Examining aspects of psychological flexibility within the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behavior: A prospective investigation.

BACKGROUND: According to the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicide, feelings of entrapment are related to the emergence of suicidal ideation (SI). However, this relation can be moderated by certain protective factors. METHODS: This study examined whether aspects of psychological flexibility (i.e., experiential avoidance, experiential acceptance, harnessing) moderated the relation between aspects of entrapment and SI severity in college students experiencing SI (N = 553) both cross-sectionally and when SI severity was measured 1 week later (N = 247). RESULTS: At baseline, experiential acceptance, but not experiential avoidance or harnessing, significantly moderated the relation between external entrapment and SI severity and internal entrapment and SI severity. No aspects of psychological flexibility prospectively moderated relations between entrapment and SI severity. CONCLUSIONS: Aspects of psychological flexibility may influence immediate vulnerability to SI severity among young adults experiencing feelings of entrapment. Implications for clinical interventions influencing changes in psychological flexibility are discussed.

Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Suicide Status Form-IV.

The Suicide Status Form-IV (SSF-IV) is the measure used in the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS). The SSF-IV Core Assessment measures various domains of suicide risk. Previous studies established a two-factor solution in small, homogeneous samples; no investigations have assessed measurement invariance. The current investigation sought to replicate previous factor analyses and used measurement invariance to identify differences in the Core Assessment by race and gender. Adults (N = 731) were referred for a CAMS consultation after exhibiting risk for suicide. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated good fit for both one- and two-factor solutions while the two-factor solution is potentially redundant. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance held across race and gender. Ordinal logistic regression models indicated that neither race nor gender significantly moderated the relationship between the Core Assessment total score and clinical outcomes. Findings support a measurement invariant, one-factor solution for the SSF-IV Core Assessment.

Failing The b Test: The influence of cutoff scores and criterion group approaches in a sample of adults referred for psychoeducational evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research has shown that both criterion grouping approaches and cutoff scores can impact PVT classification accuracy statistics. This study aimed to examine the influence of cutoff scores and criterion grouping approaches on The b Test, a measure designed to identify feigned impairment in visual scanning, processing speed, and letter identification. METHOD: Two hundred ninety-seven adults referred for psychoeducational testing were included with the majority of individuals seeking academic accommodations (n = 215). Cutoff scores of ≥82, ≥90, and ≥120 were utilized along with two different criterion group approaches, 0 PVT failures vs. ≥2 PVT failures and 0 PVT failures versus ≥ 1 PVT failures. RESULTS: Failure rates for The b Test in the overall sample ranged from 12.5% to 16.2%. Subgroup analyses in those referred specifically for ADHD revealed failure rates for The b Test ranging from 10.5% to 14.2%. ROC curves within the full sample and ADHD subsample demonstrated significant AUCs utilizing both criterion group approaches (AUC = .66 - .78). Sensitivity and specificity varied as a function of criterion group approach and cutoff score, with 0 PVT failures vs. ≥ 2 PVT failures resulting in the greatest sensitivity when maximizing specificity at ≥.90 in the full sample and ADHD sample. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that criterion approaches and cutoff scores impact classification accuracy of The b Test with 0 PVT vs. ≥ 2 PVT failures demonstrating the greatest classification accuracy. Special considerations should be made with regard to clinical decision making in the context of psychoeducational evaluations given that a large portion of individuals seeking accommodations fail only one PVT. Limitations of this study are also discussed.