No abstract

Many current measures of eating disorder (ED) symptoms have 1 or more serious limitations, such as inconsistent factor structures or poor discriminant validity. The goal of this study was to overcome these limitations through the development of a comprehensive multidimensional measure of eating pathology. An initial pool of 160 items was developed to assess 20 dimensions of eating pathology. The initial item pool was administered to a student sample (N = 433) and community sample (N = 407) to determine the preliminary structure of the measure using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The revised measure was administered to independent samples of patients recruited from specialty ED treatment centers (N = 158), outpatient psychiatric clinics (N = 303), and students (N = 227). Analyses revealed an 8-factor structure characterized by Body Dissatisfaction, Binge Eating, Cognitive Restraint, Excessive Exercise, Restricting, Purging, Muscle Building, and Negative Attitudes Toward Obesity. Scale scores showed excellent convergent and discriminant validity; other analyses demonstrated that the majority of scales were invariant across sex and weight categories. Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory scale scores had excellent internal consistency (median coefficient alphas ranged from .84-.89) and reliability over a 2- to 4-week period (mean retest r = .73). The current study represents one of the most comprehensive scale development projects ever conducted in the field of EDs and will enhance future basic and treatment research focused on EDs.

Whereas the treatment outcome research literature for adolescent alcohol and other drug abuse has shown recent advances (R.

This study investigates the early manifestation of co-occurring depression and conduct disorders as a predictor of heightened risk for later suicidal ideation and behavior in a community sample of 521 adolescents. Self-reported symptoms of depression and conduct disorder were evaluated in early 6th grade. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors were tracked through multiple assessments carried out over the middle school years. Compared to adolescents with depression symptoms only, conduct disorder symptoms only, or low psychopathology, those with co-occurring depression and conduct disorder symptoms had the highest risk for subsequent suicidal ideation, recurrent suicidal behaviors, and suicide attempts.

This community-based study estimates the prevalence and persistence of thoughts of death and suicide during early adolescence. A latent class approach was used to identify distinct subgroups based on endorsements to depression items administered repeatedly over 24 months. Two classes emerged, with 75% in a LOW IDEATION class across four assessments. <2% persisted in the HIGH IDEATION class over 3+ assessments. African American and Asian American adolescents were more likely than European Americans to belong to the HIGH IDEATION class. No members of the LOW IDEATION class endorsed "thought about killing myself", while "thoughts of death and dying" was endorsed by members of both classes. Implications for interpreting meanings of death and suicide ideation in early adolescence are discussed.Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents (Anderson, 2002) with many more youth reporting thoughts of suicide as well as suicide attempts (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2006). While risk of death by suicide is still relatively low among children younger than 12 years of age, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 12-year-olds (Hoyert, Heron, Murphy, & Kung, 2006). A 2006 survey of a representative sample of 4447 public school students in Washington State found that 11% of eighth graders had considered attempting suicide in the prior twelve months (Washington State Department of Health [DOH], 2007). In a community-based study the occurrence of suicidal thoughts was investigated among seventh through ninth graders using three items from the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale . Assessments were conducted annually over a three year period in early adolescence. At each assessment, 70% of respondents reported no suicidal thoughts, 15 to 20% reported some thoughts, while 6% reported high suicidal ideation scores. Given that thoughts about suicide appear to be quite common among adolescents (Lewinsohn, Rhode, & Seeley, 1996), some researchers suggest that suicidal ideation during high school age adolescents is normative (Marcenko, Fishman, & Friedman, 1999). The meaning and developmental course of suicidal thoughts in early adolescence is, however, not well understood.Early adolescence is a period of significant change, during which children undergo the physical changes associated with puberty and face new challenges as they transition to middle school where they encounter increased peer and academic pressures (Rudolph, Lambert, Clark, & Corresponding author: Ann Vander Stoep, Ph.D., University of Washington, Child Health Institute, 6200 NE 74 th Street, Suite 215, Seattle, Phone: (206) 543-1538; Fax: (206) 2001;Simmons, Burgeson, Carlton-Ford, & Blyth, 1987). The number of youth who experience emotional and behavioral problems increases (Hankin et al., 1998;Newman et al., 1996). Recent developments in neuroscience contribute to our understanding of why the risk of emotional and behavioral problems increases during adolescence (Giedd, 2004;Steinberg et ...

The authors examined gender differences in rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders among adolescents with I or more psychoactive substance use disorders. Baseline diagnostic data were obtained from 135 adolescents, ages 12 to 19, and their parents-guardians, who participated in a study to develop and efficacy test Integrated Family and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder were higher among drug-abusing male adolescents compared with drug-abusing female adolescents. However, high rates of disruptive behavior disorders also characterized drug-abusing female adolescents. Similarly, drug-abusing female adolescents exhibited a higher rate of major depression compared with drug-abusing male adolescents. However, rates of dysthymia, double depression (i.e., major depression and dysthymia), and bipolar disorder were equivalent between genders.

No abstract

We tested the hypothesis that successful weight loss post-bariatric surgery would be associated with healthier chemosensory function, food likes, and dietary behaviors than either unsuccessful weight loss or pre-surgery morbid obesity. In a case-control design, pre-surgical women with morbid obesity (n = 49) were compared with those 1-year post-surgery (24 Roux-en-Y Bypass, 24 Sleeve Gastrectomy) and defined by excess or percent weight loss as successful/unsuccessful. For self-reported smell/taste perception, more post-surgery than pre-surgery reported improved/distorted perception, especially if weight loss successful. Measured taste function (perceived quinine and NaCl intensity) was lower among weight loss unsuccessful versus pre-surgery patients, yet a genetic variation in taste probe (propylthiouracil bitterness) matched expected frequencies without significant pre/post-surgery difference. Regarding survey-reported liking, higher diet quality was seen in the weight loss successful (independent of surgery type) versus pre-surgical patients, with differences driven by lower sweet and refined carbohydrate liking. The post versus pre-surgical patients had greater restraint but less hunger and disinhibition. Patients reporting both higher diet quality and lower hunger showed greater % weight loss, independent of surgery type. Thus, successful weight loss 1-year post-bariatric surgery was associated with improved or distorted chemosensation and patterns of liking associated with healthier diets, especially if coupled with less hunger.