<p> Clinical supervision is now recognized as a distinct professional competency in the field of psychology (APA, 2015). It is a primary method for training new clinicians, providing quality assurance, and ensuring client welfare (Falender &amp; Shafranske, 2004). However, even within the most well-intentioned supervision, counterproductive experiences (CEs) are known to sometimes occur. These can significantly interfere with the supervisory process and often result in a strained supervisory alliance, interfere with clinical training, contribute to a negative training experience, and decrease a supervisor&rsquo;s ability to monitor client welfare and supervisee&rsquo;s ethical behavior. The purpose of this study was to contribute to ongoing research aimed at developing an empirically-validated scale for use in assessing the frequency, effects, and causes of CEs that occur within clinical supervision. A national sample of 188 predoctoral psychology interns anonymously completed an online survey which presented them with 60 CEs (derived from the theoretical and empirical literature) and organized by into 7 supervisory domains (APA, 2015). The interns were asked to rate, and rank order, short lists of CEs based on anticipated negative supervisory impact. Results indicated that all CEs were expected to have at least a minimal adverse impact, consistent with the results of previous studies involving the opinions of supervision experts, doctoral students, and clinical training directors. Further, when the results are viewed by APA supervisory domain, one finds that every domain contains between 2 to 8 of the most highly rated CEs. Many of the most highly-rated CEs related to negative interpersonal interactions (e.g., insensitivity, disrespect, misused power). Areas considered most impactful (e.g., boundary violations) and most potentially harmful (e.g., ethical lapses) are discussed. These results contribute to the development of a preliminary scale of counterproductive experiences in supervision. An argument is made for organizing the final scale by APA supervisory domain to improve content validity and ensure applicability to future supervision training efforts. Recommended research directions are also explored.</p><p>

<p> Identity development and an individual&rsquo;s self-concept can inform how one experiences the world and defines himself/herself. Personal identity can be culturally defined as well as socially developed (Koski-Jannes, 2002). Considering addiction, specifically alcoholism, an individual&rsquo;s involvement with an arguably deviant category may negatively and/or positively affect his/her identity process (Adler &amp; Adler, 2003) and potential recovery prospects (Koski-Jannes, 2002; Walters, 1996; Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, 2003). Uncovering the individual&rsquo;s experience of his/her own identity transformation can provide a better understanding for potential recovery and treatment modalities that have been unknowingly overlooked. The lived experiences may offer a comprehensive understanding of the challenges involving the alcoholic identity, and illuminate how identity development can embrace or deter one from seeking current treatment strategies and recovery. Thus, gaining direct perspectives of individuals who take on the alcoholic identity can offer clinical implications, inform future theoretical perspectives, and advise current treatment approaches. This qualitative dissertation explores the identification process of self-identified people who live with alcoholism utilizing an in-depth approach into the lived experiences that informed their own understanding of the identity transformation they endured, and the factors that influenced the decision to self-identify.</p><p>

<p> Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed childhood psychiatric disorders, estimated to occur in one to four percent of children, and typically portends a chronic and debilitating prognosis. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological research was to explore the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral characteristics surrounding the lived experiences of parenting a child with OCD and to discover the types of parental attributions present in the parent-child interactions. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, data was collected through parental interviews with semi-structured, open-ended questions and daily parenting journals. Nine parents participated and eight themes emerged from the interviews identifying a range of emotions within their parenting experiences: relief, fear, guilt, anger, anxiety, sadness, feeling judged, and joy. Analysis of the daily journal data indicated (a) high levels of expressed emotion in families influenced the types of attributions parents formed, (b) high levels of expressed emotions encouraged family accommodation, and (c) subjectivity was present in parental attribution formation. The specific focus on the parents of children with OCD in this research was expressed as validation to give meaning to their parenting experiences. The significance of this study was based on the prevalence of childhood OCD and the lack of understanding the daily lived experiences of parenting a child with pediatric OCD. Considerations for future research include increased sample diversity, the recruitment of more fathers, parental attribution retraining, and sibling interviews.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how siblings of individuals with schizophrenia understand the symptoms and problems that an individual diagnosed with schizophrenia experiences. Although there is, as of yet, no consensual model of normalcy or of psychopathology, models are important because they have implications for clinical practice. In regards to schizophrenia specifically, clinicians and researchers have asserted the importance of the family in the development and course of the disorder. Siblings may offer a unique viewpoint as they may experience or have experienced sub-clinical schizophrenia-related symptoms themselves. </p><p> Five individuals who have a sibling diagnosed with schizophrenia were interviewed about how they conceptualize their siblings&rsquo; experiences and problems. The interviews were analyzed with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. A total of sixteen emergent themes from the interviews are discussed, some of which include very different, still the same; struggle to understand; &ldquo;that thing;&rdquo; &ldquo;vigilant, careful, cautious;&rdquo; still love and care; and alienation from self and others. Several components of the themes indicate that participants had both a categorical and a dimensional model of their siblings&rsquo; problems. Future research regarding gaining a greater understanding of how people conceptualize the problems and experiences of those diagnosed with schizophrenia and clinical applications are also discussed. </p><p>

