Monthly Archives: April 2012

Abstract   We examined epidemiology and characteristics of self-harm in adolescents and impact of national guidance on management. Data were collected in six hospitals in three centres between 2000 and 2007 in the Multicentre Study of Self-harm in England. Of 5,205 individuals (7,150 episodes of self-harm), three-quarters were female. The female:male ratio in 10–14 year-olds was 5.0 and 2.7 in 15–18 year-olds. Rates of self-harm varied somewhat between the centres. In females they averaged 302 per 100,000 (95 % CI 269–335) in …

Abstract   In this article, the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) approach to procrastination is outlined and demonstrated using the transcript of a session conducted in the REBT “Master Therapists” DVD Series (Dryden in Overcoming Procrastination: Master Therapists DVD series, Albert Ellis Institute, New York, 2008). A commentary provides links between the demonstration session and the general approach. The session provides particular emphasis on helping procrastinating clients develop an attitude of discomfort tolerance and the need to focus on specific examples …

China Journal of Social Work, Volume 5, Issue 1, Page 1-2, April 2012.

Social & Cultural Geography, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 1-17, Ahead of Print.

The geography Mexican migration to the U.S. has experienced deep transformations in both its origin composition and the destinations chosen by migrants. To date, however, we know little about how shifting migrant origins and destinations may be linked to each another geographically and, ultimately, structurally as relatively similar brands of economic restructuring have been posited to drive the shifts in origins and destinations. In this paper, we describe how old and new migrant networks have combined to fuel the well-documented …

Death Studies, Volume 36, Issue 5, Page 462-476, May-June 2012.

Abstract   Postpartum depression is a serious health issue affecting as many as 10–15 % of postpartum women. This longitudinal study aimed to explore how psychological variables such as cognitive emotion regulation strategies, breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE), and dimensions of social support predicted postpartum depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale). The data were collected with web-based survey questionnaires between May 2008 and December 2009, in a sample of 737 new mothers. The same questionnaire was surveyed at three points in time: 6 weeks, 3 months, …

Research on the consequences of social movements typically aims to identify determinants of success or to draw attention to ways that social movements are able to secure new benefits for constituents by gaining concessions from political authorities. Yet social movements, even those that are ultimately defeated, may have an enduring impact on the communities in which they were once active. This impact may be far removed from the movement’s stated goals and may be detrimental to constituents and to society …

Activities, Adaptation & Aging, Volume 36, Issue 1, Page 29-54, January-March 2012.

Government borrowing occurs whenever the government forgoes control over some future flow of resources or benefits in order to acquire resources for current use. Based on this definition, the authors identify several ways that state governments borrow, which include widely recognized forms of debt as well as types of actions that are less transparent. Case studies for Connecticut, Illinois, and New York document the large amounts of future commitments that these states have taken on to cover operating deficits over …

This article examines whether the payoff from engaging in innovation-generating activities is contingent on an organization’s level of customer and learning orientation. The authors suggest that innovative activity is associated with higher public service quality when the level of customer and learning orientation within the focal organization is high. They test this hypothesis by drawing on a novel panel data set covering all public nonspecialist hospital organizations in England. Using dynamic panel data estimation techniques, the authors find strong support …

In 1984, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) -collaborated to foster a community of scholars focused on research and professional practice in emergency management. The intent was to build a community of -researchers and professional practitioners who would support improved performance for an increasingly challenging set of problems confronting emergency managers at all levels of jurisdiction. The financial investment was small, but the NASPAA/FEMA initiative led to the …

Despite Civil Rights legislation, racial inequality persists, especially in the context of poverty. This study advances the literature on racial inequality and the Southern legacy of slavery by examining slavery’s relationship with inequality in poverty. I analyze county-level U.S. Census data using regression and spatial data analysis techniques. I find the 1860 slave concentration is related to contemporary black-white inequality in poverty, independent of contemporary demographic and economic conditions, racialized wealth disparities and racial threat. My research suggests the importance …

Abstract: Purpose: To review studies examining weight gain prevention interventions among young adults. Methods: A snowball strategy was used to identify relevant studies, beginning with systematic PubMed, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) searches. Included studies: (a) were published from 1985 to 2011; (b) were completed in the United States or Canada; (c) focused on weight gain prevention among young adults aged 18–35 years, assessing weight, body mass index, …

Abstract This article considers the implementation of a universal basic income, a neglected area in basic income research. We identify and examine three important practical bottlenecks that may prevent a basic income scheme from attaining the universal reach desired and proclaimed by its advocates: i) maintaining a population-wide cadaster of eligible claimants ensuring full takeup; ii) instituting robust modalities of payment that reach all intended beneficiaries; and iii) designing an effective oversight mechanism in a policy context that actively opposes …

Social Service Review, Volume 86, Issue 1, Page 1-2, March 2012.

