Cox, H., Papouchis, N., & Cain, N. (2015). Emotion regulation as a mediator between mindfulness and interpersonal distress.
The present study looks at the pathways between mindfulness, emotion regulation and interpersonal distress. Research suggests that individuals with a greater capacity for mindfulness should have an awareness that makes them more effective at regulating emotions. It also suggests that those with a greater capacity for emotion regulation should have lower interpersonal problems. However, no research has looked at the pathway from mindfulness through emotion regulation to interpersonal distress. Additionally, previous studies have used predominantly Caucasian samples. In a sample of 162 multicultural undergraduate students at an urban northeastern university, a significant relationship was found between mindfulness and emotion regulation and between mindfulness and interpersonal distress. Although emotion regulation was not found to mediate between mindfulness and interpersonal distress, emotion regulation was found to significantly predict interpersonal distress above and beyond covariates. Implications of these findings and future directions for research are discussed.
Diamond, R., Papouchis, N., Miller, L. (2015) The role of mindfulness on attachment and well-being in emerging adults.
The present study sought to examine the influence of mindfulness and attachment on subjective well-being among 3,341 emerging adults, aged 18-25 years old. Results indicated significant relationships between mindfulness and well-being, as well as attachment anxiety/avoidance and well-being. However, mindfulness was not found to buffer the relationship between insecure attachment and well-being. These findings have important implications for emerging adults’ psychopathology and health, as well as interventions that can enhance well-being.
Foss, S., Haden, S. C., & Monk, C. (2015).The role of neuroendocrine alterations in the intergenerational transmission of maternal childhood trauma on infant cognitive functioning.
Maternal history of adversity and stress is negatively associated with infant neurocognitive development in the next generation. One potential mechanism of this intergenerational effect, altered HPA functioning as indexed by a reduced cortisol awakening response (CAR), was tested as a mediator between maternal childhood trauma and their infants' cognitive functioning at 4 months of age in a sample of pregnant adolescents (mean age=17.6 years, 88% Latina). The mediation model was significant at p<.02 for a direct effect of maternal childhood trauma on infant cognitive functioning. The indirect effect of maternal childhood trauma on infant cognitive functioning through reduced HPA functioning was not significant. These findings suggest that HPA dysregulation as indexed by the CAR does not mediate the intergenerational effects of childhood adversity in this sample. Further work is needed to elucidate other contributing factors, such as alternate indexes of the endocrine stress response system, that may play a role in this cascade.
Hansen, M.C.., Vakhrusheva, J., Khan, S., Ramirez, P.M., & Kimhy, D. (2015). Impact of the characteristics of auditory hallucinations on quality of life in people diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The current study sought to explore the contribution of the phenomenological characteristics of auditory hallucinations (AH) on quality of life (QOL) in people diagnosed with schizophrenia (SZ). We hypothesized that QOL would be reduced for people with AH that exhibited greater frequency, duration, and amount of negative content. This hypothesis was examined in an outpatient sample of people diagnosed with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (N=35). Multiple regression analyses revealed a significant relationship between control over AH and greater QOL. Contrary to our hypotheses, negative content, frequency, and duration of AH did not predict lower QOL. These findings are discussed in the context of research and clinical implications.
Hartz, A., Meehan,K., Wong, P., Bossis, A., Boylan, L., & Alla Landa, A. (2015). Getting It off Your Chest: Talking about relationships and heart rate variability in patients with somatization spectrum disorders
Judes, D., Goldstein, R., & Meehan, K. B. (2015). Reflective Functioning and Interpersonal Subtypes in Psychotherapy
Reflective functioning (RF) is the capacity to understand how mental states affect behavior in oneself and others. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is particularly useful as a means of stimulating increases in RF, thus improving people’s ability to manage impulses and affects and interact effectively with others. In this study, we adapted the Reflective Functioning Manual (Fonagy et al., 1998) to assess RF in therapy sessions. We also examined the association between interpersonal subtypes – which offer refinement of DSM diagnoses – and change in reflective functioning during psychotherapy. A cluster analysis based on the dimensions of dominance and love on the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems–Circumplex Scales (Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 1990) found 3 interpersonal subtypes in a sample of 23 outpatients. These subtypes did not differ on pretreatment global symptom severity, as measured by the Global Severity Index (Derogatis, 1983), but an effect was observed to indicate differential changes in RF. Submissive patients displayed greater increases in RF relative to cold and warm patients. We discuss these results in terms of clinical relevance regarding the assessment of interpersonal profiles prior to psychotherapy, as well as the utility of RF as a means of understanding interventions.
