DIVERSITY IN CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE NEEDS: EMPLOYEE PROBLEMS, PREFERENCES, AND WORK-RELATED OUTCOMES

This research examines employee background variables moderating problems with child care arrangements and variance in work-related attitudes and behaviors. Gender, household employment configuration, dependents' care profile, managerial status, and use of familial care arrangements help explain variance in child care problems, attitudes toward managing work and child care responsibilities, and the absence behavior of working parents in a public utility. The relationship between employee backgrounds and preferences for child care assistance is also examined. The study demonstrates that employees' child care needs are diverse, multi-faceted, and changing. It is suggested that organizations consider developing several packages of child care assistance policies that can be responsive to changes in the mix of employees' assistance needs and their work forces' demographics over time.     

Counselling the community: The contribution of counselling psychologists to the development of primary care

The primary care groups (PCGs) newly introduced to the National Health Service require general practitioners and primary care teams to improve the health of their communities by addressing the health needs of their population, promoting the health of that population and working with other organizations to deliver effective and appropriate care. Community-oriented primary care (COPC) is an internationally tested model for primary health care development which is now being employed within the UK. This paper outlines the COPC model, and demonstrates how the skills and knowledge base of counselling psychologists and primary care counselling can contribute to a community-oriented primary care approach.     

Exploration of the attitudes of employees towards the provision of counselling within a profit‐making organisation

The provision of workplace counselling has risen significantly over the last 20 years in response to the increase in stress‐related illness amongst employees in UK profit‐making organisations. Despite this expansion there is very little exploration of employee attitudes towards this provision. This paper describes a case study of employee attitudes towards counselling in a UK profit‐making organisation utilising an Employee Assistant Programme (EAP) for staff counselling. The method used for the research was a quantitative approach administered using a short questionnaire distributed to employees by e‐mail. The responses to the questionnaire illustrated that most employees were highly aware of the service and believed stress to be the highest presenting issue to the EAP counsellors. However, stress was actually the lowest presenting issue. The results from this study also suggested that managers had a more negative attitude towards counselling than non‐managers. Men and women were found to have the same highly positive attitude towards counselling. Respondents felt that wider, constant and regular positive promotion of counselling, by the employer as well as the EAP, was needed to increase utilisation of the EAP counselling service. Concerns over confidentiality for those using, or contemplating using, the service were also found — as in other studies — but this study found concerns particularly in relation to managers finding out that an employee had attended counselling. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

The relationship between existential-phenomenological and cognitive-behaviour therapies

The tendency of GPs to cap the number of counselling sessions offered to their patients in primary care has led to an ongoing debate about the effectiveness of time-limited counselling and brief therapy models. the advantages and disadvantages of brief as opposed to open-ended models of counselling in primary care need to be considered from the point of view of the client, the counsellor and the GP. Given that outcome research shows no difference between the two methods, a cost-benefit analysis would indicate that, for the majority of cases, time-limited counselling works very well. But there is still a minority of clients who do need open-ended therapy, and their needs are not being served by the present NHS system. Counsellors should therefore not be debating for either brief or open-ended style in primary care, but should be organizing themselves into expanding the service to give GPs the choice of both approaches.     

Counselling in primary care: a systematic review of the research evidence

Counselling in primary care in the UK is expanding rapidly, and its evidence base needs to be established. We present the rationale for conducting controlled trials of counselling in primary care, and suggest that a systematic review of controlled trials of counselling in primary care is timely. We describe the process of conducting the review in accordance with Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. The review aimed to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of counselling in primary care, by systematically reviewing cost and outcome data from randomised controlled trials and controlled patient preference trials of counselling interventions, for patients with psychological and psychosocial problems considered suitable for counselling. The search strategy, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data collection and data analysis are described. The results of the review are presented. The review included only controlled trials of counselling in which counsellors accredited by the British Association for Counselling (or equivalent) provided non-directive counselling in primary care. Four trials met the inclusion criteria. Results indicated that patients who receive counselling show a modest but significant improvement in symptom levels compared with those who receive GP care. Levels of satisfaction with counselling are high. There is very tentative evidence to suggest that counselled patients are more likely to be considered recovered than usual GP care patients. There is limited information about the cost-effectiveness of counselling. We conclude by reflecting upon the results of the review and their implications for counselling research.     

