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The social integration measure (SIM) was tested on student integrity groups. Members rated each other and themselves in items describing behaviors that lead to satisfying interpersonal relationships and a secure sense of self-worth. SIM peer ratings showed satisfactory levels of generalizability. SIM did not produce any reactivity-of-testing effects. (Author)

Objective: The importance of a strong working alliance is assumed to be important in exposure and response prevention (ERP) treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). During the first sessions, the therapist aims to achieve agreement with the patient on the tasks and goals of therapy by formulating a treatment plan. The aims of the study were to explore the predictive role of therapist- and patient variability in the early working alliance when using ERP for OCD. Method: A total of 13 therapists gave individual ERP treatment to 44 outpatients with OCD. The working alliance was measured after the second or third session with patient rated Working Alliance Inventory-Short (WAI -S). We used two subscales from the WAI -S (agreement on tasks/goals and therapeutic bond). Treatment outcome was measured using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Therapist variability in the working alliance was estimated by calculating each therapist's mean WAI -S scores and calculating how much each therapist's mean deviated from the grand means. Patient variability was estimated by calculating each patient's score for the two WAI -S components and how much this deviated from their therapist's mean score on these factors. Results: Therapist variability in the task/goal dimension of the alliance predicted treatment outcome, while patient variability in the alliance did not. Therapeutic bond was not related to outcome. Conclusions: Therapists' ability to establish agreement on tasks and goals of treatment in the first couple of therapy sessions could be vital in treating OCD with ERP. Further studies investigating the relationship between patient and therapist variability in the working alliance and treatment outcome using larger samples are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the relationship between self-image and outcome in psychotherapy. Patients (n = 170) received treatment-as-usual at a university clinic, and met diagnostic criteria for mostly anxiety and depression related disorders. Self-image was measured with the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior ( SASB-I) introject pre and post-treatment. Using multiple regression analyses, higher levels of Self-ignore and Self-blame pre-treatment predicted a poorer treatment outcome in terms of symptoms ( SCL-90-R) and interpersonal problems ( IIP-64), respectively. Increase in Self-love and decrease in Self-blame (pre to post) predicted reduced symptoms at post-treatment, whereas decrease in Self-attack and Self-control, as well as increase in Self-affirm, predicted reduced interpersonal problems. The results suggest that self-image improvement may be important in order to achieve a good outcome in psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Mental health problems affect approximately 20% of adolescents. Traditionally, the principal focus has been on vulnerability and risk factors and less on protective factors. The study, therefore, explores the relation between frequent psychiatric symptoms and resilience factors among older adolescents. Method: The Resilience Scale for Adolescents (READ) was completed by 307 Norwegian high school students (M = 16.4 years) along with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised. Results: Higher resilience scores predicted lower scores on levels of depression, anxiety, stress and obsessive-compulsive symptoms after controlling for age and gender. Conclusion: This study provides further evidence that it may be fruitful for clinicians and researchers to attend to resilience factors in relation to psychological symptoms among older adolescents. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message: • Resilience is significantly related to psychological symptoms in older adolescents after controlling for age and gender. • Resilience factors are differently expressed by female and male youths, but overall resilience is equally distributed among the sexes. • Assessment of resilience factors may provide appropriate targets for interventions among youths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning by co-working with experienced therapists is rare in clinical psychologists’ education; high working demands in clinical services challenge the provision of such situated learning. This study examined the feasibility of providing an apprenticeship model within ordinary mental health care clinics. The perspectives of nine clinicians participating as supervisors were explored through focus-group interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis yielded three themes organized on a continuum from an intra- to interpersonal perspective on teaching: meaningfulness in contributing tacit knowledge, experiences of joy and motivation when teaching, and the positive influence of students’ naïve gaze in the therapeutic dyad for the therapeutic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]