Posttraumatic Stress Symptomatology in Aging Combat Veterans: The Direct and Buffering Effects of Stress and Social Support

AbstractThe literature has reported that some older veterans are still distressed by memories of traumatic experiences decades after wartime military service. Recent research has suggested that posttraumatic stress symptoms may appear or reappear during late life in survivors of past trauma and that stress associated with age-related changes may intensify this phenomenon. This dissertation research examined the relationship between past combat exposure and posttraumatic stress symptomatology in community-dwelling veterans of World War II and the Korean War. The risk factor of perceived stress and the protective factor of perceived social support were examined for their potential to exacerbate or mitigate this relationship. The study also investigated the effect of past combat exposure and the role of the moderating variables on health-related quality of life. A secondary aim of the research was to assess the direct effect of perceived stress and perceived social support on the outcome variables.The results indicated that past combat exposure was positively associated with experiencing posttraumatic stress symptoms in World War II and Korean War veterans. Perceived stress was found to significantly exacerbate this relationship. Direct effect relationships were found between perceived stress and both posttraumatic stress symptomatology and health-related quality of life. The mean number of posttraumatic stress symptoms experienced by participants at the symptomatic level was five. The most frequent symptom experienced was sleep disturbance, the second was becoming upset at reminders of the traumatic experience. Increased levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms were found in veterans who were not married, living in an urban area, and diagnosed with depression

What motivates academic dishonesty in students? A reinforcement sensitivity theory explanation

BACKGROUND: Academic dishonesty (AD) is an increasing challenge for universities worldwide. The rise of the Internet has further increased opportunities for students to cheat. AIMS: In this study, we investigate the role of personality traits defined within Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) as potential determinants of AD. RST defines behaviour as resulting from approach (Reward Interest/reactivity, goal-drive, and Impulsivity) and avoidance (behavioural inhibition and Fight-Flight-Freeze) motivations. We further consider the role of deep, surface, or achieving study motivations in mediating/moderating the relationship between personality and AD. SAMPLE: A sample of UK undergraduates (N = 240). METHOD: All participants completed the RST Personality Questionnaire, a short-form version of the study process questionnaire and a measure of engagement in AD, its perceived prevalence, and seriousness. RESULTS: Results showed that RST traits account for additional variance in AD. Mediation analysis suggested that GDP predicted dishonesty indirectly via a surface study approach while the indirect effect via deep study processes suggested dishonesty was not likely. Likelihood of engagement in AD was positively associated with personality traits reflecting Impulsivity and Fight-Flight-Freeze behaviours. Surface study motivation moderated the Impulsivity effect and achieving motivation the FFFS effect such that cheating was even more likely when high levels of these processes were used. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that motivational personality traits defined within RST can explain variance in the likelihood of engaging in dishonest academic behaviours

Repetitively counting sheep: Sleep as a moderator of executive function performance on obsessive-compulsive symptoms

As a leading cause of disability worldwide, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is associated with considerable costs on individual and economic levels. According to a U.S. national comorbidity survey, approximately 28% of individuals experience obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in their lifetime. As with most psychiatric disorders, sleep disturbances are highly prevalent in individuals with OCD and have been linked to greater severity of OC symptoms and poorer treatment response. Similarly, deficient executive functioning (EF) has been demonstrated in OCD, with research evidencing a connection between EF impairment and OCD course, symptom severity, and treatment response. Sleep difficulties are also implicated in impaired EF, as the primary brain region responsible for EF (i.e., the prefrontal cortex) seems to be particularly vulnerable to inadequate sleep. Given high dropout rates and residual symptoms following OCD treatment, a better understanding of these relations (OCD, EF, and sleep) might contribute to improved treatment success. The current study examined associations among these constructs, hypothesizing that sleep impairment would moderate the relationship between EF performance and OC symptom severity. A nonclinical sample of university undergraduates and community members (N = 91; Mage = 25.87; SD = 12.50; 86.8% White; 68.1% female) completed a series of online self-report measures and computerized cognitive performance tasks. Though, as expected, both sleep and depressive symptoms significantly predicted OC symptom severity, EF performance was not associated with other variables of interest at even the basic correlational level. Extant literature points to enumerable factors (e.g., clinical symptom levels, use of OC-relevant stimuli in EF tasks, comorbid disorders, medication effects, etc.) potentially contributing to the EF-OCD relationship, particularly where sleep is concerned. Perhaps, EF deficits emerge once symptoms have reached clinical severity, which only a small portion of the current sample endorsed. Limited symptom variance, remote data collection, and videoconferencing methodology also likely contributed to null findings. Future research should extend this study to an in-person, laboratory paradigm using clinical samples. As a relatively unstudied area with potential to better understand the experience and course of OCD, continued research is needed to investigate specific emotional and behavioral elements impacting the EF-OCD relationship with co-occurring sleep factors

Interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents: a systematic review of quantitative studies exploring effectiveness, concomitant findings, and mediating and moderating variables

Depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2022), almost one-fifth of adolescents ages 12 to 17 years in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in 2020, representing 4.1 million people, and over half did not receive any treatment. An interpersonal approach to therapy for adolescents known as Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents (IPT-A), developed by Dr. Laura Mufson, has been regarded as having well-established efficacy in treating depressed adolescents. This systematic review of quantitative studies (without meta-analysis) was conducted to (a) examine the effectiveness of IPT-A and its adaptations in reducing depression across randomized control trials (RCTs); (b) summarize and synthesize the concomitant findings associated with implementation across these RCTs and a range of other quantitative designs, including SMART designs and single group pretest posttest; and (c)identify potential mediating and moderating factors associated with the effectiveness of IPT-A. Data were collected across three electronic databases and included peer-reviewed, English language articles that were published between 1994-2020. The review also included group adaptations of IPT used in developing countries (IPT-G) and a variety of IPT-A adaptations including greater parent involvement (IPT-AP), a briefer version of IPT-A (BIPT-A), and a stepped care model (SCIPT-A). A total of 28 studies were included in this systematic review; 14 addressed the question of effectiveness and a further 14 addressed the question of potential variables of mediation and moderation. Results showed IPT-A is an effective intervention for depressed adolescents and further dissemination in multiple settings would benefit a range of stakeholders. It works in both a group or individual format and is efficacious among varied ethnicities, including with the LatinX community. Last, the approach stimulates the discussion on the fluid relationships between attachment styles and interpersonal relationships, and this relationship to depression

The Interaction between Anxiety Sensitivity and Sleep Disturbance in Relation to Alcohol Use among Adolescents

Both substance use and sleep disturbance are common in adolescence. Additionally, alcohol use specifically is positively associated with a number of sleep disturbances. However, little to no research has examined factors that may influence the relation between problematic alcohol use and sleep disturbances among adolescents or adults. One factor that may be particularly important to consider in this regard is anxiety sensitivity (AS; i.e., the tendency to interpret unpleasant physiological sensations as dangerous). Among previous studies, anxiety sensitivity has been found associated with both increased alcohol consumption and sleep disturbances. The current study evaluated the main and interactive effects of AS and sleep difficulties in relation to problematic alcohol use among 186 adolescents (n = 39 boys, n = 112 girls, and n = 35 non-binary) between the ages of 13 and 17 years (Mage = 16.11; SD = 1.03). Participants were recruited using social media platforms (i.e., Facebook and Instagram) to complete a set of surveys. Results of the study suggested that consistent with the first hypothesis, anxiety sensitivity and sleep difficulties were uniquely associated with adolescent alcohol problems. Other hypotheses were not supported. Collectively, these findings highlight the importance of considering the unique and interactive effects of anxiety sensitivity and sleep disturbance on alcohol use among adolescents

Dynamic pain-emotion relations in chronic pain: a theoretical review of moderation studies

Current developments in chronic pain research are changing the focus in the study of pain-emotion relations from the identification of general patterns to the study of dynamic and context-related interactions manifesting both within and between individuals. This shift towards understanding variation at both intra- and interpersonal levels has significant clinical implications for psychological adjustment to chronic pain conditions, and thus represents an important topic for both clinical and health psychology. This article reviews the existing theoretical explanations of these dynamics and their emerging empirical support, and suggests further areas of investigation. A literature search identified research on moderators of pain-emotion relations in chronic pain; existing theories were also examined from this perspective. A theoretical analysis revealed several important contributions, including the concepts of affect differentiation, generalised discrimination ability, resilience, vulnerability, coping, emotion regulation and desynchrony, which are described here together with the relevant empirical research and clinical implications. Important areas for development are the clarification of the common elements and opposing predictions and the empirical examination of mediating mechanisms. Several methodological issues are discussed. This review identifies a rich theoretical basis for research into pain-emotion moderation, and suggests that further examinations of such relationships might hold important clinical consequences

Work schedule stress and wellness in female air cabin attendants

Bibliography: pages 140-155.The research investigated Work Schedule Stress experienced by female air cabin attendants (CAs) employed by South African Airways and its relationship to health variables in CAs. Specifically, it was hypothesised that Work Schedule Stress is an important stressor for CAs and is inversely related to health variables. Furthermore, the variables of Potency, Trait Anxiety, Trait Anger, and Social Support were proposed to moderate the relationship between Work Schedule Stress and the health variables. Data were collected from a sample of 108 domestic crew and 43 international crew. The data collection was conducted in two phases, via interviews and self-report inventories. The interview data were used in a qualitative study but were also content-analysed in terms of a number of dimensions; the latter were included with the quantitative data obtained from the questionnaire. The qualitative analysis, based on the grounded theory approach, formed the backbone of the research. The quantitative data were subjected to correlational analysis, supplemented by subgroup analysis to assess moderator effects. Work Schedule Stress was demonstrated to represent a major stress for CAs with consequent adverse effects on health. The results did not provide support for the moderating effects. Conclusions were drawn, recommendations made to the SAA and CAs themselves of means to enhance wellness, and suggestions for future research proposed