The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an adolescent's experience with different types of leisure (achievement, social or time-out) would moderate the negative effects of dysfunctional family process on an adolescent's emotional health. A model was tested that hypothesized that leisure experienced as achievement or social by adolescents would buffer the negative effects of a dysfunctional family. A sample of 243 clinical and non-clinical adolescents completed the Global Severity Index, the Family Assessment Device, and the Leisure Questionnaire. Three regression analyses were run for the whole sample (n=243), the male sample (n=150), and the female sample (n=93). In each analysis, more family dysfunction predicted more psychological symptoms. Using the whole sample, it was found that both social and time-out leisure (solitary activities) had a negative moderating effect, that is, increasing psychological symptoms, while achievement leisure had no moderating effects on symptoms. When looking at the regression analysis results for each gender, the male sample showed a time-out leisure moderating effect and the female sample showed a social leisure moderating effect—both increasing psychological symptoms. These findings were contrary to the hypothesis that leisure experienced as achievement or social leisure would buffer the negative effects of dysfunctional family process on adolescent emotional health. In fact, results suggested that some types of leisure may be harmful to some adolescents and that clinicians need to be aware of the types of leisure their adolescent clients are participating in, i.e. males experiencing leisure as time-out and females experiencing leisure as social may be related to more rather than less severe psychological symptoms. In addition, these results suggest the key importance of family process in adolescent emotional health and how important family-of-origin issues are when working with adolescents in clinical settings. Limitations of the study and implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the relationship between family leisure involvement and aspects of family functioning (adaptability and cohesion) among Samoan families residing on American Samoa, and (b) to compare the Samoan data to a broad sample of American families to provide a cross-cultural comparison. The sample consisted of 340 adult participants. The Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP) was used to measure family leisure involvement. FACES II was used to measure family functioning. Regression analyses conducted on the 340 individuals indicated a positive relationship between core family leisure involvement and family cohesion, adaptability, and overall family functioning. The analyses also indicated a positive relationship between balance family leisure involvement and family adaptability, but no relationship between balance family leisure and family cohesion and overall family functioning. In addition, results indicated that there was no significant difference between American and Samoan families in their family functioning, but their family leisure involvement patterns differed.

No description available.

Given that working is something parents cannot avoid in our society, understanding the ramifications that work stress can have is an important tool in today's society. This study sought to investigate the impact of parents' work stress on young children in the context of work-family spillover, parenting stress, marital stress, and perceptions of parenting. As part of this study, 106 working parents of children who ranged in age from 1- to 5-years rated their stress levels across multiple domains (i.e., work, marriage, and parenting), their perceived parenting behaviors, and their young child's emotional and behavioral functioning. Correlational results of this study supported the hypothesis that these variables would be related significantly to young children's emotional and behavioral functioning. Further, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that a single variable did not predict significantly young children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors but that a combination of work stress, work-family spillover, parenting stress, marital stress, and perceptions of parenting were important in accounting for variance. The results of this study emphasized the importance of studying the selected variables collectively so that employers can evaluate current workplace policies and resources to help minimize work stress and work-family spillover.

No description available.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relation between measurement bias at the item level (differential item functioning, dif) and predictive bias at the test score level. Dif was defined as a difference in the probability of getting a test item correct for examinees with the same ability but from different subgroups. Predictive bias was defined as a difference in subgroup regression intercepts and/or slopes in predicting a criterion. Data were simulated by computer. Two hypothetical subgroups (a reference group and a focal group) were used. The predictor was a composite score on a dimensionally complex test with 60 items. Sample size (35, 70, and 105 per group), validity coefficient (.3 or .5), and the mean difference on the predictor (0, .33, .66, and 1 standard deviation, sd) and the criterion (0 and .35 sd) were manipulated. The percentage of items showing dif (0%, 15%, and 30%) and the effect size of dif (small = .3, medium = .6, and large = .9) were also manipulated. Each of the 432 conditions in the 3 x 2 x 4 x 2 x 3 x 3 design was replicated 500 times. For each replication, a predictive bias analysis was conducted, and the detection of predictive bias against each subgroup was the dependent variable. The percentage of dif and the effect size of dif were hypothesized to influence the detection of predictive bias; hypotheses were also advanced about the influence of sample size and mean subgroup differences on the predictor and criterion. Results indicated that dif was not related to the probability of detecting predictive bias against any subgroup. Results were inconsistent with the notion that measurement bias and predictive bias are mutually supportive, i.e., the presence (or absence) of one type of bias is evidence in support of the presence (or absence) of the other type of bias. Sample size and mean differences on the predictor/criterion had direct and indirect effects on the probability of detecting predictive bias against both reference and focal groups. Implications for future research are discussed.

