The Current State of Medical Psychology in Iran

This paper reviews medical psychology in Iran and describes the two major professional associations representing the profession. The unique role of religion in Iran is stressed, and limitations of the current health care system are described. The paper also addresses human resource issues and the educational requirements for the practice of psychology in Iran.     

Managing Job Stress in the Netherlands

Compared with other countries, in the Netherlands work pressure and sickness absenteeism and work incapacitation rates due to work-related mental health problems are quite high. About a decade ago a new Working Conditions Act (WCA) was introduced that had far-reaching consequences for the way job stress is dealt with in organizations. The WCA emphasizes the central role to be played by commercially operating Occupational Health and Safety Services (OHSSs), and it defines a new kind of professional—the Work & Organizational Expert—who is primarily responsible for the assessment and prevention of job stress. Recently, a number of instruments have been developed for psychosocial risk assessment that are now widely used on a regular basis in a way prescribed by the WCA. Preventive measures are increasingly taken by organizations in order to reduce job stress and sickness absenteeism. Based on the Dutch approach some lessons may be learned. Recommendations pertain to (1) the role of government, (2) legal recognition of psychosocial work factors, (3) the privatization of the occupational health and safety sector, and (4) evaluation of job stress prevention programs.     

The Kindness of Mothers: Ideals and Practice of Buddhist Filial Piety

This article introduces a Buddhist Sutra about filial piety. The Sutra has been widely recited, upheld, and endeared by East Asian people for centuries. It teaches the importance of understanding parents' kindnesses, particularly the mother's, and repaying their kindnesses. It explains the difficulty of repaying parents' kindnesses, unfilial behaviors of children, the mystical hell into which unfilial children are doomed to fall, and the way in which they can repay their parents' kindnesses. The mother (woman), aging, and related issues in Buddhism are discussed.     

Medical Psychology in Australia

Medical psychology in Australia is heavily influenced by British and American thought. The dominant model for clinical training and practice is the scientist–practitioner model, yet a gulf exists between academic and practice settings. Membership of the professional society requires 6 years of university study in psychology. However, registration requires only 4 years training in psychology. Medical psychologists provide a broad range of services in hospital and community settings, often within multidisciplinary teams. Challenges for the future include bridging the divide between university and health settings, increasing qualifications required for registration, making psychology culturally relevant, and demonstrating to funding managers that psychological interventions are both clinically effective and cost effective.     

A Test and Refinement of the Demand–Control–Support Model in the Construction Industry

This study aims at a test and further refinement of the Demand–Control–Support (DCS) model among construction workers (N = 210). On the basis of theory and empirical evidence, we hypothesized that mental or physical job demands, low job control, and lack of social support at work have direct and synergistic effects on burnout. The model was expanded by hypothesizing that burnout mediates the relationships between these potentially demanding working conditions on the one hand, and health complaints on the other. Results of a series of structural equation analyses partly supported these hypotheses. The proposed model fitted adequately to the data, although some variables in the DCS model did not make a unique contribution to explaining variance in burnout and (indirectly) health complaints. Interestingly, lack of social support was the most important determinant of burnout and health complaints among construction workers. In addition, a significant three-way interaction effect partly confirmed the synergism hypothesis: Physical demands were only related to burnout if participants had poor job control and reported high social support. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.     

卫生系统绩效评估及其思考—《2000年世界卫生报告》的启示与思索

世界卫生组织在《2000年世界卫生报告－卫生系统：改进绩效》中,对191个成员国的卫生系统绩效进行了评估和排序。介绍了这一评估的框架和主要结果;提出对卫生系统绩效评估的启示与思考,认为我国应反思卫生改革绩效并客观地作出评价,为在新世纪促进卫生系统更好地发展和调整卫生改革目标作出明智的选择。     

Occupational Choices for People with Psychiatric Disabilities: Comparing Attendees and Non-Attendees at Community-Based Day Centers

Research has shown that people with psychiatric disabilities who attend a day center rate their satisfaction with daily occupations equally in comparison with non-attendees. The current study investigates which occupations the target group performs and also differences in occupational choices between attendees and non-attendees. Reported occupations were analyzed with content analysis. Day center attendees reported more productive occupations, while non-attendees reported more recreational occupations and a greater breadth of occupations. This implies that non-attendees might compensate a lack of work-like occupations at a day center with satisfying recreational occupations. The results can guide development of psychiatric occupational-based rehabilitation.     

读马王堆汉墓帛书《衷》篇札记

文章疏通了帛书《衷》篇的若干处文意,并试图从思想史的角度分析其内涵。如《衷》篇认为《周易》是巫史和文王共同完成的作品,巫史完成其数术部分,文王加入卦爻辞部分,这是对《周易》成书过程的较早表述之一;《衷》篇透露出先秦易学中关于人性的讨论与孟子、荀子都有极大不同,它将文人、武人作为两种人格来讨论也是传世文献中少见的;《衷》篇很多句子可与其它帛书《易传》的篇章合读,它们都很重视阐发《周易》中的德义。此篇帛书中有些句子的思想接近思孟学派,这说明其中有些内容不会早于战国中期。