Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Work-Related Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (WAAQ) in a Colombian sample

The Work-Related Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (WAAQ) is a self-report instrument that measures psychological flexibility at work. Although this scale has been validated in some languages, its psychometric properties in Colombia are unknown, making it challenging to assess work-related psychological flexibility in this country. The present study analyzed the psychometric properties and factor structure of the WAAQ in a sample of 985 Colombian workers. The internal consistency of the WAAQ measured through coefficient alpha was .88. The one-factor model with correlated error terms between items 4 and 7 showed a very good fit to the data (RMSEA= 0.033, CFI= .998, NNFI= .997, SRMR= 0.018). The WAAQ showed metric and scalar invariance across gender, age group, socioeconomic stratum, and hierarchical level. Furthermore, it correlated negatively with psychological inflexibility, psychological distress, emotional exhaustion, and cynicism and positively with professional efficacy, work engagement, and job satisfaction. In conclusion, the WAAQ seems to be a valid self-report of work-related psychological flexibility in Colombian samples (AU)

Psychometric properties of the spanish version of the Valuing Questionnaire in Colombian clinical and nonclinical samples.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Valuing Questionnaire (VQ) in Colombian clinical and nonclinical samples. METHOD: The VQ was administered to a total sample of 1820 participants, which included undergraduates (N = 762), general population (N = 724), and a clinical sample (N = 334). The questionnaire packages included measures of experiential avoidance, cognitive fusion, mindfulness, life satisfaction, and psychological difficulties. RESULTS: Across the different samples, internal consistency was good (global Cronbach's alpha of 0.83 for Progress and 0.82 for obstruction). Measurement invariance was found across samples and gender, and the two-factor model obtained a good fit to the data. The latent means of progress and obstruction of the clinical sample were lower and higher, respectively, than the latent means of the nonclinical samples. Correlations with other variables were in the expected direction. CONCLUSION: The Spanish version of the VQ showed good psychometric properties.

[Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments for Adults: A Selective Review]

Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments for Adults: A Selective Review. BACKGROUND: Psychological treatments have shown their efficacy, effectiveness, and efficiency in dealing with mental disorders. However, considering the scientific knowledge generated in recent years, in the Spanish context, there are no updating studies about empirically supported psychological treatments. The main goal was to carry out a selective review of the main empirically supported psychological treatments for mental disorders in adults. METHOD: Levels of evidence and degrees of recommendation were collected based on the criteria proposed by the Spanish National Health System (Clinical Practice Guidelines) for different psychological disorders. RESULTS: The results indicate that psychological treatments have empirical support for the approach to a wide range of psychological disorders. These levels of empirical evidence gathered range from low to high depending on the psychological disorder analysed. The review indicates the existence of certain fields of intervention that need further investigation. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this selective review, psychology professionals will be able to have rigorous, up-to-date information that allows them to make informed decisions when implementing empirically based psychotherapeutic procedures based on the characteristics of the people who require help.

Aproximación contextual-funcional a la psicopatía: análisis de casos / A functional-contextual approach to psychopathy: Cases Analysis

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This paper proposes a functional interpretation of psychopathic behavior as an alternative to formal attempts to explain this rare, complex and, dangerous pattern of behaviors. First of all, the contextual-functional approach is briefly summarized. In second place, four well-known historical cases of psychopathy are briefly described and analyzed. According to a functional approach, the key issues are the contingencies occurring in the personal histories of such individuals as well as the derived transformation of functions that established such rare and dangerous pattern of behavior regulation. A brief analysis is made of the cognitive and emotional characteristics traditionally predicated as exclusive of psychopathy (as lack of empathy, emotional responsiveness, impulsivity, the need of power, etcetera) that sets the stage for an interpretative analysis about the conditions that might be involved in the emergence and expansion of the behaviors typically categorized with the psychopathic label. This analysis focuses on the personal history and describes the confluence of conditions that form thoughts/beliefs about oneself and the others, that establishes as dominant reinforcers obtaining immediate pleasure and escaping aversive funtions as well as feeling unlimited power upon others. This analysis might indicate that the exceptionality of psychopathy migth lie on the occurrence of very extreme specific and unusual conditions and the non-occurrence of those conditions that might prevent the building of repertoires as those described in psychopathy. Therefore, the functional-contextual interpretation characterizes psychopaths persons not as having specific differences in their brains or having difficulties for the formation of adaptive cognitive functioning and behavior regulation, to give account for their psychopatic behavior

