The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently developed an empirical case definition that specifies criteria and instruments to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in order to bring more methodological rigor to the current CFS case definition. The present study investigated this new definition with 27 participants with a diagnosis of CFS and 37 participants with a diagnosis of a Major Depressive Disorder. Participants completed questionnaires measuring disability, fatigue, and symptoms. Findings indicated that 38% of those with a diagnosis of a Major Depressive Disorder were misclassified as having CFS using the new CDC definition. Given the CDC's stature and respect in the scientific world, this new definition might be widely used by investigators and clinicians. This might result in the erroneous inclusion of people with primary psychiatric conditions in CFS samples, with detrimental consequences for the interpretation of epidemiologic, etiologic, and treatment efficacy findings for people with CFS.
The Latino population continues to underutilize mental health services at an alarming rate. The Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale–Short Form (ATSPPH-SF) is one of the most commonly used instruments to assess help-seeking attitudes. The current study sought to evaluate the factor structure and test for the presence of differential item functioning on the ATSPPH-SF with a sample of Latino adult individuals across nativity status (U.S.- vs. foreign-born), language format (English vs. Spanish), and gender. The analyses revealed two relatively independent factors named Openness to Seeking Treatment and Value and Need in Seeking Treatment. Measurement equivalence and practical implications are discussed in the context of use with Latino individuals.
Using mixed methodology, the authors examined facilitators to psychological thriving-or positive changes after adversity-in the context of ethnic discrimination among Latina/o adults. Several themes emerged from qualitative interviews (n = 10), including proving others wrong, ethnic identity, and community involvement. Quantitative analyses (n = 97) indicated that U.S. identity moderated the relationship between ethnic microaggressions and thriving such that high levels of U.S. identity were associated with lower thriving. Implications and future directions are discussed.
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