Psychopathological Distress Research Articles

Genetic and environmental contributions to psychopathological symptoms in adulthood: Clarifying the role of individual and parental risk factors.

Psychopathology-related suicide attempts and deaths are increasing, and the research focus remains on mental disorder in childhood and adolescence. We examined the genetic and environmental contributions to internalizing, externalizing, and general psychopathological distress to clarify the role of individual/parental risk factors for suicide in young adults. Data from 1206 young adults were obtained from a publicly available dataset from the Human Connectome Project. Heritability estimates were analyzed by twin modelling using OpenMx and data from a subsample of 402 monozygotic and dizygotic twins. The estimated prevalence of psychopathological symptoms ranged from 9 to 16%. The heritability of internalizing, externalizing, and general psychopathological distress reached significance, with estimates ranging from 22 to 46%. Shared (common) environments contributed to aggressive behavior (30 %). Determining factors for psychopathological distress (internalizing, externalizing, general) were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Household income (<$50,000), childhood conduct problems, and maternal drug or alcohol problems were common risk factors of internalizing, externalizing, and general psychopathological distress. Marijuana dependence and maternal anxiety were additional risk factors of externalizing distress. The presence of alcohol and maternal drug or alcohol problems was linked to general psychopathological distress. The results highlight risk factors associated with psychopathological symptoms that should be considered in the early detection of high-risk groups and implementation of family-based interventions. Providing continuous care and/or follow-up in at-risk children and young adults may improve mental health and well-being.

Non-suicidal self-injury disorder as a stand-alone diagnosis in a consecutive help-seeking sample of adolescents

BackgroundWith inclusion of non-suicidal self-injury disorder (NSSID) in the DSM-5, empirical data are crucial to gather information regarding its clinical validity and relevance. Until now, research focused mostly on single diagnostic criteria of NSSID. The present study aimed to characterize NSSID with and without comorbid diagnoses in a large help-seeking adolescent sample, investigating the clinical validity and selectivity of NSSID within the theoretical framework of Robins and Guze. MethodsInterview and self-report data of n = 464 adolescents (mean age = 14.95 years, SD = 1.43, 89.17% female) with NSSID according to DSM-5 from a German outpatient clinic were analysed with descriptive statistics. Group differences were calculated with χ2 tests or t-tests respectively. Stability of NSSID without comorbidity was investigated after 12 months. ResultsWithin a consecutive help-seeking sample, NSSID as a stand-alone diagnosis (without comorbidity) was rare (only 3.7%), associated with low illness severity and psychopathological distress, and prospectively rather unstable. LimitationSelection bias due to the help-seeking population and female preponderance. ConclusionBased on the theoretical framework applied, NSSI should be considered as an unspecific precursor for psychopathological development generally and suicide specifically but it may be of limited significance as a ‘pure and sole’ diagnostic entity. Results add to existing claims to re-propose classification criteria to better picture the clinical group of affected adolescents.

Gambling Phenotypes in Online Sports Betting.

Background and ObjectivesThe Internet provides easy access to multiple types of gambling and has led to changes in betting habits. A severe rise in problematic gambling has been predicted among all sectors of the population, and studies are required to assess the emerging phenotypes related to the new structures of gambling activities. This study aimed to explore the existence of latent classes associated with gambling habits among treatment-seeking gamblers due to Online Sports Betting (OSB).MethodInitial sample included n = 4,516 patients consecutively admitted for treatment in a hospital unit specialized in behavioral addictions. Two-step clustering analysis was used within the subsample of n = 323 patients who reported problems related with OSB, within a set of indicators including sociodemographics, psychopathological distress, personality, and severity of the gambling activity.ResultsThe prevalence of OSB as a main type of gambling problem in the study was 7.2% (95% confidence interval: 6.4 to 7.9%). Two latent clusters were identified, with differences in sociodemographics and clinical status. Cluster 1 (n = 247, 76.5%) grouped patients that were more affected due to the OSB behaviors, and it was characterized by non-married patients, lower socioeconomic position index, higher comorbidity with other substance related addictions, younger age, and early onset of the gambling activity, as well as higher debts due to the OSB, higher psychopathological distress, and a more dysfunctional personality profile. Cluster 2 (n = 76, 23.5%) grouped patients that were less affected by OSB, mostly married (or living with a stable partner), with higher social position levels, older age and older onset of the gambling activity, as well as a more functional psychopathological and personality profile.ConclusionThe increasing understanding of latent classes underlying OSB phenotypes is essential in guiding the development of reliable screening tools to identify individuals highly vulnerable to addictive behaviors among Internet gamblers, as well as in planning prevention and treatment initiatives focused on the precise profiles of these patients.

