Conceptualizing ‘social capital’ for health promotion in small local communities: a micro‐qualitative study

This paper reports on a micro‐qualitative case study of peoples' experiences of local community life in a south‐east English town. This material is used as the basis for a critical discussion of the suitability of Putnam's notion of social capital as a conceptual tool for the design and evaluation of ‘community strengthening’ policies and interventions. The study was motivated by a concern that too much debate about social capital has been conducted by academics and policy‐makers in a top‐down manner, with inadequate attention to the realities of life in the local communities that they refer to. Three‐hour semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 37 residents in two less affluent wards in our town of interest. Informants—half men and half women, and spread across the 15–75 age group—were encouraged to talk about their personal experiences of local community life. Interview findings are presented within the ‘norm’ categories of trust, neighbourliness and reciprocal help and support, and the ‘network’ categories of participation in informal networks, voluntary groupings and community activist groupings. Our case study points to a number of ways in which Putnam's concept needs to be refined if it is to inform ‘community strengthening’ policies and interventions in England. Far more notice needs to be taken of the role played by informal networks of friends and neighbours in the construction of local community life. Attention also needs to be given to the complex and shifting geographical spread of peoples' significant social networks. Putnam's conceptualization of cohesive local communities and his unitary notions of trust and local identity may also be unduly essentialist. In our particular communities of interest, they failed to capture the fluidity of local community norms and networks in a rapidly changing society. They also failed to do justice to the extent to which social distinctions—such as age, gender, ethnicity and housing tenure—shape and constrain the way in which people create, sustain and access social capital. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Siblings of Individuals with Mental Retardation: A Quantitative Integration of the Literature

The sibling relationship has recently become the focus of much research in developmental psychology. The family system perspective implies the presence of a sibling with mental retardation will impact on the psychological development and functioning of their typically developing siblings. Past reviews of the literature have found this impact to be negative but there is the suggestion of positive consequences to having a sibling with mental retardation. The present meta-analysis sought to quantitatively integrate 25 studies and 79 effect sizes from the literature on the siblings of individuals with mental retardation. A small negative effect for having a sibling with mental retardation was discovered that could not be attributed to a publication bias or some other artifact. This negative effect was greatest for direct observation measures, measures of psychological functioning, especially depression, and for children. Limitations to this meta-analysis and directions for future research 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.     

Two Case Studies of Community Schools Serving Latino and Southeast Asian Children

Recent attention has focused on establishing school-based integrated services centers which offer educational and noneducational services to students and their families. We present two comparative case studies of client participation in school centers established in low income Latino and Southeast Asian communities. The cases focus on types of center services utilized by families, culturally compatible practices of the centers, and impact of coordinated services on students and families. The data reveal the limited capacity of high poverty families to cope with daily and persistent life challenges and how the schools have been transformed into family support environments which assist families to manage their lives in ways that lead to self-sufficiency and growth.     

Referral Source Differences in Functional Impairment Levels for Children Served in the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program

We report one of the first multi-site investigations into referral source variation in functional impairment for children with serious emotional disturbance served in systems of care settings. Baseline data collected as part of the national evaluation for the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program was used to assess the comparability of functional status for children referred from traditional mental health versus non-mental health agencies. Results indicate that children referred from child welfare and family groups have significantly lower levels of overall dysfunction than those referred from mental health, while children referred from school and juvenile justice agencies have comparable levels. Clinical and research implications are discussed.     

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.     

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.     

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.