Burnout is a common problem in many countries and is associated with psychological ill health, somatic diseases, mortality and long-term sick leave. Different versions of the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire/Measure (SMBQ/SMBM) are widely used to measure burnout. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the main purpose of the present study was to empirically evaluate different Swedish versions of the SMBQ/SMBM. A questionnaire containing 23 SMBQ/SMBM-items was sent to 4,000 randomly selected individuals of which 765 with no missing data were included in the analyses. The well-used 4-factor SMBQ/SMBM-22 including the factors emotional and physiological exhaustion (EPE), cognitive weariness (CWE), listlessness (LIS), and tension (TES) and the 3-factor SMBQ/SMBM-18 (including the EPE, the CWE, and the LIS) reached good model fit after minor modifications. Two 2-factor models (based on 12 and 11 items, respectively), including the EPE and the CWE reached good model fit without any modifications. Even though there were some concerns regarding all models with respect to discriminant validity, the factors in all models showed evidence of good composite reliability (CR) and convergent validity. Lastly, a brief six-item version of the scale based on the 12-item version of the scale indicated an excellent model fit, and the composite score of the six-item scale correlated strongly with the composite scores from the others models, suggesting that the brief version could be used with advantage. In addition, based on the LIS, a new three-item scale that measures vitality is proposed. For all measures, normative data are reported.

The Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire/Measure (SMBQ/M) is one of the most commonly used measures of burnout. Using confirmatory factor analyses, the present study aimed to evaluate the model fit, composite reliability, and factorial (i.e. convergent and discriminant) validity of the new brief Swedish version of the scale-labeled SMBM-6. In addition, we used Cronbach’s α as an indicator of the internal consistency of the total scale. The SMBM-6 consists of two subscales: the emotional and physiological exhaustion subscale (three items) and the cognitive weariness subscale (three items). A total of 1251 teachers in Sweden were included in the study. The analyses showed that the Swedish version of the SMBM-6 has an excellent model fit and good convergent validity. The discriminant validity for the cognitive weariness subscale was good, but slightly inadequate for the physiological exhaustion subscale. Composite reliability and Cronbach’s α indicated high internal consistency for the subscales and the total scale, respectively. Multi-group invariance tests for age indicated no violation of invariance. These results are consistent with those of the study by Almén and Jansson (2021), in which the SMBM-6 was developed, and a subsequent psychometric study by Sundström et al. (2022). In conclusion, there is strong support for the Swedish version of the SMBM-6 as a reliable and valid scale for measuring burnout. Testing the scale in languages other than Swedish is warranted.

The Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire/Measure (SMBQ/M) is one of the most commonly used measures of burnout. Using confirmatory factor analyses, the present study aimed to evaluate the model fit, composite reliability, and fac-torial (i.e. convergent and discriminant) validity of the new brief Swedish version of the scale-labeled SMBM-6. In addition, we used Cronbach’s α as an indicator of the internal consistency of the total scale. The SMBM-6 consists of two subscales: the emotional and physiological exhaustion subscale (three items) and the cognitive weariness subscale (three items). A total of 1251 teachers in Sweden were included in the study. The analyses showed that the Swedish version of the SMBM-6 has an excellent model fit and good convergent validity. The discriminant validity for the cognitive weariness subscale was good, but slightly inadequate for the physiological exhaustion subscale. Composite reliability and Cronbach’s α indicated high internal consistency for the subscales and the total scale, respectively. Multi-group invar-iance tests for age indicated no violation of invariance. These results are consistent with those of the study by Almén and Jansson (2021), in which the SMBM-6 was developed, and a subsequent psychometric study by Sundström et al. (2022). In conclusion, there is strong support for the Swedish version of the SMBM-6 as a reliable and valid scale for measuring burnout. Testing the scale in languages other than Swedish is warranted.

Recent research has indicated that recovery from work stress and effort might be crucial for health and well-being. Thus, a valid measurement of recovery becomes important. The main purpose of the present study was to empirically evaluate and seeking support for the hypothesized four-factor model of the Swedish version of Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ). The total sample (N = 680) was randomly split into two subsamples. The first subsample was used for finding the best-fitting model using an exploratory factor analysis and the second subsample was used to test the a priori model using confirmatory factor analysis. The results support the proposed four-factor structure of the scale for both males and females. Additionally, apart from high reliability estimates, this instrument proved to have good convergent and discriminant validity for all four factors. Implications for the use of the REQ in conjunction with recovery-focused interventions were discussed, as were limitations such as low response rate. 