How are triggers for repetitive negative thinking organized? a relational frame analysis / Análisis de la organización de los disparadores del pensamiento negativo repetitivo desde la teoría del marco relacional

Background: Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) has been identified as an important transdiagnostic process. However, little empirical research has been conducted into how triggers for RNT are organized. This study tested the hypothesis that these triggers are usually hierarchically related. Method: One-hundred undergraduates underwent several evaluation phases. Firstly, a diagnostic interview was administered. Secondly, participants responded to several questionnaires measuring emotional symptoms and the tendency to engage in RNT. Thirdly, participants were presented with a list of thoughts that typically serve as triggers for RNT. They were asked to select the thoughts they usually experienced and to rate how much they became entangled in those thoughts. Fourthly, three types of diagrams were explained that showed ways in which the triggers could be organized: COORDINATION, COMPARISON, and HIERARCHY. Participants were asked to select the diagram that best described them. Results: Seventy-nine participants organized their triggers for RNT in hierarchies, 19 participants in relationships of comparison, and 2 in coordination. Participants who selected HIERARCHY exhibited higher scores in RNT than those who selected the comparison diagram. Conclusions: Psychological interventions aimed at disrupting RNT should take into account how triggers are organized

Antecedentes: el pensamiento negativo repetitivo (PNR) ha sido identificado como un proceso transdiagnóstico relevante. Sin embargo, se ha realizado escasa investigación acerca de cómo se relacionan sus disparadores. Este estudio evaluó la hipótesis de que los disparadores suelen relacionarse jerárquicamente. Método: se evaluó a 100 universitarios. Primero, se administró una entrevista diagnóstica. Segundo, los participantes completaron medidas de síntomas emocionales y la tendencia a implicarse en PNR. Tercero, se les presentó un listado de pensamientos que suelen funcionar como disparadores de PNR, seleccionaron los que suelen experimentar y evaluaron el grado en que se quedan enredados con ellos. Cuarto, se les explicó tres diagramas que representaban formas en que los disparadores pueden organizarse: COORDINACIÓN, COMPARACIÓN y JERARQUÍA. Finalmente, se les pidió que seleccionaran el que mejor se les ajustaba. Resultados: setenta y nueve participantes organizaron los disparadores en jerarquías, 19 en relaciones de comparación y 2 en coordinación. Los participantes que seleccionaron JERARQUÍA obtuvieron mayores puntuaciones en PNR que los que eligieron el diagrama de comparación. Conclusiones: las intervenciones psicológicas que buscan alterar PNR deberían tener en cuenta cómo se organizan los disparadores

How are triggers for repetitive negative thinking organized? A relational frame analysis.

BACKGROUND: Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) has been identified as an important transdiagnostic process. However, little empirical research has been conducted into how triggers for RNT are organized. This study tested the hypothesis that these triggers are usually hierarchically related. METHOD: One-hundred undergraduates underwent several evaluation phases. Firstly, a diagnostic interview was administered. Secondly, participants responded to several questionnaires measuring emotional symptoms and the tendency to engage in RNT. Thirdly, participants were presented with a list of thoughts that typically serve as triggers for RNT. They were asked to select the thoughts they usually experienced and to rate how much they became entangled in those thoughts. Fourthly, three types of diagrams were explained that showed ways in which the triggers could be organized: COORDINATION, COMPARISON, and HIERARCHY. Participants were asked to select the diagram that best described them. RESULTS: Seventy-nine participants organized their triggers for RNT in hierarchies, 19 participants in relationships of comparison, and 2 in coordination. Participants who selected HIERARCHY exhibited higher scores in RNT than those who selected the comparison diagram. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological interventions aimed at disrupting RNT should take into account how triggers are organized.

New psychological therapies for irritable bowel syndrome: mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

The current goal of treatment in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) focuses primarily on symptom management and attempts to improve quality of life. Several treatments are at the disposal of physicians; lifestyle and dietary management, pharmacological treatments and psychological interventions are the most used and recommended. Psychological treatments have been proposed as viable alternatives or compliments to existing care models. Most forms of psychological therapies studied have been shown to be helpful in reducing symptoms and in improving the psychological component of anxiety/depression and health-related quality of life. According to current NICE/NHS guidelines, physicians should consider referral for psychological treatment in patients who do not respond to pharmacotherapy for a period of 12 months and develop a continuing symptom profile (described as refractory irritable bowel syndrome). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the best studied treatment and seems to be the most promising therapeutic approach. However, some studies have challenged the effectiveness of this therapy for irritable bowel syndrome. One study concluded that cognitive behavioral therapy is no more effective than attention placebo control condition and another study showed that the beneficial effects wane after six months of follow-up. A review of mind/body approaches to irritable bowel syndrome has therefore suggested that alternate strategies targeting mechanisms other than thought content change might be helpful, specifically mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches. In this article we review these new psychological treatment approaches in an attempt to raise awareness of alternative treatments to gastroenterologists that treat this clinical syndrome (AU)

