Hospitals and Children: A Parent's Eye View Edited by James Robertson

Abstract

Mysticism is a heightened awareness facilitating intuitive knowledge of group realities. In contrast to logical positivism, in which scientific knowledge consists of logic applied to a set of observations, the author holds that mystical awareness is pertinent to the conduct of therapy groups. The work of Bion, and also so-called “structuralist” theories, postulate pre-given templates that inform experience. The application of mystical thought to group consultation, leadership,and transformation of the self is discussed. The group context which allows for mystical experience is called the “sacred space.” To emphasize the sacredness of the group, a kabbalist parallel to early development and projective identification is used to show how sacred metaphor and myth can enrich interpretation in groups.     

Organizational factors and mental health in community volunteers. The role of exposure,preparation, training,tasks assigned,and support

During disasters, aid organizations often respond using the resources of local volunteer members from the affected population who are not only inexperienced, but who additionally take on some of the more psychologically and physically difficult tasks in order to provide support for their community. Although not much empirical evidence exists to justify the claim, it is thought that preparation, training, and organizational support limit (or reduce) a volunteer's risk of developing later psychopathology. In this study, we examined the effects of preparation, training, and organizational support and assigned tasks on the mental health of 506 Indonesian Red Cross volunteers who participated in the response to a massive earthquake in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2006. Controlling for exposure level, the volunteers were assessed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and subjective health complaints (SHCs) 6, 12, and 18 months post-disaster. Results showed high levels of PTSD and SHCs up to 18 months post-disaster, while anxiety and depression levels remained in the normal range. Higher levels of exposure as well as certain tasks (e.g., provision of psychosocial support to beneficiaries, handling administration, or handing out food aid) made the volunteers more vulnerable. Sense of safety, expressed general need for support at 6 months, and a lack of perceived support from team leaders and the organization were also related to greater psychopathology at 18 months. The results highlight the importance of studying organizational factors. By incorporating these results into future volunteer management programs the negative effects of disaster work on volunteers can be ameliorated.     

The Role of Injury and Trauma-Related Variables in the Onset and Course of Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects a minority of trauma-exposed persons and is associated with significant impairment. This longitudinal study examined risk factors for PTSD. We tested whether the presence of injuries resulting from trauma exposure predicted the course of PTSD symptoms. In addition, we tested whether gender, trauma type, perceived life threat, and peritraumatic dissociation predicted the onset of PTSD symptoms. 236 trauma-exposed civilians were assessed for PTSD symptoms with a structured interview at four occasions during 6 months posttrauma. Path analysis showed that a model in which the female gender, assault, perceived life threat, and peritraumatic dissociation predicted PTSD severity at 1 week, and injury predicted PTSD severity 8 weeks after the traumatic event showed the best fit. However, a similar model without injury showed comparable fit. It is concluded that injuries have a negligible effect on the course of PTSD.     

We Are the World—and They Are Not: Prototypicality for the World Community,Legitimacy, and Responses to Global Inequality

The relation between developed and developing countries is characterized by inequalities that sometimes hinder actions against worldwide problems. The current research presents an intergroup approach, based on the ingroup projection model, towards an analysis of psychological processes that perpetuate global inequality on a social group level. Precisely, we argue that people from developed countries perceive their group as more prototypical for the world population than they perceive people from developing countries. These perceptions of ingroup prototypicality should in turn relate to legitimacy beliefs and predict unfavorable behavioral intentions towards developing countries. We present two studies that corroborate our hypotheses: In Study 1, participants from a developed country perceived their ingroup as more prototypical for the superordinate group (i.e., world population) than the outgroup (i.e., developing countries), which in turn was related to beliefs that global inequality is legitimate. This finding was replicated in Study 2, and the predicted effect of ingroup prototypicality on behavioral intentions was mediated by legitimacy beliefs. These findings demonstrate that intergroup processes can contribute to perpetuating global inequality.     

