Health-Related Quality of Life in a Low-Socioeconomic Status Public Rental-Flat Population in Singapore

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a well-established measure of health and general well-being. Socioeconomic status (SES) can affect HRQoL. We sought to determine whether there were differences in HRQoL between low versus higher area-SES flat communities in Singapore. Residents in two integrated public housing precincts comprising of rental-flat blocks (low area-SES neighborhood) and neighboring owner-occupied blocks (higher area-SES neighborhood) were asked to rate their self-perceived HRQoL using the EuroQol Group five dimensions (EQ-5D) instrument. The EQ-5D assesses HRQoL in five domains (mobility, self-care, usual activities, anxiety/mood and pain) and with a global visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). We evaluated differences in HRQoL between the rental and owner-occupied neighborhoods, and factors associated with anxiety/depression in the rental-flat neighborhood using multivariate logistic regression. The participation rate was 89.1% (634/711). In the owner-occupied neighborhood, 56.7% (216/381) were in full health, compared with 54.2% (137/253) in the rental-flat population (OR = 0.90, 95%CI = 0.66–1.24, p = 0.568). Across the five domains, staying in a rental-flat neighborhood was independently associated with anxiety/depression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.79, 95%CI = 1.10–2.92, p = 0.019). In the rental-flat population, having anxiety/depression was independently associated with minority ethnicity, problems with self –care, pain/discomfort, difficulty with healthcare costs, and not being on subsidized primary care (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference on the EQ-VAS between the two neighborhoods (p = 0.627). Staying in a low area-SES neighborhood was associated with more mental health problems. In the rental-flat population, self-reported anxiety/depression was associated with minority ethnicity, physical health problems, and financial disadvantage in healthcare.     

Self-Criticism,Neediness, and Distress in the Prediction of Suicide Ideation: Results from Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies

The aim of the present study was to test whether the maladaptive personality traits of self-criticism and neediness predict suicide ideation when controlling for general distress. Further, potential interactive effects on suicide ideation of the two traits and distress were also evaluated. Two studies with nonclinical samples were conducted. The first investigation was cross-sectional and involved a final sample of 202 community adults while the second study was longitudinal with a final sample of 207 college students. Results of Study 1 demonstrated that self-criticism, but not neediness, associated with suicide ideation and, in doing so, also interacted with distress. Neediness also tended to interact with self-criticism in the prediction of suicide ideation. Results from Study 2 were similar and confirmed the Study 1 results. Changes in self-criticism, but not changes in neediness, predicted changes in suicide ideation after statistically controlling for changes in distress. Changes in the interaction between self-criticism and distress predicted changes in suicide ideation and changes in the interaction between self-criticism and neediness tended to predict changes in suicide ideation. Results are discussed with regard to their implications for psychological intervention.     

Item frequency in probe-recognition memory search: Converging evidence for a role of item-response learning

In short-term probe-recognition tasks, observers make speeded old–new recognition judgments for items that are members of short lists. However, long-term memory (LTM) for items from previous lists influences current-list performance. The current experiment pursued the nature of these long-term influences—in particular, whether they emerged from item-familiarity or item-response-learning mechanisms. Subjects engaged in varied-mapping (VM) and consistent-mapping (CM) short-term probe-recognition tasks (e.g., Schneider & Shiffrin, Psychological Review, 84, 1–66, 1977). The key manipulation was to vary the frequency with which individual items were presented across trials. We observed a striking dissociation: Whereas increased presentation frequency led to benefits in performance for both old and new test probes in CM search, it resulted in interference effects for both old and new test probes in VM search. Formal modeling suggested that a form of item-response learning took place in both conditions: Each presentation of a test probe led to the storage of that test probe—along with its associated “old” or “new” response—as an exemplar in LTM. These item-response pairs were retrieved along with current-list items in driving observers’ old-– recognition judgments. We conclude that item-response learning is a core component of the LTM mechanisms that influence CM and VM memory search.     

蝴蝶效应与临床思维——一例多器官衰竭患者诊疗反思

多器官衰竭或多器官功能障碍综合征在临床中尤其是急诊及重症监护室内常见,各种病因所致的疾病进展到一定程度均可导致多器官衰竭。在本案例中,一例老年男性患者,以急性腹泻起病,后短时间内进展为多器官衰竭。通过对该例患者病史总结、病理生理机制的探讨,以及对整个诊疗过程的反思,结合“蝴蝶效应”理论,总结出一种新的临床思维,并探讨“蝴蝶效应”理论在对该例患者的诊断、治疗甚至医患沟通方面所起到的作用,以期通过参考该案例,对以后的临床工作起到一定帮助。     

从形意拳外三合探讨关节对应取穴法:人身整体即为合

形意拳是我国优秀的传统武术之一,其拳理不仅包含丰富的实战技击理论,亦包含中国传统哲学思想——合。形意拳将“六合”作为其要点之一。“六合”分为“内三合”与“外三合”。“内三合”即心与意合、意与气合、气与力合。“外三合”即肩与胯合、肘与膝合、手与足合。在针灸临床中有一种关节对应取穴法,即肩关节与髋关节对应,肘关节与膝关节对应,腕关节与踝关节对应。试图通过解析形意拳“外三合”探讨关节对应取穴法。关节对应取穴法与形意拳中的“外三合”理论“不谋而合”绝非偶然,实为阴阳整体观的不同表现形式。     

直觉思维在麻醉临床决策中的应用

围手术期麻醉医师面临问题的复杂性、动态性和模糊性,要求其在具备良好逻辑思维能力的同时,还要学会应用直觉思维来进行麻醉危机管理。通过决策判断的双加工理论模型探讨说明直觉思维在临床麻醉决策中的可应用性,并给出麻醉医师直觉思维的培养途径,提高麻醉医师的思考能力,增加应急处理课程和临床训练,重视临床经验的学习,营造良好的教学氛围。为了在围手术期更好地保证患者的安全,麻醉医师应重视直觉思维在临床麻醉决策中的应用。     

问题意识对学业成绩的影响:笔记策略的中介作用——基于大学生笔记文本的内容分析

基于笔记文本的内容分析法系统地考察了大学生的问题意识和笔记策略状况,以及二者与学业成绩的关系。结果发现:(1)基于笔记文本的内容分析法能有效地了解大学生的问题意识状况,以及笔记策略的使用种类、频次和实际水平;(2)大学生笔记策略种类丰富且存在优势笔记策略,但问题意识相对薄弱;在问题意识、笔记策略和学业成绩上均存在显著的水平和性别差异。(3)大学生的问题意识、策略数量、策略频次与学业成绩之间呈显著正相关,问题意识对学业成绩的影响以笔记策略数量为中介。     

Relations between social comparison orientation and adjustment in Chinese adolescents: Moderating effects of initial adjustment status

This 1‐year longitudinal study examined relations between social comparison orientation (SCO) and socioemotional adjustment and academic achievement. A sample of Grades 7 and 8 students (N = 336, initial M age = 14.08 years) in China participated in the study. Data were collected from self‐reports, peer assessments and school records. It was found that early SCO positively contributed to later academic achievement. Moreover, the relations between early SCO and later socioemotional adjustment were moderated by the initial status of adolescents. Specifically, SCO was positively associated with social competence and negatively associated with depression in initially competent and well‐adjusted adolescents, but the pattern of the associations was opposite in initially incompetent and poorly adjusted adolescents. The results indicate that whereas SCO may contribute directly to academic achievement, its contributions to socioemotional development might depend on adolescents' initial status in adjustment.