The Relationship between Dog Ownership, Psychopathological Symptoms and Health-Benefitting Factors in Occupations at Risk for Traumatization.

Individuals working in high-risk occupations (e.g., emergency staff) are exposed to high levels of occupational stress including traumatic events. Correspondingly, several studies report high rates of mental health problems among these occupations. Pet ownership has been associated with better mental health. However, to date a study on the association between pet ownership and indicators of mental health in these occupations is missing. The present cross-sectional survey (N = 580) investigated pet ownership, attachment to pets, health-benefitting factors (i.e., sense of coherence, trait-resilience, locus of control) and psychopathological symptoms (i.e., general mental health problems, posttraumatic stress, burnout) in medical staff, police officers, and firefighters. Dog owners and non-dog owners showed comparable levels of psychopathological distress and health-benefitting factors. Compared to cat owners, dog owners demonstrated stronger emotional attachment to their pet. Moreover, a stronger attachment was also linked to higher levels of psychopathological symptoms and lower levels of health-benefitting factors. However, the relationship between attachment to pets and health-benefitting factors could be explained by their overlap with psychopathological symptom levels. Overall, our findings are not in line with the notion that pet ownership generally has a health-benefitting effect. Future studies need to investigate circumstances that modulate positive effects of pet ownership.

Exploring psychopathological distress in Italian university students seeking help: A picture from a university counselling service

Psychological distress represents a longstanding issue that has been observed in university student populations. The present study aimed to explore the psychological distress in a group of university students seeking for psychological help available in an Italian University Counselling Service. Participants were 597 students (70.5% female, Mage = 24.79, SDage = 5.08) who consulted the Psychological Service at the University and completed the Adult Self-Report (ASR) questionnaire prior to a brief psychodynamic intervention (T1) and 372 of them (70.4% females, Mage = 24.85, SDage = 5.44) were re-evaluated on the same scales three months after the end of the intervention within a follow-up session. Findings demonstrated that students who dropped out at follow-up had slightly higher baseline scores in Thought Problems and Rule-Breaking Behavior. Adopting a Latent Change Score Difference (LDS) approach to model the differences between T1 and T2 scores in ASR scales, results showed an average significant and reliable decrease in all psychopathological syndromes, although the rate of this change was not uniform for all individuals (in the case of somatic complaints, this was partially accounted for by gender). Students reporting higher symptoms in three syndromes at T1 (i.e., somatic complaints, depressive symptoms, withdrawal) showed a steeper decrease of such scores at the follow-up. Findings suggest that a short-term psychological counselling intervention may represent an efficacious way to deal with emerging psychopathological distress within university contexts.

Toward a multimodal measurement model for the neurobehavioral trait of affiliative capacity.

