Sören Kliem - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Sören Kliem

Societies, 2014

The aim of this study was to thoroughly investigate the link between violent media consumption an... more The aim of this study was to thoroughly investigate the link between violent media consumption and aggressive behavior. Using a large longitudinal student sample, the role of empathy as a possible mediator of this relationship was of special interest. Data were drawn from wave three to five of the Berlin Longitudinal Study Media, a four-year longitudinal control group study with 1207 school children. Participants completed measures of media usage (violent content of TV and computer games), aggressive behavior perpetration, and empathy. The average age of participants was 10.4 years at Time 1 and 12.4 years at Time 3. Half of the study sample was male (50%). Trivariate structural equation modeling using three measurement times were conducted for assessing the role of empathy as a mediator of the longitudinal relationship between the usage of violent media content and aggressive behavior. For male students empathic skills were shown to unfold a key mediating role between problematic media usage and aggressive behavior.

Kindheit und Entwicklung, 2015

Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 2012

Journal of occupational health psychology, 2015

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of work-related cognitive-behavioral treat... more The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of work-related cognitive-behavioral treatment (W-CBT) with that of cognitive-behavioral treatment as usual (CBT-AU) for employees on sick leave as a result of a major depressive disorder (MDD). We collected data for 26 matched outpatients at pre- and posttreatment, as well as at 1-year follow-up. Outcome measures were the days of incapacity to work (DIW) as well as self-report measures (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI], Symptom Checklist 90-R [GSI], Life Satisfaction Questionnaire [FLZ]). We analyzed data with hierarchical linear modeling in a 2-level model. Therapy effects were defined in 3 ways: effect size (ES), response (based on the reliable change index), and remission compared with the general population's symptom level. The DIW were reduced significantly after both types of treatment, but employees showed even fewer DIW after W-CBT. At follow-up, significantly more employees were working as a result of W-CBT than wit...

Addiction, 2015

Background and aims Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is included as a condition for further study i... more Background and aims Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is included as a condition for further study in Section 3 of the DSM-5. Nine criteria were proposed with a threshold of five or more criteria recommended for diagnosis. The aims of this study were to assess how the specific criteria contribute to diagnosis and to estimate prevalence rates of IGD based on DSM-5 recommendations. Design Large-scale, state-representative school survey using a standardized questionnaire. Setting Germany (Lower Saxony). Participants A total of 11 003 ninth-graders aged 13-18 years (mean = 14.88, 51.09% male). Measurements IGD was assessed with a DSM-5 adapted version of the Video Game Dependency Scale that covered all nine criteria of IGD. Findings In total, 1.16% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.96, 1.36] of respondents were classified with IGD according to DSM-5 recommendations. IGD students played games for longer periods, skipped school more often, had lower grades in school, reported more sleep problems and more often endorsed feeling 'addicted to gaming' than their non-IGD counterparts. The most frequently reported DSM-5 criteria overall were 'escape adverse moods' (5.30%) and 'preoccupation' (3.91%), but endorsement of these criteria rarely related to IGD diagnosis. Conditional inference trees showed that the criteria 'give up other activities', 'tolerance' and 'withdrawal' were of key importance for identifying IGD as defined by DSM-5. Conclusions Based on a state-wide representative school survey in Germany, endorsement of five or more criteria of DSM-5 internet gaming disorder (IGD) occurred in 1.16% of the students, and these students evidence greater impairment compared with non-IGD students. Symptoms related to 'give up other activities', 'tolerance' and 'withdrawal' are most relevant for IGD diagnosis in this age group.

ABSTRACT A deficit in emotion regulation is thought to be a trans-diagnostic factor of several me... more ABSTRACT A deficit in emotion regulation is thought to be a trans-diagnostic factor of several mental disorders and is mostly assessed by using self-report measures. Comparing values and results cross-nationally presupposes that these scores are based on the invariance of psychometric properties. The present study aims to compare the psychometric properties and the factorial invariance of the Emotional-Dysregulation-Scale (ED-Scale) cross-nationally. Analyses were based on data of treatment-seeking Canadian and German clinical samples (n = 144; n = 115). They were diagnosed using structured clinical interviews and completed self-report measures. We calculated reliability and validity indices. In order to determine the factorial invariance (configural, metric, scalar, and residual invariance), we conducted several multi-group confirmatory factor analyses. For both samples, Cronbach’s αs proved to be excellent. Convergent, divergent and discriminant validity were supported. Comparing increasingly stringent models, tests of measurement invariance indicated at least partial measurement invariance. These findings suggest that the ED-Scale operates in a similar fashion among English and German-speaking clinical samples. Therefore, we conclude that the psychometric properties of the ED-Scale are appropriate and that results can be compared cross-nationally. Future research should examine the measurement invariance in different cultures and ethnic minority groups.

Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 2012

PLoS ONE, 2013

Androgen-dependent signaling regulates the growth of the fingers on the human hand during embryog... more Androgen-dependent signaling regulates the growth of the fingers on the human hand during embryogenesis. A higher androgen load results in lower 2D:4D (second digit to fourth digit) ratio values. Prenatal androgen exposure also impacts brain development. 2D:4D values are usually lower in males and are viewed as a proxy of male brain organization. Here, we quantified video gaming behavior in young males. We found lower mean 2D:4D values in subjects who were classified according to the CSAS-II as having at-risk/addicted behavior (n = 27) compared with individuals with unproblematic video gaming behavior (n = 27). Thus, prenatal androgen exposure and a hyper-male brain organization, as represented by low 2D:4D values, are associated with problematic video gaming behavior. These results may be used to improve the diagnosis, prediction, and prevention of video game addiction. Citation: Kornhuber J, Zenses E-M, Lenz B, Stoessel C, Bouna-Pyrrou P, et al. (2013) Low 2D:4D Values Are Associated with Video Game Addiction. PLoS ONE 8(11): e79539.

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 2010

Dialectical behaviour therapy and an added cognitive behavioural treatment module for eating diso... more Dialectical behaviour therapy and an added cognitive behavioural treatment module for eating disorders in women with borderline personality disorder and anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa who failed to respond to previous treatments. An open trial with a 15-month follow-up a b s t r a c t There is evidence from case studies suggesting that adapted dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and eating disorders (ED) might improve disorder related complaints. Twenty-four women with BPD (9 with comorbid anorexia nervosa [AN] and 15 with bulimia nervosa [BN]), who already had failed to respond to previous eating-disorder related inpatient treatments were consecutively admitted to an adapted inpatient DBT program. Assessment points were at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 15-month follow-up. At follow-up, the remission rate was 54% for BN, and 33% for AN. Yet 44% of women with AN crossed over to BN and one woman additionally met the criteria of AN. For women with AN, the mean weight was not significantly increased at post-treatment, but had improved at follow-up. For women with BN, the frequency of binge-eating episodes was reduced at post-treatment as well as at follow-up. Self-rated eating-related complaints and general psychopathology, as well as ratings on global psychosocial functioning, were significantly improved at posttreatment and at follow-up. Although these findings support the assumption that the adapted DBT inpatient program is a potentially efficacious treatment for those who failed to respond to previous eating-disorder related inpatient treatments, remission rates and maintained eating-related psychopathology also suggest that this treatment needs further improvement.

Body Image, 2012

Cognitive-behavioral models postulate that biases in selective attention are key factors contribu... more Cognitive-behavioral models postulate that biases in selective attention are key factors contributing to susceptibility to and maintenance of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Visual attention in particular toward the imagined defect in appearance may be a crucial element. The present study therefore examined whether individuals with BDD showed increased visual attention to flaws in their own and in unfamiliar faces. Twenty individuals with BDD, 20 individuals with social phobia, and 20 mentally healthy individuals participated in an eye-tracking experiment. Participants were instructed to gaze at the photographs of 15 pictures of themselves and several unfamiliar faces. Only patients with BDD showed heightened selective visual attention to the imagined defect in their own face, as well to corresponding regions in other, unfamiliar faces. The results support the assumption that there is a specific attentional bias in BDD.

Psychological Assessment, 2014

Somatoform disorders are characterized by somatic symptoms that suggest a medical condition when ... more Somatoform disorders are characterized by somatic symptoms that suggest a medical condition when such a condition is not present. Recently, Thomas and Locke (2010) and Jasper, Hiller, Rist, Bailer, and Witthöft (2012) found that the latent status of somatic symptom reporting may be best viewed from a dimensional perspective in a student, primary care, and an epilepsy-monitoring-unit setting using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form Somatic Complaints (RC1) Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15). To determine whether the latent status of somatic symptom reporting is dimensional in general population samples and across other measures, we analyzed the latent status of somatic symptom reporting in 2 large general German population samples using the PHQ-15 and Screening for Somatoform Symptoms (SOMS-7; N1 = 2,469; N2 = 2,434). We applied 3 popular taxometric methods: MAXEIG, MAMBAC, and L-Mode. In both samples, the analyses indicated a dimensional solution. Hence, the latent structure of somatic symptom reporting encompasses differences in degree rather than kind. Implications of the dimensional latent status of somatoform disorders regarding assessment and causality are discussed.

