Race,social relationships,and mental health

Researchers often assume that the extent, quality, and effectiveness of personal relationships explain why African Americans have relatively good mental health despite experiencing high levels of stress. This study tests this assumption using data from the 1990–1992 National Comorbidity Survey. Few racial differences emerge in patterns of social relationships, and the nature and quality of social relationships do not explain African Americans’ resiliency on mental health. Several aspects of social relationships benefit African Americans’ mental health more than Whites’, but these moderating effects are insubstantial. Hence, the data do not support the assumption. If social relationships help explain the lack of racial differences in mental health, their nature and effects must be more adequately conceptualized.     

Narrative Ideas for Consulting with Communities and Organizations: Ripples from the Gatherings

This paper reviews Michael White's early work with communities and extends ideas and practices from that work into the realm of consulting with organizations. We draw on Michael's writing and the records of two specific projects, as well as the recollections of team members in those projects, to describe how ideas and practices that were originally developed in working with individuals and families came to be applied in community settings. Specifically, we show how the central intention of the work is to use narrative ideas and practices in ways that allow communities to articulate, appreciate, document, utilize, and share their own knowledges of life and skills of living. We discuss the basic narrative ideas of stories, double listening, telling and retelling, making documents, and linking lives through shared purposes. For these projects, the teams developed structures that made it possible to use the basic idea with whole communities. We show how this work with communities has offered inspiration and ideas for our work in consulting to organizations. Finally, we describe and illustrate a particular way of working with organizations that carries the spirit of Michael's community work into situations requiring shorter blocks of time and more limited commitments than the original community contexts.     

PARRHESIA,PHAEDRA, AND THE POLIS: ANTICIPATING PSYCHOANALYTIC FREE ASSOCIATION AS DEMOCRATIC PRACTICE

This essay explores the mostly unexamined analogy of psychoanalytic free association to democratic free speech. The author turns back to a time when free speech was a matter of considerable discussion: the classical period of the Athenian constitution and its experiment with parrhesia. Ordinarily translated into English as “free speech,” parrhesia is startlingly relevant to psychoanalysis. The Athenian stage—in particular, Hippolytus (Euripides, 5th century BCE)—illustrates this point. Euripides's tragic tale anticipates Freud's inquiries, exploring the fundamental link between free speech and female embodiment. The author suggests that psychoanalysis should claim its own conception of a polis as a mediated and ethical space between private and public spheres, between body and mind, and between speaking and listening communities.     

Exploring the effects of social anxiety similarity in newly developed same‐sex friendships

In studying the interpersonal consequences of social anxiety (SA), researchers generally have neglected to account for partner levels of SA. Therefore, in the current study, we examined how SA similarity would influence interpersonal closeness and uncertainty during the early stages of friendship development. Fifty‐six same‐sex friend pairs completed measures of SA, closeness, and uncertainty after knowing each other for approximately 1 month and then again 6 weeks later. Although higher levels of SA at Time 1 were related to more uncertainty, similarity had no effect on closeness or uncertainty at Time 1. However, friends matched on SA experienced increased closeness and decreased uncertainty over the 6 weeks, suggesting SA similarity may become increasingly important as friendships develop.     

The Effects of Musical Mood Induction on Creativity

A music mood induction was used to induce either elated, depressed, or neutral mood in 71 college undergraduates. The elated group scored significantly higher than the depressed group on mood ratings. Creativity measures administered to each group revealed that subjects in the elated and depressed groups showed significantly greater creativity than subjects in the neutral group. Findings were interpreted in light of existing research on the relationship between mood and creativity.     

