The Care of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Patient

The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community embraces a system of values and a rigorous behavioral code that are deeply rooted in religious tradition and history. Here we describe some of the unique challenges that stem from the encounter between modern medical practice and the Ultra-Orthodox world. Through examples of clinical and ethical scenarios ranging from prenatal care to end-of-life decisions, we illustrate problems related to observance of age-old practices in a modern hospital setting, balancing acceptance of Divine will with standard risk assessment, reconciliation of patient autonomy with deference to rabbinic authority and fear of stigma associated with mental illness in a traditional society. We also offer a generalizable model where inquiry precedes pre-formulated judgment to help clinicians provide enhanced care for this population.     

Philosophy in the ‘house of stone’: a critical review

Post-colonial African philosophy has emerged as a viable discipline in a number of African countries. In particular, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and to some extent, Malawi and South Africa, have contributed to the fledging discipline. Although it does not receive prominent coverage, Zimbabwe has witnessed a growing expansion in the teaching of philosophy, as well as in published philosophical reflection. This article provides an overview of the developments of philosophy in Zimbabwe, paying particular attention to the post-colonial period. It surveys the context in which philosophical reflection has taken place in Zimbabwe, alongside highlighting the key themes that have preoccupied practitioners in the field. The article explores some problematic aspects of philosophy in Zimbabwe, and interrogates the possibility (or lack thereof) of locating Zimbabwean philosophy within the broader philosophical traditions such as the analytic and continental traditions.     

Christianity,Family, Students,and COVID-19

Journal of Religion and Health - Four substantial topics are explored in this issue of the Journal of Religion and Health, namely: (1) Christianity, (2) family and faith dynamics, (3) the spiritual...     

Relationship between Trauma and Risky Behavior in Substance-Abusing Parents Involved in a Family Dependency Treatment Court

This exploratory study examined participants in a Family Dependency Treatment Court (FDTC), designed for substance-abusing parents whose children were removed from the home. Twenty-five participants were interviewed one year after FDTC enrollment to assess retrospectively the relationship between trauma history and risky behaviors. Treatment compliance rates were found to be high, and most participants had negative urinalysis results. Qualitative analyses revealed that approximately half of the participants attributed decreases in risky behaviors to the FDTC program. This study increases understanding of the effect of substance abuse and trauma on high-risk behaviors and might help to improve services for substance-abusing parents involved in the child welfare system. Finally, the future success of reducing child abuse and neglect and parental substance use could hinge on the partnership between judicial and substance abuse treatment through FDTCs. Findings from this exploratory pilot study should be replicated with more representative and larger samples.     

Neurocognitive Aging and the Compensation Hypothesis

ABSTRACT— The most unexpected and intriguing result from functional brain imaging studies of cognitive aging is evidence for age-related overactivation: greater activation in older adults than in younger adults, even when performance is age-equivalent. Here we examine the hypothesis that age-related overactivation is compensatory and discuss the compensation-related utilization of neural circuits hypothesis (CRUNCH). We review evidence that favors a compensatory account, discuss questions about strategy differences, and consider the functions that may be served by overactive brain areas. Future research directed at neurocognitively informed training interventions may augment the potential for plasticity that persists into the later years of the human lifespan.     

“I love you as both and I love you as neither”: Romantic partners’ affirmations of nonbinary trans individuals

Abstract

Background: Transgender microaffirmations are subtle endorsements of a person’s gender identity through both verbal acknowledgements and behavioral gestures. Microaffirmations positively impact individuals who identify as transgender by acknowledging their gender identity and by communicating a sense of support and validation.

Aims: This study focuses on microaffirmations specifically directed toward nonbinary transgender individuals within romantic relationships.

Methods: Participants included 161 adults who identified as nonbinary: 85 who identified as gender nonconforming and 76 who identified as agender. These participants were either currently in a romantic relationship or had been in a romantic relationship within the past 5 years. Participants completed an online survey and provided examples of the microaffirmations they experienced from their romantic partners.

Results: Responses were analyzed via thematic analysis, resulting in four overarching themes: (1) Identity Validations, acknowledgement and acceptance of nonbinary identity; (2) Identity Endorsements, active endorsements of nonbinary through language or behavior; (3) Active Learning, self-education about nonbinary identities; and (4) Active Defense, interruptions of others’ negative actions directed at nonbinary partners.

Discussion: Discussion of the results focuses on understanding how microaffirmations operate to complicate binary notions of gender/sex and positively influence nonbinary transgender individuals in interpersonal relationships.     

“Melancholic? Naturally!”: Impulses for Cultural Transformation from Queer-Ecological Worldmaking,Activism, and Art in a Western Context

Abstract

Although ecological grief is a common psychic response to socioecological losses, there are no shared spaces to engage with it in Western cultures—a symptom of the problematic way they conceive Nature as external and subordinate to humans. Seeking subversive impulses for paradigmatic transformation, this research centers queer-identifying eco-activists and -artists, and their practices of queer-ecological worldmaking. Arts-based research and interviews reveal the potential of melancholic grieving to create an understanding of interdependencies with the more-than-human world, as well as communities for healing. Impulses toward a joint liberation entail the extension of empathy and agency to the more-than-human world.