An analysis of the Painful and Provocative Events Scale: Some painful and provocative findings.

This research investigated the latent structure and correlates of the 26-item Painful and Provocative Events Scale (PPES). For a sample of 290 community respondents, results from parallel analysis indicated a 5-factor structure. Based on principal axis factoring with varimax rotation, scales of Intense physicality, Physical and mental trauma, Physical risk taking, Psychopathy, and Body enhancement were constructed, and these demonstrated a pattern of convergent and discriminant correlations with suicide-associated and demographic variables that supported the delineation of these scales as being distinct. In general, results challenge the current scoring of the PPES and, with developed scales being differentially related to demographic variables, indicate that both respondent age and sex require consideration for scale score interpretation.

IAT faking indices revisited: Aspects of replicability and differential validity.

Research demonstrates that IATs are fakeable. Several indices [either slowing down or speeding up, and increasing errors or reducing errors in congruent and incongruent blocks; Combined Task Slowing (CTS); Ratio 150-10000] have been developed to detect faking. Findings on these are inconclusive, but previous studies have used small samples, suggesting they were statistically underpowered. Further, the stability of the results, the unique predictivity of the indices, the advantage of combining indices, and the dependency on how faking success is computed have yet to be examined. Therefore, we reanalyzed a large data set (N = 750) of fakers and non-fakers who completed an extraversion IAT. Results showed that faking strategies depend on the direction of faking. It was possible to detect faking of low scores due to slowing down on the congruent block, and somewhat less with CTS-both strategies led to faking success. In contrast, the strategy of increasing errors on the congruent block was observed but was not successful in altering the IAT effect in the desired direction. Fakers of high scores could be detected due to slowing down on the incongruent block, increasing errors on the incongruent block, and with CTS-all three strategies led to faking success. The results proved stable in subsamples and generally across different computations of faking success. Using regression analyses and machine learning, increasing errors had the strongest impact on the classification. Apparently, fakers use various goal-dependent strategies and not all are successful. To detect faking, we recommend combining indices depending on the context (and examining convergence).

The Mediating Role of Tolerance for Psychological Pain in the Relationship Between Different Types of Childhood Traumatic Experiences and Suicidal Ideation.

The aim of the present research was to evaluate the mediating effects of facets of the tolerance for psychological pain on the relationship between childhood trauma and suicidal ideation. A sample of 437 community individuals and a sample of 316 college students participated. For the community sample, managing the pain mediated the relationship between childhood trauma, the different types of traumatic experiences and suicidal ideation. In the college sample, managing the pain and enduring the pain mediated the relationship between childhood trauma, the different types of traumatic experiences and suicidal ideation, except for the case of sexual abuse. The present results have potential clinical implications. Mental health professionals should be aware of the long-term consequences of exposure to childhood trauma and need to assess the ability to tolerate psychological pain so as to implement appropriate psychological interventions that help individuals cope with their pain.

Psychache, unmet interpersonal needs, childhood trauma and suicide ideation in young adults.

This 5-month, 2-wave study evaluated the mediating effects of psychache and unmet interpersonal needs on the relationship between childhood trauma and suicide ideation in 208 young adults, controlling for depression. Path analysis demonstrated that changes in depression, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and changes in positive suicide ideation, and that changes in depression and perceived burdensomeness mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and changes in negative suicide ideation. Results indicated the importance of assessing interpersonal needs, in addition to depression, for understanding the mechanism linking childhood trauma to suicide ideation in young adults.

Challenging response latencies in faking detection: The case of few items and no warnings.

AbstractFaking detection is an ongoing challenge in psychological assessment. A notable approach for detecting fakers involves the inspection of response latencies and is based on the congruence model of faking. According to this model, respondents who fake good will provide favorable responses (i.e., congruent answers) faster than they provide unfavorable (i.e., incongruent) responses. Although the model has been validated in various experimental faking studies, to date, research supporting the congruence model has focused on scales with large numbers of items. Furthermore, in this previous research, fakers have usually been warned that faking could be detected. In view of the trend to use increasingly shorter scales in assessment, it becomes important to investigate whether the congruence model also applies to self-report measures with small numbers of items. In addition, it is unclear whether warning participants about faking detection is necessary for a successful application of the congruence model. To address these issues, we reanalyzed data sets of two studies that investigated faking good and faking bad on extraversion (n = 255) and need for cognition (n = 146) scales. Reanalyses demonstrated that having only a few items per scale and not warning participants represent a challenge for the congruence model. The congruence model of faking was only partly confirmed under such conditions. Although faking good on extraversion was associated with the expected longer latencies for incongruent answers, all other conditions remained nonsignificant. Thus, properties of the measurement and properties of the procedure affect the successful application of the congruence model.

