offense. This research explores the lived experience of offense-related trauma, in two forensic patients. The meaning and understanding these individuals make of their own coping strategies, triggers, and treatment, and how this contributes to their behavior, was explored using a semi-structured interview and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Two super-ordinate themes emerged from the data: “Journey to Forgiveness” and “Living with the Whole Me.” These themes and their subthemes highlight the nuances of offense-related trauma and raise the question of how processes such as complicated grief and associated shame can impact on recovery and rehabilitation. The implications of the findings for professionals providing treatment in forensic settings are considered.

There is a limited but growing literature which suggests that stalking is a variant of intimate violence. The purpose of this study was to examine physical, psychological, and stalking victimization and perpetration among males and females. Alcohol use was also examined. The sample was 46 male and 84 female undergraduate students who reported stalking victimization and perpetration after a difficult breakup, and psychological and physical victimization and perpetration during that specific relationship. Overall, 27% of the sample study was classified into the stalking victimization group, which is consistent with other stalking prevalence rates among college samples. For females, stalking victimization was significantly associated with physical and psychological abuse victimization. For males, stalking victimization was significantly associated with psychological abuse victimization. However, there was also a strong significant reciprocal relationship of stalking and psychological abuse victimization and perpetration, especially for males. Also, alcohol use was significantly associated with victimization and perpetration of stalking and psychological abuse for males. The data from this study contribute to the hypothesis that stalking is a variant of or extension of intimate violence, especially for females. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

The Ready to Learn parent–infant education program of the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York is a family-centered early intervention program. The staff used two new measurement instruments to scaffold their efforts to establish a collaborative relationship with parents who represent a variety of cultures and socioeconomic levels. The results demonstrate that these instruments can effectively measure changes in parents’ interactive behavior with teachers and with their children, as well as their active participation as mediators of their children’s learning opportunities over time. Specifically, the results indicate that parents contributed to setting goals for their children and the domains of the goals were consistent with the cognitive and family-centered focus of the program. Further, parents made significant gains in their ability to share information with staff, address their children’s hearing and communication needs, participate in meetings, and collaborate during assessment and team meetings over time. Le programme d’éducation parent—bébé « Prêt pour Apprendre » de l’École Lexington pour les Sourds de New York est un programme familial centré sur l’intervention précoce (Family-Centered Early Intervention). L’équipe utilisait deux nouveaux outils de mesure afin d’étayer leurs efforts pour établir une relation de collaboration avec les parents représentant une variété de cultures et de niveaux socio-économiques différents. Les résultats démontrent que ces instruments se révèlent effectivement capables de mesurer des changements dans le comportement interactif des parents avec les enseignants et avec leurs enfants. Ils sont aussi efficaces pour mesurer leur participation active comme médiateurs des opportunités d’apprentissage offertes à leurs enfants au fil du temps. Plus spécifiquement, les résultats indiquent que les parents ont contribué à fixer des objectifs à leurs enfants et que la nature des objectifs choisis était consistante avec la centration cognitive et familiale du programme cognitif et la famille. De plus, les parents ont fait des progrès significatifs dans leur capacité à partager des informations avec l’équipe, à s’ajuster aux capacités auditives de leurs enfants et à leurs besoins de communication, à participer aux réunions et à collaborer pendant l’évaluation et les réunions d’équipe. Das “Ready to Learn” (bereit zum Lernen)-Eltern-Kind-Erziehungsprogramm der Lexington School für Taube in New York ist ein familienzentriertes Frühinterventionsprogramm (FCEI). Das Personal nutzte zwei neue Messinstrumente, um seine Bemühungen zur Etablierung einer kollaborativen Beziehung mit Eltern aus einer Vielfalt von Kulturen und sozioökonomischen Schichten zu stützen. Die Ergebnisse demonstrieren, dass diese Instrumente effektiv Veränderungen im interaktiven Verhalten der Eltern mit den Lehrern und mit ihren Kindern sowie auch ihre aktive Partizipation als Mediatoren der Lerngelegenheiten ihrer Kinder im Zeitverlauf messen können. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Eltern dazu beitrugen, Ziele für ihre Kinder zu setzen, wobei die Bereiche der Ziele konsistent waren mit dem kognitiven und familienzentrierten Fokus des Programms. Weiterhin machten die Eltern signifikante Gewinne in ihrer Fähigkeit deutlich, Information mit dem Personal zu teilen, die Hör- und Kommunikationsbedürfnisse ihrer Kinder anzusprechen, an Treffen teilzunehmen und bei der diagnostischen Erfassung wie bei den Treffen der Teams über die Zeit mitzuwirken. El programa para la preparación de los padres en la educación de sus hijos pequeños de la “Lexington School” para Sordos en Nueva York es un programa de intervención temprana centrado en la familia. El equipo de profesores utilizó dos nuevos instrumentos de medida para estructurar sus esfuerzos con el fin de establecer una relación colaborativa con los padres, los cuales representan una amplia variedad de niveles culturales y socioeconómicos. Los resultados demostraron que esos instrumentos pueden medir de forma efectiva cambios en el comportamiento interactivo de los padres con los profesores y con sus hijos, así como en su participación activa como mediadores de las oportunidades de aprendizaje de sus hijos a lo largo del tiempo. Específicamente, los resultados indican que los padres contribuyeron a centrar los objetivos de sus hijos y a dominar los objetivos de forma consistente relativos al foco del programa cognitivo centrado en la familia. Además, los padres pueden lograr significativas ganancias en sus habilidades para compartir información con el equipo de profesores, para dirigir la escucha y las necesidades de comunicación de sus hijos, para participar en las reuniones y para colaborar durante la evaluación y enseñar el modo de conducir una reunión a lo largo del tiempo. Il programma di educazione per bambini piccoli e per genitori Pronti ad imparare della Lexington School per sordi di New York è un programma di intervento precoce centrato sulla famiglia (FCEI). Lo staff ha usato due nuovi strumenti di misura per sostenere i propri sforzi di stabilire una relazione collaborativa con i genitori che presentavano una varietà di culture e livelli socio economici. I risultati dimostrano che questi strumenti possono misurare efficacemente i cambiamenti nel comportamento interattivo dei genitori con gli insegnanti e con i loro bambini, così come la loro partecipazione attiva a lungo termine come mediatori delle opportunità di apprendimento dei loro bambini. In specifico i risultati indicano che i genitori hanno contribuito a stabilire degli obiettivi per i propri figli ed il dominio degli obiettivi era coerente con il focus cognitivo e familiare del programma. Inoltre i genitori hanno arricchito in modo significativo la loro abilità di condividere informazioni con lo staff, indirizzare l’udito dei loro bambini e i bisogni comunicativi, partecipare alle riunioni e collaborare durante la valutazione e le riunioni di team.

