Biomedical subjects

N J Kaslow

Publications and source records attributed to N J Kaslow.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Attachment and depression. Implications for family therapy.

The preceding discussion highlights the use of attachment theory in conceptualizing the interface between normal development and the manifestation of depression from infancy through adolescence. Additional research is needed to delineate better the specific nature of the association between attachment relationships and depression, particularly with regard to factors that mediate and moderate the link. The extant literature informs family-oriented clinical interventions with depressed young people with comorbid attachment problems, with or without a depressed parent. These family interventions are most likely to be effective if they incorporate developmentally informed conceptualizations and techniques and are targeted specifically to the problems of depressed youth and their families. The efficacy of such interventions remains to be determined through the implementation of treatment efficacy and effectiveness studies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Partner violence, social support, and distress among inner-city African American women.

This study examined the role of social support in the partner violence-psychological distress relation in a sample of African American women seeking medical care at a large, urban hospital (n = 138). Results from bivariate correlational analyses revealed that partner violence was related to lower perceived social support and greater psychological distress, and lower social support was related to more distress. Furthermore, findings based on path analysis indicated that low levels of social support helped account for battered women's increased distress. Findings point to the need for service providers to screen for partner violence in nontraditional sites, such as hospital emergency rooms, and to address the role of social support resources in preventive interventions with African American battered women.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Ratings of family functioning of suicidal and nonsuicidal African American women.

This study compared ratings of family functioning between female African American suicide attempters (n = 126) and nonattempters (n = 112). Attempters reported poorer family-of-creation (physical and nonphysical partner abuse, family strengths, and marital adjustment) and family-of-origin (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and emotional neglect) functioning than did controls. In a multivariate logistic regression, only marital discord and childhood sexual abuse were risk factors for suicide attempts. A cumulative risk model was also tested and indicated that the presence of 4 or more of the risk factors increased a woman's likelihood of making a nonfatal suicide attempt more than threefold. This study offers one of the first investigations of the families of suicidal African American women and highlights the importance of focusing on family concerns when working with this population.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Psychological, cognitive, and interpersonal correlates of attributional change in adolescents.

Examined the role of attributional style in adolescent's psychological functioning. Specifically, we examined the cross-sectional correlates of attributional style, as well as the correlates of changes in attributional style over time. A sample of 841 adolescents with either maladaptive or adaptive attributional styles completed a battery of self-report measures at 2 points in time, 1 year apart. Measures assessed depressive symptoms and suicidality, cognitive functioning (self-esteem, pessimism, coping skills), and interpersonal functioning (social competence, conflict with parents, social support from family and friends). Results indicated that attributional style is associated with multiple depression-related variables. In addition, youth experienced significant changes in their attributional styles over time (from adaptive to maladaptive and vice versa). Finally, changes in attributional style were associated with changes in psychological symptoms and other psychosocial variables. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the prevention and treatment of adolescent depression.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1999

Partner abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder as risk factors for suicide attempts in a sample of low-income, inner-city women.

This study examined partner abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as risk factors for suicidal behavior among women, and whether or not PTSD mediated the partner abuse-suicidal behavior association. Attempters (n = 119) were approximately three times more likely to be above clinical cut-points for physical partner abuse, nonphysical abuse, and PTSD than nonattempters (n = 85). Physical partner abuse, but not nonphysical partner abuse, was associated with an increased risk for PTSD. Further, PTSD mediated the link between physical partner abuse and suicidality, such that when PTSD was statistically controlled, the association between physical partner abuse and suicide attempt status was reduced to nonsignificance. Implications of findings for interventions for female victims of partner abuse, and women who make nonfatal suicide attempts are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Role of secondary stressors in the parental death-child distress relation.

This study examined the psychological consequences and secondary stressors associated with death of a parent. The sample (N = 116) consisted of 26 youths who had lost a parent to homicide, 45 youths who had lost a parent to natural death, and 45 nonbereaved youths. Youngsters completed face-to-face interviews, while their guardians completed measures assessing the children's functioning. Results based on both child and guardian reports indicated that parental death was associated with an increase in secondary stressors, regardless of the mode of death. Findings based on guardian reports also revealed that parental death was related to increased internalizing distress, and that parental death due to homicide was related to increased externalizing distress. Furthermore, secondary stressors mediated the parental death-child distress relation such that parental death led to an increase in stressors, which in turn led to increased child distress. Implications for secondary and tertiary preventive interventions are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Factors that mediate and moderate the link between partner abuse and suicidal behavior in African American women.

Findings from a study comparing partner abuse in African American women suicide attempters (n = 148) and nonattempters (n = 137) revealed higher rates of physical and nonphysical partner abuse among attempters than their demographically similar nonsuicidal counterparts. The partner abuse--suicidal behavior link was mediated by psychological distress, hopelessness, and drug use and moderated by social support. Results also revealed that nonphysical partner abuse accounted for unique variance in the prediction of suicide attempt status beyond that attributable to childhood maltreatment. Implications of the findings for assessing both suicidal and abused women are discussed, and recommendations for preventive interventions for women at risk for suicidal behavior are provided.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Suicidal behavior in African American individuals: current status and future directions.

