Andrews, S, Veldre, A & Clarke, IE 2020, 'Measuring Lexical Quality: The Role of Spelling Ability', Behavior Research Methods, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 2257-2282.
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© 2020, The Psychonomic Society, Inc. The construct of ‘lexical quality’ (Perfetti Scientific Studies of Reading 11, 357–383, 2007) is widely invoked in literature on word recognition and reading to refer to a systematic dimension of individual differences that predicts performance in a range of word identification and reading tasks in both developing readers and skilled adult populations. Many different approaches have been used to assess lexical quality, but few have captured the orthographic precision that is central to the construct. This paper describes, evaluates, and disseminates spelling dictation and spelling recognition tests that were developed to provide sensitive measures of the precision component of lexical quality in skilled college student readers – the population that has provided most of the benchmark data for models of word recognition and reading. Analyses are reported for 785 students who completed the spelling tests in conjunction with standardized measures of reading comprehension, vocabulary, and reading speed, of whom 107 also completed author recognition and phonemic decoding tests. Internal consistency analyses showed that both spelling tests were relatively unidimensional and displayed good internal consistency, although the recognition test contained too many easy items. Item-level analyses are included to provide the basis for further refinement of these instruments. The spelling tests were moderately correlated with the other measures of written language proficiency, but factor analyses revealed that they consistently defined a separate component, demonstrating that they tap a dimension of variability that is partially independent of variance in reading comprehension, speed, and vocabulary. These components appear to align with the precision and coherence dimensions of lexical quality.
Barrett, J, Gonsalvez, CJ & Shires, A 2020, 'Evidence‐based practice within supervision during psychology practitioner training: A systematic review', Clinical Psychologist, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 3-17.
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© 2019 The Australian Psychological Society Background: Supervision has long been recognised as a highly influential aspect of training within psychology. The scientist–practitioner model underpins postgraduate psychology training programs. During such programs, clinical supervision plays an important role in the development and acquisition of evidence-based practice and scientist–practitioner competence. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive, current, and systematic review of the empirical research on supervisory interventions or practice that monitored and/or shaped the development of scientist–practitioner competence among psychology trainees. The secondary objective was to conduct a critical appraisal and assess the methodological rigour of included studies. Methods: Four major electronic databases were systematically searched against a priori inclusion criteria. Eligible quantitative studies investigated were located and assessed to identify evidence-based practice and scientist–practitioner factors within supervision in the psychology training settings. Results: A large pool of studies was retrieved but only four studies (N = 724 participants) met inclusion criteria indicating a major gap in the area. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Included studies were of good methodological quality, had small to medium sample sizes, and produced significant and valid results. Included studies used competency evaluation rating forms and compared supervision interventions. Conclusions: Despite the large body of literature on supervision, this review highlights a lack of empirical investigations into evidence-based practice and scientist–practitioner competence within supervision during psychology training. Future research directions are provided, and recommendations and implications for training and supervision are discussed.
Brooks, KR, Mond, J, Mitchison, D, Stevenson, RJ, Challinor, KL & Stephen, ID 2020, 'Looking at the Figures: Visual Adaptation as a Mechanism for Body-Size and -Shape Misperception', Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 133-149.
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Many individuals experience body-size and -shape misperception (BSSM). Body-size overestimation is associated with body dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression, and the development of eating disorders in individuals who desire to be thinner. Similar symptoms have been noted for those who underestimate their muscularity. Conversely, individuals with high body mass indices (BMI) who underestimate their adiposity may not recognize the risks of or seek help for obesity-related medical issues. Although social scientists have examined whether media representations of idealized bodies contribute to the overestimation of fat or underestimation of muscle, other scientists suggest that increases in the prevalence of obesity could explain body-fat underestimation as a form of renormalization. However, these disparate approaches have not advanced our understanding of the perceptual underpinnings of BSSM. Recently, a new unifying account of BSSM has emerged that is based on the long-established phenomenon of visual adaptation, employing psychophysical measurements of perceived size and shape following exposure to “extreme” body stimuli. By inducing BSSM in the laboratory as an aftereffect, this technique is rapidly advancing our understanding of the underlying mental representation of human bodies. This nascent approach provides insight into real-world BSSM and may inform the development of therapeutic and public-health interventions designed to address such perceptual errors.
Bullivant, B, Mitchison, D, Skromanis, S & Mond, J 2020, 'Elucidating individuals’ beliefs about the severity of eating disorders and obesity: implications for public health programs', Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 929-938.
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Bullivant, B, Rhydderch, S, Griffiths, S, Mitchison, D & Mond, JM 2020, 'Eating disorders “mental health literacy”: a scoping review', Journal of Mental Health, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 336-349.
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Burt, A, Mitchison, D, Dale, E, Bussey, K, Trompeter, N, Lonergan, A & Hay, P 2020, 'Prevalence, features and health impacts of eating disorders amongst First-Australian Yiramarang (adolescents) and in comparison with other Australian adolescents', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 8, no. 1.
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AbstractBackgroundThis study aimed to support previous research conducted with First-Australians (FA) by establishing the prevalence of eating disorders, and their demographic distribution and burden in adolescent First-Australians compared to other-Australians (OA).MethodsData were used from the baseline survey of the EveryBODY Study, a longitudinal investigation of eating disorders among Australian adolescents. Of the 5068 participants included, 402 (8%) identified as FA, 4586 (90.5%) identified as OA. Diagnosis of eating disorders was based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version 5. Socioeconomic status and measures of impairment were assessed using validated instruments. Body mass index was calculated based on self-reported weight and height. Statistical analyses used data weighted to the distribution of gender in adolescents in New South Wales in the 2016 Australian Census. Chi-square tests were performed to determine prevalence of eating disorders amongst FA and to compare to OA. ANOVA and logistic regression analyses where conducted to examine the moderation effect of sociodemographic status, measures of impairment and FA status on the distribution of eating disorders.ResultsThe prevalence rates for eating disorder diagnoses where similar for FA and OA with the exception of Night eating Syndrome (OSFED-NES), which occurred in 7.14% (95%CI 4.81–10.49) of FA vs. 3.72% (95%CI 3.17–4.36) in OA. The greater prevalence of OSFED-NES in FA was largely explained by poorer psychosocial quality of life amongst FA.ConclusionEating disorders are common amongst First-Australian adolescents and are associated with poor psychosocial quality of life. These findings are consistent...
Burt, A, Mitchison, D, Doyle, K & Hay, P 2020, 'Eating disorders amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: a scoping review', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 8, no. 1.
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AbstractBackgroundAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (Indigenous Australians) have poorer mental health compared to other Australians. Yet, there is a lack of research into mental disorders among this population, especially for eating disorders (ED), which are amongst the most lethal and debilitating mental disorders.AimWe aimed to answer 2 questions: 1. What is the volume and content of literature on ED among Indigenous Australians? 2. Has a screening or diagnostic tool/instrument been developed for the assessment of ED amongst Indigenous Australians?MethodWe conducted a scoping review of electronic databases (Pubmeb, Embase, PsychInfo, Proquest, Cochrane Library, Indigenous HealtInfoNet and Scopus), for studies addressing ED, body image, muscle dysmorphia, weight and shape concern among Indigenous Australians, as well as diagnostic and screening tools. All relevant studies were reviewed in full by 2 researchers. Narrative synthesis of the data was performed.ResultsThere is limited evidence for ED among Indigenous Australians, however, the evidence available strongly suggests that ED are more common among Indigenous Australians compared to other Australians. Eating disorders among Indigenous Australians are also associated with high levels of overvaluation of weight and shape. The increased risk of ED among Indigenous Australians was largely explained by factors such as poorer psychosocial wellbeing. No evidence was found for the existence of validated diagnostic or screening tools for ED in Indigenous Australians.ConclusionThe evidence suggests ED are common among Indigenous Australians, and there are no diag...