A growing body of research supports the value of a multimodal assessment approach, drawing on measures from different response modalities, for clarifying how core biobehavioral processes relate to various clinical problems and dimensions of psychopathology. Using data for 507 healthy adults, the current study was undertaken to integrate self-report and neurophysiological (brain potential) measures as a step toward a multimodal measurement model for the trait of affiliative capacity (AFF) - a biobehavioral construct relevant to adaptive and maladaptive social-interpersonal functioning. Individuals low in AFF exhibit a lack of interpersonal connectedness, deficient empathy, and an exploitative-aggressive social style that may be expressed transdiagnostically in antagonistic externalizing or distress psychopathology. Specific aims were to (1) integrate trait scale and brain potential indicators into a multimodal measure of AFF and (2) evaluate associations of this multimodal measure with criterion variables of different types. Results demonstrated (1) success in creating a multimodal measure of AFF from self-report and neural indicators, (2) effectiveness of this measure in predicting both clinical-diagnostic and neurophysiological criterion variables, and (3) transdiagnostic utility of the multimodal measure at both specific-disorder and broad symptom-dimension levels. Our findings further illustrate the value of psychoneurometric operationalizations of biobehavioral trait dimensions as referents for clarifying transdiagnostic relationships between biological systems variables and empirically defined dimensions of psychopathology.

Features of the psychopathological condition of patients with epilepsy and depression in an interictal period

The paper presents the results of a comprehensive study of the characteristics of the psychopathological state of patients with epilepsy and depressions of various genesis (organic, psychogenic and endogenous) in the interi ctal period. Were investigated the severity and structure of psychopathological manifestations, as well as separately the level and structure of anxiety in patients with epilepsy depending on the form of depression in a comparative aspect with patients with epilepsy without signs of depression. According to the selected forms of depression, are analyzed the severity and structural features of depressive symptoms. Was established that patients with depressions are characterized by more pronounced and diverse psychopathological manifestations, in the structure of which, apart from depressive manifestations, anxious and psychosomatic symptoms are formed (with organic and psychogenic depressions); as well as asthenic manifestations, a decrease in the level of interpersonal interaction and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (with endogenous depressions). Is determined the highest level of psychopathological distress in patients with epilepsy with endogenous depressions. Key words: epilepsy, organic depression, psychogenic depression, endogenous depression, interictal period, psychopathological condition, anxiety, depressive manifestations.

Evaluation of a guided internet-based self-help intervention for older adults after spousal bereavement or separation/divorce: A randomised controlled trial

BackgroundWhile several internet interventions target severe prolonged grief symptoms after bereavement, no randomised controlled trial investigated interventions for prolonged grief after separation/divorce. MethodsThis randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a guided internet-based self-help intervention for prolonged grief symptoms after spousal bereavement or separation/divorce compared to a wait-list control group. Furthermore, we analysed whether the intervention was also efficacious for participants with milder grief symptoms. ResultsA total of 110 participants were mainly recruited by newspaper articles. Average age was 51 years, 77% were separated/divorced, 79% were female. Dropout rate was 11%. Compared to the control group, the intervention resulted in significant reductions in grief (d = 0.81), depression (d = 0.59), psychopathological distress (d = 0.39) (primary outcomes), embitterment (d = 0.37), loneliness (d = 0.37) and an increase in life satisfaction (d = −0.41) (secondary outcomes). These gains were maintained over three months. Improvements were similar among widowed and separated/divorced participants as well as among participants with low, medium or high levels of grief at baseline. LimitationsLimitations include the self-selective sample and a rather small number of widowed participants. ConclusionsFindings indicate that an internet intervention based on models for coping with grief after bereavement was not only beneficial for widowed but also separated or divorced participants. Furthermore, also participants with lower levels of grief at baseline benefitted from the intervention. This corroborates that indicated prevention efforts for grief are efficacious.

