Adaptación lingüística al español y validación de la estructura factorial de la Escala para el Manejo de la Tristeza CSMS-E / Linguistic adaptation and Validation of the Spanish Children's Sadness Management Scale CSMS-E

Entre los países de habla hispana existen limitantes cuando se desea investigar el rol de la tristeza en la adolescencia debido a que no existen instrumentos en español válidos y confiables que permitan evaluar la regulación de ésta emoción en población en desarrollo. Por esta razón se realizó la adaptación lingüística y validación psicométrica de la Escala Infantil para el Manejo de la Tristeza CSMS (Zeman, Shipman, & Penza-Clyve, 2001) con una muestra de 597 adolescentes Colombianos entre 11 y 18 años de edad (48% sexo femenino). A partir del método del comité se hicieron adecuaciones en el lenguaje de la prueba para su ajuste cultural a la población hispanoparlante. El comportamiento psicométrico de la escala fue analizado en dos pasos: en el primero se observaron diez modelos factoriales posibles (Análisis Factorial Exploratorio), y en el segundo se descartaron los de menor ajuste (Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio), hasta elegir el óptimo. Los resultados señalan que la versión en español del CSMS-E ("E" por Español), mantiene validez de constructo comparable a la original, con una estructura de tres componentes que revisan estrategias adaptativas y maladaptativas para regular la tristeza: afrontamiento, inhibición y desregulación. Se ofrece un baremo para su corrección

Among the Spanish-speaking countries there are constraints for studying the roll of sadness in adolescence due to the absence of valid instruments in Spanish for evaluating the regulation of this emotions during the development. For this reason, following the committee procedure we adapted to Spanish the Children's Sadness Management Scale CSMS (Zeman et al., 2001), and conducted its psychometric validation with a sample of 597 Colombian adolescents, between 11 and 18 years of age (48% girls). The psychometric analyses were performed in two steps: (a) observing ten possible models (Exploratory Factor Analysis), (b) discarding those with least adjustment (Confirmatory Factor Analysis), and retaining the structure of best statistical fit. The results indicated that the optimal factorial model is a structure of three components, comparable to the original CSMS. The CSMS-E scale (E for Spanish) maintains comparable construct validity as the American version, and has attested to be a reliable tool in the assessment of adaptive and maladaptive strategies for the regulation of sadness: coping, inhibition and dysregulation. We offer a scoring notation table

I deserve more A's: A report on the development of a measure of academic entitlement.

This paper reports the results of a multi-stage effort to develop a measure of Academic Entitlement. An empirical/rational approach was taken to develop items and reduce the item set for a final version of the Academic Entitlement Scale (AES). The measure includes seven dimensions: Accommodation, Reward for Effort, Responsibility Avoidance, Grade Haggling, Customer Orientation, Customer Service Expectations, and General Academic Entitlement. Fit, using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, for the seven-factor correlated model and a bifactor model including General AE and the six specific factors, was good. The full measure is reported along with descriptive statistics for the scale and preliminary validation evidence.

Reward sensitivity, affective neuroscience personality, symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and TPH2-703G/T (rs4570625) genotype.

OBJECTIVE: Reward sensitivity is an increasingly used construct in psychiatry, yet its possible inner structure and relationship with other affective variables are not well known. METHODS: A reward sensitivity measurement scale was constructed on the basis of large item pool collected from birth cohort representative samples (the Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study; original n = 1238). Affective Neuroscience Personality Scale (ANPS) and the Adult Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Self-Report Scale (ASRS) were administered in young adulthood. A variant (rs4570625) of the gene encoding tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) that is responsible for the synthesis of central serotonin was genotyped. RESULTS: Reward sensitivity consisted of two orthogonal components, operationally defined as Openness to Rewards and Insatiability by Reward, that respectively characterise the striving towards multiple rewards and the strong pursuit and fixation to a particular reward. While SEEKING and PLAY (and to lower extent CARE) of the ANPS co-varied with Openness to Rewards, FEAR, SADNESS, and ANGER were related to Insatiability by Reward. The total score of ASRS was moderately correlated with Insatiability by Reward, while the association with Openness to Rewards was negligible. However, ASRS Inattention had some negative relationship with the Social Experience facet of Openness to Rewards. The T/T homozygotes for the TPH2 promoter polymorphism had lower Insatiability by Reward but not Openness to Rewards. CONCLUSIONS: Behaviours sensitive to rewards are separable to the components of variability and fixation, and these components are differentially related to affective aspects of personality, attention, and hyperactivity as well as to TPH2 genotype.

