Social Support and the Religious Dimensions of Close Ties

Despite the influence of social support on physical and mental health, few studies have examined why some close ties are more supportive than others. Though religion provides a rich context for social interaction and a meaningful social identity, it has received little attention in the social support literature. A growing literature on religion and health offers insight into how religion affects social support processes. Using dyadic network data derived from the nationally representative 2006 Portraits of American Life Study, I examine how the religious dimensions of close, nonhousehold ties relate to provision of social support. Results from logistic regression analyses indicate that (controlling for a range of other social tie characteristics) same‐faith ties are significantly more likely to be sources of help “in times of need,” while religious discussion is a strong predictor of receiving both help and advice. The effect of religious homophily is strongest for evangelical Protestants and African‐American Protestants. My findings underscore the need for social support researchers to consider the role of religion in shaping support processes in close relationships.     

Mechanisms of Change in Brief Couple Therapy for Depression

The goal of the present study was to investigate potential mechanisms of previously documented treatment effects for a brief, 5-session, problem-focused couple therapy for depression in a sample of 35 depressed women and their nondepressed husbands. The primary treatment effects were reducing women’s depressive symptoms and their husbands’ psychological distress and depression-specific burden. Secondarily, treatment resulted in increased relationship satisfaction for both partners. Given these significant treatment changes observed in 5 sessions, we sought to examine the mechanisms of change by testing the following three factors as potential mediators: (a) negative behaviors and attitudes toward depression, (b) support provision, and (c) empathic communication towards the depressed female partners. Women’s depression and husbands’ depression-specific burden were alleviated by positive changes in their illness-related attitudes and behaviors. Improvements in women’s marital satisfaction were also mediated by positive change in their illness-related attitudes and behaviors, along with perceptions of increased positivity and support from their husbands. Findings highlight the importance of targeting specific treatment agents in a brief couple therapy for depression such as psychoeducation about depression and support-building to increase partners’ understanding and acceptance of the illness, and teaching communication skills to reduce negative behaviors and criticism that are replaced by more empathic communication towards the depressed individual.     

Relationships among perceived psychological growth,resilience and burnout in physicians

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between perceived growth as a physician (i.e., positive psychological changes experienced as a result of the professional experience) and burnout after controlling for the effects of perceived family support, dispositional resilience, age, and marital status among physicians. Physicians (n = 289) rated perceived support from family and completed the short form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Resilience Scale, and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the addition of perceived growth significantly improved prediction of resilience and perceived family support for burnout, showing that higher growth, resilience, and family support all were associated with lower levels of burnout. Moreover, the effects of growth on depersonalization, a domain of burnout, were stronger for physicians who perceived a lower level of family support, whereas the effects of growth on personal accomplishment, another domain of burnout, were stronger for physicians who showed a lower level of dispositional resilience. Current results have clinical implications for understanding protective factors for burnout, that is, a sense of personal growth may be a key factor for physicians who may be less resilient or may not perceive strong family support.     

肿瘤心理学的学科建构钩玄——兼论肿瘤患者心理支持要点

心理问题对肿瘤的发生、治疗和预后产生重要影响,相关研究已经提示了大量证据,受到人们广泛的重视。本文笔者阐述了肿瘤心理学学科构建的必要性及意义;提出了肿瘤患者发病前心理因素的作用方式(慢性应激和触发作用)、发病后的最主要心理特征(安全感缺失)、心理支持的核心目标(帮助患者重获安全感);强调此时给予心理支持类似于是亟需修补的"短板";并引入了笔者实践和理论总结基础上形成的肿瘤患者心理支持的操作方法。     

肿瘤心理学的学科建构钩玄——兼论肿瘤患者心理支持要点

心理问题对肿瘤的发生、治疗和预后产生重要影响,相关研究已经提示了大量证据,受到人们广泛的重视.本文笔者阐述了肿瘤心理学学科构建的必要性及意义;提出了肿瘤患者发病前心理因素的作用方式(慢性应激和触发作用)、发病后的最主要心理特征(安全感缺失)、心理支持的核心目标(帮助患者重获安全感);强调此时给予心理支持类似于是亟需修补的“短板”;并引入了笔者实践和理论总结基础上形成的肿瘤患者心理支持的操作方法.     

人工肝支持系统治疗肝衰竭的研究进展

目前肝衰竭发病率和病死率仍然较高,肝衰竭成为威胁患者生命的严重疾病。基于肝脏具有强大再生能力,人工肝支持系统作为一种“过渡”措施,为肝衰竭患者的肝功能恢复赢得时间。人工肝支持系统根据性质不同分为非生物型人工肝、生物型人工肝和混合型人工肝。目前非生物型人工肝已在肝病治疗领域被广泛应用,但生物型及混合型人工肝的临床应用还存在很多问题需要进一步研究和解决。因此本文对人工肝的作用、临床应用现状、存在问题及研究进展进行综述。     

Improvement of Thematic Classification in Offender Profiling: Classifying Serbian Homicides Using Multiple Correspondence,Cluster, and Discriminant Function Analyses

This paper investigates thematic classification of homicides for the purpose of behavioural investigative analysis (e.g. offender profiling). Previous research has predominantly used smallest space analysis (SSA) to conceptualise and classify offences into thematic groups based on crime scene behaviour data. This paper introduces a combined approach utilising multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), cluster analysis (CA), and discriminant function analysis (DFA) to define and differentiate crime scenes into expressive or instrumental and impersonal or personal crimes. MCA is used to derive the latent structural dimensions in the crime data and produce quantitative scores for each offence along these dimensions. Two‐step CA was then utilised to classify offences. Offence dimensional scores were then used to predict cluster membership under DFA, producing cluster centroids corresponding to MCA dimensions. Centroids were plotted on the MCA correspondence map to simultaneously conceptualise crime classification and the latent structure of the Serbian crime data. Classification of offences based on MCA dimensional scores were 91.5% accurate. This MCA–CA–DFA approach may reduce some of the more subjective aspects of SSA methodology used in classification, whilst producing a product more amenable to objective and cumulative review. Implications for offender profiling research utilising SSA and this approach are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of personality traits and characteristics of child sexual abuse on maternal reactions and support

Objective

This study aimed to examine the relationship between maternal and contextual factors including maternal personality traits, the quality of mother–child relationship, the characteristics of sexual abuse and maternal outcomes: (1) maternal reactions including feelings of anger and responsibility, anger and perceptions of responsibility of the child, and (2) maternal support provided to the child following the disclosure of sexual abuse.