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High conflict societies
Many young people across the world are growing up in high conflict societies where social and political tensions continue to dominate everyday life. This article provides an overview of youth development in high conflict settings, drawing on evidence from a wide range of conflict societies. It considers: (1) how growing up in a high conflict setting can be detrimental to youth development, (2) the buffering factors that can promote positive development and prosociality for youth in high conflict settings, and (3) approaches to reducing cycles of violence for youth growing up in high conflict settings.
Intergroup Conflict, Peace, and Reconciliation
This chapter discusses the framework of conflict and peace, which distinguishes between different phases within a cycle of violence. These are nonviolent intergroup conflict, organized intergroup violence, and postviolence. Different problem analyses and intervention strategies are required depending on the phase of a conflict. Conflict analysis aims to map systematically the sources of conflict, the actors directly or indirectly involved, mutual relationships between these actors, and dynamic processes in the conflict such as feedback loops. Once a conflict is analyzed or assessed, the next step is to decide on the approach that should be taken to help achieve peaceful coexistence. The chapter considers three approaches: conflict management, conflict resolution, and conflict transformation. To prevent the outbreak of renewed violence and build a stable and lasting peace, there is a need to work toward reconciliation. There are many approaches to reconciliation including instrumental and socioemotional reconciliation.
Model Sharing in the Human Medial Temporal Lobe.
Effective planning involves knowing where different actions take us. However, natural environments are rich and complex, leading to an exponential increase in memory demand as a plan grows in depth. One potential solution is to filter out features of the environment irrelevant to the task at hand. This enables a shared model of transition dynamics to be used for planning over a range of different input features. Here, we asked human participants (13 male, 16 female) to perform a sequential decision-making task, designed so that knowledge should be integrated independently of the input features (visual cues) present in one case but not in another. Participants efficiently switched between using a low-dimensional (cue independent) and a high-dimensional (cue specific) representation of state transitions. fMRI data identified the medial temporal lobe as a locus for learning state transitions. Within this region, multivariate patterns of BOLD responses were less correlated between trials with differing input features but similar state associations in the high dimensional than in the low dimensional case, suggesting that these patterns switched between separable (specific to input features) and shared (invariant to input features) transition models. Finally, we show that transition models are updated more strongly following the receipt of positive compared with negative outcomes, a finding that challenges conventional theories of planning. Together, these findings propose a computational and neural account of how information relevant for planning can be shared and segmented in response to the vast array of contextual features we encounter in our world.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Effective planning involves maintaining an accurate model of which actions take us to which locations. But in a world awash with information, mapping actions to states with the right level of complexity is critical. Using a new decision-making "heist task" in conjunction with computational modeling and fMRI, we show that patterns of BOLD responses in the medial temporal lobe-a brain region key for prospective planning-become less sensitive to the presence of visual features when these are irrelevant to the task at hand. By flexibly adapting the complexity of task-state representations in this way, state-action mappings learned under one set of features can be used to plan in the presence of others.
Paranoia and unusual sensory experiences in Parkinson's disease.
OBJECTIVES: There has been limited exploration into the nature and development of psychotic experiences (PEs) in Parkinson's disease (PD). We aimed to comprehensively assess the frequency, severity, and associated distress of paranoia and unusual sensory experiences (USEs) in PD, and to assess what variables are significantly associated with these experiences, focussing on psychological processes central to understanding PEs in non-PD groups. METHOD: A questionnaire battery was completed by 369 individuals with PD with a mean age of 66 years and mean time since diagnosis of 5 years. Recruitment was via Parkinson's UK, social media, and local community groups. For a subset of measures, comparisons were made to age-matched controls using pre-existing data. RESULTS: 182 (49%) participants reported USEs, including almost half of those not taking dopaminergic medication. For 83 (23%), the experience was distressing. Paranoia across the sample was significantly lower than in age-matched controls. However, specific paranoid concerns around abandonment (16%) and spousal betrayal (10%) were reported by some. Depression, anxiety, loneliness, and stigma and desire for support with PEs were high across the sample. Almost all psychological variables were significantly associated with PEs in structural equation models. CONCLUSION: PEs in PD are common, even in those not taking dopaminergic medication. For a small subset, these experiences are distressing and not resolved by existing treatment. Cognitive-affective variables like depression and anxiety could play a maintaining role in PEs in PD thus providing easy avenues for trialling intervention.
The social media scale for depression in adolescence
Social media forms a significant part of adolescents’ lives, yet its impact on depression is unclear. We aimed to develop a questionnaire assessing different ways of using social media, and use it to understand potential associations with depression in adolescence. One thousand one hundred and forty adolescents completed an item pool. Factor analyses were conducted to derive the Social Media Scale (SMS). Ant Colony Optimization was used to develop a short-form SMS containing the factors which uniquely predicted depression as determined by structural equation modelling. The 45-item, nine-factor, SMS, had an acceptable model fit. Five factors (Social comparison; Passing time; Hostility from others; Hostility towards others; and Seeking support) uniquely contributed to depression and together explained 44% of its variance. These factors formed a 15-item short-form SMS, which had an excellent model fit. Social comparison and Passing time on social media had the strongest associations with depression and may be targets for future psychological interventions.
The association between experiences of racism and mental health on children and young people in the UK: rapid scoping review.
