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Subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) have shown to be useful predictors of objective cognitive decline in older adults. Though psychopathology symptoms (e.g. depression, anxiety) have been linked to SCCs, little is known about the influence of positive psychology factors (e.g. resilience) on these complaints. The current study aimed to determine whether resilience predicts SCCs, and whether greater resilience moderates (or lessens) the effect of negative mental health symptoms on SCCs. Four hundred twenty-eight adults aged 60 years or older (M = 67.6, SD = 5.9) were recruited to participate in an online Qualtrics survey study. Surveys included assessed psychological resilience [University of Washington Resilience Scale 8-item short form (UWRS-8)], depression [Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15)], anxiety [Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-30)], and SCCs [Perceived Deficits Questionnaire-Depression (PDQ-D); Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale-Short Form (BDEFS-SF)]. Although greater resilience was only independently associated with less complaints on BDEFS total scores, resilience moderated (i.e. reduced) the negative effects of depression and anxiety on PDQ-D retrospective memory and planning subscales as well as BDEFS-SF total scores. Resilience also moderated (i.e. reduced) the negative effect of anxiety on PDQ-D total scores. With resilience lessening the effect of depression and anxiety on SCCS, our findings suggest positive psychological factors may be useful for understanding the prevalence of complaints. Future research should seek to replicate these findings and investigate relationships between additional positive psychological factors and cognitive health in old age including the use of both objective and subjective assessments of cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subjective cognitive difficulties in the elderly may serve as potential risk-factors for future, objective decline and conversion to neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., mild cognitive impairment [MCI] and dementia). Though these subjective declines have been associated with depression, and to a lesser extent, anxiety, it is unknown if related constructs (e.g. anxiety sensitivity) and specific kinds of worries (e.g. worry about developing dementia, health anxiety) are related to subjective declines. The current study sought to examine if cognitive concerns related to anxiety sensitivity, dementia worry, and health anxiety added incremental validity beyond general symptoms of anxiety and depression in predicting subjective cognition and functioning in a sample of older adults. Participants were 429 older adults who were at least 60 years old. Participants completed questionnaires on subjective cognition, subjective everyday function, anxiety, depression, anxiety sensitivity, dementia worry, and health anxiety via Qualtrics Panels. Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted. Our variables of interest (anxiety sensitivity, dementia worry, and health anxiety) added significant variance in predicting subjective cognition and everyday function. Specifically, anxiety sensitivity was related to subjective cognition and functioning, while dementia worry and health anxiety were variably associated. Our results suggest that constructs related to anxiety and worry have a significant relationship with subjective cognition and function in older adults beyond general symptoms of depression and anxiety. Future work should examine if interventions and education may help to decrease anxiety sensitivity and worry about dementia respectively in older adults, which may in tern protect against future subjective declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that both criterion grouping approaches and cutoff scores can impact PVT classification accuracy statistics. This study aimed to examine the influence of cutoff scores and criterion grouping approaches on The b Test, a measure designed to identify feigned impairment in visual scanning, processing speed, and letter identification. Two hundred ninety-seven adults referred for psychoeducational testing were included with the majority of individuals seeking academic accommodations (n = 215). Cutoff scores of ≥82, ≥90, and ≥120 were utilized along with two different criterion group approaches, 0 PVT failures vs. ≥2 PVT failures and 0 PVT failures versus ≥ 1 PVT failures. Failure rates for The b Test in the overall sample ranged from 12.5% to 16.2%. Subgroup analyses in those referred specifically for ADHD revealed failure rates for The b Test ranging from 10.5% to 14.2%. ROC curves within the full sample and ADHD subsample demonstrated significant AUCs utilizing both criterion group approaches (AUC =.66 –.78). Sensitivity and specificity varied as a function of criterion group approach and cutoff score, with 0 PVT failures vs. ≥ 2 PVT failures resulting in the greatest sensitivity when maximizing specificity at ≥.90 in the full sample and ADHD sample. The results demonstrate that criterion approaches and cutoff scores impact classification accuracy of The b Test with 0 PVT vs. ≥ 2 PVT failures demonstrating the greatest classification accuracy. Special considerations should be made with regard to clinical decision making in the context of psychoeducational evaluations given that a large portion of individuals seeking accommodations fail only one PVT. Limitations of this study are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mentor relationships are important in developing and supporting professional self-efficacy among psychology trainees. Additionally, the rapid diversification of the United States calls for the preparation of clinical neuropsychology trainees to work within a multicultural context. The present study aimed to assess neuropsychology trainees' perceptions of multicultural climate and supervision and if these perceptions differ based on trainee demographics. We also sought to identify aversive experiences of trainees, program strengths or weaknesses, and how programs support trainees. Participants were 310 neuropsychology trainees (Mean age = 30.27, SD = 5.67) from clinical psychology graduate (n = 136), pre-doctoral internship (n = 38), and post-doctoral (n = 71) programs across the United States and Canada who completed a survey assessing perceptions to multicultural climate and supervision. 64.5% self-identified as women, 60.3% as heterosexual, and 46.1% as non-Hispanic White. 