New Research From Clinical Psychological Science

Read about the latest research published in Clinical Psychological Science:

The Geography of Intimate Partner Abuse Experiences and Clinical Responses

Anne P. DePrince, Susan E. Buckingham, and Joanne Belknap

Studies examining the effects of intimate-partner abuse (IPA) often focus specifically on the victim; fewer studies examine the effect of ecological factors in victims’ responses to IPA. Ethnically diverse women who had been the victims in police-reported IPA cases were assessed for incident severity, incident-related fear, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The researchers also collected information characterizing the communities in which the IPA incidents occurred. They found that the percentage of Latinos in the areas where the victims lived was positively associated with social support and negatively associated with PTSD and depression symptoms, suggesting that the local environment is an important factor in victims’ responses to abuse.

Parenting During Early Adolescence and Adolescent-Onset Major Depression: A 6-Year Prospective Longitudinal Study

Orli S. Schwartz, Michelle L. Byrne, Julian G. Simmons, Sarah Whittle, Paul Dudgeon, Marie B. H. Yap, Lisa B. Sheeber, and Nicholas B. Allen

Most studies examining the impact of family interactions on adolescent depression have focused on the social interactions of adolescents who have already experienced depression. Few studies have examined the relationship between social interaction and depression prospectively. As part of the Orygen Adolescent Development Study, participants completed mother-adolescent interaction tasks at age 10 to 12 and psychosocial assessments 2.5, 4, and 6 years later. The researchers found that aggressive and dysphoric responses by mothers in response to their adolescent’s aggressive and positive behaviors predicted the onset of major depressive disorder across adolescence.