Articles

Attachment-oriented psychological intervention for couples facing breast cancer: protocol of a randomised controlled trial

There is evidence that both breast cancer patients and their partners are affected emotionally, when facing a breast cancer diagnosis. Several couple interventions have been evaluated, but there is a need for ...

Authors: Anne Nicolaisen, Dorte G Hansen, Mariët Hagedoorn, Henrik E Flyger, Nina Rottmann, Per Nielsen, Katrine Søe, Anne E Pedersen and Christoffer Johansen

A mediation model of mindfulness and decentering: sequential psychological constructs or one and the same?

Mindfulness and decentering are closely related processes both assumed to promote well-being. While some researchers claim that mindfulness and decentering can be clearly differentiated others suggest to use t...

Authors: Judith Gecht, Ramona Kessel, Thomas Forkmann, Siegfried Gauggel, Barbara Drueke, Anne Scherer and Verena Mainz

Parents’ perceptions on offspring risk and prevention of anxiety and depression: a qualitative study

Offspring of patients with anxiety or depression are at high risk for developing anxiety or depression. Despite the positive findings regarding effectiveness of prevention programs, recruitment for prevention ...

Authors: Helma Festen, Karen Schipper, Sybolt O de Vries, Catrien G Reichart, Tineke A Abma and Maaike H Nauta

Cluster-randomised controlled trial of an occupational therapy group intervention for children designed to promote emotional wellbeing: study protocol

Symptoms of anxiety and depression are common in childhood, as are risk factors that undermine wellbeing: low self-esteem and limited participation in daily occupations. Current treatments focus primarily on m...

Authors: Ema Tokolahi, Clare Hocking, Paula Kersten and Alain C Vandal

Best practice in bereavement photography after perinatal death: qualitative analysis with 104 parents

Postmortem memento photography has emerged in Western hospitals as part of compassionate bereavement care for parents facing perinatal death. Many parents endorse this psychosocial intervention, yet implementa...

Authors: Cybele Blood and Joanne Cacciatore

Sad but true? - How induced emotional states differentially bias self-rated Big Five personality traits

The Big Five are seen as stable personality traits. This study hypothesized that their measurement via self-ratings is differentially biased by participants’ emotions. The relationship between habitual emotion...

Authors: Jan Querengässer and Sebastian Schindler

“You’ve got to make it relevant”: barriers and ways forward for assessing cognition in Aboriginal clients

Reliable cognitive assessment for non-western cultures is difficult given that mainstream tests typically rely on western concepts, content and values. Despite recognition of the scarcity of appropriate tests ...

Authors: Kylie M Dingwall, Melissa A Lindeman and Sheree Cairney

Design of a comparative effectiveness evaluation of a culturally tailored versus standard community-based smoking cessation treatment program for LGBT smokers

Smoking prevalence rates among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population are significantly higher than the general population. However, there is limited research on smoking cessation treatm...

Authors: Alicia K Matthews, Elizabeth A McConnell, Chien-Ching Li, Maria C Vargas and Andrea King

Mood and cognition in healthy older European adults: the Zenith study

The study aim was to determine if state and trait intra-individual measures of everyday affect predict cognitive functioning in healthy older community dwelling European adults (n = 387), aged 55-87 years.

Authors: Ellen EA Simpson, Elizabeth A Maylor, Christopher McConville, Barbara Stewart-Knox, Natalie Meunier, Maud Andriollo-Sanchez, Angela Polito, Federica Intorre, Jacqueline M McCormack and Charles Coudray

The effects of the prevention program ‘New Perspectives’ (NP) on juvenile delinquency and other life domains: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

New Perspectives (NP) is a prevention program aiming to prevent that youth at onset of a criminal career will develop a persistent criminal behaviour pattern. The effects of NP on juvenile delinquency and othe...

Authors: Sanne LA de Vries, Machteld Hoeve, Jessica J Asscher and Geert Jan JM Stams

Building a model for encouraging help-seeking for depression: a qualitative study in a Chinese society

Clinical depression has been increasingly prevalent in international health statistics but people are often found to be reluctant to seek help when they encounter depression. However, there is no general theor...

Authors: Alison KY Hui, Paul WC Wong and King-wa Fu

An association of adult personality with prenatal and early postnatal growth: the EPQ lie-scale

Recent studies have noted differences in social acquiescence and interpersonal relations among adults born preterm or with very low birth weight compared to full term adults. In addition, birth weight has been...

