Measures Of Social Problem Solving Research Articles

Social Problem Solving in Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumor

Psychosocial late effects among survivors of pediatric brain tumors are common. For school-aged survivors, social skills deficits and isolation present a particular challenge. Social problem-solving is a social skill that is an important determinant of social outcomes and may yield a potential target for intervention. School-aged youth (N = 65) 8-12 years of age (10.59 ± 1.36 years; 55.4% female, 86.2% white) who were 5.23 (SD = 2.44, range 2-10.9) years post-treatment for a brain tumor completed the Attributions and Coping Questionnaire, a measure of social problem-solving that uses vignettes to assess attribution of intent, subsequent emotional response, and imagined behavioral response to an interpersonal problem. Youth also completed self-reports of social functioning (PROMIS Peer Relationships, Self-Perception Profile). A caregiver completed additional measures of child social functioning (NIH Toolbox-Emotion Measures). Survivors attributed unpleasant situations to accidental causes (neutral attribution) and responded in ways that prioritized the friendship (appeasement) or relied on adult intervention. Self-reported social functioning was higher among those who were less likely to avoid challenging social problem-solving situations. Findings identified characteristic social problem-solving approaches among survivors, including a tendency to attribute ambiguous situations to accidental causes and to request adult assistance and/or maintain social relationships. This may indicate a possible avenue for intervention, with a focus on increasing survivors' understanding of the causes of potentially negative peer interactions and reducing their reliance on adults.

The use of the mental health treatment requirement (MHTR): clinical outcomes at one year of a collaboration

PurposeIn the UK, the mental health treatment requirement (MHTR) order for offenders on probation has been underused. A MHTR service was established to assess the effectiveness of a partnership between a probation service, a link worker charity and an independent mental healthcare provider. Short-term structured cognitive behavioural interventions were delivered by psychology graduates with relevant work experience and training. Training for the judiciary on the MHTR and the new service led to a significant increase in the use of MHTR orders. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachA total of 56 (of 76 MHTR offenders) completed treatment in the first 12 months. A single cohort pre-post follow-up design was used to evaluate change in the following domains: mental health and wellbeing; coping skills; social adjustment; and criminal justice outcomes. Mental health treatment interventions were delivered under supervision by two psychology graduates who had relevant work experience and who were trained in short term, structured, cognitive behavioural (CBT) interventions.FindingsClinically significant changes were obtained on measures of anxiety and depression, and on measures of social problem solving, emotional regulation and self-efficacy. Ratings of work and social adjustment and pre-post ratings of dynamic criminogenic risk factors also improved. This new initiative has addressed the moral argument for equality of access to mental health services for offenders given a community order.Originality/valueWhile the current initiative represents one of a number of models designed to increase the collaboration between the criminal justice and the mental health systems, this is the first within the UK to deliver a therapeutic response at the point of sentencing for offenders with mental health problems. The significant increase in the provision of MHTR community orders in the first year of the project has been associated with a decrease in the number of psychiatric reports requested that are time consuming and do not lead to a rapid treatment.

School-based social skills training for young people with autism spectrum disorders

ABSTRACTBackground: The Secret Agent Society (SAS) Program, an intervention to enhance social–emotional skills, was provided by schools for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The program was assessed to determine if it improved social skills at school and home, and whether improvements were maintained.Methods: Eighty-four students participated. Key outcomes were parent and teacher ratings of emotion regulation, social skills, and direct child social problem-solving measures. The standard school curriculum served as the control condition. Phase 1 was a two-group waitlist-control comparison of SAS versus the standard curriculum. Phase 2 was a follow up of all participants before and after the intervention and at 12-months post-intervention.Results: Parent and child measures improved after the intervention but not in the waitlist condition. Improvements in parent, child, and teacher measures were apparent at 12 months.Conclusions: The SAS Program warrants further research as a potential program for schools that serve children with ASD.

Depressive rumination and social problem solving: A study using two measures of social problem solving

Depressive rumination and social problem solving: A study using two measures of social problem solving

The Functional Implications of Motor, Cognitive, Psychiatric, and Social Problem-Solving States in Huntington's Disease

