The PHQ-9 assesses depression similarly in men and women from the general population

Gender-based differential item functioning occurs when men and women respond differently to an item despite being similar on the trait assessed by that item. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a prominent screening tool for depression. Researchers exploring whether the PHQ-9 exhibits gender-based differential item functioning have used only specialized samples (e.g., individuals with cancer or vision loss). We explored gender bias in the PHQ-9 by means of differential item functioning analyses in a population-based sample.We made use of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES, 2008), a population-based sample of the USA including 5995 participants. Differential item functioning was assessed using the Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test and by comparing item characteristic curves between men and women.All items exhibited negligible differential item functioning as demonstrated by the Mantel-Haenszel test, with absolute standardized mean differences ranging from 0.00 to 0.06. Item characteristic curves were similar between genders for all but one item. Item 5 (i.e., changes in appetite) exhibited very minor non-uniform differential item functioning, wherein extremely depressed women endorsed higher response options on this item compared to equally depressed men.Researchers can use the PHQ-9 without concern of gender biases, particularly in epidemiological research.     

Living in a Digital Culture

Today our lives are filled with technology through which we communicate, work, play, and even engage with for making meaning. This implies the pervasive presence of digital media as an integral part of our everyday life. Although studies on media are mostly done by sociology and communication students, living in a digital age has significant implications for theological reflections. Despite this being the case, there is a gap in terms of a religious response to technology. In response to this, the aim of this article is to stimulate theological reflections with regard to living in a digital culture. This is achieved by raising theological questions in the hope that theology could take a proactive role in these discussions. The implications of living in a digital culture are quite vast; therefore, the focus will be limited to how a community is formed and sustained, and the possible implications for the church as community.     

Sports activity detection,organization and evaluation in online to offline sports community

Although new technologies such as IoT and mobile Internet inspired progress on sports community, online communications among exercisers are still deficient and relationships between exercisers and sports activities are absent. An Online to Offline (O2O) sports community was proposed to solve these problems. In such a novel sports community, various sports activities are the basis of online communications and offline experiences, and their detection, organization and evaluation are key issues. Firstly, the basic composition and construction process of sports activity ecology are described. Next, contents and organization principles of various sports activities along with the activity organization procedures consisting of activity primary election, final election, running and evaluation stages are described. Then, mediums, procedures and data crawling methods of activity intention detection are discussed. Finally, an effect evaluation framework for sports activities, which includes material analysis, expert evaluation and effect investigation, is designed. The idea and procedures of sentiment analysis based material analysis along with sentiment dictionary constitution and sentiment words handling are presented in details.     

Perceived discrimination amongst young people in socio‐economically disadvantaged communities: Parental support and community identity buffer (some) negative impacts of stigma

There is increasing acceptance that children are not unaware of when they are targets of discrimination. However, discrimination as a consequence of socio‐economic disadvantage remains understudied. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of perceived discrimination on well‐being, perceptions of safety and school integration amongst children growing up within socio‐economically disadvantaged communities in Limerick, Ireland. Mediation analysis was used to explore these relationships and to examine the potential role of parental support and community identity in boys and girls in the 6th to 9th year of compulsory education (N = 199). Results indicate perceived discrimination contributed to negative outcomes in terms of school integration, perceptions of safety and levels of well‐being. Age and gender differences were observed which disadvantaged boys and younger children. All negative outcomes were buffered by parental support. Community identity also protected young people in terms of feelings of school integration and risk but not in terms of psychological well‐being. Findings are discussed in terms of the different role of family and community supports for children negotiating negative social representations of their community.     

The Church is Permanently Underway

This article examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the unity of the human community in Japan, specifically Tokyo, where the 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed until 2021. This allows reflection on the issue of ecclesiology during this time of uncertainty. First, the article describes the critical response of the ecumenical leaders to the country’s first-ever declaration of a state of emergency. Second, it reflects upon the impact of the compulsion to conform to intolerant social order and the neoliberal “self-responsibility theory” that abandons the most vulnerable in society. Third, it explores the relationship between Tokyo and the Olympics, which has been inextricably linked to the aim of national unity. Finally, this article draws the conclusion that we must steer clear of any “unity” that conceals a deeper disunity. Therefore, the church must distance itself from both the “self-responsibility theory” and the enthusiasm of nationalism and instead work toward the restoration of the human community and the renewal of the church, which are currently the main issues of concern.     

