Coming Out in Voices

This paper articulates the personal experiences of a woman with a physical disability who enters therapy to explore issues involving lesbian identity, health and illness, disability oppression and pride, and relationships. Written in the first person, the article uses anecdotes, poetry, and journal entries to chart the author's process of self-discovery. As a woman, a lesbian, and a person with a disability, the author frequently finds herself at odds with the culture around her. This creates conflicts between the author's real self, and the self she must present to others. She discusses how she had learned to "silence the voices" which were not useful in challenging the stereotypes, making others comfortable, or communicating with assistants. The author describes how therapy offered her the opportunity to unlearn the silence, value all of her voices, listen to herself, resolve her internal dilemmas, and develop a deeper sense of self.     

Pan‐African Women's Voices across Borders

This article is structured from the epistemological vantage point of framing theological education within the context of Pan‐African women's experiences of migration, where theological education is defined in the widest sense of creating knowledge, ethos, and practices from within different versions of Christian tradition, as opposed to transmitting a static corpus of knowledge. It begins by examining the deconstructive potential of Pan‐African female migrants, particularly with regard to gendered patterns and projections of theological education. It then describes and analyzes the impact of Pan‐African female migrants on the project of contextual theological education as an act of birthing and bringing to life the dimensions of seeing and interpreting the one life‐giving story through the lenses of the lamenting, celebrating, and transforming stories of many. The article concludes by presenting Pan‐African female migration as an opportunity to revisit theological education as a creative, ecumenical, and intercultural enterprise, seeing the empirical location of Pan‐African female migrants as a paradigmatic lens for revisiting theological education as intercultural enterprise, and not (exclusively) as a contextual – and hence exceptional – historic experience.     

The Genogram

No abstract available for this article.     

Toward Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Sexual Minority Women: Voices From Stakeholders and Community Members

Sexual minority women (SMW) experience an elevated risk of mental health problems compared to heterosexual women. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding whether cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions meet SMW’s mental health needs. Further, virtually no studies have integrated stakeholder (i.e., researchers with content expertise in SMW’s health and clinical providers who work with SMW) and community member (i.e., SMW) perspectives to identify CBT approaches that address SMW-specific issues. This study used qualitative data gathered from 39 SMW who reported depression, anxiety, suicidality, and heavy drinking in the past 3 months and 16 content experts and clinical providers to obtain information relevant to enhancing CBT for SMW. In addition, we used thematic analysis to identify themes related to the adaptation and delivery of CBT for SMW. Building on prior literature, this study’s findings revealed seven considerations for delivering mental health services to SMW: (1) attending to SMW’s diverse gender identities and expressions; (2) focusing on SMW’s nonbinary stressors; (3) formulating SMW’s gender-based stressors within a feminist framework; (4) applying intersectionality frameworks; (5) incorporating issues of diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice; (6) addressing the role of trauma exposure; and (7) addressing the role of alcohol use in SMW’s lives. These considerations are reviewed in terms of their implications for clinical practice, with a focus on enhancing applications of existing CBT interventions to best respond to the unique needs of this population.     

Barriers to Help-Seeking Among Immigrant African Women Survivors of Partner Abuse: Listening to Women's Own Voices

Most studies in the United States documenting immigrant women's experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) have not included the perspectives of abused immigrant African women. This study utilized a phenomenological approach to explore help-seeking barriers and factors impacting decisions to leave an abusive relationship among 15 immigrant African women. Results from the qualitative analysis indicated that the culture of gender inequality and acceptance of gender violence were primary barriers. Self-blame, loyalty, concern for children, and lack of knowledge regarding abuse, services, and legal rights were additional barriers, along with structural factors such as finances, underemployment, and housing. Muslim African women also feared the additional stigma of being in polygamous relationships. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

