Alexithymia and aspects of dreaming: Differential associations of alexithymia facets with dream variables.

Research on aspects of dreaming associated with alexithymia has yielded mixed results. The present study recruited a young adult online sample of 577 participants who completed validated indices of alexithymia, emotion suppression, negative moods, and eight aspects of dreaming, with a focus on evaluating a counterintuitive previous finding that alexithymia and two of its core facets were associated with greater self-reported typical emotional intensity of dreams. Total alexithymia and facet scores showed differential relationships to aspects of dreaming including dream recall frequency, emotionality, meaningfulness, nightmare frequency, nightmare distress, usefulness of dreams in problem-solving and creativity, and learning about oneself through dreams. Planned hierarchical regression controlling for demographics, alcohol use, and dream recall frequency indicated that the difficulties identifying feelings (DIF) facet of alexithymia was a significant positive predictor of dream emotionality, whereas the externally oriented thinking (EOT) facet was a significant negative predictor. Stress, but not emotion suppression, mediated the positive relationship between DIF and dream emotionality. The likely role of dream emotionality in higher ratings of nightmare distress, dream meaningfulness, and learning about oneself through dreams among those with higher DIF scores is noted, along with other findings and the strengths and limitations of the study.

Offence-specific scripts among juvenile deliberate firesetters: a possible explanation for fire proclivity.

The study employed inductive-thematic analysis to identify dynamic cognitive-emotional processes occurring in proximity to deliberate firesetting among a sample of N = 35 adjudicated juvenile firesetters. Six fire-specific themes were determined. Three of these themes are akin to an implicit theory (i.e. a belief system informed by previous experiences): Fire Interest, Fire is Controllable, and Fire Denial/Accidental. Three of these themes are consistent with a cognitive script (i.e. a behavioural guide for how and when to use fire): (a) fire is destructive; (b) fire conceals evidence; and (c) fire creates calm. When reviewed more closely, the theme 'fire is destructive' is composed of two separate subcategories: 'fire creates destructive fun' and 'fire is a destructive tool for revenge'. The findings have risk assessment and treatment implications for juvenile firesetters.

Disordered eating measures validated in pregnancy samples: a systematic review.

Although disordered eating in pregnancy has been linked to numerous negative consequences, there is currently no published instrument specifically devised to identify or measure such symptoms in pregnancy. As such, this study systematically reviewed the literature to evaluate the performance of general measures of disordered eating in pregnancy samples. A systematic search of the following electronic databases was undertaken from inception to April 2019: Scopus, Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. From 1724 citations, eight publications met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Most of the included studies (6/8) were of reasonable quality. Overall, three self-report inventories (EDE-Q, EDI-2, and DEBS) and one semi-structured clinical interview (EDE) had some form of psychometric information available. Most studies reported reliability, with only two reporting validity. No studies assessed screening accuracy. Other than the EDE-Q, which had preliminary evidence to suggest possible utility in pregnancy, the findings of this review revealed little to no evidence to support the use of general measures of disordered eating in pregnancy. A strong need for research exploring the validity of existing measures in pregnancy samples, including the EDE-Q, was also evident.

'You can tell a victim by the tilt of her head as she walks': psychopathic personality and social-emotional processing.

Much contention and speculation exists regarding the emotional and social skills associated with psychopathic personality, including the idea of a predatory perception. The current study examined the relationship between psychopathic personality and social and emotional processing. The study utilised a quasi-experimental design along with self-report measures to examine psychopathy in a community sample (N = 115) of males and females. To examine psychopathy and social information processing, a series of Mixed Design ANOVA's were conducted to examine the effect of psychopathy on character recall. Psychopathy was found to significantly predict recall of the unsuccessful character, however, did not predict recall of character gender or emotion. Two hierarchical regressions analyses were conducted to examine emotional intelligence and empathy. Psychopathy was found to be a significant negative predictor of empathy, however, did not significantly predict emotional intelligence. Implications for the current study lie within advancing the empirical understanding on psychopathic personality and victim vulnerability.

Factorial and convergent validity of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory-Short Version in Ghana.

Studies have shown the existence of psychopathy construct in Western cultures. However, there is a general lack of research on this topical issue in non-Western countries, specifically sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, this study investigated the factorial and convergent validity of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory-Short Version (YPI-S) in 327 adolescents in Ghana. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure (interpersonal, behavioural and affective) of psychopathy that was invariant across gender. These results were replicated in a cross-validation sample comprising 363 adolescents. The YPI-S factors correlated significantly and positively with reactive and proactive aggression, thus bolstering its construct validity. The YPI-S and Big-Five domains were related differently, and where significant correlations were observed, their directions generally confirmed and extended previous studies. All in all, the result generally suggested the existence of psychopathy construct among Ghanaian youth which can be described along interpersonal, affective and behavioural domains. However, the alterations made to the YPI-S, coupled with its relatively low factor loadings and internal consistency largely, indicate cultural influences on the assessment of cross-cultural traits. This study illuminated the problem of exporting Western-based measures and their findings to non-Western contexts.