Objective: Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric dysfunction. In HD, the inability to solve problems successfully affects not only disease coping, but also interpersonal relationships, judgment, and independent living. The aim of the present study was to examine social problem-solving (SPS) in well-characterized HD and at-risk (AR) individuals and to examine its unique and conjoint effects with motor, cognitive, and psychiatric states on functional ratings. Method: Sixty-three participants, 31 HD and 32 gene-positive AR, were included in the study. Participants completed the Social Problem-Solving Inventory–Revised: Long (SPSI-R:L), a 52-item, reliable, standardized measure of SPS. Items are aggregated under five scales (Positive, Negative, and Rational Problem-Solving; Impulsivity/Carelessness and Avoidance Styles). Participants also completed the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale functional, behavioral, and cognitive assessments, as well as additional neuropsychological examinations and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90R). A structural equation model was used to examine the effects of motor, cognitive, psychiatric, and SPS states on functionality. Results: The multifactor structural model fit well descriptively. Cognitive and motor states uniquely and significantly predicted function in HD; however, neither psychiatric nor SPS states did. SPS was, however, significantly related to motor, cognitive, and psychiatric states, suggesting that it may bridge the correlative gap between psychiatric and cognitive states in HD. Conclusion: SPS may be worth assessing in conjunction with the standard gamut of clinical assessments in HD. Suggestions for future research and implications for patients, families, caregivers, and clinicians are discussed.

Parental Problem-Solving Abilities and the Association of Sickle Cell Disease Complications with Health-Related Quality of Life for School-Age Children

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk for poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The current analysis sought to explore parent problem-solving abilities/skills as a moderator between SCD complications and HRQOL to evaluate applicability to pediatric SCD. At baseline, 83 children ages 6-12years and their primary caregiver completed measures of child HRQOL. Primary caregivers also completed a measure of social problem-solving. A SCD complications score was computed from medical record review. Parent problem-solving abilities significantly moderated the association of SCD complications with child self-report psychosocial HRQOL (p=.006). SCD complications had a direct effect on parent proxy physical and psychosocial child HRQOL. Enhancing parent problem-solving abilities may be one approach to improve HRQOL for children with high SCD complications; however, modification of parent perceptions of HRQOL may require direct intervention to improve knowledge and skills involved in disease management.

SOCIAL COGNITION AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME AS SEPARATE DOMAINS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Background: Deficits in social cognition are recognised as an important feature of schizophrenia, mainly due to their close association with poor functional outcome. Impaired functioning in the domains of processing of emotions and interpretation of behaviour of others in the social milieu appears to impact functional outcome in individuals with schizophrenia. Impairments in cognition generally cooccur in these individuals and the magnitudes of deficits in social cognition and cognition are usually strongly associated. Furthermore, whereas cognitive deficits reportedly account for 10%-40% of the variance in functional outcome, social cognition has been shown to have a unique relationship to functional outcome, beyond that of cognitive function. In otherwords, social cognitionmay be amediating factor through which cognition impacts functional outcome. However, both social cognition and functional outcome are broad constructs encompassing multiple abilities. The fact that there is a wide range of measures used to test the above domains further complicates an understanding of the association between social cognition and functional outcome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factorial validity of social cognitive constructs against that of functional outcome in schizophrenia. Methods: The subjects were 103 individuals with schizophrenia. Facial Emotion Identification Test (FEIT), the Facial Emotion Discrimination Test (FEDT), the Social Cue Recognition Test (SCRT) and the Situational Features Recognition Test (SFRT) were used as measures of social cognition. Cognitive tests were chosen in order to assess a wide range of cognitive domains and were consistent with batteries generally used in the schizophrenia literature. Functional outcome was assessed using two measures: the Quality of Life Scale (QLS) and the Social Functioning Scale (SFS). The Assessment of Interpersonal Problem Solving (AIPPS) scale, which consists of three subscales, was used as a measure of social problem solving. Symptoms were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS). Results: Using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation all social cognitive tasks (i.e. FAIT, FADT, SCRT and SFRT) loaded on factor 1 (SOC COG), all three AIPPS sub-scales loaded on factor 2 (SOCPROBLEM), andbothSFS andQLS loadedon factor 3 (SOC FUNCTION). SOC COG was significantly associated with cognition (r=.54, p<0.001) and with positive (r=-.28, p<0.01) and negative symptoms (r=-.23, p<0.5). SOC PROBLEM was associated with positive (r=-.22, p<0.05) andnegative symptoms (r=-.26, p<0.05) andSOCFUNCTIONwas significantlyassociatedwithpositive (r=-.47, p<0.001) and negative symptoms (r=-.54, p<0.001). Discussion: The factor analysis clearly suggests that social cognition and social functioning are separate constructs. Interestingly a measure of social problem solving that has been at times considered a measure of functioning was differentiated from both social cognition and social functioning. Social cognition was the only factor that was significantly associated with cognition suggesting cognitive underpinning to social perception, social knowledge, and the ability to recognise affect in others. Further, all three factors correlated with both positive and negative symptoms suggesting that interpretation and evaluation of events in the social environment as well as social interactions in schizophrenia may depend on the level of psychotic symptoms.