<p> Acupuncture, involving insertion of fine needles into points on the body associated with energy flow through channels called meridians, has been used for 1000s of years to treat both physical and psychological conditions. Meridian therapies, such as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) that involve percussive stimulation, or tapping, of the acupuncture points, have been developed to enable individuals to self-treat conditions ranging from headaches to depression. This mixed methods pilot study tested the hypothesis that vibrational stimulation of acupuncture points in the hand would increase psychological wellbeing, as measured by decreases in depressive and anxious symptoms, and increase in satisfaction with life. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a device to automatically vibrationally stimulate the acupuncture points in the hand was used to test this hypothesis. Twelve participants, with moderate symptoms of depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), were recruited from across the US and randomly assigned to using an active device (treatment) or to using an inactive device (control). Devices were used for 26 minutes per day, for 7 days of treatment. Measures were taken at pretest, posttest, and at follow-up 14 days afterwards. Participants were each paid $100 on completion of study. Trends in data could be interpreted as supporting the main hypothesis, although this pilot study showed no statistically significant interaction between time and group, resulting in the null hypothesis not being rejected. However, there was a main effect over time, when both groups were taken together. Mean depression (BDI-II) and satisfaction with life (SWLS) scores were found to improve between pretest and posttest, and the effect persisted to follow-up. Results of this pilot study warrant a larger study, with more participants, to investigate the interaction effect using sufficient experimental power. Suggestions are given to construct it, building on lessons learned from this pilot study.</p><p>

<p> Mental illness (MI) stigma is considered a primary barrier to seeking and remaining in treatment. Mental health experts argue that directly targeting persons with MI in an effort to reduce gun violence may increase public stigma via further associating MI with dangerousness and increasing public preferences for social distance. The present study experimentally investigated whether firearm laws targeting persons with MI who are considered to be a &lsquo;clear and present danger&rsquo; to themselves and others can increase MI stigma (i.e., dangerousness, social distance) and ultimately decrease treatment-seeking intentions among college students. Examining mental health reporting practices imposed by such laws poses important questions about their influence on whether people are less likely to seek necessary treatments pending personal distress. The empirical evidence from a variety of research studies largely does not support the effectiveness of these laws. The current study differs from previous research by directly exposing participants to how these reporting provisions impact limits to confidentiality in the therapy process to determine whether they influence differences in treatment-seeking intentions and MI stigma. Additionally, this study examined whether perceived dangerousness and preference for social distance mediate the relationships between exposure to these reporting provisions and treatment-seeking intention. Two-hundred and twenty-nine undergraduate students were randomly-assigned by gender to read a therapy consent form containing clear and present danger reporting laws (CPD) or a standard therapy consent without these laws (control). Participants then completed measures of treatment-seeking intentions, perceived dangerousness, and preference for social distance. Contrary to hypotheses, perceived dangerousness, preference for social distance, and treatment-seeking intentions did not differ between the CPD and control conditions. Furthermore, dangerousness and social distance did not mediate the relationship between CPD conditions and intention to seek treatment. Findings do not support concerns that firearm laws directly targeting MI populations may increase stigma and decrease treatment-seeking intentions. Implications for MI populations, future research, and CPD laws are discussed.</p><p>

