Dave Dagnan

A Greater role of emotional than physical or sexual abuse in predicting disordered eating attitudes: The role of mediating variables

OBJECTIVE Previous research on the role of trauma in eating psychopathology has generally focused on reported childhood sexual abuse. There has been relatively little research addressing the full range of abusive experiences, and none considering their long-term impact on eating. This study investigated the relationships between four forms of reported childhood abuse (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect) and unhealthy eating attitudes in adult life. Within this relationship, depression, anxiety, and dissociation were considered potential mediators, and age of onset of abuse was considered a potential moderator. METHOD A nonclinical sample of 236 women completed self-report measures of abuse, eating psychopathology, and psychological function. Multiple regression analyses were used to test for associations as well as for mediating and moderating influences. RESULTS When the intercorrelations of the different forms of reported abuse were controlled for, emotional abuse was the only form of childhood trauma that predicted unhealthy adult eating attitudes. That relationship was perfectly mediated by the womens levels of anxiety and dissociation. Age at onset of emotional abuse did not moderate these relationships. DISCUSSION Although these results require extension to a clinical sample, the findings underscore the need to consider a history of emotional trauma as a potentially central factor in any abusive history. Treatment may depend on addressing the psychological consequences of such trauma.

Cognitive-behaviour therapy for people with learning disabilities

List of illustrations List of contributors Preface by Raymond W. Novaco Acknowledgements 1. Cognitive-behaviour therapy for people with learning disabilities: conceptual and contextual issues 2. Theoretical and practical issues in cognitive-behavioural approaches for people with learning disabilities: a radical behavioural perspective 3. Anger assessment for people with mild learning disabilities in secure settings 4. Understanding and assessing depression in people with learning disabilities: a cognitive-behavioural approach 5. Teaching cognitive self-regulation of independence and emotion control skills 6. Social problem-solving groups for adults with learning disabilities 7. Cognitive-behaviour therapy for people with learning disabilities: assessment and intervention 8. Cognitive-behaviour therapy for anxiety in people with learning disabilities 9. Applying cognitive-behavoural approaches to the carers of people with learning disabilities who display challenging behaviour 10. Sustaining a cognitive psychology for people with learning disabilities

Toward an Assessment of Suitability of People with Mental Retardation for Cognitive Therapy

Forty people with mild mental retardation completed five tasks which assessed progressively their ability to identify emotions, link emotions to situations, and select either an emotion given a situation and evaluative belief, or an evaluative belief given a situation and emotion. Fewer people passed tasks including a belief than tasks assessing only an event–emotion link. Tasks involving a belief were more difficult if the belief and emotion were incongruent with the situation. We conclude that people with mild mental retardation may commonly have certain requisite skills to use cognitive therapy, yet many may require preparatory training to grasp the concept of cognitive mediation.

Psychometric properties of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale with a population of members of a depression self-help group.

This paper reports the psychometric properties of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale when used with 341 members of a self-help group for people with depression. We report internal reliability and factor structure for the complete data set and factor structure for groups split by gender, previous hospitalization for depression and current use of medication for depression. In each instance the factor structure reflects the intended depression and anxiety subscales. We comment on the usefulness of the HADS in studies of cognitive processes in depression and anxiety.

Helping, Attributions, Emotions and Coping Style in Response to People with Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour.

This study examines the role of coping style, attributions and emotions in response to challenging behaviour in predicting the helping behaviour of support staff of people with learning disabilities. Thirty-three staff completed questionnaires identifying their attributions of controllability, internality, stability and globality, their emotional response (anger and sympathy) and their likelihood of offering further help in response to challenging behaviour. Staff also completed a short measure of coping style. Coping styles of practical problem solving and wishful thinking and attributions of controllability and internality were independent and significant predictors of effort in helping. The results are discussed in the context of theories of stress and attribution models of helping. Clinical implications for staff training and support are discussed.

Applying equity theory to staff working with individuals with intellectual disabilities

Abstract Background This paper provides an overview of the empirical research on equity theory amongst staff working in services for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Method Relevant articles were identified by using the PsycINFO computerised database and by conducting manual searches of reference lists. Results Six studies were identified and reviewed. Staff often report that they feel under-benefited in their work-based relationships. Associations were found between staff equity perceptions and staff outcomes such as burnout, absenteeism and intention to leave. Conclusion Previous research findings on staff outcomes are discussed within the context of equity theory. The implications of staff equity perceptions for ID services are discussed and possible directions for future research are forwarded. It is suggested that equity theory may have some utility as a theoretical starting point from which to develop a comprehensive theory to integrate various strands of research on staffing.

Exploring the concept of alexithymia in the lives of people with learning disabilities

Alexithymia is a construct that has attracted considerable research for people without learning disabilities. People with alexithymia have difficulties recognizing and describing emotions and have an externally oriented cognitive style. Alexithymia has been closely associated with a variety of mental health and somatic problems. However, the construct of alexithymia has not been considered in respect to people with learning disabilities. This article identifies parallels between the concept of alexithymia and the emotion recognition difficulties and external cognitive styles that have been identified in people with learning disabilities. The article further identifies that many developmental factors considered important in the aetiology of alexithymia are significantly present in the lives of people with learning disabilities and that the association between alexithymia and mental health identified in other populations may also be important for people with learning disabilities. We conclude that there is a strong argument that alexithymia should be a focus of further research for people with learning disabilities.

Psychometric Evaluation and Standardization of the Self and Other Scale

This article evaluates and extends the psychometric properties of the Self and Other Scale (SOS). The scale is designed to measure two types of threat to self construction, namely, an insecurity threat (fear of exclusion) and an engulfment threat (fear of intrusion). Previous analysis of the SOS has been based on nonclinical student populations with a narrow age range. The present study addresses this limitation by examining the psychometric properties of the scale with an adult nonclinical population (N = 150) covering the life span and with varied socioeconomic status. Results are compared with those of the previous study. Statistical analysis supports the construct validity and the reliability of the scale. Clinical implications of the scale are explored.

The Equity Perception Scale – Intellectual Disability Services (EPS-IDS): Evaluating the reliability and validity of a new measure

Abstract Background The aim of this paper was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Equity Perception Scale – Intellectual Disability Services (EPS-IDS), a detailed measure of staff equity perceptions in services for people with intellectual disability (ID). The EPS-IDS contains 3 relationship indices that assess staff relationships with their employing organisation, their co-workers, and service users. Method Postal questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from a purposive sample of ID service staff. Results The EPS-IDS was found to have good internal consistency reliability. The overall test–retest reliability of the measure, however, was found to be less satisfactory. With the exception of the co-worker relationship index, the EPS-IDS indices were found to have promising validity. Conclusions The findings from the study suggest that the EPS-IDS shows some promise as a measure of the equity perceptions of ID service staff. Further refinements to the relationship indices, however, may be required.