Development of a Measure of Fearful Implicit Associations with Dental Stimuli in Youth.

Youth with dental anxiety are at an increased risk of poor oral health but current tools used to identify dental anxiety in children in clinical settings are hampered by several limitations. This study assessed the psychometric properties of a measure of implicit associations with dental stimuli, the Affective Misattribution Procedure for dental stimuli (AMP-D) in 68 youth between the ages of 9 and 17 years. Measures of self-reported dental anxiety and parental perceptions of child dental anxiety were also administered. The internal consistency of the AMP-D was high (KR-20 = 0.96) and 1-week test-retest reliability was in the acceptable range (r = 0.75). The AMP-D was correlated with self-reported dental anxiety, providing evidence of construct validity. The psychometric properties of the AMP-D suggest it could be a useful tool in identifying youth with dental anxiety, particularly when concerns regarding self-representation may compromise the validity of self-reported anxiety.

Mothers' Psychological Control and Accommodation are Associated with More Severe Anxiety in Hispanic Youth.

Psychological accommodation and control may help explain the finding that anxiety is more severe and common in Hispanic youth. Research with White samples conceptualizes psychological control as part of an authoritarian parenting style; however, research with Hispanic families suggests that psychological control is more likely to be indicative of a protective parenting style. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that in Hispanic families, psychological control would be related to protective parenting behaviors that ultimately maintain child anxiety. We tested a cross-sectional model hypothesizing that in Hispanic families the link between ethnicity and anxiety would be mediated through psychological control and parental accommodation of child anxiety, a parenting behavior which protects the child from the aversive experiences in the moment but ultimately serves to maintain child anxiety. A sample of mothers (n = 145; 48% Hispanic) and fathers (n = 59; 48% Hispanic) of youth from 8 to 18 years of age completed a survey assessing anxiety and parenting. With Hispanic mothers, the relation between ethnicity (Hispanic/non-Hispanic) and child anxiety was mediated through psychological control and accommodation. With fathers, although control was related to accommodation which, in turn, was related to child anxiety, ethnicity was not associated with control, accommodation, or child anxiety. Findings suggest that the context of parenting behavior should be considered in research, and adaptations of child anxiety treatments should consider ways to allow parents to express their desire to communicate warmth and protectiveness while avoiding negative reinforcement of child anxiety.

Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness influence the childhood polyvictimization and suicide ideation association among Hispanic undergraduates.

The present study examined the mediating effect of perceived burdensomeness (PB) and thwarted belongingness (TB) in the association between childhood polyvictimization and suicide ideation (past week) among 528 Hispanic college students. Nearly 10% reported polyvictimization, 19.8% had suicide ideation, and polyvictimization was a risk factor of suicide ideation through PB and TB. The indirect effect through PB was stronger than the indirect effect through TB. Interventions should focus on PB and TB to alleviate suicide ideation among Hispanic undergraduate students.

Coping competence and hopelessness moderate the influence of perceived burdensomeness on suicidal ideation in undergraduate college students.

According to the interpersonal theory of suicide, the perception of imposing a burden on loved ones increases the risk for suicidal ideation. Little research, however, has examined the interaction of burdensomeness with cognitive variables in predicting suicidal ideation in college students even though the relationship between burdensomeness and ideation may be contingent on levels of cognitive risk factors. The present study thus examined the relationships between burdensomeness, hopelessness, coping competence, and suicidal ideation. Questionnaires were administered to 279 undergraduate students from a university in the Midwest United States. After controlling for depression, hopelessness, and coping competence, burdensomeness significantly predicted ideation and accounted for variance above and beyond the control variables. Moreover, the relationship between burdensomeness and suicidal ideation was significantly moderated by coping competence and hopelessness. The findings suggest that perceived burdensomeness plays a critical role in the risk for suicide in college students. More specifically, the findings suggest that coping competence and hopelessness can be ideal targets for interventions as changes in these variables may attenuate the association between perceived burdensomeness and suicidal ideation.

Latino and Non-Latino Parental Treatment Preferences for Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders.

There is frequently a presumption that Latino parents have a greater preference for involvement in their child's treatment for anxiety compared to non-Latino white parents. However, parent involvement may increase burdens associated with treatment and research suggests that Latino individuals already face significantly greater barriers to obtaining mental health treatment. In the current study, we compared Latino and non-Latino parents' preferences for parental involvement and perceptions of burdens in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth anxiety. 117 parents (57 Latino) completed measures to assess child anxiety, perceptions of treatment involvement, and burdens associated with treatment. There were no significant differences between Latino and non-Latino parents except for a trend toward Latino parents reporting more concerns about the feasibility of obtaining CBT for their child's anxiety. Because Latino parents expressed concern about potential treatment barriers, cultural adaptations for treatment should focus on decreasing burdens associated with treatment rather than increasing parental involvement.

