Group psychotherapy with the aging gay male: Treatment of choice

This article summarizes many issues facing gay men as they age. Aging for gay men is a complex phenomenon involving identity, self-esteem, internalized homophobia, stereotypes about older gay men, and the paucity of positive gay male images or role models to help direct their development. In this article, I will attempt to illuminate some of the complex variables of aging, as well as illustrate through case examples that group psychotherapy is a particularly helpful forum for skills development for middle age and older gay men. The themes covered include: 1) commitment struggles—especially anxiety management and conflict resolution, 2) self-esteem regulation, 3) projections and internalizations, 4) capacity for intimacy, and 5) unresolved grief and loss due to the impact of AIDS: Alone vs. Lonely.     

Forgiveness in adolescents, young, middle-aged, and older adults

The evolution of the propensity to forgive an offense was studied in a sample of 236 people from various age groups. The effect of a number of circumstances connected with the offense was considered: intent to harm, severity of consequences, cancellation of consequences, social proximity to the offender, apologies from the offender, and the attitude of others. The method was an application of information integration theory. A global increase in the propensity to forgive from adolescence to old age was observed. Several interactions between age and circumstances were found: (a) The effect of the cancellation factor was higher in young adolescents and in the very old than in the middle-aged, (b) the attitude of others and the restoration of harmony factors were important only in adolescents. Finally, the structure of the Forgiveness schema was shown to be an additive one, regardless of the age of the participants.     

Openness with patients: a categorical imperative to correct an imbalance

This paper examines the concept of ‘openness with patients’ from the stand-point of the limitations of biomedical ethics. Initially we review contemporary critiques of bioethics and, in particular, of principlism; we relate how other; somewhat neglected, forms of medical ethics can yield useful information and provide moral guidance. The main section of the paper then shows how a bioethical approach to openness misses the social context in our example, the viewpoints of patients; we present some of the increasing wealth of research evidence which points towards patients wanting more information and a greater degree of openness. Finally we put forward that a principlist’s objection to active encouragement of openness might be based on the risk of infringing upon the ‘right not to know’. We reject this by arguing how rights can be trumped. Dr. Anthony S. Kessel, BSc, MBBS, Mphil, MSc, is a general practitioner, medical ethicist and currently specialist registrar (Barking & Havering Health Authority)/Honorary lecturer in public health medicine in the Epidemiology Unit, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.     

Homeless women and their families: Characteristics,life circumstances,and needs

This study investigated the needs of a sample of 100 women from shelters for the homeless in Richmond, Virginia. The women's responses to a 117-item interview were used to obtain information regarding their domicilary status, work history, educational background, family and health history, social support, reasons for homelessness, and social service needs. The results indicated that a significant number of the women had moved as many as six times within the past five years for various reasons, including domestic violence, interpersonal conflict, overcrowding, and eviction. Many women were high school graduates and had job skills in the health care, educational, and clerical fields. Most women were raised by their natural or extended family and the majority of them had a friend or family member who provided social support. Identified needs included housing, food, clothing, and transportation. The needs of homeless women and their children were different from the needs of the homeless chronically mentally ill and require specialized services as well as an increase in the available number of low-income housing units.     

POSITIVE PRACTICE OVERCORRECTION: THE EFFECTS OF DURATION OF POSITIVE PRACTICE ON ACQUISITION AND RESPONSE REDUCTION

The effects of long and short durations of positive practice overcorrection were studied, for reduction of off-task behavior after an instruction to perform an object-placement task. Off-task behavior, correct responses, and approximate responses were all observed. Off-task behavior received positive practice. The short and long practice durations (30 seconds and 3 minutes) produced equally rapid reduction of off-task behavior and acquisition of correct object-placement performance. Over sessions, much less time was required for positive practice when the short practice duration was used. Approximate responses, which also avoided positive practice, occurred at low rates relative to correct responding. Negative side effects were observed to occur primarily during sessions with long positive practice. These results indicate that use of short durations of positive practice can reduce the practice time required and negative side effects, with no loss of training effectiveness either for reducing inappropriate behavior or increasing a desired alternative behavior.     

Computational aspects of the greatest lower bound to the reliability and constrained minimum trace factor analysis

In the last decade several algorithms for computing the greatest lower bound to reliability or the constrained minimum-trace communality solution in factor analysis have been developed. In this paper convergence properties of these methods are examined. Instead of using Lagrange multipliers a new theorem is applied that gives a sufficient condition for a symmetric matrix to be Gramian. Whereas computational pitfalls for two methods suggested by Woodhouse and Jackson can be constructed it is shown that a slightly modified version of one method suggested by Bentler and Woodward can safely be applied to any set of data. A uniqueness proof for the solution desired is offered.The authors are obliged to Charles Lewis and Dirk Knol for helpful comments, and to Frank Brokken and Henk Camstra for developing computer programs.     

Time out from Stress: Camp Program and Parenting Groups for Homeless Mothers

This paper describes a camp program for homeless families and parenting groups aimed at discussing issues related to parenting while homeless. In groups and individual interviews, the women shared stories about multiple problems that negatively impacted parent/child relationships and their ability to maintain employment and residential stability. These problems included domestic violence, sexual abuse, and substance abuse. Evaluation of the camp program indicated that services available in the community and those provided by shelters were limited and mothers often had difficulties utilizing services.     

我国艾滋病流行的特点

我国艾滋病的流行有其自身的特点：１．人口多,多发病低,即使以目前的估计ＨＩＶ感染数３０万计,在世界上仍属极低水平;２．传播途径以吸毒为主,性传播为次,二者约为１０与１之比,这和世界各国正好相反;３．高危人群ＨＩＶ阳性率,指性病门诊者,妓女（暗娼）的阳性率都极低,约占０．０６％～０．０７％。目前我国还是以男性吸毒者为主要防治对象。     

Gerotranscendence and the Functions of Reminiscence

In the present investigation, different functions of reminiscence have been empirically studied in relation to the developmental changes described in the theory of gerotranscendence, a theory dealing with human development towards maturity and wisdom. The phenomenon of gerotranscendence and the functions of reminiscence are, according to our analyses, intertwined. Since gerotranscendence is largely about the change and reconstruction of identity and personal frames of reference, this also means that the common continuity-oriented theoretical perspective on reminiscence has to be questioned. Reminiscence can have functions other than that of stabilizing an already developed identity. It can just as well play an instrumental role in developmental change and reconstruction of the identity and in our perception of the world.     

Wave of Memory

This article explores theories of selfhood by juxtaposing them against an individual's lived experience. As Ronald Manheimer reflects upon his friendship with Hildegard, a student from one of the classes that he taught at a senior center in Olympia, Washington, he compares this experience with that described by various theories of selfhood. Building on the linguistic self, the narrative self, and the relational self, Manheimer posits a self that exists through time within a network of relationships, not a fixed determined self, but a dynamic self, subject to revision and reimagining.