Faculty Bibliography

This study explored whether individual differences in self-reported emotional flooding were associated with observational behaviors and experienced and displayed anger during a 10-min problem solving discussion. A sample of 233 married or cohabiting couples, comprising 4 groups (distressed with intimate partner violence [IPV], distressed/nonIPV, satisfied/IPV, and satisfied/nonIPV) was recruited via random digit dialing. Consistent with predictions, both men's and women's flooding were positively associated with partners' negative affect variables, including partners' experienced and displayed anger, as well as positively associated with their own anger. A multinomial logistic regression revealed significant differences between flooding in prediction of couples' group status; specifically that higher levels of emotional flooding were reported by distressed and IPV couples compared with other types of couples. Finally, couples that included at least 1 member high on self-reported emotional flooding were less effective in solving problems during the conflict discussion. Implications and future directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and International Classification of Diseases-11th Revision (ICD-11; proposed) now include criteria for clinically significant (a) intimate partner violence (IPV) and neglect and (b) child abuse and neglect. However, existing measures of IPV and child abuse do not allow for assessment of established criteria. The current study examines the convergent and response process validity of the Family Maltreatment (FM) measure of clinically significant physical and psychological IPV and child abuse. Participants (N = 126) completed the FM via computer and measures of IPV (Revised Conflict Tactics Scale; Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996) and child abuse (Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale; Straus, Hamby, Finkelhor, Moore, & Runyan, 1998) via paper-and-pencil. Participants who endorsed acts of aggression on the FM completed an audio-recorded computerized interview recounting the 2 most severe incidents. Verbalized incidents (n = 138) were coded for clinically significant family maltreatment. Results largely supported the convergent validity of the FM. Agreement of acts endorsed on the FM with those endorsed on convergent measures was excellent for IPV and physical child abuse, yet poor for psychological child abuse. Further, in support of the response process validity of the FM, comparison with observer ratings of interviews indicated few "false positives" and no "false negatives" on the FM across the examined types of clinically significant IPV and child abuse. In summary, the FM is a promising measure for the assessment of clinically significant physical and psychological abuse as defined in the DSM-5 and ICD-11 (proposed). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Cancer impacts spouse caregivers, especially when couples engage in dyadic coping around the cancer. Communication is a key factor in this process. Our goals were to describe cancer-related communication between advanced cancer patients and their spouse caregivers, and to describe how dyadic communication patterns are related to caregivers' reported burden and preparedness for caregiving. Caregivers completed measures of caregiver burden and preparedness for caregiving. Then, the patient and caregiver were asked to interact with each other in two structured discussions: a neutral discussion and a problem discussion focused on cancer. Discussions were coded using the Rapid Marital Interaction Coding System (RMICS2). Caregivers reported moderate levels of preparation and burden. Greater caregiver hostility communication predicted higher levels of caregiver burden, whereas greater caregiver dysphoric affect communication predicted lower levels of caregiver burden. Whereas positivity was more common than hostility in couples' communication, patient hostility was a significant predictor of caregiver preparedness. Patient neutral constructive problem discussion was also associated with increased caregiver preparedness. Caregiver outcomes are an understudied component to dyadic cancer research. Our paper describes observational data on cancer-related communication between caregivers and advanced cancer patients and communication's influence on caregiver outcomes. This work provides the foundation for future evidence-based communication interventions that may influence both patient and caregiver outcomes.

Participation rates in couple relationship education (CRE) programs for low-income couples are typically low. We examined predictors of session attendance and early dropout (i.e., dropout after 1 session) among a sample of low-income, unmarried parents of a newborn (N = 467 couples) enrolled in an evidence-based CRE program. Predictors included demographics and socioeconomic status, as well as baseline indicators of relationship commitment, family and individual functioning, infant health, preventive health care utilization, and CRE coach perceptions of participant engagement and alliance in the first session of the program. Couples attended an average of 4.4 (SD = 2.5) of the 7 sessions, with nearly a quarter of couples dropping out after the first session. Attendance at fewer sessions was predicted by younger age. Early dropout was predicted by lower ratings of females' engagement and both partners' therapeutic alliance and, unexpectedly, by commitment. We discuss considerations for engaging low-income couples in CRE.

