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ObjectiveDiagnosis is a cornerstone of clinical practice for mental health care providers, yet traditional diagnostic systems have well-known shortcomings, including inadequate reliability, high comorbidity, and marked within-diagnosis heterogeneity. The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is a data-driven, hierarchically based alternative to traditional classifications that conceptualizes psychopathology as a set of dimensions organized into increasingly broad, transdiagnostic spectra. Prior work has shown that using a dimensional approach improves reliability and validity, but translating a model like HiTOP into a workable system that is useful for health care providers remains a major challenge.MethodThe present work outlines the HiTOP model and describes the core principles to guide its integration into clinical practice.ResultsPotential advantages and limitations of the HiTOP model for clinical utility are reviewed, including with respect to case conceptualization and treatment planning. A HiTOP approach to practice is illustrated and contrasted with an approach based on traditional nosology. Common barriers to using HiTOP in real-world health care settings and solutions to these barriers are discussed.ConclusionsHiTOP represents a viable alternative to classifying mental illness that can be integrated into practice today, although research is needed to further establish its utility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Delay discounting (DD) procedures are emerging as an important new method for psychotherapy researchers. In this paper a framework for conceptualizing existing, seemingly discrepant, research findings on termination is introduced and new directions for research are described. To illustrate the value of a DD framework, the common psychotherapy problem of premature termination is addressed. First, a DD framework for how premature termination may be defined is presented. Second, common variables that have long been linked to premature termination (expectancies, and preferences) are explored using DD procedures. These investigations demonstrate that DD procedures are a methodological advancement that can advance psychotherapy research and, potentially, improve client outcomes. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

Passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is a requirement for licensure as a psychologist across the United States as well as in numerous territories and provinces. Despite long-standing and empirically driven criticisms, the methodological and analytic decisions underlying the EPPP are being used to expand the existing EPPP into a longer two-part test, branded as the enhanced EPPP. The present study elucidates the methodological and analytic weaknesses in the EPPP development approach by examining the association of obtained EPPP scores with archival practicum and internship competency evaluation data from a standardized measure with strong psychometric support (retrospective/postdictive validity) as well as selfappraisals of competency by licensed individuals (concurrent validity), and several tests of neurocognitive abilities (discriminant validity) are associated with 36 early career professionals who graduated from an American Psychological Association-accredited program in clinical psychology. White non-Hispanic individuals were found to score significantly higher than Hispanic individuals. Performance on measures of neurocognitive ability is significantly positively correlated with EPPP scores, with a large effect size. Evaluations of competency did not correlate significantly with EPPP scores. Taken together, results suggest EPPP scores contain more construct-irrelevant variance than relevant variance, with individuals who are Hispanic/Latino systematically disadvantaged. Implications for exam development and the field are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolution of a romantic relationship can adversely affect functioning among college students and represents one primary reason for seeking campus counseling. This study examined the associations among common coping strategies and distress following relationship dissolution. Avoidance and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) were significantly associated with distress, and gender was found to moderate the relationship between RNT and distress. Findings suggest that college counselors should consider emotional coping strategies following relationship dissolutions.

Previous studies have established that gender stereotypes are associated with children's choice of musical instrument. Though some have suggested that these gender stereotypes may be trending toward change, other studies have indicated that gender stereotypes are long-standing and still very much at issue. This descriptive study of middle school band students (N = 99) examined instrument gender stereotypes using improved methods of measurement and found evidence that instrument gender stereotypes remain entrenched and pose a persisting problem facing music educators. Importantly, younger and more inexperienced band members may be more open to counterstereotypical views. Suggested changes in research methods and directions for future study are discussed, as are implications for music educators.