A naturalistic study of the effectiveness of time-limited counselling with low-income clients

The role of counselling and psychotherapy services in relation to the needs of economically disadvantaged individuals has been largely neglected in the recent research literature. Although a small number of theoretical papers and case analyses have been published, there is an absence of studies that examine the effectiveness of counselling with this client group. The present paper reports on a naturalistic outcome study of the effectiveness of time-limited counselling (seven sessions) with low-income clients. Analysis of pre-counselling, postcounselling and follow-up measures of mental health and problem ratings indicated levels of change equivalent to those achieved in controlled studies of counselling and psychotherapy with other client groups. Factors influencing the effectiveness of counselling included gender and employment status. Qualitative client reports suggested that the main benefits experienced by clients were in the areas of self-understanding and self-belief. For illustrative purposes, data from low-income clients are compared with results from employee counselling clients receiving a similar service. The implications of these findings for further research are discussed.     

Relating career stage to attitudes towards HR practices and commitment: Evidence of interaction effects?

A dominant theme within the human resource management (HRM) literature concerns the identification of "best practices" that will enhance both organizational performance and employee commitment. Although research exploring the impact of these practices at the level of the individual is considerably limited, it is implied that they may be applied both across and within organizations, yielding favourable outcomes such as higher organizational performance and enhanced employee commitment. This is despite claims that commitment is multidimensional and that certain organizational and individual variables are related to different forms of commitment. It is possible that organizations seeking to promote commitment might need to tailor HR practices to suit employees' needs, thus challenging the best practice perspective at the employee level. This article extends on the literature by examining whether the relationship between attitudes towards HR practices and commitment is moderated by career stage. The empirical research is based on an employee attitude survey within three financial service organizations in Ireland (N?=?288). Using hierarchical regression analysis, the findings show that interaction effects are evident regarding attitudes towards HR practices and affective, continuance, and normative commitment. The implications of these findings for the management of commitment are discussed.     

The experience of working with refugees: counsellors in primary care

The provision of counselling services for refugee and asylum-seeking patients is relatively new in the UK and their complex needs may present considerable challenges within primary care, where access to specialist support resources is often limited. As far as we know, no previous research has attempted to look at the experiences of the counsellors who do this work. We undertook in-depth interviews with 13 counsellors who provide counselling to refugees in primary care in north London. The findings of this study suggest that counsellors who work in a primary care setting find themselves conflicted, troubled and out of their depth by the experiences, narratives and distress presented by refugee and asylum-seeking patients. They also report an erosion of usual counselling boundaries. Thus, the problems presented by refugees seem to demand approaches which go beyond standard counselling practice and which create ambivalence and uncertainty. These counsellors express feelings of isolation and impotence. The paper concludes with implications for counselling practice and suggestions for further research.     

Counselling psychology in South Africa

The origin and development of counselling psychology in South Africa has been profoundly influenced by the country’s sociopolitical history and the impact of apartheid. As a result of this, counselling psychologists in the country face a number of challenges and opportunities for the future. In this paper we provide a portrait of counselling psychology in South Africa by describing the current character of the specialty and the context in which South African psychologists work. We critically discuss the challenges that the specialty faces to meet the country’s mental health care needs, contest the current Scope of Practice; affirm multiculturalism without essentialising or reifying race and ethnicity, and build an evidence base for community interventions in the country. We also consider how, in the future, counselling psychologists in South Africa may make a more meaningful contribution within public health and the country’s health care and education systems.     

Employee satisfaction and theft: testing climate perceptions as a mediator

Employee theft of both property and time is an expensive and pervasive problem for American organizations. One antecedent of theft behaviors is employee dissatisfaction, but not all dissatisfied employees engage in withdrawal or theft behaviors. The authors tested a model of theft behavior by using an organization's climate for theft as an explanatory mechanism. They found that dissatisfaction influenced employee theft behaviors through the intermediary influence of employees' individual perceptions of the organization's climate for theft. The authors encourage organizations to pay attention to such climate elements and take action to alter employee perceptions if they reflect permissive attitudes toward theft.     

