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Cognitive fusion occurs when people experience their thoughts as literally true and allow them to dictate behavior. Fusion has been shown to be associated with increased symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression; however, the association between change in cognitive fusion, PTSD, and depression symptoms has been relatively uninvestigated. Our study aims to examine the associations between PTSD, depression symptoms, and cognitive fusion in Canadian veterans from pre- to post-treatment. Clients (N = 287) completed measures of PTSD symptom severity, depression symptom severity, and cognitive fusion at pre- and post-treatment. Our results supported that pretreatment PTSD and depression symptom severity were found to be negatively associated with changes in pre- to post-treatment cognitive fusion, while pretreatment cognitive fusion was not associated with changes in depression or PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, pretreatment depression symptoms predicted pre- to post-treatment changes in PTSD symptoms. However, pretreatment PTSD symptoms did not predict changes in depression symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the bidirectional associations between PTSD, depression, and cognitive fusion. Furthermore, our results are indicative of PTSD and depression symptoms playing a role in the change in cognitive fusion (e.g., defusion) and of depression playing a larger role in the maintenance of PTSD symptoms. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endorsement of traditional masculinity ideology has been indicated as a complicating factor in psychotherapeutic treatment engagement and process; however, little is known about how these findings extend to treatment outcome. This study sought to examine the impact of traditional masculinity ideology endorsement on treatment outcome in a sample (N = 178) of Canadian military veterans. Treatment outcome was measured according to changes in psychosocial functioning from pre- to posttreatment and at 3, 12, and 18 months posttreatment. Results indicated that higher endorsement of self-reliance was negatively associated with treatment outcome and that endorsement of toughness was associated with improved outcomes over time. This study suggests that treatment outcomes are differentially impacted by varying facets of traditional masculinity ideology. While certain facets (i.e., self-reliance) may impede treatment outcome, others (i.e., toughness) may support long-term treatment gains. Outcomes from this study may help clinicians develop more gender-sensitive interventions for military service veteran men and others who endorse traditional masculinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subjective experience of a sense of meaning in life is an important aspect of psychological well-being. Developmental experiences that contribute to attachment security or insecurity may shape individual differences in the capacity for meaning in life. Such relations may also be influenced by difficulties in emotional processing, such as alexithymia. The present study examined attachment anxiety and avoidance as mediators of the association between perceived parental emotional support during childhood and the presence of meaning in life, as well as the moderating role of alexithymia. A sample of 245 community members completed study assessments, and correlational and regression analyses were used to examine hypothesized parallel mediation and moderated mediation models. Attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, was found to significantly mediate the association between early parental support and meaning in life. Conditional process analysis further indicated alexithymia to moderate this mediation pathway, with the mediating effect of attachment anxiety becoming stronger at lower levels of alexithymia. Thus, results indicated that positive perceptions of parental support were associated with attachment security, in the form of reduced attachment anxiety, which in turn was linked with greater meaning in life. Moreover, this pathway was strongest among individuals with relatively better emotional processing abilities, or lower alexithymia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endorsement of traditional masculinity ideology is frequently associated with interference in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, there is little empirical basis for this association. Moreover, there is increasing attention on masculinity ideology being contextual in nature, which may have important implications for our understanding of its impact on treatment. Here, we examine how the outcome of a group-based treatment for veterans with PTSD was impacted by traditional masculinity facets held at the individual level, and among other group members. Our sample consisted of (N = 255) Canadian veteran men. Results indicated that the degree of individual self-reliance and dominance attenuated positive treatment outcomes, with respect to total PTSD symptom change and PTSD-related avoidance symptoms. Self-reliance also attenuated symptom change in negative alterations in cognitions and mood and hyperarousal clusters. Other group members' degree of masculinity did not appear to impact individual participants' pre- to post-treatment PTSD symptom change. The R2 for significant results ranged from.01-.05. This study provides evidence that, within the context of group-based treatment, an individual's endorsement of traditional masculinity ideology may impede reduction of PTSD symptomatology, but the effect of other group members' masculinity endorsement does not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Emotion dysregulation has been associated with impaired interpersonal functioning and increased risk of posttraumatic psychopathology. Given that social support is a robust predictor of psychiatric morbidity following trauma exposure, we examined whether emotion dysregulation was associated with posttraumatic psychopathology through its negative effect on social support. Using self-report data from 90 military veterans (89.9% men) enrolled in an outpatient psychotherapy program for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we found that social support partially mediated the effect of emotion dysregulation on PTSD (PM = .10) and depression symptoms (PM = .14). When source of support was considered, friend (PM = .08) and significant other support (PM = .06) were greater mediators of the effect of emotion dysregulation on depression symptoms than family support (PM = .01). There were no differential mediating effects for support providers on PTSD symptoms. Our findings indicate that social support is a statistically significant yet clinically limited mechanism through which emotion dysregulation is linked with psychiatric symptoms. Implications for these limitations and alternative potentially relevant interpersonal mechanisms are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men's tendency to conceal their distress has been linked with increased depressive symptoms. Although interpersonal connectedness has been associated with distress concealment and depression, it is unclear how connectedness mediates this association. The aim of the present study was to examine the mediating effects of feeling understood and loneliness-two facets of interpersonal connectedness-in the association between distress concealment and depressive symptoms in men. A sample of 530 Canadian men was selected based on age- and region-stratification that reflects the national population. Participants completed measures of depression symptoms, distress concealment, loneliness, and feeling understood. Mediation analyses were conducted. Results supported a sequential mediation model: concealing distress was associated with not feeling understood, not feeling understood was associated with loneliness, and loneliness was associated with depressive symptoms. These findings shed light on how distress concealment is associated with depressive symptoms among men. Implications for practice and theory are discussed.