Social Problem-Solving and Depressive Symptom Vulnerability: The Importance of Real-Life Problem-Solving Performance

Previous research suggests poor social problem-solving may function as a vulnerability factor for depressive symptoms. However, the ecological validity of previous findings is questionable, with recent research using real-life performance based approaches to ascertain how solutions are implemented in the ‘real world’. The current study employed a longitudinal design to examine the role of real-life problem-solving as a predictor of future depressive symptoms. Participants completed a diary of the interpersonal problems they encountered, and their attempts to solve them. They also completed traditional measures of social problem-solving (SPSI-R and MEPS task). Real-life problem-solving performance predicted depressive symptoms 3 months after the initial testing session, beyond the variance accounted for by traditional measures of social problem-solving. This suggests that the ability to hypothetically problem-solve is distinct from the ability to generate and implement problem-solving strategies in real-life, and that it is the latter which is most important in predicting depressive symptoms.

The role of social problem solving in improving social functioning in therapy for adults with personality disorder

AbstractObjectives In a previous study, adults with personality disorder who were treated with psychoeducation and social problem‐solving therapy improved in social functioning.The purpose of this paper is to examine in more detail the role of social problem solving in effecting change in that study. The hypotheses are that there will be improvements in social problem solving after therapy, and that these improvements will predict change in social functioning.Design An examination of pre‐ to post‐intervention changes on a psychometric measure of social problem solving, and the relationship of change scores to improvements on a measure of social functioning.Method Data on 93 community‐dwelling adults with personality disorder who completed treatment were examined. Pre‐ and post‐treatment scores on the Social Problem Solving Inventory‐Revised (SPSI‐R) and the Social Functioning Questionnaire (SFQ) were examined using repeated measures t‐tests. SPSI‐R scale change scores were examined in relation to their prediction of change on the SFQ in regression analyses.Results The mean pre‐ to post‐treatment changes were positive on all SPSI‐R scales and the SFQ. In regression analysis, after controlling for pre‐treatment SFQ scores, change on the SPSI‐R total score predicted change on the SFQ. Of the SPSI‐R subscales, change in Negative Problem Orientation (NPO) was the sole predictor of change on SFQ.Conclusions This study supports the hypothesis that, when social problem‐solving therapy for people with personality disorder works, it does so by improving their social problem‐solving ability. Specifically, social problem‐solving therapy may be effective by reducing NPO, and thereby improving social functioning. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Social Problem Solving and Noncardiac Chest Pain

To investigate differences in social problem solving (SPS) between individuals with noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) and persons with chest pain who tested positive for underlying cardiac disease. The major design involved a matched case-control methodology and compared a group of patients with NCCP (n = 53) with a group of patients with cardiac disease-related chest pain (n = 53) with regard to a battery of psychological distress, stress, and pain measures as well as a multidimensional measure of SPS. Initial analyses found no differences between the groups regarding reported levels of chest pain intensity or frequency. However, patients with NCCP, as compared with their matched counterparts, reported significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and anger. In the analysis that addressed SPS differences between groups, general negative affectivity and prior history of cardiac disease served as covariates and revealed that individuals with NCCP were characterized by less effective problem solving on three of five dimensions assessed as compared with their matched counterparts. Moreover, the relationship between SPS and pain among patients with NCCP was found to be above and beyond that related to general negative affectivity. These findings both support and add to the literature regarding psychosocial correlates of NCCP and identify SPS as a potentially important factor in its pathogenesis.

Social and cognitive functioning in psychosis

There is clear evidence that there is a link between cognitive and social functioning in schizophrenia. However, the exact nature of that association is not well established. In this study, three groups were included: 50 first episode of psychosis (FE) subjects, 53 multi-episode schizophrenia subjects (ME) and 55 non-psychiatric controls (NPC). Subjects were assessed on measures of social functioning and a comprehensive cognitive battery. FE subjects were assessed on admission to a comprehensive FE program and one year later. The ME and NPC group had two assessments one year apart. Both the FE and ME subjects were clearly impaired relative to NPCs in cognition and social functioning. In both the patient group and the NPC group cognition predicted performance on a measure of social problem solving and one measure of social functioning but not the other. This study supports the association between cognition and social functioning but indicates that this is a function of how social functioning is conceptualized and assessed.

