This study of 535 older married couples examined the relationship between depression and health and sexual satisfaction directly and when mediated by communication. The sample included 535 older couples who completed a survey questionnaire known as Project Couple Retire. Among the items in the questionnaire were measures of depression, health, perception of sexual intimacy, communication and other demographic information. Results from Structural Equation Modeling indicated that for women, health was a significant predictor of sexual satisfaction. For both genders, the results suggest that depression, when mediated by communication, is a predictor of sexual satisfaction among older couples.

With evidence growing of the negative impact materialism exerts on the individual and the marital relationship, this study examines the effects of materialism on the marital relationship as well as the potential moderating effects of forgiveness. Specifically examined is the association between materialism and marital instability considering trait forgiveness as a potential moderating variable. The data for this study were taken from the Flourishing Families Project. Materialism, forgiveness, and marital instability measures with actor effects, partner effects, and moderation effects are analyzed. The findings of this study supported the hypothesis that materialism is related to marital instability and that forgiveness moderates the effect of materialism on marital instability for husbands. However, this hypothesis was not supported for wives. Findings also confirmed that husband and wife trait forgiveness moderated the effects of husband materialism on husband marital instability.

This study explored the longitudinal effects of adolescent pornography trajectories on risky sexual behavior, as well as predictors of pornography trajectories. Data was taken from Waves V-X of the Flourishing Families Project, which included a sample of 463 families. A zero-inflated Poisson growth mixture model was run to determine class participation and growth trajectories. Findings revealed that gender and religiosity significantly predicted class participation, and class participation significantly predicted risky sexual behavior. While this study did have limitations, this study adds to the previous literature by examining adolescent pornography trajectories over an extended period of time.

A recent study highlighted discrepancies between qualitative client self-reports of outcome and OQ-45 reports. Specifically, only 8.8% of clients who deteriorated during a course of therapy based on the OQ-45 perceived that they had deteriorated, while 50% of these clients perceived that they had improved in therapy (Top et al., 2018). This phenomenon, where different means of tracking outcomes yield divergent results, has been called “paradoxical outcome.” The trend suggests that the most advanced forms of tracking psychotherapy outcomes might not detect important facets of outcome from the perspective of psychotherapy clients. The current study is a qualitative investigation of the experience of psychotherapy clients who reported improvements in therapy despite meeting criteria for deterioration per the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 (OQ-45; Lambert et al., 1996). We used a consensual qualitative research (CQR) protocol (Hill, 2012). CQR uses group consensus to detect themes in participant interviews. Common themes included attributing negative changes to factors outside of therapy, endorsing complicated circumstances, and reporting positive outcomes that were not well detected by the OQ-45. More results and their implications are discussed.

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This is a longitudinal cross-lagged panel model examining the bi-directional association of attachment styles and relationship quality in a community sample of 355 married couples, with at least one child between 10-14 years of age at the beginning of the study and 17-21 years of age at the end of the study. An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), was used to test for actor and partner effects, thereby accounting for the non-independent nature of the data. Two separate APIM models were tested with Male Attachment predicting Female Relationship Quality and Female Attachment predicting Male Relationship Quality. Results indicate that own attachment was a stronger predictor of partner relationship quality over time than was own relationship quality to partner attachment; although male relationship quality did predict female attachment from T1 to T3, it was not significant at all other time points. Clinical implications and future research are discussed.

Several models of anxiety in autistic adults have focused on the role of intolerance of uncertainty which has biological and evolutionary bases, as a cognitive explanation for the high prevalence of anxiety in autism. This framework suggests that all people are born with a healthy level of intolerance of uncertainty, and as we develop, this intolerance is lessened as we learn when situations are safe and begin to understand and manage the uncertainty. This process of learning about managing uncertainty does not happen in the same way in those who are high in autistic traits, which could be the reason for the high levels of anxiety symptoms commonly seen in this population. We conducted two path analyses to examine the role of intolerance of uncertainty in anxiety in autistic adults. The first model tested the idea that intolerance of uncertainty, an evolutionary phenomenon common for all people, could explain some of the cognitive aspects of anxiety in autism. The second model suggests that primary neurodevelopmental differences associated with autistic traits underlie the sensory sensitivity and sensory seeking behaviors, which in turn increase intolerance of uncertainty and subsequent anxiety. We found that the “neurodevelopmental” model had better model fit than the “evolutionary stress” model, suggesting that the neurodevelopmental impact of higher levels of autistic traits could moderate a neurotypical trajectory of learning to manage uncertainty as children develop and understand that uncertainty is common and acceptable.

Heart rate variability as a measure of cardiovascular health and autonomic activity correlates with psychological resiliency but is not consistently related to trait extraversion, a strong predictor of emotional well-being. This study intends to clarify research findings about trait extraversion and heart rate variability by identifying the context and nature of the relationship between extraversion and physiological responses. As a secondary analysis of data from a study comparing biofeedback and compassionate breathing, extraversion scores were compared with heart rate variability data at three different points including prior to a stressor, during exposure to a stressor, and recovery to a stressor to determine the influence of extraversion on stress reactivity and stress recovery. In our sample population of 80 participants who were mostly young and in good health determined by self-report, the average extraversion score 79.14. Linear regression was used to compare differences at each time point and data was analyzed for significance at p=.05; a post-hoc power analysis revealed β = .81, 1 – β. There were no significant findings between extraversion and heart rate variability at any time point. The results of this study support no relationship between extraversion, health, and stress-resiliency.

Nature has been shown to be beneficial for numerous individual outcomes and this article investigates the link between of individual's nature recreation and couples' relationship satisfaction. First, we outline the theoretical underpinnings of nature recreation and couples' relationship satisfaction. Then we examine the following hypotheses: (1) nature recreation has a positive direct effect on relationship satisfaction, (2) there is a positive indirect effect of nature recreation on relationship satisfaction through the environmental effects, and (3) the relationship between nature recreation and relationship satisfaction will be moderated by the recreational factors. These were examined using data obtained from a cross sectional MTurk survey from a diverse group of 520 participants. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the hypotheses. The results showed that the hypotheses 2 and 3 were non-significant but that the indirect effect was significant. These findings were explored, possible explanations for these findings discussed, and future implications were outlined.

Hydrocephalus can impact all areas of health, including physical, cognitive, and social-emotional functioning. The social-emotional health of children who have had surgery for their hydrocephalus is not well characterized. This study examined social-emotional and behavioral functioning using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) and the Hydrocephalus Outcome Questionnaire (HOQ) in children aged 5-17 years old. BASC-3 parent report scores were compared to the BASC-3 normative sample using one-sample t-tests to evaluate overall social-emotional functioning. BASC-3 scores were correlated with the social-emotional domain of the HOQ using Pearson's r to determine if the HOQ accurately captures the social-emotional functioning of children with hydrocephalus in a neurosurgery setting. BASC-3 and HOQ scores of children with different etiologies of hydrocephalus were compared using one-way ANOVAs. Children with hydrocephalus of all etiologies had more difficulties with social-emotional functioning compared to normative populations, but there were no differences in functioning between etiologies. The social-emotional domain of the HOQ correlated more strongly with the BASC-3 than did the physical and cognitive domains. These results provide evidence that children who have had surgery for their hydrocephalus may be at increased risk of social-emotional and behavioral difficulties, but etiology may not be particularly helpful in predicting what kinds or degree of difficulty. This study also supports the content and divergent validity of the social-emotional domain of the HOQ.