Experiential avoidance (also referred to as acceptance or psychological flexibility) is a core construct of third-wave behavior therapies. It is the tendency to avoid uncomfortable thoughts or ...feelings, even when doing so has negative long-term consequences. In order for developments in experiential avoidance and third-wave behavior therapies to continue, it is imperative to examine the construct validity of the most widely used measures of this construct, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire–II (AAQ-II) and the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (MEAQ). In Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (N = 1,052) and college (N = 364) samples, we evaluated the construct validity of these measures. The AAQ-II demonstrated suboptimal patterns of convergent and discriminant validity with measures of neuroticism/negative affect (Big Five Inventory, Big Five Aspects Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), the MEAQ, and mindfulness (Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire). In contrast, the MEAQ demonstrated optimal convergent and discriminant validity. Factor analyses at the scale, subscale, and item levels demonstrated that the AAQ-II loads with indicators of neuroticism/negative affect and not with other constructs at the core of third-wave behavior therapies. In contrast, the MEAQ loads on factors with mindfulness or forms its own factors. These findings suggest the AAQ-II functions as a measure of neuroticism/negative affect, whereas the MEAQ functions as an indicator of experiential avoidance. These findings have substantial implications for research on experiential avoidance and third-wave behavior therapies. Therefore, in order to improve the theory, research, and practice of third-wave behavior therapies, we recommend using the MEAQ to assess experiential avoidance.
•It is imperative that measures of experiential avoidance demonstrate construct validity.•The AAQ-II is overly saturated with neuroticism/negative affect and not experiential avoidance.•We recommend using the MEAQ to assess experiential avoidance.
IMPORTANCE: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents between the ages of 15 and 24 years. Adolescents who are sexual minorities experience elevated rates of suicide attempts. ...OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between state same-sex marriage policies and adolescent suicide attempts. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This study used state-level Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2015, which are weighted to be representative of each state that has participation in the survey greater than 60%. A difference-in-differences analysis compared changes in suicide attempts among all public high school students before and after implementation of state policies in 32 states permitting same-sex marriage with year-to-year changes in suicide attempts among high school students in 15 states without policies permitting same-sex marriage. Linear regression was used to control for state, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and year, with Taylor series linearized standard errors clustered by state and classroom. In a secondary analysis among students who are sexual minorities, we included an interaction between sexual minority identity and living in a state that had implemented same-sex marriage policies. INTERVENTIONS: Implementation of state policies permitting same-sex marriage during the full period of YRBSS data collection. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Self-report of 1 or more suicide attempts within the past 12 months. RESULTS: Among the 762 678 students (mean SD age, 16.0 1.2 years; 366 063 males and 396 615 females) who participated in the YRBSS between 1999 and 2015, a weighted 8.6% of all high school students and 28.5% of 231 413 students who identified as sexual minorities reported suicide attempts before implementation of same-sex marriage policies. Same-sex marriage policies were associated with a 0.6–percentage point (95% CI, –1.2 to –0.01 percentage points) reduction in suicide attempts, representing a 7% relative reduction in the proportion of high school students attempting suicide owing to same-sex marriage implementation. The association was concentrated among students who were sexual minorities. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: State same-sex marriage policies were associated with a reduction in the proportion of high school students reporting suicide attempts, providing empirical evidence for an association between same-sex marriage policies and mental health outcomes.
PURPOSE OF REVIEWTo review the recent literature on eating disorders, disordered eating behaviors (DEB), and body image dissatisfaction among sexual and gender minority populations, including, but ...not limited to, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
RECENT FINDINGSOverall, eating disorders, DEB, and body dissatisfaction are common among sexual and gender minority populations. Lifetime prevalence for anorexia nervosa (1.7%), bulimia nervosa (1.3%), and binge-eating disorder (2.2%) diagnoses are higher among sexual minority adults compared with cisgender heterosexual adults in the United States. Lifetime prevalence of eating disorders by self-report of a healthcare providerʼs diagnosis are 10.5% for transgender men and 8.1% for transgender women in the United States, including anorexia nervosa (4.2 and 4.1%) and bulimia nervosa (3.2 and 2.9%), respectively. DEB may be perpetuated by minority stress and discrimination experienced by these individuals. Body dissatisfaction may be a core stressor experienced by transgender people; gender dysphoria treatment has been shown to increase body satisfaction. A particular clinical challenge in caring for transgender youth with eating disorders is the standard use of growth charts based on sex.
SUMMARYNovel research demonstrates that sexual and gender minorities with eating disorders have unique concerns with regards to disordered eating and body image.
Gender minority (GM) adolescents, who have a different gender identity than their sex assigned at birth, may use substances as a coping strategy in response to GM-related stressors. This study ...examined longitudinal effects of gender minority stressors on substance use in GM adolescents, and related risk factors (internalized transphobia, depressive symptoms, anxious symptoms) and protective factors (resilience, gender-related pride, family functioning, social support, gender-related community connectedness).
Participants were 30 GM adolescents, ages 13-17 years, from the U.S. community-based longitudinal Trans Teen and Family Narratives Project. Participants completed an online survey every 6 months across 2 years (5 waves; data collected 2015-2019).
Exposure to gender minority stressors was associated with higher odds of alcohol use. Across models, internalized transphobia (risk factor), resilience (protective factor), and gender-related pride (protective factor) were the most significant mediators of associations between gender minority stressors and substance use. Family functioning and social support (protective factors) significantly moderated the association between gender minority stressors and alcohol use, such that family functioning and social support were protective for alcohol use at lower levels of gender minority stress, but not at higher levels.
Results suggest that GM adolescents engage in substance use as a coping strategy in response to gender minority stressors. A number of hypothesized risk and protective factors mediated or moderated these associations. Future interventions with GM adolescents should focus efforts on addressing internalized transphobia as a risk factor and strengthening resilience, gender-related pride, and family functioning as protective factors for substance use.
Abstract Purpose To examine the relationship between sexual orientation and past-year reports of bullying victimization and perpetration in a large sample of American youth. Methods Survey data from ...7,559 adolescents aged 14–22 who responded to the 2001 wave questionnaire of the Growing Up Today Study were examined cross-sectionally. Multivariable generalized estimating equations regression was performed using the modified Poisson method. We examined associations between sexual orientation and past-year bully victimization and perpetration with heterosexuals as the referent group, stratifying by gender and controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and weight status. Results Compared to heterosexual males, mostly heterosexual males (risk ratio RR: 1.45; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.13, 1.86) and gay males (RR 1.98; CI: 1.39, 2.82) were more likely to report being bullied. Similarly, mostly heterosexual females (RR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.45, 2.03), bisexual females (RR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.14, 2.31), and lesbians (RR: 3.36, 95% CI: 1.76, 6.41) were more likely to report being bullied than were heterosexual females. Gay males (RR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.84) were much less likely to report bullying others than were heterosexual males. Mostly heterosexual females (RR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.42, 2.04) and bisexual females (RR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.80, 3.24) were more likely to report bullying others than heterosexual females. No lesbian participants reported bullying others. Conclusions There are significant differences in reports of bullying victimization and perpetration between heterosexual and sexual minority youth. Clinicians should inquire about sexual orientation and bullying, and coordinate care for youth who may need additional support.
The drivers behind microplastic (up to 5mm in diameter) consumption by animals are uncertain and impacts on foundational species are poorly understood. We investigated consumption of weathered, ...unfouled, biofouled, pre-production and microbe-free National Institute of Standards plastic by a scleractinian coral that relies on chemosensory cues for feeding. Experiment one found that corals ingested many plastic types while mostly ignoring organic-free sand, suggesting that plastic contains phagostimulents. Experiment two found that corals ingested more plastic that wasn't covered in a microbial biofilm than plastics that were biofilmed. Additionally, corals retained ~8% of ingested plastic for 24h or more and retained particles appeared stuck in corals, with consequences for energetics, pollutant toxicity and trophic transfer. The potential for chemoreception to drive plastic consumption in marine taxa has implications for conservation.
