Celebrating the decade of behavior: Introduction to special issue.

This special issue represents a joint effort by the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology and the American Psychological Association's Division of Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse to celebrate the "Decade of Behavior: 2000–2100" initiative. The Decade of Behavior initiative seeks to underscore the importance of behavioral science to broadening understanding and offering solutions to many of society's most challenging problems. Contained in this special issue are commentaries by 3 Institute directors from the National Institutes of Health, 4 excellent critical reviews of various aspects of contemporary psychopharmacology research, and a series of 9 excellent original research reports. This series of articles bodes well for the health of psychopharmacology and substance abuse research and offers a fitting salute to this important initiative. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pediatric psychopharmacology: A review of new developments and recent research.

Advances in psychopharmacology have revolutionalized the management of emotional and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents. Recent developments in pediatric psychopharmacology and the prevalence of pharmacotherapy for various psychological disorders in children are examined, and clinical updates for classes of psychotropics are provided. Issues including monitoring and assessing drug effects, acceptability and satisfaction, and the social, political, and cultural issues surrounding the use of psychotropics in children are discussed. The authors conclude that the current clinical use of psychotropics in children exceeds extant efficacy and safety data. The involvement of practicing psychologists in pediatric psychopharmacology and the need for a firm empirical foundation for pediatric psychopharmacology are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychopharmacology for children and adolescents: Commentary on current issues and future challenges.

Responds to some of the major issues raised by the American Psychological Association (1992) Division 16 Task Force and by R. T. Brown et al (see record 1994-34463-001), T. Kubiszyn (see record 1994-34489-001), and S. T. DeMers (see record 1994-34471-001) concerning the role of the school psychologist in practice and in facilitating research on psychopharmacology. It is concluded that the major issues confronting school psychology as a profession include increasing its role in research on child psychotherapy, and, within the context of intervention options, biological interventions as well. Carving out a role in psychopharmacology for the school psychologists should not overshadow training in broader areas of biomedical and psychosocial interventions, nor should it limit the focus of research efforts only in these areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contributions of psychology to health research: Patterns, problems, and potentials.

Presents the report of the American Psychological Association 's (APA) Task Force on Health Research which was established by APA's Board of Scientific Affairs to survey the nature and extent of contributions by psychologists to basic and applied research on behavioral factors in physical illness and health maintenance. A survey and analysis of the research literature is presented, and psychologists active in health research are identified, together with their areas of interest. Funding resources for behavioral science research on health and illness are also described. Areas of neglect are examined, together with the special training needs for the "health care" researcher. (11/2 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Model for Predoctoral Psychopharmacology Training: Shaping a New Frontier in Clinical Psychology.

Patients routinely ask psychologists questions about psychoactive medications. In addition, psychologists frequently encounter patients having problems with their medications. How will doctoral training programs respond to the dilemma of providing their students with a basic level of knowledge in psychopharmacology without adding to the length of the doctoral curriculum? Although postdoctoral training models have been developed for psychologists who seek extended specialized training in Psychopharmacology, the authors propose that some predoctoral training in psychopharmacology and related topics is critical to prepare graduates to meet mental health needs, particularly for underserved populations. The authors present a model through which psychopharmacology course work can be integrated into the predoctoral curriculum without compromising course work in basic psychology or extending the length of training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

News & notes.

Presents information that may be of interest to Division 26 members. Included are a link to the Division's website, as well as instructions for subscribing to the electronic mail list; a draft of Division 26's program at the 2000 American Psychological Association Annual Convention; and information about the 31st annual meeting of Cheiron. Also included are a report on the fourth colloquium of the Groupe d'études Pluridisciplinaires d'Historie de la Psychologie, which focused on the history of child psychology, and notes about personal accomplishments of several Division members. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Females' participation in psychopharmacology research as authors, editors, and subjects.

This study determined the involvement of women as first authors and other authors for every article published in Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, and Psychopharmacology in 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006. Their involvement as editors also was determined. Women's participation as authors, but not as editors, slightly increased over time. In 2006, 43% of first authors, 38% of other authors, and 24% of editors were women. The gender of subjects was examined for the same years and journals, but could not be determined for 6% and 9% of articles employing nonhuman and human subjects, respectively. In 2006, when subjects' gender could be determined, 77% of articles involving nonhuman subjects used only males, 9% only females, and 14% both males and females. In articles using human subjects in that same year, 17% involved only males, 6% only females, and 77% both males and females. Women researchers clearly make substantial contributions to the psychopharmacology literature, but are nonetheless underrepresented as editors. Findings regarding subjects indicate that there is growing recognition of the importance of gender as a determinant of drug effects, although the vast majority of nonhuman studies continue to involve only male subjects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward more evidence-based guidelines for psychology.