In an investigation of the interhemispheric coherence (IhC) model for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) bilateral eye movement (BEM) effects, 30 participants were exposed to a stationary dot, a blinking red/green dot, or saccadic BEMs during the contemplation of a positive emotional memory. Electroencephalographies (EEGs) were measured afterward during an eyes-closed processing stage. Analyses revealed no significant IhC enhancement for the BEM condition but significant increases in Delta and Low Beta EEG intrahemispheric BEM coherence in the right and left frontal areas, respectively, and a trend increase in Right Frontal Low Beta BEM coherence. LORETA neuroimaging was employed to visually present significant amplitude changes corresponding to observed coherence effects. The functional significance of these intrahemispheric coherence effects is presented and a cortical coherence extension of the IhC model is suggested.

The objective of this study is to examine continuity of intimate partner aggression (IPA), which is defined as repeated annual involvement in IPA, across respondents’ life course and into the next generation, where it may emerge among adult children. A national, longitudinal, and multigenerational sample of 1,401 individuals and their adult children is analyzed. Annual data on IPA severity and physical injury were collected by the National Youth Survey Family Study across a 20-year period from 1984 to 2004. Three hypotheses and biological sex differences are tested and effect sizes are estimated. First, findings reveal evidence for life course continuity (IPA is a strong predictor of subsequent IPA), but the overall trend decreases over time. Second, intergenerational continuity is documented (parents’ IPA predicts adult children’s IPA), but the effect is stronger for female than for male adult children. Third, results from combined and separate, more restrictive, measures of victimization and perpetration are nearly identical except in the intergenerational analyses. Fourth, evidence for continuity is not found when assessing physical injury alone. Together, these findings imply that some but not all forms of IPA are common, continuous, and intergenerational. Life course continuity appears stronger than intergenerational continuity.

