The tendency to dissociate is characterized by deficits in autobiographical memory. Poor reality monitoring, i.e., the ability to decide whether an event truly happened or was imagined may give rise to autobiographical memory problems. It was hypothesized that the tendency to dissociate, as measured by the Dissociation Experience Scale (DES), is related to deficiencies in reality monitoring. Yet, the results of two laboratory measures of reality monitoring showed no such relationship in a sample of undergraduate students scoring high on the DES. The tendency to dissociate was found to be related to self-reports of traumatization. This association, however, was mediated by a measure of deliberate attempts to suppress memory elements from entering consciousness. This finding suggests that memory problems relating to trauma may be due to “willful forgetting”.

This study examined the correlates of overgeneral memories (i.e., non-specific memories) in normal subjects. Subjects were instructed to generate five personal memories in response to positive cue-words and five memories in response to negative cue-words. As predicted, no evidence was found for a positive association between overgeneral memories and level of depression. Neither was there an association between low memory specificity on the one hand and neuroticism and trait anxiety on the other hand. A significant though small correlation was found between hemisphere thinking style and specificity of personal memories. Surprisingly, the direction of this correlation was such that the more subjects relied on a left hemisphere mode of thinking (i.e., analytic and verbal processing), the more overgeneral their memories were. Taken together, the results indicate that in normal samples, depression symptoms, neuroticism or trait anxiety do not represent important correlates of overgeneral memories consistent with their status as trait markers uninfluenced by state factors.

The present study explored factors associated with the successful suppression of dentist-related thoughts. Fifty-eight subjects first completed questionnaires on dental anxiety, trait anxiety, cognitive self-efficacy, and negative cognitions related to dental treatment. After imagining a scene in which they were undergoing dental treatment, subjects were asked to identify the negative thoughts they had just experienced. Next, subjects were instructed to suppress these thoughts during a one minute period. After this suppression period, subjects rated the extent to which they had succeeded in suppressing their dentist-related thoughts (i.e., thought control) and the extent to which they had spent on thinking about these thoughts (i.e., intrusiveness). The results showed that dental anxiety was negatively correlated with successful thought suppression, while trait anxiety was negatively associated with intrusions during the suppression period. It is suggested that anxiety undermines adequate cognitive control.

Motivational Interviewing (Miller, 1983; Miller and Rollnick, 1991) is an approach originally developed for problem drinkers but assumed to have wider applications. This paper describes one such application through the case of Mr D, an imprisoned sex offender who was identified under the procedures of the Prison Service Sex Offender Treatment Programme. Mr D was convicted of rape but did not believe that he had committed an offence, although he admitted having had sexual intercourse with the complainant. A full assessment of his offending suggested that he had made cognitive and behavioural errors prior to the act of intercourse and so motivational interviewing was employed to help him decide whether or not to participate in the treatment programme. As a result he decided that he would attend a treatment group. The case study concludes with a brief description of his progress whilst in the group and summarizes the results of the follow-up assessment. The application of motivational interviewing to this particular client group is discussed.

An eighteen month follow-up of chronic nightmare sufferers treated with imagery rehearsal, a cognitive-behavioral method, demonstrated significant and clinically meaningful decreases in nightmare frequency. Sixty-eight percent of subjects decreased their nightmares below criteria for a “Chronic Nightmare Disorder”. Significant improvement was also noted for sleep quality and daytime anxiety. The findings support the theory that nightmares may be clinically conceptualized as a primary sleep disorder in some chronic sufferers.

Seven mothers, identified by their health visitor as having conduct disordered pre-school children, participated in a behaviourally based parent training group. Two health visitors and a child care social worker also attended the group. The group members were taught skills in behaviour observation, reinforcement and goal setting. The results showed that the health visitors were able to identify children with conduct disorders and that the mothers of most of the children were themselves experiencing mental health difficulties. Participation in the group led to improvements for both the children and their mothers. The mothers found the group a satisfactory treatment method and the health visitors and social worker developed skills in the behavioural management of conduct disorders. The findings are considered in relation to the three components of the Welsh Strategic Intent and Direction for the NHS (health gain, people centred and resource effective).

A randomized trial was conducted of cognitive-behavioural therapy and a non-focused intervention for children and adolescents aged 8–16 years with depression (N = 57) referred to four child and adolescent psychiatry units. Children in both groups showed similar rates of recovery from depression at the end of treatment (cognitive-behavioural therapy: 87% recovery rate; non-focused intervention: 75% recovery rate). This paper addresses the question of how cognitive-behavioural therapy was perceived and used by depressed young sters in clinical settings (N=29). Only seven children (24%) kept a diary for all nine sessions of the CBT programme. Children who had been rated as compliant with CBT tasks were more likely to recover at the end of treatment. Analysis of the content of each cognitive-behavioural session has shown that all children received advice on self-monitoring, positive self-statementing, and social problem-solving, but only 50% actually received advice on cognitive restructuring, since this was scheduled late in the treatment package and most children had recovered by this stage. Children, parents and therapists had a high degree of agreement on the helpfulness of CBT. Children identified several helpful CBT elements, the majority being related to social problem-solving. The treatment programme was explained to parents, who did not actively participate in treatment, but they helped to plan suitable rewards for their children. Recommendations are made for the future use of CBT with referred young people with depressive disorders.

This study compared the outcome of patients treated with behavioural psychotherapy by a nurse behavioural psychotherapist against the outcome of those treated by trainee psychiatrists under his supervision. The trainees were shown to produce improvement, but significantly less than the supervisor. It was shown that supervision of trainees was a cost effective use of the supervisor's time.