Historically, the rates of completed suicide among African American individuals have been relatively low. However, the past 50 years have witnessed a significant rise in suicide rates among this population. In an effort to understand this trend, this article reviews relevant demographic data and empirical and clinical findings regarding the clinical presentations of suicidal behavior among African Americans across the life span. The major psychodynamic, psychosocial, and sociocultural theories offered as explanations for the incidence and nature of suicidal behavior among African Americans also are discussed. It is hoped that this systematic review will lead to more meaningful empirical investigations of the myriad factors associated with the unfortunate increase in suicidal behaviors in this population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

An empirical study of the psychodynamics of suicide.

This paper presents results from an empirical study of four key psychodynamic concepts (self-directed aggression, object loss, ego functioning disturbance, pathological object relations) of suicidal behavior. The sample consists of hospitalized psychiatric patients following a suicide attempt (attempters: n = 52) and demographically similar hospitalized psychiatric patients with no history of suicidal behavior (controls: n = 47). The study was designed to ascertain whether attempters differed from matched psychiatric control patients on the four psychodynamic constructs hypothesized to be associated with suicide. It was predicted that attempters would manifest higher levels of depression and self-targeted anger, a more significant history of loss, less adaptive defenses, and more primitive object representations. Results strongly supported an object-relational view of suicidal behavior. In addition, support for the loss hypothesis was found in the identification of one specific constellation of losses. Namely, attempters were significantly more likely to report a history of childhood loss combined with a recent loss in adulthood than were their nonattempter counterparts. Limited support was provided for the other two hypotheses in differentiating suicidal from nonsuicidal severely ill psychiatric patients. This unexpected finding is examined and suggestions are made for the refinement and greater specification of psychodynamic theories regarding the etiology of suicidal behavior, with the aim of differentiating individuals prone to such action from those with similar psychopathology and dynamic issues who do not actually attempt suicide. Limitations of the study are discussed and implications of the findings for the theory and treatment of suicidal behavior are offered.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Applying the criteria for empirically supported treatments to studies of psychosocial interventions for child and adolescent depression.

Reviews the psychosocial treatment outcome studies for depressed children and adolescents and concludes that psychosocial interventions are effective at posttreatment and follow-up in reducing depressive symptoms/disorders in clinical and nonclinical samples of youth, regardless of treatment modality or extent of parental involvement. The article then examines the extent to which each study conforms to the guidelines set forth by the Task Force on Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures (1996) for well-established and probably efficacious interventions. Results of this analysis indicate only 2 series of studies that meet criteria for probably efficacious interventions and no studies that meet criteria for well-established treatments. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of applying criteria for empirically supported treatments to identify good treatments for depressed youth are discussed, the importance of devising developmentally and culturally sensitive interventions targeted to the unique needs of each child is highlighted, and recommendations for future research that is informed by clinical practice and empirical findings are offered.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Psychological symptomatology following parental death in a predominantly minority sample of children and adolescents.

Examined the psychological correlates related to experiencing the death of a parent, the main and interactive effects of sex, race, and age on youth distress and the degree of cross-informant correspondence on the outcome measures. The predominately minority sample included 80 bereaved youth and 45 nonbereaved youth. Youth and their legal guardians completed a battery of questionnaires, including measures assessing the youth's psychological symptomatology. Results revealed that bereaved youth manifested greater psychological and behavior problems than their nonbereaved counterparts on guardian-reported measures (Child Behavior Checklist [CBCL]). The clinical significance of parental death experienced during childhood is indicated by the magnitude of distress exhibited by the bereaved sample; almost one quarter of bereaved youth scored in the clinical distress range (T score > or = 63) on the CBCL Externalizing and Internalizing Distress scales. The effect of parental death on guardian-reported externalizing distress was moderated by race, such that distress levels did not significantly differ between bereaved and nonbereaved minority youth but did differ significantly among bereaved and nonbereaved nonminority youth. Finally, the degree of cross-informant agreement was relatively low but consistent with prior studies. Study implications for interventions with bereaved youth and directions for future research are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1997

Sex differences, attributional style, and depressive symptoms among adolescents.

This study examined attributional style, sex and depressive symptoms and diagnosis in high school students. The results revealed that (1) for females and males, higher levels of depressive symptoms correlated with a more depressive attributional style; (2) females and males who met diagnostic criteria for a current depressive disorder evidenced more depressogenic attributions than psychiatric controls, and never had past depressed adolescents; (3) although no sex differences in terms of attributional patterns for positive events, negative events, or for positive and negative events combined emerged, sex differences were revealed on a number of dimensional scores; (4) across the Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ) subscale and dimensional scores, the relation between attributions and current self-reported depressive symptoms was stronger for females than males; and (5) no Sex x Diagnostic Group Status interaction effects emerged for CASQ subscale or dimensional scores. Implications of the complex findings from this large-scale, methodologically sophisticated study was addressed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Empirically validated family interventions for pediatric psychology: sickle cell disease as an exemplar.