Stability and Change in Trait Emotional Intelligence in Emerging Adulthood: A Four-Year Population-Based Study.

Trait Emotional Intelligence (EI)-related competencies are in growing demand in educational and vocational settings. The present study assesses the developmental dynamics of trait EI in emerging adulthood by capitalizing on the inclusion of a measure of trait EI in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) called the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Mini (EQ-i: Mini). A sample of 1064 young adults (50% female) from ages 20-21 to 24-25 years was used to assess 4-year rank-order stability and mean-level change of trait EI, as well as whether the EQ-i: Mini functions equivalently over time (longitudinal measurement invariance). Results revealed full configural, partial metric, and scalar invariance of the construct for this time period. The Stress Management subscale achieved invariance at the residual level. After controlling for partial non-invariance, moderate levels of rank-order stability coefficients were found, suggesting malleability of the construct during emerging adulthood. Consistent with the maturity principle, there was a moderate increase in trait EI (specifically in the Interpersonal and Adaptability subscales). The malleability of trait EI suggests opportunities for enhancing socioemotional competencies in emerging adults, such as through formal and continuing education programing, on-the-job training, and targeted employment interventions.

Invalidating childhood environments and nonsuicidal self-injury in university students: Depression and mental pain as potential mediators.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential mediating effects of depression and psychache (i.e., extreme mental pain) on the relationship between parental invalidation and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in young adults. METHOD: A sample of 2474 university students responded to previously validated measures of current NSSI, childhood parental invalidation, depression, and psychache. RESULTS: Using a parallel mediation model, path analysis using structural equation modeling demonstrated full mediation by depression and psychache of the link between parental invalidation and NSSI. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the association between invalidating childhood environments and NSSI has the potential to be mitigated by addressing issues of depression and psychache.

Dimensionality of Suicide Behaviors: Results within Two Samples from Two Different Countries.

Across two countries and two languages, this research examined the multidimensional associations of suicide behaviors (i.e., life-time attempts, life-time communication of intent to others, life-time self-harming, life-time suicide notes, and current suicide ideation) and empirically relevant psychological risk factors (i.e., different facets of mental pain, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability), controlling for depressive symptoms. For the Portuguese sample, two underlying dimensions emerged: an ideation dimension and a behavioral dimension, and for the Canadian sample, three dimensions emerged: an ideation dimension and two behavioral dimensions that can be viewed as a splitting of the Portuguese second dimension. Results highlight possible cultural differences between the two countries and that suicide behaviors should be viewed as a multidimensional phenomenon not as a one-dimensional continuum.

Exposure to Suicide in the Family: Suicidal Ideation and Unmet Interpersonal Needs in Young Adults Who Have Lost a Family Member by Suicide.

The aims of the present study were to compare a sample of individuals exposed to suicide in their families with a control group, on suicidal ideation, and to test possible potentiating effects for unmet interpersonal needs. Three hundred eighty-six young Portuguese adults participated. Two groups were defined: a group exposed to suicide in the family (n = 38) and a control group (n = 335). Groups differed significantly on suicidal ideation, on depressive symptoms, and on perceived burdensomeness and tended to differ on thwarted belongingness. Results from a hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that having lost a family member by suicide and perceived burdensomeness each provided a significant unique contribution to explaining variance in suicidal ideation when controlling for levels of depressive symptoms and having had a psychiatric diagnosis. The interaction between group membership and perceived burdensomeness provided a further enhancement to the statistical prediction of suicidal ideation.

Psychological pain and suicidal ideation in undergraduates: The role of pain avoidance.

In the present study, the first with a Western sample, we tested the relationship between three dimensions of psychological pain and suicidal ideation in a sample of 331 Portuguese college students. When controlling for the effect of depressive symptoms, the avoidance dimension, but not the cognitive and affective dimensions of psychological pain, made a significant contribution in predicting the three indicators of suicidal ideation. According to these results, psychotherapeutic action may focus either on enabling clients to tolerate mental pain or on providing more effective and adaptive strategies to cope with this pain.

Psychological pain and previous suicide attempts in young adults: Results with the Portuguese version of the Psychache Scale.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we tested whether the unbearable pain scale of the Psychache Scale provides value for the statistical prediction of a previous suicide attempt; we evaluated whether psychological pain has incremental value in the statistical prediction of a previous suicide attempt relative to the reporting of having had a psychiatric diagnosis, and we established a cut-score for the Psychache Scale. METHOD: Two samples participated: a sample consisting of 1,460 young adults and a sample of 628 Portuguese community adults. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrated that unbearable pain is not a stronger predictor of a previous suicide attempt than is the bearable pain score of the Psychache Scale; that the total score of the Psychache scale provides an additional statistically significant contribution to the statistical prediction of a previous suicide attempt relative to the reporting of having had a psychiatric diagnosis.