This study examined whether fracturing of specific facets of the therapeutic alliance—goal, task, and bond—were more likely to be associated with a therapeutic alliance rupture by evaluating 988 psychotherapy sessions for ruptures. Furthermore, we used the frequency of alliance ruptures to predict treatment outcome in a sample of outpatient psychotherapy clients (N = 399). Results indicated that a disagreement of the goals and tasks of treatment were both more likely to result in an alliance rupture than a deterioration in the relational bond. The frequency of alliance ruptures was also found to predict treatment outcome, with more ruptures leading to less change. These results highlight the importance of identifying when a rupture has occurred while underscoring that not all ruptures are equal. Implications for guiding rupture resolution and the origin of a rupture are discussed. Study limitations are detailed and future research directions are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) has asserted that validation studies demonstrating real-world associations of the Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) to competency are impossible. The present study challenges that assertion via a proof-of-concept investigation. Using a reliable and valid measure of profession-wide competencies, the present study evaluated the association of trainee (N = 92) competencies to client treatment outcomes. Using data from 192 clients, two outcome metrics were examined: attrition from services and change in symptom distress severity across treatment. Each point increase in trainee competency was associated with a reduction in relative risk of client attrition by 42%. Additionally, trainee clinician competency scores explain more than 10% of the variance in symptom distress change over the course of treatment. Instead of exonerating ASPPB from validation work, the findings underscore the importance of evaluating the extent to which EPPP scores align with external referents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite 'cycle of violence' (Widom Psychological Bulletin, 106, 3-28, 1989, p. 4) theories prevailing for the past 30 years, few studies have looked at the empirical relationship between experiencing childhood physical abuse and becoming perpetrators of violence in adulthood. Those studies that do exist omit consideration of intervening therapeutic experiences. In the present study, archival data from an outpatient mental health clinic was used to examine whether therapeutic experiences mediate the relationship between experiencing childhood physical abuse by a parental figure and subsequent involvement as a perpetrator of physical violence. Treatment-seeking individuals (N = 816) responded to three items about whether they had experiences of childhood physical abuse, whether they acted violently in adulthood, and whether they had ever before received counseling or therapy. Past counseling/psychotherapy treatment was a significant mediator between experiencing childhood physical abuse and perpetrating physical violence in adulthood, even after controlling for the effect of the victims' gender. Findings suggest that psychotherapeutic experiences after experiencing childhood physical abuse may decrease the likelihood of perpetrating violence in adulthood. Limitations, implications, and directions for future research are discussed., Author(s): Kendal Maxwell[sup.1] , Jennifer L. Callahan[sup.1] , Camilo J. Ruggero[sup.1] , Beth Janis[sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311280, 76205, Denton, [...]

This investigation sought to operationalize a comprehensive theoretical model, the Trauma Outcome Process Assessment, and test it empirically with structural equation modeling. The Trauma Outcome Process Assessment reflects a robust body of research and incorporates known ecological factors (e.g., family dynamics, social support) to explain internalizing distress (e.g., anxiety, depression), externalizing distress (e.g., aggression), and recovery outcomes following traumatic events. Results revealed that expected relationships among the variables were significantly related in the expected direction, and the measures mapped well onto the expected latent constructs. Following optimal specification of the relationships within the Trauma Outcome Process Assessment, structural equation modeling revealed strong support for the Trauma Outcome Process Assessment as a comprehensive identification and treatment model to explain the differential outcomes of those exposed to traumatic stressors. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Client preferences have been identified as an essential part of evidence-based practice in psychology. Further, client preferences have been found to play an important role in determining premature termination and therapy outcomes. However, our current understanding of this client variable is limited because of the methodologies that have previously been used to assess these preferences. In this study, 57 adult clients from a university-based psychology department clinic completed an instrument weighing preferences for intervention specific empirical support against preferences for 4 other common factor variables. These clients were found to discount a significant amount of intervention empirical support to ensure the following: (a) a satisfactory therapeutic relationship could be developed, (b) their therapist would be empathetic and accepting, (c) their therapist would have a greater level of experience, and (d) they, as clients, would do more of the talking during sessions. These findings suggest that clients prefer treatment decisions to be based on variables other than intervention empirical support alone. Recommendations are made for assessing and including client preferences to provide more individually tailored interventions. Keywords: client preferences; common factors; empirically supported treatments; evidence-based practice; treatment decision making DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20720

Although the 'balance' between the number of potential interns and the number of internship slots needs be addressed, it is imperative that more attention be devoted to examining applicant and program characteristics that result in a successful match. To that end, the current study included pre-and post-match data provided by 330 applicants of the 2009 Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers Match system. In this sample, we found very little evidence that applicant characteristics are related to match outcome. Suggestions to applicants and directors of training are provided and understudied variables and needed analyses are identified. Policy considerations are discussed in terms of not only resolving the supply and demand imbalance but also improving the application process and clearinghouse system. Keywords: internship; supply and demand imbalance; APPIC match DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20664