Predictors of suicide attempt status: acquired capability, ideation, and reasons.

The present study compared Non-Attempters, Recent Attempters, and Distant Attempters on the following three constructs: Acquired capability for suicide, reasons for attempting suicide (internal perturbation based reasons vs. extrapunitive/manipulative reasons), and suicidal ideation. Participants were 40 Non-Attempters, 28 Recent Attempters, and 32 Distant Attempters at three state psychiatric hospitals. The sample consisted of 63 males and 37 females ranging in age from 18 to 63 years (M = 35.84, SD = 11.44). All patients completed the self-report measures. There were significant differences between the groups on suicidal ideation and acquired capability for suicide. The results of the present study indicate that acquired capability and reasons for attempting suicide have considerable importance for understanding suicide risk. Integration of acquired capability for suicide and reasons for attempting suicide into assessment and treatment is warranted.

Anxiety and depression in a post-September 11 sample of Arabs in the USA.

OBJECTIVE: Scant research has examined the mental health of Arab Americans. This study aimed to determine the levels of anxiety and depression in a sample of Arab Americans and compare the rates to normative community samples and samples of other minority ethnic/racial groups. METHODS: A non-probability sampling approach resulted in 601 adult Arab American respondents from 35 US states. Respondents completed anxiety and depression questionnaires at a form-based Internet site. RESULTS: One-fourth of participants reported moderate to severe anxiety levels as measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and one-half reported depression scores that met clinical caseness as assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). The present sample of Arab Americans reported significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to standardization samples and community samples of four other minority groups. CONCLUSIONS: Arab Americans may be at risk for anxiety and depression. Further studies should be conducted to replicate and validate these results, identify stressors that affect this population, and develop recommendations for clinical interventions.

College students and cyberbullying: how social media use affects social anxiety and social comparison.

Cyberbullying is defined as aggression intending to inflict harm on others by electronic communication technologies. Cyberbullying has become more common as social media has grown and is accompanied by negative mental health consequences. Research on cyberbullying and mental health in adolescents suggests cyberbullying victimization moderates the relationship between social comparison and social anxiety, but little is known about this phenomenon in college students. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the relationship between cyberbullying, social anxiety, and social comparison amongst college students. A convenience sample of 486 undergraduate students from southern Texas and northern Ohio completed a PyschData survey that assessed social anxiety, social comparison, experiences with be a cyberbullying victim, perpetrator, or both. We found that social anxiety was associated with cyberbullying victimization and perpetration; however, social comparison was not. Cyberbullying victimization was not a moderator between social comparison and anxiety, suggesting that unlike adolescence, college students' experiences with these constructs may be unique to their developmental level.

Day laborers and occupational stress: testing the Migrant Stress Inventory with a Latino day laborer population.

Although day laborers are likely to suffer from high rates of work-related stress, there are no survey measures that focus on stress among this occupational group. Accordingly, we tested the validity and reliability of the Migrant Stress Inventory (MSI), a scale originally designed for migrant farmworkers. Based on survey data collected from day laborers (N = 102) in two Northern California communities, the MSI was found to have adequate internal consistency, yet additional analyses indicated a different factor structure for the subscales. New subscales (relationships, communication, alcohol and other drug use, years in the United States, age, deportation concerns, discrimination experience) with this sample had strong reliability, as well as construct validity. In all, 57.8% of day laborers experienced high rates of stress, and factor analysis differentiated four stressor domains: instability, relationships, communication, and alcohol and other drug use. Moreover, 39.2% of respondents reported lifetime difficulties with alcohol, although alcohol difficulties were not associated with stress. Implications for further research are discussed based on these findings.

An Association Between Perceived Social Support and Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Severity Among Women With Lifetime Sexual Victimization: The Serial Mediating Role of Resilience and Coping.

This study examined the association between perceived social support and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms, serially mediated by resilience and coping among women exposed to different patterns of sexual victimization experiences: childhood sexual abuse (CSA) only, adult sexual assault (ASA) only, and sexual revictimization (SR). A total of 255 sexually victimized women recruited from four U.S. universities completed self-report measures online; 112 participants reported provisionally diagnosable levels of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The proposed model was largely supported in the CSA only group and the SR group. Different patterns of mediational effects were found across the three groups. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Examining Proximal Risk Factors for Suicide in a Sample of Mexican Adults in Rehabilitation Centers.