The multidimensionality of suicide risk factors and criteria in a nonclinical population: Replication across two countries and two languages.

Across two countries and two languages, this research examined the multidimensional associations between suicidality (e.g., past ideation/attempts, communication of intent) and empirically important psychological risk factors (e.g., mental pain, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness). For samples of 228 Canadian and 331 Portuguese university undergraduates, four dimensions emerged in each sample with two of these, intrapersonal and interpersonal, demonstrating strong replicability across countries and languages. It was concluded that suicidality is a phenomenon that demonstrates some multidimensional similarities across cultures.

Assessing psychache as a suicide risk variable: Data with the Portuguese version of the psychache scale.

Several studies have consistently related psychological pain to suicide risk. Psychache, according to Shneidman's perspective and measured by the Psychache Scale has been confirmed as an important variable in risk prediction. In the present study, we evaluated psychache as a construct related to suicide risk using data obtained with the Portuguese version of the Psychache Scale translated from the original English version. A community sample of 628 individuals responded to the Portuguese version of the Psychache Scale, the Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, the CES-D Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire. Results supported the unidimensional scoring of the Psychache scale, its ability to differentiate between individuals at-risk for suicide from individuals not at-risk, its relationship with different, but related, constructs and its ability to predict suicide ideation.

Avoidance of psychological pain and suicidal ideation in community samples: Replication across two countries and two languages.

OBJECTIVES: A multidimensional psychological pain model of suicide has been developed that includes three dimensions: affective, cognitive, and avoidance. In the present research, we evaluated the relationships between the three dimensions of psychological pain and suicidal ideation. METHOD: Two community samples from Portugal and the U.S. participated in the research. RESULTS: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that when controlling for the effects of depressive symptoms and psychache, the avoidance dimension, but not the cognitive or affective dimension of psychological pain, explained significant, and unique variance in suicidal ideation in each sample. CONCLUSION: Even when individuals perceive psychological pain, there may not be an elevated risk of suicide, provided that they do not consider suicide as a form of coping to decrease that pain.

A survey of medication preparation and administration practices among members of the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.

PURPOSE: Recommendations for safe medication injection practices to eliminate the risk of patient-to-patient transmission of blood-borne infections have been in place for many years. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the medication administration practices of Canadian anesthesiologists relative to current safe practice guidelines. METHODS: An anonymous 17-question online survey was sent to all members of the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society (CAS) via the membership email list. Data pertaining to respondent demographics, practice characteristics, and medication preparation and administration practices were collected and analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages as well as Fisher's exact tests followed by post hoc multiple comparisons. RESULTS: Of the 2,656 CAS members, 546 (21%) responded. The practice of reusing needles (2%) and/or syringes (7%) between patients is reported by only a minority of practitioners; however, sharing a medication vial between more than one patient using new needles and syringes is still widely practiced with 83% doing this sometimes or routinely. The main reasons for sharing medications include the desire to reduce medication waste and the associated costs. CONCLUSION: Sharing medication vials between multiple patients is common practice in Canada, with new needles and syringes used for each patient. Unfortunately, a small minority of anesthesiologists continue to reuse needles and/or syringes between patients, and this may pose a significant risk of patient-to-patient infection transmission.

Exposure to suicide in the family: Suicide risk and psychache in individuals who have lost a family member by suicide.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to compare a sample of Portuguese individuals exposed to suicide in their families with a control group, for lifetime suicidality. This study also evaluated the incremental value of psychache (i.e., extreme psychological pain) in determining suicide risk beyond the contribution associated with having lost a family member by suicide. METHOD: A total of 225 community adults participated. Two groups were defined: a group exposed to suicide (n = 53), and a control group (n = 172). RESULTS: Results demonstrated that groups did significantly differ on the total score of the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), on the four individual SBQ-R items, and on psychache. Results from a hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that having lost a family member by suicide and the construct of psychache each provided a significant unique contribution to explaining variance in suicide risk. The interaction between group membership and psychache also provided a further enhancement to the statistical prediction of suicide risk. CONCLUSION: Findings are discussed with regard to their implications for clinical intervention and postvention.

A four-year longitudinal study examining psychache and suicide ideation in elevated-risk undergraduates: A test of Shneidman's model of suicidal behavior.

