The Power of Language and Labels: “The Mentally Ill” Versus “People With Mental Illnesses”

Undergraduate students (N = 221), adults in a community sample (N = 211), and professional counselors and counselors‐in‐training (N = 269) were given a measure of tolerance. Within each sample, half of the participants were given a version that used the term “the mentally ill” and half were given a version that used the term “people with mental illnesses.” Individuals receiving the version with the term “the mentally ill” had lower levels of tolerance. Professional counselors had the largest differences in tolerance on the basis of language.     

孕期生活事件与妊娠压力：心理健康的中介效应和丈夫支持的调节作用

用问卷调查法对上海市403名单胎、孕周在24～33周的孕妇进行研究,探讨怀孕过程中孕妇经历的生活事件和妊娠压力的关系,以及孕妇的心理健康状况和丈夫支持在其中所起的作用。结果表明：（1）怀孕计划的主效应显著,孕龄的主效应不显著,怀孕计划和孕龄的交互作用显著;妊娠压力在怀孕计划上的主效应显著,意外怀孕的孕妇的妊娠压力显著高于计划怀孕的孕妇的妊娠压力;（2）怀孕过程中孕妇经历的生活事件与妊娠压力呈显著正相关,与孕妇的心理健康呈显著负相关;（3）孕妇的心理健康状况在生活事件和妊娠压力的关系中起部分中介效应,即生活事件部分通过孕妇的心理健康状况影响孕妇的妊娠压力;而丈夫支持则对孕妇心理健康的中介效应起调节作用,当丈夫支持高时,心理健康状况越好的孕妇,其妊娠压力越低,心理健康状况对孕妇妊娠压力预测显著;当丈夫支持低时,心理健康状况对妊娠压力的预测不显著。     

Somatic Complaints in Girls: A Longitudinal Perspective

This report presents results from a study of the dimensionality and longitudinal stability of some common self-reported somatic complaints in teenage girls. Data were supplied by the Swedish longitudinal research program “Individual Development and Adaptation”. At four age levels (age 10, 13, 15, and 16 years) a representative sample of approximately 500 girls filled out questionnaires on various adjustment problems, including some typical somatic complaints. A separate dimension of somatic complaints was identified at each age level through factor analysis of the questionnaire data. Correlational stability of somatic complaints was not high until middle adolescence. At this age fairly stable patterns of somatic complaints were also found at the individual level; different somatic complaints were not found to be interchangeable. The results support the interpretation of girls' somatic complaints as a single, meaningful dimension in late childhood and adolescence. This dimension may be hypothesized to constitute a psychological process, somatization, manifesting itself in fairly stable patterns at the individual level in middle adolescence.     

Dynandcs in cancer caregiver's health over time: Gender-specific patterns and determinants

Abstract

This study exandned patterns and determinants of three dimensions of caregiver's health of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients, i.e. physical, mental and social functioning (N= 148). Physical functioning declined within a 6-month period in female caregivers, while no change was observed in male caregivers. For mental and social functioning, an improvement was observed in male and female caregivers. Change in physical functioning was associated with gender, age, income and initial level. Change in mental functioning was predicted by initial status and positive as well as negative caregiver experiences. Change in social functioning was mainly predicted by initial level and change in patient's dependency. Physical and mental functioning showed the least favorable patterns in female caregivers. The study shows that caregiving may lead to positive health consequences, and underlines the importance of making a distinction between male and female caregivers and of studying caregiver outcomes by using multidimensional assessments.     

Forging partnerships for mental health: The case of a prefecture in crisis ravaged Greece

Public health and in particular mental health have been severely affected by the multitude of socioeconomic crises experienced by people in Greece. The severe austerity programmes, have reduced access to health services and increased demand for publically funded health care. This paper presents a case study focusing on the impact of these measures on the lives of mental health providers in one prefecture in Crete. Focus group methodology was applied and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. Analyses revealed three superordinate themes that converge at many levels and appear to be going counter to the circumstances: firstly, ‘forging partnerships for mental health’; secondly, ‘extending our reach’; and thirdly ‘transformations in professional identity through praxis’. These themes are discussed using the words of the participants and the relevant literature.     

