MATERNITY LEAVE AND WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH

The Wisconsin Maternity Leave and Health Study addresses an important policy issue, parental leave, by investigating the work status, maternity leave, and mental health of 570 women. In the longitudinal design, the women, all of whom were living with a husband or partner, were interviewed during the fifth month of pregnancy, 1 month postpartum, and 4 months postpartum. At 4 months postpartum, full-time workers, part-time workers, and homemakers did not differ in depression or anger, but full-time workers showed elevated anxiety compared with the other two groups. In multiple regression analyses, length of leave interacted significantly with marital concerns when predicting depression; women who took a short leave (6 weeks or less) and were high on marital concerns had the highest depression scores. Short maternity leave can be conceptualized as a risk factor that, when combined with other risk factors such as marital concerns, places women at greater risk for depression.     

ROLE OF FIRST‐YEAR MATERNAL EMPLOYMENT AND PATERNAL INVOLVEMENT IN BEHAVIORAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN

Drawing on economic models of child development and attachment relationship perspectives, this study examined the effect of maternal employment in the first year after childbirth on subsequent behavioral and cognitive development in low‐income children. Analyses of data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (N = 411) revealed that despite the accompanying family income gains, maternal employment in the first year after childbirth adversely affected caregiver‐reported internalizing and externalizing behavior problems of Hispanic, Black, and White children at ages 3 and 5 years. This study also examined how paternal participation in childcare might affect children's outcomes. Results indicate that greater paternal participation eased the adverse impacts of maternal employment on internalizing behavior problems. There was no evidence that maternal employment was associated with children's memory cognitive functioning or that paternal involvement moderated children's cognitive development. These findings suggest that when early intervention programs are designed to assist low‐income families, enhancing supports (e.g., paternal involvement or parental leave) for working mothers during their child's first year may be valuable for young children's healthy development.     

JOB ATTRIBUTES PREFERRED BY FEMALE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, BEFORE AND AFTER ENTERING THE WORK FORCE

A longitudinal study of 125 female health professionals' preferences for 12 job characteristics was carried out at graduation and 20 months later. After employment respondents placed increased importance on skill development and respect received, and less emphasis on security and promotion opportunities. At follow-up the most valued attributes were skill development, chance to accomplish something worthwhile and friendliness of co-workers, while physical surroundings, pay and promotion were ranked as least important. Self concept measures derived from Bern's Sex Role Inventory (1974) had not changed since graduation. In both surveys, a significant association was found between masculinity and the importance attached to taking part in decisions. The results contribute to the debate concerning the intrinsic-extrinsic dichotomy in work motivation.     

SPIRIT HEALING,MENTAL HEALTH,AND EMOTION REGULATION

Abstract. Spirit healing is widespread across societies in diverse world regions. Its ritual forms appear in local, popular religions as well as a variety of organized churches. Although aspects of ritual, suchas the identification of spirits and use of symbols and paraphernalia, vary with culture and type of religion, there appear to be basic components of ritual healing process shared by its diverse forms. Using data on Spiritist healing in Puerto Rico as a case example, I first examine aspects of the interface between mental illness as defined by psychiatry and spirit healing. I then raise the question: If spirit healing is effective with some emotional disorders (as I have discussed in previous reports), how does it work? Emotional transactions could be considered foundational to most or all spirit healing rituals as they are to some psychotherapeutic and alternative‐medicine modalities. One model of emotion regulation is proposed as a lens through which to view specific processes of change in feelings and emotions in the context of culturally specified ritual structures.     

素质、心理素质与素质教育

当今世界教育改革的核心是全面提高人的素质,将教育的目的指向了人的素质的全面和谐发展。素质教育的提出从根本上扩大了传统素质概念的内涵与外延。我们认为,素质包括自然素质、社会素质和心理素质3个层面,因此,素质教育的内容也应包括这3个层面。更进一步,素质教育通过提高人们的社会素质和心理素质,使个人的综合质量水平得到稳定的提高和表现。心理素质是素质教育的核心。     

ONE BRAIN,TWO MINDS: AN ESSAY ON PRIMORDIAL AND ADVANCED MENTAL ACTIVITY

The Primordial Mind in Health and Illness: A Cross‐Cultural Perspective. By Michael Robbins. London/New York: Routledge, 2011. 240 pp.     

