The Invisible Griever

Many people are equipped, through crisis intervention strategies and plans, to handle the immediate ramifications of a death within a particular school or community system. However, after the crisis has passed the question generally surfaces as to how one can help the children who have been greatly impacted by the death and are in the midst of the grieving process. The grieving child has often been invisible to adult caregivers like counselors, teachers, and school psychologist. The means of helping a child who has experienced a death in his family can be greatly enhanced by the developmcnt of grief support groups. Through the use of support groups children can learn to share their feelings, discover that they are not alone, and move through the grieve process.     

空巢老人心理健康的现状及研究述评

空巢老人的心理健康引起了国内外研究者们的高度关注,逐渐成为一个热点课题.在综合国内外有关空巢老人心理健康的研究文献后发现,目前,学界对空巢老人的界定并不统一;从其心理健康现状来看,空巢综合症是空巢老人各种身心症状的主要体现,主要受社会支持、性别、婚姻状况、经济收入以及其他一些社会人口学因素的影响.虽然对空巢老人心理健康的研究已取得一些成就,但仍存在一些尚待解决的问题,未来研究应从统一空巢老人的涵义,完善研究方法,深入对其自身内部心理因素的探讨及加强跨文化的比较与借鉴等方面来开展.     

心理负荷的评估:基于神经人因学的视角

心理负荷的评估正经历着从传统工效学向神经人因学的变革.EEG、ERPs、fMRI、fNIRS和TCD等神经科学研究技术为这场变革提供了有力的工具.研究发现:在单任务情境下,随着操作者心理负荷的增加,脑电α波活动减弱,θ波活动增强,并且前额皮层血流、左侧额下回血液氧合血红蛋白浓度变化均增加,大脑动脉血流速度也增快;在双任务情境下,随着操作者主任务心理负荷的增加,次任务的N1、新异P3和P3b等ERPs成分波幅降低.依据这些研究成果,学者们利用人工神经网络、支持向量机等模式分类算法实现了对心理负荷的实时在线评估.但是,各种研究技术在敏感性、诊断力、主任务干扰、实施需求、可接受性和信度等方面各有优势与不足.在未来研究中,要注意促进相关技术的融合、提高其可接受性,并充分利用模式识别算法提高其诊断力和敏感性.     

Effects of lifestyle and stress on the employee and organization: Implications for promoting health at work

Abstract

This research was designed to determine the extent to which employee health and performance are predicted by lifestyle and stress. Data were collected from 345 employees working in a variety of organizations in southern California. Additionally, supervisors evaluated the work performance of the participating employees whom they directly supervised, and company records of employee health care costs were obtained. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed (a) that physical lifestyle (i.e., exercise pattern, eating habits, and general health practices) predicted unique variance in vitality and positive well-being; (b) that psychosocial lifestyle (i.e., social relations, intellectual activity, occupational conditions, and spiritual involvement) predicted unique variance in vitality, positive well-being, anxiety, depression, lack of self-control, and somatic complaints; (c) that employee stress predicted unique variance in vitality, positive well-being, anxiety, depression, physician visits, somatic complaints, illness absences, and supervisory ratings of job performance, absenteeism and tardiness; (d) that physical lifestyle buffered the adverse consequences of stress for anxiety, depression, physician visits, and company health care costs; and (e) that there was a Physical x Psychosocial Lifestyle interaction for anxiety, depression, and lack of self-control. However, the employee lifestyle factors were not related to supervisory ratings of performance at work. The findings have direct implications for organizational health programs and policies.     

CBT in the British NHS: Vague imposition or imposition of vagueness?

