Worry differentially mediates posttraumatic cognition and posttraumatic stress symptom relationships among veterans seeking treatment associated with military sexual trauma.

Research has established negative posttraumatic cognitions (NPC) affect the development and course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) following trauma exposure (L. A. Brown et al., 2019). Previous studies in civilian and combat veteran populations also suggest positive associations among worry, NPC (Beck et al., 2004; Bennett et al., 2009), and PTSS (Fergus & Bardeen, 2017). However, little research has investigated the prevalence of worry in veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST), and no research has examined the role of worry in the relation between NPC and PTSS among veterans seeking treatment associated with MST. This project examined the prevalence of worry in a MST sample and whether worry mediated NPC-PTSS associations. Veterans (N = 91) seeking MST-related treatment presented to a Veterans Affairs Posttraumatic Stress Disorder specialty clinic for assessment and treatment recommendations. Veterans completed questionnaires assessing NPC, worry, and PTSS. Bootstrapped mediation analyses examined NPC-PTSS associations. Veterans reported similar levels of worry as nonveterans seeking treatment associated with generalized anxiety disorder. Mediation analyses showed worry significantly mediated NPC-PTSS relationships for beliefs about the world, self-blame, and coping competence but not for beliefs about the self or global NPC severity. Further, the degree of mediation differed by NPC type. Though a limitation of this study is the use of cross-sectional data, these results inform the use of clinical intervention strategies targeting worry in trauma-focused interventions and necessitate further research on whether trauma-focused interventions ameliorate co-occurring worry among veterans exposed to MST. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal and experimental investigations of implicit happiness and explicit fear of happiness.

ABSTRACTSome individuals devalue positivity previously associated with negativity (Winer & Salem, 2016). Positive emotions (e.g. happiness) may be seen as threatening and result in active avoidance of future situations involving positivity. Although some self-report measures can capture emotions of happiness-averse individuals, they are not always capable of capturing automatic processing. Thus, we examined the association between implicitly-assessed happiness and explicit (i.e. self-reported) fear of happiness in three studies. In Study 1, participants completed the Fear of Happiness Scale (FHS) and an implicit measure of emotions at four-time points over approximately one year. The implicit measure required participants to choose which emotion (i.e. anger, fear, happiness, sadness, or none) best corresponded to 20 individual Chinese characters. In Studies 2 and 3, we utilized an experimental design, implementing a mood induction to emphasise the relationship between explicit fear of happiness and implicitly-assessed happiness. Participants completed the FHS and chose which emotion they believed the artist tried to convey in 20 abstract images. Results indicated that greater self-reported fear of happiness was related to reduced implicit happiness. Findings from these studies provide compound evidence that individuals who hold negative views of positivity may process implicit happiness in a devaluative manner.

Using theory to guide exploratory network analyses.

The use of exploratory network analysis has increased in psychopathology research over the past decade. A benefit of exploratory network analysis is the wealth of information it can provide; however, a single analysis may generate more inferences than what can be discussed in one manuscript (e.g., centrality indices of each node). This necessitates that authors choose which results to discuss in further detail and which to omit. Without a guide for this process, the likelihood of a biased interpretation is high. We propose that the integration of theory throughout the research process makes the interpretation of exploratory networks more manageable for the researcher and more likely to result in an interpretation that advances science. The goals of this paper are to differentiate between exploratory and confirmatory network analyses, discuss the utility of exploratory work, and provide a practical framework that uses theory as a guide to interpret exploratory network analyses.

Characteristics associated with non-suicidal self-injury among veterans seeking military sexual trauma-related mental healthcare.

Military sexual trauma (MST) is a serious issue among Veterans; it is associated with increased rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), both of which are correlated with poorer mental health outcomes, including increased suicide risk. Additional insight into the characteristics associated with NSSI among Veterans with MST can help identify individuals at increased risk for suicide and other negative outcomes and improve care for Veterans with a history of MST. The current study was comprised of 327 Veterans referred for MST-related mental health services at a VHA hospital. Participants completed a semi-structured interview for clinical symptoms, including NSSI behaviors. Results of a retrospective chart review revealed a high endorsement of lifetime NSSI (26.9%) with cutting behaviors identified as the most frequently endorsed method. Logistic regression showed personality features, history of cumulative sexual trauma, and younger age were uniquely related to lifetime NSSI. These results corroborate previous findings that show elevated rates of NSSI among Veterans with exposure to trauma. This study expands upon previous findings by examining risk factors specific to treatment-seeking Veterans with a history of MST, which can aid clinical care and risk management procedures in Veteran healthcare.

Examining rumination, devaluation of positivity, and depressive symptoms via community-based network analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Components of rumination, including brooding and reflection, as well as devaluating prospective positivity, may help maintain depressive symptoms. We examined these components together for the first time using network analysis. METHODS: We examined the robustness of rumination communities of closely related items in one network and then examined the interrelationships between rumination communities, devaluation of positivity, and depression, in a second network. RESULTS: Three rumination communities emerged, replicating findings of Bernstein et al. (2019). Within a dense network, nodes representing brooding, reflective pondering, and difficulty trusting positive feelings were most influential. In addition, the node representing the depressive symptom negative self-views shared strong edges with nodes representing devaluation of positivity and brooding. CONCLUSION: Brooding, reflective pondering, and elements of devaluing positivity are influential to depressive symptoms and may be important future experimental and therapeutic targets. Depressed individuals with negative self-views may engage in brooding and devalue their experience of positivity.