•Corals ingest many plastic types, including weathered types often found in oceans.•Plastic leachates may be phagostimulants, causing ingestion in marine taxa.•~8% of ingested plastics are retained for at least 24h; impacts must be examined.•Biofilms or seawater exposure may reduce plastic ingestion rates.•Unfouled plastic triggers a stronger feeding response in coral.
We compared the prevalence of current homelessness among adolescents reporting a minority sexual orientation (lesbian/gay, bisexual, unsure, or heterosexual with same-sex sexual partners) with that ...among exclusively heterosexual adolescents.
We combined data from the 2005 and 2007 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a representative sample of public school students in grades 9 though 12 (n = 6317).
Approximately 25% of lesbian/gay, 15% of bisexual, and 3% of exclusively heterosexual Massachusetts public high school students were homeless. Sexual-minority males and females had an odds of reporting current homelessness that was between 4 and 13 times that of their exclusively heterosexual peers. Sexual-minority youths' greater likelihood of being homeless was driven by their increased risk of living separately from their parents or guardians.
Youth homelessness is linked with numerous threats such as violence, substance use, and mental health problems. Although discrimination and victimization related to minority sexual orientation status are believed to be important causal factors, research is needed to improve our understanding of the risks and protective factors for homelessness and to determine effective strategies to prevent homelessness in this population.
The assembly of DNA sequences de novo is fundamental to genomics research. It is the first of many steps toward elucidating and characterizing whole genomes. Downstream applications, including ...analysis of genomic variation between species, between or within individuals critically depend on robustly assembled sequences. In the span of a single decade, the sequence throughput of leading DNA sequencing instruments has increased drastically, and coupled with established and planned large-scale, personalized medicine initiatives to sequence genomes in the thousands and even millions, the development of efficient, scalable and accurate bioinformatics tools for producing high-quality reference draft genomes is timely. With ABySS 1.0, we originally showed that assembling the human genome using short 50-bp sequencing reads was possible by aggregating the half terabyte of compute memory needed over several computers using a standardized message-passing system (MPI). We present here its redesign, which departs from MPI and instead implements algorithms that employ a Bloom filter, a probabilistic data structure, to represent a de Bruijn graph and reduce memory requirements. We benchmarked ABySS 2.0 human genome assembly using a Genome in a Bottle data set of 250-bp Illumina paired-end and 6-kbp mate-pair libraries from a single individual. Our assembly yielded a NG50 (NGA50) scaffold contiguity of 3.5 (3.0) Mbp using <35 GB of RAM. This is a modest memory requirement by today's standards and is often available on a single computer. We also investigate the use of BioNano Genomics and 10x Genomics' Chromium data to further improve the scaffold NG50 (NGA50) of this assembly to 42 (15) Mbp.
The societal burden of eating disorders is clear, and though there is a compelling need for a public health approach to eating disorders prevention, public health professionals have yet to take up ...the challenge.
The article lays out an argument for what steps need to be taken to bring a public health approach to eating disorders prevention. First, stock is taken of what the field has achieved so far, using tools from the prevention science literature, and, second, a research plan of action is offered that plays to the unique strengths of public health, drawing on a triggers-to-action framework from public health law. Minimal participation was found from public health professionals in eating disorders prevention research, and the vast majority of prevention research to date was found to be concentrated within the disciplines of psychology and psychiatry. Extreme disciplinary concentration of the research has led to a preponderance of individually targeted prevention strategies with little research focused on environmental targets, particularly at the macro level. New environmental initiatives are now emerging, such as a government-sponsored mass media anti-dieting campaign, and legal bans on extremely thin models in advertising, but for the most part, they have yet to be evaluated. A triggers-to-action framework, which focuses on evidentiary base, practical considerations, and political will, developed in public health law provides a basis for a strategic research plan for a public health approach to eating disorders prevention.
There is enormous potential for growth in the scope and diversity of eating disorder prevention research strategies, particularly those targeting the macro environment. A public health approach will require a strategic plan for research that leverages the macro environment for prevention. The full engagement of public health professionals will bring to the field the much broader range of preventive strategies and perspectives needed to tackle the problem of eating disorders.
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