Societies, 2014

The aim of this study was to thoroughly investigate the link between violent media consumption an... more The aim of this study was to thoroughly investigate the link between violent media consumption and aggressive behavior. Using a large longitudinal student sample, the role of empathy as a possible mediator of this relationship was of special interest. Data were drawn from wave three to five of the Berlin Longitudinal Study Media, a four-year longitudinal control group study with 1207 school children. Participants completed measures of media usage (violent content of TV and computer games), aggressive behavior perpetration, and empathy. The average age of participants was 10.4 years at Time 1 and 12.4 years at Time 3. Half of the study sample was male (50%). Trivariate structural equation modeling using three measurement times were conducted for assessing the role of empathy as a mediator of the longitudinal relationship between the usage of violent media content and aggressive behavior. For male students empathic skills were shown to unfold a key mediating role between problematic media usage and aggressive behavior.

Kindheit und Entwicklung, 2015

Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 2012

Journal of occupational health psychology, 2015

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of work-related cognitive-behavioral treat... more The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of work-related cognitive-behavioral treatment (W-CBT) with that of cognitive-behavioral treatment as usual (CBT-AU) for employees on sick leave as a result of a major depressive disorder (MDD). We collected data for 26 matched outpatients at pre- and posttreatment, as well as at 1-year follow-up. Outcome measures were the days of incapacity to work (DIW) as well as self-report measures (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI], Symptom Checklist 90-R [GSI], Life Satisfaction Questionnaire [FLZ]). We analyzed data with hierarchical linear modeling in a 2-level model. Therapy effects were defined in 3 ways: effect size (ES), response (based on the reliable change index), and remission compared with the general population's symptom level. The DIW were reduced significantly after both types of treatment, but employees showed even fewer DIW after W-CBT. At follow-up, significantly more employees were working as a result of W-CBT than wit...

Addiction, 2015

Background and aims Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is included as a condition for further study i... more Background and aims Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is included as a condition for further study in Section 3 of the DSM-5. Nine criteria were proposed with a threshold of five or more criteria recommended for diagnosis. The aims of this study were to assess how the specific criteria contribute to diagnosis and to estimate prevalence rates of IGD based on DSM-5 recommendations. Design Large-scale, state-representative school survey using a standardized questionnaire. Setting Germany (Lower Saxony). Participants A total of 11 003 ninth-graders aged 13-18 years (mean = 14.88, 51.09% male). Measurements IGD was assessed with a DSM-5 adapted version of the Video Game Dependency Scale that covered all nine criteria of IGD. Findings In total, 1.16% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.96, 1.36] of respondents were classified with IGD according to DSM-5 recommendations. IGD students played games for longer periods, skipped school more often, had lower grades in school, reported more sleep problems and more often endorsed feeling 'addicted to gaming' than their non-IGD counterparts. The most frequently reported DSM-5 criteria overall were 'escape adverse moods' (5.30%) and 'preoccupation' (3.91%), but endorsement of these criteria rarely related to IGD diagnosis. Conditional inference trees showed that the criteria 'give up other activities', 'tolerance' and 'withdrawal' were of key importance for identifying IGD as defined by DSM-5. Conclusions Based on a state-wide representative school survey in Germany, endorsement of five or more criteria of DSM-5 internet gaming disorder (IGD) occurred in 1.16% of the students, and these students evidence greater impairment compared with non-IGD students. Symptoms related to 'give up other activities', 'tolerance' and 'withdrawal' are most relevant for IGD diagnosis in this age group.

ABSTRACT A deficit in emotion regulation is thought to be a trans-diagnostic factor of several me... more ABSTRACT A deficit in emotion regulation is thought to be a trans-diagnostic factor of several mental disorders and is mostly assessed by using self-report measures. Comparing values and results cross-nationally presupposes that these scores are based on the invariance of psychometric properties. The present study aims to compare the psychometric properties and the factorial invariance of the Emotional-Dysregulation-Scale (ED-Scale) cross-nationally. Analyses were based on data of treatment-seeking Canadian and German clinical samples (n = 144; n = 115). They were diagnosed using structured clinical interviews and completed self-report measures. We calculated reliability and validity indices. In order to determine the factorial invariance (configural, metric, scalar, and residual invariance), we conducted several multi-group confirmatory factor analyses. For both samples, Cronbach’s αs proved to be excellent. Convergent, divergent and discriminant validity were supported. Comparing increasingly stringent models, tests of measurement invariance indicated at least partial measurement invariance. These findings suggest that the ED-Scale operates in a similar fashion among English and German-speaking clinical samples. Therefore, we conclude that the psychometric properties of the ED-Scale are appropriate and that results can be compared cross-nationally. Future research should examine the measurement invariance in different cultures and ethnic minority groups.

Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 2012

PLoS ONE, 2013

Androgen-dependent signaling regulates the growth of the fingers on the human hand during embryog... more Androgen-dependent signaling regulates the growth of the fingers on the human hand during embryogenesis. A higher androgen load results in lower 2D:4D (second digit to fourth digit) ratio values. Prenatal androgen exposure also impacts brain development. 2D:4D values are usually lower in males and are viewed as a proxy of male brain organization. Here, we quantified video gaming behavior in young males. We found lower mean 2D:4D values in subjects who were classified according to the CSAS-II as having at-risk/addicted behavior (n = 27) compared with individuals with unproblematic video gaming behavior (n = 27). Thus, prenatal androgen exposure and a hyper-male brain organization, as represented by low 2D:4D values, are associated with problematic video gaming behavior. These results may be used to improve the diagnosis, prediction, and prevention of video game addiction. Citation: Kornhuber J, Zenses E-M, Lenz B, Stoessel C, Bouna-Pyrrou P, et al. (2013) Low 2D:4D Values Are Associated with Video Game Addiction. PLoS ONE 8(11): e79539.

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 2010

Dialectical behaviour therapy and an added cognitive behavioural treatment module for eating diso... more Dialectical behaviour therapy and an added cognitive behavioural treatment module for eating disorders in women with borderline personality disorder and anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa who failed to respond to previous treatments. An open trial with a 15-month follow-up a b s t r a c t There is evidence from case studies suggesting that adapted dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and eating disorders (ED) might improve disorder related complaints. Twenty-four women with BPD (9 with comorbid anorexia nervosa [AN] and 15 with bulimia nervosa [BN]), who already had failed to respond to previous eating-disorder related inpatient treatments were consecutively admitted to an adapted inpatient DBT program. Assessment points were at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 15-month follow-up. At follow-up, the remission rate was 54% for BN, and 33% for AN. Yet 44% of women with AN crossed over to BN and one woman additionally met the criteria of AN. For women with AN, the mean weight was not significantly increased at post-treatment, but had improved at follow-up. For women with BN, the frequency of binge-eating episodes was reduced at post-treatment as well as at follow-up. Self-rated eating-related complaints and general psychopathology, as well as ratings on global psychosocial functioning, were significantly improved at posttreatment and at follow-up. Although these findings support the assumption that the adapted DBT inpatient program is a potentially efficacious treatment for those who failed to respond to previous eating-disorder related inpatient treatments, remission rates and maintained eating-related psychopathology also suggest that this treatment needs further improvement.

Body Image, 2012

Cognitive-behavioral models postulate that biases in selective attention are key factors contribu... more Cognitive-behavioral models postulate that biases in selective attention are key factors contributing to susceptibility to and maintenance of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Visual attention in particular toward the imagined defect in appearance may be a crucial element. The present study therefore examined whether individuals with BDD showed increased visual attention to flaws in their own and in unfamiliar faces. Twenty individuals with BDD, 20 individuals with social phobia, and 20 mentally healthy individuals participated in an eye-tracking experiment. Participants were instructed to gaze at the photographs of 15 pictures of themselves and several unfamiliar faces. Only patients with BDD showed heightened selective visual attention to the imagined defect in their own face, as well to corresponding regions in other, unfamiliar faces. The results support the assumption that there is a specific attentional bias in BDD.

Psychological Assessment, 2014

Somatoform disorders are characterized by somatic symptoms that suggest a medical condition when ... more Somatoform disorders are characterized by somatic symptoms that suggest a medical condition when such a condition is not present. Recently, Thomas and Locke (2010) and Jasper, Hiller, Rist, Bailer, and Witthöft (2012) found that the latent status of somatic symptom reporting may be best viewed from a dimensional perspective in a student, primary care, and an epilepsy-monitoring-unit setting using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form Somatic Complaints (RC1) Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15). To determine whether the latent status of somatic symptom reporting is dimensional in general population samples and across other measures, we analyzed the latent status of somatic symptom reporting in 2 large general German population samples using the PHQ-15 and Screening for Somatoform Symptoms (SOMS-7; N1 = 2,469; N2 = 2,434). We applied 3 popular taxometric methods: MAXEIG, MAMBAC, and L-Mode. In both samples, the analyses indicated a dimensional solution. Hence, the latent structure of somatic symptom reporting encompasses differences in degree rather than kind. Implications of the dimensional latent status of somatoform disorders regarding assessment and causality are discussed.