On the Implementation of Computerized Adaptive Observations for Psychological Assessment.

The use of observational tools in psychological assessment has decreased in recent years, mainly due to its personnel and time costs, and researchers have not explored methodological innovations like adaptive algorithms in observational assessment. In the present study, we introduce the behavior-driven observation procedure to develop, test, and implement observational adaptive instruments. In Study 1, we use a preexisting observational checklist to evaluate nonverbal behaviors related to psychotic symptoms and to specify the adaptive algorithm's model. We fit the model to observational data collected from 114 participants. The results support the model's goodness of fit. In Study 2, we use the estimated model parameters to calibrate the adaptive procedure and test the algorithm for accuracy and efficiency in adaptively reconstructing 58 nonadaptively collected response patterns. The results show the algorithm's good accuracy and efficiency, with a 40% average reduction in the number of administered items. In Study 3, we used real raters to test the adaptive checklist built with behavior-driven observation. The results indicate adequate intrarater agreement and good consistency of the observed response patterns. In conclusion, the results support the possibility of using behavior-driven observation to create accurate and affordable (in terms of resources) observational assessment tools.

PTSD and Suicidal Behaviors Amongst L'Aquila 2009 Earthquake Young Survivors.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most frequent and severe psychiatric consequences of natural disasters, frequently associated with suicidality. The aim of this study was at examining the possible relationships between suicidal behaviors and full-blown or partial PTSD, in a sample of young earthquake survivors. The second aim was at investigating the specific role of PTSD symptoms on suicidality. Methods: A total of 475 young adults who survived the L'Aquila 2009 earthquake, one of the most severe Italian disasters of the last decades, were recruited and assessed after 21 months from the catastrophe. Participants were evaluated by two questionnaires assessing subthreshold psychopathology, the Trauma and Loss Spectrum Self-Report (TALS-SR) to investigate both full and partial PTSD, and two specific Mood Spectrum Self-Report (MOODS-SR) sub-domains exploring suicidality, namely suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Results: The ensuing findings showed that suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were present, respectively, in 40 (8.4%) and 11 (2.3%) survivors. Rates of suicidal ideation were significantly more elevated in full-blown PTSD subjects (group 1), as compared with those suffering from partial (group 2) or no PTSD (group 3). Interestingly, group 2 subjects showed significantly more suicidal ideation than healthy individuals, and less than those of group 1, while the frequency of suicide attempts was similar across the three groups. Suicidal ideation was associated with higher scores in the following TALS-SR domains: grief-reactions, re-experiencing, avoidance and numbing, maladaptive coping, and personal characteristics/risk factor. Conclusions: The results of the present study support and extend previous findings on the role of PTSD symptoms in suicidality after a severe earthquake. However, as compared with available literature, they also highlight the significant impact of sub-threshold PTSD manifestations in increasing the suicide risk in survivors of a mass disaster.

Interpersonal violence: identification of associated features in a clinical sample.

Violence is a burdensome problem in daily psychiatric practice, even though the diagnosisof a mental disorder is not sufficient to determine a violent behavior; therefore, other factors are involved. We predicted that the participants could be distributed in two groups (e.g. high versus low violence-maltreatment groups) because this grouping would better describe specific patterns of associations in a clinical sample. We aimed to investigate the relation between interpersonal violence and maltreating experiences in childhood. Affective states and personal functioning were also explored as meaningful outcomes. Consecutive patients (N = 101) admitted to a psychiatric unit were evaluated with the Risky Families Questionnaire, the Psychological Maltreatment Review, the Karolinska Interpersonal Violence Scale (KIVS), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and the Personal and Social Performance Scale. Single, with average education and unemployed individuals showed significantly higher KIVS scores. High levels of interpersonal violence (IV) in childhood correlated with a harsh family climate in early life. Moreover, IV correlated with perceived parental maltreatment and did not with parental support. The cluster analysis identified two clusters of patients. The first (n = 41) showed negative dysfunctional experiences; the second (n = 60) showed a more positive perception of parental support.The impairment of social functioning and emotions regulation are both involved in this complex relation. The study supports the hypothesis of a clustering of patients that needs tailored management of violence causes and consequences.