LOOKING GOOD, SOUNDING GOOD: FEMININITY IDEOLOGY AND ADOLESCENT GIRLS' MENTAL HEALTH

This study used a feminist psychodynamic developmental framework to test the hypothesis that internalizing conventional femininity ideologies in two domains—inauthenticity in relationships and body objectification—is associated with early adolescent girls' mental health. One hundred forty-eight eighth-grade girls completed measures of femininity ideology, self-esteem, depression, and demographic characteristics. In the first part of this study, we refined the Adolescent Femininity Ideology Scale originally developed by Tolman and Porche (2000) . In the second part, we used structural equation modeling to test models linking femininity ideology to mental health. Results revealed that body objectification, and to a lesser extent, inauthenticity in relationships, accounted for half of the variance in depression and over two-thirds of the variance in self-esteem in a critical period of development for adolescent girls. The importance of a feminist psychodynamic developmental framework for identifying and understanding salient dimensions of female adolescence is discussed.     

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTHERING IN INFANCY, CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE AND ADULT MENTAL HEALTH

This longitudinal study has followed seventy-six individuals from birth to age 30 using films of the mother-child interaction, psychoanalytically informed interviews of parents and children, and psycho diagnostic testing to assess how the quality of mothering a child receives in the first year of life contributes to his/her subsequent emotional well-being. The thirty-year follow-up of the now adult participants found that those who had received more effective care in infancy in terms of maternal empathy, consistency, control, thoughtfulness, affection and management of aggression had higher-level psychological defence mechanisms as adults than children receiving less effective nurturing-suggesting a process in which the children internalised their mothers' own defence mechanisms. Other measures at 30 years (Global Functioning, Erikson psychosocial attainment, mental representation of security of attachment to parents and presence or absence of a psychiatric diagnosis) did not achieve statistical significance. On the other hand, trauma after infancy and before age 18 provided the strongest correlation with adult outcome: consistent with the theory of the effect of cumulative trauma on psychic functioning, children experiencing two or more adverse circumstances had significantly lower levels of global functioning as adults than those spared multiple traumas. With case examples, the findings illustrate how the effect of pre-verbal experience attenuates over time, and how later influences overlie early life in the course of psychological structuralisation.     

高职护理生生活事件、应对方式及心理健康的关系研究

该研究采用SCL-90、生活事件量表、应对方式问卷对漳州医学护理职业学院280名学生进行了问卷调查,对262份有效问卷进行分析。结果表明:(1)同护理生心理健康有关的生活事件主要是人际关系问题、学习压力;(2)护理生在面临应激时,采取积极应对方式较多,消极应对方式较少;(3)护理生生活事件的各因子和应对方式的自责、幻想、退避、合理化因子与SCL-90之间有较高正相关,解决问题和求助的应对方式分别与SCL-90之间呈显著负相关和负相关;(4)进一步的多元逐步回归分析表明,人际关系和学习压力的生活事件因子与幻想、自责、解决问题、健康适应的应对因子对高职护理生心理健康影响最大;(5)应对方式是作为生活事件与心理健康的中介变量而存在并发挥作用的。生活事件、应对方式及心理健康之间有显著相关,应对方式是生活事件与心理健康的中介变量。     

RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE AMONG ADOLESCENT MOTHERS: FREQUENCY, DYADIC NATURE, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RELATIONSHIP DISSOLUTION AND MENTAL HEALTH

This article examines whether the frequency, dyadic nature, and potential implications of relationship violence differ in parenting ( n = 163) and nulliparous (i.e., never given birth; n = 165) adolescent females from low-income, urban communities. We found the frequency and dyadic nature of violence did not differ between parental status groups. Over half of the adolescents in both groups reported relationship violence in the past year, with female-enacted violence more common than male-enacted violence. However, significant group differences emerged in the relationship between violence and subsequent relationship dissolution and mental health. Higher levels of female-enacted violence predicted relationship dissolution among nulliparous adolescents but predicted increases in depression in parenting adolescents. Findings highlight the need for violence prevention programs tailored specifically to the developmental and contextual needs of adolescent mothers.     

FAMILY-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS, ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT, AND WORK WITHDRAWAL: THE MODERATING ROLE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Using data from China, Kenya, and Thailand, we investigated the moderating effect of transformational leadership in the relationships between family-friendly programs (childcare and work flexibility benefits), organizational commitment, and work withdrawal. Results supported the moderating effect of transformational leadership in the relationships between work flexibility benefits and both organizational commitment and work withdrawal, and between childcare benefits and work withdrawal. Theoretical contributions as well as practical implications are discussed.     