Stress management and exercise training in chronic stable angina pectoris

Abstract

Patients suffering from chronic stable angina pectoris were allocated to one of four conditions: stress management training, exercise training, combined stress management and exercise, or waiting list control. Patients undertook an exercise tolerance test before and after intervention, and at follow-up assessment eight weeks later. They also kept a daily diary of the frequency, duration and intensity of all angina episodes, and recorded the amount of medication taken, for the week preceding and the week following intervention, as well as for the eighth week of follow-up. Patients who undertook the combined stress management and exercise programme faired best. They showed sustained gains in achieved workload on the exercise tolerance test at no cost in terms of ischaemia, as measured by ST-segment depression. They also registered less frequent angina attacks following intervention than the exercise only and waiting list control patients, and reported reduced reliance on medication; the latter benefit was sustained at follow-up. These clinical dividends invite further study of combined stress management and exercise training in angina pectoris.     

Gender differences in stress reactions: Women filling the gaps

Abstract

Competing hypotheses explaining gender differences in depression were compared in a one-year longitudinal study of parents of ill children in Israel. Women were found to have more depressed mood than men when their children were ill or well, but both men and women responded with increased depression when their child was ill. Women were more likely than men to be with an ill child at the hospital, even if employed, suggesting role overload. Women did not report fewer personal or social resources than men, indicating that poverty of resources could not explain sex differences on depression. Nor did women use their resources less effectively than did men. Women were less depressed the greater their intimacy with their spouse and friends, but at all levels of intimacy were more depressed than men. Men, in contrast, isolated themselves from social support at the time of their child's illness and it was argued that men might be avoiding stress contagion. The importance of examining differential responding of men and women to stressors that have common meaning for both sexes was discussed.     

Found Voices:

This article explores the cultural consequences of disability on women. The author interviewed four women with disabilities and two mothers and shares some of her own experiences with disability. The relationship between disability rights and feminism and ethnic identity and the impact of disability on the sense of self and personal goals are considered, as is the transformative power of speaking to the larger culture about how disability experiences inform human perceptions and social practices.     

A pilot study of women’s affective responses to common and uncommon forms of aerobic exercise

Objective: To test the extent to which participants exposed to an uncommon versus common exercise stimulus would result in more favourable affect at post-task.

Design: Experimental design. Participants (N = 120), American women aged 18–45 years, were randomly assigned to complete 30-min of either the uncommon (HOOP; n = 58) or common (WALK; n = 62) exercise stimulus.

Main outcome measures: Self-reported affect and intentions for future exercise were measured before and after the 30-min exercise bout.

Results: Analyses of covariance were run to compare post-task affect across the HOOP and WALK conditions. At post-task, participants assigned to HOOP reported more positively valenced affect, higher ratings of positive activated affect, lower ratings of negative deactivated affect, and stronger intentions for future aerobic exercise compared to participants assigned to WALK.

Conclusions: Participants who completed an uncommon bout of aerobic exercise (HOOP) reported more favourable affect post-exercise, as well as stronger intentions for future exercise, compared to participants who completed a common bout of aerobic exercise (WALK). Future work using a longitudinal design is needed to understand the relationships between familiarity with an exercise stimulus, affective responses to exercise, motivation for future exercise behaviour and exercise maintenance over time.     

Voices from the Group

Summary

This article presents experiential reactions of male and female domestic violence perpetrators one year after completing a 52-week court-mandated intervention program. Data were derived from in-depth interviews as part of a larger research study looking at recidivism and other outcomes in a probation department with a domestic violence courtand a coordinated legal, programmatic and community response. Overall, elements that were most helpful in domestic violence intervention were primarily relational ones, such as group support and therapist/facilitator alliances, and secondarily, specific strategies of handling anger and other emotions, and interpersonal communication. The discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for therapists and facilitators involved in providing services for this population.     

Stronger Than You Think: Older Women and Physical Activity

Many negative stereotypes of older women are related to changes in the body that render it incompetent (e.g., weak, frail, debilitated). Such stereotypes disempower women in the eyes of others and in their own eyes if they come to embody the stereotype. One way to resist the stereotype and remain empowered is to engage in regular physical activity, which increases stamina, energy, muscle strength, joint flexibility, and balance. Here we review the physical and mental health benefits of physical activity for older women and discuss the barriers that keep many older women from regular exercise. We discuss ways that feminist therapists can encourage their older clients to become more physically active, provide information about role models who can inspire clients, and suggest resources suitable for recommendation.     