The ability to adjust to a changing environment is an important aspect of every-day life and successful goal directed behavior requires the ability to suppress responses that are no longer appropriate. The main purpose of the present study was to examine if the relationship between inhibitory control (as indexed by stop-signal reaction time, SSRT) and behavioral precision is dependent on levels of Gray and McNaughton's Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS). Additionally, the relationship between BIS and electrodermal activity, and the Behavioral Approach System (BAS) and heart rate activity was investigated. A modified stop-signal task was used. The results showed that there was an interaction effect of BIS and SSRT on accuracy, suggesting that among individuals with higher levels of BIS, longer SSRT (i.e. poorer inhibitory ability) was associated with decreased accuracy. There were no significant correlations between trait variables and physiological variables. The results were discussed in terms of higher levels of BIS being a vulnerability factor when the individual's inhibitory ability simultaneously is poor in situations where the ability to inhibit inappropriate behavioral routines is important for task performance.

The reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality questionnaire (RST-PQ) is based on a theoretical analysis of the revised reinforcement sensitivity theory. Using a Swedish sample stratified by age and gender, the aim of this study was to test the six-factor structure of a Swedish version of the RST-PQ. Further, we examined the convergent and discriminant validity of the questionnaire. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Swedish version did not fully provide support for the six-factor structure. An attempt to improve the model fit resulted in a significantly better model fit for a six-factor structure containing 52 items. Issues concerning the convergent validity were found, as indicated by all six factors having more than 50% of the variance due to error. The discriminant validity was satisfactory for all factors, except for goal-drive persistence and reward interest, which were highly correlated. This indicates a non-independence between these two factors in the model. Nevertheless, the RST-PQ has considerable promise and more emphasis should be put on investigating the convergent validity by using for example broader samples, stratified by country of origin, age, and gender. 

Background: The objective of this study was to revisit the question concerning whether athletes are better than non-athletes at fundamental cognitive abilities, such as inhibitory control, in addition to also focusing on motivational dispositions and possible sex differences. Adding the latter could be crucial since both inhibitory control and motivational dispositions, such as approach and avoidance, are central to goal-directed behavior. Methods: This study’s sample was composed of 93 participants (40 males): 29 biathletes; 30 alpine skiers; and 34 non-athletes. A non-sport-specific stop-signal task was used for the assessment of inhibitory control in terms of response inhibition, and the motivational dispositions were assessed with the BIS/BAS scales. Results: The results showed that there were no differences between the two different sports or non-athletes with regard to response inhibition. However, females showed significantly slower response inhibition than males (p = 0.018) and scored significantly higher on the trait variable BIS (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results from this study suggest that it might be meaningful to explore the contribution of sex differences and motivational dispositions on response inhibition in conjunction with different types of sports. 

Body dissatisfaction is an important factor in the development and maintenance ofeating disorders. The comparison with the thin ideal prevalent in different mediachannels, can be one of the factors that contribute to widespread of dissatisfaction withthe own body. Thus, even people not meeting the criteria for eating disorders, mightshow a very problematic way to cope with their body and food intake. The present studyaimed to investigate the attentional pattern evoked when young women were exposed topictures of female bodies varying in their body shape.Eighty-one women, aged 18 to 37 years, viewed a series of pictures, each onecontaining four photos of women. The photos were generated and manipulated digitallyin order to get different body shapes, ranging from a slim to a heavy body shape. Thephotos were exposed in a 2x2 array during 4 seconds. Body Shape Questionnaire wasused to divide participants into two groups; high and low body dissatisfaction. Thedirection and fixation of the gaze were recorded continuously by means of an eyetracker.In general, an attentional bias in the body dissatisfaction group was observed, i.e.,women looked longer to the slimmest picture in the array. Women in the control group(low body dissatisfaction) showed distributed attention to the four body shapes.These results suggest promising possibilities of using ocular tracking tests in the earlydetection of symptoms associated with eating disorders, and perhaps possibilities ofimproving clinical and preventive interventions.

The veterinary profession seems to be particularly affected by mental health problems than other occupational groups, primarily a consequence of exposure to various sources of psychological distress that is common within the profession (e.g., euthanasia administration, and client interactions). This article is the first to investigate the association between work-specific factors and wellbeing in the veterinary profession in Sweden. A cross-sectional survey sampled 280 (256 females) Sweden-registered veterinarians and nurses (235 veterinarians, 45 veterinary nurses). Multiple platforms and methods were used to increase diversity and inclusiveness in the sample. In this study, we investigated the associations between psychological wellbeing by including variables from several studies that have previously been associated with decreased wellbeing within the veterinary profession in order to get a more comprehensive picture of factors that may contribute to increased risk of mental illness. Results showed that, after adjusting for the influence of psychosocial working environment factors, except for variables related to euthanasia which were not associated with decreased wellbeing, measures indexing difficult client interactions were, on the other hand, associated with decreased wellbeing. Thus, negative experiences from client interactions suggest that these could be candidates for the development and maintenance of poor wellbeing among individuals within the veterinary profession. This research can potentially assist in designing more targeted intervention studies and serve educational purposes for both staff and future professionals. 