Attachment representations and adoption: associations between maternal states of mind and emotion narratives in previously maltreated children

This paper reports on associations observed between Adult Attachment Interviews (AAIs) obtained from adoptive mothers, and emotional themes appearing in doll play narratives obtained from their recently adopted children. The children, aged 4?-?8 years, carried into their adoptive placements a history of consistently serious maltreatment, including neglect and abuse. Results reveal strong and significant influences of maternal state of mind regarding attachment upon their adopted children's story-completions. Mothers whose AAIs were judged insecure (either dismissing or preoccupied) were likely to have adopted children who, three months after placement, provided story-completions with higher levels of aggressiveness as compared to the stories provided by children adopted by mothers with secure-autonomous AAIs. Children whose adoptive mothers provided AAIs indicative of unresolved (as opposed to resolved) mourning regarding past loss or trauma provided story completions with higher scores for emotional themes such as 'parent appearing child-like' and 'throwing out or throwing away'. Results also include a qualitative section that provides narrative excerpts of maternal AAIs and children's story-completions. Discussion concerns the contribution these findings make to the literature on intergenerational transmission of attachment patterns, and the implications these findings have for child clinical work and social policy. Cet article rend compte des rapports observés entre, d'une part, les Entretiens d'Attachement chez l'Adulte auxquels participaient des mères adoptives et, d'autre part, la thématique émotionnelle évoquée lors des récits de jeux de poupée fournis par leurs enfants, adoptés depuis peu. Ces enfants, âgés de 4 à 7 ans, reportent dans leur placement adoptif leur histoire antérieure de maltraitance; constante et sévère, celle-ci englobe carences graves et abus. Les résultats montrent l'influence considérable et significative, sur la manière dont les enfants adoptés terminent leurs récits, des états psychiques maternels par rapport à l'attachement. En ce qui concerne les méres dont le type d'attachement, évalué lors de l'Entretien, est jugé précaire (peu attentionné ou préoccupé), on constate, après trois mois de placement, que l'enfant adopté tend à fournir des fins de récit dont le niveau d'agressivité est plus élevé que celui donné par des enfants adoptés par des mères chez qui le type d'attachement est jugé sûr et autonome. Si l'évaluation de l'attachement chez la mère renvoie à l'existence de deuils non élaborés et de traumatismes, la thématique émotionnelle présentée par son enfant dans ces récits est de type "parent infantile" ou "jeter/rejeter". Les données rapportées comportent une dimension qualitative qui met en parallèle des extraits des Entretiens d'Attachement maternels et les fins de récit proposées par leurs enfants respectifs. Les auteurs discutent ensuite de la contribution que ces résultats pourraient apporter aux travaux concernant la transmission intergénérationnelle des modèles d'attachement. Les implications de cette étude pour le travail clinique auprès des enfants et pour la politique sociale au sens large sont également débattues. Questo articolo presenta le associazioni osservate tra l'Adult Attachment Interviews (AAIs) sottoposto a madri adottive e tematiche emotive emerse nelle narrative di gioco con le bambole espresse dai loro bambini recentemente adottati. I bambini di eta' dai 4 ai 7 anni portano nelle loro famiglie adottive storie di severo maltrattamento, che includono l'abuso e negligenza. I risultati rivelano che lo stato mentale materno in relazione all'attaccamento ha un' influenza forte e significativa sul completamento delle storie dei bambini adottati. Madri che all'AAI risultavano insicure (sia superficiali che troppo preoccupate) avevano alta probabilita' di aver adottato bambini che, tre mesi dopo l'arrivo, fornivano storie con un maggior livello di aggressivita' paragonato alle storie fornite da bambini adottati da madri con attaccamento all'AAI classificato come sicuro-autonomo. Bambini le cui madri adottive risultano all'AAI avere dei lutti non elaborati (invece che elaborati) riguardanti perdite del passato o traumi producono storie che danno un punteggio piu' alto nelle tematiche emotive come per esempio 'il genitore e' infantile' e 'che respinge o rifiuta'. I risultati comprendono anche una sezione qualitativa che riporta parti delle narrative delle madri al AAI e delle storie raccontate dai bambini. La discussione si sofferma sul contributo che questi risultati portano alla letteratura sulla trasmissione intergenerazionale di modelli di attaccamento e sulle implicazioni che tali risultati hanno per il lavoro clinico con bambini e per le politiche sociali. Dieser Artikel berichtet von Verbindugen zwischen Erwachsenen-Bindungsinterviews (AAIs), die von Adoptivmüttern erhalten wurden und emotionalen Themen, die inm Puppenspielnarrativen bei Kindern, die vor kurzem adoptiert worden waren, auftraten. Die Kinder zwischen 4 und 7 Jahren brachten in ihre Adoptionsplätze eine Geschichte von durchgehend ernster Misshandlung, einschliesslich Vernachlässigung und Missbrauch, mit. Die Ergebnisse zeigten starke und signifikante Einflüsse des mütterlichen Gemütszustands bezüglich Bindung auf die Fertigstellung der Geschichten der Adoptivkinder. Mütter, deren AAI als unsicher ( entweder abwehrend oder besorgt) eingeschätzt wurden, hatten eher Adoptivkinder, die drei Monate nach ihrer Plazierung Geschichten mit einem höherem Grad an Aggressivität herstellten, verglichen mit Geschichten, die von Kindern produziert wurden, die von Müttern mit sicherer-autonomer Bindung adoptiert worden waren. Kinder, deren Adoptivmütter AAIs zeigten, die indikativ für unverarbeitetes (im Gegensatz zu verarbeitetem) Trauern bezüglich vergangener Verluste oder Trauma waren, produzierten Geschichten mit höherem Zahlen von emotionalen Themen wie etwa 'Elternteil, das wie ein Kind erscheint' und 'hinauswerfen und wegwerfen'. Die Ergebnisse schliessen auch einen qualitative Abschnitt ein, in dem Exzerpte der Narrative der mütterlichen Interviews und der Geschichten der Kinder dargestellt werden. Die Diskussion dreht sich um den Beitrag, den diese Ergebnisse zur Literatur der Intergenerationsweitergabe von Bindungsmustern leistet und den Implikationen, die diese Ergebnisse für die klinische Arbeit mit Kindern und für die Sozialpolitik haben.     

