A Pilot Feasibility Trial of Mindfulness and Modification Therapy for Males Who Use Aggression

Physical aggression incurs substantial harm to victims and witnesses, particularly when it occurs within close relationships such as family, friendships, or intimate partnerships. Men who use aggression against partners and other adults frequently experience high levels of psychopathology, including depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxious/insecure attachment, paranoia, bipolar disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, personality disorders, and substance abuse, which contribute to use of aggressive behaviors. However, existing treatments for aggression often do not address these symptoms. It is important that treatments for aggression are grounded in theoretical literature and backed by empirical support in order to increase treatment engagement and effectiveness. Treatments that increase mindfulness along with cognitive and emotional coping skills have received preliminary support in improving the symptoms that men who use aggression often experience. At this early stage in the literature, it is important to evaluate options for treatment with men who use aggression for utility and feasibility. One treatment that has initial support for treating aggressive behavior is Mindfulness and Modification Therapy (MMT). This pilot trial investigated MMT’s preliminary feasibility with 6 men referred for aggression from in an alternative-to-incarceration program. Results of the first weeks of treatment suggested very preliminary feasibility of MMT with men who are court-referred for aggression through evaluation of homework completion, clients’ reports of satisfaction and progress, and therapeutic alliance. This study provides foundation for further trials of MMT with men being treated for aggression

A BUDDHIST-INFORMED CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR APPROACHING DIFFICULT EMOTIONS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

Clients often enter psychotherapy with struggles and concerns related to their direct experience of emotion. Though most of the major psychotherapy theories in the West address the general issue of emotion, very few have developed a framework or theory for supporting clients in their direct encounters with difficult feeling states. Since Buddhism is highly experiential and Buddhist philosophy is mainly concerned with the issue of human suffering, its relevance to maneuvering difficult emotions in a clinical context is profound. While the use of Buddhist concepts and practices in mental health treatment in the West has proliferated in recent years, the clinical use of Buddhist material has often bypassed the larger philosophical framework of Buddhism. This secular, decontextualized use of Buddhist material has limited the potential value of Buddhist philosophy in mental health treatment. This dissertation offers a conceptual framework for approaching difficult emotions that is grounded in the wisdom of Buddhism. Zen Buddhism is especially relied upon in the development of the following themes: Sitting With, Middle Path, Healthy Interdependency, and Compassion. Further, clinical composite case vignettes are presented to demonstrate how the themes can be worked with in a therapeutic context

The Relationship Between Accuracy of Facial Emotion Recognition, Perceived Empathic Ability, and Cognitive Ability in Domestic Violence Offenders

The inability to decode emotional cues has been associated with violence in men. The purpose of the study was to learn more about the connection between emotion recognition accuracy as it related to self-identified empathy in adult men convicted of a domestic violence offense while accounting for any significant cognitive deficits and demographic factors. Domestically violent (n = 35) and non-violent (n = 35) men were asked to label pictures of facial emotion at different levels of intensity (30.0%, 40.0%, 60.0%, 70.0%, and 100.0%). In addition, they were given the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), a brief empathy measure; the General Ability Measure for Adults (GAMA), a brief cognitive assessment; the Life Events Checklist-5 (LEC-5), a trauma questionnaire; and a demographic questionnaire. The domestic violence offenders were found to have a significant deficit in identifying the emotions of sadness and fear and identifying emotions at 40.0% and 60.0% intensity. They were found to have a significantly higher self-reported empathy rating on the IRI subscale of perceived distress, but no significant differences were found between domestic violence offenders and non-violent controls on empathy subscales of perspective taking, empathic concern, and fantasy. There was no significant difference in cognitive ability between the domestic violence offenders and the control participants. When highest education level attained and family annual income were accounted for, they were found to have a significant impact on the ability to accurately identify emotions. When lifetime trauma history and chemical dependence history were accounted for, they were found to have no statistically significant impact on ability to accurately identify emotions. Clinical implications included a greater focus on applied emotion recognition and emotion regulation training for domestic violence offenders. Methodological implications and future research directions were discussed

Emerging criteria for the low-coherence cannot classify category

As suggested by Main et al., to respond to the need for an adaptation of the existing Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) coding system, especially regarding the application to nonnormative samples, this study presents additional criteria that characterize the low-coherence cannot classify (CC) category. Three AAIs were selected from a sample of parents of maltreated children. All transcripts indicated a very low coherence, with no evidence of contradictory insecure discourse strategies. Moreover, global category descriptors were identified, together with specific indices of discourse characteristics and features that highlight the breakdown in reasoning and discourse experienced by the speakers. The aim of the study is to illustrate new criteria to identify and rate a low-coherence CC profile toward the operationalization of this pervasively unintegrated state of mind. Through the definition of additional criteria for low-coherence CC category, our study helps the AAI and its coding system be more flexible and effective when dealing with clinical samples