Authors: Trine Flensborg-Madsen, Rasmus Revsbech, Holger Jelling Sørensen and Erik Lykke Mortensen

The association between social capital and mental health and behavioural problems in children and adolescents: an integrative systematic review

Mental health is an important component of overall health and wellbeing and crucial for a happy and meaningful life. The prevalence of mental health problems amongst children and adolescent is high; with estim...

Authors: Kerri E McPherson, Susan Kerr, Elizabeth McGee, Antony Morgan, Francine M Cheater, Jennifer McLean and James Egan

Evaluating the effectiveness of the Motivating Teens To Sleep More program in advancing bedtime in adolescents: a randomized controlled trial

Sleep restriction is a prevalent issue for adolescents and has been associated with negative cognitive, emotional, and physical health (e.g., poor attention, depressed mood, obesity). Existing sleep promotion ...

Authors: Jamie Cassoff, Florida Rushani, Reut Gruber and Bärbel Knäuper

The Child Illness and Resilience Program (CHiRP): a study protocol of a stepped care intervention to improve the resilience and wellbeing of families living with childhood chronic illness

Families of children living with chronic illness are more vulnerable to mental health problems, however this can be ameliorated by a family’s resilience. The Child Illness and Resilience Program (CHiRP) will d...

Authors: Katrina M Hamall, Todd R Heard, Kerry J Inder, Katherine M McGill and Frances Kay-Lambkin

Reviewer acknowledgement 2013

The editors of BMC Psychology would like to thank all our reviewers who have contributed to the journal in Volume 1 (2013).

Authors: Alice K Murray

Promoting psychosocial wellbeing following stroke using narratives and guided self-determination: a feasibility study

Extensive studies have documented the complex and comprehensive psychosocial consequences of stroke. Psychosocial difficulties significantly affect long-term functioning and quality of life. Many studies have ...

Authors: Marit Kirkevold, Randi Martinsen, Berit Arnesveen Bronken and Kari Kvigne

Are subjective cognitive complaints related to memory functioning in the working population?

Cognitive functioning is important for managing work and life in general. Some experience problems with cognitive functioning, often referred to as subjective cognitive complaints (SCC). These problems are rat...

Authors: Cecilia UD Stenfors, Petter Marklund, Linda L Magnusson Hanson, Töres Theorell and Lars-Göran Nilsson

Rasch analysis of the sense of coherence scale in a sample of people with morbid obesity – a cross-sectional study

The prevalence of morbid obesity is an increasing health problem in most parts of the world and is related to lower quality of life. Sense of coherence, or the perception that the world is meaningful and predi...

Authors: Anners Lerdal, May Solveig Fagermoen, Tore Bonsaksen, Caryl L Gay and Anders Kottorp

Clinical utility of the cogstate brief battery in identifying cognitive impairment in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

Previous studies have demonstrated the utility and sensitivity of the CogState Brief Battery (CBB) in detecting cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and in asses...

Authors: Paul Maruff, Yen Ying Lim, David Darby, Kathryn A Ellis, Robert H Pietrzak, Peter J Snyder, Ashley I Bush, Cassandra Szoeke, Adrian Schembri, David Ames and Colin L Masters

Determinants of variability in motor performance in middle childhood: a cross-sectional study of balance and motor co-ordination skills

Physical activity is a key component of exploration and development. Poor motor proficiency, by limiting participation in physical and social activities, can therefore contribute to poor psychological and soci...

Authors: Patricia K Kitsao-Wekulo, Penny A Holding, Hudson Gerry Taylor, Jane D Kvalsvig and Kevin J Connolly

Can theory of mind deficits be measured reliably in people with mild and moderate Alzheimer’s dementia?

Patients suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia develop difficulties in social functioning. This has led to an interest in the study of “theory of mind” in this population. However, difficulty has arisen because ...

Authors: Caroline SM Choong and Gillian A Doody

Exploring relationships over time between psychological distress, perceived stress, life events and immature defense style on disordered eating pathology

Perceived stress, immature defense style, depression and anxiety and negative life events all are known to be associated with eating disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between ...

Authors: Phillipa Hay and Sarah Elizabeth Williams

Listen protect connect for traumatized schoolchildren: a pilot study of psychological first aid

Listen Protect Connect (LPC), a school-based program of Psychological First Aid delivered by non-mental health professionals, is intended to support trauma-exposed children. Our objective was to implement LPC ...