Schizotypal traits in Swedish speaking psychiatric patients and non-psychiatric controls.

Introduction: Recently, schizotypal personality traits were measured in a multinational sample recruited from 14 countries, however no Scandinavian cohort was included. The aim of this study was, therefore, to measure schizotypal personality traits in Swedish-speaking populations, with and without psychiatric disorders, and to investigate the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B).Methods: The SPQ-B results from 50 psychiatric patients were compared to controls (n = 202). An additional sample of 25 controls completed the full SPQ twice and we calculated test-retest reliability for SPQ and SPQ-B. We estimated the internal consistency for SPQ-B and SPQ-B factors with omega. We compared the results of SPQ-B (M and SD) in patient and control groups to corresponding results worldwide.Results: We found similarity between our SPQ-B scores and those from other published samples. SPQ-B showed good internal consistency and acceptable test-retest correlations. The results indicate that the Swedish version of the instrument is valid and can differentiate psychiatric cohorts from non-psychiatric controls.Conclusion: The Swedish version of the SPQ-B exhibit good psychometric properties and is useful for assessing schizotypal traits in clinical and non-clinical populations.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Two Empathy Measures: A Comparison of the Measurement Precision, Construct Validity, and Incremental Validity of Two Multidimensional Indices.

The quality of empathy research, and clinical assessment, hinges on the validity and proper interpretation of the measures used to assess the construct. This study investigates, in an online sample of 401 adult community participants, the construct validity of the Affective and Cognitive Measure of Empathy (ACME) relative to that of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the most widely used multidimensional empathy research measure. We investigated the factor structures of both measures, as well as their measurement precision across varying trait levels. We also examined them both in relation to convergent and discriminant criteria, including broadband personality dimensions, general emotionality, personality disorder features, and interpersonal malignancy. Our findings suggest that the ACME possesses incremental validity beyond the IRI for most constructs related to interpersonal malignancy. Our results further indicate that the IRI Personal Distress scale is severely deficient in construct validity, raising serious concerns regarding past findings that have included it when computing total empathy scores. Finally, our results indicate that both questionnaires display poor measurement precision at high trait levels, emphasizing the need for future researchers to develop indices that can reliably measure high levels of empathy.

Comparing the Reliability and Validity of Global Self-Report Measures of Subjective Well-Being With Experiential Day Reconstruction Measures.

Self-report measures of global well-being are thought to reflect the overall quality of people's lives. However, several scholars have argued that people rely on heuristics, such as current mood, when reporting their global well-being. Experiential well-being measures, such as the day reconstruction method (DRM), have been proposed as an alternative technique to obtain a potentially more accurate assessment of well-being. Across two multimethod, short-term longitudinal studies, we compared the psychometric properties of global self-reports and short-form DRM-based assessments of well-being. We evaluated their stability across one month, tested their convergent validity using self-informant agreement, and evaluated correlations with personality traits. Results indicated that global measures of well-being were more stable than DRM-based experiential measures. Self-informant agreement was also either equal across global and DRM measures or higher for global measures. Correlations with personality were similar across approaches. These findings suggest that DRM and global measures of well-being have similar psychometric properties when used to provide an overall assessment of a person's typical level of subjective well-being.

Cross-Cultural Validity of the Ruminative Responses Scale in Argentina and the United States.

Although frequently used in the United States, the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) has not been extensively studied in cross-cultural samples. The present study evaluated the factor structure of Treynor et al.'s 10-item version of the RRS in samples from Argentina (N = 308) and the United States (N = 371). In addition to testing measurement invariance between the countries, we evaluated whether the maladaptive implications of rumination were weaker for the Argentinians than for the U.S. group. Self-critical perfectionism was the criterion in those tests. Partial scalar invariance supported an 8-item version of the RRS. There were no differences in factor means or factor correlations in RRS dimensions between countries. Brooding and Reflection were positively correlated with self-critical perfectionism in both countries, with no significant differences in the sizes of these relations between the two samples. Results are discussed in terms of psychometric and cross-cultural implications for rumination.

