We conducted secondary analyses to determine the relationship between longstanding personality traits and risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) among 767 participants 72 years of age or older who were followed for more than 6 years. Personality was assessed with the NEO-FFI. We hypothesized that elevated Neuroticism, lower Openness, and lower Conscientiousness would be independently associated with risk of AD. Hypotheses were supported. The finding that AD risk is associated with elevated Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness can be added to the accumulating literature documenting the pathogenic effects of these two traits. The link between lower Openness and AD risk is consistent with recent findings on cognitive activity and AD risk. Findings have implications for prevention research and for the conceptualization of the etiology of Alzheimer's Disease.

Self-care practices maintain strong professional functioning and decrease risk of burnout and exhaustion. Limited research has examined how these practices are learned and practiced by graduate students. The current study examined self-care-related policies and practices in psychology graduate education, focusing on clinical psychology doctoral programs associated with the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology. For all member programs, departmental and/or clinical training area handbook(s) were evaluated for a mention of terms related to self-care. Of 177 programs sampled, handbooks were available online for 136 (76.8%) of them; of these, 15 (11.0%) had an available general psychology department handbook that referenced self-care and 44 (32.4%) had an available clinical psychology training area handbook with such a reference. A simple reference to psychotherapy or mental health services for impaired students was the most common self-care theme observed. Given these findings, and the importance of self-care practices to the professional psychologist, it is suggested that graduate programs adopt clearly articulated and readily accessible self-care statements as well as institutionalized self-care practices that are encouraged and/or supported by faculty and administration. A call to action urges psychology training programs to consider initiating a shift from cultures of self-care that are reactive in nature to ones that instead are proactive and preventive, with a focus on wellness. . P a t r ic ia M. B a m o n t i earned her MS in clinical psychology from West Virginia University. She currently is a doctoral candidate in the Depart ment of Psychology at West Virginia University. Fler research interests include late life depression and suicide.C o l l e e n M. K e e l a n earned her MS in clinical psychology from West Virginia University. She currently is a doctoral candidate at West Virginia University. Fler areas of professional interest include forensic psychology, court-mandated evaluations, and assessment and treatment of juvenile sex offenders.N ic h o l a s L a r s o n earned his MA in psychology from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He currently is a behavior specialist with the Positive Behavior Support Project through West Virginia University's Center for Excellence in Disabilities in Morgantown, West Virginia. His professional interests include individual and family adjustment to chronic stress, illness, and disability; video modeling of social behavior; and instructional meth ods for training primary care, residential care, and educational staff. J a n e l l e M. M e n t r ik o s k i earned her MS in clinical psychology from West Virginia University. She is currently a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology at West Virginia University. Her areas of professional interest include adjustment to pediatric chronic injuries, de velopment of programs for the prevention of bum injuries, and interven tions to improve treatment outcomes in pediatric populations. C a m e r o n L. ...

To improve recognition of depression, primary care physicians should be alert to patients' ill-defined distress and heterogeneous symptoms, help patients name their distress, and promote explanations that comport with patients' lived experience, reduce blame and stigma, and facilitate care-seeking.

Direct care workers (e.g., certified nursing assistants [CNAs]) employed in long-term care (LTC) are particularly vulnerable to the experience of burnout, yet they have received relatively less research attention compared to Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses. Within the burnout literature, evidence suggests that the deployment of certain coping strategies influences levels of burnout. The current study examined the extent to which coping (e.g., problem-focused, emotion-focused, and dysfunctional coping) and cognitive emotion regulation strategies (e.g., positive reappraisal) predicted burnout after controlling for covariates (age, sleep duration). Fifty-six CNAs were surveyed at four skilled nursing facilities in the United States. Dysfunctional coping was significantly associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Among cognitive emotion regulation strategies, positive reappraisal was significantly associated with depersonalization. Shorter sleep duration was associated with significantly greater depersonalization. Findings suggest the need to develop interventions for CNAs aimed at reducing dysfunctional coping strategies and increasing sleep duration.

Background Identification of risk factors for loss of meaning in life among older adults is needed. In the current paper, we test hypotheses derived from the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide concerning the role of perceptions that one is a burden on others as a risk factor for lower meaning in life. Methods A prospective design was used to examine the temporal associations between perceptions of burdensomeness on others and perceived meaning in life among older adults (n = 65) seeking mental health treatment (primarily for depression and/or anxiety) at an outpatient geriatric mental health clinic. Participants completed self-report questionnaires within a month following intake. Follow-up questionnaires were completed over the phone two months later. Results Perceived burdensomeness predicted lack of meaning in life two months later, while accounting for depression severity. In contrast, baseline levels of meaning in life did not significantly predict levels of burdensomeness at two months. Conclusion The findings suggest that burdensomeness may contribute to suicide morbidity and mortality in late-life by eroding meaning in life. Empirically supported treatments for late-life depression could be adapted to focus on perceptions of burdensomeness and its connections with meaning in life.