The purpose of the current study was to clarify the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying social phobia. Previous research has identified some specific group differences in neurocognitive functioning between individuals diagnosed with social phobia and nonpsychiatric controls, but has failed to administer a comprehensive neuropsychological battery to a social phobia patient group, resulting in a piecemeal understanding of the neurocognitive functioning of this population and an incomplete picture of the neuropsychological profile inherent to this group. The present research utilized a broader collection of neuropsychological tests to assess nine cognitive domains: Verbal Learning, Verbal Delayed Memory, Visual Immediate Memory, Visual Delayed Memory, Visual-Spatial Processing, Verbal Working Memory, Visual Working Memory, Executive Functioning, and Attention. A mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) did not reveal a significant group by cognitive domain interaction, nor a significant main effect of group. As this was the first study to examine multiple cognitive domains in a single sample of individuals with generalized social phobia, exploratory univariate analyses were performed to examine group differences for the specific cognitive domains. This revealed significant group differences specific to the Visual Working Memory domain, with the social phobia group scoring significantly lower than the nonpsychiatric control group. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

The relationship between anxiety and neuropsychological functioning has attracted much attention in the literature over the past two decades. Though significant progress has been made in understanding the cognitive correlates of anxiety disorders, many questions still remain, particularly in child and adolescent populations. The following chapters examine the relationship between youth anxiety and neuropsychological functioning in three ways: Paper 1 examines the relationship between anxiety and executive functioning difficulties in a sample of youth seeking treatment for anxiety. Specifically, the study sought to clarify which executive functioning domains were most strongly associated with anxiety, and which anxiety subtypes were most linked to executive dysfunction. Self-reported anxiety and executive functioning data from 102 youth (ages 8-18) and/or their parents were examined via bivariate Pearson correlation and stepwise regression modeling. Consistent with hypotheses, results indicated that youth with elevated anxiety experience specific difficulties with daily tasks involving the capacity to “shift,” or flexibly adapt thoughts and behaviors to meet changing task demands, compared to other executive functions. Paper 2 explores the effects of state anxiety on neuropsychological test performance, relative to a youth’s performance when not in acutely anxiety provoking circumstances. In this pilot study, we investigated the relationship between youth state anxiety, trait anxiety, and neuropsychological test performance in youth before and after an anxiety manipulation. Fourteen youth were recruited from an outpatient anxiety treatment center and from the surrounding community. After baseline neuropsychological screening, youth were randomly assigned to either an anxiety induction or a matched control condition, and then re-tested on similar neuropsychological measures. Contrary to our hypotheses, we found a positive relationship between state/trait anxiety and neuropsychological test performance in youth. Results are limited by a small sample size and little variability in state anxiety. Paper 3 is a clinically oriented commentary on how clinicians can identify and respond to test anxiety in youth undergoing neuropsychological testing using evidence-based techniques. This paper describes factors that contribute to test anxiety in children and adolescents, the signs and symptoms of elevated anxiety in testing contexts, and offers brief strategies practitioners may use to address youth anxiety during neuropsychological tests.

No description available.

Mood disorders (MD) are among the most common mental disorders worldwide. Low treatment adherence and treatment resistance are two of the most substantial challenges facing clinicians who treat persons with MD. This thesis examined: (1) a pilot study investigating whether a one-on-one personalized medication training program, called PIMM/SAM, improves medication adherence in persons with MD; and (2) a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on cognitive functioning in persons with depression. To evaluate the impact of PIMM/SAM on medication adherence, a randomized controlled trial was launched in a mood disorders inpatient unit to compare PIMM/SAM (partnership in medication management/self-administered medication) program to standard prescribing practice (SPP). Over follow-up in the feasibility portion of the trial, participants in the PIMM/SAM group (n = 7) held fewer negative beliefs about medications and had lower depersonalization scores compared to participants in the SPP group (n = 5). Between-group differences on the Medication Adherence Rating Scale favoured the PIMM/SAM group, but were not statistically significant. To examine the effects of bilateral versus unilateral ECT on cognitive performance in persons with TRD, 18 studies across 10 different cognitive domains were meta-analyzed. In the 8- to 30-day timeframe post-ECT, persons who received bilateral versus unilateral ECT had over double the odds of worse cognitive performance in global cognition, non-verbal memory delayed recall, verbal memory immediate and delayed recall, subjective memory, and verbal memory immediate recall. A personalized medication training program in a mood disorders clinic may have positive implications for medication adherence. The trial to evaluate PIMM/SAM versus SPP is ongoing and further evidence about the training program is expected within the next 12 months. The systematic review and meta-analysis showed that cognitive performance was worse in persons who received bilateral versus unilateral ECT in some cognitive domains at 8 to 30 days post-treatment. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Mood disorders (MD), including major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder, are among the most common mental disorders worldwide. Treating MD is a challenge because of long treatments, the presence of other illnesses, treatment side effects, problems with memory, attention, and decision-making, a lack of understanding about medications, or incorrect beliefs about medication (BAM). Persons with MD who do not respond to drug treatment are often given electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This thesis explored the challenges of treating persons with MD through: (1) a pilot study examining whether a one-on-one personalized medication training program, called PIMM/SAM, would help persons with MD take their medications as prescribed; and (2) a study of the effects of ECT on cognitive functioning in depression. Results: (1) participants randomized to PIMM/SAM group held fewer negative BAM than participants receiving standard care; (2) evidence showed worse cognitive functioning in persons who received more intense forms of ECT.