Affirmative Stances in Training Programs Toward Sexual and Gender Minority Clients: Views From Clinical and Counseling Psychology Graduate Students.

Despite training recommendations to address mental health disparities among sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, the current state of SGM affirmative training in clinical and counseling doctoral psychology programs remains unclear. The present study surveyed 147 clinical and counseling psychology graduate students in the United States. Participants completed surveys on affirmative training stances in their graduate program for sexual minority clients, gender minority clients, and self-reported perceptions of their attitudes, knowledge, and skills related to SGM clients. Results revealed that current graduate students reported more affirmative stances for sexual minority clients compared to gender minority clients. SGM graduate students reported fewer affirmative stances in their programs for both sexual and gender minority clients compared to their heterosexual cisgender peers. Lastly, SGM identity was a significant predictor of perceived SGM clinical competency beyond years of training, program model, or type of graduate program. Implications for training and future research are discussed.

A Review of Child and Adolescent Diagnostic Interviews for Clinical Practitioners.

The publication of the DSM-5 poses a challenge for many interview instruments due to the changes for many of the diagnoses. Six of the more widely used and studied interview instruments (structured and semistructured) were reviewed with a focus on usefulness for the practicing clinician and researcher. Use of these types of assessment procedures can facilitate the accuracy of diagnoses given by potentially reducing clinician bias. Each interview instrument varied in its strengths and characteristics related to amount of flexibility associated with administration of items; breadth of coverage of diagnoses based on DSM-IV; time required for administration; presence of screening items or modular format; and psychometric support for its reliability and validity, as well as amount of training required for use, and costs associated with acquiring and learning the format. Recommendations were made regarding the utilization of different instruments for specific diagnostic questions along with future recommendations for enhancing the format and utility of these instruments, especially in relation to the publication of the DSM-5.

Acculturation Clusters and Life Satisfaction / Grupos de aculturación y satisfacción vital

The purpose of our study was to determine if acculturation variables from different acculturation domains form empirically extracted acculturation clusters [based on Berry's (1997) model], and if the clusters are related to the life satisfaction of first and second generation immigrant college students. One hundred twenty-two students attending a university in the Midwestern USA (70% female), representing more than 20 countries of origin, completed an online questionnaire. Hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward's method and a k-means analysis revealed four acculturation clusters that were labeled (1) Bicultural Attitudes, (2) Bicultural Practices & Heritage Identity, (3) U.S. Practices, and (4) Heritage Practices. Participants in the two clusters most closely resembling Berry's (1997) acculturation category of integration (i.e., Bicultural Attitudes, and Bicultural Practices & Heritage Identity) reported significantly higher life satisfaction than participants in the cluster most closely resembling Berry's (1997) acculturation category of separation (i.e., Heritage Practices). The findings of the present study lend additional support to the use of clustering methods as a way of including multiple domains of acculturation, thereby gaining a more comprehensive understanding of acculturation and its connection with psychosocial adjustment. The results also reinforce prior research findings that integration, or biculturalism, is an adaptive acculturation strategy.

El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue determinar si distintas combinaciones de variables de aculturación provenientes de diferentes dominios de aculturación conforman grupos obtenidos empíricamente [con base en el modelo de Berry (1997)], y si estos grupos están relacionados con diferentes niveles de satisfacción vital en estudiantes universitarios que pertenecen a la primera y segunda generación de imigrantes. Ciento veintidós estudiantes que asisten a una universidad en el Medio Oeste de los Estados Unidos (70% mujeres), provenientes de más de 20 países de origen distintos, completaron un cuestionario a través del Internet. Los análisis de conglomerados jerárquicos con el método de Ward y un análisis de K-means revelaron cuatro grupos de aculturación que fueron nombrados: (1) las actitudes biculturales, (2) las prácticas biculturales y la identidad étnica, (3) las prácticas estadounidenses, y (4) las prácticas étnicas. Los participantes de los dos grupos que más se asemejan a la categoría de aculturación de integración de Berry (1997) (las actitudes biculturales; las prácticas biculturales y la identidad étnica) reportaron una mayor satisfacción vital que los participantes en el grupo que más se asemeja a la categoría de separación de Berry (las prácticas étnicas). Los resultados de este estudio proveen un argumento adicional en favor del uso de métodos de agrupación como una manera de incluir dominios de aculturación múltiples, para obtener con ello una comprensión más amplia de la aculturación y su conexión con la adaptación psicosocial. Los resultados también refuerzan que la biculturalidad es una estrategia adaptativa.

