Journal of Clinical Psychology最新文献

The socioecological treatment approach is rooted in fundamental principles of mentalization-based therapy (MBT) and evolutionary theory. Rather than focusing solely on the individual, this approach broadens the perspective to include the patient's wider social network in understanding and treating mental health disorders such as personality pathology. A core premise of this approach is that problems and their solutions should not be viewed in isolation but identified in close collaboration with the patient's environment. The socioecological approach integrates treatment network meetings, involving individuals who are directly engaged in and significant to the patient's life. These meetings facilitate the development of a system case-formulation and a system attachment map. A self-report instrument, NETWORK-AIM (NET-AIM), is used throughout the process to assess interventions and evaluate meetings, with input from all key members of the patient's network. This approach is illustrated through the case of Olivia, a young girl suffering from personality pathology. Her treatment exemplifies how multiple individuals within her environment collaborated to support her reintegration into the social world (communication system 3) alongside individual therapy. Olivia's 13-month treatment process led to substantial improvements, including enhanced social engagement, increased trust in others, fewer mood swings, reduced self-harm, and greater involvement with friends and work. The findings underscore the need to move beyond individual treatment models towards systemic, proactive interventions that integrate broader social relationships into therapeutic processes when treating adolescents with personality pathology.

Remand prisoners (RP) are in a precarious situation marked by uncertainty and vulnerability, facing significant challenges from the moment they are admitted. Despite numerous efforts to provide treatment in correctional settings, most interventions have been designed primarily for sentenced prisoners. The ADAPT program, however, is a structured intervention specifically tailored for RP. It aims to enhance emotion and behavior regulation, address cognitive distortions, improve problem-solving skills, and offer strategies for suicide prevention. The primary objective of this pilot study was to assess the effectiveness of the ADAPT in improving emotional literacy and emotional regulation, while reducing cognitive distortions and suicide risk. Our findings indicated that, at the Posttreatment phase, there were statistically significant improvements across all measured outcomes in the treatment group compared to the control group. Specifically, participants in the ADAPT exhibited lower levels of anxiety, somatization, and depression. Additionally, there was a notable decrease in suicide concerns, negative affect, and difficulties in emotional regulation. Conversely, there was an increase in positive affect among those who underwent the program. These results provide preliminary evidence supporting the effectiveness of the ADAPT as a valuable intervention for RP, a population often overlooked in treatment efforts.

Nearly 80% of children within the U.S. live with a sibling, and siblings exert a unique and typically lifelong influence on one another. Past research supports an influence between psychopathology of one individual and the psychological functioning of their siblings. Recently this relationship has been examined in the context of borderline personality disorder (BPD), with findings suggesting that siblings of individuals with BPD are at heightened risk of developing psychiatric disorders and engaging in maladaptive behaviors. Beyond the influence siblings have on one another, there is growing work demonstrating that many siblings of individuals with mental health difficulties face unique challenges in terms of balancing care for themselves and care for their siblings, and yet do not have resources available for these specific challenges. The current study analyzes the text from 456 written statements from applications submitted by self-identified siblings to a therapeutic program designed for family members of people with borderline traits. A qualitative analysis is utilized to examine statements, and three themes are identified: sibling relationship dynamics, concern for family members, and overall tone and emotionality. Through discussion of themes and related subthemes, we describe the experiences of sibling dyads and make a case for increased opportunities for these siblings to access care and support, to improve their outcomes.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) and empirically-supported treatments (EST) are considered by many to be gold standards of care in the mental health field, and yet understanding of and use of the concepts lag behind their popularity. The current study sought to clarify the current state of training in EBP and EST across graduate mental health programs in the United States. Participants in the study were graduate instructors who taught first-year graduate students in mental health programs, (N = 540 teaching faculty; 320 masters, 220 doctoral). Three specific questions were analyzed, asking participants if they teach EBP, if they teach students how to read and evaluate randomized controlled trials, and asking what ESTs they teach. The majority of both masters- and doctoral-level faculty (masters= 90.2%; doctoral = 90.4%) reported teaching evidence-based practice. Doctoral-level faculty (74.6%) were significantly more likely to report teaching students how to read and evaluate randomized controlled trials than masters-level faculty (52.7%, n = 126; X² = 20.6, p < 0.001). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its counterparts were the most commonly reported, but even those were only reported by 60% of faculty. Many faculty reported techniques and concepts that were not ESTs. Graduate and undergraduate faculty should intentionally consider how to best prepare students to engage in EBP and EST.