The cross-cultural generalizability of the interpersonal theory of suicide was examined in this study. One hundred ninety-nine adults in an inpatient setting in Mexico completed the Personal Resources Questionnaire, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale, and Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised. Analyses revealed the interaction between perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness did not predict suicide ideation. The interactions between perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness and between perceived burdensomeness and acquired capacity significantly predicted suicidal behaviors, whereas the hypothesized three-way interaction did not. These findings highlight the importance of perceived burdensomeness in the development of suicidal behaviors among Mexican-origin adults.

Spanish translation and validation of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire.

The present study reports the multistage development and evaluation of a Spanish translation of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ). The INQ measures the constructs of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, which the interpersonal theory of suicide proposes are proximal causes of suicidal desire. Participants were bilingual Hispanic college students in the United States (n = 56), heritage Spanish-speaking college students in the United States (n = 281), college students in Spain (n = 1,016), psychiatric inpatients in Mexico (n = 181), college students in Mexico (n = 239), and Spanish-speaking U.S. adults (n = 104). Results indicated that a 9-item 2-factor solution (INQ-S-9) provided good fit. Multiple group analyses were also consistent with measurement invariance across nationalities and clinical severity. Finally, both subscale scores demonstrated good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and concurrent associations with scores on measures of suicide ideation. Cultural considerations and implications for use in clinical and research settings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Religious coping, family support, and negative affect in college students.

To understand the influence that religion may have on mental health, the present study examined influences of religious coping and family support on anxiety and depression in 190 college students (women=67.4%; M age=21.7 yr., SD= 4.9). Subjects were recruited as volunteers from undergraduate psychology courses and completed the Ways of Religious Coping Scale, the General Functioning subscale of the Family Assessment Device, the Anxiety Scale of the Personality Assessment Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition. Analyses indicated greater family support was significantly associated with less anxiety and depression, whereas religious coping was not significantly correlated with anxiety and depression. Overall findings suggest that family emotional support may provide a stronger source of support for college students than religious coping.

Dental anxiety: An understudied problem in youth.

Dental anxiety and dental phobia typically emerge during childhood; the associated avoidance of dental care can result in oral health problems and is associated with lower quality of life. In this review, we discuss the definition of dental phobia and dental anxiety and issues related to their differentiation. We then review the literature on dental anxiety and dental phobia, including its prevalence, assessment, and sequalae. Moreover, we provide a synthesis of findings on the etiology and maintenance of dental phobia and propose a comprehensive cognitive behavioral model to guide further study. We also present a systematic qualitative and a quantitative review of the treatment literature, concluding that although we have made strides in learning how to prevent dental anxiety in youth, the methods effective in preventing anxiety may not be equally effective in treating youth with dental phobia. We propose a multidisciplinary approach, including those with expertise in pediatric anxiety as well as pediatric dentistry, is likely required to move forward.

Functions of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Are Differentially Associated with Suicide Ideation and Past Attempts among Childhood Trauma Survivors.

Research into factors for suicide has revealed relations between trauma exposure and suicidality (e.g., Bridge, Goldstein, & Brent, ; Joiner, Sachs-Ericson, Wingate, Brown, Anestis, & Selby, ) wherein painful and provocative experiences (e.g., nonsuicidal self-injury [NSSI]) are an important link (e.g., Van Orden, Witte, Cukrowicz, Braithwaite, Selby, & Joiner, ; Smith, ). No prior research has assessed the relationship between functions of NSSI and suicidality among childhood trauma survivors. Participants who endorsed childhood trauma exposure (N = 121; Mage  = 18.69, range 18-22) completed measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, NSSI, and suicidality. Multiple regressions assessing whether the four functions of NSSI predicted suicide ideation and past attempts after controlling for PTSD symptom severity found that only social negative reinforcement was associated with SI (ß = .304, SE = .243, t = 2.23, p = .028), while only automatic negative reinforcement was associated with past attempts (ß = .470, SE = .066, t = 2.25, p = .028). Findings highlight the importance of assessing NSSI functions when assessing suicidality among trauma survivors.

Workplace, household, and personal predictors of pesticide exposure for farmworkers.