Bereavement anxieties and health amongst the Australian-Italian Catholic community

This article is based on survey of 269 households in the state of Victoria, Australia. It elicits some useful guidelines for professional caregivers in relation to eight cultural/religious groups including Australian-born Christians and Arab-born Muslims. The focus here is upon the relationships between the Australian Italian community and personal health outcomes during bereavement. The following sub-strata are examined: community differences in relation to grief and loss practices and traditions; the value of religious communal support and counseling; symptomatological differences from psychosocial and educational perspectives; psychopathological/psychiatric symptoms and beliefs and practice concerning the afterlife. Significant differences were revealed between the sexes on such matters as health problems, grief expressions, psychosomatic manifestations, communication with the dead, beliefs in the afterlife and interpretation of the meaning of loss. Differences in these findings will assist professional caregivers who deal with families experiencing personal death loss to broaden their own perspectives on bereavement, offering specific counselling strategies and care-giving interventions.     

Stressors Experienced During Deployment Among Canadian Armed Forces Personnel: Factor Structure of Two Combat Exposure Scales

Combat exposure is linked to increased mental health problems among military personnel. Reliable, precise, and efficient measurement of combat experiences can facilitate understanding of the effects of combat on mental health. This study examined the psychometric properties of 2 scales used to assess deployment experiences in Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel in 2 different settings: during a Third Location Decompression (TLD) program after deployment, and during routine postdeployment screening. Principal components analyses yielded similar results for the 2 measures. The components containing items relevant to Exposure to the Dead and Injured, Dangerous Environment, and Active Combat were common across both surveys. The TLD results revealed a fourth component, Personal Suffering, while the postdeployment screening data revealed a fourth component, Perceived Responsibility. This study found categories of deployment stressors that can be used for further analysis, and underscores the importance of assessing a broad range of exposures in the combat environment.     

Self-Discrepancy and Mental Health in Older Women with Chronic Illnesses

Self-discrepancy was investigated as a self-enhancing mechanism by which older women maintain their mental health and psychological well-being while coping with declines in physical health. In this 6-year longitudinal study, the mediating and moderating effects of self-discrepancy on mental health outcomes in older women with chronic health problems were tested. Participants were 103 community-dwelling older women who completed multiple, self-report measures of physical and mental health and self-discrepancy. There was a decline in physical health over time but an improvement in self-discrepancies. Low self-discrepancy (i.e., little discrepancy between the actual and ideal self) mediated and moderated the effects of physical health decline on mental health and psychological well-being. Thus, self-discrepancy appears to play a significant role in maintaining mental health in the face of declining physical health in older women.     

心理旋转研究的新进展

心理旋转是一种空间表征转换形式,也是认知心理学家关注的热点问题。文章结合实证研究,分析了心理旋转加工的大脑机能一侧化问题,阐释了心理旋转能力的个体差异性,探讨了基于心理旋转能力可塑性的提高空问智能的有效途径。并在此基础上．对未来心理旋转领域的研究加以展望。     

流动儿童自我概念的发展及其与心理健康的关系*

探讨9-15岁流动儿童自我概念的发展及其与心理健康的关系。选取北京市4所打工子弟学校9-15岁流动儿童644名,9-15岁城市普通儿童441名。采用Song-Hattie自我概念量表和心理健康量表（青少年版）分别评估自我概念和心理健康状况。结果发现：（1）流动儿童自我概念自9岁至15岁总体上均呈现下降趋势;（2）流动儿童的自我概念水平显著低于同龄城市普通儿童,但总体发展趋势与普通儿童相似;（3）流动儿童自我概念与心理健康之间存在正相关关系,自我概念各因子对心理健康有很好的预测作用。