群体决策质量评估方法及其在大学生和社区居民中的应用

社会心理服务体系建设要求用心理学理论和方法开展精细化社会治理, 而在多元主体共商共治的过程中出现了群体决策质量无法得到有效评估的问题。群体决策“过程-结果模型”认为应该从“双过程” (信息加工过程和人际互动过程)和“双结果” (客观结果和主观感受)两个方面综合评估群体决策质量。基于该模型建构的群体决策质量问卷自评法和录像他评法被应用于大学生和社区居民一些真实问题解决的群体决策质量评估。研究结果显示群体决策质量自评问卷效度良好, 适合作为群体决策质量的自评工具; 录像他评法与问卷自评法结果相互印证能够全面地反映群体决策质量, 可应用于更广阔的社会治理领域中。     

Original and revised reinforcement sensitivity theory in the prediction of executive functioning: A test of relationships between dual systems

Executive functioning relates to cognitive processes that are effortful and controlled, whereas processes underlying personality are assumed to be routine and automatic (Elliot and Thrash, 2002, Elliot and Thrash, 2010). We evaluated potential influences between these dual systems by examining the link between executive functioning and biologically based personality measures associated with original reinforcement sensitivity theory (o-RST) and revised reinforcement sensitivity theory (r-RST). Results showed that flight (a tendency to commit to poorly planned, escape behavior) negatively predicted executive functioning. We find partial support for the general hypothesis of links between the dual systems. Generally, r-RST was a better predictor of executive functioning than o-RST. The proposed structure of the r-RST measurement model was confirmed.     

Science,Religious Naturalism,and Biblical Theology: Ground for the Emergence of Sustainable Living

During this century, humans must learn to live in ways that are sustainable, both ecologically and morally. The global community already consumes more ecological resources than Earth can generate; population growth and increasing development are widening that gap. We suggest that paths to sustainability can be found by mindful reflection on meanings discerned in the convergence of a scientific understanding of nature, religious naturalism, and biblical understandings of creation. The patterns of ecological sustainability observed in natural systems and the wise ways of relating to the land discerned in the Hebrew Bible suggest that sustainability must be grounded in social and ecological justice and that just ways of living can emerge from a deep sense of the ways in which nature and all of humanity are interdependent. We conclude that the twentieth-century emphasis on individual control of our future must make room for the emergence of a new understanding of mutuality. There can be no flourishing apart from mutual flourishing.     

A Holistic Client Functioning Profile Comparison of People With Serious Mental Illness

Among a sample of 196 participants, small differences in holistic client functioning, as measured by standardized Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment (Lyons & Walton, 1999) and symptom severity scores, emerged across 3 diagnostic categories of serious mental illness (SMI; i.e., depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia). However, sizable variations in symptom severity were evident across diagnoses of SMI, despite study participants receiving a similar configuration and intensity of recovery-oriented usual-care services. These results may evidence previous concerns surrounding the transdiagnosis of SMI, overlapping criteria and symptomatology among disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and mental health treatment and service practices in the United States. Implications for counselor practice are discussed.     

Specific Features of After-School Program Quality: Associations with Children’s Functioning in Middle Childhood

This longitudinal study examined associations between three after-school program quality features (positive staff–child relations, available activities, programming flexibility) and child developmental outcomes (reading and math grades, work habits, and social skills with peers) in Grade 2 and then Grade 3. Participants (n = 120 in Grade 2, n = 91 in Grade 3) attended after-school programs more than 4 days per week, on average. Controlling for child and family background factors and children’s prior functioning on the developmental outcomes, positive staff–child relations in the programs were positively associated with children’s reading grades in both Grades 2 and 3, and math grades in Grade 2. Positive staff–child relations also were positively associated with social skills in Grade 2, for boys only. The availability of a diverse array of age-appropriate activities at the programs was positively associated with children’s math grades and classroom work habits in Grade 3. Programming flexibility (child choice of activities) was not associated with child outcomes.