Previous studies report a preference for larger comfortable interpersonal distance (CIPD) in individuals with child maltreatment (CM) when being approached by others. Yet, research on approaching others, as opposed to being approached, as well as on potential effects of social anxiety and depression is lacking. We investigated if CM and depressive symptoms influence CIPD and if social anxiety mediates the possible association of CM and CIPD when approaching a female stranger. One hundred ten participants with CM (CM) and 58 participants without CM (non-CM) experiences performed the stop-distance paradigm and stopped first when feeling uncomfortable (D1) and again when feeling very uncomfortable (D2). CM experiences were associated with a preference for larger CIPD, independent of depressive symptoms. All CM subtypes were associated with a larger D2. The relationship between CM and CIPD was partially mediated by social anxiety. These novel findings can help to develop interventions strengthening socially relevant skills and processes in those affected by CM, targeting alterations in social anxiety and depression. 

BackgroundIndividuals with a history of child maltreatment (CM) are more often disliked, rejected and victimized compared to individuals without such experiences. However, contributing factors for these negative evaluations are so far unknown.ObjectiveBased on previous research on adults with borderline personality disorder (BPD), this preregistered study assessed whether negative evaluations of adults with CM experiences, in comparison to unexposed controls, are mediated by more negative and less positive facial affect display. Additionally, it was explored whether level of depression, severity of CM, social anxiety, social support, and rejection sensitivity have an influence on ratings.MethodsForty adults with CM experiences (CM +) and 40 non-maltreated (CM-) adults were filmed for measurement of affect display and rated in likeability, trustworthiness, and cooperativeness by 100 independent raters after zero-acquaintance (no interaction) and 17 raters after first-acquaintance (short conversation).ResultsThe CM + and the CM- group were neither evaluated significantly different, nor showed significant differences in affect display. Contrasting previous research, higher levels of BPD symptoms predicted higher likeability ratings (p = .046), while complex post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms had no influence on ratings.ConclusionsThe non-significant effects could be attributed to an insufficient number of participants, as our sample size allowed us to detect effects with medium effect sizes (f(2) = .16 for evaluation; f(2) = .17 for affect display) with a power of .95. Moreover, aspects such as the presence of mental disorders (e.g., BPD or post-traumatic stress disorder), might have a stronger impact than CM per se. Future research should thus further explore conditions (e.g., presence of specific mental disorders) under which individuals with CM are affected by negative evaluations as well as factors that contribute to negative evaluations and problems in social relationships.

This study focused on the direct and indirect effect (via sleep duration) of computer use on psychological and somatic symptoms among boys and girls (N = 6112) in 3 different age cohorts (11, 13, and 15-years old) from the 2013/2014 health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) study done in Sweden. Structural equation modeling (with SPSS AMOS 22) was used (specifying separate multigroup models for each age group). The mediating effect of sleep duration was tested for significance using a Bootstrap estimation. Across the age groups, the direct effect of computer use was found to be a significant risk factor for psychological and somatic symptoms among both girls and boys (all the P values < 0.05), as the associations between computer use was only partly mediated by sleep duration. Additionally, the magnitude of the effects for the association between computer use and both psychological and somatic symptoms was quite similar among boys and girls across different age cohorts, but tended to be more pronounced among 13-year old girls. In particular, the direct and indirect effect computer use on psychological symptoms was significantly stronger among girls in this age cohort (all the P values < 0.05). Even though the cross-sectional design of the study prevented causal conclusions, the development of strategies to reduce children and adolescents’ computer screen time and the need to focus on mechanisms relating ICT use to somatic and psychological symptoms were emphasized.

We investigated the effect of second language use on the experienced vividness and emotionality of negative autobiographical memories. Fifty native Swedish speakers with English as their second language were asked to recall a negative episodic memory from their past in their native language. Half the participants were then asked to reactivate the same memory in their first language while the other half were asked to reactivate it in their second language, and then rate their experienced vividness and emotionality a second time. Following this reactivation, experienced emotionality was reduced for both groups of participants, with a similar magnitude of reduction for both groups. Experienced vividness, however, was only reduced for the group who reactivated the memory in their second language. No difference in intrusion frequency was found between the groups at a one-week follow-up. The results provide increased insight into how a second language can affect the experienced emotionality and vividness of a negative autobiographical memory.