Difficulties in emotion regulation and psychopathic traits in violent offenders

PurposeThe present study aimed to advance our understanding of the relevance of emotion dysregulation (ED) for psychopathy. MethodsLatent Profile Analysis (LPA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were employed to examine person- and variable-centered associations between ED domains and psychopathic traits in a moderately-large (N = 268) sample of violent male offenders. ResultsLPA results indicated a 3-class solution with offenders most accurately classified based on ED levels (low, medium, high) across domains. The three ED subgroups revealed linear positive associations with psychopathy total, affective, and lifestyle facet scores, such that elevated levels of these traits were found in subgroups with greater ED. A similar linear trend emerged for the antisocial – but not interpersonal – facet, in-line with recent studies showing positive associations between executive functioning and interpersonal features of psychopathy. In SEM analyses, a latent ED factor positively predicted a super-ordinate psychopathy factor, controlling for psychopathological distress. ConclusionsTaken together, current findings support the notion that ED involves broad difficulties across emotion regulation domains, which vary by degree rather than in kind, and that these difficulties have linear positive relations with psychopathic traits among violent offenders.

Primary prevention of mental health risks in children of depressed patients: Preliminary results from the Kanu-intervention

Children of mentally ill parents are one of the major risk groups for developing mental health problems. The family-based Kanu-intervention was designed to foster coping strategies and resources of affected families through a combination of individual, family and group-based intervention strategies. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of the Kanu-intervention in families with depressed parents, using a quasi-experimental, pre-post-and six-month follow-up design with measures of child's psychological and social adjustment. Our study provided preliminary evidence that the Kanu-intervention is effective for reducing child psychopathological distress. Establishing preventive interventions as part of psychiatric aftercare may provide a substantial benefit in reducing mental health risks in this high-risk group.

The physiological orienting response in female adolescents with borderline personality disorder

BackgroundThe reflexive startle- and orienting-response have been widely studied in psychiatric disorders. Existing evidence in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) is mixed, and limited to adults. The present study addressed clinical correlates of the psychophysiological orienting response in adolescents with BPD. MethodsFemale adolescents (13–19 years) with BPD (n = 30), healthy controls (HC; n = 34), and psychiatric clinical controls (CC; n = 53) participated in the trial. Orienting response was induced using acoustic startle-probes (sinus tones) while heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SCR) were continuously recorded. Besides clinical interviews, the assessment included self-reports on depressive symptoms, anxiety, dissociation and psychopathological distress. ResultsOn a group level, relative habituation of the HR-response (regression slope) significantly differed between groups (F(2,114) = 3.74, p = 0.027), with significant contrasts (p = 0.026, Sidak corrected) comparing CC (slope 0.04 ± 0.41) and BPD (slope 0.28 ± 0.40). On a dimensional level, relative HR habituation was significantly correlated with the number of BPD diagnostic criteria endorsed (r(117) = 0.183, p = 0.049) and symptoms of dissociation (r(116) = 0.193, p = 0.038), indicating that delayed HR habituation across probes was associated with greater BPD symptom severity. Analyses of SCR showed no significant findings. ConclusionFindings provide preliminary support for altered habituation of the HR orienting response in adolescent BPD, associated with BPD severity – in particular dissociative experiences. Dissociative experiences may alter the automatic defensive response early in the course of BPD, providing a potential pathway to exaggerated emotional responding in BPD.

Psychopathological dimensions in subjects with hereditary ATTR V30M amyloidosis and their relation with life events due to the disease

Background: Chronic physical illness has been associated with emotional distress. Chronic diseases may change usual family patterns with economic, social and family losses. Hereditary ATTR V30M amyloidosis is a rare, fatal inherited systemic amyloidosis, with chronic evolution and beginning in adulthood.Aims and methods: To evaluate psychopathological dimensions and how they correlated with disease-related life events, 209 symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers, participated in the study. Sociodemographic and Family and Personal History Disease questionnaires and brief symptom inventory (BSI) were applied.Results: BSI indices, global severity index (GSI), positive symptom index (PSI) and positive symptom total (PST) scored higher than general population. Independent predictors for GSI >0.83 were female sex (OR = 3.46, p = .005) and being symptomatic carriers (OR = 3.03, p = .039). Independent predictors of a PST >26.99 were female sex (OR = 3.74, p = .012) symptomatic carrier (OR = 5.32, p = .025), age between 15 and 24 years at affected parent’s death (OR = 5.26, p = .04). Independent predictors of a PSI >1.56 were being asymptomatic carrier (OR = 6.3, p = .036); to have children (OR = 3.19, p = .043) and have ≤14 years at parent’s disease onset (OR = 6.39, p = .05).Conclusions: Results point to an important vulnerability of this population for psychological distress and psychiatric disease. Early life events related to disease, being sick and sex are associated with psychopathological distress.