34.5% of trainees reported at least one American Disabilities Act (ADA) recognized disability. Though satisfied with general supervision, trainees reported overall dissatisfaction with multicultural supervision. Satisfaction with multicultural supervision did not differ by demographics. Trainees also reported various aversive experiences with supervisors, clients, and research participants that negatively impacted their training. These experiences were at times due to an aspect of the trainee's multicultural identity, with Black and Hispanic trainees being more likely to report an aversive experience. Trainees reported ways in which they felt unsupported by their programs. Important areas of growth for programs are discussed. Issues raised by neuropsychology trainees overlap to some degree with the experiences of trainees in other fields. Recommendations of approaches that have been successfully adopted in other fields to improve trainee satisfaction are provided. Early identification of needs that go above and beyond clinical training will allow programs to respond promptly, improve trainee satisfaction, and potentially improve the retention of trainees from diverse backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black American individuals comprise about 13% of the population in the United States (U.S.). It is estimated by 2045, approximately 50% of U.S. residents will belong to an ethnic minority group underscoring the importance of the provision of culturally competent services. The present study provides a critical/systematic review of the literature to examine the representation of Black Americans in recent neuropsychological research in U.S. neuropsychology journals. We examined the representation of U.S. Black American individuals across journals, year of study, and by study sample. We evaluated 1,151 journal articles published in 4 neuropsychology journals published in 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2019. Articles were coded for reporting of age, sex/gender, years of education, ethnicity/race, and if race was a focus of the study. We also recorded sample size and type of sample. Out of the 397 articles meeting inclusion criteria, 37.5% did not report ethnic or racial demographic information. Additionally, 96% of the articles were not racially/ethnically focused. Black participants comprised 10.7% of participants in articles that reported race/ethnicity. The proportion of Black participants increased by 3.7% between 2011 and 2019. Our results demonstrate the underrepresentation of U.S. Black Americans in neuropsychological research over the targeted years. This highlights our shortcomings as a field in demonstrating the importance of including Black Americans in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate racial differences in healthcare utilization and caregiver burden in a culturally diverse population of older adults with dementia. One hundred and thirty-three dyads (person with dementia, PWD and caregiver, CG), with at least one emergency department (ED) visit or hospitalization 12 months prior, were enrolled. Independent sample t-tests and chi-squared analyses were performed to compare racial groups on healthcare utilization and CG burden. Mann–Whitney U test was used for item-level analyses, principal component analysis was used to examine relationships among outcomes, and regressions were used to identify the relationship between race and potential covariates. PWD sample mean age was 79 years, predominantly female, and with high school education. Racial distribution was 65% White and 35% Black. CG sample mean age was 64 years, predominantly female, with more than 12 years of education. No differences were found for age or dementia severity across racial groups. Black PWD experienced more ED and ambulance utilization when compared to White counterparts. Non-emergency hospitalization rates were higher for White PWD. No significant differences were found by race for CG burden total score; however, item-level analysis suggested more anger, reduced social life, uncertainty, and inadequacy in White CGs. Regressions demonstrated a positive relationship between Black race and adult-child CGs with increased ED visits, while dyad educational attainment was associated with hospitalizations independent of race. Healthcare utilization disparities extend to older adults with dementia diagnoses. Our findings suggest that culturally tailored interventions may be appropriate. Future research is encouraged to explore the effect of other covariates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Given the strong relationship often found between self-report measures of anxiety and depression, the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS) was created and then expanded (IDAS-II) to assess common and unique symptom dimensions of these emotional disorders. Limited research has focused on the use of the IDAS-II with older adults and the purpose of the current study was to provide data on the reliability and validity of the IDAS-II in this population. Method: A sample of 323 participants (age 55–80 years) were recruited online using Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk). They completed the IDAS-II and several other self-report questionnaires of internalizing symptoms, including widely used measures developed specifically for older adults. Internal consistency and validity of the IDAS-II were examined. Results: The IDAS-II demonstrated marginal to excellent internal consistency (α =.68–.91). An exploratory factor analysis indicated three factors: Distress, Positive Mood, and Obsessions. The IDAS-II explained a large amount of variance in the other measures of depression and anxiety (ranging from 52% to 76%) and the IDAS-II Dysphoria scale significantly related to all of the other measures of depression and anxiety (ranging from r =.69 to r =.81). Conclusion: These results support the use of the IDAS-II with older adults as it has good convergent validity with other commonly used measures of depression and anxiety, including those commonly used in the assessment of older adults. Further research can use the IDAS-II with both younger and older adults to examine age-related changes in depression and anxiety symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous studies analyzing the factor structure of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) have been limited in the number of scores included in the analysis. Often, they lacked inclusion of process scores that have been shown to add predictive value in identifying future cognitive decline. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to determine the factor structure of the RAVLT utilizing factor scores including serial position effects, repetitions, and intrusion errors, and to examine if the factor structure for older adults is similar to that found in the entire lifespan sample. Method: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on 718 participants (age 16–85 years) from the Nathan Kline Institute (NKI)-Rockland project. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of a reduced model of the EFA was conducted on the entire sample and an older (ages 55–85 years; n = 265) and a younger (less than 55 years of age; n = 453) subsample. Results: EFA indicated three factors: Memory, Attention/Learning, and Inaccurate Memory (i.e., repetitions and intrusions). CFA of a reduced model indicated adequate fit in the entire sample and older subsample, and good fit in the younger subsample. Conclusion: The present study examined the factor structure of the RAVLT in a large lifespan sample utilizing a larger set of RAVLT scores than have been examined in prior studies, including total scores and process scores. The same factors were identified in the entire lifespan sample and the younger and older adult subsamples, although similar to previous studies, measures of model fit were less robust in the older adult subsample. These results provide additional support for the error scores (e.g., intrusions and repetitions) as separable from other aspects of learning and memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]