We investigated the effect of second language use on the experienced vividness and emotionality of negative autobiographical memories. Fifty native Swedish speakers with English as their second language were asked to recall a negative episodic memory from their past in their native language. Half the participants were then asked to reactivate the same memory in their first language while the other half were asked to reactivate it in their second language, and then rate their experienced vividness and emotionality a second time. Following this reactivation, experienced emotionality was reduced for both groups of participants, with a similar magnitude of reduction for both groups. Experienced vividness, however, was only reduced for the group who reactivated the memory in their second language. No difference in intrusion frequency was found between the groups at a one-week follow-up. The results provide increased insight into how a second language can affect the experienced emotionality and vividness of a negative autobiographical memory. 

The purpose of the present study was threefold: (a) to replicate the finding by MacLeod and Rutherford (1992) that low trait-anxious individuals, in contrast to high trait-anxious individuals, show a selective attention away from subliminally presented threat words at elevated levels of stress; (b) to test the hypothesis that this effect is due to individuals with repressive coping-style rather than true low trait-anxious individuals; and (c) to study the stability of Stroop interference over time. Both social threat and physical threat words were used. Although some support was found for the first hypothesis, there was no evidence that this effect was due to individuals with repressive coping-style. Finally, Stroop interference showed very little test–retest stability from the first to the second testing session, indicating that it is heavily influenced by temporary cognitive-emotional states, and that it should not be treated as a trait variable. Unexpectedly, high defensiveness predicted a decrease in worried mood from session 1 to session 2.

The role of defensiveness and repressive coping style for the performance on a combined emotional Stroop and tachistoscopic identification task with masked and unmasked words was studied in a community sample. Defensiveness was associated with a decrease in Stroop interference for masked threat words, but not for unmasked threat words. The most robust results, however, were found with regard to overall test performance (independent of emotional valence). On the emotional Stroop task, high-defensive men (but not women) were faster to colour-name words in general, irrespective of emotional valence. On the tachistoscopic identification task, high-defensive women identified fewer words in general than low-defensive participants. The results are discussed in terms of defensiveness being associated with (a) avoidance of emotional information at an automatic, pre-attentive level, and (b) a general avoidance of potentially emotional information that takes different form in men and women depending on possible differences in what is seen as socially desirable for the two genders.

Biased processing of threatening information may play a casual role in the development of anxiety disorders. Even though empirical evidence points to the fact that preattentive bias can predict subjectively experienced distress in response to a stressor, it is still unknown whether it could be useful in predicting the physiological reactivity in response to a stressor. In the present study, the emotional Stroop task was used to measure preattentive bias. Whereas Stroop interference for masked threat words (i.e., preattentive bias) was found to be positively associated with emotional distress (self-reported) in response to a laboratory stressor, this association was reversed when the autonomic reactivity (electrodermal activity) was used as a measure of emotional response to the very same stressor. Also, neither of these effects were a function of pre-existing anxiety levels. The negative association between preattentive bias and autonomic reactivity corresponds to the autonomic inflexibility seen in clinical anxiety (or very high scores of trait anxiety) when exposed to stressful events. Results were discussed in terms of an inability to automatically inhibit the processing of threatening cues that seems to be a vulnerability marker for anxiety.

This study focused on the factor structure of the victimization form of the revised Controlling Behaviors Scale (CBS-R). Data from 1,218 women and men were analyzed in the study. Results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) failed to find support for the proposed five-factor structure of the scale, as the items on the scale were better represented by one common factor. In addition, when examining if controlling behaviors are distinct from psychological aggression, the CFA indicated that the items on the CBS-R are clearly distinguishable from the items on the psychological aggression (as measured with the subscales of the revised Conflict Tactic Scales [CTS2]), and that this holds for both males and females. Implications for the general use of the CBS-R and for use in conjunction with psychological aggression and physical aggression in intimate partner violence were discussed.

Therapeutic goals are considered a vital component in psychological treatments, but to date relatively little attention has been paid to the assessment and evaluation of these goals. In order to validate a self-rating version of the Bern Inventory of Therapeutic goals checklist (BIT-C), the present study investigated if goals, measured this way, can differentiate between patients (n= 147) and healthy controls (n= 106). Results suggested that BIT-C was successful in discriminating between client and non-clients. Most importantly, clients had a higher tendency to endorse goal categories related to depressive symptoms, substance abuse, coping with somatic problems and current relationships, but a lower tendency to endorse goal categories relating to eating behaviors compared to non-patients. Further, patients perceived attainment of prioritized goals as more distant than non-patients did. The results were discussed in terms of BIT-C being a measure that can be readily applied to identify key targets in psychological treatments. © 2015 AAC.