Self-Reported Personality Traits and Informant-Rated Cognition: A 10-Year Prospective Study.

Personality traits, such as higher Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness, are associated with risk of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. A diagnosis of dementia relies, in part, on informant ratings of the individual's cognitive status. Here we examine whether self-reported personality traits are associated with four measures of informant-rated cognition up to a decade later. Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 2,536) completed a five-factor model measure of personality in 2006 or 2008. Informants completed the 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP), which included ratings of the participant's current cognitive functioning and change in cognitive function over the last decade assessed with the IQCODE, Blessed, 1066, and CSID. Controlling for characteristics of the participant, informant, and their relationship, higher Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness were associated consistently with worse informant-rated cognition. The association between Openness and better informant-rated cognition was due primarily to higher baseline cognitive function. Extraversion and Agreeableness were associated with better informant-rated cognition only among participants who were cognitively intact at follow-up. The present research suggests that knowledgeable informants are able to detect cognitive deficits associated with personality.

[Psychometric Evaluation of the German Version of the Semi-Structured Interview for Personality Functioning DSM-5 (STiP-5.1)]. / Psychometrische Evaluation der deutschen Version des Semistrukturierten Interviews zur Erfassung der DSM-5 Persönlichkeitsfunktionen (STiP-5.1).

BACKGROUND: The alternative model for personality disorders of the DSM-5 introduced an evidence-based, dimensional concept for the diagnosis of personality disorders. Criterion A, operationalized with the Level of Personality Functioning Scale, differentiates different levels of impairments in personality functioning. The Semi-Structured Interview for Personality Functioning DSM-5 (STiP-5.1) is a valid, reliable, and economic interview for the assessment of Criterion A. However, to date, there is no validated form of the interview in the German language. The aim of this study is the psychometric evaluation of the German version of the STiP-5.1. METHODS: The validity and reliability of the STiP-5.1 was investigated in a sample of healthy adults (n=55) and inpatients diagnosed with a mental disorder (n=55). Construct validity was evaluated by correlations with questionnaires for the assessment of structural impairment (IPO-16, OPD-SQS), and maladaptive personality traits (SCID-II-PQ). Interrater reliability was investigated in a sub-sample of healthy individuals and inpatients (n=50). RESULTS: With regard to validity, high correlations (r=0.68-0.78) between STiP-5.1- ratings and convergent self-report questionnaires were found. The sub-sample showed good interrater reliability (ICC=0.93). Interviews took 38 min. on average. CONCLUSIONS: The German version of the STiP-5.1 provides a valid, reliable and economic interview procedure for the dimensional assessment of personality functioning for research and clinical practice.

Reliability of personality and values tests: The effects of "high stakes" selection conditions, and of four years in medical school.

This study investigated if scores on tests of personal qualities are affected by whether they will determine selection decisions ("high stakes") or not; and whether they are stable for individuals and groups across a four-year medical course. Two tests, one assessing values and one assessing components of personality, were administered either at the same time as a medical university entrance exam (first cohort; N = 216), or after entry was confirmed (second cohort; N = 142). Both cohorts took the tests again after four years of medical school. Analysis of variance was used to compare group mean scores and interactions, and correlation coefficients to measure temporal reliability. The high stakes cohort initially presented themselves in a significantly more positive light on the personality test. After four years of medical school scores on both tests changed significantly, towards more communitarian values and less empathic attitudes. Thus, personality scores were affected by both the conditions under which the initial tests were conducted and by the passage of time, but values only by the passage of time. Before and after scores were significantly correlated.

A reliability generalization meta-analysis of the child and adolescent perfectionism scale.