Transdiagnostic culturally adapted CBT with Farsi-speaking refugees: a pilot study

ABSTRACTBackground: Approximately half of all asylum seekers suffer from trauma-related disorders requiring treatment, among them Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. There is a lack of easily accessible, low-threshold treatments taking the cultural background into account. Culturally Adapted CBT (CA CBT) is a well evaluated, transdiagnostic group intervention for refugees, using psychoeducation, meditation, and Yoga-like exercises. Objective: An uncontrolled pilot study with male Farsi-speaking refugees from Afghanistan and Iran was conducted to investigate feasibility with this ethnic group; a group for which no previous CBT trials have been reported.Method: The participants were nine Farsi-speaking, male refugees with M.I.N.I./DSM-IV diagnoses comprising PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders. Treatment components were adapted to the specific cultural framework of perception of symptoms, causes, ideas of healing, and local therapeutic processes. Before and after 12 weeks of treatment, the primary outcome was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Secondary outcome measures were the Posttraumatic Checklist, Patient Health Questionnaire, Somatic Symptom Scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), Affective Style Questionnaire (ASQ), and Emotion Regulation Scale (ERS).Results: Seven participants completed treatment. In the completer analysis, improvements were found on almost all questionnaires. Large effect sizes were seen for the GHQ-28 (d = 2.0), WHOQOL-BREF scales (d = 1.0–2.3), ASQ tolerating subscale (d = 2.2), and ERS (d = 1.7). With respect to feasibility, cultural adaptation seemed to be a crucial means to promote effectiveness.Conclusion: CA CBT may reduce general psychopathological distress and improve quality of life. Improvement in emotion regulation strategies may mediate treatment effects. More support should be provided to enhance coping with the uncertainty of asylum status and stressful housing conditions. CA CBT appears to be a promising transdiagnostic treatment, serving as an initial low-threshold therapy in a stepped care approach.

Psychopathological correlates of eating behavior among Portuguese undergraduate students.

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between eating behavior dimensions and psychopathological symptoms among Portuguese undergraduate students. We studied 258 participants (62.4% women) regarding eating behavior dimensions (emotional, external and binge eating, flexible and rigid control of eating behavior, and eating self-efficacy), psychopathological distress (as assessed by the Brief Symptom Inventory), and body mass index. In addition to studying bivariate associations between eating behavior dimensions and psychopathological subscales and indexes, what we believe to be a novel analytical approach, considering simultaneously the effects of the overall level of psychopathological distress and the relevance of specific symptoms on the eating behavior dimensions. Emotional, external, and binge eating had positive correlations with psychopathological symptomatology, whereas eating self-efficacy was negatively associated. Multivariate analysis showed that the overall level of psychopathological distress (combined with body mass index, among women) had a larger effect on eating behavior than the relevance of specific symptoms.

Psychopathology and Borderline Personality Pathology Associated with Lifetime Self-Injurious Behavior in Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients and Detainees.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a widespread phenomenon among adolescent psychiatric inpatients. It is also reported among delinquent adolescents detained in correctional facilities. While previous studies have addressed different functions of SIB within offender populations, here we investigate particular patterns of borderline personality pathology and psychopathology underlying SIB in both adolescent psychiatric inpatients and detainees. Adolescent psychiatric inpatients and detainees were recruited consecutively. Participants completed self-reports on SIB, suicidal thoughts and behavior, borderline personality pathology, and general psychopathology. Predictors of lifetime SIB by group were analyzed. Psychiatric inpatients (n = 77) and detainees (n = 50) did not differ with respect to lifetime SIB (57.14 % versus 54.00 %), whereas SIB within the past year did (67.53 % versus 14 %; χ2(1) = 6.158, p = .013). Psychiatric inpatients reported greater emotional problems (t(125) = 5.109, p < .0001) and greater borderline personality pathology. Those with lifetime SIB were characterized by greater emotional problems and borderline personality pathology, independent of their group. Results from regression analyses suggest no group-specific predictors of lifetime SIB. Although psychiatric inpatients endorse greater psychopathological distress, lifetime SIB among adolescent psychiatric inpatients and detainees is associated with similar patterns of psychopathology and borderline personality pathology.

