HIV voluntary counselling and testing among recently initiated and traditionally circumcised men in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) is a cornerstone of the national strategic plan for HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support in South Africa. However, research shows that the utilisation of VCT services is disappointingly low, particular among males. This article focuses on the factors associated with the intention to test for HIV-infection among recently initiated and traditionally circumcised men in the rural areas of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted among 1656 sexually active men. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between intention to test for HIV and psychosocial factors. Overall, 35.1% of the participants reported ever having tested for HIV. Intention to test for HIV was positively associated with perceived probability of getting an STI, positive attitudes towards gender-based violence, received general teachings about being a responsible man and highest grade passed. These findings provide specific information that can be used in the development of a focused cultural sensitive STI/HIV prevention programme aimed to increase VCT uptake among sexually active young men, which can be integrated into initiation and health education practices.     

Multimedia in the classroom

This paper focuses on setting up a system for developing and displaying multimedia classroom presentations that is both economical and easy to learn. Four separate aspects of the process are considered: (1) a hardware configuration to serve both the development and display processes, (2) selecting authoring software and learning to use it, (3) presentation development including locating and acquiring multimedia resources appropriate to psychology, and (4) some of the problems that can be expected to arise in both development and use of multimedia presentations. Some discussion of interactive courseware is included.     

Self and Peer Ratings and Evaluations of Group Process in Mixed-Sex and Male Medical Training Groups

Medical students randomly assigned to mixed-sex or male anatomy dissection groups completed two questionnaires assessing self and peer evaluations and perceptions of group functioning. Results indicated that women and men respondents from mixed-sex groups had similar perceptions of group functioning. Respondents from both groups had similar self-evaluations and perceptions of leadership and role determinants. Significant differences were found between respondents from mixed-sex and male groups for peer evaluations, perceptions of certain aspects of group functioning (e.g., quality of communication), and for causal explanations of problems in group functioning. These differences were associated with significant differences in cohesiveness as indicated by desire for and actual change of group.     

Predictors of proficient technique and successful lesion detection in breast self-examination

Seventy-three women attending a health fair completed a questionnaire that measured demographic and health history variables, knowledge, and current practice of breast self-examination (BSE), Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC; Wallston, Wallston, & DeVellis, 1978), and components of the Health Belief Model (HBM; Rosenstock, 1974) in relation to breast cancer and BSE. These variables formed the basis of a conceptual model of BSE behavior that was examined by having each woman participate in a behavioral trial with a breast model in which her BSE technique and ability to detect simulated tumors was assessed. Regression analyses revealed that self-confidence in the efficacy of BSE was the best single predictor of proficient BSE. Powerful others HLC, knowledge of correct BSE behaviors, and chance HLC, respectively, also contributed significantly to the variance in performance. As anticipated, successful lesion detection was most strongly associated with more proficient BSE technique and higher frequency of BSE practice in the past six months. Internal HLC scores were not predictive of either behavioral measure. Similarly, except for perceived efficacy of BSE, HBM variables showed no strong relationships to observed behavior.     

Visual dissociations of movement, position, and stereo depth: Some phenomenal phenomena

Helmholtz (1867) described as “irradiation” the apparently greater size of a white compared with a dark square, or disc or whatever of the same physical size. The illusory size difference is reversed at low contrasts (Weale, 1974). It is also known that rapid increases in brightness gives apparent movement (gamma movement), though there is no agreed explanation for either phenomenon.

When narrow bordering stripes are added, further systematic phenomena occur. With intensity modulation of an edge-striped grey rectangle, which has a dark stripe on the left side and a light stripe on the right (which is similar to figures used by Stuart Anstis and Brian Rogers), the entire figure shifts, with reversed motion when the background luminance is modulated. By presenting a pair of such figures, mirror reversed one to each eye and fused stereoscopically, the question may be asked: Do these illusory shifts produce stereo depth? The answer is surprising: stereo is produced-but at the cross-over with luminance of the central grey rectangle with the background the depth change is opposite to that given by normal, non-illusory, opposed lateral shifts. We interpret this anomalous stereo depth as a switch of which edges of the stripes are fused, with the change of relative contrast of the edges of the dark and light stripes as the figure-background contrast is changed.

Measures of static shift, lateral movement, and stereo depth, give somewhat different functions. These are considered in terms of different signalled positions, stereo depth, and movement. This study brings out the importance, for explaining such perceptual anomalies, of distinguishing between neural signal channel characteristics and which stimulus features from the display are selected and accepted for perception. Although conceptually clearly distinct these are all too easily confused in psycho-physical experiments.     