Views on aging and emotional benefits of physical activity: Effects of an exercise intervention in older women

Objectives

This intervention study evaluated the effects of exercise in old age on views on one’s own aging and on direct approach motivation for physical activity. It further examined the mechanism between these variables.

Design

Two hundred forty-seven healthy women aged 70−93 years were randomized to an exercise course (n = 86), an active (n = 85), or a passive control group (n = 76) for a 6-month participation in Berlin, Germany. Activity interventions (3 × 1.5 h/wk) were conducted using standardized manuals.

Method

Group differences in changes of views on aging and direct approach were evaluated by analyses of covariance adjusted for baseline. A mediating effect of direct approach between exercise participation and views on aging was tested with percentile-based bootstrapping.

Results

In contrast to both the active and the passive control groups, higher direct approach, F(2, 226) = 6.97, p = .001, and less aging dissatisfaction, F(2, 225) = 5.39, p = .005, were observed in the exercise group after 6 months. Exercise had an indirect beneficial effect on aging dissatisfaction through direct approach, B = −0.31, 95% CI = −0.68 to −0.05.

Conclusion

In women above 70 years, exercise participation increases direct approach motivation which in turn leads to lower aging dissatisfaction. This shows that exercise holds the potential to overcome subjective ageist bias.     

Letting Diasporic Voices Be Heard

More than 68.5 million people were forced to move from their countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, in 2018. Forced displacements are caused by poverty, war, and lack of safety. Since 2015, Europe has been experiencing a so‐called refugee crisis that calls European values and policies into question. Beyond data, there are the experiences of those who are on the move. The number of people arriving on the continent has made integration a decisive topic. This research aims to discover the portrayal of refugees and migrants in media. This goal includes the challenge of making European media evaluate their work to improve the treatment given to complex subjects such as migration. This article is the result of research derived from the project Refugees Reporting in 2017, coordinated by the Europe Region of the World Association for Christian Communistories ancation and the Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe.     

Go Figure? Body-Shape Motives are Associated with Decreased Physical Activity Participation Among Midlife Women

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between midlife women's physical activity motives and their participation in physical activity. Cross-sectional qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 59 midlife women, most of whom were well-educated European-Americans (mean age = 45.6 years). Body-shape physical activity motives (i.e., motives related to toning, shaping, and weight loss) were compared with all other types of physical activity motives combined. Participants with body-shape motives were significantly less physically active than those with non-body-shape motives (p<.01). Negative affect toward physical activity was negatively associated with participation, but did not mediate the effect of physical activity motives on participation. Body Mass Index (BMI) was not related to physical activity motives or participation. Results suggest that body-shape motives might be associated with less physical activity participation than non-body-shape motives among midlife women.     

The Perpetual Outsider: Voices of Black Women Pursuing Doctoral Degrees at Predominantly White Institutions

This qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of Black female doctoral students at predominantly White institutions and their impact on academic persistence and overall well‐being. Fifteen Black female doctoral students participated in semistructured interviews, and each one was administered a demographic questionnaire and was extended an opportunity to participate in member checking. All data collected from the semistructured interviews, demographic questionnaires, and member‐checking exercises were analyzed using Black feminist thought as an interpretive lens. Whereas several themes emerged and are discussed in previous articles (Shavers & Moore, 2014a, 2014b), this article focused on the “Perpetual Outsider” theme, comprising the following subthemes: (a) unwelcoming spaces, (b) tokenism, and (c) outsiders at home. Implications are offered based on identity, support systems, and group counseling. Este estudio cualitativo exploró las percepciones y experiencias de estudiantes negras de doctorado en instituciones predominantemente blancas, así como su impacto en la persistencia académica y bienestar general. Quince estudiantes negras de doctorado participaron en entrevistas semiestructuradas, y a cada una de ellas se les administró un cuestionario demográfico y se les ofreció la oportunidad de participar en seguimientos de miembros. Todos los datos recopilados a partir de las entrevistas semiestructuradas, los cuestionarios demográficos y los ejercicios de seguimiento de miembros fueron analizados e interpretados desde la perspectiva del pensamiento feminista negro. Aunque surgieron varios temas que se comentan en artículos anteriores (Shavers & Moore, 2014a, 2014b), este artículo se centra en el tema del “Forastero perpetuo”, que incluye los siguientes subtemas: (a) espacios hostiles, (b) representación simbólica y (c) forasteros en casa. Se ofrecen implicaciones basadas en la identidad, sistemas de apoyo y consejería de grupo.     

