Findings partly supported the hypothesis that lower baseline mindfulness predicts greater improvement following MBSR and emphasize the importance of assessing multiple mindfulness facets given their unique, contrasting relations to outcomes.

Growing evidence supports the effectiveness of Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents (TGCT-A) in reducing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and maladaptive grief (MG) reactions. This pilot study explored whether the specific focus of students' narratives (i.e., focus on trauma vs. focus on loss) as shared by TGCT-A group members would predict initial pretreatment levels, as well as pre- to posttreatment change trajectories, of PTSD symptoms and MG reactions. Thirty-three adolescents from three middle schools completed a 17-week course of group-based TGCT-A. PTSD and MG symptoms were assessed at pretreatment, twice during treatment, and at posttreatment. The focus (trauma vs. loss) of each student's narrative was coded using transcripts of members' narratives as shared within the groups. The reliable change index showed that 61% of students reported reliable pre-post improvement in either PTSD symptoms or MG reactions. Students whose narratives focused on loss both reported higher starting levels and showed steeper rates of decline in MG reactions than students whose narratives focused on trauma. In contrast, students whose narratives focused on trauma reported higher starting levels of PTSD than students who narrated loss experiences. However, narrative focus was not significantly linked to the rate at which PTSD symptoms declined over the course of treatment. This study provides preliminary evidence that TGCT-A treatment components are associated with reduced PTSD symptoms and MG reactions. Loss-focused narratives, in particular, appear to be associated with greater decreases in MG reactions.

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Background and Objectives: This study examined the relationship between distress tolerance and psychosocial changes among individuals participating in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). The objective of the analysis was to discern whether individuals with lower distress tolerance measured before MBSR showed larger reductions in perceived stress following MBSR. Design and Methods: Data were collected from a sample of convenience (n = 372) using a quasi-experimental design. Participants completed self-report measures immediately prior to course enrollment and following course completion. Results: Perceived stress, distress tolerance, and mood states showed favorable changes from pre- to post-MBSR in the current study. Baseline distress tolerance significantly moderated reductions on perceived stress, supporting the primary hypothesis that individuals with lower baseline distress tolerance evidenced a greater decline in perceived stress following MBSR. For a one-unit increase on the self-reported baseline Distress Tolerance Scale, reported perceived stress scores decreased by 2.5 units (p < .0001). Conclusions: The finding that individuals with lower baseline distress tolerance evidenced a greater decline in perceived stress may offer hints about who is most likely to benefit from MBSR and other mindfulness-based treatments. Identifying moderators of treatment outcomes may yield important benefits in matching individuals to treatments that are most likely to work for them.

The contextual factors associated with proactive and reactive subtypes of aggression have not been well-studied. In order to address this omission in the literature, the current study evaluated relations between perceived best friend delinquency, negative life events, and proactive and reactive aggression in a sample of 147 school-age children (M age =8.22 years; 54.4% male). Multiple regression analyses suggested that negative life events were uniquely associated with reactive aggression and best friend delinquency was uniquely associated with proactive aggression. Findings and their implications are discussed.Keywords Proactive and reactive aggression . Negative life events . Peer delinquency Proactive (goal-oriented and calculated) and reactive (in response to perceived threat) aggression represent correlated but theoretically and empirically distinct subtypes of aggressive behavior that are differentially associated with a host of social and behavior outcomes (see Card and Little 2006). There is a need for understanding the contextual factors associated with these distinct aggression subtypes, as this information would be useful for the refinement and implementation of targeted interventions. However, research examining the contextual influences of these aggression subtypes is limited (Vitaro et al. 2006). Both peer delinquency and negative life events are contextual factors that been found to impact aggressive behavior (Tremblay et al. 2004). However, their associations with these aggressive subtypes have not been well-studied. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to examine associations between peer delinquency, negative life events, and proactive and reactive aggression.