Underdiagnosing and nontreatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in community mental health: A case study.

Research indicates that trauma is extremely prevalent among populations seeking community-based services. However, underdiagnosis and nontreatment of trauma-related disorders is widespread. This study explored how one urban community mental health center (CMHC), serving a severely mentally ill (SMI) population, assessed, diagnosed, and treated reported trauma histories. Results indicate that of the 72 consumers in this sample who reported trauma histories (51%), only 2 were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Instead, those with a reported trauma history were likely to be diagnosed with affective disorders and were almost seven times as likely to be recommended therapy as were those without a trauma history. However, even those recommended therapy were not likely to receive it. Findings indicate significant barriers to PTSD diagnoses and the receipt of therapy services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stigma and barriers to care in soldiers postcombat.

The present study examined the effects of leadership and unit cohesion on mental health stigma and perceived barriers to care. A sample of 680 soldiers from combat support units were surveyed 3 months after their return from combat operations in Iraq. The survey included scales on psychological symptoms and perceptions of leader behaviors and unit cohesion, as well as items assessing stigma and barriers to care. The sample was used to test the independent and interactive effects of leadership and unit cohesion on soldiers’ perceptions of stigma and barriers to care. Analyses yielded significant interaction effects between leadership and cohesion in predicting stigma and barriers to care, while controlling for the effects of mental health symptoms. Soldiers who rated their leaders more highly and who reported higher unit cohesion also reported lower scores on both stigma and perceived barriers to care. Thus, positive leadership and unit cohesion can reduce perceptions of stigma and barriers to care, even after accounting for the relationship between mental health symptoms and these outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting post-treatment-initiation alcohol use among patients with severe mental illness and alcohol use disorders.

Few investigators studying alcohol abuse among individuals with a severe mental illness (SMI) have examined predictors of posttreatment alcohol outcomes. In the present study, a multivariate approach based on a theoretical model was used to study the relationship between psychosocial factors and post-treatment-initiation alcohol use. Predictors of alcohol use outcomes were examined in 278 individuals diagnosed with a current schizophrenia-spectrum or bipolar disorder and an alcohol use disorder (AUD). At 6-months follow-up, 144 of 228 available participants (63%) had good clinical outcomes. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that type of pretreatment residential setting was directly related to treatment, with participants who lived in supervised settings (41%) reporting significantly more days of treatment (β = .34, p     

Battlemind debriefing and battlemind training as early interventions with soldiers returning from iraq: Randomization by platoon.

Researchers have found that there is an increase in mental heath problems as a result of military-related traumatic events, and such problems increase in the months following return from combat. Nevertheless, researchers have not assessed the impact of early intervention efforts with this at-risk population. In the present study, the authors compared different early interventions with 2,297 U.S. soldiers following a year-long deployment to Iraq. Platoons were randomly assigned to standard postdeployment stress education, Battlemind debriefing, and small and large group Battlemind training. Results from a 4-month follow-up with 1,060 participants showed those with high levels of combat exposure who received Battlemind debriefing reported fewer posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression symptoms, and sleep problems than those in stress education. Small group Battlemind training participants with high combat exposure reported fewer posttraumatic stress symptoms and sleep problems than stress education participants. Compared to stress education participants, large group Battlemind training participants with high combat exposure reported fewer posttraumatic stress symptoms and lower levels of stigma and, regardless of combat exposure, reported fewer depression symptoms. Findings demonstrate that brief early interventions have the potential to be effective with at-risk occupational groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

La CLAve to increase psychosis literacy of Spanish-speaking community residents and family caregivers.

The authors developed and tested a 35-min psychoeducational program with the goal of increasing Spanish-speaking persons’ literacy of psychosis. The program uses popular cultural icons derived from music, art, and videos, as well as a mnemonic device—La CLAve (The Clue)—to increase (a) knowledge of psychosis, (b) efficacy beliefs that one can identify psychosis in others, (c) attributions to mental illness, and (d) professional help-seeking. Assessments were conducted before and after administering the program to both community residents (n = 57) and family caregivers of persons with schizophrenia (n = 38). For community residents, the authors observed increases across the 4 domains of symptom knowledge, efficacy beliefs, illness attributions, and recommended help-seeking. For caregivers, increases were observed in symptom knowledge and efficacy beliefs. La CLAve is a conceptually informed psychoeducational tool with a developing empirical base aimed at helping Spanish-speaking Latinos with serious mental illness obtain care in a timely manner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gerald Caplan (1917–2008).

