Suchergebnisse

Historically, certain terms used to describe psychopathology have evolved over time due to changing social and political contexts. This paper explores the importance of a clear and consistent language for characterizing suicide-related behaviors with a particular focus on the commonly used label "suicide gesture." The historical and contemporary uses of the term are explored, and clinical, research, and training implications are discussed. Clinicians and researchers are strongly encouraged to consider discontinuing the use of the term suicide gesture in light of its associated dismissive connotations and inconsistent application in clinical practice and research. In lieu of the term suicide gesture, recommendations are made regarding an increased emphasis by clinicians and researchers on more precise descriptions of suicidal behaviors and the functional assessment of suicide-related behaviors.

ObjectiveTo better understand Black mothers' and White mothers' qualitative reactions to their adolescents' hospitalizations due to suicide attempts.BackgroundCaregivers of youth with suicidal behaviors play a vital role in youth's subsequent treatment and recovery. Yet little attention has been paid to how they are affected by youth's psychiatric hospitalizations or how their reactions may be influenced by race.MethodTwenty Black mothers (Mage = 42.50; SD = 8.48) and 20 White mothers (Mage = 44.85; SD = 6.86) were randomly selected from data originally collected for a larger longitudinal, mixed method, multisite study. Data analysis was informed by grounded theory methodology.ResultsFour themes emerged from the data: mothers' emotional distress; mothers' coping, needs, and supports; mothers' perceived need for increased monitoring; and improved mother–child relationships.ConclusionsBlack mothers and White mothers largely had similar reactions to youth's hospitalizations; however, nuanced differences also were noted regarding how they described their experiences and what they emphasized.ImplicationsDuring discharge planning, mothers need additional support (beyond referrals) in their roles as caregivers and for their own coping. Additional clinical and research implications are discussed.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders in the United States and has been linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors, yet the role of a PTSD diagnosis on functional impairment among suicidal individuals remains unknown. This study examined the association between PTSD status and functional impairment among military psychiatric inpatients admitted for acute suicide risk (N = 166) with a lifetime history of at least one suicide attempt. Measures of functionality included: (1) alcohol use; (2) sleep quality; (3) social problem-solving; and (4) work and social adjustment. Thirty-eight percent of the sample met criteria for PTSD. Women were more likely than men to meet criteria for PTSD (p = 0.007), and participants who met PTSD criteria had significantly more psychiatric diagnoses (p < 0.001). Service members who met PTSD criteria reported more disturbed sleep (p = 0.003) and greater difficulties with work and social adjustment (p = 0.004) than those who did not meet PTSD criteria. However, functionality measures were not significantly associated with PTSD status after controlling for gender and psychiatric comorbidity. Gender and number of psychiatric comorbidities other than PTSD were significant predictors of PTSD in logistic regression models across four functionality measures. Future studies should assess the additive or mediating effect of psychiatric comorbidities in the association between impaired functioning and PTSD. Clinicians are encouraged to assess and address functionality during treatment with suicidal individuals, paying particular attention to individuals with multiple psychiatric diagnoses.

In three experiments, the subjects' task was to learn the names of the first 10 symbols of the braille alphabet. In Experiments 1 and 2, visual examination of the symbols during the study trials and during the test trials enhanced learning. Of particular interest was the finding that subjects who studied the items visually but were tested haptically learned faster than did those who studied the items haptically and were also tested haptically. In Experiment 3, similar results were obtained when standard-size braille symbols were used during the study trials. When large braille symbols were used, visual study of the symbols had no effect. The authors discuss some implications of these results for braille training.