Many studies have examined factors influencing or associated with the outcome of bipolar disorder. However, little is known about bipolar patients' subjective experiences of their illness and the issues that are of significance to them. The use of a client-focused approach in identifying these issues is important for planning treatment and clinical medical management to address patients' specific needs. Focus group discussions and individual interviews were conducted with 18 bipolar patients and transcribed verbatim. The data were then analyzed and interpreted according to the phenomenological approach to qualitative research. The data were interpreted in terms of how patients view themselves, their lives and community, and their future. Implications for treatment and future research are discussed.

According to Reber (1992), implicit learning should vary only minimally with age and intelligence quotient (IQ), whereas explicit learning should depend heavily on both age and IQ. To evaluate these predictions, children from two age groups (5–7 yean and 10–12 years) were selected to form low, medium, and high IQ subgroups. They were then tested on an implicit and an explicit learning task. The implicit task, adapted from Lewicki (1986), used a number of 4 × 4 matrices which displayed 16 pictures in different arrangements. One picture was of a house, and the children were required to learn the incidental covariation of (a) the experimenter's side of approach (left or right), with the house positioned in the upper or lower half of the matrix; and (b) the colour of the matrix board and cover (red or blue), with the house positioned in the left or right half of die matrix. The explicit task had a similar logical structure to the implicit task, but (a) was implemented using different stimulus dimensions; (b) was presented so that the stimulus dimensions were not only salient, but were also explicitly identified to the children; and (c) used instructions that identified the nature of the rules to be learned, ensuring that learning was intentional. The reported results are inconsistent with the claim that age differences exist only in explicit learning, since implicit learning also improved significandy with age. However, the results are consistent with the claim mat implicit learning is invariant of, whereas explicit learning covaries with, IQ. The study is discussed in the context of the applicability of the implicit‐explicit distinction, and like distinctions, to theories of cognitive development

Postnatal depression (PND) is a serious and debilitating condition that is recognized as being disruptive to women's lives at a time when they are already under stress adapting to the demands that a new baby creates. What has not always been fully acknowledged is that PND is linked with elevated levels of depression in male partners. In this article, the authors report on men's experiences of PND and of participation in a 6-week group treatment program specifically designed for male partners. The men experienced their partners' PND as overwhelming, isolating, stigmatizing, and frustrating. Coping with PND was assisted by participation in the men's group. Men reported lowered levels of depression and stress, and higher levels of social support, as a result of their participation. The men valued highly the opportunity to share experiences with peers, to hear strategies for engaging in their relationship, and to gain factual information.

Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) have been suggested as self-help tools to increase subjective well-being and happiness. However, most previous studies have been based on between-group comparisons, which are not informative with regard to trajectories of individual change over time. This study is a first attempt at examining whether completing frequently used PPIs — ‘Three Good Things in Life’, ‘Using Signature Strengths in a New Way’ and ‘Gratitude Visit’ —results in consistent changes in affect at the level of the individual. In an N-of-1-study design, participants were randomly allocated to one of six counterbalanced patterns of the PPIs over a 9–10 week period. The affective aspect of subjective well-being was measured daily using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). Hierarchical linear modelling showed significant changes in PANAS scores, but no statistically significant differential impact on positive affect of the PPIs, apart from a marginally significant time × intervention interaction for ‘Using Signature Strengths in a New Way’. This suggests that frequently used PPIs do not result in changes in affect over time. This finding questions recommending the use of PPIs as self-help tools.

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