Stress and Burnout in Health-Care Workers after the 2009 L'Aquila Earthquake: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Burnout is a work-related mental health impairment, which is now recognized as a real problem in the context of the helping professions due to its adverse health outcomes on efficiency. To our knowledge, the literature on the postdisaster scenario in Italy is limited by a focus on mental health professionals rather than other health-care workers. Our cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the prevalence of burnout and psychopathological distress in different categories of health-care workers, i.e., physicians, nurses, and health-care assistants, working in different departments of L’Aquila St. Salvatore General Hospital 6 years after the 2009 earthquake in order to prevent and reduce work-related burnout. With a two-stage cluster sampling, a total of 8 departments out of a total of 28 departments were selected and the total sample included 300 health-care workers. All the participants completed the following self-reporting questionnaires: a sociodemographic data form, a Maslach Burnout Inventory and a General Health Questionnaire 12 Items (GHQ-12). Statistically significant differences emerged between the total scores of the GHQ-12: post hoc analysis showed that the total average scores of the GHQ-12 were significantly higher in doctors than in health-care assistants. A high prevalence of burnout among doctors (25.97%) emerged. Using multivariate analysis, we identified a hostile relationship with colleagues, direct exposure to the L’Aquila earthquake and moderate to high levels of distress as being burnout predictors. Investigating the prevalence of burnout and distress in health-care staff in a postdisaster setting and identifying predictors of burnout development such as stress levels, time-management skills and work-life balance will contribute to the development of preventative strategies and better organization at work with a view to improving public health efficacy and reducing public health costs, given that these workers live in the disaster-affected community as survivors and serve as disaster relief workers at the same time.

Health related quality of life and psychopathological distress in risk taking and self-harming adolescents with full-syndrome, subthreshold and without borderline personality disorder: rethinking the clinical cut-off?

BackgroundDiagnostic standards do not acknowledge developmental specifics and differences in the clinical presentation of adolescents with borderline personality disorder (BPD). BPD is associated with severe impairments in health related quality of life (HRQoL) and increased psychopathological distress. Previously no study addressed differences in HRQoL and psychopathology in adolescents with subthreshold and full-syndrome BPD as well as adolescents at-risk for the development but no current BPD.MethodsDrawing on data from a consecutive sample of N = 264 adolescents (12–17 years) presenting with risk-taking and self-harming behavior at a specialized outpatient clinic, we investigated differences in HRQoL (KIDSCREEN-52) and psychopathological distress (SCL-90-R) comparing adolescents with no BPD (less than 3 criteria fulfilled), to those with subthreshold (3–4 BPD criteria) and full-syndrome BPD (5 or more BPD criteria). Group differences were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance with Sidak corrected contrasts or Chi-Square test for categorical variables.ResultsAdolescents with subthreshold and full-syndrome BPD presented one year later at our clinic and were more likely female. Adolescents with subthreshold and full-syndrome BPD showed greater Axis-I and Axis-II comorbidity compared to adolescents with no BPD, and reported greater risk-taking behaviour, self-injury and suicidality. Compared to those without BPD, adolescents with subthreshold and full-syndrome BPD reported significantly reduced HRQoL. Adolescents with sub-threshold BPD and those with full-syndrome BPD did not differ on any HRQoL dimension, with the exception of Self-Perception. Similar, groups with sub-threshold and full-syndrome BPD showed no significant differences on any dimension of self-reported psychopathological distress, with the exception of Hostility.ConclusionsFindings highlight that subthreshold BPD in adolescents is associated with impairments in HRQoL and psychopathological distress comparable to full-syndrome BPD. Findings raise awareness on the importance of early detection and question the diagnostic validity and clinical utility of existing cut-offs. Findings support a lower diagnostic cut-off for adolescent BPD, to identify those at-risk at an early stage.