Australian arsonists: an analysis of trends between 1990 and 2015.

There have been few studies to date focused on identifying the characteristics of Australian arsonists, and a distinct absence of any analyses of trends in arson offending over time. In order to address this gap, the current study reviewed sentencing transcripts obtained across all Australian jurisdictions between 1990 and 2015, to identify trends in the features of arson offending and key characteristics of the arsonists, over this 25-year period. Offender characteristics such gender, motivation, Indigenous status and degree of exclusivity-versatility of the arson offending were considered. Trend analyses indicated substance use, mental illness and female gender to be increasingly significant factors in the commission of arson offences over time. Significant differences were identified between Indigenous and non-Indigenous arsonists, which raises questions as to the adequacy of current theory to explain firesetting in this group.

Signs and symptoms of disordered eating in pregnancy: a Delphi consensus study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to establish consensus on the expression and distinction of disordered eating in pregnancy to improve awareness across various health professions and inform the development of a pregnancy-specific assessment instrument. METHODS: A three-round modified Delphi method was used with two independent panels. International clinicians and researchers with extensive knowledge on and/or clinical experience with eating disorders formed the first panel and were recruited using structured selection criteria. Women who identified with a lived experience of disordered eating in pregnancy formed the second panel and were recruited via expressions of interest from study advertising on pregnancy forums and social media platforms. A systematic search of academic and grey literature produced 200 sources which were used to pre-populate the Round I questionnaire. Additional items were included in Round II based on panel feedback in Round I. Consensus was defined as 75% agreement on an item. RESULTS: Of the 102 items presented to the 26 professional panel members and 15 consumer panel members, 75 reached consensus across both panels. Both panels clearly identified signs and symptoms of disordered eating in pregnancy and endorsed a number of clinical features practitioners should consider when delineating disordered eating symptomatically from normative pregnancy experiences. CONCLUSION: A list of signs and symptoms in consensus was identified. The areas of collective agreement may be used to guide clinicians in clinical practice, aid the development of psychometric tools to detect/assess pregnancy-specific disordered eating, in addition to serving as starting point for the development of a core outcome set to measure disordered eating in pregnancy.

Consensus on the assessment of disordered eating in pregnancy: an international Delphi study.

This study aimed to assess and develop consensus on the assessment of disordered eating in pregnancy. A three-round modified Delphi approach was used. Participants were international clinicians and researchers (N = 26) with extensive knowledge on and/or clinical experience with eating disorders, particularly in relation to pregnancy and/or women's health. Clear consensus among the panel, defined as 75% agreement, was reached regarding the assessment of disordered eating in pregnancy, in addition to potential assessment methods. Antenatal assessment of disordered eating was perceived to be crucial and ideally occur in a routine manner. Despite agreement that various assessment methods would be relevant in assessing disordered eating in pregnancy, psychometrically sound brief screening instruments were perceived to be most feasible for practitioners and women accessing antenatal care; however, these instruments must be pregnancy-specific and delivered in an authentic and caring manner to be beneficial.

Violence Risk among Youth Referred to a Forensic Mental Health Service.

Youth who engage in serious aggressive, violent, or threatening behaviour pose a concern to others about their potential for future acts of violence. The current study investigates violence risk factors among young people referred to a child and youth forensic mental health service. The primary aim of this study is to examine the demographic, historical, and clinical characteristics of a sample of 91 young people in order to assess whether there are distinct groups or clusters that share common profiles. Using a two-step cluster analysis, three distinct clusters were found. Cluster 1 (generally non-violent, n = 34) comprises a subgroup with fewer family adversity factors and an absence of serious violence. Cluster 2 (early violence, n = 35) comprises a subgroup with serious violent histories, comorbid mental health disorders, and an early onset of behavioural difficulties. Cluster 3 (later violence, n = 19) includes young people with serious violent and antisocial histories, and a later onset of behavioural difficulties. The results of the study support the notion that youth referred for specialised violence risk assessments are a heterogeneous group with distinct individual differences. This has implications for determining the level of intervention and treatment required to reduce youth offending and violence.

Juvenile Fitness for Trial: Lawyer and Youth Justice Officer Professional Survey.

Fitness to stand trial is a necessary requisite for a fair trial in judicial proceedings. Research within Australia is limited regarding juvenile fitness for trial, though recent evidence indicates that juvenile offenders are half as likely to be found unfit to stand trial compared to adult offenders. The study surveys lawyers (n = 20) and youth justice workers (n = 20) about their experiences with juveniles in the Queensland youth justice system. Over the preceding 12 months, 133 juveniles were identified as potentially unfit. Intellectual impairment (37%), immaturity (28%), and mental illness (26%) were the most prevalent conditions. Indigenous Australians were rarely referred for mental health evaluation. In comparison, juveniles (mostly non-indigenous) with mental illness and intellectual impairment were significantly more likely to be referred for evaluation. Pragmatic and tactical reasons were most frequently given for non-referral to the Queensland Mental Health Court, which at the time decided fitness.

