Combined MI + CBT for Depressive Symptoms and Binge Drinking Among Young Adults: Two Case Studies.

There are high rates of comorbidity between heavy drinking and depressive symptoms among college students, often resulting in severe alcohol-related consequences. No empirically supported treatment exists that concurrently addresses both of these problems in this population. Research with college students has demonstrated that brief motivational interventions (BMIs) reduce heavy drinking and alcohol-related consequences, and that cognitive behavioral therapy for depression (CBT-D) is effective in reducing depressive symptoms.

Does acceptance and relationship focused behavior therapy contribute to bupropion outcomes? A randomized controlled trial of functional analytic psychotherapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for smoking cessation.

This study evaluated a treatment combining bupropion with a novel acceptance and relationship focused behavioral intervention based on the acceptance and relationship context (ARC) model. Three hundred and three smokers from a community sample were randomly assigned to bupropion, a widely used smoking cessation medication, or bupropion plus functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Objective measures of smoking outcomes and self-report measures of acceptance and relationship processes were taken at pretreatment, posttreatment, 6-month, and 1-year follow-up.

A randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavioral treatment for depression versus relaxation training for alcohol-dependent individuals with elevated depressive symptoms.

Objective: A previous pilot study found positive outcomes among alcohol-dependent individuals with elevated depressive symptoms who received cognitive-behavioral treatment for depression (CBT-D; n = 19) compared with a relaxation training control (RTC; n = 16). The current study represents a replication of this pilot study using a larger sample size and a longer follow-up assessment period.

Method: Patients entering a partial hospital drug and alcohol treatment program who met criteria for alcohol dependence and elevated depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory score ≥ 15) were recruited and randomly assigned to receive eight individual sessions of CBT-D (n = 81) or RTC (n = 84).

Sexual victimization and physical health: an examination of explanatory mechanisms.

There is a growing body of research illustrating a significant relationship between a history of sexual victimization and the development of physical health problems; however, few researchers have examined variables that mediate this relationship. The present study examined two potential mediating variables: experiential avoidance and current stress. Results indicated that current stress significantly mediated the relationship between adult sexual assault and physical health complaints, and experiential avoidance may be a partial mediator.

Evaluating symptom expression as a function of a posttraumatic stress disorder severity.

Little is known about the relative severity or typical sequence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using data from the National Comorbidity Study-Replication (NCS-R) [Kessler, R. C.

Distress tolerance treatment for early-lapse smokers: rationale, program description, and preliminary findings.

A significant percentage of individuals attempting smoking cessation lapse within a matter of days, and very few are able to recover to achieve long-term abstinence. This observation suggests that many smokers may have quit-attempt histories characterized exclusively by early lapses to smoking following quit attempts. Recent negative-reinforcement conceptualizations of early lapse to smoking suggest that individuals' reactions to withdrawal and inability to tolerate the experience of these symptoms, rather than withdrawal severity itself, may represent an important treatment target in the development of new behavioral interventions for this subpopulation of smokers.

Chronic avoidance helps explain the relationship between severity of childhood sexual abuse and psychological distress in adulthood.

Recent studies have found that chronic avoidance of unpleasant internal experiences (e.g., thoughts, emotions, memories) is a maladaptive means of affect regulation often adopted by women with a history of sexual victimization in childhood.

Vicarious traumatization: potential hazards and interventions for disaster and trauma workers.

Disaster and trauma workers often disregard their own reactions and needs when focusing on caring for those directly exposed to traumatic events. This article discusses the concept of vicarious traumatization, a form of post-traumatic stress response sometimes experienced by those who indirectly are exposed to traumatic events. It includes an examination of how vicarious trauma reactions are experienced across different professions, and suggestions on how to limit or prevent vicarious traumatization.