A Unified Framework for the Prioritization of Organ Transplant Patients: Analytic Hierarchy Process,Sensitivity and Multifactor Robustness Study

Fair and equitable allocation of donor organs in the USA is a daunting yet necessary task, which can mean the difference between life and death for patients on transplant waiting lists. This paper proposes a multi‐criterion decision‐making model using the analytic hierarchy process to allow for an allocation decision to be made on the basis of urgency, efficiency, benefit and equity. These four perspectives and objectives can be broken down into both quantitative and qualitative measures, which can be easily combined and weighted through group consensus. The proposed model overcomes the limitations of a single type of system, integrates the views of many organ allocation philosophies, improves the decision maker's ability to collaborate, helps justify the decision and reaches the optimal result. In addition, the proposed profile matrix allows decision makers to graphically trade off criteria against each other and to clearly articulate the decision rationale. Our computational study suggests that the proposed model not only satisfactorily serves the objectives of many constituents, but also remains noticeably robust under various criteria‐weight‐change scenarios. It improves stakeholder confidence in the organ allocation procedure, maximizes the usefulness of the organ and enhances welfare to society. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solutions to the Research-Practice Gap in Domestic Violence: A Modified Delphi Study With Domestic Violence Coalition Leaders

The gap between research and practice in domestic violence (DV) has the potential to hinder advancements in both areas. This study used modified Delphi methodology to seek potential solutions for integrating DV research and practice. Expert panel members were representatives of DV coalitions who hold primary responsibility for determining the content of the training program and materials provided by coalitions to service providers. Through three rounds of questionnaires, potential solutions were identified in six areas: access to research, the practical application of research, DV coalitions' needs and usage of research, perceptions of research and researchers, researcher-practitioner collaborations, and the goals of DV. The findings of the study are integrated into recommendations for researchers and DV organizations.     

Pregnant and Parenting Battered Women Speak Out about their Relationships and Challenges

Domestic violence is one of the leading health risks to women in the United States. Abuse during pregnancy increases the negative health consequences for mothers and their unborn children. This article presents survey and open-ended interview data from participants in an innovative program for pregnant and parenting battered women and examines the health status of mothers and newborns, their experience and perception of both physical and nonphysical abuse, and their challenges to prenatal care.     

Is Disclosure of Sexual Traumas Helpful? Comparing Experimental Laboratory Versus Field Study Results

Disclosing trauma is generally viewed as beneficial for survivors, yet few studies have used experimental methods to determine whether disclosure of sexual traumas in particular has positive effects. This article compares and contrasts knowledge based on lab studies of sexual trauma disclosure using Pennebaker's (1997 Pennebaker, J. W. 1997. Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8: 162–166. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) experimental disclosure paradigm with data from nonexperimental studies of sexual assault disclosure. The most surprising result was that unlike the majority of experimental trauma disclosure studies using Pennebaker's method that have typically shown positive effects of disclosure, both laboratory and field studies of sexual assault have not shown positive effects, particularly when victims receive negative responses from others. Future research on disclosure of sexual victimization should consider various mediators and moderators, which are suggested by existing findings, as well as a broader range of adjustment outcomes within an ecological framework.     

Trauma Affect Regulation Psychoeducation Group and Milieu Intervention Outcomes in Juvenile Detention Facilities

This article reports outcomes of Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET), a group and milieu intervention, in three juvenile detention facilities, controlling for site, length of stay, ethnicity, number of arrests, mental health and traumatic stress problems, and cohort effects. Linear multiple regression results showed that every session of TARGET received in the first seven days of detention was associated with 54% fewer disciplinary incidents and 72 fewer minutes of disciplinary seclusion ( p < .001) for each youth during the modal stay (14 days) in detention. TARGET group participation was unrelated to recidivism, but recidivism declined significantly following implementation of TARGET. Implementing TARGET in juvenile detention facility milieus might improve safety, reduce punitive sanctions, and potentially reduce recidivism.     