Burton, AL, Smith, E & Abbott, MJ 2020, 'Assessing the Clinical Utility of the Eating Beliefs Questionnaire', European Journal of Psychological Assessment, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 421-426.
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Abstract. The Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ) is a valid and reliable self-report tool measuring positive and negative beliefs about binge eating. This study sought to further investigate the clinical utility of the EBQ using a clinical binge eating sample and a healthy control comparison group. Clinical participants were 74 individuals seeking treatment for eating disorders: 38 with bulimia nervosa and 36 with binge eating disorder. Healthy controls were 114 individuals recruited from the general community. Participants all completed a test battery that included the EBQ. Diagnoses of clinical participants were confirmed using the semi-structured interview, the Eating Disorders Examination, administered by a trained clinician. The EBQ and its subscales showed good internal consistency, and significant differences between the clinical and nonclinical groups were observed for EBQ total and subscales scores, but not between the two clinical groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses revealed optimal cutoff scores for the EBQ, which demonstrated excellent sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Results from this study provide further evidence in support of the EBQ’s psychometric properties. Clinical cutoff scores can be used to assess severity of binge eating-related cognitions in both research and clinical settings.
Casey, LJ, Wootton, BM & McAloon, J 2020, 'Mental health, minority stress, and the Australian Marriage Law postal survey: A longitudinal study.', American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, vol. 90, no. 5, pp. 546-556.
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Research indicates that marriage equality legislation is associated with improved mental health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. However, the public debate that often precedes such legislation may exacerbate psychological distress and minority stress. In 2017, the Australian Federal Government conducted a national survey to gauge support for marriage equality. The present study investigated the mental health of a sample of LGBTQ people during and after this survey period. A sample of 2,220 LGBTQ participants completed measures of psychological distress and minority stress during the survey period. Participants were invited for follow-up 1 week, 3 months, and 12 months after the postal survey results were announced. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models to evaluate change in psychological distress and minority stress across time points, and the influence of exposure to the marriage equality debate, sexual identity, and gender identity on psychological distress and minority stress. Reported symptoms of psychological distress and minority stress significantly decreased following the postal survey period. Greater exposure to the marriage equality campaign was associated with greater psychological distress and perceived stigma but not internalized stigma. Sexual and gender identity subgroups significantly differed on outcome variable means. This study documents the longitudinal effects on a minority group of a public vote and the enactment of legislation regarding their human rights. The results suggest the postal survey served as a significant stressor to Australia's LGBTQ community. Implications for policy and clinical practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Cayoun, B, Simmons, A & Shires, A 2020, 'Immediate and Lasting Chronic Pain Reduction Following a Brief Self-Implemented Mindfulness-Based Interoceptive Exposure Task: a Pilot Study', Mindfulness, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 112-124.
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Abstract Recent imaging research shows that approximately 80%ofpeoplewhotransitfromacutetochronicpainproduce neuroplasticity linking pain pathways to learning areas of the brain, thus showing physiological evidence that chronic pain is largely learned. Mindfulness meditation programs have been used successfully to teach people a way of decreasing pain-related distress and unlearning their unhelpful relationship to pain. However, not all chronic pain patients are amenable to undergo a full mindfulness program and then maintaindailypractice.Accordingly,weconductedapilotstudyof a task extracted from a second-generation MBI, Mindfulnessintegrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy, which consisted of a self-guided 30-s mindfulness-based interoceptive exposure task (MIET) to pain sensations in 15 medically diagnosed chronic pain patients. Participants using the MIET repeatedly over 15 days learned not to identify with pain and focused on four subcomponents of interoception (mass, motion, temperature, and cohesiveness) while remaining equanimous. This ledtosignificantreductioninpainanxiety(p=.001;d=0.96), pain duration (p = .01;d = 0.86), and pain intensity after each 30-s exposure (p < .001;d = 1.37). These effects were maintained, and some further improved, at 2-month follow-up. Marked decrease in depression, anxiety and stress were also observed(p<.001;d=0.81).Whileparticipantsratedthetask as highly acceptable and some reduced their use of analgesic medication; no other change in medical or psychological treatment was required. These early results show the potential for the MIET to be use as an adjunct to traditional treatments of chronic pain, although controlled studies are needed to establish the validity of our results. Brain-imaging studies are also needed to assess the possible unlearning effect of the MIET on corticolimbic regions, a process that may be termed Bcentral desensitization.^
Cayoun, BA & Shires, AG 2020, 'Co-emergence Reinforcement and Its Relevance to Interoceptive Desensitization in Mindfulness and Therapies Aiming at Transdiagnostic Efficacy', Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 11, pp. 545945-15.
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Interoception, the ability to feel the body’s internal sensations, is an essential aspect of emotional experience. There is mounting evidence that interoception is impaired in common mental health disorders and that poor interoceptive awareness is a major contributor to emotional reactivity, calling for clinical interventions to address this deficit. The manuscript presents a comprehensive theoretical review, drawing on multidisciplinary findings to propose a metatheory of reinforcement mechanisms applicable across a wide range of disorders. We present a reconsideration of operant conditioning through the co-emergence model of reinforcement, which is a neurophenomenological account of the interaction between cognition and interoception, and its consequences on behavior. The model suggests that during memory processing, the retrieval of autobiographical memory (including maladaptive cognition) is dependent upon its co-emerging interoceptive cues occurring at the encoding, consolidation and reconsolidation stages. Accordingly, “interoceptive reinforcement” during emotional distress is a common factor to all emotional disorders and a major cause for relapse. We propose that interoceptive desensitization has transdiagnostic benefits, readily achievable through the cultivation of equanimity during mindfulness training and can be integrated in cognitive and behavioral interventions to permit a transdiagnostic applicability. We summarize the contributions of this approach into 10 specific and testable propositions.
Davenport, TA, Cheng, VWS, Iorfino, F, Hamilton, B, Castaldi, E, Burton, A, Scott, EM & Hickie, IB 2020, 'Flip the Clinic: A Digital Health Approach to Youth Mental Health Service Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond', JMIR Mental Health, vol. 7, no. 12, pp. e24578-e24578.
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The demand for mental health services is projected to rapidly increase as a direct and indirect result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that young people are disproportionately disadvantaged by mental illness and will face further challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to deliver appropriate mental health care to young people as early as possible. Integrating digital health solutions into mental health service delivery pathways has the potential to greatly increase efficiencies, enabling the provision of “right care, first time.” We propose an innovative digital health solution for demand management intended for use by primary youth mental health services, comprised of (1) a youth mental health model of care (ie, the Brain and Mind Centre Youth Model) and (2) a health information technology specifically designed to deliver this model of care (eg, the InnoWell Platform). We also propose an operational protocol of how this solution could be applied to primary youth mental health service delivery processes. By “flipping” the conventional service delivery models of majority in-clinic and minority web-delivered care to a model where web-delivered care is the default, this digital health solution offers a scalable way of delivering quality youth mental health care both in response to public health crises (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) and on an ongoing basis in the future.
Davidson, MJ, Graafsma, IL, Tsuchiya, N & van Boxtel, J 2020, 'A multiple-response frequency-tagging paradigm measures graded changes in consciousness during perceptual filling-in', Neuroscience of Consciousness, vol. 2020, no. 1.