An Investigation Into the Relationship Between Long-term Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Coping in Australian Volunteer Firefighters.

This study examined the relationship between coping style and long-term posttraumatic stress symptoms in an Australian sample of volunteer firefighters 84 months following a bushfire disaster. A total of 277 firefighters completed 4 questionnaires to assess patterns of psychiatric morbidity. A 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted to investigate the effect of time and disorder on coping. Firefighters evidencing distress were more likely to use both problem- and emotion-focused methods of coping. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that problem-focused coping strategies would be used after 84 months. The use of both problem- and emotion-focused coping may be due to the length of time following this disaster or unique characteristics of firefighters. These data suggest that present coping theories are not sufficient to account for the onset and pattern of psychiatric morbidity within a firefighter sample. The authors declare no conflicts of interest including financial, consultant, institutional, and other relationships that might lead to bias.

Environmental survival of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in different climatic zones of eastern Australia.

The duration of survival of both the S and C strains of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in feces was quantified in contrasting climatic zones of New South Wales, Australia, and detailed environmental temperature data were collected. Known concentrations of S and C strains in feces placed on soil in polystyrene boxes were exposed to the environment with or without the provision of shade (70%) at Bathurst, Armidale, Condobolin, and Broken Hill, and subsamples taken every 2 weeks were cultured for the presence of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. The duration of survival ranged from a minimum of 1 week to a maximum of 16 weeks, and the provision of 70% shade was the most important factor in extending the survival time. The hazard of death for exposed compared to shaded samples was 20 and 9 times higher for the S and C strains, respectively. Site did not affect the survival of the C strain, but for the S strain, the hazard of death was 2.3 times higher at the two arid zone sites (Broken Hill and Condobolin) than at the two temperate zone sites (Bathurst and Armidale). Temperature measurements revealed maximum temperatures exceeding 60°C and large daily temperature ranges at the soil surface, particularly in exposed boxes.

Enhancing treatment participation in CAMHS among families of conduct problem children: effectiveness study of a clinician training programme.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of a training programme targeting structural and therapy process strategies to enhance treatment attendance among families of conduct problem children was evaluated across three community mental health clinics. METHOD: Utilising a staggered multiple-baseline design, referrals prior to clinician training were compared to posttraining referrals (N = 221). RESULTS: In comparison to service as usual, children and their families referred after the training initiative had significantly higher treatment attendance (66% vs. 83%) and 79% less likelihood of attrition, though findings were mixed for child's mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide initial support for the effectiveness of the clinician training programme in increasing treatment involvement.

Facilitating treatment attendance in child and adolescent mental health services: a community study.

Failure of parents to attend and engage in treatment is a significant barrier to implementing effective interventions in child and adolescent mental health. Approaches to enhance treatment attendance and participation have targeted both structural operations of the clinic and aspects of the therapeutic process. Little research, however, has looked at clinicians' use of strategies to enhance treatment participation. Fifty-one mental health practitioners completed measures of strategies to increase treatment participation among families of conduct problem children. Client attendance was collected for each clinician over a 1-month period. As hypothesized, therapists were more aware of, and reported greater use of, therapy process compared to structural approaches to increase treatment participation. Clinician ratings of usefulness, competence and willingness to use therapy process strategies predicted client appointment attendance. The results are discussed in relation to the importance of training and supervision of professionals working with families in mental health services targeting a range of strategies to enhance treatment participation.

Foot abscess in sheep: Evaluation of risk factors and management options.

Foot abscess of sheep is a painful, suppurative and necrotic infection of the phalanges and interphalangeal joints. Sheep affected by foot abscess may be acutely lame and pregnant ewes may die with secondary pregnancy toxemia when they fail to maintain their required level of nutrition. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study to identify and quantify possible risk factors for foot abscess. A questionnaire was designed and used to conduct telephone interviews with 115 sheep farmers in the Central Tablelands of NSW in November 2012. They were asked to provide information on their farm, the animals, and management-related information for the lambing period of a selected cohort of ewes. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted using two outcome variables: (a) the presence of foot abscess, and (b) low (<1%), medium (between 1% and 5%) or high (>5%) levels of foot abscess. High levels of clover in the paddocks grazed by sheep was associated with increased odds of foot abscess in both the models (binary model odds ratio [OR]: 3.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22, 8.77 and ordinal model OR: 2.92; 95% CI: 1.35, 6.54). High risk was also associated with the farmer's observation that it had been a wet season (ordinal model OR: 7.89, 95% CI: 2.72, 24.43) and moving sheep during lambing (binary model OR: 14.15, 95% CI: 2.30, 296.61). Similarly, farms with shale/slate type soils had lower odds of the disease compared to farms with basalt-derived soils. Farmers who used foot-baths (binary model OR: 4.05, 95% CI: 1.15, 19.34) and antibiotics (ordinal model OR: 3.16, 95% CI: 1.38, 7.66) had higher odds of foot abscess, as might be expected as they adopted these measures to deal with an increased prevalence of foot abscess. The findings from this study can be used to provide extension advice to farmers and for designing further confirmatory studies.