BACKGROUND: Racism is increasingly recognised as a key contributor to poor mental health. However, the existing literature primarily focuses on its effects on adults. AIM: To identify literature on the association between experiences of racism and mental health in children and young people in the UK. METHOD: Inclusion criteria were: (a) peer-reviewed publications containing original data; (b) UK-based research; (c) included examination of associations between mental health and experiences of direct or indirect racism (quantitative or qualitative); (d) inclusion of an assessment of mental health outcomes; (e) participant ages up to and including 18 years of age or (if the range went beyond 18) with a mean age of 17 years or less. Six databases were searched between 2000 and 2022; an initial 11 522 studies were identified with only eight meeting the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Five of the identified studies provided quantitative data and three provided qualitative data. The majority of studies (7/8) focused on children and young people aged 10 years and over; only one focused on children under the age of 10 years. Measurements of racism varied among the studies providing quantitative data. Only four studies directly focused on the effects of racism on the mental health of children and young people. CONCLUSION: Although the included studies highlighted potential negative impacts of experiences of racism on children and young people in the UK, this review shows the lack of available literature to inform policy and practice. No studies examined the impact of internalised racism, systemic and institutional racism, or intersectionality.
Moderators of cognitive and behaviour therapies for prevention and treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Previous studies have indicated wide variation in the effectiveness of cognitive and behaviour therapies (CBTs) for preventing and treating anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, indicating the presence of moderators influencing outcomes. This meta-analysis investigated whether sample characteristics (child age, child baseline anxiety levels, parental baseline anxiety levels) and intervention characteristics (intervention duration, facilitator contact time, facilitator background, delivery formats, parental involvement) moderate the effectiveness of CBTs for universal prevention, targeted prevention, and treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. We identified 86 eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effectiveness of 98 CBTs versus non-active controls. Effect sizes were the post-intervention standardized mean difference of children's broad anxiety symptoms between CBT and non-active controls. Moderation analyses were conducted separately on child- and parent-reported outcomes using meta-regression and subgroup analyses. We found some evidence for (1) a moderating role of child age, facilitator background, and parental involvement on the effectiveness of CBTs for universal prevention; (2) a moderating role of child age and intervention duration on the effectiveness of CBTs for targeted prevention; (3) a moderating role of child age, facilitator contact time, and delivery formats on the effectiveness of CBTs for treatment. There was no evidence for a moderating role of child baseline anxiety levels on the effectiveness of CBTs for universal/targeted prevention or treatment. The moderating role of parental baseline anxiety levels and its potential interaction with parental involvement was not tested given the limited available data. Although these findings provide insights into the question of what works for whom, they should be interpreted cautiously given the limited available data, wide variation in outcomes, potential confounders, and discrepancies between child- and parent-reported outcomes.
Cultivating participatory processes in self-harm app development: A case-study and working methodology.
BACKGROUND: Self-harm and suicide related behaviours are increasing in young people, and clinical support is not adequately meeting needs. Improved approaches to assessment and the clinical management of self-harm will result from codesign processes and include greater shared decision-making between young people and practitioners. The CaTS-App (an adapted digital version of the existing Card-Sort Task for Self-harm research tool) aims to facilitate a collaborative understanding of adolescent self-harm and support decision-making within clinical settings. The codevelopment of a digital, clinical tool which meets the needs of multiple stakeholders requires careful consideration. METHODS: We present a case-study describing the participatory aspects of the development of the CaTS-App, which included comprehensive patient involvement, research activities and coproduction with diverse young people aged 17-24 with lived experience of self-harm. We share our processes and activities to deliver safe, engaging, sustainable, ethical and responsible participatory practice and co-created knowledge, in the codevelopment of the CaTS-App. RESULTS: Activities spanned a 48-month period in both face-to-face and online settings. Example processes and activities are provided in narrative, tabular and diagrammatic form, alongside discussion of the rationale for choices made. A summary methodology is also shared to stimulate continued discussion and development of participatory approaches in digital mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The paper contributes important insight and practical detail for the delivery of genuine participatory processes in digital mental health development when working with a population who may be considered vulnerable.
Feeling detached: The central role of detachment in a network study of posttraumatic stress symptoms in Public Safety Personnel
Background: Due to the nature of their work, Public Safety Personnel (PSP; e.g., firefighters, paramedics, police officers) are frequently exposed to potentially psychological traumatic events (PPTE) and are at increased risk of developing posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) compared to the general population. To date, there are a limited number of published studies that have used the statistical tools of network analysis to examine PTSS in PSP, typically relying on small, homogenous samples. Basic procedures: The current study used a large (n = 5,319) and diverse sample of PSP to estimate a network of PTSS and exploratory graph analysis to assess alternative structures of symptom clustering, compared to traditional latent models. Main findings: The results of the analyses estimated two symptom clusters which differed from most latent models of PTSS. Re-experiencing and avoidance symptoms clustered together, instead of in two clusters. Similarly, hyperarousal symptoms (hypervigilance, sleep disturbance, startle reflex, concentration difficulties) clustered in a single community instead of two or three clusters in many latent models of PTSS. The symptom of detachment played the most central role in the network and acted as a bridge symptom between numerous clusters of symptoms. The least central symptom was amnesia, which also had the most inconsistent pattern of clustering and bridging. Other bridge symptoms included negative emotions, difficulty concentrating, and reckless behaviour. Principal conclusions: The symptom of detachment played a pervasive role in centrality and bridging in a network of PTSS in PSP. Future research is necessary to identify whether central PTSS differ across populations based on their PPTE type (e.g., combat, assault, rape) or typical environmental factors (e.g., group cohesion in PSP and military).
EXPRESS: The Enduring Importance of the 'Fine Cuts' Approach to Psychology - EPS Mid-Career Award Lecture 2024.
In this paper I take a selective review of work undertaken by my colleagues and me in an attempt to show the enduring importance of the 'fine cuts' approach to psychology. This approach highlights the importance of causal, specific, and falsifiable psychological models, and the rigorous experimental designs needed to test them. I hope the review shows that it is still necessary to consider cognition, despite the exciting advances in Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and computational modelling characterising our field.