The gap between research and practice.

Comments on the article by M. D. Sherman and M. H. Thelen (see record 1997-38424-014) examining distress and professional impairment among psychologists in clinical practice. The current author takes exception to 2 conclusions made in the original article. First, Pipal notes that the suggestion for a practitioner to set aside 20–30 minutes per day to complete paperwork and other similar duties is inadequate, given this work consumes hours for many practitioners. Second, Pipal contends that the gender-specific finding that female practitioners report greater distress and impairment regarding work factors due to roles and perfectionistic attitudes is also a point of concern, suggesting that role overload leads to stress regardless of one's perfectionistic tendencies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impairment and distress associated with relationship discord in a national sample of married or cohabiting adults.

The clinical importance of relationship discord was examined through evaluating the association between relationship discord and multiple measures of impairment and psychological distress in a population-based sample of married and cohabiting adults (N = 2,677). In comparison to people that were not in discordant relationships, individuals in discordant relationships reported greater social role impairment with relatives and friends and greater work role impairment. They also reported higher levels of general distress and poorer perceived health and were more likely to report suicide ideation. With the exception of suicide ideation, the associations between relationship discord and impairment and psychological distress remained significant when controlling for current mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders, suggesting that relationship discord is incrementally related to impairment and psychological distress over and above the effects of psychiatric disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dispositional empathy in scientists and practitioner psychologists: Group differences and relationship to self-reported professional effectiveness.

Dispositional empathy, job satisfaction, and perceived effectiveness at a variety of professional activities were assessed in a sample of 290 psychologists. The participants were randomly chosen from four divisions of the American Psychological Association. Analyses indicated that psychologists from divisions chosen to represent a "Practitioner" orientation (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), compared to psychologists from divisions chosen to represent a "scientist" orientation (Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics), scored lower on personal distress. For females only, practitioner status was also associated with higher scores on empathic concern and perspective taking. Also, regardless of sex, among participants who reported regularly engaging in therapy, higher scores on empathic concern and perspective-taking, and lower scores on personal distress, were associated with greater satisfaction with therapeutic work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the etiology and effective management of professional distress and impairment among psychologists.

Both the psychologist and the consumer suffer when the professional's distress or impairment is inadequately managed. Although psychologists have significant rates of distress and impairment, numerous personal and occupational factors may decrease the likelihood that they will seek assistance when in trouble. Policies regarding the distressed or impaired psychologist, as enacted, are neither consistent nor comprehensive, and they may exacerbate risk to consumers and psychologists alike. Current oversight approaches to the impaired professional tend to emphasize code enforcement more than prevention and education. Recommendations to improve our effectiveness for both the consumer and the psychologist are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcoholism among psychologists: Factors in relapse and recovery.

The demographic, alcohol use, and drug use characteristics, work behavior, and recovery experiences of 108 alcoholic psychologists in an abstinence-based recovery organization (Psychologists Helping Psychologists) were investigated through survey sampling procedures. Respondents were similar in several variables to psychologists in the American Psychological Association and to other health professionals with drug and alcohol problems. The majority of respondents were in good recovery and tended to use a wider variety of relapse-prevention strategies as their length of sobriety increased. Respondents reported several indicators of alcohol-related work impairment, which was observed though seldom confronted by colleagues. Results of multiple regression analyses revealed that alcohol dependence and quality of sobriety were related to relapse and that use of a broad array of relapse-prevention strategies and satisfaction with several life areas were related to the length of sobriety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Symptoms, hassles, social supports, and life events: Problem of confounded measures.

Recent stressful life events are related to a wide variety of psychological and physical disorders, but the relations have tended to be minimal. This has led investigators to introduce such factors as "hassles" and "social supports" in expanded investigations of life-stressed processes. As with life events scales, however, questions have been raised about whether the conceptual and operational distinctions have been clear enough to permit clear investigation of interrelations among these factors and adverse health changes. The present study examined judgments by 371 clinical psychologists of the extent to which items in leading stress instruments are likely to be symptoms of psychological disorder. Results indicate that each of the stress measures was confounded with measures of psychological distress, the Hassles Scale and the Instrumental-Expressive Support Scale more so than the Social Readjustment Rating Scale. Types of life events and social supports are discussed in terms of their relative dependence on personality and psychopathology. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work-family spillover and life satisfaction among professional psychologists.

How do the professional lives of psychologists influence their personal and family lives? Data from 485 psychologists who responded to a survey on professional and family life were analyzed to examine work-to-family spillover, life satisfaction, and family support. Respondents reported a significantly higher incidence of positive spillover, termed family enhancers, than negative spillover, termed family stressors. The low incidence of family stressors suggested that stresses associated with the professional work of psychology do not routinely spill over into professionals' family lives. Both positive and negative spillover, however, played significant roles in mediating the relationship between work and family domains. On the positive side, a sense of personal accomplishment at work was associated with increased family enhancers, which appeared to lead to greater family support and life satisfaction. On the negative side, emotional exhaustion at work was associated with more family stressors, which appeared to lead to less family support and life satisfaction. The implications of these findings for training and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stressful life events, psychological distress, coping, and parenting of divorced mothers: A longitudinal study.

