Beyond idea generation: The power of groups in developing ideas

Brainstorming research has claimed that individuals are more creative than groups. However, these conclusions are largely based on measuring creativity by the number of ideas generated, and researchers have tended to neglect other important components of creativity, such as the quality of developed ideas. These studies aim to address this gap in the literature and investigate how well individuals and groups develop ideas. The first study compared collaborative groups, nominal groups (i.e., groups composed of individuals working separately), and individuals on developing an original design for a language-learning game. No differences were revealed between conditions on the game ratings. In the second study, one idea was preselected and given to the participants for further development. Groups received higher ratings in the marketability and overall categories than both nominal groups and individuals, and higher ratings in the fun category than individuals. The qualitative data showed that groups discussed a wider range of topics and topics related to marketability more than individuals did. Thus it appears that there are benefits to developing ideas in a collaborative group rather than individually. Possible explanations for the present findings are explored

Table_1_The unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders for misophonia: a pilot trial exploring acceptability and efficacy.docx

IntroductionMisophonia is a recently defined disorder characterized by distressing responses to everyday sounds, such as chewing or sniffling. Individuals with misophonia experience significant functional impairment but have limited options for evidenced-based behavioral treatment. To address this gap in the literature, the current pilot trial explored the acceptability and efficacy of a transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral approach to treating symptoms of misophonia.MethodsThis trial was conducted in two studies: In Study 1, the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) was delivered to eight patients in order to receive feedback to guide revisions to the treatment to suit this population. In Study 2, ten patients received the revised UP treatment to explore its acceptability and preliminary efficacy. This study used a single-case experimental design with multiple baselines, randomizing patients to either a 2-week baseline or 4-week baseline prior to the 16 weeks of treatment, followed by four weeks of follow-up.ResultsThe findings from these studies suggested that patients found both the original and adapted versions of the UP to be acceptable and taught them skills for how to manage their misophonia symptoms. Importantly, the findings also suggested that the UP can help remediate symptoms of misophonia, particularly the emotional and behavioral responses.DiscussionThese findings provide preliminary evidence that this transdiagnostic treatment for emotional disorders can improve symptoms of misophonia in adults.</p

Subsyndromal and syndromal depressive symptoms among older adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorder: Prevalence and associated factors in a multicenter study

International audienceBackgroundFew studies have examined the prevalence and correlates of subsyndromal and syndromal depressive symptoms (SSSD) among older adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. In this report, we examined the prevalence of SSSD and their associations with sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics of schizophrenia, comorbidity, psychotropic medications, quality of life, functioning and mental health care utilization in a large, multicenter sample of older adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorder.MethodsData from the Cohort of individuals with Schizophrenia Aged 55 years or more (CSA) were used to examine the prevalence of SSSD, defined using the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD) scale. Clinical characteristics associated with SSSD were explored.ResultsAmong 343 older adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, 78.1% had either subsyndromal (30.6%) or syndromal (47.5%) depressive symptoms. SSSD were independently associated with positive and negative symptoms, lower quality of life, non-late-onset psychosis, benzodiazepine use and urbanicity. There were no significant associations of SSSD with other sociodemographic characteristics and psychotropic medications, or with general medical conditions. We found no significant differences in the proportion of participants who were treated with antidepressants between those with syndromal depressive symptoms and those without depression (22.1% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.89). SSSD were not associated with higher mental health care utilization.LimitationsData were cross-sectional and depression was not evaluated with a semi-structured interview.ConclusionSSSD may be highly prevalent and under-assessed and/or undertreated among older adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Our findings should alert clinicians about the need to assess systematically and regularly depression in this vulnerable population