The Influence of Gender and Social Role on the Interpretation of Facial Expressions

The current studies were designed to examine the influence of apparent gender on the interpretation of ambiguous emotional expressions. Participants rated the intensity of emotions that were expressed in two versions of the same emotional expression, in which hair style and clothing were altered to manipulate gender. The emotional expression in each of the photos was a combination of anger and sadness. Of interest was the effect of the apparent gender of the poser on the interpretation of the blended emotional expression. In Study 2 we also examined whether the social role (i.e., occupation) of the poser influenced the interpretation. Although the occupation of the poser did not influence emotion ratings, the apparent gender of the poser influenced the interpretation of ambiguous emotional expressions in a stereotype-consistent manner in both Studies 1 and 2.     

Relational Resilience in Māori,Pacific, and European Sole Parent Families: From Theory and Research to Social Policy

This study reports findings and policy recommendations from a research project that applied a relational resilience framework to a study of 60 sole parent families in New Zealand, with approximately equal numbers of Māori, Pacific, and European (White) participants. The sole parent families involved were already known to be resilient and the study focused on identifying the relationships and strategies underlying the achievement and maintenance of their resilience. The study was carried out to provide an evidence base for the development and implementation of policies and interventions to both support sole parent families who have achieved resilience and assist those who struggle to do so. The three populations shared many similarities in their pathways to becoming sole parents and the challenges they faced as sole parents. The coping strategies underlying their demonstrated resilience were also broadly similar, but the ways in which they were carried out did vary in a manner that particularly reflected cultural practices in terms of their reliance upon extended family‐based support or support from outside the family. The commonalities support the appropriateness of the common conceptual framework used, whereas the differences underline the importance of developing nuanced policy responses that take into account cultural differences between the various populations to which policy initiatives are directed.     

Kansas Physician Assistants’ Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Spirituality and Religiosity in Patient Care

Research indicates patients want to discuss spirituality/religious (S/R) beliefs with their healthcare provider. This was a cross-sectional study of Kansas physician assistants (PA) regarding S/R in patient care. Surveys included questions about personal S/R beliefs and attitudes about S/R in patient care. Self-reported religious respondents agreed (92%) they should be aware of patient S/R; 82% agreed they should address it. Agreement with incorporating S/R increased significantly based on patient acuity. This research indicates Kansas PAs’ personal S/R beliefs influence their attitudes toward awareness and addressing patient S/R.     

Religion and Infant Mortality in the United States: A Community‐Level Investigation of Denominational Variations in Postneonatal Deaths

Although a growing body of research has detected the effects of community‐level religiosity on various health outcomes, very little scholarship has examined the influence of religious ecology on infant mortality rates (IMRs). We conduct ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses on postneonatal IMRs (PNIMRs) using county‐level data from the National Center for Health Statistics Linked Birth and Infant Death Data (1990, 2000, and 2006–2010), churches and church membership data, and the Area Health Resource File. We find that while overall rates of postneonatal deaths have decreased over time, the effects of religion on this outcome have become more pronounced. Specifically, we find that counties with greater proportions of mainline Protestant and Catholic adherents exhibit significantly lower PNIMRs. We further find that a greater proportion of conservative Protestants, and especially fundamentalists, increases postneonatal infant mortality. Our findings lend additional support to cultural explanations of U.S. infant mortality.     

Secondary Traumatic Stress in Social Science Researchers of Trauma-Exposed Populations

There is an expanding research database regarding secondary trauma exposure among helping professionals across disciplines and settings. However, there is limited research on the incidence of secondary traumatic stress in social science researchers studying traumatized populations. Various disciplines engage in this area of research, which exposes them to the details of aversive events, especially those engaging in qualitative research. This study explores the impact of such exposure by measuring indicators of secondary traumatic stress (STS), burnout (BO), and compassion satisfaction in a group of 104 researchers. Findings revealed high rates of exposure to traumatic material and a subset of researchers at risk for STS. Regression analyses revealed potential risk factors for STS and BO, and qualitative analysis was conducted to further explore the effects of this work on researchers from multiple disciplines.     

Compassion satisfaction,compassion fatigue,and burnout in a national sample of trauma treatment therapists

Abstract

For behavioral health professionals working with traumatized clients, continuous and prolonged exposure to the stress of working with the myriad of trauma-related stressors experienced by their clients can lead to various responses including burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction. The present study investigates the impact of using evidence-based practices on compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction in a random, national sample of self-identified trauma specialists (N=532). The 30-item Professional Quality of Life Scale (Stamm, 2005) and the 19-item Trauma Practices Questionnaire (Craig & Sprang, 2009) were included in a survey to licensed social workers and psychologists from professional membership rosters. Age and years of experience proved to be powerful predictors of only two of the three criterion variables, with younger professionals reporting higher levels of burnout and more experienced providers endorsing higher levels of compassion satisfaction. The utilization of evidence-based practices predicted statistically significant decreases in compassion fatigue and burnout, and increases in compassion satisfaction. The utility of these findings in understanding the process of trauma transmission between therapist and client as well as directions for future research are discussed.