BACKGROUND: Perfectionism is a prevalent disposition of personality involved in the development and maintenance of a wide range of psychological disorders. The Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS) is the most usually applied test to assess perfectionism in children and adolescents. This study aimed: (a) to conduct a reliability generalization meta-analysis to estimate the average reliability of the CAPS scores and to search for characteristics of the studies that may explain the variability among reliability estimates, and (b) to estimate the reliability induction rate of the CAPS. METHOD: An exhaustive search allowed to select 56 studies that reported alpha coefficients with the data at hand for the CAPS. RESULTS: The average alpha coefficients were 0.87, 0.84 and 0.83, respectively for the CAPS total score and its two subscales, Socially Prescribed Perfectionism (SPP) and Self-Oriented Perfectionism (SOP). Regarding O'Connor's version, the average reliability coefficients were 0.82, 0.74 and 0.73, respectively, for SPP, SOP-Critical and SOP-Strivings. Some study characteristics (ethnicity, language, mean age and standard deviation of the scores, psychometric vs applied) showed a statistical association with the reliability coefficients of SPP and SOP. The reliability induction rate was 29.8%. LIMITATIONS: Due to the scarcity of studies, we could not examine the reliability scores of other versions of the CAPS and test-retest reliability. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of reliability, the original version of the CAPS present better results than O'Connor's version. The original version of the CAPS is a reliable instrument to be employed with general research purposes, but not for clinical practice.

Parent-Reported BIS/BAS Scales for Children: Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance Across Age and Gender.

The present study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Approach System (BIS/BAS) scales parent-report in children and adolescents (N = 1,444, 58% girls) across age (Group 1, 2-5 years; Group 2, 6-9 years; Group 3, 10-13 years; Group 4, 14-18 years old) and gender. The results consistently underscored a four-factor structure, resembling the original factor structure, with one BIS-factor and three BAS-factors. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed full measurement invariance across gender as well as across Group 1 and 2, and Group 2 and 3. Strong measurement invariance was found across Group 3 and 4, Group 1 and 3, and Group 2 and 4. Configural and metric invariance was found across Group 1 and 4. Hence, mean-level BIS/BAS scores can be compared across gender and age although comparison between preschool children (Group 1) and late secondary school children (Group 4) should be done with caution.

Psychometric Properties of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale in Spanish Children and Adolescents.

The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS) is one of the most used instruments to assess perfectionism. The FMPS assesses six dimensions: Concern over Mistakes (CM), Parental Expectations (EP), Parental Criticism (PC), Doubts about Actions (DA), Organization (OR), and Personal Standards (PS). CM, PE, PC, and DA are facets of a more general dimension considered Maladaptive Perfectionism. PS is frequently considered Adaptive Perfectionism. FMPS psychometric properties have been studied in adults but scarcely in children. We adapted the FMPS for Spanish children and adolescents and studied these properties in a sample of 1,648 Spanish young people (mean age = 13.36; SD = 2.28). Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses were used to test whether the FMPS dimensions found in adults are applicable to children. Results supported this hypothesis. The FMPS dimensional structure was invariant across gender and age. FMPS subscales showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α: .71-.92) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlations: .70-.85). Moderate and high correlations with measures of dysfunctional beliefs, anxiety, and depression supported the validity of the FMPS scores. Results from regression equations showed that the relationship of perfectionism with anxiety and depression is mostly due to Maladaptive Perfectionism.

Young Schema Questionnaire - Short Form Version 3 (YSQ-S3): Preliminary validation in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study was to establish the reliability and validity of one of the most used schema questionnaires, Young Schema Questionnaire Short Form Version 3 (YSQ-S3) in older adults. METHOD: 104 participants aged 60-84 years were recruited. They were administered a battery of questionnaires, including the YSQ-S3, Young-Atkinson Mode Inventory (YAMI), Germans (Personality) Screener, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) and the Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS). The YSQ-S3 was completed a second time by 83 participants a median of 12 days later. RESULTS: Satisfactory internal consistency reliability was found for 13 of the 18 early maladaptive schemas (EMS) of the YSQ-S3. Test-retest reliability was satisfactory for 17 of 18 EMS. Convergent validity was evident from significant correlations between the EMS of the YSQ-S3 and the vulnerable child and angry child schema modes from the YAMI. Congruent validity was evident from correlations of the majority of the EMS with the GDS, the GAI, German's (Personality) Screener and the BPNS measure. CONCLUSIONS: By and large the YSQ-S3 demonstrates internal and test re-test reliability in as well as congruent and convergent validity, in older adults. This suggests the YSQ-S3 may be of use in work establishing the utility of schema therapy in this population, and that schema therapy with older people warrants further exploration. Notwithstanding this some re-development of some EMS items appears to be required for the YSQ-S3 to be more relevant to older people.