The aim of this study was to identify characteristics that differentiate patients who complete suicide (SC) from patients with suicide attempts (SA) while undergoing treatment in Norway. We examined data from the Norwegian System of Patient Injury Compensation (Norsk Pasientskade Erstatning—NPE). Data were extracted from NPE case records from a 10-year period (2009–2019) for 356 individuals who attempted (n = 78) or died by (n = 278) suicide. The two groups differed significantly in the types of medical errors identified by experts. Inadequate suicide risk assessment tended to be proportionally and significantly more prevalent among SC compared to SA. There was a weak but significant trend that SA had received medication only, whereas SC had received both medication and psychotherapy. There were no significant differences with respect to age group, gender, diagnostic category, number of previous suicide attempts, inpatient/outpatient status, or category of responsible clinic. We conclude that suicide attempters and suicide completers differed in terms of identified medical errors. Focusing on the prevention of these and other types of errors could help to reduce the number of suicides of patients in treatment. 

Research suggests that child abuse and neglect may be one of the determining factors in the development of psychopathology because it disrupts the formation of emotional attachment to other people, which leads to emotion dysregulation and alexithymia. This study examined the indirect effect of different types of abuse and neglect on psychopathology through emotion dysregulation accounted by for alexithymia. Sample consisted of 133 college students and staff from United World College Red Cross Nordic. Participants were recruited online via email. A moderated mediation analysis showed a significant conditional indirect effect of childhood emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect on psychopathology through emotion dysregulation, with the emotion dysregulation-psychopathology association being increased in magnitude as a function of increased levels of alexithymia. The findings point to the significance of simultaneously investigating emotion dysregulation as a mediator and alexithymia as a moderator within the framework of the association between childhood abuse/neglect and psychopathology in future research. Moreover, these results may serve as an aid in tailoring a transdiagnostic psychotherapeutic treatment that covers alexithymia and emotion regulation difficulties for individuals who show symptoms of comorbid psychopathology with a history of abuse and neglect in childhood. 

Underlying patterns and factors behind suicides of patients in treatment are still unclear and there is a pressing need for more studies to address this knowledge gap. We analysed 278 cases of suicide reported to The Norwegian System of Patient Injury Compensation, drawing on anonymised data, i.e., age group, gender, diagnostic category, type of treatment provided, inpatient vs. outpatient status, type of treatment facility, and expert assessments of medical errors. The data originated from compensation claim forms, expert assessments, and medical records. Chi-square tests for independence, multinominal logistic regression, and Bayes factors for independence were used to analyse whether the age group, gender, diagnostic category, inpatient/outpatient status, type of institution, and type of treatment received by patients that had died by suicide were associated with different types of medical errors. Patients who received medication tended to be proportionally more exposed to an insufficient level of observation. Those who received medication and psychotherapy tended to be proportionally more exposed to inadequate treatment, including inadequate medication. Inpatients were more likely to be exposed to inappropriate diagnostics and inadequate treatment and follow up while outpatients to insufficient level of observation and inadequate suicide risk assessment. We conclude that the patients who had received medication as their main treatment tended to have been insufficiently observed, while patients who had received psychotherapy and medication tended to have been provided insufficient treatment, including inadequate medication. These observations may be used as learning points for the suicide prevention of patients in treatment in Norwegian psychiatric services.

Background: Emotional reactivity is an important construct to consider when studying mental disorders. This study was conducted to translate and assess the factor structure, construct validity and internal consistency of a German version of the Emotion Reactivity Scale (ERS), which is an originally English questionnaire assessing three components of emotional reactivity: sensitivity, intensity and persistence of emotions. Methods: The German ERS and a range of questionnaires used to assess convergent and discriminant validity were completed by 334 German speaking Swiss participants. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis showed strong support for a bi-factor model, with evaluation indices pointing to a unidimensional construct rather than to domain specific factors. The questionnaire showed good reliability and the factor structure was similar across gender. The ERS showed convergent validity with general psychopathology, behavioral inhibition, negative affect, orienting sensitivity, depressive symptoms and symptoms of disordered eating, and discriminant validity with behavioral activation and alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Findings support the construct validity of the German ERS and suggest that it assesses a unidimensional construct with high internal consistency. Accounting for the unidimensional nature of the scale and aiming for efficient assessment tools, future research could, based on these findings, develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a short version of the ERS. 