The multi-faceted controversy created by the ascendance of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in the British mental health industry is outlined. The historical and philosophical nature of this controversy is traced, by looking at CBT as a psychiatric form of treatment and eclectic form of applied psychology. CBT has become a policy battleground, which can be understood by putting its modernist credentials and its appeal to rationalism, pragmatism and techno-centric optimism into a mixed pre-modern and post-modern context. Given that there are diverse representatives of these realms of belief alive today in our society, the current singular policy emphasis on CBT is anti-democratic and insensitive to diversity. The paradox of this restrictive policy is that CBT itself is now a very diverse set of practices held together mainly by a faith in evidence-based practice. Consequently, a version of pluralism is being tolerated on the supply side of mental health services but a full offer of true choice is not being made on the demand side.     

Mental health attitudes among Middle Eastern/North African individuals in the United States

ABSTRACT

Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) individuals may have heightened risk for developing mental health problems due to unique cultural stressors. However, traditional cultural and religious practices and beliefs socialised within the family environment may reduce the likelihood of seeking mental health services. This qualitative study aimed to better understand the intersection of cultural, religious, and mental health attitudes among MENA individuals. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with MENA adults who had received therapy services (N?=?13) and were analysed for emergent themes. Respondents reported lack of understanding of mental illness within their communities, and prominent levels of perceived and self-stigma. Families and religious practices/beliefs played an important role in responding to mental illness. Results suggest that incorporating psychoeducation and community awareness campaigns alongside religious services may help to reduce barriers to receiving mental health treatment.     

Koran reading and negotiation with jinn: strategies to deal with mental ill health among Swedish Somalis

In this paper, we discuss traditional Somali concepts of mental ill health. Qualitative interviews were conducted with some 20 Swedish Somali interviewees about factors causing mental ill health, traditional classification, strategies to deal with mental ill health, and attitudes to the mental health care services in Sweden. Social mobilisation and religious healing are cornerstones of traditional Somali measures to deal with mental suffering. Traditional Somali views of mental ill health stand in stark contrast to classification of mental ill health in the western biomedical model. These views deserve attention since they may have an impact on health-seeking behaviour among Somali immigrants in western countries. Yet a too strong focus on cultural aspects may over-shadow the fact that much mental suffering among Somali migrants must be understood within social, economic, and political contexts.     

Effect of Islamic psycho-spiritual therapy in managing craving,withdrawal symptoms,and mental health problems among cannabis users

ABSTRACT

The present study is an examination of Islamic psycho-spiritual therapy in managing craving, withdrawal symptoms, and mental health problems among cannabis users. Homogeneous purposive sampling was used in the selection of the sample. The therapy and administration of three scales (Marijuana Craving Scale Short Form; Cannabis Withdrawal Scale; Mental Health Inventory) were undertaken among 40 Muslim male cannabis users whose age ranged between 14 and 37 years on pre- and post-test analysis. The results highlighted the significant differences in the respective dimensions of the Craving and Withdrawal Scales and the Mental Health Inventory such as compulsivity, emotionality, expectancy and purposefulness, withdrawal intensity and negative impact of withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, depression, loss of behavioural/emotional control, emotional ties, life satisfaction, psychological distress, psychological well-being, and mental health index.     

Who is David and who is Goliath? The Eddie Long scandal and the black mega-church

The recent scandal involving Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has led millions of individuals to evaluate the guilt or innocence of Bishop Long as well the significance of the black mega-church. This study examined the possible effects of a well-publicised scandal involving a black mega-church pastor on the mental health of African Americans within and outside of the church. To address this paucity in the research, over 3000 comments made by anonymous contributors on CNN's public website were analysed using a grounded theory methodology. The following five themes were identified: (1) Keep an Open Mind: “Most People Thrive on Negativity;” (2) Hypocrisy as Part of Religion: “They aren’t real Christians;” (3) Greed as Part of Religion: “Just in it for the money;” (4) Religion and/or Christianity as Problematic: “Christians scare the Jesus out of me;” and (5) Religious Leaders Actions are separate from Individuals’ Personal Faith and Their Relationship with God: “You don’t put your faith in a man.” Narratives will be offered to support and illustrate each of these themes, and the implications for the mental health of African Americans will be discussed.