Comments on the guidelines developed by the American Psychological Association (APA)'s Presidential Task Force on the Assessment of Age-Consistent Memory Decline and Dementia (see record 1998-11439-016). The present authors contend that the evidentiary basis for specific guidelines is limited especially with regard to discussion of collateral sources of information in the evaluation of dementia and cognitive decline. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues in the assessment of managerial and executive leadership: An overview.

Introduces this Special Issue of the Consulting Psychology Journal. The intent of this Special Issue is to cover some of the prevalent current issues underlying the assessment of managerial and executive leadership and to obtain different perspectives in doing so. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based family-school interventions with preschool children.

Fifteen studies of family-school interventions with preschool children conducted between 1980 and 2002, and published in peer-reviewed journals, were reviewed and evaluated according to the criteria developed by the Task Force on Evidence-Based Intervention in School Psychology (Division 16 and Society for the Study of School Psychology Task Force, 2003). Results indicate that family-school interventions with preschool children have taken many forms, have targeted a variety of problems and behaviors, and have generally shown positive effects. Efficacious interventions included parent and teacher training, parent education, and behavioral family therapy. Recommendations for future research include increased methodological rigor, replication and extension of current studies, and the completion of longer-term, follow-up investigations to determine whether gains that are made post-treatment are maintained over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychotherapy Relationships That Work: Therapist Contributions and Responsiveness to Patients.

Reviews the book, Psychotherapy Relationships That Work: Therapist Contributions and Responsiveness to Patients edited by John C. Norcross (see record 2003-02805-000). As quoted from the fly leaf, "the work represents the culmination of three years of systematic analysis by the APA's Division of Psychotherapy (29) Task Force on Empirically Supported Therapy Relationships." Clearly, the task force was appointed in part--and acknowledged in the Introduction--as a response to the Society of Clinical Psychology's (12) Task Force on Empirically Validated Therapies (see Chambless & Hollon, 1998), which emphasized techniques in therapy. Norcross, the chair of the Division 29 Task Force and editor of this volume, discusses the inevitable questions regarding the differences between the goals of the two task forces. He views the current work as an extension and enlargement of the "attempt to apply psychological science to the identification and promulgation of effective psychotherapy." The 21 substantive chapters of the book are written by distinguished researchers of the therapeutic process. Fifty-five authors contributed to the volume. The chapters cover a wide-ranging and diverse field of topics including empathy, resistance, feedback, repairing alliance ruptures, countertransference, self-disclosure, religion and spirituality, and cultural diversity. The organization of the contents is of interest, as they are divided into General Elements of the Relationship and Customizing the Relationship to the Individual Patient. The choice of which chapters fit the categories appears somewhat arbitrary and perhaps forced. But the import of the volume is the thoroughness that the authors have brought to their particular topics. The book contains a number of resource gems, such as tables of references on outcome as related to resistance, interpretation, and therapist positive regard. That said, the book is not without some weaknesses. There is a dearth of reports of case studies, and cases that are presented are scattered sparsely throughout the text. The research must necessarily continue in order to provide a better understanding of interpersonal relationships within the context of psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Policies and guidelines for Special Issues and Special Sections in Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research.

This article briefly outlines the policies and guidelines for Special Issues and Special Sections of the Consulting Psychology Journal. It is intended to clarify the process used in the development and review of Special Issue/Special Section proposals and in the review of articles submitted as part of a Special Issue or Special Section. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction of Educational Outcome After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: Evaluation of the predictive value of neuropsychological test scores with respect to special education placement following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Study Design: Longitudinal follow-up and hierarchical logistic regression analyses. Setting: Regional rehabilitation center. Participants: Consecutive series of referrals, including 58 children with TBI and no confounding premorbid histories or other complicating factors. Main Outcome Measures: Special education placement at, respectively, 12 and 24 months postinjury. Results: Children who obtained a composite T score of less than 45 on the California Verbal Learning Test--Children's Version during initial postinjury neuropsychological assessment were 8-13 times more likely to be placed in special education 12-24 months later compared with children who obtained higher scores. Conclusions: Neuropsychological test scores are not only sensitive to acute injury severity but also explain a substantial proportion of the variance in educational outcome after pediatric TBI, above and beyond that accounted for by demographic and medical variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pediatric AIDS and human immunodeficiency virus infection: Psychological issues.

Pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a growing medical problem in this country with a broad range of psychological implications. This report from the American Psychological Association's Division of Child, Youth and Family Services Task Force on Pediatric AIDS provides a brief review of what is known about the disease in children and addresses three areas of concern: (a) the delivery of clinical services to infected and ill children and their families, (b) the development of effective AIDS education and prevention programs, and (c) research needs. Recommendations for action are included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Postscript: Task force on the victims of crime and violence—was it worth it?

In June 1982 the Board of Directors of the American Psychological Association established the Task Force on the Victims of Crime and Violence and set forth its charge. Two and one half years later, the task force completed its work and issued a final report. In this article I assess the costs of the Task Force activity and the benefits derived from it in an attempt to determine whether the activity was worthwhile. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)