Development of the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale-Revised (MPVS-R) and the Multidimensional Peer Bullying Scale (MPVS-RB).

Peer victimization is a frequent occurrence for many adolescents; however, some of the psychometric properties of self-report scales assessing these experiences remain unclear. Furthermore, with an increase in access to technology, electronic aggression should also be considered. The authors examined the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale (MPVS; Mynard & Joseph, 2000), and developed versions to include the assessment of electronic aggression according to whether the adolescent was the target or perpetrator of peer victimization. A total of 371 (191 girls and 180 boys; Mage = 13 years 4 months, SDage = 1 year 2 months) adolescents in the United Kingdom completed the MPVS including five newly developed items assessing electronic aggression, a version of the MPVS designed to assess victimization perpetration, and a measure of self-esteem. Confirmatory factor analyses yielded a five-factor structure comprising: Physical, social manipulation, verbal, attacks on property, and electronic for both scales. Convergent validity was established through negative associations between the victimization scales and self-esteem. Sex differences also emerged. One revised scale and one new scale are subsequently proposed: The MPVS-Revised and the Multidimensional Peer Bullying Scale.

Patterns of lifetime female victimisation and psychotic experiences: a study based on the UK Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007.

PURPOSE: Research has shown that sexual trauma represents a specific threat for psychosis, particularly among females. Sexual trauma among females, however, has also been shown to enhance the risk for further revictimisation. Females are likely to exhibit distinct lifetime trauma profiles, i.e. female sexual trauma victims are often more likely to experience particular forms of re-victimisation, such as intimate partner and domestic violence. METHODS: This study used data from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (2007) to profile lifetime histories of sexual trauma and domestic violence among female participants (N = 4,111). RESULTS: The latent class analysis revealed four lifetime victimisation classes: (i) a multiple victimisation class; (ii) an intimate partner victimisation class; (iii) a sexual victimisation class; and (iv) a victimisation-free class. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that there was a strong association between class membership and a diagnosis of psychosis and that the victimisation classes were significantly associated with all psychotic-like experiences. Compared to the victimisation-free class, the multiple victimisation class displayed an increased likelihood of experiencing all psychotic experiences except mania. The intimate partner victimisation class was also associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing all psychotic experiences; however, the odds ratios for this class were lower than those recorded for the multiple victimisation class. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reflect female-specific variation in both victimisation history and psychosis-related vulnerability. Acknowledging such sex-specific variation may advance our understanding of the complex associations that continue to emerge between trauma and psychosis for both males and females.

Patterns of polydrug use in Great Britain: findings from a national household population survey.

BACKGROUND: Polydrug use potentially increases the likelihood of harm. As little is known about polydrug use patterns in the general population, it is difficult to determine patterns associated with highest likelihood. METHODS: Latent class analysis was performed on nine illicit substance groups indicating past year use of cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, LSD, mushrooms, amyl nitrate, tranquillisers and heroin or crack. Analyses were based on data from a large multi-stage probability sample of the population of Great Britain (n=8538) collected in 2000. Multinomial logistic regression was performed highlighting associations between classes, and demographic and mental health variables. RESULTS: A three class solution best described patterns of polydrug use; wide range, moderate range, and no polydrug use. For males and young people, there was a significantly increased chance of being in the wide and moderate range polydrug use groups compared to the no polydrug use class. Hazardous drinking was more likely in the wide and moderate polydrug classes with odds ratios of 9.99 and 2.38 (respectively) compared to the no polydrug use class. Current smokers were more likely to be wide and moderate range polydrug users compared to the no polydrug use class with odds ratios of 4.53 and 5.85 respectively. A range of mental health variables were also related to class membership. CONCLUSIONS: Polydrug use in Great Britain can be expressed as three distinct classes. Hazardous alcohol use and tobacco use were strongly associated with illicit polydrug use, polydrug use appeared to be significantly associated with mental health, particularly lifetime suicide attempts.

Evidence for a psychotic posttraumatic stress disorder subtype based on the National Comorbidity Survey.

PURPOSE: This study assessed the distribution of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and psychosis indicators among a large sample of individuals with a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD. The identification of a psychotic PTSD subtype was also predicted. METHOD: Using data from the National Comorbidity Survey a latent class analysis was conducted on the PTSD symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal and the psychosis hallucination and delusion indicators. RESULTS: Results indicated four latent classes, two of which had relatively high probabilities of endorsing the hallucination and delusion indicators. These classes were associated with a broad range of traumatic experiences. One particular class had high probabilities of endorsing both the psychosis indicators and the PTSD symptoms and was associated with a broad range of comorbid psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION: There was a candidate class that met the characteristics expected to be evident in a psychotic PTSD subtype.

A person-centred approach to modelling population experiences of trauma and mental illness.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to traumatic events has been implicated in the onset and development of a range of psychiatric disorders. People can be exposed to multiple traumatic events and previous research suggests that traumatic experiences may cluster at the individual level. METHODS: This study aimed to examine the distribution of traumatic experiences in a large nationally representative sample using latent class analysis, and estimate the relationship between these classes and a number of demographic and clinical variables. Data from the National Comorbidity Survey was used. RESULTS: Four latent classes, each representative of a range of traumatic experiences were identified. The classes were labelled 'high risk' (class 1), 'exposure to non-sexual adult interpersonal/non-interpersonal trauma' (class 2), 'intermediate risk/sexual abuse' (class 3), and 'low risk' (class 4). Each of the latent classes was predicted by several of the demographic variables. In addition, membership of classes 1, 2, and 3 increased the risk of each of the clinical variables. CONCLUSIONS: The findings have clinical implications for the assessment of trauma histories across a range of psychiatric diagnoses.