Kelly, E. & Saunders, B. (2015). Investigating the nonmedical use and diversion of prescription drugs
The nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) is highest among young adults (SAMHSA, 2013), who are dying at increasing rates each year due to prescription drug overdose (NIDA, 2013). While research has demonstrated the utility of identifying personality traits among illicit drug users, only one study, conducted by Benotsch, Jeffers, Snipes, Martin, and Koester (2013), has investigated the personality profile of young adults who endorse NMUPD; however, due to methodological limitations, their findings may not be generalizable to the broader young adult population. In a sample of 100 undergraduates in a large, multicultural university, we found no statistical difference between nonmedical users and nonusers of prescription drugs. Additionally, we found that individuals who diverted their prescription medications were lower in Conscientiousness than those who did not endorse diversion. Implications of these findings and future directions for research are discussed.
Lerner, E. & Meehan, K. (2015). Interpersonal trauma, perceived maternal care and posttraumatic stress symptoms in a national sample of adolescents
The present study sought to understand the degree to which interpersonal trauma and perceived care from a female caregiver influence Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) in adolescents. PTSS among adolescents with an interpersonal trauma history were compared to those exposed to other types of trauma at the same time that perceived care from a female caregiver was examined in the model. Adolescents with an interpersonal trauma history exhibited more PTSS than those with other trauma exposures, and adolescents who reported lower rather than higher levels of perceived care from a female caregiver also exhibited more PTSS. Perceived maternal care, however, did not moderate the relationship between interpersonal trauma and PTSS. Findings are discussed in the context of understanding PTSS development and maintenance in youth as influenced by the extent to which the trauma is human-inflicted (interpersonal) as well as the extent to which caregivers provide emotional support for processing trauma-related fear.
Murrin, K., Wong, P., & Utecht, E. (2015). Urgency, creative problem solving, and resilience: an analysis of personality and behavioral response to emotional arousal
Impulsivity is a construct inherent to numerous psychological disorders involving problematic behavior where little to no consideration of the consequences is given. While researchers tend to agree on how impulsivity manifests itself in terms of presentation, the discrepancy lies in the etiology of these behaviors. By examining the influence of personality and emotional states on impulsive behavior, a greater understanding of individual risk factors is expected. Using a sample of 100 undergraduate students, a multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the contribution of impulsivity and divergent thinking on resilience. Impulsivity was found to have a significant impact on resilience, and divergent thinking also demonstrated some contribution to this relationship. Divergent thinking and impulsivity were also found to uniquely contribute to resilience. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
Schwerd, A. & Haden, S. (2015). Self-Compassion as a Mediator Between Adult Attachment and General Self-Efficacy
Attachment security in adults has previously been shown to positively predict self-efficacy beliefs, but little is known about the mechanisms that underlie this relationship. The present study examined self-compassion (SC) as a potential mediator. Self-report data from a sample of 375 college students were analyzed testing two mediation models with bootstrap sampling –- one for each dimension of attachment [anxiety and avoidance]. In line with our predictions, a significant indirect effect was found for self-compassion in the anxiety model. Contrary to our predication, an indirect effect for self-compassion was not found in the avoidance model. These findings suggest that a compassionate attitude towards oneself is an important pathway through which attachment anxiety influences general self-efficacy beliefs, and cultivation of self-compassion may be an important avenue for therapeutic intervention.
Tacopina, S., Mannix, L., de Sève, A, & Wong, P.S (2015). Defining Healthy and Pathological Dependency Through the Use of Defense Mechanisms
Research has begun to distinguish healthy dependency from overdependence and detachment. The current study sought to better understand the differences between healthy and maladaptive interpersonal dependency styles by examining the defenses used by these groups. 53 participants were recruited from a diverse, urban university and completed the Relationship Profile Test (RPT) and the TAT Defense Mechanism Manual (DMM). As expected, Healthy Dependency (HD) was associated with greater Identification; Dysfunctional Detachment (DD) with greater use of Projection. Contrary to expectations, Destructive Overdependence (DO) was associated with increased Identification and lower Projection in men. RPT profiles suggest limitations in measuring HD and distinguishing between HD, DD, and DO within this sample. Findings suggest healthy dependency is related to healthy psychological functioning, and DD is associated with maladaptive functioning when defenses are measured implicitly. However, DO may be representative of adaptive functioning in this sample. Conclusions address dependency-defense findings within this diverse sample and future research directions.
