Cognitive theories of depression, including Beck’s Cognitive Theory, suggest that depressed individuals hold negative schemas about themselves and their environment. These negative schemas may influence the extent to which depressed individuals process positivity. Reward Devaluation Theory posits that depressed individuals avoid and devalue positivity. This suggests that depressed individuals may be less likely to hold positive schemas, or may be more likely to associate positivity with negativity. Previous meta-analytic reviews suggest that this is potentially the case, but have not assessed for self-referential stimuli. Self-referential encoding and recall tasks assess for self-schemas and may give further insight into how depressed individuals process self-referential positivity. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the extent to which depressed individuals differ in processing self-referential positivity and negativity. Results indicate that depressed individuals recalled fewer positive words than negative words, with severely depressed individuals also endorsing fewer positive words than negative words, in line with Reward Devaluation Theory. In addition, depressed individuals endorsed fewer positive words and more negative words as self-referential than other-referential. In comparison to nondepressed individuals, depressed individuals demonstrated endorsed and recalled fewer positive words and more negative words. These findings suggest that treatments targeting both reduced positive biases and increased negative biases may be most beneficial for depressed individuals, particularly those exhibiting more severe symptoms of depression

Developmental Dyslexia (DD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Educational Attainment (EA) are highly prevalent conditions that have a significant impacton individuals' academic and social functioning. These conditions have a complex genetic basis and are often comorbid. To assess the polygenic architecture of these traits, psychiatric genetics researchers utilize a sophisticated tool known as polygenic scores (PGS). By combining numerous genes of individually modest effects, PGS summarizes an individual's genetic risk as a single score. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between PGS for ADHD and EA with typical DD traits. Using a meta-analytic approach, we analyzed data from earlier studies and found that PGS-ADHD accounts for 1.2% of the variance in DD, with a pooled effect size of r = -0.11 (95% CI = [-0.171, -0.050]). Similarly, PGS-EA accounted for 3.2% of the variance in DD, with a pooled effect size of r = 0.18 (95% CI = [0.070, 0.288]). Although these effect sizes are relatively small, it is important to note that PGS are not typically strong predictors on their own, but rather capture a small portion of the genetic variation that contributes to a trait or outcome. My findings suggest that PGS for ADHD and EA are associated with DD, indicating that DD has a complex genetic basis. However, these findings also raise questions about the impact of PGS on psychiatric research moving forward. To address these questions, I provide recommendations for future researchdirections.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is characterized by a disconnect from reality that manifests as various clinical and cognitive symptoms, as well as consistent neurobiological abnormalities. However, unique sex-related differences have been observed regarding clinical presentation that imply separate brain substrates. The present study characterized deep-brain morphology using shape features to understand whether the neurobiology of schizophrenia varies as a function of sex. This study analyzed multi-site archival data from 1,579 male (M) and 836 female (F) participants with SCZ, as well as 1,934 male and 1,828 female healthy controls (CON) from twenty-four cross-sectional study samples from the ENIGMA Schizophrenia Workgroup. Harmonized shape analysis protocols were applied to each site's data independently for bilateral caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and thalamus obtained from T1-weighted structural MRI scans. Four separate contrasts were conducted: 1) Schizophrenia-Male/Control-Male; 2) Schizophrenia-Female/Control-Female; 3) Schizophrenia-Male/Schizophrenia-Female; 4) Control-Male/Control-Female. For contrasts 1 & 2, mass univariate meta-analyses revealed more-concave-than-convex shape differences for the hippocampus, amygdala, accumbens, and thalamus, with more-convex-than-concave differences in the putamen and pallidum (d = -0.30 to 0.30, SE = 0.03 to 0.10, p<0.05) in SCZ for both male and female group comparisons. More extensive patterns of deformation were noted in right hippocampus and right thalamus for SCZ women. Contrasts 3 & 4 revealed more-concave-than-convex shape differences in the thalamus, pallidum, putamen, and amygdala among females compared to males, with mixed findings in the hippocampus and caudate in both SCZ and CON contrasts (d = -0.30 to 0.20, SE = 0.03 to 0.09, p<0.05). Pattern and extent of deformation was greater in dorsal, ventral, and lateral aspects of putamen, thalamus, amygdala, and pallidum in SCZ. Findings are consistent with prior volume-based analyses in SCZ, as well as earlier studies on sex differences in the brain. Shape patterns reveal more extensive abnormalities in SCZ women relative to SCZ men that could aid in our understanding of clinical expression and treatment response differences between men and women.