This was a prospective longitudinal study of the relationships among life stress, psychological distress, coping, and parenting behaviors in a sample of divorced custodial mothers. First, the differential effects of major events and daily stressors on psychological distress and parenting were explored. Second, the mediational links among stress, distress, and 3 dimensions of parenting behaviors were studied. Third, 3 coping strategies were studied as moderators of the relationship between distress and parenting. The results showed that both major and small events had significant effects on parental distress, with the effects of daily negative events being greater than those of major events. Parental distress mediated the relationships between stressful life events and parental acceptance of their children's behaviors. Parental coping strategies moderated the relationship between mothers' psychological distress and mothers' discipline practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Partners' stress underestimations lead to women's distress: A study of pregnant inner-city women.

The authors examined how men's underestimation of the stress that their pregnant female partners reported influenced women's psychological distress and their sense that they were not supported. Participants included 68 pregnant inner-city women and their partners, among whom African Americans and European Americans were represented. Women who reported a greater number of stressful life events had increased depression if their partners did not report them as encountering these events. However, if their partners reported them as encountering a high number of stressful events, the otherwise negative impact of stress was buffered. Partners' stress report had no appreciable effect when women reported a low number of stressful events. This partner underestimation effect was independent of the influence of women's report of social support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The examination of myofascial face pain and its relationship to psychological distress among women.

In this study, 110 female myofascial face pain patients were assessed monthly for 10 months on measures of pain, distress, and stressful life events. D. A. Kenny and A. J. Zautra's (1995) structural equation model for examining the separate trait, state, and error components of the variables was used to analyze the data. Both pain and distress had sizable trait variance, and the trait components were correlated. The 2 variables also showed sizable state variance, and the states of pain covaried with states of distress. A significant time-lagged relationship between the 2 variables was found: Increases in distress led to elevations in pain 1 mo later. Stressful life events arising from major social roles were also associated with greater distress, but not pain. Illness events unrelated to the pain syndrome were associated with both pain and distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correctional psychologist burnout, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction.

Corrections is a stressful environment, but do correctional psychologists experience greater levels of occupational burnout and life stress than other public sector and nonpublic sector psychologists? Data collected from 203 doctoral level psychologists including correctional (CR; n = 44), Veteran's Affairs (VA; n = 56), public psychiatric hospital (PPH; n = 54), and university counseling centers (CC; n = 49) indicated that CR psychologists do experience significantly more occupational burnout relative to VA and CC psychologists. Furthermore, CR and PPH psychologists reported significantly less job satisfaction than CC psychologists. Although psychologists working in PPH settings reported significantly lower levels of life satisfaction than VA and CC psychologists this was not the case for CR psychologists. Professional identity related to occupational setting emerged as a significant predictor of occupational burnout. Implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural, sociofamilial, and psychological resources that inhibit psychological distress in African Americans exposed to stressful life events and race-related stress.

This study tested a sociocultural model of stress and coping in a sample of 215 African Americans. Psychological resources (optimism, ego resilience) were modeled as a "nested self" (S. E. Hobfoll, 2001), supported by social resources (family adaptability and cohesion) and cultural resources (racial pride, religiosity). Race-related stress was a significantly more powerful risk factor than stressful life events for psychological distress. Structural equation modeling results confirmed the hypotheses that psychological resources had a significant direct effect in minimizing psychological distress, and social resources had a significant stress-suppressing effect on race-related stress. Theoretical and practical implications for counseling psychologists are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The distressed psychologist: Prevalence and treatment considerations.

Investigated the level and types of distress in a sample of 379 psychologists, using survey methodology. Overall, Ss were healthy and satisfied with work and interpersonal relationships. 10% of Ss experienced distress in the areas of depression, marital/relationship, physical illness, alcohol use, and loneliness. A distress band was calculated and ranged from 9% for multiple categories to 19% for single categories of distress. A subsample of Ss in distress from alcohol use was characterized by use of controlled drinking strategies with notable failure of these options to reduce distress levels. The authors conclude that (a) distress is a multifaceted phenomenon requiring careful examination on several levels; (b) controlled drinking strategies do not function to reduce distress among problem-drinking psychologists; and (c) verification of the distress band prevalence is needed to guide planning of intervention efforts on a state and national basis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Whatever does not kill us: Cumulative lifetime adversity, vulnerability, and resilience.