<p> <i>Background:</i> Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a debilitating mental illness that leads to significant functional impairment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment shown to reduce BDD and associated symptoms, but most people suffering from BDD do not have access to it. To address limited access to evidence-based treatments, internet-based CBT (ICBT) was created. It is a growing CBT platform that has demonstrated efficacy with a number of disorders, including BDD. ICBT for BDD (BDD-NET) has been developed to treat BDD, and has been tested in one pilot study and one randomized controlled trial (RCT) against an active comparison group, showing promising results. Currently, BDD-NET only exists in a Swedish platform and is only available to patients in Sweden. <i>Objectives:</i> The current study aimed to test an English-language version of BDD-NET, utilizing global inclusion, in order to begin to establish a more accessible BDD treatment option for English-speakers across national borders and geographic locations. It was hypothesized that subjects would improve in BDD and associated symptoms, be satisfied with treatment, and be willing and able to complete the BDD-NET core treatment modules. <i>Treatment:</i> BDD-NET contains core CBT strategies such as exposure with response prevention (EX/RP) and cognitive restructuring, and is conducted through the internet on a confidential platform. Patients complete psychoeducational readings, written work, and home practice of CBT strategies with therapist guidance through a confidential messaging system. <i>Design:</i> The current study is an uncontrolled clinical trial with within-subjects repeated measures design. Participants included 21 self-referred adults diagnosed with BDD. The primary outcome measure was the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for BDD (BDD-YBOCS), administered at baseline, mid-treatment, and post-treatment. Secondary outcomes were depression, global functioning, client satisfaction with BDD-NET, treatment credibility, therapeutic alliance, and treatment engagement and completion. Outcomes were analyzed using a multivariate approach to repeated measures, as well as paired-sample t-tests. Proportions of patients completing core modules (1-5) of BDD-NET and discontinuing treatment early were calculated. Clinical assessments of treatment effects and feedback from participants were utilized to aid in development on the BDD-NET treatment protocol. <i>Results:</i> Participants deemed BDD-NET as acceptable and reported that they were able to utilize BDD-NET treatment resources. BDD-NET was associated with significant improvements in BDD-YBOCS scores (p&lt;.001), with a large within-group effect size (<i> d</i> = 1.71). Fifty-seven percent of participants who completed post-assessments were responders (&ge; 30% reduction on the BDD-YBOCS), and 36% were in remission from BDD. Depression and global functioning improved from pre- to post-treatment, with large effect sizes. <i>Conclusions:</i> BDD-NET has great potential to largely increase access to evidence-based psychiatric treatment for English-speaking patients with BDD across national borders and from a variety of cultural backgrounds. BDD-NET may be particularly helpful in targeting patients with barriers to care. A randomized controlled trial of an English-language version of BDD-NET is warranted.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between viewing fitspirational content and women's body image, exercise attitudes, and eating attitudes. It was hypothesized that viewing fitspirational content would lead to a reduction in body image and an increase in eating disorder-related thoughts and guilt or sadness related to exercising. One significant interaction was found, which implied that individuals who had viewed the fitspirational content had more guilt and depressive feelings related to exercise than individuals in the control group when comparing to the pre-test. None of the remaining hypotheses were supported.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to examine the role self-compassion has on stress and eating behavior. Ninety-one participants completed a series of online surveys that measured student life stress, self-compassion, and eating behaviors. Results suggest that self-compassion did not moderate the relationship between stress and eating behavior. Self-compassion was found as a mediator, indicating that the effect stress has on eating behavior can be explained by self-compassion. Students with low stress tended to have high self-compassion, which was linked with healthier eating habits.</p><p>

<p> Therapist self-disclosure is an issue that has been long discussed in psychology and for current therapists knowing when, what, and how much to disclose is a challenge. The goal of this study was to investigate how various extents of information, related to a therapist&rsquo;s previous struggles with mental health issues, impacted the client&rsquo;s overall perception of that therapist. This study predicted a curvilinear relationship between extent of disclosure and client perception of the therapist. The hypothesis was that a mild extent of disclosure would be seen more favorably than no disclosure, a moderate extent would be even more favorable, and an extreme extent would be seen around the same level of favorable as a mild extent. Vignettes, manipulation check questions, a client perception questionnaire, and demographic questions were given to undergraduates in a Psychology class in order to emulate clients in therapy. A between-subjects, one-way ANOVA was conducted on the four conditions (no disclosure, mildly extensive, moderately extensive, and extremely extensive) and overall client perception. Findings indicated that there was a significant difference between the no disclosure and the moderately extensive disclosure conditions. There is a curvilinear trend, but it was not significant. This means that participants saw therapists who disclose information about a similar diagnosis and symptoms they struggled with in a more positive light than therapists who disclose nothing.</p>