Neurocognitive resilience in children born late and moderate preterm (LAMP): Predictors of outcomes in attention, working memory, and executive functioning

This study sought to broaden the findings of the current research on the relationship between late and moderate preterm (LAMP) birth and long-term neurocognitive outcomes—specifically those related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between gestational age (GA) and ADHD by (a) comparing prevalence of diagnosis between term-born and LAMP children, (b) comparing ADHD behavioral symptom severity between term-born and LAMP children, (c) and by examining neurocognitive status between term-born children and LAMP children (with and without ADHD diagnoses). The study also examined other factors that contribute to the relationship between GA and ADHD, including consideration of other risk factors and potential symptom-mitigating factors. The final sample for this study included 169 patients between the ages of 8 and 12 years who had completed an outpatient neuropsychological evaluation. GA was not related to ADHD diagnostic status, but lower GA predicted high ADHD-related symptom severity as indicated by caregiver report on the Conners-3. Though LAMP children did not differ from their term-born peers across measures of neurocognitive functioning, lower GA showed a marginally significant negative relationship with overall neurocognitive functioning (WISC-V FSIQ). Risk factors such as family history of ADHD and in-utero exposure to substances were consistently significantly related to ADHD symptom severity, and cumulative risk negatively impacted overall cognitive functioning, attention, working memory, and executive functioning. Adaptive skills and social skills were found to mitigate ADHD symptomatology as indicated by caregiver report on the BASC-3, though total symptom mitigating factors did not influence cognitive outcomes. Lastly, moderation analyses showed that gestational age interacts with birthweight at a marginally significant level in predicting overall cognitive functioning

Survivor-therapists and sexual-assailant-clients: A unified approach to sexual communication skills building and assault prevention

Sexual assault is a serious problem that affects hundreds of thousands of Americans per year (Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017). Though no research has yet documented the representation of sexual assault survivors who work as mental health professionals, it can be assumed that the numbers are similar to those in the general public-1 in 3 women are survivors (Smith et al., 2017). This article will discuss the transformation of one therapist, a survivor, working with a young man, who in the course of treatment, was accused of rape. The hope is that this article will reach other survivors working as mental health professionals, and supervisors supporting those therapists, to illuminate what to do when personal trauma interacts with tertiary trauma in the context of a nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship. This article has been written from the perspective of the therapist (and doctoral trainee), with input from the supervisor who consulted on the case. It is our hope that others will be able to learn from this experience, as it is likely to be reoccurring