The Relationship between Social Dominance Orientation and Child Sexual Abuse Credibility Assessment

Allegations of child sexual abuse (CSA) across various contexts have often been denied or ignored by a multitude of people, including those who do not personally know the alleged perpetrators or victims. The lack of belief of children’s CSA reports is problematic, as this may affect the child’s adjustment, the consequences for the alleged perpetrator, and the likelihood of other victims reporting abuse that they experienced. One plausible explanation for low credibility is the variable of social dominance orientation. In the current study, a diverse sample (N = 60) read a hypothetical vignette of a CSA allegation, rated the credibility of the child, and completed the Social Dominance Orientation-7 scale (SDO-7). Results supported that high social dominance orientation predicts low credibility ratings of the child’s CSA allegation. Findings may impact how clinicians and investigators approach the assessment of credibility of CSA allegations, how they appraise the opinions of others about such credibility, and jury selection in the court system

The routledge handbook of clinical sport psychology

Clinical sport psychology is a rapidly growing field that brings together research and clinical interventions from both clinical psychology and sport and performance psychology. Complementary to sports medicine and clinical sport psychiatry, clinical sport psychology addresses the mental health needs and psychological well-being of athletes, coaches, and other members of the sport community. It offers scientifically informed conceptualizations of psychological distress as it manifests in sport settings, as well as empirically supported clinical interventions tailored to the needs of sport populations. This volume addresses the latest research findings regarding mental health among athletes and other sport professionals, including epidemiological research concerning depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and conduct and interpersonal problems. In addition, it explores the unique etiology of mental health problems among athletes, including psychological sequelae of injury and trauma, as well as concise practice guidelines for conceptualizing and treating psychological distress in sport populations. Strategies for thorough yet efficient psychological assessment of athletes, coaches, and other sport professionals are also provided. A compendium of relevant empirical research and clinical best practices for assessment and treatment, this handbook charts the course that clinical sport psychology has taken since its inception as a distinct clinical specialty and highlights future directions for this rapidly growing practice domain. It offers essential reading for psychologists and other mental health professionals who provide clinical services in sport and performance settings

A preliminary investigation of the effects of one yoga session for service recipients in a behavioral health intensive outpatient program

This was an investigation of the feasibility and effectiveness of a brief yoga intervention (one session) within an intensive outpatient program (IOP) for service recipients diagnosed with various psychiatric disorders. Participants (N = 26) completed the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Data was collected before and after one yoga session and follow-up data was collected via mail after discharge from the IOP. Scores indicated that negative affect significantly decreased and positive affect significantly increased from pre to post yoga session. Mindfulness scores significantly increased from pre to post yoga session. Though the results of this study supported that a yoga intervention is both feasible and effective within an IOP, collection of follow-up data after discharge via mail was not as feasible. The results of this preliminary investigation support a larger and longitudinal study to further examine yoga as a treatment modality with this clinical population

Acceptance and commitment therapy for injured athletes: Development and preliminary feasibility of the return to action protocol

Few studies have examined the development or implementation of protocols based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to enhance sport injury rehabilitation, despite findings that suggest ACT may be an effective intervention for this purpose. The current article details the rationale for and design of Return to ACTion, an ACT-based protocol intended to target psychological flexibility and mindfulness to increase rehabilitation adherence and overall well-being for injured athletes. The initial feasibility of delivering the intervention at a Division III public university in the northeastern United States was also explored. Return to ACTion was offered in the athletic training facility to injured student-athletes during a 12-week period with recruitment assistance from the athletic trainers. Qualitative data pertaining to feasibility was collected with a log of observations maintained by the principal investigator and with verbal and electronic interactions with the athletic trainers. Although there were no participants in the intervention, there were important findings relevant to further application and research

Doctoral Interns’ Perceptions of Preparedness to Work with Victims and Survivors of Sexual Assault at University Counseling Centers

Counselors at university counseling centers (UCCs) should be prepared to provide services to sexual assault victims and survivors, as an estimated 23% of females and 5% of males are assaulted during college, with rates being higher for sexual and gender minority students. We surveyed doctoral interns (N = 49) at UCCs regarding interns’ training and educational experiences during their graduate programs, practicum, and internship placements, as well as the services that the interns and UCCs provide to recent victims. Among our findings, 96% of the sample had expected to work with a recent victim, 82% had already done so, and only 22% perceived themselves as fully prepared to provide such services. In addition, the majority of UCC interns had focused on sexual assault cases during case conferences, didactic trainings, and supervision. These results have implications for graduate programs and internship sites

Psychology Doctoral Students’ Self-Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relationships Among Satisfaction With Life, Stress Levels, and Self-Compassion

Psychology doctoral students face high demands with academics and clinical work, while balancing these responsibilities with relationships, finances, and health concerns (Myers et al., 2012). Research suggests psychology doctoral students struggle to implement self-care, which may relate to lower satisfaction with life and higher perceived stress levels (Colman et al., 2016; Rupert&Dorociak, 2019). The literature suggests that self-compassion may have an important role in the relationship between self-care, satisfaction with life, and levels of stress (Beaumont et al., 2017; Boellinghaus et al., 2013). Psychologists-in-training experienced heightened anxiety and are at greater risk for burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic (Norcross & Phillips, 2020). The present study administered an online survey to psychology doctoral students enrolled in APA-accredited doctoral programs in the Northeastern United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, to assess frequency of engagement in self-care practices, self-compassion, satisfaction with life, and perceived stress levels. We hypothesized that the frequency of engagement in self-care practices would predict satisfaction with life and perceived stress levels, and self-compassion would moderate the relationship between frequency of self-care and satisfaction with life, as well as frequency of self-care and perceived stress levels. Results demonstrated that the greater frequency of self-care practice predicted higher satisfaction with life and lower perceived stress levels. Self-compassion did not moderate the relationship between frequency of self-care and satisfaction with life and frequency of self-care and perceived stress levels. The findings suggest a need to integrate self-care interventions and education within graduate training in psychology