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New psychological therapies for irritable bowel syndrome: mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

The current goal of treatment in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) focuses primarily on symptom management and attempts to improve quality of life. Several treatments are at the disposal of physicians; lifestyle and dietary management, pharmacological treatments and psychological interventions are the most used and recommended. Psychological treatments have been proposed as viable alternatives or compliments to existing care models. Most forms of psychological therapies studied have been shown to be helpful in reducing symptoms and in improving the psychological component of anxiety/depression and health-related quality of life. According to current NICE/NHS guidelines, physicians should consider referral for psychological treatment in patients who do not respond to pharmacotherapy for a period of 12 months and develop a continuing symptom profile (described as refractory irritable bowel syndrome). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the best studied treatment and seems to be the most promising therapeutic approach. However, some studies have challenged the effectiveness of this therapy for irritable bowel syndrome. One study concluded that cognitive behavioral therapy is no more effective than placebo attention control condition and another study showed that the beneficial effects wane after six months of follow-up. A review of mind/body approaches to irritable bowel syndrome has therefore suggested that alternate strategies targeting mechanisms other than thought content change might be helpful, specifically mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches. In this article we review these new psychological treatment approaches in an attempt to raise awareness of alternative treatments to gastroenterologists that treat this clinical syndrome.

Dificultades y barreras del terapeuta en el aprendizaje de la Terapia de Aceptación y Compromiso (ACT) / Difficulties and Therapist’s Barriers while Learning ACT

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Contextual therapies are at its peak nowadays, as plenty of workshops, expertise courses, conferences on this matter are given every year around the world. Acceptance and Committment Therapy (ACT) is a contextual therapy that gathers a vast empirical evidence, and its application is currently widespread to multiple contexts. Nevertheless, when learning ACT some difficulties can arise, especially when theory and practice, as the two sides of the same coin, are set apart. Learning ACT involves the theotherical-applied dimension about the laws concerning human behavior, especially about human language. Moreover, about the conditions under which these laws applied to the processes and methods to generate psychological flexibility. While learning ACT, one of the main problems is related to learn ACT methods or tools without a basic, systematic, precise and contextualized training. An additional problem is related to the difficulties that emerge in the therapists themselves when interacting upon their clients behavior. Their actions might not to be frequently adjusted to the function of their clients’ behaviors -and, consequently, there should not be the appropriate context for helping the client to interact with his/her own private events without losing the direction of a valued-life. These latter difficulties have been named "the therapist's barriers". The present article addresses part of this problem. The experience gathered in researching and training professionals in ACT is briefly described, and some effective interventions are presented. This study advances over the need in isolating, experimentally, these ways of proceeding (AU)

Brief ACT Protocol in at-risk adolescents with conduct disorder and impulsivity

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The aim of this preliminary research is to explore the effect of a brief protocol based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) applied to five adolescents (15-17 years old) with conduct disorder and impulsivity, who had received treatment for the last few years without positive results. Problematic behaviors were aggressive, impulsive, and oppositional reactions at school, home, and neighborhood (e.g., drugs or alcohol consumption, legal violations, oppositionist and defiant reactions, etc.). A brief ACT protocol was designed to functionally suit the presence of impulsivity and the absence of self-control repertory of these adolescents as well as the resistance to psychological treatment. The brief protocol was focused on four aspects: (a) to set a context between the therapist and the adolescents to promote the sense of personal responsibility, (b) to confront the adolescents with the effect of their behavior regulation (pros and cons) and the experience of creative hopelessness, (c) to clarify personally important valued directions, and (d) to promote defusion skills so that the adolescents could take charge of their private experiences and choose actions according to their values. Four 90-min, individual sessions were implemented over two weeks. Participants and teachers’ reports obtained before, during, and after the treatment implementation showed a high positive change. In addition, 1-year follow-up information showed an important change in a wide range of areas such as family, social relationships, school achievement, and occupational status. These results suggest that brief ACT protocols can have a great impact on at-risk population. Limitations were discussed (AU)