Maintenance rehearsal affects knowing,not remembering; elaborative rehearsal affects remembering,not knowing

In a directed-forgetting paradigm, each word in a study list was followed by a cue designating that word as eitherlearn orforget. This cue appeared after either a short or a long delay. It was assumed that a long delay would increase maintenance rehearsal of all the words, and that only the words followed by a learn cue would be rehearsed elaboratively. Moreover, because the interval between the words was constant, a short cue delay should allow more time for elaborative rehearsal. In a subsequent test, subjects maderemember orknow responses to indicate whether recognition of each word was accompanied by conscious recollection or by feelings of familiarity in the absence of conscious recollection. The hypothesis was that remembering depends on elaborative rehearsal, and knowing depends on maintenance rehearsal. In accord with this hypothesis, the learn-versus-forget designation influenced remember but not know responses, and there were more remember responses after the short cue delay; cue delay influenced know responses, regardless of word designation.     

Visual and auditory orienting responses in preterm infants: a comparison of three cohorts over time.

Visual and auditory orienting responses were compared in three cohorts of preterm infants (N = 351) born between 1977 and 1987. The infants were divided into one group born between 25 and 34 weeks gestational age (n = 140) and one group born between 35 and 37 weeks gestational age (n = 211). Ratings were made of the infants' best orienting responses to a bull's-eye, rattle, bell, voice, and face plus voice combined. Analyses of covariance were computed to adjust for changes in perinatal variables between 1977 and 1987. For both groups, there were significant differences between cohorts on orienting to the bull's-eye, with a trend for the 25- to 34-week group on orienting to the rattle. Behavioral outcome for preterm infants has improved with changes in neonatal intensive care.     

Neuroticism and Morning Cortisol Secretion: Both Heritable, But No Shared Genetic Influences

ABSTRACT Neuroticism is widely used as an explanatory concept in etiological research of psychopathology. To clarify what neuroticism actually represents, we investigated the phenotypic and genetic relationship between neuroticism and the morning cortisol secretion. In the current classic twin study, 125 female twin pairs (74 monozygotic and 51 dizygotic pairs) participated. For each participant, 4 different neuroticism scores were available to calculate a neuroticism composite score that was used in the statistical analyses. The morning cortisol secretion was assessed by 4 salivary samples in the 1st hour after awakening. Significant genetic influences for the neuroticism composite score (55%), and each of the 4 cortisol samples (52%–69%) were found. There was no phenotypic or genotypic relationship between neuroticism and morning cortisol secretion. Although neuroticism and cortisol were both heritable traits, they did not share any genetic influences.     

Why Does Frustration Predict Psychopathology? Multiple Prospective Pathways Over Adolescence: A TRAILS Study

Adolescents' temperamental frustration is a developmental precursor of adult neuroticism and psychopathology. Because the mechanisms that underlie the prospective association between adolescents' high frustration and psychopathology (internalizing/externalizing) have not been studied extensively, we quantified three pathways: stress generation [mediation via selection/evocation of stressful life events (SLEs)], cross‐sectional frustration‐psychopathology overlap (‘carry‐over’/common causes), and a direct (non‐mediated) vulnerability effect of frustration, including moderation of SLE impact. Frustration and psychopathology were assessed at age 16 with the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire and the Youth Self‐Report. No gender differences in frustration were observed. At age 19, psychopathology was reassessed by using the Adult Self‐Report, while occurrence of endogenous (self‐generated) and exogenous (not self‐generated) SLEs during the interval (ages 16–19) were ascertained with the Life Stress Interview, an investigator‐based contextual‐stressfulness rating procedure (N = 957). Half of the prospective effect of frustration on psychopathology was explained by baseline overlap, including effects of ‘carry‐over’ and common causes, about 5% reflected stress generation (a ‘vicious’ cycle with the environment adolescents navigate and shape), and 45% reflected unmediated association: a direct vulnerability effect including stress sensitivity or moderation of SLE impact. After adjustment for their overlap, frustration predicted the development of externalizing but not internalizing symptoms. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology