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Previous research investigating whether combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is associated with impaired neuropsychological functioning has yielded inconsistent findings. The present study addressed many methodological limitations of previous research. Neuropsychological measures of intellectual ability, learning, memory, attention, visuospatial ability, executive functioning, language, and psychomotor speed were compared in four groups of early middle-aged community dwelling veterans. The four demographically comparable groups were: (a) those with current PTSD symptoms (n=80); (b) those with a prior history of PTSD but not currently experiencing active PTSD symptoms (n=80); (c) a non-PTSD psychiatrically matched control group (n=80); and (d) a normal control group (n=80). Results indicated that the four groups did not statistically differ on the neuropsychological measures and that veterans with PTSD perform similarly to demographically matched controls. Results further suggested that the cognitive difficulties previously linked to PTSD may actually have been secondary to preexisting individual differences or other clinical conditions coexisting with PTSD.

Depression has proven to be a serious illness in older adults that often goes untreated because it is frequently misdiagnosed or is confused with other symptom patterns. One instrument that has been consistently cited in the literature as an effective indicator of depression in older adults is the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The present study provided a reliability generalization (RG) study of the GDS in an effort to further distill psychometric properties of the scores generated by this measure. RG, a relatively new meta-analytic reliability procedure, was used to (a) identify the typical reliability of GDS scores across studies and (b) examine sources of measurement error across studies. Results from this investigation of 338 previously published research studies indicated that the average score reliability across studies was .8482 ( SD = .0870) and that the number of items on the scale, scale SD, sample size, and participant population were the most important predictors of score reliability on this measure. Implications for the use of the GDS are offered.

This study examined the contributions of the 5-Factor Model (FFM; P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992) and RIASEC (J. L. Holland, 1994) constructs of consistency, differentiation, and person-environment congruence in predicting job performance ratings in a large sample (N ϭ 514) of employees. Hierarchical regression analyses conducted separately by gender indicated that the interaction of differentiation with Agreeableness and Conscientiousness explained statistically significant variance in work performance for men, and that the interaction of congruence with Agreeableness, Artistic, and Social subscales was statistically significantly related to work performance in women. Findings suggested that the most successful model of job performance prediction would be substantially more complex than simple RIASEC or FFM approaches, and would likely incorporate interactions with constructs of worker adjustment, person-environment fit, types of work environments, and gender.

This article describes an integrated treatment approach for partner abusers and presents pilot study results. The authors based their treatment model primarily on battering explanations drawn from social learning theory, feminist theory, and psychodynamic theory. The focus of treatment is to address the overt and identifiable links to battering with feminist/cognitive-behavioral interventions and the less discrete, early maladaptive relational models with psychodynamic therapy. Specific examples and explanations are provided to illustrate the integration process. Results of the 15-week pilot treatment program indicated that men who completed the program (n = 21) reported a reduction in physical and psychological aggression toward their partners. Interviews with a small number of partners (« = 13) indicated reduction or elimination of battering 12-24 months following completion of treatment.Couple violence continues to be a major problem in our culture. Straus (1994) held that a person is more likely to be hit or killed at home by a family member than at any other place or by any other person. In particular, 16%, or approximately 8.7 million, marital couples experience physical violence each year (Straus, 1999). However, despite growing awareness of its destructiveness and broad-based attempts to stem its occurrence through treatment and consciousness-raising, partner assault continues to