Jejunoileal anastomosis following small intestinal resection in horses: seven cases (1999-2001).

OBJECTIVE: To report the postoperative outcome in horses undergoing jejunoileal anastomosis performed with a 2-layer simple continuous technique. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 7 horses. PROCEDURE: Information regarding signalment, clinical signs, findings at surgery, and postoperative complications was obtained from medical records of horses that underwent exploratory ventral midline celiotomy, small intestinal resection, and jejunoileal anastomosis to correct various small intestinal strangulating lesions. Follow-up information was obtained via telephone conversations with owners or trainers. RESULTS: Six males and 1 female of various breeds aged 10 months to 27 years and weighing 312 to 785 kg (686.4 to 1,727 lb) were included. The most common complications were mild to moderate tachycardia and mild to moderate signs of abdominal pain. Two horses developed incisional infections and soft, fluctuant swelling at the incision site following resolution of the infection. Follow-up time ranged from 7 to 17 months after surgery. Owners reported no further colic episodes and no diet change necessary following surgery. All horses had returned to their intended level of use. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Advantages to the jejunoileal technique include maintaining the normal ileocecal valve and a postoperative recovery period similar to that described following other small intestinal anastomoses. Jejunoileal anastomosis is a viable alternative to ileal bypass. This technique appears to result in a postoperative complication rate similar to that reported following jejunojejunostomy procedures.

Factor structure of the Spielberger Anger Expression scales when used with Australian prisoners.

The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory administered to prison inmates has supported the factor structure of the three anger expression scales although this structure has not been verified with Australian participants. Data collected from 397 Western Australian male prisoners produced a factor structure consistent with the scale structure outlined in the 1991 manual. Scale means and standard deviations were similar to those reported for U.S. and Canadian prisoners. It is therefore appropriate to use the standard scoring procedures with Australian male prisoners.

Biotransformation of tributyltin to tin in freshwater river-bed sediments contaminated by an organotin release.

The largest documented release of organotin compounds to a freshwater river system in the United States occurred in early 2000 in central South Carolina. The release consisted of an unknown volume of various organotin compounds such tetrabutyltin (TTBT), tributyltin (TBT), tetraoctyltin (TTOT), and trioctyl tin (TOT) and resulted in a massive fish kill and the permanent closures of a municipal wastewater treatment plant and a local city's only drinking-water intake. Initial sampling events in 2000 and 2001 indicated that concentrations of the ecologically toxic TTBT and TBT were each greater than 10 000 microg/kg in surface-water bed sediments in depositional areas, such as lakes and beaver ponds downstream of the release. Bed-sediment samples collected between 2001 and 2003, however, revealed a substantial decrease in bed-sediment organotin concentrations and an increase in concentrations of degradation intermediate compounds. For example, in bed sediments of a representative beaver pond located about 1.6 km downstream of the release, total organotin concentrations [the sum of TTBT, TBT, and the TBT degradation intermediates dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT)] decreased from 38 670 to 298 microg/kg. In Crystal Lake, a large lake about 0.4 km downstream from the beaver pond, total organotin concentrations decreased from 28 300 to less than 5 microg/kg during the same time period. Moreover, bed-sediment inorganic tin concentrations increased from pre-release levels of less than 800 to 32 700 microg/kg during this time. These field data suggest that the released organotin compounds, such as TBT, are being transformed into inorganic tin by bed-sediment microbial processes. Microcosms were created in the laboratory that contained bed sediment from the two sites and were amended with tributyltin (as tributyltin chloride) under an ambient air headspace and sacrificially analyzed periodically for TBT, the biodegradation intermediates DBT and MBT, and tin. TBT concentrations decreased faster [half-life (t1/2) = 28 d] in the organic-rich sediments (21.5%) that characterized the beaver pond as compared to the slower (t1/2 = 78 d) degradation rate in the sandy, organic-poor, sediments (0.43%) of Crystal Lake. Moreover, the concentration of inorganic tin increased in microcosms containing bed sediments from both locations. These field and laboratory results suggest that biotransformation of the released organotins, in particular the ecologically detrimental TBT, does occur in this fresh surface-water system impacted with high concentrations of neat organotin compounds.