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Abstract Perceptual filling-in (PFI) occurs when a physically present visual target disappears from conscious perception, with its location filled-in by the surrounding visual background. These perceptual changes are complete, near instantaneous, and can occur for multiple separate locations simultaneously. Here, we show that contrasting neural activity during the presence or absence of multi-target PFI can complement other findings from multistable phenomena to reveal the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC). We presented four peripheral targets over a background dynamically updating at 20 Hz. While participants reported on target disappearances/reappearances via button press/release, we tracked neural activity entrained by the background during PFI using steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) recorded in the electroencephalogram. We found background SSVEPs closely correlated with subjective report, and increased with an increasing amount of PFI. Unexpectedly, we found that as the number of filled-in targets increased, the duration of target disappearances also increased, suggesting that facilitatory interactions exist between targets in separate visual quadrants. We also found distinct spatiotemporal correlates for the background SSVEP harmonics. Prior to genuine PFI, the response at the second harmonic (40 Hz) increased before the first (20 Hz), which we tentatively link to an attentional effect, while no such difference between harmonics was observed for physically removed stimuli. These results demonstrate that PFI can be used to study multi-object perceptual suppression when frequency-tagging the background of a visual display, and because there are distinct neural correlates for endogenously and exogenously induced changes in consciousness, that it is ideally suited to study the NCC.
Desai, SAC, Pilditch, TD & Madsen, JK 2020, 'The rational continued influence of misinformation', Cognition, vol. 205, pp. 104453-104453.
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Duong, STM, Phung, SL, Bouzerdoum, A, Boyd Taylor, HG, Puckett, AM & Schira, MM 2020, 'Susceptibility artifact correction for sub-millimeter fMRI using inverse phase encoding registration and T1 weighted regularization', Journal of Neuroscience Methods, vol. 336, pp. 108625-108625.
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Fassaie, S & McAloon, J 2020, 'Maternal distress, HPA activity, and antenatal interventions: A systematic review', Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 112, pp. 104477-104477.
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BACKGROUND:Elevated antenatal distress has been associated with negative outcomes for both mothers and, as a result, their infants. One mechanism hypothesised to underlie these associations is the maternal hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Though research has examined whether biopsychosocial antenatal interventions can reduce maternal HPA activity, only one review has summarized the nature of findings to date. The present study examined randomised control trials (RCTs) specifically; our primary aim was to assess the effectiveness of antenatal interventions in reducing HPA activity in pregnant women, our secondary aim was to examine whether antenatal interventions reduced maternal self-report of depression and/or anxiety. METHODS:This study systematically reviewed RCTs that evaluated biopsychosocial interventions that reported subjective and objective markers of maternal distress in pregnant women within the clinical population. RESULTS:Eight studies met inclusion criteria and women were in their second or third trimester. HPA-activity was primarily assessed through salivary cortisol (n = 7) and self-reported maternal distress was assessed using a variety of validated screening measures. Included trials demonstrated significant methodological heterogeneity and small sample sizes, poor treatment adherence, and poor reliability in cortisol measurement indicated low methodological quality. CONCLUSIONS:Due to the high heterogeneity across studies, small sample sizes, and unreliable sampling methods, firm conclusions about the efficacy and effectiveness of antenatal interventions cannot be drawn. Despite this, interventions which targeted pregnancy-specific influencers of maternal mood were more likely to result in reduced depression and anxiety symptomatology as reported by mothers.
Fatt, SJ, Mond, J, Bussey, K, Griffiths, S, Murray, SB, Lonergan, A, Hay, P, Trompeter, N & Mitchison, D 2020, 'Help-seeking for body image problems among adolescents with eating disorders: findings from the EveryBODY study', Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 1267-1275.
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Ganesan, A, Morandini, JS, Veldre, A, Hsu, KJ & Dar-Nimrod, I 2020, 'Ethnic differences in visual attention to sexual stimuli among Asian and White heterosexual women and men', Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 155, pp. 109630-109630.
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Ganson, KT, Mitchison, D, Murray, SB & Nagata, JM 2020, 'Legal Performance-Enhancing Substances and Substance Use Problems Among Young Adults', Pediatrics, vol. 146, no. 3.
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BACKGROUND: Legal performance-enhancing substance(s) (PES) (eg, creatine) are widely used among adolescent boys and young men; however, little is known about their temporal associations with substance use behaviors. METHODS: We analyzed prospective cohort data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, Waves I to IV (1994–2008). Logistic regressions were used to first assess adolescent substance use (Wave I) and use of legal PES (Wave III) and second to assess use of legal PES (Wave III) and subsequent substance use–associated risk behaviors (Wave IV), adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Among the sample of 12 133 young adults aged 18 to 26 years, 16.1% of young men and 1.2% of young women reported using legal PES in the past year. Adolescent alcohol use was prospectively associated with legal PES use in young men (odds ratio 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13–1.70). Among young men, legal PES use was prospectively associated with higher odds of problematic alcohol use and drinking-related risk behaviors, including binge drinking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.35; 95% CI 1.07–1.71), injurious and risky behaviors (aOR 1.78; 95% CI 1.43–2.21), legal problems (aOR 1.52; 95% CI 1.08–2.13), cutting down on activities and socialization (aOR 1.91; 95% CI 1.36–2.78), and emotional or physical health problems (aOR 1.44; 95% CI 1.04–1.99). Among young women, legal PES use was prospectively associated with higher odds of emotional or physical health problems (aOR 3.00; 95% CI 1.20–7.44). ...
Genauck, A, Andrejevic, M, Brehm, K, Matthis, C, Heinz, A, Weinreich, A, Kathmann, N & Romanczuk‐Seiferth, N 2020, 'Cue‐induced effects on decision‐making distinguish subjects with gambling disorder from healthy controls', Addiction Biology, vol. 25, no. 6.
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AbstractWhile an increased impact of cues on decision‐making has been associated with substance dependence, it is yet unclear whether this is also a phenotype of non‐substance‐related addictive disorders, such as gambling disorder (GD). To better understand the basic mechanisms of impaired decision‐making in addiction, we investigated whether cue‐induced changes in decision‐making could distinguish GD from healthy control (HC) subjects. We expected that cue‐induced changes in gamble acceptance and specifically in loss aversion would distinguish GD from HC subjects.Thirty GD subjects and 30 matched HC subjects completed a mixed gambles task where gambling and other emotional cues were shown in the background. We used machine learning to carve out the importance of cue dependency of decision‐making and of loss aversion for distinguishing GD from HC subjects.Cross‐validated classification yielded an area under the receiver operating curve (AUC‐ROC) of 68.9% (p = .002). Applying the classifier to an independent sample yielded an AUC‐ROC of 65.0% (p = .047). As expected, the classifier used cue‐induced changes in gamble acceptance to distinguish GD from HC. Especially, increased gambling during the presentation of gambling cues characterized GD subjects. However, cue‐induced changes in loss aversion were irrelevant for distinguishing GD from HC subjects. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the classificatory power of addiction‐relevant behavioral task parameters when distinguishing GD from HC subjects. The results indicate that cue‐induced changes in decision‐making are a characteristic feature of addictive disorders, independent of a substance of abuse
Goldwater, MB, Gershman, SJ, Moul, C, Ludowici, C, Burton, A, Killer, B, Kuhnert, R & Ridgway, K 2020, 'Children's understanding of habitual behaviour', Developmental Science, vol. 23, no. 5, p. e12951.