Diabetes Problem-Solving Scale Development in an Adult, African American Sample

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine psychometric properties of the Diabetes Problem-Solving Scale (DPSS), which was designed to assess how adults with type 2 diabetes approach and manage problems encountered in diabetes self-management. Participants were 64 African American adults with type 2 diabetes. The 30-item DPSS and measures of social problem solving, diabetes self-management, and depressive symptoms were administered. Blood samples were collected to measure hemoglobin A1C level. Cronbach alpha for the DPSS total scale was .77 and ranged from .72 to .78 for subscales. Correlations of the DPSS total score and subscale scores with a standardized social problem-solving scale ranged from 0.30 to 0.46 (all P < .01). Higher DPSS total scores, indicating better self-reported diabetes problem solving, were associated with higher medication adherence, more frequent self-monitoring of blood glucose, and lower hemoglobin A1C level. Of the DPSS subscales, Impulsive Style, Negative Transfer of Past Experience/Learning, and Negative Motivation were differentially associated with reduced self-management and disease control. The DPSS demonstrated acceptable total scale and subscale internal consistency, construct validity, and predictive validity in this pilot sample. The scale may have utility both in identifying associations between diabetes-related problem solving and self-management and in guiding problem solving interventions to improve self-management and control.

Evaluation of a collaborative multimedia conflict resolution curriculum

This article describes the development and evaluation of STARstreams, a pilot effort to utilize videos and online discussions in a conflict resolution curriculum that acknowledges the inherent socio-personal aspects of conflict. The STARstreams curricula includes a set of video-based scenarios depicting conflict situations and potential resolutions to those conflicts, a web-based conferencing system for cross-classroom discussion of the scenarios, and a handbook to guide teacher implementation of the curriculum. These materials were evaluated in a 2-week field trial with four geographically diverse 5th and 6th grade classrooms. The experimental STARstreams curriculum was well-received by participating students and teachers, engendered extensive participation in online discussions about the scenarios, and had a statistically significant effect on measures of social problem solving, self-efficacy toward conflict resolution, and perceived value and satisfaction with the materials. The overall program and its development are described; classroom experiences, online discussion, and quantitative outcome measures are presented; and implications for future efforts are discussed.

The relationship between two‐dimensional self‐esteem and problem solving style in an anorexic inpatient sample

Research examining cognitive and behavioural determinants of anorexia is currently lacking. This has implications for the success of treatment programmes for anorexics, particularly, given the high reported dropout rates. This study examines two-dimensional self-esteem (comprising of self-competence and self-liking) and social problem-solving in an anorexic population and predicts that self-esteem will mediate the relationship between problem-solving and eating pathology by facilitating/inhibiting use of faulty/effective strategies. Twenty-seven anorexic inpatients and 62 controls completed measures of social problem solving and two-dimensional self-esteem. Anorexics scored significantly higher than the non-clinical group on measures of eating pathology, negative problem orientation, impulsivity/carelessness and avoidance and significantly lower on positive problem orientation and both self-esteem components. In the clinical sample, disordered eating correlated significantly with self-competence, negative problem-orientation and avoidance. Associations between disordered eating and problem solving lost significance when self-esteem was controlled in the clinical group only. Self-competence was found to be the main predictor of eating pathology in the clinical sample while self-liking, impulsivity and negative and positive problem orientation were main predictors in the non-clinical sample. Findings support the two-dimensional self-esteem theory with self-competence only being relevant to the anorexic population and support the hypothesis that self-esteem mediates the relationship between disordered eating and problem solving ability in an anorexic sample. Treatment implications include support for programmes emphasising increasing self-appraisal and self-efficacy.

A social problem-solving model of adherence to HIV medications.

HIV medication adherence remains a challenge and limits the degree to which treatment benefit can be maximized. This study tested an explanatory model of HIV medication adherence using a social problem-solving (SPS) framework. Associations of SPS with adherence are hypothesized to be direct and/or indirect via psychological health. HIV+ adults were interviewed using validated measures of SPS, psychological health, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication adherence. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used to test hypothesized relationships and to evaluate overall fit of the model to the data. SEM supported an indirect association (but not direct) of SPS on adherence via psychological health among the 545 HIV+ adults included in the analyses. Overall, the findings resulted in a model of adherence that offered very good fit to the data and correctly classified 97% of the cases as adherent versus nonadherent. Results support the use of SPS as a conceptual framework for understanding adherence to ART. Findings offer rationale and direction for SPS interventions to enhance adherence by improving psychological health. Such approaches, if effective, have the potential to positively impact psychological well being and adherence, thereby maximizing clinical benefit from treatment, which is linked to lower mortality from AIDS.

