The Case Against Objective Values

While objective values need not be intrinsically motivating, need not actually motivate us, they would determine what we ought to pursue and protect. They would provide reasons for actions. Objective values would come in degrees, and more objective value would provide stronger reasons. It follows that, if objective value exists, we ought to maximize it in the world. But virtually no one acts with that goal in mind. Furthermore, objective value would exist independently of our subjective valuings. But we have no way of measuring amounts of such values independently of the ways we value objects. While a subjectivist can account for mistaken values, a fully impersonal viewpoint, from which objective values would appear, seems instead to cause all values to disappear. Nor does the moral point of view, which requires more impartiality than agents usually exhibit, reveal fully objective values. The paper closes with an examination of the most widely endorsed candidates for states having positive and negative objective values: pleasures and pains. It concludes again that, once we adjust for worthiness of the object and desert of the subject for such states, there is no way to measure their supposed objective value.     

Case Report: Depression vs. Early-Onset Alzheimer Disease: The Genetic Counselor's Role

Awareness of depression in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer disease is essential for genetic counselors seeing patients at risk for early-onset familial Alzheimer disease (EOFAD). The genetic counselor is in a unique position to recognize depression as the cause of symptoms mimicking early-onset Alzheimer disease. While generating a family medical history, the counselor can evoke significant emotional history as well. Based on this information, appropriate referrals can be given for neurological and psychological evaluation. The counselor also serves to explain EOFAD and the benefits and limitations of genetic testing for each individual patient. Whether or not patients choose testing, they can benefit from correct diagnosis of troublesome, or even debilitating, symptoms that imitate symptoms of the feared hereditary disease.     

Antidepressants,Psychotherapy or their Combination: Weighing Options for Depression Treatments

Psychotherapy and antidepressant medications are the two preeminent treatment choices for depression. This article puts each of these treatments into perspective by presenting an overview of what is currently known about their effectiveness either singly or in combination. Discussion of placebos, common factors among therapies, relapse rates, depression severity, patient treatment preferences and exaggerations in pharmaceutical advertising provide guidance for clinicians in deciding on the best course of treatment. Overall, research reveals the importance of psychosocial factors, no matter what the mode of treatment, and the need for fostering a collaborative bond between clinicians and their patients. We argue that empirical evidence points to making psychotherapy the initial treatment choice for most cases of depression.     

《金匮要略》"调和"思想及在肝病证治上的运用

中医"调和"思想之学理源自<内经>,光大于仲景<金匮要略>,其精髓在于动态调整、趋于和谐,大略为未病之时重调摄、既病防变需调理、病瘥防复宜调养,在肝病证治中体现为调中焦和少阳.试图阐明这一思想的渊源、内涵和实际运用之道.     

盆腔炎性疾病的预防

盆腔炎性疾病(pelvic inflammatory disease,PID)是影响妇女健康的常见病,针对其发病的诱因,预防PID可以从以下几个方面进行:(1)加强性教育,减少性传播疾病;(2)积极做好妇女的卫生保健指导工作;(3)重视筛查、早期诊断及一次性根治下生殖道感染;(4)提高医务人员的理论水平和技术,避免医源性感染;(5)持续正确选择避孕措施;(6)避免阴道冲洗.此外,长期放置宫内节育器不会增加PID的风险;口服避孕药对PID无明显预防作用,而仅仅与减轻其严重症状有关.     

心理学视角下的道德损伤

道德损伤是指个体实施、未能阻止、目睹或听闻违背自身深层的道德信念和期望的行为,对心理、生理、精神、行为和社会的持久影响。道德损伤作为一个跨学科概念,自2009年Litz从心理学角度对其重新做出界定以来,在心理学、伦理学、精神病学、社会学等领域引起了广泛关注。目前研究者已经编制出多个多维度量表来对道德损伤的事件或症状进行测量,运用认知行为疗法、认知加工疗法和针对道德损伤研发的适当暴露疗法等措施来进行干预。未来的研究可以继续深入探究道德损伤的发生发展机制,确立道德损伤的诊断标准,推广道德损伤的适用范围,丰富道德损伤的内涵,从而拓展道德损伤研究的广度和深度。