Helping Callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Who Are at Imminent Risk of Suicide: Evaluation of Caller Risk Profiles and Interventions Implemented

Crisis lines are settings where identifying individuals at imminent risk of suicidal behavior and intervening to keep them safe are critical activities. We examined clinical characteristics of crisis callers assessed by telephone crisis helpers as being at imminent risk of suicide, and the interventions implemented with these callers. Data were derived from 491 call reports completed by 132 helpers at eight crisis centers in the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. Helpers actively engaged the callers in collaborating to keep themselves safe on 76.4% of calls and sent emergency services without the callers' collaboration on 24.6% of calls. Four different profiles of imminent risk calls emerged. Caller profiles and some helper characteristics were associated with intervention type. Our findings provide a first step toward an empirical formulation of imminent risk warning signs and recommended interventions.     

Is Cumulative Exposure to Suicide Attempts and Deaths a Risk Factor for Suicidal Behavior Among Firefighters? A Preliminary Study

The association between cumulative exposure to suicide attempts and deaths and suicidal behavior was examined in a sample of 61 professional firefighters. On average, firefighters reported 13.1 (SD = 16.6) exposures over the course of their lifetime. Cumulative exposure to suicide attempts and deaths was positively correlated with suicidal behavior (r = .38, p = .004). Moreover, firefighters with 12+ exposures were more likely to screen positive for risk of suicidal behavior (OR = 7.885, p = .02). Additional research on the potential impact of cumulative exposure to suicide attempts and deaths on firefighters' health and safety is needed.     

Temporal constraints of the word blindness posthypnotic suggestion on Stroop task performance

The present work investigated possible temporal constraints on the posthypnotic word blindness suggestion effect. In a completely within-subjects and counterbalanced design 19 highly suggestible individuals performed the Stroop task both with and without a posthypnotic suggestion that they would be unable to read the word dimension of the Stroop stimulus, both when response-stimulus interval (RSI) was short (500 ms) or equivalent to previous studies (3500 ms). The suggestion reduced Stroop interference in the short RSI condition (54 vs. 6 ms) but not in the long RSI condition (52 vs. 56 ms), and did not affect Stroop facilitation. Our results suggest that response to the suggestion involves reactive top-down control processes that persist only if levels of activation can be maintained. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).     

瓜蒌皮与前列地尔预处理对心肌缺血再灌注的影响

探讨瓜蒌皮和前列地尔预处理对心肌缺血再灌注的作用机制.通过建立SD大鼠心肌缺血再灌注的模型,采用Tunel法检测组织样本细胞凋亡和免疫组化法检测bax,bcl-2,caspase-3的蛋白表达情况进行研究.结果显示,瓜蒌皮和前列地尔半剂量联合组的凋亡细胞数、Bax和caspase-3的蛋白表达量较其他各实验组均明显降低,Bcl-2的表达量升高,且有统计学意义(P＜0.05);瓜蒌皮单用药组也表现为凋亡细胞数、Bax和caspase-3的表达量降低,Bcl-2的表达量升高,但程度不如两组联合用药组.实验可以证明细胞凋亡发生在心肌缺血/再灌注损伤中,瓜蒌皮可对心肌缺血/再灌注起保护作用,并且与前列地尔联合后更有利于对心肌细胞的保护作用.     

Stress, Rewards, and Change in the Centrality of Women’s Family and Work Roles: Mastery as a Mediator

Although research suggests that stress and rewards experienced in a social role are associated with changes in the centrality (or personal importance) of that role over time, little attention has been given to the mechanisms that account for this relationship. This study was conducted to examine change in role mastery as a mediator in the relationship between changes in role experiences (stress and rewards) and changes in centrality among 195 women who simultaneously occupied the roles of parent care provider, mother, wife, and employee. Regression analyses indicated that increases in parent care, mother, and employee stress eroded mastery in those roles. In addition, increases in rewards were associated with a bolstered sense of mastery in each of the four roles. Mastery was found to be a mediating mechanism in the relationship between stress/rewards and centrality in one of the four roles examined, the employee role. However, changes in womens perceptions of mastery were unrelated to the extent to which women changed the importance of their three family roles. These findings extend prior research by demonstrating that mastery is a mechanism through which stress and rewards are associated with centrality in the employee role.     

Preferred Responses to Situations of Housing and Employment Discrimination1

Two studies were conducted to assess behavioral preferences in response to situations of discrimination in the workplace and in housing. In the first study, 72 black Canadians read a scenario in which they were ultimately denied an apartment on the basis of their color. The degree of evidence of discrimination in the scenario had an effect on the preference for some of the behaviors examined. In addition, it was found that some of the behaviors (e.g., seeking advice) were clearly preferred to others (e.g., organizing a boycott). In the second study, 42 Bengali Canadians read a scenario in which they applied for a position for which they had the qualifications. After an interview and notification that the offer was made to a more qualified person, they found out that they did not get the position because of their visible minority status. The results indicate that self-directed responses to the situation (e.g., working harder) were preferred to a variety of overt actions taken within or outside the company. The results are discussed in terms of the process and problems of responding to discrimination.