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AbstractResearch into the development of Theory of Mind (ToM) has shown how children from a very early age infer other people's goals. However, human behaviour is sometimes driven not by plans to achieve goals, but by habits, which are formed over long periods of reinforcement. Habitual and goal‐directed behaviours are often aligned with one another but can diverge when the optimal behavioural policy changes without being directly reinforced (thus specifically hobbling the habitual learning strategy). Unlike the flexibility of goal‐directed behaviour, rigid habits can cause agents to persist in behaviour that is no longer adaptive. In the current study, all children predict agents will tend to behave consistently with their goals, but between the ages of 5 and 10, children showed an increasing understanding of how habits can cause agents to persistently take suboptimal actions. These findings stand out from the typical way the development of social reasoning is examined, which instead focuses on children's increasing appreciation of how others' beliefs or expectations affect how they will act in service of their goals. The current findings show that children also learn that under certain circumstances, people's actions are suboptimal despite potentially ‘knowing better.’
Hanley, SM, Bhullar, N & Wootton, BM 2020, 'Development and initial validation of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Scale for Youth', Clinical Psychologist, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 254-266.
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Hronis, A, Roberts, R, Roberts, L & Kneebone, I 2020, 'Potential for children with intellectual disability to engage in cognitive behaviour therapy: the parent perspective', Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, vol. 64, no. 1, pp. 62-67.
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AbstractBackgroundThis study aimed to obtain the opinions of parents and carers of children with intellectual disability (ID) as to whether cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) could be useful for their children.MethodsA mixed qualitative and quantitative method was employed. Twenty‐one carers of children aged 10 to 17 having borderline to moderate intellectual functioning responded to an online questionnaire. Participants were provided with information about CBT and asked to respond to open‐ended questions. Quantitative data pertained to questions about their child's ability to identify and describe thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Thematic analysis of responses was conducted using an inductive method of identifying themes from the qualitative data collected.ResultsFive themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: Emotional Attunement (i.e. parent's understanding and recognition of their child's emotions), Role of the Therapist (i.e. ways therapists could facilitate the intervention), Role of the Parent (i.e. ways parents could engage in the therapy process), Anticipated Obstacles (i.e. what may get in the way of the therapy) and Suggested Adaptations for Therapy (i.e. how CBT can be adapted to suit the needs of children with ID). Seventy‐six per cent agreed that their child would be able to engage in CBT with assistance.ConclusionsThe majority of parents believed that CBT is an intervention that children with ID could engage in, provided the therapy is adapted, and the therapist accommodates their needs.
Jefferson, FA, Shires, A & McAloon, J 2020, 'Parenting Self-compassion: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis', Mindfulness, vol. 11, no. 9, pp. 2067-2088.
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Kaliuzhna, M, Stein, T, Sterzer, P & Seymour, KJ 2020, 'Examining motion speed processing in schizophrenia using the flash lag illusion', Schizophrenia Research: Cognition, vol. 19, pp. 100165-100165.
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Kemmis-Riggs, J & McAloon, J 2020, 'A Narrative Review of the Needs of Children in Foster and Kinship Care: Informing a Research Agenda', Behaviour Change, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 171-180.
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AbstractAs a result of maltreatment, children in care can present with a range of complex needs and challenges. In addition to direct clinical care commonly provided by paediatricians, psychiatrists, and clinical psychologists, the provision of knowledge and skills to foster and kinship carers have become modes of support common in responding to these needs and challenges. A narrative review of key systematic reviews and empirical research was conducted to assess the effectiveness of existing foster carer interventions. Results indicated a range of methodological characteristics that limit our ability to develop a sound, research-driven, evidence base. As a result, we remain limited in our knowledge about which treatments are effective, for which symptoms they are effective, and for which population subgroups they are most likely to be effective. This review provides a summary of identified needs and challenges in the delivery of foster carer interventions. It provides an account of current treatment components and offers a platform for the development and progression of a programme of research in an effort to advance knowledge in the area.
Kemmis-Riggs, J, Grove, R, McAloon, J & Berle, D 2020, 'Early Parenting Characteristics Associated with Internalizing Symptoms Across Seven Waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children', Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, vol. 48, no. 12, pp. 1603-1615.
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The aim of this study was to identify whether parenting style during a child's toddler years predicts the course of the child's internalising symptoms throughout early to middle childhood. The current study uses data from waves 1 to 7 (acquired biennially) of the infant cohort (N = 4494) of Growing up in Australia: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a population-based longitudinal study. Latent class growth analysis identified four distinct longitudinal trajectories of internalizing symptoms: Low stable (66% of the children), High increasing (7%), Low increasing (17%) and High decreasing (10%). Multinomial logistic regression indicated that low self-efficacy and socioeconomic disadvantage during the toddler years were significant predictors of unfavourable (i.e., increasing) trajectories of internalizing symptoms across later childhood. Parenting hostility was a significant predictor of the low increasing trajectory. Additionally, male children were more likely than females to follow unfavourable trajectories. However, low parenting warmth was not predictive of increasing symptoms across time. Our findings highlight the importance of parenting factors in a child's early years, particularly the potentially detrimental outcomes associated with parental hostility and low self-efficacy.
Koenig-Robert, R & Pearson, J 2020, 'Decoding Nonconscious Thought Representations during Successful Thought Suppression', Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, vol. 32, no. 12, pp. 2272-2284.
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Abstract Controlling our thoughts is central to mental well-being, and its failure is at the crux of a number of mental disorders. Paradoxically, behavioral evidence shows that thought suppression often fails. Despite the broad importance of understanding the mechanisms of thought control, little is known about the fate of neural representations of suppressed thoughts. Using fMRI, we investigated the brain areas involved in controlling visual thoughts and tracked suppressed thought representations using multivoxel pattern analysis. Participants were asked to either visualize a vegetable/fruit or suppress any visual thoughts about those objects. Surprisingly, the content (object identity) of successfully suppressed thoughts was still decodable in visual areas with algorithms trained on imagery. This suggests that visual representations of suppressed thoughts are still present despite reports that they are not. Thought generation was associated with the left hemisphere, and thought suppression was associated with right hemisphere engagement. Furthermore, general linear model analyses showed that subjective success in thought suppression was correlated with engagement of executive areas, whereas thought-suppression failure was associated with engagement of visual and memory-related areas. These results suggest that the content of suppressed thoughts exists hidden from awareness, seemingly without an individual's knowledge, providing a compelling reason why thought suppression is so ineffective. These data inform models of unconscious thought production and could be used to develop new treatment approaches to disorders involving maladaptive thoughts.
Lei, X, Bussey, K, Hay, P, Mond, J, Trompeter, N, Lonergan, A & Mitchison, D 2020, 'Prevalence and Correlates of Sexual Harassment in Australian Adolescents', Journal of School Violence, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 349-361.
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Liu, L, Escudero, P, Quattropani, C & Robbins, RA 2020, 'Factors affecting infant toy preferences: Age, gender, experience, motor development, and parental attitude', Infancy, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 593-617.
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AbstractIn contrast to the anecdotal claim that “male infants like cars and female infants like dolls,” previous studies have reported mixed findings for gender‐related toy preferences in infancy. In Experiment 1, we explored the emergence of gender‐related preferences using face–car pairs (Experiment 1a, n = 51, 6–20 months) or face–stove pairs (Experiment 1b, n = 54, 6–20 months). In Experiment 2 (n = 42, 14–16 months), we explore the effect of toy properties, infants' past toy exposure, activity levels, and parental attitudes on such preferences using a wider range of toys. For both studies, infants demonstrated a general preference for faced stimuli over other objects, except for male infants who showed no preference between dolls and cars at around 15 months. Infants' prior experience participating in motor‐intensive activities, with wheeled toys and parental attitudes appeared to relate to female infants' preferences for dynamic toys. These results indicate a range of factors influence gendered toy preferences and suggest that nurture plays an important role.