Preferential preattentive processing towards threat has been proposed to play a casual role in the development of anxiety, mainly because it reliably predicts emotional responding to stressful events. However, in the investigation of the predictive value of preferential preattentive processing towards threat, the emotional Stroop task has exclusively being used. This study was designed to prospectively investigate the predictive value of skin conductance reactivity in response to masked (i.e., preattentively perceived) threatening pictures on emotional responding following stressful life events. To collect skin conductance data, the picture perception task was administered to 136 police recruits due to enroll into active duty within 2–4 months. To assess psychological distress following emotionally stressful life events, the impact of event scale were administered approximately 24 months later. Controlling for trait anxiety, analyses indicated that enhanced skin conductance reactivity in response to masked threatening pictures (relative to neutrals) was a strong predictor of emotional responding to stressful life events. This finding support preferential preattentive processing towards threat as a relatively independent factor predictive of emotional responding.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of trait anxiety and social desirability on skin conductance responses (SCRs) following exposure to masked and unmasked pictures in a non-clinical sample. The most prominent results were found with regard to masked pictures (i.e. subliminal). Higher levels of social desirability were associated with a decrease in SCRs to masked threat pictures (relative to neutral), whereas elevated levels of trait anxiety were associated with an increase in SCRs. This latter effect, however, was mainly seen among participants who simultaneously scored low on social desirability. These results were discussed in terms of trait anxiety (combined with lower social desirability scores) being associated with (i) enhanced autonomic responses to threatening information most evident at a pre-attentive level, that (ii) may potentially be a vulnerability marker for anxiety disturbances.

The role of different neurocognitive abilities in learning is well documented. Research also shows that neurocognitive abilities, such as different facets of executive functions (EF) as well as analogical thinking and fluid reasoning abilities (FR) are challenged among children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and/or Learning Difficulties (LD). However, research on neurocognitive abilities in larger representative samples as well as subgroups of children eligible for SEN support in Swedish school context is sparse. This is of particular interest since the Swedish SEN support eligibility system stresses curricular and knowledge based goal criteria (and not diagnostic (LD) criteria). The Swedish SEN support system is organized in three tiers, offering differentiated and individualized instruction to all children (tier 1), intensified adjustments to some children in an inclusive classroom environment (tier 2), and more prolonged SEN support outside classroom and/or reduced curricula (tier 3). The current study is a first exploration of data drawn from a large study on the relation between different neurocognitive abilities and their role in learning in general, and in children eligible for different type of SEN support in particular. The study reports data from children aged 6 to 16 drawn from a representative sample (n = 471) of Swedish school children on three indices of neurocognitive abilities (attention EF, planning EF and FR). Three groups of children are compared: children without explicit SEN support (tier 1), children with intensified inclusive classroom adjustment support (tier 2), and children with more persistent/outside classroom SEN support (tier 3). Results show that there are significant differences between the three groups with regards to neurocognitive abilities. Preliminary conclusions are drawn about the role of neurocognitive abilities in children with and without SEN in a curriculum-based SEN support delivery system. Also, conclusions for future directions for research are drawn. 

The effects of computer-based Working Memory (WM) training using two training procedures were examined among sixty-four primary-school children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Measures of general cognitive ability, auditory and visuospatial working memory, arithmetic ability, and reading and writing skills were gathered and analysed. The referred group of SEN children predominantly had lower performance in auditory WM, arithmetics and reading and writing skills. The SEN children within respective school were randomized into either an active WM training group or a control group and ten schools participating in the WM training study were randomized into one of two different training conditions. At five schools the SEN children received regular WM training and at the other five schools the children received WM training with the addition of metacognitive strategy training. Results showed a significant difference in WM performance during training in favor of the metacognitive intervention. Furthermore, transfer effects occurred on visuospatial WM measures at posttest and at 6-month follow-up. Post-hoc tests showed that the effects pertained only to the metacognitive intervention. No transfer to arithmetic or reading and writing skills occurred after training in the two training conditions. Results were discussed in terms of metacognitive factors being important in optimizing performance in WM training, and that such factors should be taken into consideration when designing interventions for children with SEN. It is also suggested that in referral of children with SEN to remediation with WM training the WM profiles should be taken into consideration to a greater degree. 

The demands on mathematical problem-solving have increased in almost all school systems internationally and may constitute a barrier for children with special educational needs (SEN). This study explored the role of fluid reasoning (FR), working memory (WM) and complex executive function of planning (EF) in children (N = 62) referred for assessment of SEN, and specifically of risk for mathematical difficulties (MD). Performances on FR, WM and complex EF of planning were used to predict risk for MD. Results showed that planning ability predicted children at risk for MD, beyond FR or WM ability, when comparing with children not at risk for MD. It was concluded that assessing the com- plex EF of planning in addition to FR and WM ability is crucial in identifying children at risk for MD. The importance of understanding how planning ability affects children’s mathematical problem-solving is discussed, in relation to assessment and teaching practices.

