Publications by authors named "Brandon J Weiss"

: Alcohol-related difficulties are a significant public health concern in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, and people with other sexual orientations and forms of gender identity (LGBTQIA+) communities. Considering these concerns, there is a strong push to develop affirming and strength-based prevention efforts. Unfortunately, such efforts are undermined by the lack of protective LGBTQIA + models for alcohol misuse.

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This randomized controlled trial assessed the efficacy of a five-session version of Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) among veterans obtaining treatment in primary care. Veterans who screened positive for either posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression (N = 26) were enrolled and randomized into either five-session STAIR or treatment as usual (TAU). Assessments of PTSD symptoms (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5; PCL-5), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II; BDI-II), emotion regulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; DERS), and social engagement difficulties (World Health Organization Disability Assessment 2.

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This pilot study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a skills-focused treatment delivered via video teleconferencing (VTC) to women veterans living in rural areas who had experienced military sexual trauma (MST). The Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) program focuses on teaching emotion management and interpersonal skills in 8 to 10 sessions. The STAIR program may be a good fit for individuals in rural areas for whom social isolation and low social support are particularly problematic.

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Introduction: Group Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) is an evidence-based, manualized treatment for individuals with post-traumatic stress symptoms, that focuses on improving functioning through mood management (e.g., emotion regulation) and relationship skills development.

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: Clinicians' perceptions of CBT-I Coach, a patient-facing mobile app for cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), are critical to its adoption and integration into practice. Diffusion of innovations theory emphasizes the influence of perceptions, including the relative advantage to current practice, the compatibility to clinicians' needs, the complexity, the innovation's trialability, and observability. This study intended to evaluate the use and perceptions of CBT-I Coach among Veterans Affairs (VA)-trained CBT-I clinicians.

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: Depression among those who have experienced childhood abuse is associated with earlier onset, more persistent and severe symptoms, more frequent relapse, and poorer treatment outcomes across a variety of psychiatric disorders. In addition, individuals with a history of childhood abuse are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) co-occurring with depression. : This study evaluated whether severity of depression moderated the outcome in a PTSD treatment for childhood abuse survivors.

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This pilot project implemented a mental health program, STAIR, targeting basic skills in mood management training and social functioning for women veterans with military-related trauma who live in rural areas. We report on outreach and implementation procedures, the women veterans' reactions to the program, and lessons learned.

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Study Objectives: This paper describes CBT-I Coach, a patient-facing smartphone app designed to enhance cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). It presents findings of two surveys of U.S.

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Sexual minorities face greater exposure to discrimination and rejection than heterosexuals. Given these threats, sexual minorities may engage in sexual orientation concealment in order to avoid danger. This social stigma and minority stress places sexual minorities at risk for anxiety and related disorders.

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This study examined posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related symptoms among sexual minority (SM) and heterosexual women and the influence of social support on the relationship between SM status and symptoms. We hypothesized that SM women would endorse higher symptoms of PTSD and related difficulties and that social support would moderate the relationship between SM status and symptoms. The sample, women seeking treatment for PTSD related to interpersonal violence (n = 477; mean age = 36.

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A number of self-report measures of social anxiety contain language that appears to assume heterosexuality. It is unclear how such items should be answered by individuals who are not exclusively heterosexual, which may lead to inaccurate measurement of symptoms, perpetuation of stigma, and alienation of respondents. More specific wording could improve measurement accuracy for sexual minorities as well as heterosexual respondents.

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Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) has demonstrated efficacy in numerous randomized trials. However, few studies specifically examine the applicability of such treatment for ethnic minority clients. Thus, the purpose of this article is to present two case studies examining the utility of individualized CBT for SAD with two clients who immigrated to the United States, one from Central America and one from China, for whom English was not their primary language.

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The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a widely used, comprehensive self-report measure of sleep quality and impairment, which has demonstrated good psychometric properties within various populations, including older adults. However, the psychometric properties of the PSQI and its component scores have not been evaluated for older adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Additionally, changes in PSQI global or component scores have not been reported following cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) of late-life GAD.

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This preliminary study examined the nature of worry content of lesbians, gay men, and bisexual individuals and the relationship between worry related to sexual orientation and mental health. A community sample of 54 individuals identifying as sexual minorities was recruited from two cities in the Great Plains to complete a packet of questionnaires, including a modified Worry Domains Questionnaire (WDQ; Tallis, Eysenck, & Mathews, 1992) with additional items constructed to assess worry over discrimination related to sexual orientation, and participate in a worry induction and verbalization task. The content of self-reported worries was consistent with those reported in prior investigations of worry content, and worry related to sexual orientation was not found to be elevated compared to other topics.

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Background: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Severity Scale (GADSS) is an interview rating scale designed specifically for assessing symptom severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which has demonstrated positive psychometric data in a sample of adult primary care patients with GAD and panic disorder. However, the psychometric properties of the GADSS have not been evaluated for older adults.

Methods: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the GADSS, administered via telephone, with a sample of older primary care patients (n=223) referred for treatment of worry and/or anxiety.

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The current study was conducted to assess courage, defined as behavioral approach despite the experience of fear, in an effort to better understand its relationship with anxiety, fear, and behavioral approach. Thirty-two participants who completed a measure of courage and reported elevated spider fears during an earlier screening participated in a Behavioral Approach Test where they were shown a display of four taxidermied tarantulas and asked to move their hand as close to the spiders as they felt comfortable doing. After controlling for scores on measures of spider fears, courage scores were significantly associated with approach distance to the spiders, such that participants with greater courage moved closer to the spiders.

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