Trauma, Resilience, and Emotion Regulation

Background: History of childhood abuse and neglect is considered to be a relevant risk factor for adult psychopathology. A functional emotion regulation (ER) can account for resilience despite of traumatic experiences in childhood. Materials & Methods: This study compares the habitual use of specific ER strategies among mentally healthy individuals with (n=61) and without (n=52) experience of childhood abuse and neglect by using the self-rating instrument Heidelberg Form for Emotion Regulation Strategies (H-FERST). SCID-I, ADP-IV, SCL-27, and BDI-II were used for assessment of psychopathological distress. Results: We found no group difference in the habitual use of ER strategies. Healthy individuals with childhood abuse and neglect showed significantly more subjective distress symptoms. Discussion & Conclusion: Considering the significantly higher psychopathological distress reported by the trauma group, the functional habitual use of ER strategies could serve as a path to explain the resilient development of adult individuals after childhood abuse and neglect.

Binge drinking during adolescence and young adulthood is associated with deficits in verbal episodic memory.

Binge drinking (BD), a harmful pattern of alcohol consumption, is common during adolescence. Young adults with alcohol use disorders exhibit hippocampal alterations and episodic memory deficits. However, it is not known how these difficulties progress in community BD adolescents. Our objective was to analyze the relationship between BD trajectory and verbal episodic memory during the developmental period spanning from adolescence and to early adulthood. An initial sample of 155 male and female first-year university students with no other risk factors were followed over six years. Participants were classified as stable non-BDs, stable BDs and ex-BDs according to the third AUDIT item. At baseline, participants comprised 36 ♂/ 40 ♀ non-BDs (18.58 years), 40 ♂/ 39 ♀ BDs (18.87 years), and at the third follow-up, they comprised 8 ♂/ 8 ♀ stable non-BDs (25.49 years), 2 ♂/ 2 ♀ stable BDs (25.40) and 8 ♂/ 12 ♀ ex-BDs (24.97 years). Episodic memory was assessed four times with the Logical Memory subtest (WMS-III) and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Generalized linear mixed models were applied. The results showed that, relative to non-BDs, stable BDs presented difficulties in immediate and delayed recall in the Logical Memory subtest. These difficulties remained stable over time. The short-term ex-BDs continued to display difficulties in immediate and delayed recall in the Logical Memory subtest, but long-term ex-BDs did not. The effects were not influenced by age of alcohol onset, frequency of cannabis use, tobacco use or psychopathological distress. In conclusion, BD during adolescence and young adulthood is associated with episodic memory deficits. Abandoning the BD pattern may lead to partial recovery. These findings are consistent with the vulnerability of the adolescent hippocampus to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol.

Attrition and Outcome in Group Psychotherapy among Traumatized and Non-Traumatized Inpatients

Objective: To examine the impact of correlates of trauma on the appropriateness for group therapy (GT) in 60 participants based on the similarity of the exclusion criteria for GT to the features of posttraumatic disturbances and borderline personality. Method: We assessed the correlates of trauma (PTSD, complex PTSD, dissociation), features of BPD, psychopathological distress and the readiness for GT. Results: There were inverse correlations between the motivation for GT and multiple symptoms, as well as weak associations with the correlates of trauma. Pessimistic expectations of GT and dissociative amnesia were linked to worse outcomes, while phobic anxiety predicted continuation of therapy. Conclusion: Dissociative amnesia and the expectation of GT are potential targets for pre-group preparation for trauma-related disorders.