Social Service Review, Volume 86, Issue 1, Page 3-35, March 2012.

Social Service Review, Volume 86, Issue 1, Page 37-67, March 2012.

Social Service Review, Volume 86, Issue 1, Page 69-91, March 2012.

Social Service Review, Volume 86, Issue 1, Page 93-118, March 2012.

In this issue of Patient Education and Counseling we publish a paper by a Dutch group of rehabilitation researchers, with Johanna E. Vriezekolk as the first author, with the title “Behavior change, acceptance, and coping flexibility in highly distressed patients with rheumatic diseases: feasibility of a cognitive-behavioral therapy in multimodal rehabilitation” . The paper describes a theory-driven and empirically based intervention for highly distressed patients with rheumatic disease embedded in a multi-modal rehabilitation program.

Abstract: This is my memoir as a sick child, hospitalized in the Pediatric ward of a large hospital, many years ago. The story tells about my friendship with another young patient, Jum’ah, a Bedouin child who suffered from Congenital Cyanotic Heart Disease, to whom the pediatric ward was Home.My Childish understanding of Jum’ah’s loneliness, anxiety and struggle to be loved and belonged are described in this narrative. I describe how this experience still has an influence on my adult professional …

Abstract: Objective: To systematically investigate the extent to which patients comply with triage advice from telenurses and to identify factors that potentially influence compliance.Methods: Findings from 13 studies identified through interdisciplinary research databases (1990–2010) were meta-analyzed. Separate pooled analyses compared patients’ compliance rates for emergency services and office care (13 outcomes), emergency services and self care (13 outcomes), and self care and office care (12 outcomes).Results: Overall patient compliance was 62%, but varied by intensity of care recommended with low …

Abstract: Objective: Study impact of health literacy on educational intervention for patients “Living with Coronary Artery Disease.”Methods: 187 patients were randomized to: VHS/DVD plus printed booklet; or booklet alone prior to scheduled visit. Main outcome measures included CAD knowledge assessment, clinical outcomes (weigh and blood pressure) and health behaviors (diet, exercise, and smoking); while functional health literacy was assessed as a possible predictor variable.Results: Knowledge scores and health behaviors improved following both interventions. Those receiving the booklet and video also …

Abstract Background   Studies in a few countries (including the US) have reported that mortality rates in the population from psychiatric disorders are much higher when they are based on all causes of death (“multiple causes” or “mentions”) coded on death certificates versus only the underlying cause. Studies appear to be lacking on geographic variation within the US in mortality rates from psychiatric disorders based on multiple causes of death. Method   The present study examined the US age-standardized rate (ASR) for …

Abstract Purpose   Stigma is the most powerful obstacle to the development of mental health care. Numerous activities aiming to reduce the stigma of mental illness and the consequent negative discrimination of the mentally ill and their families have been conducted in Europe. Descriptions of many of these activities are not easily available, either because there are no publications that describe them, or because descriptions exist only in local languages. This supplement aims to help in overcoming this imbalance by providing …

Previous research suggests that higher incomes, safe workplaces, job security and healthcare access all contribute to favorable health. Reflecting the interest of economic and political sociologists in power relations and institutions, union membership has been linked with many such influences on health. Nevertheless, the potential relationship between union membership and health has received little attention. Using logistic regression and propensity score matching, this study examines the association between union membership and self-rated health generally and among select subgroups of the …

Abstract   With an estimated 9 % of the population in the United States having a substance use disorder, it is a rare social worker that has not encountered a substance abuser or a family member of one in his or her clinical practice. This article provides a brief history of social workers’ role in the treatment of substance abusing clients, an overview of the current, evidence-based treatment approaches and some of the issues that will be impacting this field in the …

Victims & Offenders, Volume 7, Issue 2, Page 121-142, April-June 2012.

