Anticipating self-stigma:The roles of values and perceptions of therapy clients

The present study examined how similarities and differences between participants’ prioritization of their own values and their perceptions of therapy clients’ values predicted anticipated self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Undergraduates (N = 231) sorted the importance of 10 personal values for themselves and an imagined therapy client before completing an assessment of anticipated self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Polynomial regression analyses examined interaction effects between participants’ own values and their perceptions of a hypothetical therapy client’s values on anticipated help-seeking self-stigma. Self-stigma was predicted by the interaction between a person’s own values of security and achievement and their perceptions of a therapy client’s values of security and achievement. First, self-stigma was higher for those who prioritize achievement but view typical therapy clients as people who do not. Second, self-stigma was higher for those who prioritize security and also view typical therapy clients as people who also do.</p

Anticipating self-stigma:The roles of values and perceptions of therapy clients

The present study examined how similarities and differences between participants’ prioritization of their own values and their perceptions of therapy clients’ values predicted anticipated self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Undergraduates (N = 231) sorted the importance of 10 personal values for themselves and an imagined therapy client before completing an assessment of anticipated self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Polynomial regression analyses examined interaction effects between participants’ own values and their perceptions of a hypothetical therapy client’s values on anticipated help-seeking self-stigma. Self-stigma was predicted by the interaction between a person’s own values of security and achievement and their perceptions of a therapy client’s values of security and achievement. First, self-stigma was higher for those who prioritize achievement but view typical therapy clients as people who do not. Second, self-stigma was higher for those who prioritize security and also view typical therapy clients as people who also do.</p

Molecular-Based Electronically Switchable Tunnel Junction Devices

Solid-state tunnel junction devices were fabricated from Langmuir Blodgett molecular monolayers of a bistable [2]catenane, a bistable [2]pseudorotaxane, and a single-station [2]rotaxane. All devices exhibited a (noncapacitive) hysteretic current−voltage response that switched the device between high- and low-conductivity states, although control devices exhibited no such response. Correlations between the structure and solution-phase dynamics of the molecular and supramolecular systems, the crystallographic domain structure of the monolayer film, and the room-temperature device performance characteristics are reported

How are personal values linked to help-seeking stigma?

The extent to which individuals prioritize different personal values may be conceptually linked to the perceptions of societal stigma associated with seeking psychological help (public stigma), as well as the extent to which they apply that stigma to themselves (self-stigma). We examined how personal values predicted public stigma and self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Undergraduates (N = 342) from two universities, one historically Black college/university and one predominantly White institution, completed questionnaires assessing personal values and public stigma and self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Self-transcendence values predicted lower self-stigma directly and indirectly via public stigma. Though there were no structural differences between the modeled relationships of values, public stigma, and self-stigma between Black/African American and White/European American undergraduates, the groups differed in their prioritization of self-transcendence, openness to change, and conservation values. Results suggest that understanding how individuals prioritize certain values over others may help explain group-differences in help-seeking stigmas.<br/

How are personal values linked to help-seeking stigma?

The extent to which individuals prioritize different personal values may be conceptually linked to the perceptions of societal stigma associated with seeking psychological help (public stigma), as well as the extent to which they apply that stigma to themselves (self-stigma). We examined how personal values predicted public stigma and self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Undergraduates (N = 342) from two universities, one historically Black college/university and one predominantly White institution, completed questionnaires assessing personal values and public stigma and self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Self-transcendence values predicted lower self-stigma directly and indirectly via public stigma. Though there were no structural differences between the modeled relationships of values, public stigma, and self-stigma between Black/African American and White/European American undergraduates, the groups differed in their prioritization of self-transcendence, openness to change, and conservation values. Results suggest that understanding how individuals prioritize certain values over others may help explain group-differences in help-seeking stigmas.<br/

Protease-activated alpha-2-macroglobulin can inhibit amyloid formation via two distinct mechanisms.

