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  Physiological Changes in Old Age

  Rachel Zachar-Tirado, Lisa K. Lashley, and Charles J. Golden

  Excerpt

  Beginning in the third and fourth decades of life, subtle physiological changes start to occur with progressive decline as age increases. Some changes are visible such as wrinkling of the skin or whitening of hair, but the majority of physiological changes due to aging are internal. Many changes occur within the cardiovascular system. Boss and Seegmiller (1981) explain that with aging, cardiac output decreases as diastolic and systolic myocardial stiffness increases. These changes have been associated with increased blood pressure in older adults, leading to hypertension. This age-related change can be safely managed by antihypertensive therapy that is monitored regularly. In addition to these changes, lipid content of vessels increases, usually from increased cholesterol. While other factors play a part in myocardial infarctions, this change may increase the likelihood of myocardial infarctions in older adults.

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  Stephen J. Ceci

  Rachel Zachar-Tirado, Lisa K. Lashley, and Charles J. Golden

  Excerpt

  Stephen J. Ceci was born on March 22, 1950, and while not much information is available on his early years, his life’s work has focused on studies surrounding the validity of children’s courtroom testimony, gender studies, and intelligence. Ceci received his bachelor’s degree in general psychology from the University of Delaware in 1973, earning his master’s degree in developmental psychology two years later in 1975 from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his doctoral degree in developmental psychology in 1978 at the University of Exeter in England.

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  Working with Cuban American Families

  Trinidad Arguelles and Soledad Argüelles-Borge

  In recent years, the literature on the topic of ethnic and racial issues in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias has increased dramatically. At the same time, the need for cultural competence in all of geriatric care, including dementia care, is increasingly being acknowledged. Dementia is a large societal problem affecting all communities, regardless of race or ethnicity, and understanding dementia for specific groups is tremendously important for both clinical knowledge and for health planning as a nation. This third edition of Ethnicity and the Dementias offers invaluable background information in this area, while also examining how those suffering from dementia and their family members respond or adapt to the challenges that follow. Thoroughly updated and revised throughout, the book features contributions from leading clinicians and researchers in the field, with particular attention given to genetic and cultural factors related to dementia, effective prevention and treatment strategies, and issues in caregiving and family support.

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  Physical Disabilities

  Kelley Aucello, Sarah A. Valley-Gray, and Ralph E. Cash

  Excerpt

  An estimated 15 percent of the world's population lives with some form of disability, with a higher prevalence of disability among older people ( World Health Organization [WHO] 2011 ). Physical disabilities most often affect a person's ability to perform tasks involving mobility and self-care (e.g., walking, driving, maintaining hygiene, and cooking). Some individuals are born with specific infirmities, referred to as congenital disabilities, whereas others experience physical limitations later in life, referred to as acquired disabilities. Physical disability categories include musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disabilities (Handicaps Welfare Association n.d.) as well as visual and hearing impairments such as blindness and deafness.

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  Learning Disorders

  Stephen Beard, Sarah A. Valley-Gray, and Ralph E. Cash

  Excerpt

  Specific learning disorders (SLDs) affect an estimated 5 to 15 percent of school-age children (APA 2018), and these disorders can have a significant impact on an individual’s functioning beyond classroom performance. SLDs can impact one’s social skills, peer relationships, family functioning, and socioemotional functioning. The APA’s fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2013) delineates several criteria for the diagnosis of an SLD. First, an individual experiences difficulties with learning and using academic skills in at least one of the following areas: (1) reading; (2) understanding the meaning of what is read; (3) spelling; (4) written expression; (5) mastering number sense, number facts, or calculation; or (6) mathematical reasoning. Second, the affected academic skills are substantially less competent than expected for the individual’s age, and the deficits cause significant interference in academic functioning, occupational performance, or activities of daily living. Males are nearly twice as likely as females to be diagnosed with an SLD, at a ratio of nine to five (Cortiella and Horowitz 2014).

  Skills deficits due to an SLD must be confirmed through individually administered academic and cognitive measures or a documented history of impaired learning if the individual is seventeen years of age or older. The difficulties must emerge during the school-age years but may not fully manifest until the daily demands exceed the individual's capabilities. Finally, these deficits cannot be explained by an intellectual disability, visual or auditory deficits, lack of proficiency in the language of instruction, or a psychological or neurological disorder. Should an individual meet the criteria for an SLD, it must be specified whether the impairment lies in the area of reading, written expression, or mathematics.

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  Addictive Disorders

  Myron J. Burns

  Human beings seek relief and pleasure in their lives, whether it is by taking an aspirin for pain relief, having a drink and bite to eat after a long day of work, or enjoying an evening on the town with family or friends. However, there is a saying that “too much of anything is not good for you.” Historically, people have always engaged in addictive behaviors like drinking, eating, gambling, and sex.

  Addictive disorders are described as compulsive and impulsive behaviors. Compulsive behaviors involve performing an act persistently and repetitively without it necessarily leading to a reward or pleasure. Impulsive behaviors involve rapid and automatic responses to urges without much thought or reflection about the consequences of one's behaviors. Both behaviors, even more so when combined, can lead to problematic behaviors that put the individual at risk or in danger and possibly lead to a psychological disorder.