Treatment goals are considered a vital part of therapeutic work, and their role is often emphasized in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). However, the attainment of goals is rarely accounted for in terms of treatment outcome. In this study, we set out to investigate a structured format for goal assessment and goal attainment in CBT delivered as routine care. We were especially interested in the sensitivity to change in perceived goal attainment. Patients completed a self-administered version of the Bern Inventory of Treatment Goals (BIT-C) and rated their perceived attainment on a maximum of five prioritized goals before and after 12 weeks of treatment, along with measures on anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life. The results indicated that the prioritized goals only partially correspond to disorder-specific concerns, and that perceived proximity to treatment goals is clearly associated with improvements following treatment. The results are discussed in terms of the BIT-C being a promising tool for use in clinical settings in assessing treatment goals as well as in evaluating the attainment of these goals.

Formulating treatment goals has been shown to be an area of vital concern for both outcome and treatment processes. However, it is not as yet an area of structured routine assessment, either in clinical practice or in research. One possible explanation for this is the lack of validated and readily available goal assessment procedures. The present study investigated the test-retest stability of a Swedish translation of the checklist version of the Bern Inventory of Treatment Goals (BIT-C) among 30 patients in primary care. We calculated the consistency of the endorsement of the different therapeutic goal categories over a 2-week period prior to treatment. There were no changes in symptoms or quality-of-life-related measures between the two assessment points. Overall, the goal category items in BIT-C were found to demonstrate moderate to substantial reliability. In conclusion, even though our study was small, it provided initial psychometric support for the Swedish version of BIT-C as a clinically useful tool for the assessment of treatment goals.

Previous self-report measures of attachment have used different assessment approaches, and a common conceptualization is using a dimensional perspective in which attachment is measured with two factors: attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. The Experiences in Close Relationships—Relationship Structures Questionnaire (ECR-RS) has, prior to this study, been assessed for psychometric properties regarding specific relationships, but not in a shorter version for close relationships in general. In this paper, we present a Swedish translation of the ECR-RS Global nine-item version assessed for factor structure and psychometric properties by using a cross-validation approach with two separate adult samples. In Study 1 (N = 492), participants were randomly split into two subsamples. Using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the first subsample was used for finding the best-fitting model while the second subsample was used to test the a priori model using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In Study 2 (N = 806), we set out to validate the factor structure yet again by using CFA. Results from the EFA supported a two-factor structure with six items for attachment avoidance and three items for attachment anxiety. In the validation of the factor structure using CFA, both studies showed that all model-fit indices were good only after some modification, including removal of one avoidance item. Methodological reasoning and implications are discussed. The final eight-item model showed good internal consistency, as well as good convergent and discriminant validity, and multi-group invariance tests for gender and age showed no violations to invariance. Findings are encouraging to use this short global attachment self-report instrument, but further validation is advised. 

The Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scales (SOCS) are recently developed measures of compassion, which have showed support for a five-factor structure for both other-compassion (SOCS-O) and self-compassion (SOCS-S). The study aimed to validate the Swedish translations of both the SOCS-O and the SOCS-S. A sample of adult participants was randomly split into either an exploratory sample (N = 403) or a replication sample (N = 402). The exploratory sample was used for both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. In the replication sample, we (1) used CFA to validate results from the exploratory sample, (2) assessed measurement invariance for different groups (gender, nationality, age), and (3) evaluated psychometric properties using local fit. Results from both sub-samples support the presence of five-factor models for both SOCS-O (using 19 items) and SOCS-S (using 20 items). For both scales, measurement invariance is supported for all grouping variables, and local psychometric properties indicate good internal consistency with fairly good discriminant and convergent validity. This study supports the five-factor model of both other-compassion and self-compassion, respectively, and shows that the Swedish versions of both SOCS-O and SOCS-S are reliable and valid instruments that can be used to index compassion with general adult populations in Sweden and Finland. 

Using aversive auditory stimuli to induce involuntary memories, the present study investigated if emotional memories can be modulated. In line with the modality specific approach to intrusion development, the study found that intrusive auditory memories can be prevented by performing a verbal interference task following exposure to the experimental trauma.  