The use of neuroimaging is of uncertain value in the routine evaluation of new-onset psychiatric disorders. We present the case of an apparent postpartum depression with psychosis in a woman with a history of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with central nervous system (CNS) radiation. Neuroimaging during an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization revealed a large bifrontal meningioma. Patients treated with CNS radiation for childhood cancer may be a subset of patients in whom neuroimaging is warranted in the setting of …

Cocaine dependence continues to be a substantial public health problem in the United States, yet no clearly effective pharmacotherapy has been identified. There are approximately 1.6 million current users of cocaine in the United States, and the past-year prevalence of cocaine dependence is estimated to be 1.1%. Controlled trials of behavioral treatments for cocaine dependence yield abstinence rates of up to 30%, with the majority of patients continuing to use cocaine. Scores of double-blind, placebo-controlled pharmacotherapy clinical trials for cocaine …

Objective: There is increasing emphasis on dimensional conceptualizations of psychopathology, but empirical evidence of their utility is just emerging. In particular, although a range of multidimensional models have been proposed, the relative fit of competing models has rarely been tested. Furthermore, developmental considerations have received scant attention. In this study, we tested a developmentally based, four-dimensional model of disruptive behavior theorized to represent the defining features of disruptive behavior at preschool age: Temper Loss, Noncompliance, Aggression, and Low Concern for …

Abstract: We examined on-site and off-site referral-based provision of substance abuse (SA) treatment services among a sample of community health centers (CHCs). Analyses used survey data collected from CHCs in three states merged with administrative claims to both characterize CHC care delivery models and examine the association between models and care quality. Care quality was based on the Washington Circle measures of initiation and engagement. Approximately half the sample provided at least some SA treatment services on site. The provision …

Abstract: This study examined client and program factors predicting initiation and engagement for 2,191 adolescents at 28 outpatient substance abuse treatment sites implementing evidence-based treatments. Using Washington Circle criteria for treatment initiation and engagement, 76% of the sample initiated, with 59% engaging in treatment. Analyses used a 2-stage Heckman probit regression, accounting for within-site clustering, to identify factors predictive of initiation and engagement. Adolescents treated in a pay-for-performance (P4P) group were more likely to initiate, whereas adolescents in the race/ethnicity …

Abstract: This study empirically examined opinions of treatment providers regarding contingency management (CM) programs while controlling for experience with a specific efficacious CM program. In addition to empirically describing provider opinions, we examined whether the opinions of providers at the sites that implemented the CM program were more positive than those of matched providers at sites that did not implement it. Participants from 7 CM treatment sites (n = 76) and 7 matched nonparticipating sites (n = 69) within the …

Abstract: Objectives: To examine the association between smoking history and cognitive function in old age, and whether it remains after controlling for childhood cognitive ability (IQ) and adult socioeconomic status (SES).Methods: In the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 Study, 1080 men and women, who previously participated in a nationwide IQ-type test in childhood, were followed up at age 70. The associations between smoking history and age 70 IQ, general cognitive ability (g), processing speed, memory, and verbal ability were assessed.Results: Lower …

Abstract: Background: The purpose of this work was to study the association between the PON1 L55M and Q192R polymorphisms and bipolar I disorder in Tunisian patients and to explore their relation to the sociodemographic, clinical and therapeutic characteristics of this disease.Patients and methods: Our study included 109 patients with bipolar I disorder and 110 controls aged 39.4±11.8 and 37.3±9.2years, respectively. L55M and Q192R of the PON1 gene polymorphisms were determined by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.Results: Significant difference was detected in …

Abstract: Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of affective temperaments in general non-clinical population in different countriesMethod: We performed a detailed search of published studies (one unpublished) investigating affective temperaments in non-clinical populations by administering the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Paris and San Diego Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A) in its 110-items version. We have included a total of six studies published from different countries (Argentina, Germany, Hungary, Korea, Lebanon, and Portugal) and one unpublished with preliminary data …