Authors: Marizen Ramirez, Karisa Harland, Maisha Frederick, Rhoda Shepherd, Marleen Wong and Joseph E Cavanaugh

Validation and development of a shorter version of the resilience scale RS-11: results from the population-based KORA–age study

The aim of this study was to assess reliability and validity of the Resilience Scale 11 (RS-11) and develop a shorter scale in a population-based study.

Authors: Alexander von Eisenhart Rothe, Markus Zenger, Maria Elena Lacruz, Rebecca Emeny, Jens Baumert, Sibylle Haefner and Karl-Heinz Ladwig

Report on personality and adherence to antibiotic therapy: a population-based study

Antimicrobial resistance results from inappropriate use of antibiotics and makes common or life-threatening infections more difficult or sometimes impossible to treat. Proper adherence to antibiotic therapy is...

Authors: Malin Axelsson

Physical exercise as a supplement to outpatient treatment of alcohol use disorders – a randomized controlled trial

Alcohol use disorder is a widespread problem in Denmark and has severe impacts on health and quality of life of each individual. The clinical treatment of alcohol use disorder involves evidence-based knowledge...

Authors: Sengül Sari, Randi Bilberg, Kurt Jensen, Anette Søgaard-Nielsen, Bent Nielsen and Kirsten K Roessler

After a pair of self-control-intensive tasks, sucrose swishing improves subsequent working memory performance

The limited strength model of self-control predicts that acts of self-control impair subsequent performance on tasks that require self-control (i.e., “ego depletion”), and the majority of the published researc...

Authors: Evan C Carter and Michael E McCullough

Size and emotion or depth and emotion? Evidence, using Matryoshka (Russian) dolls, of children using physical depth as a proxy for emotional charge

The size and emotion effect is the tendency for children to draw people and other objects with a positive emotional charge larger than those with a negative or neutral charge. Here we explored the novel idea t...

Authors: Andrew K Dunn, Nicola Taylor and Thom Baguley

Evidence-based treatment for Depersonalisation-derealisation Disorder (DPRD)

Depersonalisation-derealisation disorder (DPRD) is a distressing and impairing condition with a pathophysiology that is not well understood. Nevertheless, given the growing interest in its pathogenesis, and th...

Authors: Eli Somer, Taryn Amos-Williams and Dan J Stein

Gender differences in subjective memory impairment in a general population: the HUNT study, Norway

There is increased focus on early diagnosis of dementia, and subjective awareness of memory impairment is often assumed to be an early symptom of dementia. Subjective memory impairment (SMI) is used to describ...

Authors: Jostein Holmen, Ellen Melbye Langballe, Kristian Midthjell, Turid Lingaas Holmen, Arvid Fikseaunet, Ingvild Saltvedt and Kristian Tambs

Are women better than men at multi-tasking?

There seems to be a common belief that women are better in multi-tasking than men, but there is practically no scientific research on this topic. Here, we tested whether women have better multi-tasking skills ...

Authors: Gijsbert Stoet, Daryl B O’Connor, Mark Conner and Keith R Laws

Cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depressive symptoms in patients with diabetes: design of a randomized controlled trial

Depressive symptoms are a common problem in patients with diabetes, laying an additional burden on both the patients and the health care system. Patients suffering from these symptoms rarely receive adequate e...

Authors: K Annika Tovote, Joke Fleer, Evelien Snippe, Irina V Bas, Thera P Links, Paul MG Emmelkamp, Robbert Sanderman and Maya J Schroevers

The impact of early life factors on cognitive function in old age: The Hordaland Health Study (HUSK)

Previous studies have shown that adverse conditions during fetal and early life are associated with lower performance on neurocognitive tests in childhood, adolescence and adult life. There is, however, a pauc...

Authors: Jens Christoffer Skogen, Simon Øverland, A David Smith, Arnstein Mykletun and Robert Stewart

Culturally specific versus standard group cognitive behavioral therapy for smoking cessation among African Americans: an RCT protocol

African American smokers experience disproportionately higher rates of tobacco-related illnesses compared to Caucasians. It has been suggested that interventions targeted to specific racial/ethnic groups (i.e....

Authors: Monica Webb Hooper, Ramona Larry, Kolawole Okuyemi, Ken Resnicow, Noella A Dietz, Robert G Robinson and Michael H Antoni

Life changes and depressive symptoms: the effects of valence and amount of change

Only few studies have focused on the effects of positive life changes on depression, and the ones that did demonstrated inconsistent findings. The aim of the present study was to obtain a better understanding ...

