Previous research has consistently found self-assessment bias (an overly positive assessment of personal performance) to be present in a wide variety of work situations. The present investigation extended this area of research with a multi-disciplinary sample of mental health professionals. Respondents were asked to: (a) compare their own overall clinical skills and performance to others in their profession, and (b) indicate the percentage of their clients who improved, remained the same, or deteriorated as a result of treatment with them. Results indicated that 25% of mental health professionals viewed their skill to be at the 90th percentile when compared to their peers, and none viewed themselves as below average. Further, when compared to the published literature, clinicians tended to overestimate their rates of client improvement and underestimate their rates of client deterioration. The implications of this self-assessment bias for improvement of psychotherapy outcomes are discussed.

Psychologists differ in their preoperative evaluation practices. Further research is needed to determine the reasons for the variability in clinical decision making and the long-term medical and psychosocial outcomes associated with the recommendation to delay or deny surgery for psychosocial reasons. When patients receive such a recommendation, they can be encouraged to seek a second opinion from a mental health professional with bariatric expertise.

This review of alcohol use and abuse in college students presents a summary of the relationships between college student alcohol use and demographic and individual characteristics. A summary of the findings suggests two distinct patterns of alcohol use. For some demographic groups, heavy drinking may be most associated with personal problems, while for others it may be more associated with social and environmental factors. Suggestions for future research of this important issue are presented.

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To increase the likelihood of long-term maintenance of weight loss, a significant portion of this patient population would benefit from interventions targeting overcoming boredom, reducing stress, and managing depression. In the pre-surgical evaluation, it is important to identify those patients who are "emotional eaters" and to refer them for appropriate interventions.