OBJECTIVE:Differentiating suicide attempters from suicide ideators has been named a critical suicidology frontier (Klonsky & May, 2013). Per Bronfenbrenner's (1977, 1994) ecological systems theory, risk/protective factors from four ecological levels (individual, family, workplace, and community) were used to predict last year suicide attempt status among active duty service members expressing suicide ideation. METHOD/METHODS:Active duty U.S. Air Force members (N = 52,780, 79.3% male, 79.2% non-Hispanic White, M age = 31.8 years) anonymously completed an online community assessment administered biennially at 82 bases worldwide. Last year suicide ideation and attempts were concurrently measured, as were an array of co-occurring risk and protective factors. RESULTS:Among the 1,927 (approximately 4%) service members self-reporting suicidal ideation, 152 also reported a last year suicide attempt (7.9% of the ideators, 8.7% of men vs. 6.1% of women). However, in multivariate models, military member sex was not a significant moderator. In bivariate models, numerous individual, family/spouse/parent, and community factors were associated with suicide attempt status. In the final multivariate model for the whole sample, risk for a last year attempt was associated with years in the military, social support, and alcohol use problems, but not depression. Among active duty military in relationships, attempt status risk was associated with years in the military, social support, and intimate partner violence victimization. However, the effect sizes for these models were small. CONCLUSIONS:Beyond a focus on depression, addressing alcohol misuse, facilitating resilient and nonviolent couple/family relationships, and increasing social support may enhance suicide attempt prevention efforts among military members. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

OBJECTIVE:Short sleep duration is a common problem for both advanced cancer patients and their spouse caregivers. Sleep and distress have been shown to be interdependent in patient-caregiver and spouse dyads, yet virtually, no work has explored the dyadic effects of psychological distress on sleep in advanced cancer patients and spouse caregivers. The goal of the present study was to examine the dyadic impact of anxiety and depression on sleep duration in a sample of advanced cancer patients and their spouse caregivers. It was hypothesized that, for both patients and caregivers, anxiety and depression in individuals would be associated with sleep duration in both themselves (actor effects) and in their spouses (partner effects). METHOD/METHODS:Advanced cancer patients and their spouse caregivers (N = 87 dyads) completed cross-sectional questionnaires assessing demographic variables, subjective health, subjective sleep duration, and anxiety and depression symptoms. RESULTS:Controlling for sex, age, and subjective health, individuals' anxiety was negatively associated with their own and their partner's sleep duration. No significant actor or partner effects were found for depression. CONCLUSIONS:Results provided partial support for hypotheses. Although past work has demonstrated links between subjective sleep disturbance and anxiety/psychological distress, this is one of the first studies to examine partner effects of distress on sleep disturbance in advanced cancer patients and spouse caregivers.

Noxious family environments are associated with a wide range of adverse child outcomes. In order to prevent couple and parent-child relationship problems, a number of programs have been developed for couples with newborns. The current paper describes a program of research evaluating the American version of couple CARE for parents of newborns. This version of CCP was administered to low-income, unmarried couples with a new baby in an uncontrolled demonstration project (Study 1), compared with a waitlist control condition in a randomized controlled trial (Study 2), and evaluated with low-income parents recruited from urban hospitals in two major metropolitan areas of the United States (Study 3 and Study 4). Despite participant satisfaction with CCP, preventive effects of the program were limited and there was one potential iatrogenic effect. Results were likely impacted by major challenges with recruiting participants and maintaining their engagement in CCP for the duration of the program. We discuss methodological differences between this series of studies and previous trials of prevention programs and make recommendations for improving service delivery to at-risk new parents. These results have implications for public policies that aim to benefit children and families.