Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic最新文献

Studies suggest that autistic traits are widespread among the general population and, in this regard, the short form of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the AQ-28, was developed to measure autistic traits. The present study examines the factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity of the Persian version of the AQ-28 with 691 Iranian university students (M_age = 28.67, SD = 8.57, 57.3% women) who were recruited online and completed the AQ-28 and Symptom Checklist (SCL-25) measures. Confirmatory factor analysis results yielded a four-factor model, which was internally consistent and demonstrated hypothesized correlations with the external correlates of interest (e.g., anxiety, depression, and phobia). Results support the Persian version of the AQ with 19 items (AQ-19) as a measure with sound psychometrics to be used in studies with Iranian university students.

Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have evidenced resilience against large-scale crises, although emerging research on the impact of COVID-19 is mixed. Little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on mental health providers. Items from an instrument evaluating the impact of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack were adapted to measure the impact of COVID-19 on emotions, cognitions, and behaviors. Using a sample of 65 patients with primary OCD diagnoses and OCD treatment providers in intensive programs for OCD and anxiety, the authors found that COVID-19 evidenced a less significant overall impact on patients than providers. Specifically, providers reported more significant impact on the amount of time spent worrying about COVID-19, taking additional cleaning and sanitization precautions, and time spent socializing with loved ones. Findings support previous literature indicating that individuals with OCD demonstrate resilience to large-scale crises, and offer insights into the specific struggles of providers who treat OCD.

Although the evidence base regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children has been growing, descriptions of their experiences remain scarce. In this cross-sectional study, the authors used the Child-Reported Spence Children's Anxiety Scale to collect data from 91 children visiting a pediatric emergency center in Qatar during the pandemic. Around 25% of the children reported elevated levels of overall anxiety. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms were the most common, with 59.3% of children reporting elevated symptoms. The mean score of physical injury fears was significantly affected by gender, with females having higher scores. Overall rates for elevated anxiety symptoms were similar in natives and expatriate children. The findings suggest that the effects of the pandemic on children may depend on several vulnerability factors, including developmental age and gender. This study highlights the need to plan multidisciplinary strategies to enhance children's access to mental health services during and after the current health crisis.

Compulsive joint cracking is a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), which often results in negative social feedback due to its characteristic sound. While behavioral techniques are recommended in BFRBs, no published studies or case reports exist specifically for compulsive joint cracking. The authors report the case of DZ, who engaged in severe joint cracking of his knuckles and, at times, his back. The individual was assessed with an adapted version of the Generic BFRB Scale (GBS). DZ was instructed on how to perform decoupling, a technique that has shown efficacy in other BFRBs. He was also advised to use "fidget devices" that mimic aspects of the dysfunctional behavior in a less conspicuous way. Scores on the GBS were reduced by almost 50%, which corresponded with DZ's subjective appraisal of feeling more in control. Randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the (differential) efficacy these techniques to ameliorate compulsive joint cracking.

Individuals with comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience more severe OCD symptoms and poorer treatment response. Despite some evidence linking OCD symptom domains to trauma, only one study to date has examined typical OCD and PTSD presentations in individuals with OCD+PTSD, and findings were based on a nonclinical sample. The current study sought to replicate findings in a clinical sample of 1,014 patients diagnosed with OCD (n = 928), PTSD (n = 40), and OCD+PTSD (n = 46) in specialty OCD and anxiety treatment programs. Consistent with previous research, patients with OCD+PTSD reported more severe OCD yet similar severity PTSD symptoms and did not evidence a unique phenotypic presentation once symptom overlap and comorbid mood and personality disorders were considered. OCD+PTSD is equally as heterogeneous as OCD and PTSD alone. Implications for the research and treatment of OCD+PTSD are discussed, and assessment and treatment recommendations are provided.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, activities involving a large part of life have started to be carried out via videoconferencing. Videoconferencing can be disadvantageous for individuals with social anxiety due to increased social presence, decreased mutual understanding, and awkward communication. The authors aimed to develop a scale to explore the difficulties experienced by individuals with social anxiety during videoconferencing. A total of 598 children and adolescents participated in the study. The data were collected with the Sociodemographic Information Form, the Videoconference Anxiety Scale, and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. According to exploratory factor analysis, the scale consisted of 25 items and a single factor. Factor loads were between 0.62 and 0.81; the single factor explained 52.95% of the variance. This study shows that the Videoconference Anxiety Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for Turkish children.

The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO-CH). The IPO-CH was administered to a sample of 336 Chinese undergraduates, and, among them, 125 participants completed the survey 2 months later. Results showed that the IPO-CH has adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .95) and test-retest reliability (r = .60). Exploratory factor analysis did not replicate the original five-factor model but suggested a four-factor model. The IPO-CH manifested good concurrent validity and convergent validity concerning the severity of the pathological personality disorder symptoms. Furthermore, the IPO-CH predicted participants' depression severity and life events evaluated 2 months later. Future research may need to evaluate its properties in Chinese clinical samples.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to challenges in providing cognitive-behavioral therapy for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Despite the presence of the pandemic and the risk of contracting illness, therapists can continue to utilize exposure with response prevention (ERP), which is the gold standard psychotherapy treatment for OCD. Therapists can ethically implement ERP by focusing on core treatment tenets while incorporating guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to mitigate risk for COVID-19 exposure. The pandemic has also provided an opportunity to more widely implement ERP through virtual telehealth appointments, which have notable benefits as well as some drawbacks.