In this article we identify factors potentially associated with pesticide exposure among farmworkers, grade the evidence in the peer-reviewed literature for such associations, and propose a minimum set of measures necessary to understand farmworker risk for pesticide exposure. Data sources we reviewed included Medline, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, PsycINFO, and AGRICOLA databases. Data extraction was restricted to those articles that reported primary data collection and analysis published in 1990 or later. We read and summarized evidence for pesticide exposure associations. For data synthesis, articles were graded by type of evidence for association of risk factor with pesticide exposure as follows: 1 = association demonstrated in farmworkers; 2 = association demonstrated in nonfarmworker sample; 3 = plausible association proposed for farmworkers; or 4 = association plausible but not published for farmworkers. Of more than 80 studies we identified, only a third used environmental or biomarker evidence to document farmworker exposure to pesticides. Summaries of articles were compiled by level of evidence and presented in tabular form. A minimum list of data to be collected in farmworker pesticide studies was derived from these evidence tables. Despite ongoing concern about pesticide exposure of farmworkers and their families, relatively few studies have tried to test directly the association of behavioral and environmental factors with pesticide exposure in this population. Future studies should attempt to use similar behavioral, environmental, and psychosocial measures to build a body of evidence with which to better understand the risk factors for pesticide exposure among farmworkers.

Evaluating Short-Form Versions of the CES-D for Measuring Depressive Symptoms Among Immigrants From Mexico.

This article examines the feasibility of using a short-form version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) in community mental health research with Mexican immigrants. Several features of three published short versions of the CES-D were examined using data combined from seven diverse Mexican immigrant samples from across the United States (N = 685). Results indicate that published short-form versions of the CES-D are reliable, they account for most of the variance in scores from the full CES-D, and there is little evidence that the use of short forms attenuates associations with other concepts relevant to understanding the mental health of Mexican immigrants. Although additional validation research is necessary, the results of this study suggest that short-form versions of the CES-D can be used to study mental health among Mexican immigrants.

The influences of cultural values, ethnic identity, and language use on the mental health of Korean American college students.

Little research has examined ethnic identity, cultural values, and native language maintenance as predictors of mental health in Korean Americans. The authors explored the influences of ethnic identity, maintenance of Asian cultural values, and maintenance of Korean language usage on self-esteem, anxiety, and depression in Korean American college students (N = 133). Findings indicated that Korean American men reported relatively high levels of state and trait anxiety and that the overall sample reported a relatively high level of depression. Whereas language and ethnic identity had a minimal influence on the mental health of students, greater cultural value maintenance was associated with decreased self-esteem and increases in state anxiety, trait anxiety, and depression. The positive relationship between cultural values and mental health problems may be indicative of being caught in an ethnic bind, in which the clash of traditional and modern values contributes to psychological distress. The authors discuss clinical implications of the findings.

Psychosocial predictors of anxiety among immigrant Mexican migrant farmworkers: implications for prevention and treatment.

This study examined predictors of anxiety symptomatology among immigrant Mexican migrant farmworkers in the Midwest. Its purposes were to assess the prevalence of anxiety symptoms, to examine the relationship between acculturative stress and anxiety, and to determine the variables that best predict anxiety. Heightened levels were found for overall anxiety and in the cognitive, affective, and physiological expressions of anxiety. Elevated acculturative stress, low self-esteem, ineffective social support, lack of control and choice in living a migrant farmworker lifestyle, low religiosity, and high education were significantly related to high anxiety. Findings suggest that migrant farmworkers who experience elevated acculturative stress are susceptible to the development of anxiety-related disorders and highlight the importance of establishing prevention and treatment services for migrant farmworkers.

Exploring the mental health of Mexican migrant farm workers in the Midwest: psychosocial predictors of psychological distress and suggestions for prevention and treatment.

The purposes of the present study were threefold: (a) to assess the prevalence levels of anxiety and depression in a sample of Mexican migrant farm workers in the midwestern United States; (b) to explore the relationships among acculturative stress, anxiety, and depression; and (c) to examine the variables that best predict anxiety and depression. The overall sample revealed elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Migrant farm workers with heightened levels of acculturative stress were more likely to report high levels of anxiety and depression. Family dysfunction, ineffective social support, low self-esteem, lack of agreement with the decision to migrate, high education levels, high levels of acculturative stress, and high levels of anxiety were significantly associated with high depression levels. The overall findings suggest that migrant farm workers who experience elevated levels of acculturative stress may be at risk for experiencing high levels of anxiety and depression. The findings highlight the importance of establishing prevention and treatment services for migrant farm workers that aim to increase levels of emotional support, self-esteem, and coping skills.