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• Stress levels highest for youngest adults, study shows

  A recent study conducted by the American Psychological Association found that the generation known as Millennials, defined as 18- to 33-year-olds in the U.S., reported the highest stress levels along with the most stress-caused ill effects among the four groups surveyed. On a 10-point scale, Millennials reported an average stress level of 5.4, the same as that reported by individuals in Generation X (ages 34-47 years). However, more than 52 percent of Millennials reported stress-induced sleeplessness, compared to 48 percent of Generation Xers, 37 percent of Boomers (ages 48-66 years) and 25 percent of Matures (67 years and older). In addition, more Millennials and Generation Xers reported anger and irritability due to stress than Boomers or Matures. Stress is a risk factor for many health conditions, including high blood pressure, headaches, sleeping problems, heart disease, ulcers, and stroke. It’s not hard to understand why young Americans are on edge. Work was named as a “somewhat or significant stressor for 76 percent of Millennials,” and the U.S. unemployment rate is 7.9 percent. Thirty-nine percent of Millennials have experienced an increase in stress over ...

• APA takes on workplace stress

  

  The changing landscape of workplaces has drawn heightened attention to the needs and expectations of employees nationwide regarding the issues of work–life balance and mental health support.  The recent survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) sheds light on the prevalence of toxic workplaces and their detrimental impact on mental health. Of the data coming out of this survey, most startling was the revelation that 19% of workers reported their workplace as somewhat or very toxic. Even more alarming, those in such environments are three times more likely to suffer mental health harm at work than those individuals who are in nontoxic settings.  This blog discusses the importance of these findings, what employers can do in light of this data, and the role mental health providers can play in supporting individuals facing toxic work situations. Understanding the impact of a toxic work environment  The APA survey brought to light the destructive toll a workplace can have on an individual’s mental well-being.  According to the survey, more than one in five workers revealed they've suffered mental health harm at work. Even worse, reported cases of ...

• The New Self-Directed Search, 5th Edition Now Available from PAR

  PAR is delighted to announce the release of the new Self-Directed Search® (SDS®), 5th Edition, by John L. Holland, PhD, and Melissa A. Messer, MHS. The Self-Directed Search (SDS), John Holland’s original gold-standard assessment and one of the most widely used career interest inventories in the world*, has been updated to meet the needs of today’s clients. Whether they are college students choosing a major, veterans entering the civilian job market, or adults pursuing a career change, individuals can use the SDS to learn about themselves and their career options. Like its predecessors, the SDS 5th Edition is based on Holland’s theory that both people and work environments can be classified according to six basic types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional (known collectively as RIASEC). The SDS asks questions about the user’s aspirations, activities, competencies, and interest in different occupations, and from the responses it generates a three-letter Summary Code. Using the revised Occupations Finder, users can match their Summary Codes to jobs in the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database, which lists thousands of current jobs at all skill ...

• A look back on 2018's new releases

  

  What a year! So many new products were added to our shelves in 2018. Here's a quick look back on what PAR released this year (and a preview of what's to come before the new year!). In January, we published the SPECTRA: Indices of Psychopathology, a multiscale measure of psychopathology and functioning based on the quantitative (three-factor) model of psychopathology. The only instrument based exclusively on quantitative model research, clinicians can use the SPECTRA to evaluate individuals in a variety of settings.  Published in early May, the Personality Assessment Screener–Observer (PAS-O) is an informant report designed to be used in conjunction with the Personality Assessment Screener (PAS) to get a well-rounded picture of a client’s functioning. The PAS was developed from the gold-standard test of personality – the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). This summer, we published the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) Screening Form and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC) Screening Form. These 12-item forms were developed based on a critical need for standardized screening measures that can quickly evaluate trauma symptomatology and risk in children to ...

• We are pleased to announce the release of the new Self-Directed Search® (SDS®) Web site

  We are pleased to announce the release of the new Self-Directed Search® (SDS®) Web site. The new SDS site has been completely revamped, enabling users not only to complete the test but also to learn more about the history, theory, and applications of the SDS. Targeted resource sections, supplemental information and links, case studies, and more are all swathed in a brand-new, contemporary design. You can also visit www.self-directed-search.com using your tablet or mobile device—the site automatically adjusts its interface to your device’s size and specifications!  

• Historic, Censored “Shell-Shock” Documentary Film Restored and Released for On-line Viewing

  Director John Huston’s film Let There Be Light, a documentary about the psychological issues of soldiers returning from World War II, has recently been restored and released by the National Archives and Records Administration. Produced by the U.S. Army in 1945, this controversial film was censored for more than three decades. By the time it was finally given a public screening in 1980, the quality of the then-available print was so poor that it was very difficult to view and understand. In this new restoration, the technical problems have been resolved, and many of us will now see this important piece of history for the first time. Let There Be Light deals with “shell-shock,” or in today’s terms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among returning soldiers. Huston, who is best known as the director of such classics as The Maltese Falcon (1941), Key Largo (1948), and The African Queen (1951), was serving as a major in the U.S. Army Signal Corps when he was given the assignment to create the documentary in June 1945. Its working title was The Returning Psychoneurotics. ...