Examining the construct validity of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire for ICD-11 (PAQ-11) personality trait domains in a community sample.

The ICD-11 has a new diagnostic system for personality disorder, which includes five optional trait specifiers to characterize the diagnosed pathology. The current study evaluated the internal structure and construct validity of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire for ICD-11 (PAQ-11) personality trait domains in a US population-representative community sample. An exploratory factor analysis revealed the support for a four-factor model underlying the 17 PAQ-11 items, reflecting four of the five ICD-11 trait domains (Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Disinhibition and Anankastia). Moreover, correlation analyses revealed that the PAQ-11 domain scale scores were associated, as expected, with their counterparts from two other ICD-11 trait domain measures, as well as with traditional personality disorder scores. More broadly, the results raised questions about the structural integrity of the Dissociality domain scale, and the discriminant validity of the Disinhibition and Anankastia scales. The overall conclusion was nevertheless promising with respect to the PAQ-11 serving as a brief screening measure for the ICD-11 trait domains.

Racial identity differences in pathways from sociocultural and objectification constructs to body satisfaction: The U.S. Body Project I.

Racial minority men and women face a wide variety of appearance-related pressures, including ones connected to their cultural backgrounds and phenotypic features associated with their identity. These body image concerns exist within a larger context, wherein racial minorities face pressures from multiple cultures or subcultures simultaneously to achieve unrealistic appearance ideals. However, limited research has investigated racial differences in the relationships between theorized sociocultural risk factors and body image in large samples. This study tests pathways from an integrated sociocultural model drawing on objectification theory and the tripartite influence model to three key body image outcomes: appearance evaluation, body image quality of life, and face image satisfaction. These pathways were tested using multigroup structural equation modeling in a national sample of White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian men and women (ns = 205-4797 per group). Although many hypothesized associations were similar in strength across groups, race moderated some of the pathways between sociocultural pressures (media, peer, family), internalization of appearance ideals (thin-ideal, muscular/athletic), appearance surveillance, and body image outcomes. Findings support the likely role of both shared and specific risk factors for body image outcomes, suggesting avenues for tailoring adapted interventions in order to target culturally-salient risk factors.

Psychometric Evaluation and Norms for the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) in a Clinical Eating Disorders Sample.

Altered interoceptive awareness (IA) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of eating disorders; however, few comprehensive self-report measures of IA exist in eating disorders. The present study sought to validate the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), originally developed to assess IA in individuals practicing mind-body therapies, in an eating disorder sample. Adult and adolescent patients (n = 376) completed assessments upon admission to a partial hospital programme. Analyses examined the factor structure of the MAIA, scale means, scale-scale correlations, internal consistency and construct validity. Analyses also examined associations between MAIA subscales and eating disorder symptoms. Results supported the original eight-factor structure of the MAIA. Internal consistency was acceptable, and the scales converged with associated measures. Importantly, Not Distracting, Self-regulation, Body Listening and Trusting were most strongly associated with eating disorder symptoms. Results support use of the MAIA among eating disorders and provide further support for the relevance of IA in eating disorders. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Eating Disorders and Disordered Weight and Shape Control Behaviors in Sexual Minority Populations.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarized trends and key findings from empirical studies conducted between 2011 and 2017 regarding eating disorders and disordered weight and shape control behaviors among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority (i.e., non-heterosexual) populations. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent research has examined disparities through sociocultural and minority stress approaches. Sexual minorities continue to demonstrate higher rates of disordered eating; disparities are more pronounced among males. Emerging data indicates elevated risk for disordered eating pathology among sexual minorities who are transgender or ethnic minorities. Dissonance-based eating disorder prevention programs may hold promise for sexual minority males. Continued research must examine the intersections of sexual orientation, gender, and ethnic identities, given emergent data that eating disorder risk may be most prominent among specific subgroups. More research is needed within sexual minorities across the lifespan. There is still a lack of eating disorder treatment and prevention studies for sexual minorities.

Improved Clinical Functioning for Patients Receiving Fee Discounts That Reward Treatment Engagement.

OBJECTIVE: Financial incentives may have utility in promoting psychotherapy attendance and adherence, leading to improved clinical functioning. This study presents results from a novel application of financial incentives-a progressively lowered pay scale that rewards therapy attendance and adherence. METHOD: Overall, 110 outpatients participated; 56 patients (51%) were enrolled in the financial incentives condition and received a 5% fee discount-applied iteratively across sessions-if they followed defined criteria (e.g., completed homework). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of the number of sessions attended, therapy duration, and number of no-shows and cancellations. However, adjusting for Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) at intake, patients receiving the financial incentives had significantly higher GAF rating at termination compared with those who did not receive the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Financial incentives that reward therapy attendance and adherence with discounted fees is associated with improved clinical functioning.

What are we missing? The costs versus benefits of skip rule designs.

Many research diagnostic interviews employ skip rules, such that some questions are only asked based on answers to prior questions. In the context of large-scale epidemiological studies, skip rules are important to study feasibility by reducing the time, money, and participant burden required for assessment. However, less is understood about information lost when questions are skipped. This study examines the relative prevalence, clinical significance, and additional time required to assess eating disorder symptom patterns skipped in the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) to understand the costs and benefits of following skip rules. Data come from the second stage of a two-stage cohort sample (N = 400) in which the SCID-I eating disorders module was administered without following skip rules. Results were weighted to correct for the sampling framework. Over a third of subjects endorsed symptoms that would have been missed had skip rules been followed. Uncaptured symptom patterns were associated with increased psychosocial impairment, and the additional time required to assess all symptoms averaged 1.8 minutes per participant. Clinically significant symptom patterns are missed by the SCID-I and similar diagnostic tools, suggesting that epidemiologic studies using such instruments under-estimate the prevalence and public health impact of mental disorders.