Background and objectives: Intrusive emotional memories were induced by aversive auditory stimuli and modulated with cognitive tasks performed post-encoding (i.e., during consolidation). Method: A between-subjects design was used with four conditions; three consolidation-interference tasks (a visuospatial and two verbal interference tasks) and a no-task control condition. Forty-one participants listened to a soundtrack depicting traumatic scenes (e.g., police brutality, torture and rape). Immediately after listening to the soundtrack, the subjects completed a randomly assigned task for 10 min. Intrusions from the soundtrack were reported in a diary during the following seven-day period. Results: In line with a modality-specific approach to intrusion modulation, auditory intrusions were reduced by verbal tasks compared to both a no-task and a visuospatial interference task.. Limitations: The study did not control for individual differences in imagery ability which may be a feature in intrusion development. Conclusions: The results provide an increased understanding of how intrusive mental images can be modulated which may have implications for preventive treatment. (c) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychiatric disorders are common, and reliable measures are crucial for research and clinical practice. A cross-diagnostic construct that can be used to index treatment outcomes as well as prevalence of psychological ill health is psychological flexibility. The aim of this study was to validate a Swedish version of the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI). The MPFI has 12 subscales, six of which measure flexibility, and six that measure inflexibility. Using confirmatory factor analysis in a community sample of 670 participants, we found that a model with 12 factors had the best fit to the data(CFI = .955). All 12 subscales showed adequate reliability (CRs = .803-.933) and the factor structure was similar across age groups and gender. Findings suggest that the Swedish version ofthe MPFI is a reliable instrument that can be used to index psychological flexibility. Potential areas for improvement of the instrument are discussed.

Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several common variants associated with depression (Howard et al. 2019; Levey et al. 2021) and anxiety disorders (Levey et al. 2020; Meier et al. 2019; Purves et al. 2020), and these findings have been harnessed to develop polygenic scores (PGS) in order to provide an overall measure of individuals’ genetic liability to develop a disease (Torkamani et al. 2018). Research on the utility of PGSs as predictors of risk for disease is gaining traction, with studies on somatic illness showing that disease risk increases sharply in the right tail of the PGS distribution (Khera et al. 2018). Thus, PGS stratification could be of clinical relevance if it provides an opportunity to target those in need of preventive interventions with increased precision. The current potential of PGS stratification for depression and anxiety disorders remains an open question. In the current study, we applied 36 predefined PGSs from the polygenic index repository (Becker et al. 2021) on a target sample of 11,210 genotyped twins. Cases were defined as those with prescribed medication, where the prescription explicitly stated that a drug was ordinated for indication of depression or anxiety, respectively. Drugs included antidepressants (SSRI and SNRI), Benzodiazepines, Antihistamines, Buspirone, and Betablockers.

Background

Polygenic scores (PGSs) harness the potential to provide an overall measure of individuals’ genetic liability to develop a disease (Torkamani et al., 2018), though much research is still needed. The aim of the present study was to predict prescription of pharmacological treatment of anxiety or depression from PGSs.

Methods

The target sample comprised two cohorts of genotyped Swedish twins (n = 11037). Cases were defined as individuals prescribed pharmacological treatment of depression (n = 1129) or anxiety (n = 1446). We constructed 6 PGSs based on GWAS on MDD diagnosis, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Neuroticism scores, the GAD-7 scale, and the PHQ-9. Data were analyzed by logistic regression models with change in pseudo-R2 (above the baseline model with sex, age, cohort, and 20 ancestral PCs) following the inclusion of PGSs to predict the risk of anxiety or depression medication. All results corrected for multiple comparisons.

Results

Predictive performance was estimated to ΔR2depression = 0.028; ΔR2anxiety = 0.025 when all PGSs were included in the same model, with PGS for MDD being the single best predictor for both anxiety and depression. Individuals in the top 10% of the PGS distribution had greater odds of drug prescription (ORdepression = 1.82; CI95% = 1.53—2.17; ORanxiety = 1.65; CI95% = 1.40—1.95), while the bottom 10% had decreased risk (ORanxiety = 0.56; CI95% = 0.45—0.70; ORdepression = 0.58; CI95% = 0.45—0.74) compared to the remaining 90% of the distribution.

Conclusions

PGSs can predict drug prescription for anxiety and depression in an independent sample.

The current study investigated the effects of Relational Frame Theory (RFT) based training on mathematical and logical skills. A sample of 21 Swedish high school students attending first grade and second grade were assigned to either training (n= 10) or no-training conditions (n=11). Measures of performance on mathematical tests, Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM), and relational responding tasks were taken prior to and after training. For 8-10 weeks, the experimental group trained using SMART, an online multiple exemplar training program for enhancing relational skills. No significant differences between the groups were found on mathematical performance. A significant increase on SPM performance was observed for the experimental group. The findings are in line with previous research on RFT, suggesting that behaviorally based interventions can enhance intellectual performance. Population characteristics, SMART training procedures, strengths and methodological limitations are discussed. © 2016 AAC.