Exposure to adverse life events typically predicts subsequent negative effects on mental health and well-being, such that more adversity predicts worse outcomes. However, adverse experiences may also foster subsequent resilience, with resulting advantages for mental health and well-being. In a multiyear longitudinal study of a national sample, people with a history of some lifetime adversity reported better mental health and well-being outcomes than not only people with a high history of adversity but also than people with no history of adversity. Specifically, U-shaped quadratic relationships indicated that a history of some but nonzero lifetime adversity predicted relatively lower global distress, lower self-rated functional impairment, fewer posttraumatic stress symptoms, and higher life satisfaction over time. Furthermore, people with some prior lifetime adversity were the least affected by recent adverse events. These results suggest that, in moderation, whatever does not kill us may indeed make us stronger. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The contribution of small life events to the psychological distress of married and widowed older women

The contribution of small life events to the prediction of general psychological distress was examined for 50 married and 21 recently widowed older women. These two groups were contrasted as having or not having experienced an uncontrollable major life stressor (i.e., the recent death of a spouse). Negative small life events (i.e., daily hassles) contributed above and beyond general demographic factors; conjugal bereavement status; social support; other, non-conjugal bereavement, major life events; and the interaction of these life events and social support in the prediction of general psychological distress. Results support assessing negative small life events as well as major life events for both married and recently widowed older women.     

Licensing Board Complaints: Minimizing the Impact on the Psychologist's Defense and Clinical Practice.

Most psychologists who face board complaints experience significant personal and professional distress. As a result, they become vulnerable to cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses that may compromise their clinical work as well as their ability to defend themselves. Awareness of some of the most common sources of distress associated with complaints can allow psychologists to take steps to minimize, if not obviate, problematic countertransference, impaired objectivity, and self-defeating responses throughout and beyond the complaint investigation and adjudication process. Further, awareness of these pitfalls can inform the work of the supervisors, consultants, and psychotherapists who assist psychologists facing ethics complaints. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Retrospective memory bias for the frequency of potentially traumatic events: A prospective study.

We conducted a prospective study that tracked the frequency of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and nontraumatic events among college students over a 4-year period using a weekly web-based survey. At the study's completion, participants attempted to recall the number of events they had endorsed on the web surveys. Although participants underrecalled the frequency of all types of life events, recollection was more accurate for PTEs than for non-PTEs. Recalled-frequency of PTEs was associated positively with distress at recall and inversely with trait self-enhancement. These effects were qualified by a distress × self-enhancement interaction. High distress at recall was associated with a greater recalled-frequency of PTEs, but only for people low in trait self-enhancement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal coping strategies and emotional distress: Results of an early intervention program for low birth weight young children.

Several questions were examined with Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) data (N?=?843). Are effects of intervention services found for maternal emotional distress and coping strategies, and are these effects different for different groups of mothers? Do maternal distress, coping, and life events moderate (or mediate) the intervention effects reported earlier for children's test scores and behavior problems (IHDP, 1990)? The intervention reduced maternal distress, especially for women with less than a high school education. Maternal distress did not moderate or mediate the influence of the intervention on child outcomes. Maternal coping was not influenced by the intervention and did not moderate the influence of the intervention on child outcomes. Life events moderated the influence of the intervention on children's test scores; the intervention was more effective for children whose mothers had fewer life events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trauma, change, and psychological health in the 21st century.

The impact of stressful life events on health has been the object of inquiry for decades. Health care professionals have studied how stressful life events may precipitate or contribute to the onset of illness. Traumatic events and experiences can profoundly affect physical and psychological well-being, which in turn may predispose an individual to greater resilience or greater vulnerability to life stresses. Examined herein is the relationship between life stresses--including social stressors, political stressors, and environmental stressors--and the critical health related issues that psychologists need to prepare for in both the science and the practice of psychology over the next decade and during the 21st century. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptions of alcohol misuse and work behavior among professionals: Identification and intervention.

Examined the prevalence and effects of alcohol misuse and mental health problems on work behavior among 507 members (mean age 44.3 yrs) of the American Psychological Association (APA) who completed the Needs Assessment Survey (P. E. Nathan et al [1983]). Results indicate that at least one-third of the Ss knew of colleagues who misused alcohol on the basis of fairly overt signs of impairment. Only a select few of the Ss (n?=?61) confronted colleagues about their alcohol misuse; those confronters tended to be older men who saw clients with alcohol problems. In contrast, more Ss confronted colleagues about their mental health problems (n?=?182) and had better treatment outcomes. Considering the ambivalence of psychologists to confront colleague alcohol misuse in the presence of job-related detriment, use of the employee assistance program model of confrontation on demonstrable evidence of job decline seems appropriate. The roles of professional self-help organizations such as Psychologists Helping Psychologists in facilitating recovery of alcohol misusing psychologists and of APA in assisting psychologists in distress are discussed. (51 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)