Addressing Concerns About How Perfectionistic Discrepancy Should Be Measured With the Revised Almost Perfect Scale.

We examine the conceptual and empirical merits of concerns Flett et al. recently raised about the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R), specifically that items on the APS-R Discrepancy should be separated into a "Pure" Discrepancy factor and a Dissatisfaction factor. Limitations in the logic and findings of that critique are summarized. We replicate and extend Flett et al.'s study with results from two samples: (a) college freshmen STEM students ( N = 279) and (b) doctoral students in a national sample ( N = 529). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the alternative measurement models could be fit to the data, but were not practical improvements over the original APS-R factor model: Alternative discrepancy factors failed to demonstrate discriminant validity, nor did they have meaningfully different patterns of associations with numerous criterion variables (i.e., stress, emotion regulation, rumination, adult attachment, and life satisfaction). Thus, a data-based answer to the question of how perfectionistic discrepancy should be assessed is to stay the course with confidence using the original APS-R.

Personalidad y androgenización perinatal en mujeres / Personalidade e androgenização perinatal em mulheres / Personality and perinatal androgenization in women

Objetivo: indagar la influencia de la androgenización pe-rinatal sobre la personalidad en 60 mujeres con edades entre 18 y 42 años de la Región de Cuyo, Argentina.La muestra fue intencional, no aleatoria. Instrumentos: test MillonInventory of PersonalityStyles (MIPS); y la medida y relación de longitud de los dedos (RLD) 2D:4D de la mano derecha. Se formaron dos grupos de compara-ción: G1 con valores de RLD entre el mínimo y el valor medio, y G2 con mediciones entre el valor medio y el valor máximo. Resultados: La comparación de medias indicó diferencias entre G1 y G2 para las bipolaridades Introversión; Conformismo y Control. G1 presentó co-rrelaciones negativas entre las escalas individualidad (r=-0,31; z=0,05) e intuición (r=-0,33; z=0,04*) con RLD. Para G2, valores superiores de RLD, no hubo correlacio-nes. Conclusiones: el Individualismo; la Introversión; la Intuición; el Conformismo y el Control parecen ser más sensibles a los niveles androgénicos perinatales que el resto de las bipolaridades de la personalidad.

Objective: to investigate the influence of perinatal andro-genization on personality in 60 women between the ages of 18 and 42 in the Region of Cuyo, Argentina.The sample was intentional, not random. Instruments: Millon Inventory of Personality Styles test (MIPS); and the measurement and ratio of finger length (RLD) 2D:4D of the right hand. Two compari-son groups were formed: G1 with RLD values between the minimum and the mean value, and G2 with measurements between the mean and the maximum value.Results: Comparison of means indicated differences between G1 and G2 for the bipolari-ties of Introversion; Conformism and Control. G1 showed negative correlations between individuality (r=-0,31; z=0,05) and intuition (r=-0,33; z=0,04*) scales with RLD.For G2, higher RLD values, there were no correlations.Conclusions: Individualism; Introversion; Intuition; Conformism and Control seem to be more sensitive to perinatal androgenic levels than the rest of the bipolarities of personality.

Objetivo: investigar a influência da androgenização perinatal na personalidade de 60 mulheres entre 18 e 42 anos na região de Cuyo, Argentina. A amostra foi intencional, não aleatória. Instrumentos: Teste Millon Inventory of Personality Styles (MIPS); e a medida e a proporção do comprimento do dedo (RLD) 2D: 4D da mão direita. Foram formados dois grupos de comparação: G1 com valores de RLD entre o valor mínimo e o valor médio e G2 com medidas entre a média e o valor máximo.Resultados: A comparação das médias indicou diferenças entre G1 e G2 para as bipolaridades da Introversão; Conformismo e Controle. O G1 apresentou correlações negativas entre as escalas de individualidade (r = -0,31; z = 0,05) e intuição (r = -0,33; z = 0,04 *) com o RLD. Para o G2, maiores valores de RLD foram observados sem correlações.Conclusões: Individualismo; Introversão; Intuição; O conformismo e o controle parecem ser mais sensíveis aos níveis androgênicos perinatais do que o restante das bipolaridades da personalidade.

Examining the Interpersonal Nature of Criterion A of the DSM-5 Section III Alternative Model for Personality Disorders Using Bootstrapped Confidence Intervals for the Interpersonal Circumplex.

