Exploring the Counselor's Role in “Right to Die” Decisions

Issues related to the “right to die” are explored in this article. A case is made for counselors to assist clients and families with concerns related to refusal or withdrawal of medical treatment in cases of terminal illness, or in cases where the quality of life is severely impaired such as a permanent comatose state. Historical, ethical, and legal perspectives are presented. Considerations regarding the role of the counselor are discussed.     

Survey of mental health of foreign students

The multifaceted nature of problems foreign students face have led some researchers to conclude that these students tend to suffer from poor health during their overseas sojourn. This assertion is examined among foreign students at the University of Bergen by means of a questionnaire survey. Loneliness, tiredness, sadness and worrying were reported as a frequent source of problem by nearly one in four of over 300 respondents. Students reported a decline in their general state of health as well as a rise in the occurrence of syndrome-like tendencies resembling paranoia, anxiety, depression and somatic complaints. These tendencies were attributed to certain psychosocial factors such as information received regarding study opportunities, social contacts with other tenants in the hall of residence and future job opportunities. Scandinavian students on the whole tended to have better mental health than students from the other countries. The implications of impaired health among foreign students is discussed.     

Moral Decision Making and Nontoleration of Honor Code Offenses

Acceptance of the nontoleration clause of an honor code, and incorporation of this principle as an internalized value, tends to diminish from year to year even as moral development increases. Convicted honor violators unanimously endorsed their commitment to the honor code in concept but indicated greater toleration of honor code offenses than a comparison group of nonviolators when confronted with realistic scenarios. Kohlberg's (1969) theory of moral development does not give adequate consideration to the contextual environment surrounding acts that are deemed moral or immoral. This study's findings were better explained by principles drawn from postmodern philosophy and the concept of Informed Belief.     

A Study of Explosive Rage in Male Spouses Counseled in an Appalachian Mental Health Clinic

A total of 51 cases of “explosive rage” were examined, which were culled from records at a rural mental health center in Appalachian (southeastern) Ohio. Some battering of the men's partners was involved, but a dichotomy was discovered between men who battered and men who destroyed or damaged property. A typology of the phenomenon is discussed along with implications for counseling and guiding these men back to temper control and more stable marital/interpersonal relationships. Se examinaron 51 casos de “violencia explosiva” que se tomaron de los archivos de una clínica rural de salud mental en Ohio apalache (en la parte sudeste del estado). Se incluyeron unos casos de violencia contra el elemento femenino de la pareja, pero se descubrió una diferencia entre hombres que golpean y hombres que destruyen propiedades. Se discute una tipología del fenomeno y las implicaciones para la consejería y la ayuda a estos hombres a controlar su violencia y mantener una relación matrimonial/interpersonal más estable.     

Enhancing Consultation by Matching the Consultee's Perspectives

A concern in consultation is the consultee's failure to implement an intervention due to the intervention's lack of acceptability. This study investigated a consultation technique designed to increase the acceptability of an intervention. It was hypothesized that intervention acceptability would be increased by using individualized intervention rationales that match the consultee's perceptions. Matched rationales were congruent with perceptions that consultees expressed about themselves, the target problem, and their theory. Three rationale conditions were used: matching the consultee's perceptions, mismatching the perceptions, or using no rationale. The results suggested that a matching rationale was associated with greater acceptance of the intervention than was a mismatched rationale.     

EMPLOYEE ATTITUDE SURVEYS IN A MULTINATIONAL ORGANIZATION: CONSIDERING LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN ASSESSING MEASUREMENT EQUIVALENCE

The cross-cultural equivalence of a multinational employee opinion survey was examined using multiple-groups covariance structure analysis to examine 4 scales in 4 countries. Cultural and linguistic influences were considered by assessing equivalence across 2 pairs of countries having the same language but different cultures (U.S. and Australia, Mexico and Spain) and across countries differing in culture and language (U.S. and Mexico). The measure was equivalent across U.S. and Australian samples only. Analyses indicated items that were the source of lack of invariance. One cause explored was translation problems. Practical issues in assessing measurement equivalence in employee opinion surveys are discussed.     

The Values of Counseling: A Disparity Between a Philosophy of Prevention in Counseling and Counselor Practice and Training

The results of a study examining the disparity between counseling's philosophy of primary prevention and actual education and practice are presented. Results indicate that only the belief that society does not demand preventive mental health services provided a meaningful explanation for the disparity. Two paradoxical implications for the field of counseling are offered and discussed within the perspective of virtue ethics.     

THE EFFECT OF POSITION POWER AND PERCEIVED TASK COMPETENCE ON TRAINER EFFECTIVENESS: A PARTIAL UTILIZATION OF FIEDLER'S CONTINGENCY MODEL OF LEADERSHIP1

This study investigates the effect of trainer position power and trainer perceived task competence on trainees' performance levels. Three classifications of position power are examined: (1) high position power; (2) moderate position power; and (3) low position power. Two conditions of perceived task competence are also investigated: (1) high competence trainer behavior and (2) low competence trainer behavior. The results indicate that trainees perform at a higher level when trained by a trainer with high position power and high task competence as compared to a trainer with low position power and low task competence. The results also show that the trainer's position power and trainer's task competence jointly affect trainee effectiveness. Based on the research results, changes in organizations' standard training programs are recommended.