OBJECTIVES: Using a 4-year follow-up design, this research investigated Shneidman's model of psychache (i.e., intense mental pain/anguish) as the cause of suicide. Operationalizing suicidal manifestations using suicide ideation, we evaluated Shneidman's assertion that psychache is the prominent predictor of suicide ideation and that other suicide-related psychological variables associate with suicide ideation only through psychache. METHOD: Eighty-two undergraduates at elevated suicide risk were assessed at baseline and follow-up with measures of suicide ideation and three psychological predictors: depression, hopelessness, and psychache. RESULTS: At baseline, only psychache and neither depression nor hopelessness contributed significant, unique information to statistically predicting suicide ideation. For 4-year change in suicide ideation, only psychache and neither depression nor hopelessness provided significant, unique information. CONCLUSIONS: Results provided partial support for Shneidman's contention of the importance of psychache for suicidal behavior and that other psychological factors are only important to suicide insofar as they relate through psychache.

The Vulvar Pain Assessment Questionnaire: Factor Structure, Preliminary Norms, Internal Consistency, and Test-Retest Reliability.

BACKGROUND: The Vulvar Pain Assessment Questionnaire (VPAQ) was developed to assist in the assessment and diagnosis of chronic vulvar pain (vulvodynia). AIM: To further establish the psychometric properties of the VPAQ by examining factor structure, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and scale normative data, and to gather feedback from those with vulvar pain about the usefulness and accessibility of the questionnaire. METHODS: 182 participants completed a confidential online study and 70 participated again at time 2 (4 weeks later). OUTCOMES: Participants were asked to complete the full VPAQ, which assesses pain characteristics, effects on various parts of their lives, coping strategies used, and romantic partner factors. Additional questions captured sociodemographics and feedback about the instrument. RESULTS: Exploratory structural equation modeling indicated that the previously established subscales, except the coping scale, had adequate model fit, and all items loaded significantly onto relevant factors. Pearson product moment correlations (r = 0.57-0.96) established strong 4-week test-retest reliability for most subscale scores, and Cronbach α indicated overall acceptable to high internal consistency (α = 0.56-0.95). Preliminary norms for the scales are supplied. Approximately half the participants reported an increase in their comfort level in discussing a range of topics after completing the VPAQ. Most participants reported that the length, readability, and range of VPAQ questions were "good" or "excellent." CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results of this study provide further justification for using the VPAQ scales in clinical and research settings, preliminary norms for a vulvar pain population, and suggestions for interpretation. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This study established the psychometric properties of the VPAQ scales using multiple methods at 2 time points and gathered feedback from participants. However, data were collected online so diagnoses could not be confirmed and more than half the initial sample did not complete the survey at time 2. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that most VPAQ subscales (except the coping subscale) have moderate to strong psychometric properties and that the VPAQ is user friendly. Dargie E, Holden RR, Pukall CF. The Vulvar Pain Assessment Questionnaire: Factor Structure, Preliminary Norms, Internal Consistency, and Test-Retest Reliability. J Sex Med 2017;14:1585-1596.

Does psychache mediate the relationship between general distress and suicide ideation?

This study evaluated whether psychache (i.e., mental pain) mediates the association between general distress, assessed as the frequency and the intensity of psychological symptoms in the previous week, and suicide ideation in community adults. For a sample of 202 adults, psychache fully mediated the relationship between suicide ideation and the frequency of psychological symptoms, and partially mediated the relationship between suicide ideation and the intensity of psychological symptoms. As such, mental pain fully or partially explains the process linking the frequency and the intensity of general distress to suicide ideation and, thus, mental pain is a target for potential intervention.

The moderating effect of gender on the relationship between coping and suicide risk in a Portuguese community sample of adults.

Background and aims(s): The study evaluated the contribution of coping strategies, based on the Toulousiane conceptualization of coping, to the prediction of suicide risk and tested the moderating effect of gender, controlling for depressive symptoms. METHOD: A two-time data collection design was used. A community sample of 195 adults (91 men and 104 women) ranging in age from 19 to 65 years and living in several Portuguese regions, mostly in Alentejo, participated in this research. RESULTS: Gender, depressive symptoms, control, and withdrawal and conversion significantly predicted suicide risk and gender interacted with control, withdrawal and conversion, and social distraction in the prediction of suicide risk. Coping predicted suicide risk only for women. CONCLUSIONS: Results have important implications for assessment and intervention with suicide at-risk individuals. In particular,the evaluation and development of coping skills is indicated as a goal for therapists having suicide at-risk women as clients.