Abstract: Background: Few studies have explored the evolution of perinatal depressive symptoms (PNDS) throughout the perinatal period.Aims: To evaluate in a low-risk sample, whether different evolutive profiles of PNDS exist from pregnancy to 2-years postpartum, and whether the subgroups differ regarding psychopathological and demographic characteristics.Methods: In a prospective, longitudinal study from 8months pregnancy to 2years postpartum, repeated measures of PNDS using the CES-D were performed on a sample of 579 women at low-risk for PNDS. First, semiparametric mixture models were …

Stroke is a life-threatening condition that affects an estimated 5 in 1000 people each year worldwide . Although exposure to a life-threatening event has long been a requirement for a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it was not until the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that medical conditions were considered to qualify. Recent research suggests that 3% to 30% of stroke victims develop PTSD ; however, little data are available on the early …

Abstract: We herein report a case of lung transplantation in a patient with schizophrenia. The findings show that patients with schizophrenia can be considered for lung transplant after careful evaluation of psychiatric status and indications.

Abstract: Background: Suicides are an entirely preventable cause of death, with current suicide rates being 11.4 per 100,000 population in India. The city of Bangalore in India is often called the suicide capital of India because of its high suicide and attempted suicide rate. This study attempted to evaluate the psychiatric comorbidity and gender differences among suicide attempters presenting to a general hospital in the city of Bangalore, India.Methods: Using a structured questionnaire [Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID)-I and …

Both researchers and oversight committees share concerns about patient safety in the study-related assessment of suicidality. However, concern about assessing suicidal thoughts can be a barrier to the development of empirical evidence that informs research on how to safely conduct these assessments. A question has been raised if asking about suicidal thoughts can result in iatrogenic increases of such thoughts, especially among at-risk samples. The current study repeatedly tested suicidal ideation at 6-month intervals for up to 2-years. Suicidal ideation …

Intentional harms are perceived as more painful and more deserving of compensation than unintentional harms. In conjunction with research demonstrating that people are poor judges of intent, this observation may explain why people are more willing to help victims whose suffering appears to be caused by others. This account further explains the authors’ finding that people high in cognitive empathy are especially sensitive to other-caused harm, and aligns well with existing attributional accounts of why perceived victim responsibility reduces helping …

Aim:  The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of older and younger patients with suspected paracetamol toxicity. Methods:  A retrospective audit of the medical records of older (≥65 years, n= 25) and younger (20–30 years, n= 50) patients with a detectable paracetamol level at a Sydney hospital. Results:  Older patients showed a different clinical pattern of suspected paracetamol toxicity and were more likely than younger patients to have multifactorial elevation of liver function tests. Additionally, older age …

Abstract   To assess the effectiveness of a psychosocial individual intervention to improve adherence to ART in a Brazilian reference-center, consenting PLHIV with viral load >50 copies/ml were selected. After 4 weeks of MEMS cap use, participants were randomized into an intervention group (IG) (n = 64) or control group (CG) (n = 57). CG received usual care only. The IG participated in a human rights-based intervention approach entailing four dialogical meetings focused on medication intake scenes. Comparison between IG and CG revealed no statistically …

Abstract   High HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women in Thailand suggest a vital need for targeted interventions. We conducted a cross-sectional survey to examine and compare sexual risk behaviors, and demographic and behavioral correlates of risk, among MSM and transgender women recruited from gay entertainment venue staff and community-based organization (CBO) participants. We used venue-based sampling across nine sites in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Among 260 participants (57.3% gay-identified, 26.9% heterosexual/bisexual-identified, 15.8% transgender; …

Abstract   This study evaluated the capacity of the Willingness Scale (WS) to predict changes in depression over the course of a brief inpatient admission. Two cohorts (N = 160) of adult inpatients completed the Willingness Scale along with a measure of depression following admission. Depression severity was assessed approximately 4 days later, prior to discharge. Data were evaluated using structural equation modeling. Higher WS scores predicted greater reductions in depression in both cohorts, and the magnitude of this effect was large. The fits …

Abstract   Pregnancy is associated with alterations in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclasses, but the exact pattern of these variations remains controversial. This study investigates longitudinal changes of plasma LDL and HDL particles distributions during the course of normal pregnancy, as well as associations of maternal LDL and HDL subclasses distributions before delivery with parameters of newborn size. Blood samples were collected from 41 healthy pregnant women throughout entire pregnancy, before delivery and 7 weeks postpartum. LDL and HDL …