An assessment of the demographic and clinical correlates of the dimensions of alcohol use behaviour.

AIMS: To identify population-based clinical and demographic correlates of alcohol use dimensions. METHODS: Using data from a population-based sample of Great Britain (n = 7849), structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to identify associations between demographic and clinical variables and two competing dimensional models of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). RESULTS: A two-factor SEM fit best. In this model, Factor 1, alcohol consumption, was associated with male sex, younger age, lower educational attainment, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and suicide attempts. Factor 2, alcohol-related problems, was associated with the demographic variables (to a lesser extent) and to a wider range of clinical variables, including depressive episode, GAD, mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobia, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. The one-factor SEM was associated with demographic and all assessed clinical correlates; however, this model did not fit the data well. CONCLUSIONS: Two main conclusions justify the two-factor approach to alcohol use classification. First, the model fit was considerably superior and, second, the dimensions of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems vary considerably in their associations with measures of demographic and clinical risk. A one-factor representation of alcohol use, for instance, would fail to recognize that measures of affective/anxiety disorders are more consistently related to alcohol-related problems than to alcohol consumption. It is suggested therefore that to fully understand the complexity of alcohol use behaviour and its associated risk, future research should acknowledge the basic underlying dimensional structure of the construct.

Judges' perception of candidates' organization and communication, in relation to oral certification examination ratings.

PURPOSE: To determine (1) whether judges differed in the levels of severity they exercised when rating candidates' performance in an oral certification exam, (2) to what extent candidates' clinical competence ratings were related to their organization/communication ratings, and (3) to what extent clinical competence ratings could predict organization/communication ratings. METHOD: Six hundred eighty-four physicians participated in a medical specialty board's 2002 oral examination. Ninety-nine senior members of the medical specialty served as judges, rating candidates' performances. Candidates' clinical competence ratings were analyzed using multifaceted Rasch measurement to investigate judge severity. A Pearson correlation was calculated to examine the relationship between ratings of clinical competence and organization/communication. Logistic regression was used to determine to what extent clinical competence ratings predicted organization/communication ratings. RESULTS: There were about three statistically distinct strata of judge severity; judges were not interchangeable. There was a moderately strong relationship between the two sets of candidate ratings. Higher clinical competence ratings were associated with an organization/communication rating of acceptable, whereas lower clinical competence ratings were associated with an organization/communication rating of unacceptable. The judges' clinical competence ratings correctly predicted 61.9% of the acceptable and 88.3% of the unacceptable organization/communication ratings. Overall, the clinical competence ratings correctly predicted 80% of the organization/communication ratings. CONCLUSIONS: The close association between the two sets of ratings was possibly due to a "halo" effect. Several explanations for this relationship were explored, and the authors considered the implications for their understanding of how judges carry out this complex rating task.

Relationship of candidate communication and organization skills to oral certification examination scores.

This study investigated the relationship between candidate's proficiency in communication/organization and ability measures derived from judges' oral examination ratings on a medical specialty certification examination. Judges who rated candidates on the oral examination also provided a separate rating for candidates' communication/organization skills. ANOVA was used to examine differences among levels of communication/organizational skills with respect to candidates' ability measures on the oral examination. There was a statistically significant increase in oral examination measures for candidates with higher levels of communication/organization skills. This supports the hypothesis that candidates who were more proficient in organizing and presenting their responses were more likely to have better performance on the oral examination. Given communication and oral examination ratings were provided by the same judges, future research should investigate whether these preliminary findings generalize to situations in which communication ratings are obtained from independent ratings during and outside the oral examination.

Cumulative traumas and psychosis: an analysis of the national comorbidity survey and the British Psychiatric Morbidity Survey.

Previous research has shown that traumatic life events are associated with a diagnosis of psychosis. Rather than focus on particular events, this study aimed to estimate the effect of cumulative traumatic experiences on psychosis. The study was based on 2 large community samples (The National Comorbidity Survey [NCS], The British Psychiatric Morbidity Survey [BPMS]). All analyses were conducted using hierarchical binary logistic regression, with psychosis diagnosis as the dependent variable. Background demographic variables were included in the first block, in addition to alcohol/drug dependence and depression. A variable indicating the number of traumas experienced was entered in the second block. Experiencing 2 or more trauma types significantly predicted psychosis, and there appeared to be a dose-response type relationship. Particular traumatic experiences have been implicated in the etiology of psychosis. Consistent with previous research, molestation and physical abuse were significant predictors of psychosis using the NCS, whereas for the BPMS, serious injury or assault and violence in the home were statistically significant. This study indicated the added risk of multiple traumatic experiences.

Childhood sexual abuse, early cannabis use, and psychosis: testing an interaction model based on the National Comorbidity Survey.

Previous research investigating the etiology of psychosis has identified risk factors such as childhood sexual abuse and cannabis use. This study investigated the multiplicative effect of these variables on clinically assessed diagnoses of psychosis based on a large community sample (the National Comorbidity Survey). Demographic variables (sex, age, urbanicity, ethnicity, education, employment, and living arrangements) and depression were used as predictors in the first block of a binary logistic regression. In the second block, the variables representing early cannabis use, childhood sexual trauma, and the interaction between these variables were entered. There was no significant main effect for early cannabis use or childhood sexual trauma. The interaction was statistically significant (odds ratio [OR] = 6.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.39-34.63, P = .02). The effect for the sexual trauma variable was statistically significant for those who used cannabis under 16 years (OR = 11.96, 95% CI = 2.10-68.22, P = .01) but not for those who had not used cannabis under 16 years (OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 0.91-3.57, P = .09). Many factors have been shown to be significant in the etiology of psychosis; however, the current research augments previous findings by examining psychosis in terms of an interaction between 2 of these factors.