Assessing Trauma Impact,Recovery, and Resiliency in Refugees of War

Abstract

This paper describes the psychometric properties and process of using the Multidimensional Trauma Recovery and Resiliency Scale (MTRR) with 83 untreated war-affected adolescent and adult refugees of diverse cultures, family of origin, age, gender, and time since the war. The MTRR met reliability, validity, and utility criteria with this convenience sample. This paper discusses modifications made to the MTRR-I format, questions, and prompts to enable work with the wide range of ages and cultures represented in the sample. The results support the MTRR as a tool that may have the ability to capture the complexity of culture as well as measure a variety of trauma responses and work with other measurements. Limitations of the study and avenues of future research are discussed.     

Associations between rating content and self-other agreement in multi-source feedback

In a study of the ratings of managers' behaviour made by themselves, their supervisors, subordinates, and peers, it was found that degree of similarity between self-ratings and ratings by colleagues was significantly associated with three aspects of rating content: the observability of a behaviour, its desirability, and the degree to which it concerned technical rather than interpersonal activities. However, these associations with rating content depended on which of two indices of between-rater similarity was studied, in terms of either the correlation or the difference between ratings. The desirability of behaviour more influenced correlation measures of similarity, and the type of behaviour had more influence on difference scores: managers over-rated their interpersonal activities but not their technical effectiveness.     

Parental object representations,attachment to God,and recovery among individuals with psychosis

This study explored the relationships between object representations of mother and father and recovery among outpatients with psychotic disorders, and examined the role of attachment to God in moderating those relationships. A total of 46 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder participated. Benevolent representations of mother and father were associated with recovery whereas punitive representations were negatively associated with recovery. Secure attachment to God amplified the association between benevolent representations of father and recovery. Secure attachment to God was found to buffer the relationship between mild-to-moderate punitive parental representations and recovery; however, this relationship was not evident for those with the most punitive parental representations. Directions for future research and clinical implications are discussed.     

What members of Alcoholics Anonymous really believe

Many mental health professionals work with people who are members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or may benefit from AA attendance. This article provides practical information about AA that professionals can use to understand and work with people in AA. It is a summary of a survey of 187 members of AA as well as synthesising the literature on AA. Specifically, it describes what AA is, the twelve steps and principles that underlie them, common AA expressions and how they can be used in therapy, common concerns about AA, and how to get more information about AA. Implications of how AA's steps and language can be incorporated into therapy, how therapy can facilitate working the steps of AA, and how to address consumers’ (or professionals’) concerns about AA are addressed.     

Positive living: A pilot study of group positive psychotherapy for people with schizophrenia

Positive psychology interventions target positive emotions in order to increase happiness, engagement in life, and well being while also ameliorating the impact of symptoms on a person's life. We examined an adapted version of group positive psychotherapy for people with schizophrenia (Positive Living (PL)) in a pilot study. Sixteen participants were recruited to participate in two separate PL groups and were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and at 3-month follow-up. We examined feasibility of this intervention in addition to a preliminary exploration of well-being outcomes including psychological well-being, hope, savoring, and self-esteem as well as clinically related outcomes including symptoms, psychological recovery, and social functioning. Findings indicate that the PL group was feasible and associated with possible improvements in psychological well-being, hope, savoring, psychological recovery, self-esteem, and psychiatric symptoms.     

被动性社交网站使用与初中生抑郁的关系：链式中介效应分析

为探讨被动性社交网站使用、冗思、核心自我评价与初中生抑郁的关系,本研究采用被动性社交网站使用问卷、冗思问卷、核心自我评价问卷以及流调中心用抑郁量表对673名初中生进行调查研究。结果显示：（1）被动性社交网站使用与冗思和抑郁均呈显著正相关,而与核心自我评价呈显著负相关;核心自我评价与冗思、抑郁呈显著负相关;冗思与抑郁呈显著正相关;（2）被动性社交网站使用不仅对初中生抑郁具有显著的直接预测作用,而且能够通过三种间接效应对抑郁产生影响,即核心自我评价的单独中介作用、冗思的单独中介作用以及二者的链式中介作用。     

Guidelines for Writing Letters to Patients

Patient letters provide a permanent record of the genetic counseling that was provided and are unique in medical care; rarely do other health care providers send summaries written specifically to their patients and families. We surveyed genetic counseling training program directors and found that while the acquisition of patient letter-writing skills was considered important, there were no specific guidelines made available to students. To develop letter-writing guidelines, we evaluated patient letters, reviewed references on professional correspondence, surveyed the medical literature, and worked with a writing consultant. The guidelines we subsequently developed and present here include a format for writing patient letters, suggestions on presenting medical information in understandable terms, and wording considerations. These patient letter-writing guidelines are intended to serve as a guide for teaching students this important skill and as a resource for practicing health care professionals.     

Does service failure influence customer loyalty?

There is a general consensus that customer loyalty to service providers is not solely dependent upon their level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. However, the identified antecedents of loyalty remain, at best, highly speculative. The aim of this extensive literature review is to give some understanding of the nature of customer loyalty and the antecedent effects of service dissatisfaction. The research reviewed suggests that customer loyalty is an attitudinal state, reflecting value, trust and commitment within supplier–customer relationships. Satisfaction is one of several antecedents of loyalty. A key influence on loyalty is the offer of unique value‐delivering advantages not provided by competitors. Thus firms need to develop positive value‐based exit barriers to achieve loyalty. When service failures occur, the recovery process is likely to have a greater impact on loyalty than the original service failure. The key to successful recoveries was found to be the customer's perception of ‘fairness’. Recovery programmes must get it right first time. Customers who remain dissatisfied after a complaint has been handled are more dissatisfied than if no recovery attempt had been made. Dissatisfaction and customer satiation are major causes of a customer's exit. The solution to customer satiation is dynamic value creation. Collection and monitoring of customer data is needed for success and two‐way communication is vital. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications.     

Blood pressure and heart rate responses to an intrusion on personal space

Abstract: Yaezawa and Yoshida's (1981 ) findings on the effects of an intrusion on personal space were reinvestigated. Thirty-five female students were confronted with the approach of a male stranger, and blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored. Throughout the model's approach, HR showed a significant triphasic change (an initial decrease, a subsequent increase, and then a secondary decrease), whereas subjective feelings of anxiety and tension showed significant, gradual increases. These trends were similar to those of Yaezawa and Yoshida's . Nonetheless, their explanation that the triphasic change in HR reflected once hightened and then relieved tension, which was incongruent with the subjective ratings, seemed questionable. As the BP elevated to a moderate degree in spite of the modest HR changes, total peripheral resistance must have been increasing during the model's approach. Blood pressure elevations via this sort of hemodynamic pressor mechanisms have often been reported when a person can only tolerate passively during exposure to stress. This seems to be the case in an intrusion on personal space.     

记忆自然恢复的多高峰现象与记忆保持的生理节律论

以５．５～６岁幼儿为对象,自１９８９—１９９１年用三种不同性质学习材料,进行三次实验。有效被试人数为２６８,５７３,３６６人。表明学习后４０天内多次呈现记忆自然恢复高峰。１９９２年数学实验表明学习后第７天复习（高峰期）的长时记忆效果优于第５天（低谷期）。现有记忆理论无法解释本现象。提出了以学习为始点的生理活动节律对保持材料自动加固的理论。