Disgust has been linked to several psychopathologies, although a role in depression has been questioned. However, it has recently been proposed that rather than general disgust sensitivity, disgust directed toward the self (self-disgust) may influence the development of depression, providing a causal link between dysfunctional cognitions and depressive symptomatology. This possibility was examined by developing a scale to measure self-disgust (the Self-Disgust Scale; SDS) and then using mediator analysis to determine if self-disgust was able to explain the relationship between dysfunctional cognitions (measured with the use of the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale) and depressive symptomatology (measured with the use of the Beck Depression Inventory and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale). The developed SDS was found to exhibit a high level of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity. Principal-components analysis revealed two factors to underlie responses to SDS items: the 'Disgusting self,' concerned with enduring, context independent aspects of the self, and 'Disgusting ways,' concerned with behavior. Self-disgust was found to mediate the relationship between dysfunctional cognitions and depressive symptomatology, demonstrating for the first time that self-disgust plays a role in depression.

There is a growing recognition of dementia as a condition that affects both members of a couple individually while also influencing the relational bond between them. This is an area which potentially has important service implications. Accordingly, the aim of this review was to elaborate the experience of dementia on partner/spousal relationships through a synthesis of pertinent qualitative literature. A systematic literature search for qualitative research papers was undertaken in November 2013. Five databases (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES and PsycINFO) were searched using terms for dementia, partner and qualitative data analysis. Meta-synthesis was conducted on the data within the found papers. A line-of-argument synthesis of 10 studies yielded four overarching themes, which highlight couples' efforts to maintain their sense of togetherness; shifts in balance and power within their relationship which can impact upon both partners' sense of identity; the empathy and sensitive attunement between couples as they work to protect each other's sense of role and identity; and the resilience couples demonstrate in the face of great fear, uncertainty and hopelessness. Findings have important implications for both research and practice, particularly the need for services to support couples' efforts to enhance couplehood in spite of dementia. Ultimately, this review adds further weight to arguments to refocus dementia care on relationships in addition to individuals.

Much research has investigated the impact of dementia on spousal relationships. Most often this is from the point of view of the spouse, but occasionally people with dementia are interviewed independently or in parallel. The current study was novel in its aim to understand ‘couplehood’ as it is co-constructed by the couple when one partner has dementia and employed an innovative design that involved interviewing couples together about their relationship. Using grounded theory methodology, the study identified the changing identities within couplehood and the strategies couples employ to maintain their relationship, including normalizing, externalizing, sharing the experience and reframing the experience in light of the past. These findings are discussed in relation to other relevant research and suggest that co-constructed accounts of couplehood are valuable not only when researching the experiences of couples with dementia but also in their clinical assessment and treatment.

Higher rates of psychosis have been reported in minority groups. Since individuals belonging to such groups are vulnerable to the experiences of discrimination, and in line with models proposing that social and life adversity may play a causal role in development and maintenance of psychotic experiences, it has been proposed that perceived discrimination may represent an important determinant of psychotic experiences. This paper reviews the literature examining the relationship between perceived discrimination and psychosis, examining whether discrimination is associated with an increased risk of psychosis, the severity of psychotic symptoms and whether there is an association with specific psychotic symptoms.