One explanation for differences in treatment effectiveness for targeted symptoms is that more-effective treatments are more focused on patients' problems than are less-effective treatments. This conjecture was examined meta-analytically. Comparisons of two treatments of adults with anxiety disorders were included. Effect sizes for targeted symptoms, nontargeted symptoms, and global outcomes (e.g., quality of life and well-being) as well as the relative focus on patients' problems and researcher allegiance were coded. Metaregressions were conducted to predict effect sizes from (a) variables related to the focus on patients' problems and (b) researcher allegiance. For symptom measures, the relative focus on patients' problems predicted the relative effectiveness of the treatments, with the expectations created by explanation appearing more predictive than specific therapeutic actions focused on patients' problems, although conclusions about relative importance were difficult to determine given collinearity of predictors. Researcher allegiance also predicted the effects of the comparisons. For global outcomes, both the focus on patients' problems and researcher allegiance seemed to have smaller roles. A focus on patients' problems appears to be important for the reductions of symptoms. Clinical trials comparing treatments need to balance the focus on patients' problems and reduce researcher allegiance. (PsycINFO Database Record

Despite evidence of the effectiveness of postsecondary academic enhancement interventions, presently there is a paucity of research examining the effective processes of such programs. Informed by the psychosociocultural model, this study tested the relationship between the growth in hope and belongingness, as well as academic achievement for undergraduates on academic probation participating in academic enhancement groups. Longitudinal ratings of hope and belongingness from 167 undergraduates enrolled in 22 academic enhancement groups were modeled as predictors of changes in their grade-point average (GPA). Results indicated that the growth in students' hope and belongingness were significantly associated with changes in their GPA. Additionally, gender significantly moderated the relationship between hope and academic achievement, such that women who had small or large increases in their hope during the intervention and men who had large increases in hope during the intervention had significant and large improvements in their GPAs; men who had small increases in hope during the intervention had significant but small improvements in their GPAs. Our findings suggest the importance of group processes of belongingness and hope for academic enhancement groups. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Objective National Guard service members demonstrate increased suicide risk relative to the civilian population. One potential mechanism for this increased risk may be familiarity with and access to firearms following deployment. This study examined the association between firearm ownership, reasons for ownership, and firearm familiarity with a widely studied suicide risk factor—capability for suicide—among National Guard service members. Method Data were drawn from a cross‐sectional survey of National Guard service members conducted immediately post‐deployment in 2010. Service members (n = 2,292) completed measures of firearm ownership, firearm familiarity, and capability for suicide. Results Firearm ownership and increased firearm familiarity were associated with capability for suicide (d = 0.47 and r = .25, for firearm ownership and familiarity, respectively). When examined separately based on reason for ownership, owning a firearm for self‐protection (d = 0.33) or owning a military weapon (d = 0.27) remained significantly associated with capability for suicide. In contrast, owning a firearm for hobby purposes did not (d = −0.07). Conclusion Our findings support theories emphasizing practical aspects of suicide (e.g., three‐step theory) and suggest that owning firearms, in particular for self‐protection, along with familiarity using firearms may be associated with greater capability for suicide.

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