Self-Concealment as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Perfectionism and Psychological Distress

The present study examined self-concealment as a possible mediator in the relationship between perfectionism and distress. The study also explored whether willingness to disclose differed depending on whether the disclosure was to a friend, family member, or counselor. One hundred and sixteen undergraduate women were administered the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Self-Concealment Scale, the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-21, and the College Issues Questionnaire. Correlational analyses indicated that maladaptive perfectionism, self-concealment, and distress were all highly related. Path analysis indicated that self-concealment mediated the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and distress. Willingness to discuss issues with family and friends was negatively correlated with maladaptive perfectionism and self-concealment, but unrelated to distress. These results indicate that a tendency to conceal negative personal information may be a significant contributor to the psychological distress experienced by those with maladaptive perfectionism.     

Planning and managing a complex multisite study in the age of technology

A 2‐year long, multisite research study that evaluated cardiopulmonary resuscitation skill decay among nursing students was conducted at 10 schools of nursing across the United States. The study was conducted in two phases and required carefully timed sessions for skill performance. Multisite studies in nursing education need to be carefully planned. Time delays should be anticipated with processes and Institutional Review Board protocols across sites. All team members were trained and consistently supported during the entire study. While challenges and obstacles were identified, innovative solutions were implemented that assisted the research team to successfully complete the study. The use of new and existing technology allowed the team to surmount many of the challenges encountered in this study. The purpose of this article is to describe the logistics, processes, challenges, and lessons learned related to conducting a complex multisite study.     

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor augmentation of T-cell receptor-dependent and T-cell receptor-independent thymocyte proliferation

The effects of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM- CSF) are not confined to cells of the myeloid lineage. GM-CSF has been shown to have effects on mature T cells and both mature and immature T- cell lines. We therefore examined the GM-CSF responsiveness of murine thymocytes to investigate whether GM-CSF also affected normal immature T lymphocytes. The studies presented here indicate that GM-CSF augments accessory cell (AC)-dependent T-cell receptor (TCR)-mediated proliferation of unseparated thymocyte populations. To identify the GM- CSF responsive cell type, thymic AC and T cells were examined for GM- CSF responsiveness. We found that GM-CSF augmentation of TCR-induced thymocyte proliferation appears to be mediated via augmentation of AC function, and not via direct effects on mature single-positive (SP) thymocytes. Enriched double-negative (DN) thymocytes were also tested for GM-CSF responsiveness. GM-CSF induced the proliferation of adult and fetal DN thymocytes in an AC-independent and TCR-independent single- cell assay. Thus, in contrast to the SP thymocytes, a DN thymocyte population was directly responsive to GM-CSF. GM-CSF therefore may play a direct role in the expansion of DN thymocytes and an indirect role in the expansion of SP thymocytes.