Finding the “Meaning” of Native American Substance Abuse: Implications for Community Prevention

The author examines chemical use by Native Americans with a proposal for a holistic prevention program involving enhancement of cultural interdependence.     

THE EFFECTS OF FORMING MULTI-PREDICTOR COMPOSITES ON GROUP DIFFERENCES AND ADVERSE IMPACT

A common assumption exists which asserts that the formation of composites of predictors represents a method for dealing with adverse impact. It is often expected that including predictors that demonstrate smaller group differences with others that demonstrate larger group differences will help to alleviate the amount of adverse impact observed at the composite level. The purpose of this paper is to answer the question “If two or more predictors are combined to form a composite, what will be the magnitude of group differences and, consequently, of adverse impact, of using that composite for selection?” In answering this question, a set of tables, figures, and formulas are presented that highlight variables influential in affecting how composites of predictors influence observed group differences. A number of conclusions are drawn that clarify the extent to which forming composites decreases group differences and subsequently adverse impact.     

Still living in a war zone: Perceived health and wellbeing of partners of Vietnam veterans attending partners' support groups in New South Wales,Australia

Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans is well documented, less so the long‐term impact on the health of their partners and families. The perceived health and wellbeing of women partners of Australian Vietnam veterans who were members of partners of veterans support groups is reported. This qualitative study used data from 76 participants in 10 focus groups in metropolitan, regional, and rural and remote areas of New South Wales (NSW). The data were tape‐recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using constant comparison methods. The impact of living with a partner with war‐related PTSD appears to be significant and ongoing with women drawing parallels to living in a war zone. The biggest negative impact was on their mental health. They felt burdened as carers and struggled to find explanations for their husbands' problems. Support groups were very helpful. There are implications for partners of veterans who have returned from active military duty and from peacekeeping in current conflicts.