Suicide trends in Australia, 1901-1985: an analysis of sex differentials

This paper analyzes trends in the male-female suicide ratio in Australia, using data for the period 1901-1985. The main finding of the paper is that modernization, as measured by an index composed of the female participation rate in the labor force and the urbanization rate, is positively related to the male-female suicide ratio. This is contrary to an earlier finding by Stack and Danigelis (1985), who reported an inverse relationship between these two variables. This finding is shown to be due to the fact that no correction was made for trend. When the data series are corrected for trend, a significant positive relationship is found between modernization and the male-female suicide ratio in Australia. Another finding of the paper is that the female suicide rate in Australia has been falling significantly since the mid-1960s. This is also at variance with Stack and Danigelis's hypothesis that as modernization proceeds, the female suicide rate rises. We discuss reasons for this in the Australian context.     

Impact of Religious Activities on Quality of Life and Cognitive Function Among Elderly

Journal of Religion and Health - Religiosity and spirituality have previously been found to have significant effects on mental and physical health. This study aimed to compare...     

Sex Reassignment Technology: The Dilemma of Transsexuals in Islam and Christianity

The birth of people with confused or ambiguous sex makeup as a biological fact since the annals of history has posed the challenge of accommodating them within the binary gender of sociocultural systems. In this process, the role of religion as a defining factor in social engineering has been paramount. Major religions, such as Islam and Christianity, have addressed this issue within the frame of their God-ordained laws by devising a set of moral and legal imperatives specific to the “third gender.” Modern developments in medicine and biology, however, have made sex reassignment possible for this category of people, today called transsexuals. The question is: How do Islam and Christianity respond to it. After presenting an analytical view of both Muslim scholars and Christian religious authorities on the legitimacy of sex reassignment for transsexuals, this paper attempts to explore if such a dilemma can be resolved.     

A Cross-National Study of Family Therapy Training: A Collaborative Pilot Project

We examine family therapy training from the perspective of a sample of 99 family therapists from the United States and another 101 from a total of six countries (Colombia, India, Iran, Indonesia, the Philippines, and two regions of China, mainland China and Taiwan). We compared the responses of the United States sample to that of the other countries, both individually (for trends) and as a combined group. We found differences in training experiences both within and between countries, and discuss the implications of our findings for the continued development of family therapy training and the professionalization of the field in the countries studied.     

Psychometric Properties of the WHOQOL-BREF Questionnaire among Disabled Students in Malaysian Higher Learning Institutions

This study aims to evaluate reliability, internal consistency and dimensional structure of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) among disabled students. The study covers 127 disabled students studying in public universities, 26 in private universities, 109 in polytechnic and 19 studying in community colleges. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviation (WHOQOL-BREF) has been used to assess QOL. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha (α) and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Alpha scores greater than or equal to 0.6 are considered to denote acceptable and adequate internal consistency. Correlation matrix also showed satisfactory results in all domains. Factor analysis was carried out using the principal components method with varimax rotation to examine the dimensional structure of the questionnaire. This study has provided some preliminary evidence of the reliability and validity of the WHOQOL-BREF to be used for evaluating quality of life among disabled students.     

Rorschach Differentials of Homosexuality in Male Convicts: An Examination of Wheeler and Schafer Signs

In an attempt to cross-validate the Wheeler and Schafer signs of homosexuality in the Rorschach, the present study made use of 60 male adult convicts of a Calcutta jail, divided into four equal groups: active homosexual, passive homosexual, sex-role disturbed and heterosexual normals. The protocols of the individually administered Rorschach were examined for both Wheeler and Schafer signs of homosexuality. Statistical analyses revealed that while Wheeler's signs could differentiate only homosexuals (active and passive) and sex-disturbed convicts at .05 level of significance, Schafer's signs were able to differentiate most of the studied groups at level of significance varying between .01 and .05. Failure of the Schafer signs to distinguish between active and passive homosexuals as well as between sex-disturbed and heterosexuals is discussed with reference to the characteristics of prison subculture.     

The Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence between Spiritual Intelligence and Mental Health Problems among Iranian Adolescents

This study examined the mediating role of emotional intelligence between spiritual intelligence and mental health. The participants in the study were 247 high school Iranian students, (124 male and 123 female, in the age range between 15 and 17 years old). The results showed that spiritual and emotional intelligences explained mental health problems differently. Structural equation modelling revealed that spiritual intelligence had indirect effect on mental health problems, via emotional intelligence. These findings have implications for prevention of mental health problems among adolescent.     

Moderating Role of Affectivity in Emotional Labor and Emotional Exhaustion Among Customer Services Representatives

The present study proposed a moderating role of affectivity in the relationship between modes of emotional labor and emotional exhaustion among customer services representatives. A sample of 232 customer services representatives from cellular services and banking sectors of Islamabad, Pakistan was purposively chosen for this study. Deep acting and surface acting was measured through Emotional Labor Scale (Brotheridge and Lee Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 76:365–379, 2003), positive and negative affectivity (NA) was measured through Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson et al. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54:1063–1070, 1988), and emotional exhaustion was assessed through Burnout Scale (Erickson and Ritter Social Psychology Quarterly 64(2):146–163, 2001). Hierarchical regression analyses provided empirical support for the proposed model. Negative affectivity (NA) and deep acting significantly predicted emotional exhaustion. Positive affectivity (PA) significantly decreased the likelihood of being emotionally exhausted as a consequence of deep acting whereas negative affectivity (NA) significantly increased the likelihood of being emotionally exhausted as a consequence of surface acting. Finally, customer services representatives of cellular services and women were found to be more prone to emotional exhaustion as compared to their counterparts. Limitations and suggestions for future research have also been discussed.