Dementia care‐giving in black and Asian populations: reviewing and refining the research agenda

Despite the increased prevalence of dementia little work has been done to explore the extent and nature of care‐giving in black or Asian‐UK populations. Evidence that does exist suggests that the consequences of care‐giving are significant but different from those experienced by white carers and are mediated by a number of culture‐related factors. These include: ethnically specific conceptualisations of dementia; expectations of family duty; religiosity; the adoption of positive re‐appraisal strategies, and beneficial outcomes. Present approaches to research are narrow, do not take account of cultural dimensions and employ terminology and care‐giving frameworks which are of limited relevance. That the evidence base is characterised by small‐scale studies, and weak methodology further undermines its validity. Research deficits are systemic and fundamental and are both conceptual and methodological. A key contribution would be the development of a multi‐dimensional theoretical model that takes account of the role played by culture, ethnicity and structural inequality in shaping care‐giving experiences and profiles. Incorporating the perspectives of black and Asian carers, and the influence of the life course of individuals and communities and employing qualitative methods would also influence the direction of research, improve its quality and generate knowledge in this underdeveloped field. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aging and sexuality

Many see old age as asexual but studies show that significant numbers of people 65 years old and older continue to desire and engage in acts of sexual intimacy as seem in long‐term care facilities and in cohabitation. Sexual ethics in the context of aging requires respect for the sexuality of older adults and sensitivity to their needs and challenges.     

Examining Correctional Staff Members’ Engagement in Rehabilitation as Part of Their Everyday Practices in Short‐term Juvenile Detention

Research on the rehabilitation of juvenile justice‐involved youth is often focused on specific evidence‐based interventions. Less attention has been paid to everyday interactions that correctional staff members have with detained youth and, further, how these may align with trauma‐informed care principles and thus encourage a more supportive setting. Using an ethnographic case study approach, this study addressed this gap in knowledge by documenting the nature of rehabilitative practices as they naturally occurred in the context of short‐term detention staff members’ daily routine and interactions with detained youth. This study found evidence for three primary forms of routine rehabilitative practices: (a) promotion of youths’ emotional safety and well‐being, (b) provision of rights‐based information and explanations, and (c) encouraging youths’ success in and beyond detention. These practices were observed across several key setting contexts: (a) staff‐led group activities, (b) routine contact between individual youth and staff (e.g., formal procedures, informal conversations), and (c) staff‐only spaces. Our findings highlight the need for ongoing research to effectively translate promising intervention approaches, such as trauma‐informed care, into juvenile detainment settings.     

Theorizing Safety Informed Settings: Supporting Staff at Youth Residential Facilities

Each year approximately 48,000 youth are incarcerated in residential placement facilities (YRFs) in the United States. The limited existing literature addressing the workforce in these settings paints a complicated picture. The YRF workforce is highly motivated to work with legal system involved youth. However, YRF staff report high rates of burnout, job fatigue, and work‐related stress. The current paper proposes solutions to persistent problems faced by staff in these settings by integrating literature from criminology, organizational psychology, trauma‐informed care, and community psychology. In doing so, we highlight previously overlooked aspects of intervention for trauma‐organized settings and respond to recent calls for community psychologists to take a more active role in the adaptation of trauma‐informed care in community settings. We conclude by advancing three recommendations, drawn from setting‐level theory and inspired by the principles of trauma‐informed care, to transform YRFs.     

Meta‐Analysis of Integrated Primary and Behavioral Health Care Interventions for Treating Substance Use Among Adults

This meta‐analysis detected low effects in reducing substance use (Hedges's g = –0.11) in favor of using integrated primary and behavioral health care (IPBH) compared with treatment‐as‐usual approaches for adult patients with substance use. The impact of IPBH was limited.     

Application of a self‐management intervention to improve data recording of educational care providers

The present study evaluated the effects of a self‐management intervention on scheduled data recording by classroom instructors at a school for children with intellectual disability and neurodevelopmental disorders. In a multiple baseline design across two classrooms, the instructors recorded student data according to an established protocol at the school and based on earlier training they had received. During intervention, the instructors self‐monitored implementation of data recording procedures that were prompted by a signal from an automated count‐down timer. The self‐management intervention increased scheduled data recording by participants in both classrooms to 90–100%, and these results were maintained at 1‐ and 2‐month follow‐up assessments. These findings add to the small literature concerning self‐managed approaches to training and performance improvement, extend application within educational settings, and suggest practical advantages for supporting competencies of care providers.     

Reflections on the WPA position statement on spirituality and religion

ABSTRACT

The WPA position statement on Spirituality and Religion in Psychiatry is a tremendous achievement. This is a field of research which has developed greatly in the last 25 years with increasing sophistication of methodology within the biomedical paradigm. However, I will argue that the reductionism necessary for quantitative scientific research flattens out the very particularity which makes the religions potent and active. There is a need to increase the use of qualitative research methods to give a fuller account of the health impact of the deep and rich lived experience within a faith community.     

School-Based Mental Health Services: Definitions and Models of Effective Practice

ABSTRACT

School-based mental health services are those delivered by school-employed and community-employed providers in school buildings. With the implementation of provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) that funds school-based health centers, school-based mental health services could become more broadly available in communities throughout the United States. Playing a pivotal role in promoting models for school-based services that maximize benefits to children and adolescents while making efficient use of communities' mental health resources are school psychologists. School psychologists, who recognize and respect the separated development of school and community mental health professions, can foster school–agency partnerships to coordinate children's mental health services that are comprehensive, child centered, family focused, and culturally competent. In this article, we provide three case examples using the Participatory Culture-Specific Intervention Model (B. K. Nastasi, R. B. Moore, & K. M. Varjas, 2004 Nastasi, B. K., Moore, R. B., & Varjas, K. M. (2004). School-based mental health services: Creating comprehensive and culturally specific programs. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. [Google Scholar]) as exemplars for the implementation of community partnerships providing comprehensive culturally and contextually relevant school-based mental health services.