α(2)-Macroglobulin (α(2)M) is an extracellular chaperone that inhibits amorphous and fibrillar protein aggregation. The reaction of α(2)M with proteases results in an 'activated' conformation, where the proteases become covalently-linked within the interior of a cage-like structure formed by α(2)M. This study investigates, the effect of activation on the ability of α(2)M to inhibit amyloid formation by Aβ(1-42) and I59T human lysozyme and shows that protease-activated α(2)M can act via two distinct mechanisms: (i) by trapping proteases that remain able to degrade polypeptide chains and (ii) by a chaperone action that prevents misfolded clients from continuing along the amyloid forming pathway

Cross-Cultural Validation of the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help (PSOSH) Scale

Social network stigma refers to the perceived negative views about seeking help for mental health problems that are held by those closest to an individual, such as family and friends. This form of stigma predicts help-seeking attitudes and intentions beyond other forms of stigma, and is predominantly measured using the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help scale (PSOSH; Vogel, Wade, & Ascheman, 2009). However, the PSOSH was normed using samples from the United States and, until the cross-cultural validity of this measure is established, it cannot reliably be used within other countries (Miller & Sheu, 2008). As such, the current study (N = 3,440) examined the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the PSOSH using the sequential constraint imposition approach across 11 countries/regions: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Portugal, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (U.K.), and the United States (U.S.). Overall, findings indicate that the PSOSH measures a meaningful construct (i.e., configural and metric invariance) across the 11 countries/regions and that future cross-cultural research could use the PSOSH to examine relationships between social network stigma and other variables. Scalar invariance results also supported the examination of mean differences in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Portugal, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S., but not in Hong Kong, Romania, Taiwan, and UAE. Implications for future cross-cultural research are discussed

Examining the Dimensionality, Reliability, and Invariance of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale–21 (DASS-21) Across Eight Countries

© The Author(s) 2020. This study evaluated the dimensionality, invariance, and reliability of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale–21 (DASS-21) within and across Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United States (N = 2,580) in college student samples. We used confirmatory factor analyses to compare the fit of four different factor structures of the DASS-21: a unidimensional model, a three-correlated-factors model, a higher order model, and a bifactor model. The bifactor model, with three specific factors (depression, anxiety, and stress) and one general factor (general distress), presented the best fit within each country. We also calculated ancillary bifactor indices of model-based dimensionality of the DASS-21 and model-based reliability to further examine the validity of the composite total and subscale scores and the use of unidimensional modeling. Results suggested the DASS-21 can be used as a unidimensional scale. Finally, measurement invariance of the best fitting model was tested across countries indicating configural invariance. The traditional three-correlated-factors model presented scalar invariance across Canada, Hong Kong, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. Overall, these analyses indicate that the DASS-21 would best be used as a general score of distress rather than three separate factors of depression, anxiety, and stress, in the countries studied

Stigma of Seeking Psychological Services: Examining College Students Across Ten Countries/Regions

© Division of Counseling Psychology of the American Psychological Association. Stigma is an important barrier to seeking psychological services worldwide. Two types of stigma exist: public stigma and self-stigma. Scholars have argued that public stigma leads to self-stigma, and then self-stigma is the primary predictor of attitudes toward seeking psychological services. However, this assertion is largely limited to U.S. samples. The goal of this research was to provide a first step in understanding the relationship between public stigma, self-stigma, and attitudes toward seeking psychological services in international contexts (N = 3,276; Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Portugal, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and United States). Using structural equation modeling, we found that self-stigma mediated the relationship between public stigma and attitudes toward seeking services among college students in each country and region. However, differences in path strengths emphasize the need to pay attention to the role of public and self-stigma on attitudes toward seeking psychological services throughout the world

Molecular-Based Electronically Switchable Tunnel Junction Devices

Solid-state tunnel junction devices were fabricated from Langmuir Blodgett molecular monolayers of a bistable [2]catenane, a bistable [2]pseudorotaxane, and a single-station [2]rotaxane. All devices exhibited a (noncapacitive) hysteretic current−voltage response that switched the device between high- and low-conductivity states, although control devices exhibited no such response. Correlations between the structure and solution-phase dynamics of the molecular and supramolecular systems, the crystallographic domain structure of the monolayer film, and the room-temperature device performance characteristics are reported