Lonergan, AR, Bussey, K, Fardouly, J, Griffiths, S, Murray, SB, Hay, P, Mond, J, Trompeter, N & Mitchison, D 2020, 'Protect me from my selfie: Examining the association between photo‐based social media behaviors and self‐reported eating disorders in adolescence', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 53, no. 5, pp. 755-766.
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AbstractObjectiveThis study examined whether social media behaviors were associated with higher odds of meeting criteria for an eating disorder and whether gender moderated these relationships.MethodAustralian adolescents (N = 4,209; 53.15% girls) completed the self‐report photo investment and manipulation scales. Additional self‐report items assessed avoidance of posting selfies and investment in others' selfies. Eating disorders were identified by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and other self‐report measures aligned with diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders‐5 criteria.ResultsA multinomial logistic regression examining the effect of avoidance of posting selfies, photo investment, photo manipulation, and investment in others' selfies on the likelihood of meeting criteria for an eating disorder, compared to no disorder, was significant (χ2[42] = 1,128.93, p < .001). Greater avoidance was associated with higher odds of meeting criteria for all disorders except clinical/subclinical binge‐eating disorder and purging disorder. Increased photo investment was related to greater odds of meeting criteria for all disorders. A similar relationship emerged for photo manipulation, with the exception of clinical/subclinical binge‐eating disorder, and unspecified feeding and eating disorder. Investment in others' selfies was associated with higher odds of meeting criteria for all disorders except clinical/subclinical anorexia nervosa and purging disorder. There was a significant interaction between gender and avoidance (χ2[1] = 5.23, p = .025, OR = 1.74), whereby boys ...
Macfarlane, F, Luo, A, Moses, K, Russell, A, Cheyne, J, Bolger, ADP & Wootton, BM 2020, 'Psychometric properties of the body dysmorphic disorder‐dimensional scale', Clinical Psychologist, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 114-122.
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McCaig, D, Elliott, MT, Prnjak, K, Walasek, L & Meyer, C 2020, 'Engagement with MyFitnessPal in eating disorders: Qualitative insights from online forums', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 404-411.
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AbstractObjectiveUsing calorie‐counting and fitness‐tracking technologies is concerning in relation to eating disorders. While studies in this area typically assess one aspect of use (e.g., frequency), engagement with a device or application is more complex. Consequently, important relationships between the use of these technologies and the eating disorder symptomatology might remain undetected. The current study therefore used comments from online eating disorder‐related forums to generate comprehensive qualitative insights into engagement with a popular calorie‐counting and fitness‐tracking application, MyFitnessPal.MethodFirst, we extracted every comment mentioning MyFitnessPal made on three eating disorder‐related forums between May 2015 and January 2018 (1,695 comments from 920 commenters). Then, we conducted an inductive thematic analysis using these comments to identify important aspects of engagement with MyFitnessPal.ResultsThe analyses resulted in three themes: Preventing misuse, describing ways in which MyFitnessPal attempts to prevent pathological use and actions taken by users to circumvent its interventions; Accuracy, outlining distrust of MyFitnessPal's accuracy and ways in which perceived inaccuracy is reduced or compensated for; and Psychosocial factors, comprising cognitive, behavioral, and social factors that influence, or are influenced by, engagement with MyFitnessPal.DiscussionThe qualitative insights provide a detailed overview of how peopl...
Mitchison, D, Mond, J, Bussey, K, Griffiths, S, Trompeter, N, Lonergan, A, Pike, KM, Murray, SB & Hay, P 2020, 'DSM-5 full syndrome, other specified, and unspecified eating disorders in Australian adolescents: prevalence and clinical significance', Psychological Medicine, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 981-990.
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AbstractBackgroundLittle information is available on the prevalence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 eating disorders in adolescence, and eating disorders remain unique in the DSM for not systematically including a criterion for clinical significance. This study aimed to provide the first prevalence report of the full suite of DSM-5 eating disorders in adolescence, and to examine the impact of applying a criterion for clinical significance.MethodsIn total, 5191 (participation rate: 70%) Australian adolescents completed a survey measuring 1-month prevalence of eating disorder symptoms for all criterial, ‘other specified’ and unspecified eating disorders, as well as health-related quality of life and psychological distress.ResultsThe point prevalence of any eating disorder was 22.2% (12.8% in boys, 32.9% in girls), and ‘other specified’ disorders (11.2%) were more common than full criterial disorders (6.2%). Probable bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, but not anorexia nervosa (AN), were more likely to be experienced by older adolescents. Most disorders were associated with an increased odds for being at a higher weight. The prevalence of eating disorders was reduced by 40% (to 13.6%) when a criterion for clinical significance was applied.ConclusionsEating disorders, particularly ‘other specified’ syndromes, are common in adolescence, and are experienced across age, weight, socioeconomic and migrant status. The merit of adding a criterion for clinical significance to the eating disorders...
Moses, K, Gayed, M, Chuah, S & Wootton, BM 2020, 'The Use of Evidence-Based Assessment for Anxiety Disorders in an Australian Sample', Journal of Anxiety Disorders, vol. 75, pp. 102279-102279.
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Anxiety disorders are common and cause considerable functional impairment. Fortunately, evidence-based treatments are available, however, treatment effectiveness is often reliant on the provision of an accurate diagnosis. Accurate diagnosis requires a multi-method evidence-based assessment (EBA). Assessment techniques available to clinicians include a clinical interview, semi-structured diagnostic interview, self-report/clinician-administered rating scales and direct observation. Research demonstrates that only a small number of therapists utilize EBA, and to date this has not been investigated in an Australian sample. One hundred and two registered Australian psychologists (Mage = 40.98; SD = 12.67; 83.6% female) participated in an online study investigating assessment practices. Participants were asked to indicate EBA frequency of use and the obstacles they face to using EBA. The majority of participants (69% working with adult patients and 51% working with pediatric patients) reported partial use of EBA. Few psychologists (21% working with adult patients and 11% working with child patients) indicated complete use of EBA. Thirty-six percent of participants indicated negative beliefs about the usefulness or helpfulness of EBA. Multiple obstacles to the use of EBA were reported including concerns with the time required to complete assessment (27%), and a lack of access to assessment tools (10%). Implications for training and clinical practice are discussed.
Murray, SB, Compte, EJ, Quintana, DS, Mitchison, D, Griffiths, S & Nagata, JM 2020, 'Registration, reporting, and replication in clinical trials: The case of anorexia nervosa', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 53, no. 1, pp. 138-142.
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AbstractObjectiveTreatment outcomes for anorexia nervosa (AN) remain modest, and recent research suggests that clinical trials may be of limited methodological quality. With increasing evidence illustrating the irreproducibility of psychological research, no research to date has systematically examined the cumulative effect of bias in research relating to the treatment of AN.MethodWe identified all AN trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov between 2000 and 2018 and examined rates of (a) the noncompletion of clinical trials, the (b) nonpublication of trials once listed as completed, (c) the nonprospective registration of clinical trials, and (d) the nonreplication of findings.ResultsWe note that of 201 trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, only 101 have been completed, and of those, only 41 have been published. Moreover, of these 41 published trials, only eight demonstrated evidence of prospective trial registration, and only seven have had their primary findings replicated in other studies.DiscussionThese results illustrate the profound cumulative effect of methodological bias in registered trials for AN, which may have a significant impact both on what appears in the current evidence base, and on the reproducibility of studies comprising this evidence base.
Nagata, JM, Ganson, KT, Gorrell, S, Mitchison, D & Murray, SB 2020, 'Association Between Legal Performance-Enhancing Substances and Use of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids in Young Adults', JAMA Pediatrics, vol. 174, no. 10, pp. 992-992.