Abstract   American Indian (AI) children have the highest rates of obesity among ethnic groups in the United States, and rates continue to increase. This study was designed to examine the effects of prenatal and early postnatal factors on AI children’s body mass index (BMI) trajectories, adiposity, and cardiovascular risk markers during early childhood. We screened 471 AI children (ages 5–8) from three Wisconsin tribes. Screenings included anthropometric and body fat measures and non-fasting lipid and glucose via fingerstick blood samples. …

Abstract   To investigate factors associated with favorable pregnancy attitudes among teenage girls. Participants were sexually active teenage girls aged 15–18 years old (n = 965) who took part in the 2002 or 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Multinomial multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the likelihood of being pleased with a teenage pregnancy. Sixteen percent of sexually active teenage girls (n = 164) would be pleased (11 % a little pleased, 5 % very pleased) if they became pregnant. In a multivariable model, participants …

Abstract   We see Smith and Konik’s (2011a) recent special issue of Sex Roles as a tremendous opportunity for feminist psychologists and evolutionary psychologists to begin a program of adversarial collaboration. In our view, adversarial collaboration offers a number of benefits that traditional scholarly exchanges do not. We optimistically believe that adversarial collaboration could help to resolve important theoretical and empirical disputes, increase the focus of research on actual areas of dispute (rather than perceived disagreements), and facilitate the integration of …

Abstract   Gossip has been related to friendship as it can increase the bond between people and sense of belonging to a group. However, the role of gender in the relationship between gossip and friendship has not been examined in the literature. So, the present study examined gender differences in the relationship between friendship quality and gossip tendency with a sample of 167 female and 69 male Western Canadian undergraduate University students using the Friendship questionnaire and the Tendency to Gossip …

Abstract   Although the passage of Title IX secured equity of treatment and opportunity for female high school athletes in the United States, little research has examined the social well-being of girls who participate in sports during high school. The current survey study investigated how 9th grade sports participation relates to perceived gender discrimination from peers and adults at school over four time points spanning 10th through 12th grade. The ethnically diverse sample (46.6 % Hispanic/Latina/Mexican-American, 14.1 % Asian-American/Pacific Islander, 12.8 % African-American/Black, 11.5 % …

Abstract   Kenneth Gergen’s seminal contributions to social constructionist thinking have substantial implications for the practice of counselling and psychotherapy, and thus for the training of practitioners as well. This article takes up the latter point, exploring the many deviations from traditional approaches to foundational counselling skills training that arise when educators are informed by constructionist philosophy. The article is written in the form of a dialogic exchange in recognition of Gergen’s emphasis on the relational aspect of knowing, with contributions …

Abstract   We followed up 67 children with autistic disorder (AD) and 31 children with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS) for more than 10 years by reviewing medical records at a clinic for children with developmental disabilities. The participants’ data were collected between their first visit to the clinic and the visit at which they applied for basic disability benefits. The standardized IQ scores and autistic symptoms were examined as measures of the children’s personal functioning. For environmental factors, we …

Abstract   Investigation of the role of adolescents’ patterns of close relationships with significant adults may be of particular interest in populations with learning disabilities (“LD”) during adolescence, because attachment relationship variables may act as risk or protective factors during this developmental period when trajectories are set that can lead to difficulties in adulthood. Specifically, this study examined a model of protective factors comprising patterns of close relationships between adolescents (n=369; 53 % female; aged 15–17) and significant adults (mother, father, homeroom …

Abstract   Rumination, passively and repetitively dwelling on and questioning negative feelings in response to distress, is a risk factor for the development of psychopathology, especially depression. The ruminative process is difficult to stop once it has begun. The present studies focused on strategies that may help youth disengage from ruminative states. In Study 1, we validated a technique for inducing distress and measuring state rumination. Twenty-six participants (mean age = 12.21; 62 % girls) underwent a negative mood induction followed by either a …

Abstract   Abnormal fear responding to threat cues may contribute to the aetiology and maintenance of persistent fears and pathological anxiety. Chronic anxiety may also involve abnormal fear responding to ‘safety’ cues, which do not signal danger. Yet investigations of fear responding to acquired safety cues are scarce and the basis of such responding remains unclear. Moreover, previous studies do not distinguish between stimulus generalization (an associative mechanism based on perceptual similarity between threat and safety cues) and sensitization (a non-associative …