Profiles of distress in sheltered battered women: implications for intervention.

Heterogeneity in patterns of distress and psychological functioning was investigated using a person-oriented approach to data analysis in two diverse samples of battered women in shelters. In order to provide some empirically derived guidance to clinicians, scores on measures of depressive symptoms as well as state and trait anxiety were cluster analyzed. A four-cluster solution provided the best fit for both samples of women, and despite the demographic differences in the women, generally similar clusters were found in both samples. One cluster contained women with minimal distress; another, those who were mildly anxious; in a third cluster, the women were moderately to highly depressed and anxious; and in a fourth cluster, the women were reporting severe levels of distress. Implications for treatment include the importance of providing individually tailored interventions for the women, based on differential combinations of depression and anxiety, especially for women whose distress levels are in the high and severe ranges of distress.

Patterns of maternal behavior among neglectful families: implications for research and intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The heterogeneity within neglecting caregivers has not been explored in an empirical fashion. The current study sought to address this limitation by utilizing archival data in order to explore variability of maternal behavior among neglectful families. METHOD: The current study utilized archival data containing caseworker and self-report information on 100 mothers for whom neglect had been substantiated and was the primary referral concern. Cluster analysis was used to describe patterns of maternal behavior. Subsequent analysis was used to determine differences between the clusters on degree of neglect, maternal depression, perceived social support, and other demographic characteristics (income, education). RESULTS: Five distinct patterns of maternal behavior emerged, each with different ratings of maternal confidence, relatedness, impulse control, and willingness to engage in verbal interactions. The clusters differed on ratings of neglect, life stressors, resource problems and adult problems. The clusters were similar in terms of maternal education, number of children in the home, and monthly income. Additionally, women in all clusters reported similar levels of depression, similar number of children, and a comparable amount of social support. CONCLUSIONS: The five clusters are described and implications for intervention approaches are discussed.

Advances in violence and trauma: toward comprehensive ecological models.

The most important things learned about violence and trauma in the past 20 years are that interpersonal violence is prevalent, with different forms co-occurring, and that victims' reactions are complex. Researchers are called to consider models that include the ecological context within which victims experience violence and trauma to gain a better understanding of the variation seen in psychological outcomes. Multivariate data-analytic techniques such as structural equation modeling and cluster analysis are suggested as promising ways to explore questions framed by comprehensive models. These recommendations are predicted to provide comprehensive and individualized ways to intervene and prevent interpersonal violence.

Intervention for children exposed tointerparental violence (IPV): assessment of needs and restearch priorities.

In this paper we review the development of interventions for children who have been exposed to interparental violence (IPV), assess current needs in the evaluation of interventions, and provide suggestions for research priorities in this area. Interventions for negative outcomes associated with exposure to IPV only recently have been carefully designed and evaluated, thus knowledge regarding program effectiveness is minimal. Three of the most comprehensive interventions that have been evaluated are presented. Each has demonstrated effectiveness, and focuses on children with different levels of symptoms and distress. However, many questions remain regarding which interventions are beneficial for diverse children with different kinds and intensities of problems. A number of research priorities and suggestions for further improvements in the evaluation of effectiveness of interventions are identified.

Psychological and behavioral correlates of family violence in child witnesses and victims.

Abused and nonabused child witnesses to parental violence temporarily residing in a battered women's shelter were compared to children from a similar economic background on measures of self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and behavior problems, using mothers' and self-reports. Results indicated significantly more distress in the abused-witness children than in the comparison group, with nonabused witness children's scores falling between the two. Age of child and types of violence were mediating factors. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Psychological functioning of children in a battered women's shelter: a preliminary investigation.

Self-concept, anxiety level, and problem behavior of 65 child residents of a battered women's shelter were assessed using self-report measures and checklists completed by mothers, staff, and teachers. Findings included a below-average self-concept score for the preschool group, more aggressive behavior in school-age shelter boys than in girls, and a pervasive tendency for mothers to rate their children more negatively than did other observers.