Presents an obituary for Gerald Caplan who was a world leader in the areas of preventive psychiatry; adult, child, and family psychiatry; and community mental health. His contributions to prevention, crisis intervention, mental health consultation, and social support are monumental and unprecedented. Briefly described is Caplan's life history, educational background, and scholarly accomplishments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relating indices of knowledge structure coherence and accuracy to skill-based performance: Is there utility in using a combination of indices?

The authors examined the relative criterion-related validity of knowledge structure coherence and two accuracy-based indices (closeness and correlation) as well as the utility of using a combination of knowledge structure indices in the prediction of skill acquisition and transfer. Findings from an aggregation of 5 independent samples (N = 958) whose participants underwent training on a complex computer simulation indicated that coherence and the accuracy-based indices yielded comparable zero-order predictive validities. Support for the incremental validity of using a combination of indices was mixed; the most, albeit small, gain came in pairing coherence and closeness when predicting transfer. After controlling for baseline skill, general mental ability, and declarative knowledge, only coherence explained a statistically significant amount of unique variance in transfer. Overall, the results suggested that the different indices largely overlap in their representation of knowledge organization, but that coherence better reflects adaptable aspects of knowledge organization important to skill transfer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

形象思维的视表象基础

形象思维是普遍存在的，形象思维是依赖于直接的知觉经验的，并在心理上表现为对表象的操作，在视觉的中枢神经皮层机制中的功能柱型结构阵列可设想为表象的计算基础，这样就找到了视表象的表示和实现基础，在文中还对形象思维的实现过程进行了讨论，并指出了5个形象思维研究的核心问题，本文取认知观点，强调的是认知心理功能的计算依托和生理基础，也即“解释智能”的思想，或说从这样一个思想出发，发现思维的认知结构是认知科学的中心问题。     

Review of The mind in context.

Reviews the book, The mind in context edited by Batja Mesquita, et al. (see record 2010-09987-000). The purpose of this edited volume is to challenge a predominant tendency toward an error of essentialism, or the attempt to explain psychological phenomena in terms of internal, static mental entities that are independent of and seemingly hermetically sealed from the outside world. Instead the introductory chapter of The mind in context advances the context principle: that mental processes and behaviour emerge from a profound and complex interaction between person and environment. It is important to note at the outset that a reader seeking an abstracted, sterilized, encyclopaedic list of essential elements making up this perspective would be well advised to look elsewhere. Rather, and in keeping with the theme of the book, the editors have assembled a lively collection of exemplars: chapters by prominent scholars each exploring the influence of context in a focused area of interest. The disadvantage of this approach is that the book can feel somewhat overextended. The significant advantage, however, is that the reader experiences each chapter in the context of the others, a juxtaposition that allows for the emergence of resonances, themes, and common principles across domains. In elaborating on the context principle the contributors to this book emphasise the mind’s mechanisms, situation-sensitivity, and agency over its content, permanence, and passivity. While written in large part by and for social psychologists, the volume should be of interest to any scholar fascinated by the mind’s ecological nature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The perception of assimilation in newly learned novel words.

The present study investigated the mechanisms underlying perceptual compensation for assimilation in novel words. During training, participants learned canonical versions of novel spoken words (e.g., decibot) presented in isolation. Following exposure to a second set of novel words the next day, participants carried out a phoneme monitoring task. Here, the novel words were presented with final alternations (e.g., decibop) in carrier sentences that either licensed assimilation (viable context: Our decibop behaved badly) or did not (unviable context: Our decibop does very well). Listeners had to monitor for the underlying form of the assimilated consonant (e.g., /t/ in decibop). Results showed more responses corresponding to the underlying form in viable than in unviable contexts. This viability effect was equivalent for novel words learned on the same day and on the previous day but was absent for unexposed control items. The processing difference between exposed and control novel words supports the idea that compensation for assimilation interacts with newly acquired phonological information and suggests that contextual compensation for assimilation is enhanced by lexical knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)