AN EMPIRICAL TEST OF CAUSAL INFERENCE BETWEEN ROLE PERCEPTIONS, SATISFACTION WITH WORK, PERFORMANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL

Previous research has suggested that organizational level may explain to a significant extent the differential impact of role perceptions (i.e., role ambiguity and role conflict) on employee satisfaction and performance. Causal inferences could not be drawn from these studies because of the predominant use of static correlational methods. In this study, in a hospital setting, a six-month time-lag between data collection periods was used to develop causal inferences. The results supported the hypothesis that role ambiguity was a source of causal inference with satisfaction with work at the higher organizational level, while role conflict was a source of causal inference with satisfaction with work at the lower organizational level. The source and direction of causal influence with respect to role perceptions and performance was supported only at the higher organizational level.     

THE DECISION TO IMPLEMENT GAINSHARING: THE ROLE OF WORK CLIMATE, EXPECTED OUTCOMES, AND UNION STATUS

This study empirically examines several factors that may predict management decisions to implement high-involvement gainsharing plans, interventions that pay company-wide bonuses for performance improvements and encourage employee involvement in work decisions. It addresses the question: why does one facility that considers implementing a gainsharing plan decide to do so, while another facility does not? In 59 facilities (32 nonunion and 27 union) considering the implementation of a gainsharing plan, 485 upper-level managers evaluated the work climate in their facilities (participation, identity, cooperation, and expected plan support) and rated the anticipated outcomes of the intervention. Union status had no direct relationship with the implementation decision. A significant interaction showed that implementation was positively related to participation and expected outcomes in the nonunion facilities, but was unrelated to these variables in the unionized facilities. The results provided little support for a “transformation” model of plan implementation and moderate support for a "compatibility" model.     

IN THE BEGINNING: THE ROLE OF MYTH IN RELATING RELIGION,BRAIN SCIENCE,AND MENTAL WELL‐BEING

Building upon the insights of scholars attuned to story, narrative, and myth, this article explores the relationship between myth, science, and religion. After clarifying the interplay of the three terms—story, narrative, and myth—and the preference for the term myth, this article will argue that myth can serve as a medium through which religion, neuroscience, and mental well‐being interact. Such an exploration will cover the role of myths in religion, the neurological basis of myth, and the practices of narrative psychology and bibliotherapy. The article will conclude with suggestions for understanding and utilizing the relationship between myth and the scholarly study of the relationship between science and religion. This article ultimately suggests that myth can operate as a methodological aid to the science‐and‐religion field.     

STRESS AMONG PALESTINIAN WOMEN UNDER MILITARY OCCUPATION; WOMEN'S APPRAISAL OF STRESSORS,THEIR COPING MODES,AND THEIR MENTAL HEALTH

Psychological responses and mental health of 174 Palestinian women living in the occupied West-Bank and the Gaza Strip were studied through a stress model. Thirty-five Palestinian women living in Israel proper who had not been exposed to military occupation were interviewed as a comparison group. The stress process studied consists of women's appraisal of threat and the importance of the stressors in their lives, the estimation of their own resources to cope with stress, actual coping modes, and mental health outcomes. Women living under military occupation tended to appraise their environment as highly threatening and their experiences as strain-producing. At the same time they believed they had sufficient assets, especially collective and ideological resources, to deal with the stressors. This tendency was particularly evident among victims of political violence. Women strongly exposed to hardships of military occupation tended to employ more social and political activity and less inactive and accommodative coping modes than did less traumatized women. Exposure to stressful events, characteristic to military occupation and armed conflict, tended to deteriorate women's mental health, as indicated by severe anxiety, depression, hostile feelings and psychiatric symptoms, and also deteriorating their general health. Multiple regression analysis of the data pertaining to the stress process indicated not only the existence of objective stressors but also the appraisal of their harmfulness, the coping modes as well as vulnerability-protective factors which determine the outcomes of the stress process. A good economic situation, sufficient social support, and religious commitment functioned as protective factors in stress process, i.e., they were able to diminish the impact of exposure to stressors on women's mental health. In the case of the Palestinian women the hardships due to military occupation and national struggle initiated a different stress process than did the daily life difficulties. This indicates that in studies on psychological functioning in a political and armed conflict, the collective level of coping, values, norms, ideology as well as the concrete political aims of the society should be included in analysis and interpretation.