The Adolescent Problems Inventory: A profile of incarcerated English male young offenders

The Adolescent Problem Inventory (API) is a measure of social problem-solving that reliably distinguishes delinquent and non-delinquent young men. The current study examined the utility of the API specifically with a sample of 520 serious, incarcerated, young male offenders. The API, previously modified for use in the UK, showed good psychometric properties, including internal consistency and test–retest reliability. The similarity of scores for this sample compared to the original American sample ( Freedman, Rosenthal, Donahoe, Schlundt, & McFall, 1978) suggests that the modified API is suitable for use with male UK delinquents. A factor analysis revealed four factors within the API, suggesting sub-types of situation that pose different demands. While not differing significantly on their overall patterns of scores on the full API, a discriminate function analysis indicated two factors that predicted acquisitive and aggressive offender groups. The implications of the findings for the conduct of interventions are discussed.

The Relation between Observational Measures of Social Problem Solving and Familial Antisocial Behavior: Genetic and Environmental Influences

Deficits in social problem‐solving skills are often associated with antisocial behavior, particularly in children’s extrafamilial relationships. The current study was designed to examine this association in several new ways: the association was examined at two times in an adolescent sample within the context of the family; genetic models were used to estimate genetic and environmental effects on observational measures of problem solving and antisocial behavior and on the association between the two. The analyses were conducted as part of the Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development project, consisting of 720 families at Time 1 (mean adolescent age: 14.5 years) and 440 families at Time 2 (mean adolescent age: 16.1 years). Genetic influence was found for antisocial behavior, but not for problem solving. The findings of shared environmental influences on these measures and their association are unusual in the behavioral genetic literature and are important in that respect.

Social problem solving, mood, and suicidality among inpatient adolescents

Relationships between social problem solving, mood, and suicidality were examined in a sample of 105 adolescent psychiatric inpatients (ages 12–18). Youth were administered the Social Problem-Solving Inventory—Revised (T. D'Zurilla & A. Maydeu-Olivares, 1995) as well as standardized self-report and interview measures of dysphoria, hopelessness, anxiety, and suicidality. Results indicated that a negative problem orientation as well as an avoidant or impulsive problem-solving style were associated with less favorable scores on all of the latter measures, including greater reported suicidality. By contrast, associations were not observed between utilization of rational problem-solving skills and measures of either mood or suicidality. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that the relationships found between the former measures of social problem solving and suicidality were mediated by more direct associations of less-effective social problem solving with both dysphoria/state-depression and hopelessness.

Social problem solving in children with acquired brain injuries.

To assess the performance of children with acquired brain injuries (ABIs) on a measure of social problem solving and to examine the relationships between participant characteristics and performance on the Social Knowledge Interview (SKI) and between parent-reported child behavior and performance on the SKI. Between-group comparisons using correlational analyses, matched pairs t-tests, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Thirty-one children 6-12 years old with ABI and 31 control participants, matched on age and sex. The SKI, a measure of social problem-solving skills. Using matched pairs t-tests and ANCOVA, groups were compared on several SKI measures, including the number of unique responses generated for each problem scenario, the quality of those responses, and the ability to select the best response from a set of alternatives. When equated for socioeconomic status (SES), ABI and control participants performed similarly on the SKI; however, a trend for children with ABI to generate more assertive responses was observed. Performance on the SKI was positively correlated with IQ and related to parent-reported adaptive behavior. In children with ABI, performance was also related to primary lesion location and treatment regimen. Children with ABI are as capable of judging the appropriateness of behavior and generating response options on an analog measure of social problem solving as were their typically developing peers. However, those individual children with ABI who are more likely to have social problems may be identified by the qualitative aspects of their responses on analog tasks. These findings have implications for the identification of children with social skills deficits following ABI and for the development of effective rehabilitation strategies.

Social problem solving in mentally disordered offenders: a brief report

AbstractBackgroundSocial problem‐solving deficits may be implicated in the development and maintenance of aggression and violence. Social problem‐solving skills training is, therefore, an important intervention to address this issue.MethodA measure of social problem solving, the Social Problem‐Solving Inventory–Revised, was given to 52 patients from a secure psychiatric unit. A pilot social problem‐solving intervention, based on the work of D'Zurilla and colleagues, was given to nine mentally disordered offenders.ResultsThe patients in the secure unit did not differ, on the scale, from the norms established for adult psychiatric patients. The nine patients who participated in the pilot study showed improvements on the overall SPSI‐R score and two subscales–reduced negative problem orientation (NPO) and reduced impulsivity/carelessness (ICS).ConclusionThe positive changes indicate that social problem‐solving skills training may be of value with mentally disordered offenders. Copyright © 1999 Whurr Publishers Ltd.