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Payne, JM, Walsh, KS, Pride, NA, Haebich, KM, Maier, A, Chisholm, A, Glad, DM, Casnar, CL, Rouel, M, Lorenzo, J, Del Castillo, A, North, KN & Klein‐Tasman, B 2020, 'Social skills and autism spectrum disorder symptoms in children with neurofibromatosis type 1: evidence for clinical trial outcomes', Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, vol. 62, no. 7, pp. 813-819.
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AimWe examined key features of two outcome measures for social dysfunction and autism spectrum disorder traits, the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS‐2) and the Social Skills Improvement System – Rating Scales (SSIS‐RS), in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). The aim of the study was to provide objective evidence as to which behavioural endpoint should be used in clinical trials.MethodCross‐sectional behavioural and demographic data were pooled from four paediatric NF1 tertiary referral centres in Australia and the United States (N=122; 65 males, 57 females; mean age [SD] 9y 2mo [3y], range 3–15y).ResultsDistributions of SRS‐2 and SSIS‐RS scores were unimodal and both yielded deficits, with a higher proportion of severely impaired scores on the SRS‐2 (16.4%) compared to the SSIS‐RS (8.2%). Pearson’s product‐moment correlations revealed that both questionnaires were highly related to each other (r=−0.72, p<0.001) and to measures of adaptive social functioning (both p<0.001). Both questionnaires were significantly related to attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, but only very weakly associated with intelligence.InterpretationThe SRS‐2 and SSIS‐RS capture social dysfunction associated with NF1, suggesting both may be suitable choices for assessing social outcomes in this population in a clinical trial. However, careful thought needs to be given to the nature of the intervention when selecting either as a primary endpoint.What this paper addsThe Social Responsive...
Phillips, K, Brockman, R, Bailey, PE & Kneebone, II 2020, 'Schema in older adults: does the schema mode model apply?', Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 341-349.
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AbstractBackground:The relevance of schema theory to psychopathology, in particular personality disorder, in younger adults is established. Investigations into the relevance of schema theory to older adults, however, is highly limited.Aims:To consider the relationship of schema modes to psychopathology in older adults and establish whether maladaptive schema modes are associated with unmet needs and that this relationship is mediated by the healthy adult mode of responding in this population.Method:One hundred and four older adults were recruited from an established database. Participants completed questionnaires assessing psychopathology, schema modes (YAMI: Young-Atkinson Mode Inventory) and basic psychological needs (BPNS: Basic Psychological Needs Scale – autonomy, competence and relatedness). Ninety-four responses were included after applying exclusion criteria.Results:The healthy adult schema mode was found to be associated with reduced psychopathology, and maladaptive child modes (angry and vulnerable child) to increased psychopathology. The healthy adult schema mode mediated the relationship between maladaptive child modes and needs satisfaction.Conclusions:As predicted by schema theory, the presence of one of the maladaptive child modes makes it difficult for an older individual to have their needs met, but the presence of healthy adult mode works to support this process.
Prnjak, K, Mitchison, D, Griffiths, S, Mond, J, Gideon, N, Serpell, L & Hay, P 2020, 'Further development of the 12-item EDE-QS: identifying a cut-off for screening purposes', BMC Psychiatry, vol. 20, no. 1.
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AbstractBackgroundThe Eating Disorder Examination – Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS) was developed as a 12-item version of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) with a 4-point response scale that assesses eating disorder (ED) symptoms over the preceding 7 days. It has demonstrated good psychometric properties at initial testing. The purpose of this brief report is to determine a threshold score that could be used in screening for probable ED cases in community settings.MethodsData collected from Gideon et al. (2016) were re-analyzed. In their study, 559 participants (80.86% female; 9.66% self-reported ED diagnosis) completed the EDE-Q, EDE-QS, SCOFF, and Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA). Discriminatory power was compared between ED instruments using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses.ResultsA score of 15 emerged as the threshold that ensured the best trade-off between sensitivity (.83) and specificity (.85), and good positive predictive value (.37) for the EDE-QS, with discriminatory power comparable to other ED instruments.ConclusionThe EDE-QS appears to be an instrument with good discriminatory power that could be used for ED screening purposes.
Prnjak, K, Pemberton, S, Helms, E & Phillips, JG 2020, 'Reactions to ideal body shapes', The Journal of General Psychology, vol. 147, no. 4, pp. 361-380.
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Puckett, AM, Bollmann, S, Junday, K, Barth, M & Cunnington, R 2020, 'Bayesian population receptive field modeling in human somatosensory cortex', NeuroImage, vol. 208, pp. 116465-116465.
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Puckett, AM, Schira, MM, Isherwood, ZJ, Victor, JD, Roberts, JA & Breakspear, M 2020, 'Manipulating the structure of natural scenes using wavelets to study the functional architecture of perceptual hierarchies in the brain', NeuroImage, vol. 221, pp. 117173-117173.
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Pursey, KM, Hay, P, Bussey, K, Trompeter, N, Lonergan, A, Pike, KM, Mond, J & Mitchison, D 2020, 'Diabetes and disordered eating behaviours in a community-based sample of Australian adolescents', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 8, no. 1.
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AbstractBackgroundPeople with diabetes have been shown to be at risk for disordered eating compared to their non-diabetic peers. However, the majority of studies have been conducted in relatively small samples drawn from clinical diabetes settings or registries. Community-based samples are required to better understand disordered eating behaviours in this population. In a large community-based population sample of Australian adolescents, this study aimed to (1) investigate disordered eating behaviours in adolescents reporting a diagnosis of diabetes compared to their non-diabetic peers and (2) test associations between disordered eating behaviours and insulin restriction.MethodsSecondary school students (n = 4854; mean (SD) age 14.4 (1.6) years; 47% boys) completed an online survey, including self-reported presence of diabetes, demographics, weight status, substance use, insulin restriction and disordered eating behaviours. Clinically meaningful cut-offs for disordered eating behaviours were generated for analysis.ResultsDisordered eating behaviours, specifically self-induced vomiting (diabetes 19.2%, no diabetes 3.3%; p < 0.001), laxative use (diabetes 15.4%, no diabetes 2.1%; p < 0.001), use of cigarettes (diabetes 26.9%, no diabetes 4.3%; p < 0.001) and other drugs (diabetes 28.9%, no diabetes 4.0%; p < 0.001), cleanse/detox (diabetes 30.8%, no diabetes 10.5%; p < 0.001) and extreme weight loss diets (diabetes 13.5%, no diabetes 4.7%; p < 0.003) were higher in those reporting a diagnosis of diabetes. In addition, 17% of those with diabetes rep...
Raman, J, Spirou, D, Jahren, L & Eik-Nes, TT 2020, 'The Clinical Obesity Maintenance Model: A Theoretical Framework for Bariatric Psychology', Frontiers in Endocrinology, vol. 11.
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Ranked highly in its association with serious medical comorbidities, obesity, a rapidly growing epidemic worldwide, poses a significant socio-economic burden. While bariatric procedures offer the most efficacious treatment for weight loss, a subset of patients risk weight recidivism. Due to the heterogeneity of obesity, it is likely that there are phenotypes or sub-groups of patients that require evidence-based psychological support to produce more sustainable outcomes. So far, however, characteristics of patients have not led to a personalized treatment algorithm for bariatric surgery. Maintenance of weight loss following bariatric surgery requires long-term modification of eating behaviors and physical activity. A recent Clinical Obesity Maintenance Model (COMM) proposed a conceptual framework of salient constructs, including the role of habit, behavioral clusters, emotion dysregulation, mood, health literacy, and executive function as interconnected drivers of obesity maintaining behaviors relevant to the field of bariatric psychology. The primary aim of this concise review is to bring together emerging findings from experimental and epidemiological studies relating to the COMM constructs that may inform the assessment and follow up of bariatric surgery. We also aim to explain the phenotypes that need to be understood and screened prior to bariatric surgery to enable better pre-surgery intervention and optimum post-surgery response.
