Individual Resiliency Factors from a Genetic Perspective: Results from a Twin Study

This article is part of the Twin Mother's Study, a study that examines influences on maternal adjustment. A number of studies have investigated the importance of genetic factors for mental health, but few of these examine how genes and the environment influence resiliency/salutogenic factors. This article investigates the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences on resiliency/salutogenic factors. This study includes 326 twin pairs (150 monozygotic and 176 dizygotic) who are mothers, who are living with their spouse, and who are part of the Swedish twin register. Using self‐report structured questionnaires, we assessed salutogenic factors, depression, and quality of life; however, we analyzed the questionnaires completed by the mothers. Statistical analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling. We conclude that nonshared environmental components were of principal importance in individual resiliency/salutogenic factors in a genetically informative design, but we also noted that genetic influences were important. The shared environment had mainly no effect.     

Socioeconomic Differences in Psychosocial Factors Contributing to Coronary Heart Disease: A Review

Psychosocial factors have been shown to play an important role in the aetiology of coronary heart disease (CHD). A strong association between CHD and socioeconomic status (lower-level education, poor financial situation) has also been well established. Socioeconomic differences may thus also have an effect on psychosocial risk factors associated with CHD, and socioeconomic disadvantage may negatively affect the later prognosis and quality of life of cardiac patients. The aim of this study was to review the available evidence on socioeconomic differences in psychosocial factors which specifically contribute to CHD. A computer-aided search of the Medline and PsycINFO databases resulted in 301 articles in English published between 1994 and 2007. A comprehensive screening process identified 12 empirical studies which described the socioeconomic differences in CHD risk factors. A review of these studies showed that socioeconomic status (educational grade, occupation or income) was adversely associated with psychosocial factors linked to CHD. This association was evident in the case of hostility and depression. Available studies also showed a similar trend with respect to social support, perception of health and lack of optimism. Less consistent were the results related to anger and perceived stress levels. Socioeconomic disadvantage seems to be an important element influencing the psychosocial factors related to CHD, thus, a more comprehensive clarification of associations between these factors might be useful. More studies are needed, focused not only on well-known risk factors such as depression and hostility, but also on some lesser known psychosocial factors such as Type D and vital exhaustion and their role in CHD.     

青少年早期职业不确定性及其影响因素

本文首先总结了国外有关青少年早期职业不确定性的研究进展,包括职业不确定性的认知和情感成分、早期职业不确定性与有效求职行为之间的联系;其次,进一步分析了影响青少年早期职业不确定性的各种主要因素,如个性差异、职业兴趣、人口学变量、早期工作经验和家庭环境;最后,对未来有关早期职业不确定性的研究方向提出展望。     

关于体育高职生心理健康影响因素的研究

本文以117名体育高职生为研究对象,采用心理测量、访谈等方法对在校体育高职生的心理健康现状作了调查,在此基础上分析了影响体育高职生心理健康的主要因素。研究表明:(1)自编的“体育高职生心理健康影响因素问卷”具有良好的信度和效度;(2)体育高职生心理问题的检出率为9.4%;(3)体育高职生心理健康的影响因素在不同专业学生间不存在显著差异,但在不同类别学生间存在显著差异,三校生(来自职校、技校和中专学校的学生)在学校因素和学习因素上的得分显著高于来自普通高中的学生;(4)人际交往因素和学习因素对体育高职生的心理健康水平有显著的回归效应。建议体育职业技术院校在学生中大力加强心理健康教育工作,做到因材施教,对症下药。     

A Grammar of Love

Abstract

Recently researchers in the family therapy field have encouraged a focus on aspects of therapy common across all models that are important to therapeutic change. The purpose of this study was to build on the “common factors” literature by exploring clients' perspectives of what was useful to their therapeutic experience. Quantitative and qualitative measures were used to collect data from 41 clients who participated in therapy at a university-based family therapy clinic. Quantitative results indicated that therapeutic relationship, client motivation, extratherapeutic factors, and hope and expectancy accounted for 49% of the variance of clients' perception of change and 73% of the variance of clients' perceptions of therapy helpfulness. Qualitative results indicated the therapeutic relationship to be the most helpful aspect of clients' therapeutic experience.     

