Exploring the Role of Explicit and Implicit Self-Esteem and Self-Compassion in Anxious and Depressive Symptomatology Following Acquired Brain Injury

[EN] Objectives Acquired brain injury (ABI) can lead to the emergence of several disabilities and is commonly associated with high rates of anxiety and depression symptoms. Self-related constructs, such as self-esteem and self-compassion, might play a key role in this distressing symptomatology. Low explicit (i.e., deliberate) self-esteem is associated with anxiety and depression after ABI. However, implicit (i.e., automatic) self-esteem, explicit-implicit self-discrepancies, and self-compassion could also significantly contribute to this symptomatology. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether implicit self-esteem, explicit-implicit self-discrepancy (size and direction), and self-compassion are related to anxious and depressive symptoms after ABI in adults, beyond the contribution of explicit self-esteem. Methods The sample consisted 38 individuals with ABI who were enrolled in a long-term rehabilitation program. All participants completed the measures of explicit self-esteem, implicit self-esteem, self-compassion, anxiety, and depression. Pearson's correlations and hierarchical regression models were calculated. Results Findings showed that both self-compassion and implicit self-esteem negatively accounted for unique variance in anxiety and depression when controlling for explicit self-esteem. Neither the size nor direction of explicit-implicit self-discrepancy was significantly associated with anxious or depressive symptomatology. Conclusions The findings suggest that the consideration of self-compassion and implicit self-esteem, in addition to explicit self-esteem, contributes to understanding anxiety and depression following ABI.Lorena Desdentado is supported by a FPU doctoral scholarship (FPU18/01690) from the Spanish Ministry of Universities. 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Severe aggressive behavior. Towards understanding some of the underlying characteristics and treatment responsivity

Contains fulltext : 173262.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Radboud University, 19 juni 2017Promotores : Verkes, R.J., Buitelaar, J.K. Co-promotor : Bulten, B.H

The Computations of Hostile Biases (CHB) model: Grounding hostility biases in a unified cognitive framework

Item does not contain fulltextOur behavior is partly a product of our perception of the world, and aggressive individuals have been found to have ‘hostility biases’ in their perception and interpretation of social information. Four types of hostility biases can be distinguished: the hostile attribution, interpretation, expectation, and perception bias. Such low-level biases are believed to have a profound influence on decision-making, and possibly also increase the likelihood of engaging in aggressive acts. The current review systematically examined extant research on the four types of hostility bias, with a particular focus on the associations between each type of hostility bias and aggressive behavior. The results confirmed the robust association between hostility biases and aggressive behavior. However, it is still unknown how exactly hostility biases are acquired. This is also caused by a tendency to study hostility biases separately, as if they are non-interacting phenomena. Another issue is that current approaches cannot directly quantify the latent cognitive processes pertaining to the hostility biases, thus creating an explanatory gap. To fill this gap, we embedded the results of the systematic review in a state-of-the-art computational framework, which provides a novel mechanistic account with testable predictions.18 p

Treatment responsivity of aggressive forensic psychiatric outpatients

Aggression replacement training (ART) is widely used to reduce aggression. Results regarding its effectiveness, however, are inconclusive regarding adults and specific populations displaying severe aggression. The current open uncontrolled treatment study aimed at assessing the social skills and anger control modules of the ART to reduce aggression in forensic psychiatric outpatients (FPOs). Furthermore, characteristics associated with treatment outcome and dropout were examined. The results suggested that aggression changed during the ART. In addition, higher baseline levels of trait aggression were associated with greater reductions of aggression, whereas more cognitive distortions were associated with less reduction. Treatment dropouts were characterized by higher levels of psychopathic traits, proactive aggression, and more weekly substance use. As there was a considerable amount of dropout; it is important to assess risk of dropping out of treatment and, subsequently, improve treatment motivation. This might enhance treatment adherence which may lead to a more successful reduction of aggression

Retrospective parental rejection is associated with aggressive behavior as well as cognitive distortions in forensic psychiatric outpatients