Reduced emotional stress reactivity to a real-life academic examination stressor in students participating in a 20-week aerobic exercise training: A randomised controlled trial using Ambulatory Assessment

ObjectivesTo examine if a preventive 20-week aerobic exercise intervention (AET) can improve emotional stress reactivity during real-life stress.DesignRandomised controlled trial; within-subject design.MethodSixty-one inactive students were randomly assigned to a waiting control and an AET group. To capture the situation-specific, intra-individual data in real life, electronic diaries were used. Participants reported their moods and perceived stress (PS) repeatedly over two days during their daily routines pre- and post-intervention. The pre-intervention baseline assessment was scheduled at the beginning of the semester, and the post-intervention assessment was scheduled at a real-life stressful episode, an academic examination. For the aerobic fitness assessment, both groups completed a cardiopulmonary exercise test on the treadmill before and after the intervention. Multilevel models (MLMs) were conducted to compare within- and between-subject associations.ResultsSignificant emotional stress reactivity was evident in both groups during all assessment periods. However, participants in the AET group showed lower emotional stress reactivity compared with their control counterparts after the 20-week training programme during the real-life stress episode (the academic examination).ConclusionsAET conferred beneficial effects on emotional stress reactivity during an academic examination, which is likely an extremely stressful real-life situation for students.AET appears to be a promising strategy against the negative health effects of accumulated emotional stress reactivity.     

初治肺结核患者服药依从性的相关因素分析

为了了解初治肺结核患者服药依从性状况及影响因素,采用分层整群随机抽样方法抽取样本,利用自制调查表和Morisky依从性量表获取数据信息,并用SPSS 16.0软件进行统计分析.参与调查的578例初治肺结核患者中,依从性低组为194例,占33.6％,依从性正常组为384例,占66.4％.影响服药依从性的主要因素为职业、治疗时期、生活满意度、病情严重程度等（P＜0.05）.可见初治肺结核患者不规则服药受多方面因素影响,应加强各方督导,提高服药依从性.     

Further analysis of modifications to the three-step guided compliance procedure to enhance compliance among children with autism

Three-step guided compliance (vocal prompt, vocal plus model prompt, vocal prompt plus physical guidance) is a commonly used procedure to increase compliance among children with intellectual disabilities. Previous research has suggested that under some conditions, slight modifications to the three-step procedure may enhance its effectiveness. These modifications include omitting the model prompt and decreasing the interprompt interval. In the current study, we evaluated another modification to the procedure: the delivery of a high-preference item contingent upon compliance with the first vocal prompt (i.e., differential reinforcement). For 2 participants with autism, compliance remained low when we implemented differential reinforcement and the guided compliance procedure in isolation. However, compliance improved when we combined differential reinforcement and the three-step guided procedure, suggesting that for at least some children, the combination of contingent access to a high-preference item and the guided compliance procedure is more effective than either intervention alone.     

Adding the Voices of Jewish Girls to Developmental Theory

Abstract

Feminist psychologists do not often include Jewish representation when they discuss issues of difference and diversity. Jewish female adolescents have not been included in the current research on teen-age girls and voice. The author finds that Jewish female adolescents do experience themselves as different from the majority culture. This difference is associated with respondents emerging from early adolescence while maintaining relational competence.