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Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Introduction: Quality improvement (QI) programming attempts to bridge the gap between patient care and standards of care. Mentorship could be a means through which QI is fostered, developed, and incorporated into continuing professional development (CPD) programs. The current study examined (1) models of implementation for mentorship within the Department of Psychiatry of a large Canadian academic center; (2) mentorship as a potential vehicle for alignment of QI practices and CPD; and (3) needs for the implementation of QI and CPD mentorship programs. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 individuals associated with the university's Department of Psychiatry. The data were analyzed through thematic analyses with two independent coders using COREQ guidelines. Results: Our results identified uncertainty among the participants regarding the conceptualization of QI and CPD, illustrating difficulties in determining whether mentorship could be used to align these practices. Three major themes were identified in our analyses: sharing of QI work through communities of practices; the need for organizational support; and relational experiences of QI mentoring. Discussion: A greater understanding of QI is necessary before psychiatry departments can implement mentorship to enhance QI practices. However, models of mentorship and needs for mentorship have been made clear and include a good mentorship fit, organizational support, and opportunities for both formal and informal mentorship. Changing organizational culture and providing appropriate training is necessary for enhancing QI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2 experiments, the authors investigated attention control for tasks involving the processing of grammaticized linguistic stimuli (function words) contextualized in sentence fragments. Attention control was operationalized as shift costs obtained with adult speakers of English in an alternating-runs experimental design (R. D. Rogers & S. Monsell, 1995). Experiment 1 yielded significant attention shift costs between tasks involving judgments about the meanings of grammatical function words. The authors used a 3-stage experimental design (G. Wylie & A. Allport, 2000), and the emerging pattern of results implicated task set reconfiguration and not task set inertia in these shift costs. Experiment 2 further demonstrated that shift costs were lower when the tasks involved shared attentional resources (processing the same grammatical dimension) versus unshared resources (different grammatical dimensions). The authors discuss the results from a cognitive linguistic perspective and for their implications for the view that language itself can serve a special attention-directing function.

Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for Social Phobia is effective in both group and individual formats. However, the impact of group processes on treatment efficacy remains relatively unexplored. In this study we examined group cohesion ratings made by individuals at the midpoint and endpoint of CBT groups for social phobia. Symptom measures were also completed at the beginning and end of treatment. We found that cohesion ratings significantly increased over the course of the group and were associated with improvement over rime in social anxiety symptoms, as well as improvement on measures of general anxiety, depression, and functional impairment. In conclusion, findings are consistent with the idea that changes in group cohesion are related to social anxiety symptom reduction and, therefore, speak to the importance of nonspecific therapeutic factors in treatment outcome. Keywords: Social phobia; Social anxiety disorder; Group cohesion; Cognitive-behavior therapy

In 2 experiments, the authors investigated attention control for tasks involving the processing of grammaticized linguistic stimuli (function words) contextualized in sentence fragments. Attention control was operationalized as shift costs obtained with adult speakers of English in an alternating-runs experimental design (R. D. Rogers & S. Monsell, 1995). Experiment I yielded significant attention shift costs between tasks involving judgments about the meanings of grammatical function words. The authors used a 3-stage experimental design (G. Wylie & A. Allport, 2000), and the emerging pattern of results implicated task set reconfiguration and not task set inertia in these shift costs. Experiment 2 further demonstrated that shift costs were lower when the tasks involved shared attentional resources (processing the same grammatical dimension) versus unshared resources (different grammatical dimensions). The authors discuss the results from a cognitive linguistic perspective and for their implications for the view that language itself can serve a special attention-directing function. Keywords: attention, skill, attention-shifting, cognitive linguistics

Background: Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric illness that can result in debilitating symptoms and functional impairment. Until recently, individuals with severe OCD symptoms have not received appropriate services within the Canadian healthcare system. The Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre launched an Intensive Services Residential treatment programme for OCD in July 2017 to meet the needs of the Canadian population. This paper sets out to demonstrate the effectiveness of this programme. Methods: This study incorporated quantitative and qualitative data collection. Quantitative data were analysed using paired sample t-tests while qualitative data was transcribed and coded for emerging themes. Results: Beneficial changes in symptomatology were found. Client narrative emphasised the importance of exposure response prevention (ERP), creation of an OCD community as well as enhanced functionality in clients' lives. Clients also commented on why they believed the treatment worked and points of potential improvement for discharge planning and programme organisation. Conclusions: This study adds to the growing body of evidence regarding the importance of intensive services for individuals experiencing severe symptoms of OCD. Enhancing accessibility to services and ensuring ongoing maintenance of gains will be important next steps in ensuring long-term recovery for individuals with severe symptoms of OCD. Intensive services treatment for OCD has been found to be beneficial for clients and this paper demonstrates the first time this has been seen within a Canadian programme. Treatment provided decreased OCD severity and increased functionality and quality of life. Clients cited exposure and response prevention work as a key ingredient in their recovery. Our programme is always in an ongoing state of quality improvement, ensuring client engagement and satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of weight-based bullying in young adult bariatric patients has not yet been examined. Thirteen young adults (age, 18–24) that were seeking or had undergone bariatric surgery participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. A thematic analysis informed by grounded theory principles was conducted. Analysis revealed the following three major themes: (1) being the biggest kid, (2) coping through avoidance, and (3) compromised peer and intimate relationships. Victims of weight-based bullying often avoid and withdraw socially in response to persistent verbal abuse. The decision to pursue bariatric surgery at a relatively young age adds another dimension of difficulty when navigating peer relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on the widespread increase of major depressive disorder (MDD) yet study shows that underevaluation for this situation is habitual. The reasons for such inadequacies include deficiency in availability of treatment services, geographic limitations, financial troubles, and bounded mobility for people affected by comorbid medical circumstance.