Graduate Student Journal of Psychology

Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Against Women with Schizophrenia: A Scoping Review

Kellie-Anne Bélisle — 2024-12-16

Background: Globally, 641 million women are touched by intimate partner violence (IPV), establishing it as the most prevalent form of violence affecting women. Women, who are already disproportionately affected by sexual and IPV, face an elevated risk when dealing with severe mental illnesses (SMI) compared to the general population. Schizophrenia, classified as an SMI, poses numerous obstacles that impact women’s ability to maintain employment, good health, and sustain stable relationships. Nevertheless, limited data exists on IPV against women with schizophrenia and its impact. Aims: The objective of this scoping review was to summarize the available literature on sexual and IPV against women with schizophrenia and underlie future avenues of research. Methods: We conducted an electronic search using keywords in the following databases: APA PsychInfo, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. The search yielded a total of 6,099 articles. Upon title and abstract review, 97 articles were retained for full-text reading, after which 7 articles were included in this review. Results: The available articles reveal an association between sexual and IPV against women with schizophrenia. Younger women diagnosed with schizophrenia, especially those with low income or unemployed, are at a higher risk of experiencing sexual and IPV. This victimization increases the likelihood of suicide and exacerbates psychopathology. Conclusion: Research should examine care-setting interventions for women with schizophrenia, who are at increased risk of sexual and IPV, aiming to prevent severe harm. Implementation of preventive measures is essential for enhancing healthcare and societal transformation.

Exploring the Relationship between Gendered Racism, Identity Centrality, and Binge-Eating Symptoms Among Black Women

Rachael Holly — 2024-12-16

Black women often must confront experiences of gendered racism, the intersection of racism and sexism. Subsequently, they adopt coping mechanisms in response, such as avoidance, spirituality, and disordered eating behaviors. The researchers focused on binge eating, defined as eating a large amount of food within a relatively short period; it is often accompanied by feelings of distress and a loss of control when eating. Given the high prevalence of binge eating among Black women, it is important to explore the psychosocial risk factors that may contribute to binge eating among Black women. To gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between gendered racism, identity centrality, and binge eating, the researchers employed intersectionality theory as their framework. In the current study, the researchers sought to understand how the relationship between gendered racism and binge eating was moderated by gendered racial identity centrality, the degree to which Black women view their race and gender as integral to their identity. Participants were 281 Black women from 18-35 who completed an online survey via Qualtrics. The moderation results indicated that for participants who had low or medium levels of identity centrality, more experiences with gendered racism were associated with higher levels of binge eating. Conversely, when participants’ identity centrality was high, there was a non-significant influence on the relationship between gendered racism and binge eating behaviors. Healthcare providers need to understand better the unique experiences of Black women and the factors influencing their disordered eating to implement effective interventions for this marginalized group.

Exploring the Relationship Between Attentional Bias and Symptoms of Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder

Nikki Kaiser — 2024-12-16

Purpose: Research has identified attentional bias towards threatening stimuli as a contributing factor to anxiety disorders, and treatment targeting this bias has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety (Azriel & Bar-Haim, 2020). Studies have found attentional bias to threats among children with separation anxiety disorder (SAD) when tested with dot-probe tasks, with a stronger bias seen when threats are disorder-congruent (Pergamin-Hight et al., 2015). No study has yet investigated this relationship among adults, despite growing recognition that separation anxiety is frequent in this population. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between SAD symptoms and attentional bias toward threatening stimuli (general and separation-specific) on a dot-probe task in a sample of adults, with the goal of informing targeted treatment for adult separation anxiety disorder (ASAD). Methods: Undergraduate participants (n = 57) completed a measure of ASAD symptom severity (ASA-27) and two versions of the dot-probe task, one with separation-specific threatening words and one with generally threatening words. Attentional bias was tested using detection latency. Results: Spearman’s rho correlations between ASA-27 and separation-specific threat trials (r_s = -.07; p = .62) and general threat trials (r_s = .07; p = .60) were not significant. However, ASAD symptoms were correlated with reduced accuracy on trials following ASAD-specific threat words (r_s = -.38, p = .004), but not general threat words (r_s = -.16, p = .22). Conclusions: We did not find that ASAD symptoms related to attentional bias. However, individuals with more ASAD symptoms were less accurate on trials that involved ASAD-threat words, suggesting an emotional interference effect of disorder-specific threats on task performance.

Exploring the Relationship Between Maladaptive Daydreaming and Adverse Childhood Experiences

Lauren Moment — 2024-12-16

This study explores the intricate relationship between maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). MD, characterized by immersive daydreaming that may disrupt daily functioning, has garnered attention as a potential coping mechanism for trauma. ACEs encompass a range of traumatic experiences, such as abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction, which have been associated with various mental health challenges. Using the MD Scale (MDS-16) and the ACEs scale, data were collected from a sample of N = 386 individuals. Significant positive correlations were found between MD and specific ACEs, including verbal abuse, mental illness or suicide, sexual abuse, and physical neglect. Regression analyses revealed that individuals with higher levels of ACEs were more likely to engage in MD. The relationship between ACEs and MD may involve MD serving as a psychological escape or coping strategy for the emotional and psychological impacts of trauma. Conversely, separation or divorce was found to have a negative association with MD scores, suggesting that different types of ACEs may affect MD tendencies differently. These findings highlight the importance of addressing childhood trauma in interventions targeting MD behaviors. Future research should delve deeper into the specific types of ACEs and their differential impacts on MD to better inform targeted interventions. This study highlights the critical role of childhood experiences in shaping MD behaviors and emphasizes the need for trauma-informed approaches in clinical practice.

Effects of Absorption Training on Positive Activity Experiences for Individuals with Anhedonia: A Single Case Series

Angelica Tong — 2024-12-16

Existing literature has suggested an association between being absorbed in activities and improved experience in activities in terms of better mood gain and reducing rumination. This single-case series aimed to collect methodological information and preliminary data for future trials regarding the effects of absorption training; a rumination-focused CBT component, on improving positive activity experiences among individuals with anhedonia using a multiple baseline design (N=16). There were no significant effects of absorption training found regarding the level of absorption, positive affect, and rumination during the positive activities which might be due to high baselines, limiting the effects of intervention. The effect sizes indicated that absorption training might have larger effects on improving absorption and reducing rumination than increasing positive affect during activities. In terms of suggestions for methodology, future clinical trials should target participants with higher levels of anhedonia using a larger and homogenous sample and provide higher-intensity training. It is also worth exploring whether absorption training has larger effects on specific types of populations such as clinically depressed individuals.