Criterion A of the alternative model of personality disorders (AMPD) involves the assessment of impairments in self and self in relation to other functioning and can be assessed using the Level of Personality Functioning Scale (LPFS). This study uses responses to a self-report version of the LPFS (AMPD-CAS) from 248 college students to examine the interpersonal implications of AMPD personality impairments using the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) as a nomological net. Results suggest that AMPD-CAS self-impairments are related to problems of low communion and interpersonal distress and do not appear to tap expected interpersonal problems of low agency. Additionally, AMPD-CAS identity is specifically associated with sensitivity to control, suggesting that individuals with diffuse identity find it aversive and intrusive when others take the lead. AMPD-CAS self in relation to other impairments are related to being too argumentative and suspicious of others, having difficulty connecting and caring for others, and finding others' affection and reliance aversive. Both self and self in relation to other AMPD-CAS impairments are related to interpersonal distress and misanthropy, suggesting they tap pathological aspects of personality functioning. These findings represent a first step toward fully examining the interpersonal nature of Criterion A impairments and provides preliminary evidence for the construct validity of AMPD-CAS scores.

Brief Report: Adults with Autism are Less Accurate at Predicting How Their Personality Traits are Evaluated by Unfamiliar Observers.

Social cognitive impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are well-documented, yet little research has examined whether ASD is also characterized by difficulties in meta-perception, or the ability to gauge how one is perceived. In this study, ASD and TD adults (N = 22) largely did not differ on the self-perception of their personality traits or on how they expected to be perceived by unfamiliar observers. However adults with ASD were rated less favorably by TD observers (N = 412) on 19 out of 20 personality items, and adults with ASD were less accurate at predicting how they would be perceived. These findings suggest impaired meta-perception in ASD that may serve as a potential mechanism through which reduced social cognitive ability contributes to social impairment.

Response distortion on personality tests in applicants: comparing high-stakes to low-stakes medical settings.

The current study examined the degree to which applicants applying for medical internships distort their responses to personality tests and assessed whether this response distortion led to reduced predictive validity. The applicant sample (n = 530) completed the NEO Personality Inventory whilst applying for one of 60 positions as first-year post-graduate medical interns. Predictive validity was assessed using university grades, averaged over the entire medical degree. Applicant responses for the Big Five (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) and 30 facets of personality were compared to a range of normative samples where personality was measured in standard research settings including medical students, role model physicians, current interns, and standard young-adult test norms. Applicants had substantially higher scores on conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness, and extraversion and lower scores on neuroticism with an average absolute standardized difference of 1.03, when averaged over the normative samples. While current interns, medical students, and especially role model physicians do show a more socially desirable personality profile than standard test norms, applicants provided responses that were substantially more socially desirable. Of the Big Five, conscientiousness was the strongest predictor of academic performance in both applicants (r = .11) and medical students (r = .21). Findings suggest that applicants engage in substantial response distortion, and that the predictive validity of personality is modest and may be reduced in an applicant setting.

Interpersonal vulnerability among offspring of Holocaust survivors gay men and its association with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction.

The aim of the current study was to examine whether offspring of Holocaust survivors (OHS) gay men report higher interpersonal vulnerability in comparison to non-OHS gay men, and to further assess whether that vulnerability mediates the association between having a Holocaust background and mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms and life satisfaction). For this purpose, a community-dwelling sample of 79 middle-aged and older OHS and 129 non-OHS gay men completed measures of hostile-world scenario (HWS) in the interpersonal domain, satisfaction from current steady relationship, depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Results indicated that OHS reported higher HWS interpersonal vulnerability and lower satisfaction from current relationship in comparison to non-OHS gay men. Also, having a Holocaust background had an indirect effect on depressive symptoms and life satisfaction through HWS interpersonal vulnerability as well as through satisfaction from current relationship. These findings are the first to suggest interpersonal vulnerability of older OHS, in comparison to non-OHS, gay men, and an association between this vulnerability and adverse psychological outcomes. This interpersonal vulnerability, possibly representing HWS threats of both early family-based trauma and current sexual minority stress, along with its implications, should be addressed by practitioners who work with older gay men having a Holocaust background.