Are fear-avoidance beliefs related to the inception of an episode of back pain? A prospective study

Abstract

Fear-avoidance beliefs and catastrophizing have been implicated in chronic pain and theoretical models have been developed that feature these factor in the transition from acute to chronic pain. However, little has been done to determine whether these factors occur in the general population or whether they arc associated with the inception of an episode of neck or back pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively the effects of fear-avoidance beliefs and catastrophizing on the development of an episode of self-reported pain and associated physical functioning. To achieve this, we selected a sample of 415 people from the general population who reported no spinal pain during the past year. At the pretest a battery of questionnaires was administered to assess beliefs about pain and activity and it featured the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and a modified version of the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire. One year later outcome was evaluated by self-reports of the occurrence of a pain episode as well as a self-administered physical function test. The results showed that scores on both fear-avoidme and cabstrophizing were quite low. During the one year follow-up, 19% of the sample suffered an episode of back pain. Those with scores above the median on fear-avoidance beliefs at the pretest had twice the risk of suffering an episode of back pain and a 1.7 times higher risk of lowered physical function at the follow-up. Catastrophizing was somewhat less salient, increasing the risk of pain or lowered function by 1.5. but with confidence intervals falling below unity. These data indicate that fear-avoidance beliefs may be involved at a very early pint in the development of pain and associated activity problems in people with back pain. Theoretically. our results support the idea that fear-avoidance beliefs may develop in an interaction with the experience of pain. Clinically, the results suggest that catastrophizing and particularly fear-avoidance beliefs are important in the development of a pain problem and might be of use in screening procedures.     

Psychosocial factors associated with hiv testing amongst scottish gay men

This article describes the relationship between HIV testing and a range of psychosocial, sexual and socio-demographic variables. Trained research staff distributed a self-report questionnaire in the gay bars of Glasgow and Edinburgh, in May 2000. Questionnaires were completed by 803 men (a response rate of 78%). We present the results of both bivariate and multivariate analyses identifying key variables associated with never having had an HIV test. Thus we outline some psychosocial barriers to HIV testing. Multivariate analysis indicated that the most important factor associated with never having tested was fear of a positive result; this was particularly true for those men who reported higher levels of risky sexual conduct. We discuss the relevance of these findings in terms of presenting a psychosocial agenda which demands that stigma and the social exclusion of HIV positive people should be addressed before gay men are encouraged to seek HIV testing.     

青少年抑郁情绪的发展轨迹:界定亚群组及其影响因素

本研究意在分性别考察中国青少年抑郁情绪的发展轨迹及其影响因素。785名男生和859名女生参加了3轮追踪研究,初始测量阶段的年龄跨度为10~16岁,平均年龄分别为12.99±1.84和12.96±1.87岁。采用流调中心抑郁量表(CES-D)简版测量青少年的抑郁情绪。模型拟合的结果显示男女生的抑郁情绪在10~19岁时段皆呈线性增长趋势,其中男生分为两个亚群组,人际关系解释了部分变异;女生分为4个亚群组,学业压力和人际关系均解释了部分变异。     

Life Cycle Welfare: Trends and Differences

A cohort analysis of United States General Social Science Survey data since 1972 reveals that the life cycle trend in average happiness is remarkably flat. Throughout the life course, however, whites are typically happier than blacks, and more educated persons are happier than their less educated counterparts. In recent years the black-white differential has narrowed moderately, and – although there is no consistent difference by gender – the happiness of females has declined relative to males. Some psychologists assert that happiness is largely determined by genetic or personality traits, but the persistence of life cycle differences by race and education suggests that external socio-economic circumstances are important influences on happiness.     

Resilience to Childhood Abuse and Neglect in College Students

This study examined the prevalence of a history of childhood maltreatment in a college sample and identified the relationship between being maltreated as a child and later college adjustment in men and women. Results indicate that men who had been maltreated in childhood had more resilient outcomes in college than women who had been maltreated in childhood. Negative life events and protective factors acted as mediators in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and college adjustment for women, and protective factors acted as a moderator in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and college adjustment for men.