A single session of a modified, abridged EMDR protocol was provided in a general hospital inpatient and outpatient setting to 86 patients with acute stress (AS) syndrome suffering from intrusion distress following accidents and terrorist bombing attacks. Fifty percent reported immediate fading of intrusive symptoms and general alleviation of distress, 27% described partial alleviation of their symptoms and distress, while 23% reported no improvement. Partial and nonresponders were provided with or referred for more comprehensive treatment. At 4-week and 6-month follow-up, the immediate responders in the terror victims group remained symptom free. The immediate responders tended to have uncomplicated AS symptoms with fewer risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while the nonresponders had higher exposure to former traumas and endorsed more risk factors for PTSD. These results support other anecdotal reports on the rapid effects of brief EMDR intervention on intrusive symptoms in early uncomplicated posttraumatic cases. Although more controlled studies are essential, this immediate method for symptomatic relief may be a potential addition for focused interventions in acute trauma victims.

This study documents lifetime experiences of victimizations, polyvictimization, and trauma symptoms among 1,400 adolescents from the province of Québec. The vast majority (81%) of adolescents were victimized during their lifetime, with most victims (82%) being the target of more than one form of victimization. Polyvictimization accounted for most variability in scores of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anger/aggression compared to individual victimization categories. Sexual victimization and maltreatment still made an independent contribution in predicting all trauma scores once polyvictimization was considered. Gender differences were found in the victimization experiences contributing to the prediction of mental health symptoms. Sexual victimization was a significant predictor of PTSD and anger/aggression symptoms for girls, whereas witnessing violence predicted anger and PTSD symptoms for boys, and assault predicted their anger. This study outlines the importance of assessing various types of victimization among adolescents. Systematic data and observation of trends on child victimization are needed in Canada and elsewhere.

The differential effects of psychological and physical victimization on depression and anxiety symptoms were examined via APIM and growth curve modeling techniques in a sample of newlyweds (N = 103 couples) assessed four times over the first 3 years of marriage. On average, husbands and wives reported moderate levels of psychological aggression, and there were no sex differences in prevalence rates or mean levels. Changes in psychological victimization were associated with changes in depression and anxiety symptoms, even after controlling for the effects of physical victimization. This study demonstrates the severe impact of psychological aggression on its victims and expands on previous studies of battering samples to demonstrate that psychological victimization may be more damaging than physical victimization in nonbattering, community couples.

Psychotherapy with paranoid schizophrenics is a hard and often unrewarding task. Individual and group therapies are usually supportive only and are not aimed at changing the paranoid mode of thinking. Although cognitive therapy has been applied in schizophrenic patients, it has not gained wide acceptance.

Cognitive dissonance postulates that individuals experience discomfort and tension when holding two dissonant beliefs simultaneously. We here present the group therapy of six schizophrenic paranoids treated by modified cognitive group therapy implementing cognitive dissonance as the vector of change. A control group of six age- and sex-matched paranoid schizophrenics was treated by supportive group therapy. Analysis of the results, using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), during therapy and at follow-up of 4 weeks demonstrates statistically significant improvement in total PANSS score as well as in the positive symptoms subscale.

Electroconvulsive therapy, also known as shock therapy and electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment that sends electricity into the brain of the patient with the purpose of inducing a seizure in that patient’s brain. A brief overview of relevant literature introduces an autobiographical narrative account of what it is to experience shock therapy. The author, a woman who had been given a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder to explain her natural and expected responses to trauma and adversity, concludes with a critically reflective commentary on ECT.

This article describes the treatment considerations when providing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to treat clients who stutter. Since stuttering is often developed in childhood and persists into adulthood, it has long-term impacts on the educational, social, psychological, and professional development of those who stutter. While stuttering can present with physiological impairments not amendable to psychological interventions, EMDR therapy may effectively decrease the psychological stressors (such as social anxiety and shame) that can intensify stuttering. The authors present an extensive literature review on the traumatic experiences and adverse effects of stuttering. They also discuss essential treatment guidelines when using EMDR to work with people who stutter (PWS), including processing developmental trauma when stuttering, experiences of being bullied because of stuttering, shame and internalized negative self-statements, distrust of one's body due to inability to control one's speaking, and the social anxiety and avoidance in dealing with triggering situations. The clinical instructions are illustrated with a case example of a 40-year-old college professor who experienced anxiety and shame related to persistent developmental stuttering, and who sought treatment due to difficulties speaking in front of his classes. After completing 20 sessions of EMDR therapy, the client reported decreased social anxiety and shame and was able to teach courses comfortably. Further research considerations using EMDR treatment with PWS are recommended.