Item does not contain fulltextObjective: Parental rejection in childhood is associated with the increased risk of aggression in adulthood and is thought to contribute to the development of inaccurate beliefs regarding own or others' behavior (i.e., cognitive distortion) as well. Different forms of aggression are thought to be linked to different types of cognitive distortions. This, however, is unclear in adults. Additionally, it is unknown if parental rejection predicts the presence of aggression and cognitive distortions in adults displaying severe aggression. Method: One hundred twenty-three adult forensic psychiatric outpatients with aggression regulation problems were recruited. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression analysis and path analyses were conducted to investigate distinct patterns of cognitive distortions, as measured by use of the How I Think Questionnaire, and the role of perceived parental rejection, as measured by use of the Parental Rejection and Acceptance Questionnaire. Results: Cognitive distortions related to opposition-defiance (e.g. disrespecting rules) and to physical aggression were most strongly associated with the disposition to act aggressively. Furthermore, a direct association was found between parental rejection and this current disposition. This association was partially mediated by cognitive distortions related to opposition-defiance. Conclusion: The current study supports the notion that parental rejection has profound consequences on adult behavior. Acknowledgement of the impact of cognitive distortions on current aggression might be of importance for treatment. A stronger focus on altering distinct cognitive distortions may be more successful in reducing aggression.10 p

Associations between neurocognitive characteristics, treatment outcome, and dropout among aggressive forensic psychiatric outpatients

Aggression Replacement Training (ART) is widely used to reduce aggression and is considered to be effective although there are also inconsistent results. Studies investigating the effectiveness of ART do not focus on neurocognitive characteristics. Focusing on these aspects would result in enhanced understanding of underlying mechanisms of ART. The current open uncontrolled treatment study assessed whether neurocognitive characteristics were associated with change in aggression during the social skills and anger control modules of ART among forensic psychiatric outpatients. Furthermore, differences between treatment dropouts and completers and change in these characteristics during ART were examined. A reduction of trait aggression, cognitive distortions, and social anxiety was observed. Neurocognitive characteristics were not associated with change in aggression, could not distinguish treatment completers from dropouts, and did not change after ART. It is suggested that new paradigms should be developed which take into account the social context in which these impairments appear

Validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the displaced aggression questionnaire

BACKGROUND: Displaced aggression occurs when a person encounters a provoking situation, is unable or unwilling to retaliate against the original provocateur, and subsequently aggresses against a target that is not the source of the initial provocation. The displaced aggression questionnaire (DAQ) was developed to measure individual differences in the tendency to displace aggression. AIM: To develop a Dutch version of the DAQ and examine relationships between the DAQ and novel individual differences. METHODS: The Dutch version of the DAQ was created using a back-translation procedure. Undergraduate students (n = 413) participated in the current study. The questionnaires were administered online. RESULTS: The results confirmed the original three-factor structure and showed good reliability and validity. We also found differential relationships between trait displaced aggression, social anxiety and cognitive distortions. CONCLUSION: The results may indicate that distinct patterns exist in the development of the different dimensions of trait displaced aggression. This study adds to the growing cross-cultural literature showing the robustness of trait displaced aggression in several different cultures

Aggressive and psychopathic traits are linked to the acquisition of stable but imprecise hostile expectations

Individuals with hostile expectations (HEX) anticipate harm from seemingly neutral or ambiguous stimuli. However, it is unclear how HEX are acquired, and whether specific components of HEX learning can predict antisocial thought, conduct, and personality. In an online sample of healthy young individuals (n = 256, 69% women), we administered a virtual shooting task and applied computational modelling of behaviour to investigate HEX learning and its constellation of correlates. HEX acquisition was best explained by a hierarchical reinforcement learning mechanism. Crucially, we found that individuals with relatively higher self-reported aggressiveness and psychopathy developed stronger and less accurate hostile beliefs as well as larger prediction errors. Moreover, aggressive and psychopathic traits were associated with more temporally stable hostility representations. Our study thus shows that aggressiveness and psychopathy are linked with the acquisition of robust yet imprecise hostile beliefs through reinforcement learning