Prompted by the growth of managed care and the American Psychological Association's recent guidelines for treatment efficacy studies, we have struggled with the challenges associated with devising and implementing manualized family intervention programs for pediatric patients. This manuscript outlines the strengths and challenges of controlled manual-based family interventions for medically ill children, using pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD) as an example. A culturally and developmentally sensitive intervention program, designed for the researcher's subject population (African American, low SES, inner city) is discussed. Possible solutions to the challenges of conducting family-oriented intervention efficacy studies with pediatric populations are presented.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

An empirical study of the psychodynamics of suicide: a preliminary report.

Preliminary results from a study of psychodynamic constructs are presented based on data from inpatients following a suicide attempt. The study examines the association between four psychodynamic constructs, severity of suicidal intent, and severity of depressive symptomatology in a sample of hospitalized suicide attempters. Higher levels of suicidal intent were associated with less differentiated self and object representations and less emotional investment in relationships. More severe depressive symptoms in suicide attempters were correlated with more self-targeted anger, less eternally directed anger, higher levels of shame and guilt, more affectively negative views of relationships, greater use of maladaptive and self-sacrificing defenses, and more impaired reality testing. These findings offer some preliminary empirical support for the validity of psychodynamic theories of suicidal behavior.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Social problem solving: a moderator of the relation between negative life stress and depression symptoms in children.

The social problem-solving skill of generating effective alternative solutions was tested as a moderator of the relation between negative life stress and depressed mood in children. Boys (n = 25) and girls (n = 25), ages 8 to 12 years, from inner-city, lower socioeconomic group families, completed measures of depression symptoms, negative impact of life events, and quantity and effectiveness of alternative solutions to social problems. Results indicated that the effectiveness of alternative solutions children generate in response to peer social problems moderates the relation between stress and depression. Children who experienced a high impact of negative life events, with less effective social problem-solving skills, reported higher levels of depression compared to children who experienced a high impact of negative life events but exhibited more effective social problem-solving skills. Results are discussed in terms of alternative theoretical models for the mechanisms whereby effective social problem-solving skills moderate stress-related depression.

Child↗

PubMed1995

Depression and attributions in children and adolescents: a meta-analytic review.

This article presents a meta-analytic review of the association between attributional styles and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. In 28 studies involving 7500 subjects, the correlations were consistent with those predicted by the reformulated learned helplessness model of depression. For negative outcomes, attributions along the internal, stable, and global dimensions were associated positively with depression. Conversely, higher levels of depressive symptoms were related to more external, unstable, and specific attributions for positive events. Additionally, overall composite maladaptive attributional patterns for positive and negative events were correlated with higher levels of depressive symptoms in youth. Effect sizes for these associations ranged from moderate to large (Cohen, 1977). Findings from the significance tests of the combined results support the theory. A large number of unretrieved studies revealing null effects would be needed to invalidate these findings.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

A cultural perspective on family theory and therapy.

Although family therapists' conceptualizations of culture include ethnicity, nationality, religion, generation, gender, class, and sexual orientation, this article focused on ethnicity and families in the United States. A review of the literature reveals that effective family therapy is both sensitive to the family's cultural heritage and attuned to the unique interactional patterns, attitudes, feelings, and behaviors of each family with whom the therapist works. Culturally sensitive family therapy attempts to transcend cultural barriers, while respecting the cultural identity and integrity of the individual family members, the family unit as a whole, and the therapist. As multiculturalism has become increasingly emphasized in the United States, family therapists are challenged to facilitate families' efforts to reconnect with their cultural heritage to preserve a sense of belonging and identity, while simultaneously helping them adapt to their evolving cultural context.

Culture↗

PubMed1994

Psychopathology, family functioning, and cognitive style in urban adolescents with suicide attempts.

This study examined psychopathology, family functioning, and cognitive style in 121 African-American adolescents who attempted suicide. Group means suggested that these youths, when taken together, were not reporting significant psychological distress. However, after classifying the youths into three groups by level of depressive symptoms interesting findings emerged. Youth self-reports of depressive symptoms on the Children's Depression Inventory were associated with the presence of internalizing and externalizing disorders on the Youth Self-Report and Child Behavior Checklist, and with a maladaptive attributional style. Sixty-seven percent of participants classified their family types as maladaptive in terms of levels of cohesion and/or adaptability. In fact, the majority of adolescents and parents reported their families as disengaged. These findings are discussed from a culturally and developmentally sensitive framework which considers key demographic variables (race, socioeconomic status, age). Clinical implications are offered for individual and family interventions.

Adolescent↗