Authors: Elise C Bennik, Johan Ormel and Albertine J Oldehinkel

Frequency of positive states of mind as a moderator of the effects of stress on psychological functioning and perceived health

Emerging evidence indicates that individuals reporting more positive affect are healthier and live longer. The aim of this study was to examine if positive states of mind moderates the effect of perceived stre...

Authors: Richard Bränström

Using the yes/no recognition response pattern to detect memory malingering

Detection of feigned neurocognitive deficits is a challenge for neuropsychological assessment. We conducted two studies to examine whether memory malingering is characterized by an elevated proportion of false...

Authors: Sebastian Schindler, Johanna Kissler, Klaus-Peter Kühl, Rainer Hellweg and Thomas Bengner

Promoting sense of coherence: Salutogenesis among people with psoriasis undergoing patient education in climate therapy

There is a need for further investigation of sense of coherence (SOC), the central concept of salutogenesis, and its relationship with long-term illnesses such as psoriasis. The aim of this study is to investi...

Authors: Eva Langeland, Hilde S Robinson, Torbjørn Moum, Marie H Larsen, Anne-Lene Krogstad and Astrid K Wahl

Sex discriminations made on the basis of ambiguous visual cues can be affected by the presence of an olfactory cue

Almost every interpersonal interaction is mediated by the sex of the individuals involved. Visual, auditory, and olfactory cues provide individuals with the opportunity to discriminate the sex of others from a...

Authors: Graeme Hacker, Anna Brooks and Rick van der Zwan

Validation of the 10-item Chinese perceived stress scale in elderly service workers: one-factor versus two-factor structure

Despite its popularity, the psychometric properties of the 10-item Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS-10) in working adults are yet to be evaluated.

Authors: Siu-man Ng

Neuropsychological profile according to the clinical stage of young persons presenting for mental health care

Clinical staging of mental disorders proposes that individuals can be assessed at various sub-syndromal and later developed phases of illness. As an adjunctive rating, it may complement traditional diagnostic ...

Authors: Daniel F Hermens, Sharon L Naismith, Jim Lagopoulos, Rico S C Lee, Adam J Guastella, Elizabeth M Scott and Ian B Hickie

Development and preliminary testing of the psychosocial adjustment to hereditary diseases scale

The presence of Lynch syndrome (LS) can bring a lifetime of uncertainty to an entire family as members adjust to living with a high lifetime cancer risk. The research base on how individuals and families adjus...

Authors: Kathy E Watkins, Christine Y Way, Deborah M Gregory, Holly M LeDrew, Valerie C Ludlow, Mary Jane Esplen, Jeffrey J Dowden, Janet E Cox, G William N Fitzgerald and Patrick S Parfrey

Suicide prevention in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and psychosis: a systematic review

The incidence of suicide is high among patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and psychosis. A systematic review was performed to investigate the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in reducing...

Authors: Tara Donker, Alison Calear, Janie Busby Grant, Bregje van Spijker, Katherine Fenton, Kanupriya Kalia Hehir, Pim Cuijpers and Helen Christensen

A rasch model to test the cross-cultural validity in the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) across six geo-cultural groups

The objective of this study was to examine the cross-cultural differences of the PANSS across six geo-cultural regions. The specific aims are (1) to examine measurement properties of the PANSS; and (2) to exam...

Authors: Anzalee Khan, Christian Yavorsky, Stacy Liechti, Mark Opler, Brian Rothman, Guillermo DiClemente, Luka Lucic, Sofija Jovic, Toshiya Inada and Lawrence Yang

An interview with Irismar Reis de Oliveira, Section Editor for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

Authors: Irismar Reis de Oliveira

Evaluation of emotion processing in HIV-infected patients and correlation with cognitive performance

Facial emotion recognition depends on cortical and subcortical networks. HIV infection of the central nervous system can damage these networks, leading to impaired facial emotion recognition.

Authors: Eleonora Baldonero, Nicoletta Ciccarelli, Massimiliano Fabbiani, Manuela Colafigli, Erika Improta, Alessandro D’Avino, Annalisa Mondi, Roberto Cauda, Simona Di Giambenedetto and Maria Caterina Silveri

Negativland - a home for all findings in psychology

Psychology has been historically plagued by the under-reporting of both replications and null findings. The avoidance of these core ingredients of scientific practice means that the psychology literature is un...

Authors: Keith R Laws

Putting the BMC into psychology publishing

Authors: Gordon Harold