Fertility Behavior and Psychological Stress: The Mediating Influence of Gender Norm Beliefs Among Egyptian Women

The influence of gender norms on women's family planning experiences is a finding that cuts across numerous studies included in Family Health International's multi-country Women's Studies Project. This paper explores findings from one of these studies on the mediating influence of beliefs about gender norms on the relationship between fertility behavior and psychological well-being. Using cross-sectional survey data from 4,908 Egyptian women, hierarchical multiple regression models were tested with depression and anxiety as the dependent variables. Independent variables included three demographic variables, two measures of beliefs about gender norms developed from survey items using exploratory factor analytic techniques, and two fertility behavior variables—use of family planning and number of children. Gender norm beliefs predicted both anxiety and depression. The statistical analyses demonstrated a separate effect of family planning use on anxiety, independent of gender norm beliefs, but the effect of family planning behaviors on depression disappeared when gender norms beliefs were included in the regression model, which indicates a mediating effect of gender norm beliefs. Although cross-sectional data do not allow for the determination of causality among the three types of variables, a conceptual framework is offered for the possible causal mechanisms for the identified relationships.     

Identification,Response, and Referral of Suicidal Youth Following Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training

Gatekeeper training is a public health approach to suicide prevention that encourages community members to identify those at risk for suicide, respond appropriately, and refer for clinical services. Despite widespread use, few studies have examined whether training results in behavior change in participants. This study employed a naturalistic pre–post design to follow 434 participants in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, finding small but significant increases in self‐reported identification of at‐risk youth, some helpful responses to youth, and numbers of youth referred to treatment from pre‐test to 6‐ to 9‐month follow‐up. Changes in active listening and helping behaviors meant to support treatment referrals (such as convincing a youth to seek treatment) were not observed over time. Additional analyses explored predictors of self‐reported skill utilization including identification as a “natural helper” and attitudes about suicide prevention.     

Ovarian cancer patients' psychological distress: the role of physical impairment, perceived unsupportive family and friend behaviors, perceived control, and self-esteem.

Although research has indicated that illness-related and interpersonal stress are associated with greater psychological distress among cancer patients, little empirical attention has been given to mechanisms that account for these relationships. In the present study, 2 mechanisms for the association between illness-related stress (physical impairment) and interpersonal stress (family and friend unsupportive responses) and psychological distress of 143 ovarian cancer patients were examined cross-sectionally. Separate structural equation models tested whether physical impairment impacted patients' distress via decrements in perceived control over their illness and whether unsupportive behaviors impacted patients' distress via decrements in patients' self-esteem. Results supported the proposed models and suggest that perceived control and self-esteem are 2 mechanisms for explaining how illness-related and interpersonal stress may be associated with psychological distress among women with ovarian cancer.     

College Adjustment Problems and Attitudes Toward Drinking Reported by Feminine, Androgynous, and Masculine College Women

Two studies compared attitudes toward various issues and adaptations to demands of college life that were reported by feminine, androgynous, and masculine sex-typed females. Study 1 showed that feminine sex-typed females reported lower involvement in academic competition, fewer difficulties with peer pressures, and less exclusion by fraternities and sororities from college social life than did androgynous and masculine females. Androgynous and masculine females gave similar responses, showing high involvement in academic competition, negative reactions to peer pressures, and resentment toward male friends who cancel plans. Study 2 compared attitudes of feminine, androgynous, and masculine female college students toward drinking. Discriminant analysis showed that over 99% of the subjects could be correctly classified according to sex type on the basis of two dimensions: (1) sociable drinking and (2) drinking due to peer pressure and social discomfort. Masculine arid androgynous females were significantly more likely than feminine females to endorse questions related to social drinking. Masculine females showed the greatest potential for problem drinking from social pressures and for escape from social discomfort. Results supported Kelly and Worell's (1977) argument that the adaptive values of different sex-role orientations depend on the demands of the environment.     

Parental Suicide: An Organizing Event in the Development of Latency Age Children

ABSTRACT: This paper proposes that children who are especially vulnerable to parental suicide have not resolved earlier developmental issues of separation-individuation. Five children, ages 6 to 12, were studied intensively. Parental suicide during the child's latency age period has profound influences on children's ego development and character formation because during this time childhood ego functioning is rapidly maturing and superego functions are developing. The trauma of parental suicide is heightened when difficulties for the surviving parent in mourning interfere with open discussion between the parent and child about the death. Parental suicide may stimulate childhood suicidal impulses if the child identifies with and idealizes the dead parent and has wishes of reuniting with the deceased.