中国情境下家长式领导与员工绩效关系的元分析

本研究采用元分析技术和效标剖面元分析技术探讨中国情境下家长式领导与员工绩效之间的关系。通过文献收集与筛选, 共纳入139项研究400个效应值(N = 44605)。元分析结果发现：(1)仁慈领导、德行领导与任务绩效和组织公民绩效有较强的正相关关系, 与反生产绩效有较强的负相关关系。与之相反, 威权领导与任务绩效和组织公民绩效之间有显著的负相关关系, 与反生产绩效显著正相关。(2)低威权领导剖面(仁慈领导和德行领导水平高)对任务绩效和组织公民绩效的预测力最强, 高威权领导剖面(仁慈领导和德行领导水平低)对反生产绩效的预测力最强。(3)年龄能够调节家长式领导部分维度和绩效之间的关系强度, 性别对家长式领导分维度和绩效关系的调节效应不显著。研究结果进一步揭示了中国情境下家长式领导与个体绩效之间关系的“真相”。     

Work in the family and employing organization

Issues involved in the attempts to balance roles in employing organizations and family organizations are discussed. The literature on the causal links between work and family relationships, the variables used in such studies, and the models used to describe the findings are presented. Because attempts to balance the roles in the two environments can lead to conflict and stress, organizations have responded with programs such as maternity and parental leave, child and dependent care, alternative work schedules and work stations, and employee assistance and relocation programs. These programs are reviewed with particular emphasis on their benefits and costs.     

高承诺组织与员工建言:双过程模型检验

以来自36个组织的223名员工为被试,通过上级、同事和员工自评三方配对的问卷数据,研究探讨了高承诺组织与员工建言行为之间的关系。采用多层结构方程模型等方法进行数据分析,结果发现:(1)高承诺组织对员工建言行为(包括上行建言和平行建言)有显著的促进作用;(2)员工知觉到组织内的职业机会在高承诺组织和上行建言之间起部分中介作用;工作满意度在高承诺组织和平行建言之间起部分中介作用;(3)工作绩效在知觉到职业机会和上行建言之间起正向调节作用;人际关系在工作满意度和平行建言之间起正向调节作用;(4)不光如此,工作绩效还调节着"高承诺组织-知觉职业机会-上行建言"这一中介路径;人际关系还调节着"高承诺组织-工作满意感-平行建言"这一中介路径。文章最后对所得结果、理论和实践意义及未来研究做了讨论。     

Applied pluralism in the evaluation of employee counselling

The method and major findings of a complex, 'pluralist' evaluation, which investigated the effectiveness of the counselling provision of an employee support and counselling service in a local authority education department over 22 months, are outlined. Reference is made to the underlying philosophical approach of integrated pluralist evaluation, which may represent a significant step forward from the accepted methods of triangulation. In addition to achieving predicted high satisfaction rates from clients, counsellors and clients both indicated significant improvements in all measures used. These were maintained at follow-up which took place at intervals from 1 to 18 months after counselling had ended. Reduction in absenteeism post-counselling suggested the possibility of very substantial revenue savings. Responses also indicated the acute, and often chronic, need for employee counselling provision in the education system.     

Assessment of HIV counselling and social care services in a London hospital

The use of, and satisfaction with, counselling and social care services was investigated among HIV-infected clients attending HIV specialist climes at Guy's Hospital and Southwark Social Services, London. A survey of 71 clients with HIV infection was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire. The greatest demand was for advice about income support, housing, counselling for the HIV test, counselling for depression or anxiety, psychological support for coping with HIV, help with sleeping problems, mobility allowance, and help with furniture/household appliances. Overall, 57% thought the service was good or excellent; 66% of respondents thought they would use the services in the future. Over nine in ten clients had used the psychosocial support services at some stage since their HIV diagnosis, although only two-thirds anticipated that they would have need of these services in the future. The psychosocial support service will need to remain responsive to the shift in demand for this service, as well as the changing needs of clients who use it.     

Counselling Psychology in Canada

Counselling psychology in Canada has experienced tremendous growth and greater recognition within the last 30 years. However, there is little empirical research on the practice of counselling psychology in Canada and the characteristics of Canadian counselling psychologists. We administered a 74 item questionnaire to 79 counselling psychologists who were members of the Counselling Psychology Section of the Canadian Psychological Association, achieving a 35.4% response rate. The survey asked various questions organized under the headings of: Background Information, Theoretical Orientations, Professional Activities, Training and Career Experiences, and Future. Overall, these Canadian counselling psychologists seem to see the discipline as moderately different from clinical psychology and from counsellor education, and are largely satisfied with their choice of career in counselling psychology. Results further indicate that independent practice is the most common work-setting and that respondents spend a large share of their time providing individual, non-career related, counselling/psychotherapy of primarily a rehabilitative/treatment-oriented nature. A strengths-focused approach was also highly valued by the sample. The development of the field, distinctive characteristics of Canadian counselling psychology, the place of counselling psychology in the Canadian health care delivery system, credentialing, professional organizations, education and training issues, allied professions, opportunities for the field, and threats to the field are also discussed.     

组织气氛与员工参与的关系

员工参与是提高组织绩效的重要一环 ,也是组织提高运作效率和使员工产生积极心态的关键 ;组织气氛是影响员工参与的一个重要因素。文章探讨了组织气氛与员工参与之间的关系 ,对全国各地区共 14 8家企业的90 4份调查问卷进行了单因素方差分析和逐步回归分析。研究结果表明 ,员工参与变量有显著的所有制差异和地区差异 ;低科层性的、创新性的和支持性的组织气氛会显著地提高员工参与水平 ;企业的科层式管理体制 ,是影响员工参与水平的最显著因素。研究结果对我国企业管理者有重要的启示     

Counselling in primary care: a systematic review of the evidence

Primary objective: To undertake a systematic review which aimed to locate, appraise and synthesise evidence to obtain a reliable overview of the clinical effectiveness, cost‐effectiveness and user perspectives regarding counselling in primary care. Main results: Evidence from 26 studies was presented as a narrative synthesis and demonstrated that counselling is effective in the short term, is as effective as CBT with typical heterogeneous primary care populations and more effective than routine primary care for the treatment of non‐specific generic psychological problems, anxiety and depression. Counselling may reduce levels of referrals to psychiatric services, but does not appear to reduce medication, the number of GP consultations or overall costs. Patients are highly satisfied with the counselling they have received in primary care and prefer counselling to medication for depression. Conclusions and implications for future research: This review demonstrates the value of counselling as a valid choice for primary care patients and as a broadly effective therapeutic intervention for a wide range of generic psychological conditions presenting in the primary care setting. More rigorous clinical and cost‐effectiveness trials are needed together with surveys of more typical users of primary care services.     

Gender-sensitive training for substance use disorder treatment: Results and implications of a pilot health professionals needs assessment

This study explored mental health practitioner training needs in gender-sensitive substance use disorder (SUD) counselling genderqueer populations. Informants were health professionals in SUD practices and from the Eastern Cape, South Africa (females = 75%; black = 90%, 10% = white, clinical and counselling psychologists = 10%, social workers = 65%, auxiliary health workers = 25%). They completed focus group interviews regarding their needs for gender-sensitive (GS) training in SUD treatment. Thematic analysis of the data indicated training needs in how to deal with their own bias and prejudice beliefs about the genderqueer population. Furthermore, results indicated that they needed training on how to manage the treatment setting once genderqueer clients were integrated in treatment with cisgender clients. Training for SUD treatment and care with genderqueer clients should prioritise gender sensitisation. Health professionals’ need gender equality awareness training for health care equity with the genderqueer community.     

The spiritual care of sick children: reflections from a pilot participation project

The authors are a multi-disciplinary team of chaplains, one with a counselling qualification, and an academic with a research background in spirituality and youth work. A pilot participation project undertaken at Birmingham Children’s Hospital (UK) focused on increasing the understanding of the spiritual needs of sick children and young people and involving children and young people in improving the service and provision of spiritual and religious care to them. Views from children, young people and parents were sought with the intention of developing resources and training that help facilitate the meeting of spiritual and religious needs of children and young people in hospital. Within the wider chaplaincy team are chaplains from the six major world faiths and this project considers spiritual needs of children and young people who perceive themselves as belonging to a faith group or not. Reflections from the pilot include identifying ten principles and practices to inform the spiritual care of sick children and proposing the concept of interpretive spiritual encounters as a tool for spiritual care. The pilot study indicated that being more proactive in offering spiritual care enhanced the quality of service offered by Chaplaincy.