Conflicts and conflict management styles as precursors of workplace bullying: A two-wave longitudinal study

Abstract

The psychological contract is currently a popular concept. It has been used in several recent analyses of individuals' careers. However, there are a number of unresolved conceptual and empirical issues surrounding the psychological contract. These are described and discussed. The main issues concern the extent to which the psychological contract between employee and employer is mutual, the importance or otherwise of the promissory element, the distinction between transactional and relational contracts, and the detection of, and response to, contract violation. It is concluded that the psychological contract is probably a valuable concept, but that it needs more careful definition and more rigorous empirical testing.     

Positive psychotherapy effectiveness study and quality assurance

Positive Psychotherapy is a form of short-term psychotherapy based on an in-depth psychological approach, resulting from cross-cultural psychotherapy. After a brief introduction to some central elements of the theory of Positive Psychotherapy (PPT), the first results of the effectiveness study will be discussed in this paper. an assessment of alterations in symptoms, as well as changes in the way subjects feel and behave, which occurred in the period of time between the beginning and after the end of therapy will be presented here. In a longitudinal study, patients treated with PPT showed a distinct reduction of symptoms as well as improvement with regard to the way the subjects experience and behave compared to the control group, where no significant changes were observed. an additional cross-section comparison between the post-measures of the prospective assessment of PPT patients and retrospective assessments of PPT patients was carried out. No significant differences between the assessments made directly after finishing PPT and the assessments made within three different time spans after finishing PPT (a) 3-10 months; b) 10 months-4 years; c) 4-5 years) were found. This finding is viewed as an indication of the lasting stability of the therapeutic effects of PPT, which can still be detected up to five years after finishing PPT.     

The Relationship between Everyday Problem Solving and Inconsistency in Reaction Time in Older Adults

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether inconsistency in reaction time (RT) is predictive of older adults' ability to solve everyday problems. A sample of 304 community dwelling non-demented older adults, ranging in age from 62 to 92, completed a measure of everyday problem solving, the Everyday Problems Test (EPT). Inconsistency in latencies across trials was assessed on four RT tasks. Performance on the EPT was found to vary according to age and cognitive status. Both mean latencies and inconsistency were significantly associated with EPT performance, such that slower and more inconsistent RTs were associated with poorer everyday problem solving abilities. Even after accounting for age, education, and mean level of performance, inconsistency in reaction time continued to account for a significant proportion of the variance in EPT scores. These findings suggest that indicators of inconsistency in RT may be of functional relevance.     

Cognition,daily living,and health-related quality of life in 85-year-olds in Sweden

ABSTRACT

This study investigates how cognition influences activities of daily living and health-related quality of life in 85-year-olds in Sweden (n?=?373). Data collection included a postal questionnaire comprising demographics and health-related quality of life measured by the EQ-5D. The ability to perform personal activities of daily living (PADL) was assessed during a home visit that included administering the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Cognitive impairment was shown in 108 individuals (29%). The majority were independent with respect to PADL. A larger number of participants with cognitive impairment reported that they needed assistance in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) compared to the group without cognitive impairment. Impaired cognition was significantly related to problems with IADL. Significant but low correlations were found between cognition and health-related quality of life – higher ratings on perceived quality of life correlated with higher results on the MMSE.     

The spiritual wellness of Beyers Naudé: A psychobiographical study of a South African anti-apartheid theologian

The study explores and describes Beyers Naudé's (1915–2004) spiritual wellness across his lifespan. Naudé's life history was uncovered through the systematic collection and analyses of life history materials. Data were interpreted applying the Wheel of Wellness model (WoW) by Sweeney and Witmer (1991 Sweeney, T. J., & Witmer, J. M. (1991). Beyond social interest: Striving toward optimum health and wellness. Journal of Individual Psychology, 47(4), 527–540. Retrieved from http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/journals/jip.html [Google Scholar], 1992). Findings suggest that spirituality, as the major life task of the WoW, characterised Naudé's earlier years and also epitomised his later years. Underlying life-span and life-space influences included important life-forces such as the roles of the community, religion, government and politics in his life. Hope and optimism embodied Naudé's belief about promoting and preserving human dignity, human rights and respect for life.