Read, J, Sharpe, L, Burton, AL, Arean, PA, Raue, PJ, McDonald, S, Titov, N, Gandy, M & Dear, BF 2020, 'A randomized controlled trial of internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy to prevent the development of depressive disorders in older adults with multimorbidity', Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 264, pp. 464-473.
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BACKGROUND:Multimorbidity, which commonly impacts older adults is associated with higher rates of depression. We aimed to investigate whether internet delivered cognitive-behaviour therapy (iCBT) could prevent depressive disorders in older adults with multimorbidity who were not currently depressed. METHOD:302 primary care and community participants aged 65 years and over, who had multimorbidity but did not meet criteria for a depressive disorder were randomised to an intervention group who received an eight-week, five session iCBT (n = 150) or to a control group (n = 152) who received treatment as usual. Diagnostic interviews were conducted at baseline, and three and six months after the intervention period, where indicated, and the presence of depressive disorder was the primary outcome. RESULTS:The intention to treat, chi-square analyses indicated there were significantly fewer cases of depressive disorder in the treatment group compared to the control group by six-month follow-up (χ²(1,302) = 5.21, p = .02). LIMITATIONS:The main limitations of this RCT are a short follow up period and low proportion of participants who developed depressive disorders. Participants were relatively well educated, with a majority having English as their first language. CONCLUSIONS:These results indicate that depressive disorder was prevented in the first six months following iCBT with three times the number of cases of depressive disorder in the control group compared to the treatment group. Further research is required to determine whether iCBT can be effective for preventing depressive disorder in this population over a longer time period.
Robertson, L, Paparo, J & Wootton, BM 2020, 'Understanding barriers to treatment and treatment delivery preferences for individuals with symptoms of hoarding disorder: A preliminary study', Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, vol. 26, pp. 100560-100560.
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© 2020 Elsevier Inc. Hoarding Disorder (HD) is a common and debilitating mental health condition that is characterized by low treatment uptake and high drop-out rates. The aim of the present study was to 1) provide a preliminary evaluation of the barriers to psychological help-seeking and 2) understand psychological treatment preferences of individuals with clinically significant symptoms of HD. Fifty participants (82% female; M age = 47.82, SD = 12.92) completed the study. The most frequently cited barriers to treatment were related to cost (66%), self-reliance (58%), and lack of knowledge about treatment options (42%). Likelihood of seeking treatment for HD symptoms was low and past-treatment predicted treatment-seeking intention, while symptom severity, depression, and internalized stigma were non-significant predictors (F(4, 44) = 9.40, p <.001; R2 = 0.49). Participants indicated a preference for individually-administered treatment (41.3%) or remote low intensity treatments (30.4%), over accelerated or group therapy approaches. The study highlights that individuals with HD experience significant barriers to accessing psychological treatment for HD and providing a variety of low cost, evidence-based treatment approaches may enhance treatment uptake for this population.
Russell, A, Pozo de bolger, A, Moses, K, Luo, A & Wootton, BM 2020, 'Psychometric properties of the excoriation (skin‐picking disorder) dimensional scale', Clinical Psychologist, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 246-253.
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Shires, A, Sharpe, L, Davies, JN & Newton John, T 2020, 'The efficacy of mindfulness based interventions in acute pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.', Pain, vol. 161, no. 8, pp. 1698-1707.
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Recent meta-analyses have shown MBIs to be effective for chronic pain, but no pooled estimates of the effect of MBIs on acute pain are available. This meta-analysis was conducted to fill that gap. A literature search was conducted in four databases. Articles were eligible if they reported on randomized controlled trials of MBIs for people with acute pain and included one of the following outcomes: pain severity, pain threshold, pain tolerance or pain-related distress. Two authors independently extracted the data, assessed risk of bias and provided GRADE ratings. Twenty-two studies were included. There was no evidence of an effect of MBIs on the primary outcome of pain severity in clinical (Hedge's g=0.52; [95%CI -0.241, 1.280]) or experimental settings (Hedge's g= 0.043; 95%CI [-0.161, 0.247]). There was a beneficial effect of MBIs on pain tolerance (Hedge's g=0.68; 95%CI [0.157, 1.282]) and pain threshold (Hedge's g=0.72; 95%CI [0.210, 1.154]) in experimental studies. There was no evidence of an effect of MBIs compared to control for pain-related distress in clinical (Hedge's g=0.159; 95%CI [-0.018, 0.419]) or experimental settings (Hedge's g=0.439; 95%CI [-0.164, 0.419]). GRADE assessment indicated that except for pain tolerance, the data were of low or very low quality. There is moderate evidence that MBIs are efficacious in increasing pain tolerance and weak evidence for pain threshold. However, there is an absence of good quality evidence for the efficacy of MBIs for reducing the pain severity or pain-related distress in either clinical or experimental settings.
Shires, A, Sharpe, L, Davies, JN & Newton-John, TRO 2020, 'The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in acute pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Pain, vol. 161, no. 8, pp. 1698-1707.
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Abstract Recent meta-analyses have shown mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to be effective for chronic pain, but no pooled estimates of the effect of MBIs on acute pain are available. This meta-analysis was conducted to fill that gap. A literature search was conducted in 4 databases. Articles were eligible if they reported on randomized controlled trials of MBIs for people with acute pain and one of the following outcomes: pain severity, pain threshold, pain tolerance, or pain-related distress. Two authors independently extracted the data, assessed risk of bias, and provided GRADE ratings. Twenty-two studies were included. There was no evidence of an effect of MBIs on the primary outcome of pain severity in clinical {Hedges' g = 0.52; (95% confidence interval [CI] −0.241 to 1.280)} or experimental settings (Hedges' g = 0.04; 95% CI [−0.161 to 0.247]). There was a beneficial effect of MBIs on pain tolerance (Hedges' g = 0.68; 95% CI [0.157-1.282]) and pain threshold (Hedges' g = 0.72; 95% CI [0.210-1.154]) in experimental studies. There was no evidence of an effect of MBIs compared to control for pain-related distress in clinical (Hedges' g = 0.16; 95% CI [−0.018 to 0.419]) or experimental settings (Hedges' g = 0.44; 95% CI [−0.164 to 0.419]). GRADE assessment indicated that except for pain tolerance, the data were of low or very low quality. There is moderate evidence that MBIs are efficacious in increasing pain tolerance and weak evidence for pain threshold. However, there is an absence of good-quality evidence for the efficacy of MBIs for reducing the pain severity or pain-related distress in either clinical or experimental settings.
Smith, E, Treffiletti, A, Bailey, PE & Moustafa, AA 2020, 'The effect of attentional bias modification training on food intake in overweight and obese women', Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 25, no. 10-11, pp. 1511-1521.
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This study modified food attentional biases via computerized attentional bias modification training and examined the effects on food intake. Overweight women were randomly allocated to (1) direct attention away from food (“attentional-training”), (2) direct attention at random to food or neutral (“placebo”), or (3) no training (“control”). Individuals then completed a taste test. Those in the attentional-training consumed on average 600 kJ less of total food compared to the placebo. Those in the attentional-training had a reduction in food attentional bias compared to the placebo group, when controlling for executive function. Attentional-training seems to reduce high-calorie intake in overweight women.
Spirou, D, Raman, J & Smith, E 2020, 'Psychological outcomes following surgical and endoscopic bariatric procedures: A systematic review', Obesity Reviews, vol. 21, no. 6.
