The allostatic load (AL) model represents an interdisciplinary approach to comprehensively conceptualize and quantify chronic stress in relation to pathologies throughout the life cycle. This article first reviews the AL model, followed by interactions among early adversity, genetics, environmental toxins, as well as distinctions among sex, gender, and sex hormones as integral antecedents of AL. We next explore perspectives on severe mental illness, dementia, and caregiving as unique human models of AL that merit future investigations in the field of developmental psychopathology. A complimenting transdisciplinary perspective is applied throughout, whereby we argue that the AL model goes beyond traditional stress-disease theories toward the advancement of person-centered research and practice that promote not only physical health but also mental health.

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Despite the availability and proliferation of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and of methods to design such guidelines in recent years, a growing body of evidence suggests that the quality of CPGs can often be dubious, typically pointing to a lack of methodological rigor in guideline development. In the social sciences and in psychology, numerous CPGs have been developed, yet research has failed to investigate their quality and methodology. This pilot study evaluated the 5 available guidelines of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec (OPQ) using a scoring system proposed by Ansari and Rashidian (2012) for examining guideline development tasks. The method consisted of rating CPGs based on the absence, presence, or detailed consideration of 27 tasks involved in guideline development. Overall, results suggest that the CPGs did not implement important tasks for guideline development, and were far below the acceptable standards in guideline development procedures. A minimal number of the necessary tasks for guideline development were addressed in the CPGs. These findings suggest there are important problems with the development and quality of these CPGs. The pilot study also points to the need for conducting future research on the clinical guidelines used in psychology.

Research has extensively identified common factors and their contribution to successful psychotherapeutic outcomes. However, there are various inconsistencies in the literature and much debate regarding their importance and role in therapy. As such, in this study, we examined the extent to which different common factors are important in psychotherapy from the clinicians’ perspective. Sixteen common factors were identified from a previous literature synthesis and consensual process method. Participants were expert psychologists (N = 21; 13 females) with an average of 23 years of experience providing psychotherapy. Participants completed a Q-sort task focusing on the common factors, and grouped them into categories of importance in practice. The data was analyzed using a Q-methodology technique. While most participants believed most of the common factors were important for facilitating successful therapeutic outcomes, there were mixed preferences. On average the most important common factor was the therapeutic alliance, and the least was combatting client’s feelings of isolation. The Q-methodology analysis indicated two factors representing unique viewpoints. The study provides knowledge about the degrees of importance of the common factors as perceived by clinicians.

Earlier age of menarche is believed to confer greater vulnerability to depressive symptoms via increased reactivity to stressors associated with adolescence. In this longitudinal study, we measured depressive symptoms and salivary cortisol levels in 198 boys and 142 girls between the ages of 11 and 13 tested four times during Grade 7 as they transitioned from elementary school to secondary school as per Quebec's education system. Results showed that girls who had already reached menarche before starting secondary school had significantly higher depressive symptoms and salivary cortisol levels across the school year in comparison to girls who had not reached menarche, who in turn presented higher depressive scores than boys. When we divided menarcheal girls as a function of menarcheal timing in subanalyses, we found that girls with early menarche presented consistently elevated depressive symptoms across the school year while girls with on-time menarche presented transient depressive symptoms but no differences in salivary cortisol levels. Collectively, these results show that early menarche is associated with high depressive symptoms and cortisol levels in adolescent girls. This developmental milestone may render girls more vulnerable to environmental stressors and therefore represents a critical period to intervene to promote mental health.

Dyslexia is a complex neurologically based learning disorder requiring the skillful intervention of a licensed psychologist for assessment, diagnosis, and intervention. As for any complex activity that may involve risks for the patient, there is value in having guidelines to inform practitioners about the best possible procedures when offering services to individuals with this condition. Practice guidelines are indeed a useful resource for mental health professionals but only to the degree that they are developed with the most rigorous standards. The Order of Psychologists of Quebec published the Guidelines for the Evaluation of Dyslexia in Children (Ordre des psychologues du Quebec, 2014) to provide guidance for psychologists in the assessment of dyslexia. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the quality of this guideline using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II guideline evaluation instrument (AGREE, 2009). Results show that this guideline was developed with important methodological flaws. Suggested improvements in the guideline development methodology using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II approach are discussed.

Découvrir la revue Citer cet article Plusquellec, P., Trépanier, L., Juster, R., Marin, M., Sindi, S., François, N., Wan, N., Findlay, H., Durand, N. & Lupien, S. (2015). Étude pilote des effets du programme DéStresse et Progresse chez des élèves de 6e année du primaire intégrés dans une école secondaire. Éducation et francophonie, 43(2), 6-29. doi:10.7202/1034483ar Résumé de l'article Selon des études précédentes, l'événement que représente la transition du primaire au secondaire suscite une augmentation significative de cortisol (hormone de stress) chez les adolescents. Le programme DéStresse et Progresse est un programme de prévention du stress et de ses troubles associés, issu des travaux réalisés ces dernières années dans le domaine de la biologie du stress. Ce programme, testé et validé auprès d'adolescents en première année de l'école secondaire, a montré des effets significatifs sur le niveau de cortisol et sur le niveau de symptômes dépressifs des jeunes les plus à risque. La présente étude a pour objectif d'évaluer les effets du programme sur un groupe restreint de sujets vivant leur dernière année du primaire, mais dans une structure particulière, puisque ce groupe est déjà intégré à une école secondaire. Quarante-neuf sujets, répartis dans deux classes, ont donc participé à une étude selon un devis prétest / post-test à mesures répétées. Contrairement à ce qui était attendu, les résultats montrent une augmentation moyenne significative de cortisol salivaire au cours de notre étude, augmentation qui pourrait être attribuée à la transition précoce résultant de l'intégration de notre échantillon à l'école secondaire. Par contre, une amélioration des performances cognitives et de l'estime de soi ainsi qu'une diminution des symptômes dépressifs pour l'ensemble des élèves peuvent être suggérés à la suite du programme. Nathe FrançoisCentre d'études sur le stress humain, Québec, Canada Nathalie WanCentre d'études sur le stress humain, Québec, Canada Helen FindlayCentre d'études sur le stress humain, Québec, Canada Nadia DurandCentre d'études sur le stress humain, Québec, Canada Sonia LupienUniversité de Montréal et Centre d'études sur le stress humain, Québec, Canada RÉSUMÉSelon des études précédentes, l'événement que représente la transition du primaire au secondaire suscite une augmentation significative de cortisol (hormone de stress) chez les adolescents. Le programme DéStresse et Progresse est un programme de prévention du stress et de ses troubles associés, issu des travaux réalisés ces dernières années dans le domaine de la biologie du stress. Ce programme, testé et validé auprès d'adolescents en première année de l'école secondaire, a montré des effets significatifs sur le niveau de cortisol et sur le niveau de symptômes dépressifs des jeunes les plus à risque. La présente étude a pour objectif d'évaluer les effets du programme sur un groupe restreint de sujets vivant leur dernière année du primaire, mais dans une structure particulière, puisque ce groupe est déjà intégré à une école secondaire...

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