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  Behavioral Addictions

  Myron J. Burns

  As human beings we seek relief and pleasure in our lives, whether that is having a drink or a bite to eat after a long hard day of work or enjoying family and friends during a night on the town. However, as the old saying goes, "Too much of anything is not good for you." Historically, people have excessively engaged in addictive behaviors like drinking, gambling, sex, and shopping. Behavioral addictions can lead to problematic behaviors that put the individual at risk or in danger and possibly lead to other psychological disorders.

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  Quantum Processes in Neurophotonics and the Origin of the Brain's Spatiotemporal Hierarchy

  Travis J. Craddock, Philip Kurian, Jack A. Tuszynski, and Stuart R. Hameroff

  We review the brain's complex dynamical organization necessary for cognition and consciousness and conclude that, rather than a linear computer of neuronal synapses, the brain seems to function more as a nonlinear spatiotemporal hierarchy of interacting, dynamically layered systems. The brain's hierarchy apparently spans multiple layers covering at least 12 orders of magnitude reaching from large (nearly brain-wide, ∼10 cm), relatively slow (<100>Hertz, “Hz”) processes based on neuronal membranes and synaptic network activities (e.g., electroencephalography, “EEG”), downward and inward to increasingly smaller and faster molecular scales inside neurons including kilohertz (103 Hz), megahertz (106 Hz), gigahertz (109 Hz), and terahertz (1012 Hz) dynamics of cytoskeletal filaments and their constituents at micrometer, nanometer and subnanometer size scales. These faster, smaller processes delve into biomolecular quantum states whose properties are suggested to offer solutions to questions related to cognition and consciousness, but also in the traditional view considered unlikely in the “warm, wet, and noisy” biological brain milieu. Here we contend that functional neurological quantum states—nontrivial in their manifestation at mesoscopic and macroscopic scales and possibly useful for signaling and information processing—can originate in either (1) photoexcited transition-state dipoles of aromatic networks, driven by endogenous photon emissions generated during aerobic processes, or (2) collective electronic behaviors due to van der Waals interactions in such aromatic networks, which can result in a hierarchical cascade of coherent oscillations spanning 12 or more orders of magnitude. Cognitive processing and consciousness may occur in this cascade due to nonlinear amplification of resonances among coherent brain states.

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  Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

  Charles J. Golden and Matthew R. Zusman

  The term chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has recently gained a significant amount of media coverage. However, a large proportion of the information disseminated through the media pertaining to the etiology, neuropathology, and clinical manifestations of CTE are not corroborated by empirical research, and are disputed by prominent researchers who study sports related head injury.

  This book reviews the existing literature pertaining to these components of CTE and includes unique case studies of several retired NFL players that received a comprehensive neuropsychological battery from a board certified neuropsychologist, among other populations. It investigates the claim that CTE causes depression, violent behavior, and an increased risk for suicide by providing an in depth discussion using empirical data. Highlighting the importance of adhering to post concussion protocol and appreciating the long-term consequences of repeated head trauma, this unique review of the current research on CTE will be useful to students and professionals in psychology and neurology.

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  School Anxiety

  Juliette Hubbard, Ralph E. Cash, and Sarah A. Valley-Gray

  Excerpt

  Teachers, counselors, and others who work with children, particularly those who work in a school setting, commonly encounter nonattendance of students. Reasons for nonattendance include parent-excused medical concerns, student-motivated delinquency, and, frequently, school anxiety. Almost half of school psychologists in a US national survey reported working with students who engaged in school refusal (Miller and Jome 2010), which involves school avoidance due to the student's emotional distress. The characteristics of students with anxiety-based school refusal, their outcomes, and interventions are of considerable interest to professionals who work with school-age children because of the resultant disruptions in their academic achievement and social skills development.

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  Motivational Interviewing

  Melanie M. Iarussi

  Written for graduate students and practitioners, the book is a comprehensive introduction to positive counseling methods. This unique text provides a balanced assessment model that invites counselors to consider the four positive dimensions in a client’s life: cultural context; life phase; cognitive stage; and personality style.

  The material is organized into two primary sections. The first discusses ways to determine the positive and wellness dimensions of an individual’s life, and then use these dimensions to craft alternative ways to conceptualize tendencies and challenges in order to complement or replace diagnoses of pathology. The second section features eight chapters on positive intervention, each highlighting a specific counseling approach. Each chapter includes worksheets that allow readers to work with the topic in a dynamic way.

  Featuring the writing of experts in their respective topics, Positive Counseling gathers together new thinking and research on positive psychology and presents it in one outstanding resource. It is an excellent choice for courses in positive psychology and counseling theories.