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SummaryObesity is a leading global epidemic. Bariatric surgery is the only treatment demonstrating substantial long‐term weight loss and medical benefits. However, there is limited research on the psychological outcomes following surgery. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to systematically review depression, anxiety, and binge eating outcomes at different time points following bariatric surgery and identify whether bariatric surgery significantly reduces psychological symptoms over time. These outcomes were also examined among endoscopic bariatric procedures as a secondary aim. Forty‐eight studies met inclusion criteria. Findings suggested that most patients experience a short‐term reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms from pre‐surgery. Over time, however, these symptoms increase and may even return to pre‐surgery levels. Furthermore, while binge eating was uncommon after surgery, other disordered eating patterns may emerge. Binge eating may also restart over time as the stomach enlarges again. Overall, the complex psychological difficulties faced by individuals with obesity continue after surgery and may contribute to longer‐term weight recidivism. More comprehensive and standardised psychological assessment procedures, including clinical interviews and longer‐term follow‐up, may provide insight into the psychological mechanisms maintaining weight management issues, and may serve as a starting point for improving the long‐term success of patients with obesity.
Stevens, MC, Levy, HC, Hallion, LS, Wootton, BM & Tolin, DF 2020, 'Functional Neuroimaging Test of an Emerging Neurobiological Model of Hoarding Disorder', Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 68-75.
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BACKGROUND:Over the past decade, functional neuroimaging studies have found abnormal brain function in several cortical systems when patients with compulsive hoarding behaviors make decisions about personal possessions. The purpose of this study was to use functional magnetic resonance imaging to test a neurobiological model of hoarding disorder (HD) that has begun to emerge from these small studies by confirming HD-related brain dysfunction in previously implicated brain regions in the largest sample of HD patients examined to date. METHODS:We compared 79 adults diagnosed with DSM-5 HD with 44 non-HD control participants using a functional magnetic resonance imaging task of decision making to acquire or discard material possessions and on a control task involving semantic processing. RESULTS:HD brain activation profiles prominently featured insular and anterior cingulate cortex overengagement during possession-related choices that were not seen in non-HD brain activation profiles and also correlated with hoarders' clutter and difficulty discarding. Although HD patients overengaged the insula when deciding to discard, relative to when performing the non-decision making task contrast, the HD insula also was generally blunted. CONCLUSIONS:This study links the defining behavioral symptoms of HD to localized brain dysfunction within cingulo-opercular brain systems and firmly establishes the context-dependent importance of this network dysfunction in HD. The relevance of dysfunction in these brain regions is highlighted by a failure to replicate HD-related abnormalities in other brain regions implicated in prior HD functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. This study also raises the novel possibility that HD may involve abnormality in the inferior frontal cortex engaged for executive control over semantic processing.
Thapliyal, P, Mitchison, D, Mond, J & Hay, P 2020, 'Gender and help-seeking for an eating disorder: findings from a general population sample', Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 215-220.
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Titov, N, Dear, BF, Nielssen, O, Wootton, B, Kayrouz, R, Karin, E, Genest, B, Bennett-Levy, J, Purtell, C, Bezuidenhout, G, Tan, R, Minissale, C, Thadhani, P, Webb, N, Willcock, S, Andersson, G, Hadjistavropoulos, HD, Mohr, DC, Kavanagh, DJ, Cross, S & Staples, LG 2020, 'User characteristics and outcomes from a national digital mental health service: an observational study of registrants of the Australian MindSpot Clinic', The Lancet Digital Health, vol. 2, no. 11, pp. e582-e593.
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Background:Interest is growing in digital and telehealth delivery of mental health services, but data are scarce on outcomes in routine care. The federally funded Australian MindSpot Clinic provides online and telephone psychological assessment and treatment services to Australian adults. We aimed to summarise demographic characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients registered with MindSpot over the first 7 years of clinic operation. Methods:We used an observational design to review all patients who registered for assessment with the MindSpot Clinic between Jan 1, 2013, and Dec 31, 2019. We descriptively analysed the demographics, service preferences, and baseline symptoms of patients. Among patients enrolled in a digital treatment course, we evaluated scales of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale [GAD-7]), as primary measures of treatment outcome, from the screening assessment to post-treatment and a 3 month follow-up. The Kessler Psychological Distress 10-Item Plus Scale was also used to assess changes in general distress and disability, and course satisfaction was measured post-treatment. Outcomes:A total of 121 652 screening assessments were started, of which 96 018 (78·9%) were completed. The mean age of patients was 35·7 years (SD 13·8) and 88 702 (72·9%) were women. Based on available assessment data, 36 866 (34·5%) of 106 811 participants had never previously spoken to a health professional about their symptoms, and most people self-reported symptoms of anxiety (88 879 [81·9%] of 108 494) or depression (78 803 [72·6%] of 108 494), either alone or in combination, at baseline. 21 745 patients started treatment in a therapist-guided online course, of whom 14 503 (66·7%) completed treatment (≥four of five lessons). Key trends in service use included an increase in the proportion of people using MindSpot primarily for assessment and information, from 52·6% in 2013 to 66·7% i...
Veldre, A, Reichle, ED, Wong, R & Andrews, S 2020, 'The effect of contextual plausibility on word skipping during reading', Cognition, vol. 197, pp. 104184-104184.
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Watson, P, Pearson, D & Le Pelley, ME 2020, 'Reduced attentional capture by reward following an acute dose of alcohol', Psychopharmacology, vol. 237, no. 12, pp. 3625-3639.
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Watson, P, Pearson, D, Theeuwes, J, Most, SB & Le Pelley, ME 2020, 'Delayed disengagement of attention from distractors signalling reward', Cognition, vol. 195, pp. 104125-104125.
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Wilson, EJ, Stapinski, L, Dueber, DM, Rapee, RM, Burton, AL & Abbott, MJ 2020, 'Psychometric properties of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 in generalized anxiety disorder: Assessment of factor structure, measurement properties and clinical utility', Journal of Anxiety Disorders, vol. 76, pp. 102309-102309.
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Intolerance of uncertainty is a psychological vulnerability implicated in the development and maintenance of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 (IUS-12) is a widely used measure, however no studies have thoroughly tested the psychometric properties in a clinically diagnosed GAD sample. This study aimed to evaluate the factor structure, measurement properties and clinical utility of the IUS-12 in clinical and non-clinical samples. Participants were screened using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV to ascertain clinical (n = 136: principal diagnosis of GAD) or non-clinical status (n = 76). Confirmatory factor analysis determined that the bifactor type (two-factor testlet) model demonstrated significantly better fit in comparison to the unidimensional model for the clinical sample. The IUS-12 exhibited limited multidimensionality indicating that only the total score provides meaningful interpretation. The IUS-12 demonstrated good construct validity (with DASS-21, MCQ-30, and PSWQ), good internal consistency, as well as good test-retest reliability over 12-weeks. The IUS-12 demonstrated responsivity to treatment following cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness based psychological interventions. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated an optimal cut-off score of 28 for distinguishing individuals with GAD from non-clinical cases. Overall, the IUS-12 is a valid, reliable and clinically useful instrument for individuals with GAD.
Wootton, BM, Davis, E, Moses, K, Moody, A & Maguire, P 2020, 'The development and initial validation of the Tokophobia Severity Scale', Clinical Psychologist, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 267-275.
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Xu, Y, Wong, R, He, S, Veldre, A & Andrews, S 2020, 'Is it smart to read on your phone? The impact of reading format and culture on the continued influence of misinformation', Memory & Cognition, vol. 48, no. 7, pp. 1112-1127.
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