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Implicit measurement of violence related cognitions
Get PDFOBJECTIVE: Violence-related cognitions may underpin many acts of violence, but explicit self-report measures of these cognitions may be inadequate to assess them fully due to their unconscious nature or due to deliberate dissimulation. We designed three versions of the implicit association test (IAT) that separately examined violence-related associations to valence (good vs bad), hedonic-value (enjoy vs dislike) and arousal (exciting vs boring) and examined if these were associated with greater levels of past criminal activity and self-reported violence. METHOD: The three IATs were administered to an offender sample (N = 108) with a history of serious offending and a diagnosis of Personality Disorder. Violence was assessed via the Proactive and Reactive Aggression Questionnaire and by examination of previous convictions. RESULTS: The IATs showed good to moderate reliability. The valence-IAT did not show any significant correlations to the measures of previous violence. The hedonic value-IAT showed positive relationships with official records of convictions, especially among participants without a conviction for homicide. The arousal-IAT was positively related to self-reported aggression in those without a conviction for homicide. CONCLUSIONS: The results show some promise that indirect techniques may be able to measure violence-related cognitions
Psychodynamic approaches to violence
No full textThe assessment and management of violent behaviour in mentally disordered patients are no longer the sole domain of forensic psychiatrists, but are increasingly part of the day-to-day work of all psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Violence risk assessment has become a huge industry, and although the importance of dynamic, as well as actuarial, risk factors is now recognised, a more systematic approach exploring the psychodynamics in the aetiology, assessment and treatment of violent behaviour is often lacking. In this article I revisit some of the key psychodynamic principles and concepts relevant to an understanding of violence, summarising the historical contributions of key psychoanalytic writers on violence and aggression, and exploring the ideas of more contemporary writers working in the field of forensic psychotherapy. A psychodynamic framework for working with violent patients is introduced, focusing on the setting and containment, specific therapeutic interventions and monitoring counter-
transference reactions
A relational model of supervision for applied psychology practice: Professional growth through relating and reflecting
No full textSupervision is a critical component of initial training and continuing professional development for applied psychology practitioners, and effective supervision is significantly related to the quality of the relationship between supervisor and supervisee. The core task of supervision is to engage in a relational process that provides containing and security, thus facilitating professional growth through reflection on experience. Two key arguments are proposed in this paper: (i) models that support theory-to-practice connections are essential for both supervisees and supervisors and (ii) models informed by psychological theory that place relating and reflecting at the heart of the supervisory process promote practitioner development and effective outcomes for clients. One model – the Relational Model of Supervision for Applied Psychology Practice (RMSAPP) – is outlined, and the systemic, psychodynamic and attachment lenses privileged within it are explored. The paper concludes with the strengths and challenges of the model, along with suggestions for future research directions
Evolutionary and dual inheritance models of initiation and use of psychoactive substances, including novel psychoactive substances
No full textIntroduction: Research into drug use has typically been restricted to studies of proximate models (i.e. biological mechanisms). However, an evolutionary/ultimate perspective may be uniquely relevant to understanding drug-seeking behaviours.
In fact, a range of competing evolutionary models have emerged which explain why humans evolved through natural selection to use psychoactive substances.
Objectives: We aimed here to critically review evolutionary, cultural and dual inheritance perspectives on drug initiation and use, including considerations on novel psychoactive substances (NPS).
Methods: A literature search was conducted usingusing key resources including PubMed with a focus on drug use and human population data. This was supplemented by personal archives.
Results: A range of evolutionary models of why humans initiate and continue using psychotropic substances was identified. They include: a) Increasing reproductive fitness; b) Psychotropic self-medication (pharmacological manipulation of emotions); c) Pharmacophagy and infection control; d) Mismatch theory; e) Evolutionary Constraints; f) Trade-offs; g) Costly Signalling and Handicap theories; h) Placebo, ritual and healing effects; i) Drug use in spirituality or religion (e.g. the role of psychedelic drug use by “neoshamans”
and “psychonauts”). Some of these models are conceptually similar or overlapping.
They are not mutually exclusive and may interact in unpredictable (i.e. non-linear) ways.
Conclusions/Importance: Evolutionary, cultural and dual inheritance models of drug initiation and use reveal functional origins and adaptive advantages of psychotropic drug use. An evolutionary perspective is particularly helpful in understanding the specific dangers of the new phenomenon of NPS. Evolutionary perspectives suggest new directions for research and treatment
Felicitas Rost on You and Yours. 12 Jul 2018, BBC Radio 4. [Starts at 2:57]
No full textA group of fourteen prominent mental health groups is warning that new draft guidance to the NHS on how depression should be treated, is misleading, unfit for purpose and could harm patients. The organisations, which include the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the charity, MIND, say that the guidance, issued by NICE - the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - is based on fundamental flaws in how the effectiveness of treatments is measured. NICE says they will meet soon to review and discuss the comments and will respond in due course. A health economist explains how NHS money is rationed, with difficult decisions made about which treatments are offered to NHS patients
The ultimate shock absorber: Probation officers’ experience of working with male service users on the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway
No full textSince the publication of its strategy in 2012, the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway continues to develop across the National Probation Service and prison estate. The relational crux of the Pathway exists between the probation officer and service user, with the former holding the lead professional role. This study aimed to develop an understanding of practitioners’ experience of inhabiting this role, in order that enhanced insight into the relationship at the centre of the Pathway could emerge. Discussion focuses on the implications of the findings for enabling relational security and psychologically informed practice in complex and risk averse systems
The use of metaphors in understanding atypical gender identity development and its psychosocial impact
No full textOver the years I have found a number of metaphors which have helped me to deal with particular dynamics in therapeutic work or with group and institutional conflicts involving the Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock Centre. This nationwide service, which is for young people with atypical gender identity development and their families, was established in 1989. In this paper I describe some of these metaphors in relation to the particular problems or conflicts which had stimulated their appearance in my mind. The emergence of these metaphors links the vicissitudes of atypical gender identity development to issues regarding symbolisation or symbolic thinking. Metaphors such as ‘working at the edge’ or ‘navigating between Scylla and Charybdis’ allow the professional to hold on to multiple perspectives and to maintain a certain degree of ambiguity in situations in which the interpersonal dynamics can be experienced as rigid and deterministic. The emergence of metaphors can then be perceived by the professional with a sense of relief and freedom of thinking. In this paper, metaphors are linked to: the model of care developed; the therapeutic stance; and the aims, risks and pressures experienced by the professional in this area of work. The association between gender dysphoria in some young people and autistic spectrum features is explored. The paper emphasises the importance of responding flexibly to individual differences and of recognising complexity