Rates and Types of Student Aggression against Teachers: A Comparative Analysis of U.S. Elementary,Middle, and High Schools

Student perpetrated violence against teachers is widespread, yet few studies differentiate teacher experiences of violence by school level (i.e., elementary, middle, and high school). This study, based upon 2,558 pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade teacher survey responses, revealed differences in types of student aggression against teachers by school level. Middle and high school teachers were more likely to report verbal harassment compared to elementary school teachers. Middle school teachers were most likely to report property offenses. Elementary and middle school teachers were more likely to report physical aggression than high school teachers. Demographic predictors of teacher-directed violence were also examined at each school level. Across all school levels, urban teachers had a greater probability of experiencing a violent incident. For elementary teachers, race/ethnicity and teaching experience were also significant risk factors. Future research, policy, and practice implications and recommendations are discussed.

     

Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse in Ghana: A Media Content Analysis of Survivors,Offenders, and Offence Characteristics

Journal of Religion and Health - While there are no official data and published studies on clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse (CPSA) from Ghana, local media reports continue to show worrying trends of...     

Indian Health Care Professionals’ Attitude Towards Spiritual Healing and Its Role in Alleviating Stigma of Psychiatric Services

Persons with mental illnesses in India and rest of developing world continue to consult religious/spiritual (R/S) healers or traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) professionals prior to seeking psychiatric services that are devoid of spiritual components of care. We aim to understand TCAM and allopathic professionals’ perspectives on patients’ R/S needs within mental health services, cross-sectional study was conducted at five TCAM and two allopathic tertiary care hospitals in three different Indian states; 393 participants completed RSMPP, a self-administered, semi-structured survey questionnaire. Perspectives of TCAM and allopathic health professionals on role of spirituality in mental health care were compared. Substantial percentage, 43.7 % TCAM and 41.3 % allopathic, of participants believe that their patients approach R/S or TCAM practitioners for severe mental illness; 91.2 % of TCAM and 69.7 % of allopaths were satisfied with R/S healers (p = 0.0019). Furthermore, 91.1 % TCAM and 73.1 % allopaths (p = 0.000) believe that mental health stigma can be minimized by integrating with spiritual care services. Overall, 87 % of TCAM and 73 % of allopaths agreed to primary criterion variable: ‘spiritual healing is beneficial and complementary to psychiatric care.’ A quarter of allopaths (24.4 %) and 38 % of TCAM physicians reportedly cross-refer their grieving patients to religious/TCAM healer and psychiatrist/psychologist, respectively; on logistic regression, significant (p < 0.05) predictors were clinical interactions/references to r/s healers. Providing spiritual care within the setup of psychiatric institution will not only complement psychiatric care but also alleviate stigma against mental health services. Implications on developing spiritual care services like clinical chaplaincy are discussed.     

Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: Exploring Pathways to Adolescent Emotional Well-Being

Adolescents today are confronted with the compounded stressors of life in our high-pressured society and the cognitive, physiological, and emotional changes characteristic of this stage of development. To explore ways to promote well-being in this population, mindfulness, defined as paying attention in the moment in an intentional and purposeful way, was examined in terms of its associations with aspects of emotional well being. It has been reported to have positive effects on emotional well-being in adults, and shows promise for similar results in research with youth. Moreover, the mechanisms through which being mindful may influence positive outcomes have only recently been explored, and have not been investigated with adolescents. Self-compassion, defined by the three components of self-kindness, sensing oneself as part of a common humanity, and maintaining perspective in challenging circumstances, was examined as a potential mediator of the relationship of mindfulness to various outcome measures. Measures assessing mindfulness, self-compassion, and aspects of emotional well-being comprised an online survey that was administered to 67 adolescents in an urban high school. Path analysis was utilized to explore relationships among the variables. An alternate model with self-compassion as the predictor and mindfulness as the mediator was also investigated. Results suggested that both mindfulness and self-compassion functioned as mediators in the pathway to emotional well-being. A theorized model is presented which depicts a reciprocal relationship between mindfulness and self-compassion and describes an iterative process that takes place between these two constructs, promoting emotional well-being. Implications for research and practice include conducting longitudinal studies, which assess constructs at three time points to definitively establish mediation, and developing a self-compassion program tailored for adolescents to facilitate improvements in emotional well-being.