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  Friendship, Childhood

  Kelsey Klindt and Angela M. Waguespack

  Excerpt

  Friendship is defined as a voluntary, reciprocal relationship between at least two individuals in which there is a mutual exchange of affection for one another (Rubin et al. 2008). Friends typically exhibit mutual liking and engage in shared interests or activities (Erwin 1998; Rizzo 1989). Friendships are established and influenced by social interactions and relationships with others and develop through dynamic processes; however, not all peer interactions lead to the establishment of friendships. The motivation to form meaningful friendships typically comes from the need for affiliation, affection, or intimacy. The absence of these social relations can be detrimental for the individual and lead to social isolation or withdrawal, which has implications for one’s overall psychosocial adjustment. Children’s relationships with peers can be distinguished from their relationships with adults (e.g., parents, teachers). Non-peer relationships tend to be hierarchical, with the adult having more power, resources, and knowledge than the child; by contrast, peer relationships are horizontal in nature, as both individuals in a peer dyad equally benefit from and contribute to the relationship. Through peer relationships, children are able to develop and practice crucial skills, such as perspective taking, social and emotional understanding, and conflict resolution (Howes 2009). The development of these cognitive, social, and emotional regulation skills is critical for peer acceptance, secure attachments with others, and positive friendships throughout life.

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  Gifted and Talented Children

  Melissa Koniver, Angela Garcia, Ralph E. Cash, and Sarah A. Valley-Gray

  Excerpt

  Children labeled gifted and talented are those ‘‘with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experiences or environment’’ (US Department of Education 1993, 3). Children who evidence such exceptional abilities compose 3 to 5 percent of the school-aged population (depending on how ‘‘gifted and talented’’ is defined). These children may be advanced in their intellectual ability; demonstrate academic acceleration, usually in multiple domains; and/or evidence extraordinary creativity. Other characteristics commonly associated with giftedness include a high level of language and reasoning skills and exceptional long-term memory (Pfeiffer 2012a). Gifted and talented children are frequently described as being perfectionistic, idealistic, and highly sensitive to their own expectations and those of others, and having more advanced problem-solving and linguistic skills when compared to their same-age peers (Webb et al. 2007).

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  Gender Identity Development

  Madhavi Menon and Sara E. Gorman

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  Impostor Phenomenon

  S. L. Nguyen and Aya Shigeto

  Academic and professional prowess is a valuable asset in industrialized societies, particularly for those pursuing white-collar career paths (e.g., teachers, medical professionals, entrepreneurs). For some individuals, the path to gain expertise in their fields may be filled with pressures to succeed, emotional distress, and characteristics related to the impostor phenomenon (IP). Impostors, those who experience the IP, possess a strong sense of intellectual incompetence and believe that they are untalented and undeserving of their success and recognition. Impostors regularly worry about reproducing past successes and maintaining high expectations.

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  Antisocial

  Timothy Razza

  The term antisocial describes actions that violate laws, social norms, and established standards of appropriate behavior, including destructive, violent, and aggressive behavior toward others. Personality characteristics of individuals who engage in antisocial behavior include impulsivity, a lack of empathy, and a lack of morality. The development of antisocial behaviors has been shown to be due to a complex interaction of genetic heritability, environmental, and contextual factors.

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  Impulsivity Disorders

  Timothy Razza

  Impulsivity Disorders refer to the numerous psychiatric disorders that involve impulsivity as a primary aspect of the clinical presentation. Impulsivity may present as an inability to inhibit behavior or emotions, a lack of forethought or planning, and a failure to consider the consequences of one’s actions. Examples of impulsivity disorders include pyromania, ADHD, and binge-eating disorder.

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  Psychosis

  Timothy Razza

  The term psychosis is used to refer to a severe form of mental illness which may include characteristic symptoms such as hallucination, delusions, and both thought and behavioral abnormalities. Diagnostically, psychosis is a primary aspect of psychiatric disorders including Schizophrenia and Delusional Disorder. Psychosis may result from various etiologies.

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  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

  Timothy S. Razza

  Excerpt

  According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the primary feature of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a consistent “pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development” (American Psychiatric Association 2013, 61). The symptomatic presentation of ADHD varies, and the condition may be expressed in predominately inattentive symptoms, predominately hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, or a combination of both. The difficulties associated with ADHD may impact academic, occupational, social, and family functioning. ADHD is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder with genetic and neurological factors as the primary etiologies. These genetic and neurological factors are believed to interact with environmental, psychosocial, and learning factors to affect the course and presentation of ADHD (Barkley 2014).

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  Forensic Practice for the Mental Health Clinician

  David L. Shapiro and Lenore E. A. Walker

  Mental health professionals have much to contribute to court-related decisions. Forensic work is interesting and rewarding, but it can also be challenging and stressful, even for experienced clinicians. "Forensic Practice for the Mental Health Clinician: Getting Started, Gaining Experience, and Avoiding Pitfalls" walks you through the steps required to navigate most aspects of forensic practice. Each chapter focuses on a different type of assessment and role, including pertinent background, case references, and elements that need to be addressed. Filled with practical information (and checklist summaries) to help keep you on track, Shapiro and Walker’s book provides the necessary tools to prepare you for the work ahead.