The public is often surprised by the high prevalence of relationship violence. With more than 50% of adults experiencing some form of physical or psychological violence in their intimate relationships during their lifetime, IPV is a public health crisis that particularly affects marginalized communities (Breiding et al., 2015; Johns et al., 2019, 2020; Stockman et al., 2015). The variable results of perpetrator and victim treatments make prevention particularly important if it is effective (Anderson & Van Ee, 2018; Babcock et al., 2004; Cheng et al., 2021; Karakurt et al., 2019; Maguire, 2018; Stith, Rosen, et al., 2004; Stover et al., 2009). Thus, researchers are interested in developing empirically tested programs that reduce IPV (Jennings et al., 2017; Niolon et al., 2017). The current meta-analysis builds on the existing literature by analyzing the broad effectiveness of IPV primary prevention in adolescence and young adulthood while specifically analyzing the moderator of novel intervention methods (e.g., online, mobile app, or mailed interventions). Additional moderators included age; gender; at-risk populations; intervention type, whether focused on IPV or relationship health; setting, whether school or community; and length of the intervention. Looking at the included studies as a whole, the aggregate of the intervention outcomes indicates that there is a small but significant positive effect from primary prevention programs (d = 0.175, k = 47, p < 0.001). As broad categories, attitudes (d = 0.166, k = 29, p < 0.001), knowledge (d = 0.212, k = 12, p < 0.001), and behaviors (d = 0.160, k = 36, p < 0.001) had small, significant effect sizes. Taken together, IPV primary prevention programs were able to successfully address their targeted outcomes in these domains. There was not a significant difference between facilitated and self-directed prevention programs (dF = 0.177, k = 39, p < 0.001; dSD = 0.160, k= 8, p = 0.132; Q = 0.023, p = 0.878). These findings have important implications for IPV prevention strategies and interventions. Although the effect size is described as small, even small reductions in IPV can have a significant impact on behavior that impacts millions of people and is costly economically and socially. Future research should further explore self-directed programs and extend our work to LGBTQ+ populations.

In studies where the response variable is measured on a ratio scale, a ratio of means or medians provides a standardized measure of effect size that is an alternative to the popular standardized mean difference. Confidence intervals for ratios of population means and medians in independent-samples designs and paired-samples designs are proposed as supplements to the independent-samples t test and paired-samples t test. The performance of the proposed confidence intervals are evaluated in a simulation study. The proposed confidence interval methods are extended to the case of a 2 × m factorial design that includes propensity score stratification and meta-analysis as special cases. R functions that implement the recommended confidence intervals are provided in the Supplemental Material file, available in the online version of this article, and are illustrated with several examples.

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In recent years psychologists have increased awareness and concern regarding the quality of mental health services provided to people of color. For several reasons clients of color often find traditional mental health services foreign or unhelpful. To help diminish obstacles faced by clients of color, several authors have advocated traditional mental health treatments be modified to better match clients' cultural contexts. Researchers have also begun investigating outcomes associated with culturally modified mental health treatments, often contrasting them with traditional mental health services. Recently numerous studies containing empirical data have been published. To date there has been no attempt to review this rapidly growing body of literature. Due to the sheer number of studies analyzing the efficacy of culturally modified treatment, the literature has become large and unwieldy. The present study used meta-analytic methodology to gather and organize quantitative data obtained from such studies. Across 80 studies that met criteria to be included in this meta-analysis, the resulting random effects weighted average effect size was d = .44, indicating a moderately strong benefit of culturally adapted treatments relative to traditional treatments. To further examine whether the association of treatment outcome and culturally modified treatments varied as a function of various sociodemographic variables, a series of categorical (and where appropriate, continuous) moderator analyses were conducted. Moderation effects were ascertained only for participant age and for Hispanic populations, with studies consisting of participants of higher chronological age and higher percentages of Hispanic participants having effect sizes of greater magnitude than studies with participants of younger ages or with few Hispanic participants. These results may indirectly provide evidence for the importance of client acculturation, given that older populations tend to be less acculturated (and therefore more in need of cultural modifications) than younger populations and that Hispanic populations are more likely to speak Spanish, necessitating adaptation of therapy to be conducted in their native language. Other variables, such as participant gender, did not moderate the results. Overall, the findings provide evidence for the benefit of modifying psychotherapy to match the cultural context of the client. Recommendations for future research on the topic are provided.

In the past few decades, several meta-analytic studies have attempted to answer the question: Is marriage education effective (Carroll & Doherty, 2003; Halford, Markman, Kline & Stanley, 2003; Reardon-Anderson, Stagner, Macomber, & Murray, 2004)? However, previous meta-analytic studies have been somewhat limited in their conclusions because they have reviewed a narrow portion of the marriage education spectrum (e.g. premarital education only, Carroll & Doherty, 2003), because they focused only on one particular program (e.g, Couples Communication, Butler & Wampler, 1999), because they failed to differentiate marital therapy from marital education programs (Reardon-Anderson et al., 2005), or because they excluded much of the mainstream of marriage education due to methodological restrictions (e.g, random assignment studies only, Reardon-Anderson et al., 2005). The current meta-analysis is uniquely qualified to better answer whether marriage education is effective. It examines the full range of marital education from marriage preparation to early marriage and across the marital life span. It excludes studies that evaluate therapy programs and interventions, thus providing a more focused test of marriage education rather than a broader test of marriage intervention. It also allows for analysis of programs more representative of the mainstream of marriage education as it is currently practiced. Finally, this work employed more rigorous statistical techniques than had been done with previous meta-analyses. Sixty-nine marriage education evaluation reports were included in this meta analysis; fifteen additional articles were not code-able, but were analyzed conceptually. Articles were coded by design and results are reported according to study design. Quantitative results showed that across methodology, sample and program type, marriage education has moderate positive effects on marital satisfaction/quality and communication. These effects remain at follow-up evaluations. Effects were strongest for couples married longer than five years and for communication-training programs. Subgroups of studies generally were too small to examine many moderator variables. In addition, study samples were predominately White, well-educated, middle-class couples. Although this meta analysis provides the strongest answer to date on the effectiveness of marriage education, increased exploration and evaluation of moderator variables are needed before we will know which types of interventions are most effective for which couples.