Abstract   Coping reactions to stressful events are important links between difficult experiences and the emergence of psychopathology. In this study we compared youths’ negative coping with stress in general to their negative coping with violence in particular, and utilized a person-centered analytic approach to examine how patterns of coping relate to various mental health outcomes. We utilized survey interview measures to collect data from a sample of 131 youth (ages 11–14, 100 % ethnic minority) residing in an economically distressed metropolitan …

Abstract   This study attempts to evaluate the economic benefits of the country of origin labeling (COOL) in Taiwan. A Vickrey second-price sealed-bid auction was conducted to estimate the consumer’s willingness to pay for Taiwan products versus those from China and Vietnam. Our experiment was designed to investigate the impacts of product tasting on bidding behavior. The regression results show that tasting raised bids for Taiwan and China teas, but lowered bids for Vietnam tea. The econometric results show very high …

Abstract   It is unclear whether, similar to research findings in Western societies, autonomy support is associated with positive child outcomes, and forceful control with negative outcomes in collectivist societies. A two-part study (N = 190 Ghanaian sixth graders) examined the relations of parental structure, control, and autonomy support in Ghana with child outcomes, and whether autonomy support was at odds with Ghanaian children’s values of interdependence and respect for elders. Results showed that structure was related to cognitive perceived competence, parental control …

Abstract   While it is well-known that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties processing faces, very little is known about the origins of these deficits. The current study focused on 6- and 11-month-old infants who were at either high-risk (n = 43) or low-risk (n = 31) for developing ASD based on having a sibling already diagnosed with the disorder. Eye-tracking data were collected while the infants viewed color photographs of faces. Similar to previous studies with both typically developing adults and infants, …

Abstract   This is an extended interview with medical family therapists Susan H. McDaniel, Ph.D., Jeri Hepworth, Ph.D. and William Doherty, Ph.D. about the first and second editions of their book, Medical Family Therapy, and their views of the current Medical Family Therapy field. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10591-012-9190-x Authors Barry J. Jacobs, Director of Behavioral Sciences, Crozer-Keystone Family Medicine Residency Program, Springfield, PA 19064, USA Journal Contemporary Family Therapy Online ISSN 1573-3335 Print ISSN 0892-2764

Objective To determine if caregiver report of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) is responsive to changes in health-related quality of life (HRQL) associated with pain episodes in pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD). Methods 81 caregivers of children ages 2–19 years with SCD completed the PedsQL as part of routine psychosocial screenings at 2 time points, ranging from 6 to 18 months apart. Frequency of SCD-related pain episodes between time points was assessed using medical chart review. Results The frequency of pain episodes between …

Abstract Background   Belief in divine control is often assumed to be fatalistic. However, the assumption has rarely been investigated in racial/ethnic minorities. Objectives   This study aims to examine the association between belief in divine control and coping and how the association was moderated by ethnicity/acculturation in a multi-ethnic sample of breast cancer patients. Methods   Latina, African American, and non-Hispanic White older women with newly diagnosed breast cancer (N = 257) from a population-based survey completed the scale of Belief in Divine Control …

Conceptualizing Psychosocial Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: A Comment on Ewart et al. Content Type Journal Article Category Invited Commentary Pages 1-3 DOI 10.1007/s12160-012-9360-y Authors Elizabeth Brondolo, St. John’s University, Jamaica, NY, USA Journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine Online ISSN 1532-4796 Print ISSN 0883-6612

Abstract   The purpose of this study is to compare two models of early intervention (EI) service delivery—a neurobehavioral intervention and usual care—on parents’ perceived quality of EI service delivery. Families of newborns referred to EI were randomly assigned to a neurobehavioral intervention or usual care group and followed until the infant was 12 weeks corrected gestational age. The intervention group (n = 25) received a weekly neurobehavioral intervention. The usual care group (n = 13) received standard weekly home visits. Mothers completed the Home Visiting …

Abstract   Unlicensed boarding houses provide low cost accommodation for many people who have mental health and/or alcohol or other drug problems. The present study explored the needs and experiences of owners and managers of unlicensed boarding houses who have residents with MH and AOD problems. Twenty-three boarding house managers (BHMs) from Illawarra and Sydney areas participated in semi-structured interviews which were recorded and transcribed. Content analysis revealed most BHMs had very limited understanding of different types of mental health and …

Abstract   Workplace bullying is recognized internationally as a serious problem, but few studies have been conducted in Academia to assess the risk of bullying. A survey was taken in a large-sized Italian university to identify possible relationships between working environment, bullying at work and health. The aim of the current study is to show that workplace bullying has an indirect relationship with health through organizational climate. Over 300 Italian employees completed a survey on organizational environment, bullying and health. Structural …

Attachment & Human Development, Volume 14, Issue 3, Page 305-318, May 2012.

