The Nucleation of a Core Psyche and Its Implications for Care.

The possibility that psychic development precedes the advent of the drives and object relations has received attention periodically in the psychoanalytic literature. In addition to examining its origins, several writers (e.g.

Predicting mayfly recovery in acid mine-impaired streams using logistic regression models of in-stream habitat and water chemistry.

Mayflies (Order Ephemeroptera) require high quality water and habitat in streams to thrive, so their appearance after restoration is an indicator of ecological recovery. To better understand the importance of restoring in-stream habitat versus water chemistry for macroinvertebrate communities, we developed taxon-specific models of occurrence for five mayfly genera (Caenis, Isonychia, Stenonema, Stenacron, and Baetis) inhabiting streams in the Appalachian Mountains, USA. Presence/absence records from past decades were used to develop single and multiple logistic predictive models based on catchment characteristics (drainage area, gradient), in-stream habitat variables (e.

Developmental Considerations in the Origins of Object Relations: Implications for Normative Development and Clinical Practice.

While previous writers have considered the possibility of pre-object phases of psychic development, their offerings have tended to focus on its conceptualization and implications for psychopathology and psychoanalytic care. The purpose of this paper is to extend some of these ideas by proposing a developmental model that includes a pre-object phase of normal psychic development within an object relations framework and by discussing how this model might further inform our understanding of psychopathology associated with early development and its analytic treatment.

The dynamic interplay of mourning and forgiveness in the early development of the self and psychic structure.

Mourning has received considerable attention in the psychoanalytic literature. Beginning with Freud's 1917 investigation, the central role of mourning in psychical development via identification has been articulated and subsequently elaborated upon by various authors (e.g.

Dementing illnesses in rural populations: the need for research and challenges confronting investigators.

Expansion of the world's elderly populations has increased concerns about aging-related medical disorders like Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. In the United States, one fourth of those older than age 65 and at greatest risk for developing dementia live in rural environments that may influence its manifestation. The objectives of this study were to determine the need for and potential benefits of further epidemiological research concerning dementia and similar disorders in rural U.

The establishment of clinical cutoffs in measuring caregiver burden in dementia.

Although several scales have been developed to assess burden, their clinical utility has been limited by the absence of relevant cutoff points. Clinical data from 140 primary caregivers seeking a dementia evaluation for a family member were analyzed to establish the psychometric properties of a caregiver burden screen. Results indicate that the cutoff values were both sensitive and specific to negative caregiving outcomes.

Clinical assessment of family caregivers in dementia.

Development of an integrated family assessment inventory based on the Double ABCX and Circumplex models of family functioning and its clinical utility was evaluated with 121 primary family caregivers from a cognitive disorders program. The proposed model predicted a significant proportion of the variance associated with caregiver stress and strain. Several aspects of the caregiving arrangement also emerged as key features in predicting caregiver depression.