Jeong Jin Yu

Cognitive emotion regulation strategies contributing to resilience in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders

OBJECTIVE Research suggests that resilience is associated with favorable treatment outcome in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders. In this regard, the identification of specific characteristics related to resilience that could provide targets for resilience-enhancement interventions is needed. Since the type of cognitive coping strategies is a possible marker of resilience, we investigated adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies contributing to resilience in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders. METHODS A total of 230 outpatients with depression and anxiety disorders were consecutively recruited and completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the State Anxiety Inventory. A linear regression model was used to determine which cognitive emotion regulation strategies predicted resilience after controlling for relevant covariates. Additionally, this model of resilience was compared with those of depression and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS Adaptive strategies were more strongly correlated with resilience than maladaptive strategies. In the regression model, more use of refocus on planning and positive reappraisal as well as less use of rumination predicted high resilience after controlling for age, gender, marital status, depression, and anxiety. Among these strategies, refocus on planning was the common strategy contributing to resilience and depression. CONCLUSION These results suggested that the cognitive emotion regulation strategies of refocus on planning, positive reappraisal, and less rumination contribute to resilience in patients with depression and anxiety disorders. It might provide potential targets for psychotherapeutic intervention to improve resilience in these patients.

The Korean Version of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale: An Extended Validation

The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) is a brief self-rating questionnaire for measuring resilience. The aims of the present study were to describe the development of a Korean version of the CD-RISC (K-CD-RISC) and to more firmly establish its psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity. The participants consisted of a general population sample (n=194) and psychiatric outpatients (n=127) with non-psychotic mood or anxiety disorders. The K-CD-RISC score means (standard deviation) were 65.9 (13.6) in the general population and 50.4 (20.5) in the psychiatric outpatients. The mean score of the general population was significantly higher than that of the psychiatric outpatients. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors, and the obtained factor structure was verified through confirmatory factor analysis. In the general population, the Cronbachs α coefficient of the K-CD-RISC was found to be 0.92. Greater resilience was found to be associated with less perceived stress, anxiety and depression and with higher levels of positive affect and purpose in life. Taken together, our findings suggest that the K-CD-RISC has good psychometric properties and is a valid and reliable tool for assessing resilience.

Childhood trauma and adult interpersonal relationship problems in patients with depression and anxiety disorders

IntroductionAlthough a plethora of studies have delineated the relationship between childhood trauma and onset, symptom severity, and course of depression and anxiety disorders, there has been little evidence that childhood trauma may lead to interpersonal problems among adult patients with depression and anxiety disorders. Given the lack of prior research in this area, we aimed to investigate characteristics of interpersonal problems in adult patients who had suffered various types of abuse and neglect in childhood.MethodsA total of 325 outpatients diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders completed questionnaires on socio-demographic variables, different forms of childhood trauma, and current interpersonal problems. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) was used to measure five different forms of childhood trauma (emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical abuse, physical neglect, and sexual abuse) and the short form of the Korean-Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scale (KIIP-SC) was used to assess current interpersonal problems. We dichotomized patients into two groups (abused and non-abused groups) based on CTQ score and investigated the relationship of five different types of childhood trauma and interpersonal problems in adult patients with depression and anxiety disorders using multiple regression analysis.ResultDifferent types of childhood abuse and neglect appeared to have a significant influence on distinct symptom dimensions such as depression, state-trait anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity. In the final regression model, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse during childhood were significantly associated with general interpersonal distress and several specific areas of interpersonal problems in adulthood. No association was found between childhood physical neglect and current general interpersonal distress.ConclusionChildhood emotional trauma has more influence on interpersonal problems in adult patients with depression and anxiety disorders than childhood physical trauma. A history of childhood physical abuse is related to dominant interpersonal patterns rather than submissive interpersonal patterns in adulthood. These findings provide preliminary evidence that childhood trauma might substantially contribute to interpersonal problems in adulthood.

Adolescent Relations with Their Mothers, Siblings, and Peers: An Exploration of the Roles of Maternal and Adolescent Self-Criticism

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate self-criticism as a potential mediating factor in the link between mother–adolescent relationships with aggression and perceptions of social competence. The sample consisted of 888 older (M = 14.3 years) and younger (M = 11.6 years) adolescent children from the same family. Maternal self-criticism strongly corresponded to the quality of relationships with children, and an intergenerational similarity in levels of self-criticism, particularly for older children, was found. Mother–adolescent relationships and adolescent self-criticism were significantly related to aggression and perceptions of social competence. In addition, results supported the hypothesis that self-criticism in adolescents mediates the link between mother–adolescent relationships and social competence.

Using social cognitive theory to understand meta-parenting in parents of young children

Meta-parenting is a construct that refers to parents’ thought processes as they employ and assess parenting strategies based on their child’s behavior and perceptions of his/her developmental course. The present study examined the associations among parenting self-efficacy, positive relational maintenance, parent and child characteristics, and meta-parenting in heterosexual parents of young children. Mother’s level of education was positively associated with her maintenance behaviors and fathers’ reports of marital maintenance was positively associated with mothers’ reports of meta-parenting. Parenting self-efficacy was positively associated with meta-parenting for mothers and fathers. Child characteristics were not associated with meta-parenting. The present study contributes to current knowledge regarding the empirical associations among these variables and meta-parenting cognitions and by adopting a theoretical perspective, or Social Cognitive Theory, as a backdrop for understanding these and other possible influences.

Quantitative Research on Personalising Learning and Wellbeing in Open-Plan Up-Scaled Learning Communities

This project aimed to evaluate attempts to personalise learning in six regional Australian schools with predominantly low SES students, including four schools with open-plan up-scaled learning communities (see chapter 1). Achieving this aim posed significant interlocking conceptual and methodological challenges.

Paternal Family Expressiveness as a Mediator Between Father's Dispositional Optimism and Child's Dispositional Optimism

ABSTRACT Although dispositional optimism serves as a resource for psychological and physical well-being, very little research has explored how to promote child dispositional optimism within the family context. The authors evaluated paternal emotional expressiveness within the family as a mediator of the association between fathers and childs dispositional optimism. Participants were 422 father (M age = 44.97 years, SD = 4.21 years)–child (M age = 11.75 years, SD = 0.77 years) dyads in South Korea. Results showed that fathers’ dispositional optimism was positively linked to their expressiveness, which in turn was positively linked to their childrens dispositional optimism. No significant gender or socioeconomic status differences were found. The findings have important implications for future research and for preventive interventions.