This paper examines, from the governmentality perspective, how social work contributes to the recent political mission of the Chinese party state in constructing a harmonious society. A political rationality was constructed in response to new social and political challenges, and a new problematic of government was created, which portrayed personal failings as obstacles to social harmony. A humanistic idiom of ‘person-centredness’ was unprecedentedly employed in political discourse connected with the newly crafted government programmes for consolidating social harmony, in which …

A woman’s labor market participation and risk of divorce are argued to be important explanatory factors for the gender gap in political preferences. We utilize a Norwegian data set which allows a rigid test of these arguments because it includes information on vote choice, preferences regarding child and elder care spending, and extensive information on the relationship with the current partner. We find a gender gap in political preferences, but no evidence that it can be explained by women’s risk …

Connections between global governance and poverty are usually made in relation to what are loosely called ‘poor countries’ of the ‘global south’. However, global governance also significantly shapes dynamics of impoverishment in ‘rich countries’ of the ‘global north’. These impacts become all the more apparent when global governance is understood to involve not only well-known intergovernmental agencies such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation, but also additional institutional forms such as transgovernmental networks and private regulatory mechanisms. …

Brought to fame by a 1994 World Bank report, the idea of pension pillarization has become part of the orthodoxy of pension reform. Yet scholars have neglected both the national origins and the pre-1994 diffusion of the ‘three-pillar doctrine’. This article presents a critical history of the transnational diffusion process that led to the adoption of this concept at the World Bank. My analysis retrieves the Swiss roots of the doctrine during the late 1960s, as well as its gradual …

Based on the Dominican Republic’s economic and political institutional characteristics, we would expect social spending there to be at least average for Latin America. Yet in reality this country ranks at or near the bottom of the region in educational, health, pension and overall social spending, alongside significantly poorer, slower growing and less democratic countries. This article argues that the underdevelopment of Dominican social policies reflects the political impact of international migration flows, including both Dominican emigration to the United …

Despite criticisms of their derivation and implementation, corporate codes of conduct (CoCs) continue to dominate debates on Corporate Social Responsibility and the informal regulation of worker exploitation and abuse by ‘sweatshops’ supplying northern multinational corporations (MNCs). Through analytical interrogation of existing literature and empirical evidence from Vietnamese case studies, two propositions are made to clarify the poor performance of CoCs. It is argued, firstly, that the extent of the control of MNCs over their subcontracting suppliers is misconceived and over-estimated …

The present study examined the role of individualism-collectivism (IC) and acculturation in smoking prevention programs for Hispanic preadolescents. The sixth graders received a collectivist or individualist curriculum. Both programs contained knowledge-based facts about smoking. The collectivist condition included an interdependent (group-oriented) perspective of smoking, while the individualist condition had an independent (individual-oriented) perspective. Measurements assessing attitudes and behaviors were taken before and after the implementation. Compared to the individualist program, Hispanic youth in the collectivist condition reported greater awareness about …

Purpose of the study: This study examines how employment status (worker vs. retiree) and life course influences (age, gender, and marital status) are associated with time spent on daily household chores. Second, this study assesses whether the associations between daily stressors and time spent on daily household chores differ as a function of employment status and life course influences. Design and methods: Men and women aged 55–74 from the National Study of Daily Experiences (N = 268; 133 workers and …

Abstract   The purpose of this study is to assess awareness, knowledge and beliefs about HPV, cervical cancer HPV vaccine and willingness to vaccinate among adolescent females aged 12–26 years at clinics and schools in the North West Region of Cameroon where the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) conducted a sensitization and education campaign. A questionnaire survey was administered among female adolescents in schools and clinics. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages and proportions were generated for independent variables and bivariate analyses …