No Ordinary Life: Complex Narratives of Trauma and Resilience in Under-Resourced Communities

This investigation examines the occurrence and impact of chronic adversity for young adults who grew up amidst poverty and community violence. Young adults in such contexts, particularly those who have been involved with the courts, are not commonly conceptualized through the developmental lens of complex trauma but rather described by maladaptive behaviors and risk to society. This grounded theory analysis explored how participants perceive and make meaning of their experiences. Interview data revealed consistent narratives of childhood neglect and psychological maltreatment, chronic loss, intergenerational trauma exposure, and the resulting survival-based adaptation. We identified 3 primary themes across the participant narratives: (a) lack of need fulfillment; paradoxical experience of self, others, and the world; and persistent sense of purpose and meaning. Findings illuminated the complexity of ongoing struggle, adaptation, and resilience in adult survivors. The need for an increased focus in trauma-informed treatment of adults in underresourced communities is discussed.     

Relations between symptom severity,illness perceptions,visceral sensitivity,coping strategies and well-being in irritable bowel syndrome guided by the common sense model of illness

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common condition affecting around 10–20% of the population and associated with poorer psychological well-being and quality of life. The aim of the current study was to explore the efficacy of the Common Sense Model (CSM) using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in an IBS cohort. One hundred and thirty-one IBS patients (29 males, 102 females, mean age 38 years) participating in the IBSclinic.org.au pre-intervention assessment were included. Measures included IBS severity (Irritable Bowel Syndrome Severity Scoring System), coping patterns (Carver Brief COPE), visceral sensitivity (Visceral Sensitivity Index), illness perceptions (Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire), psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), and quality of life (IBS Quality of Life scale; IBS-QoL). Using SEM, a final model with an excellent fit was identified (χ² (8) = 11.91, p = .16, χ²/N = 1.49, CFI > .98, TLI > .96, SRMR < .05). Consistent with the CSM, Illness perceptions were significantly and directly influenced by IBS severity (β = .90, p < .001). Illness perceptions in turn directly influenced maladaptive coping (β = .40, p < .001) and visceral sensitivity (β = .70, p < .001). Maladaptive coping and visceral sensitivity were significantly associated with psychological distress (β = .55, p < .001; β = .22, p < .01) and IBS-QoL (β = –.28, p < .001; β = –.62, p < .001). Based on these findings, we argue that to augment the adverse impact of IBS severity on IBS-QoL and psychological distress, psychological interventions will be best to target the mediating psychological processes including illness beliefs, visceral sensitivity and maladaptive coping.     

The effects of anxiety and depression on in vitro fertilisation outcomes of infertile Chinese women

The object was to assess anxiety and depression during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment and determine IVF-related psychological factors in infertile Chinese women. The self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to evaluate anxiety and depression among 842 patients, respectively. A univariate analysis was used to compare variables among three SAS groups and three SDS groups. Anxiety and depression were both represented in 21.3% of the cases. Patients <35 years tended to be more anxious. In women <35 years, the SDS scores were higher with lower educational backgrounds and female or couple’s infertility, while the SAS scores were higher in female or couple’s infertility. In older ones, the SDS scores were higher in those with lower educational backgrounds and longer time for infertility, while the SAS scores were higher in those with lower educational backgrounds. In SAS groups 1–3, the embryo availability was 5.0 (3.0–8.0), 5.0 (3.0–8.0), and 3.0 (2.0–4.5) (p = .013); and the fertilisation rate was 91.9, 90.4, and 81.8% (p < .001), respectively. We concluded that infertile women experience anxiety and depression during IVF treatment, especially in women <35 years. Younger women with female infertility would be more anxious and depressive while higher education can protect them from depression. In older ones, they would experience more depressive with longer time for infertility and be less anxious and depressive with higher education. Anxiety affects the fertilisation rate and embryo availability.     

Examining maternal age,breastfeeding self-efficacy and health locus of control in psychological wellbeing of mothers

We investigated the direct and interaction influence of maternal age, breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE), health locus of control (HLOC) on six dimensions of psychological wellbeing of breastfeeding mothers in Lagos, Nigeria. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 291 mothers attending health facilities in two suburb local government areas. The survey included socio-demographics (maternal age, marital status, ethnicity, education level and position of the baby currently breastfeeding), breastfeeding self-efficacy, health locus of control and psychological wellbeing scales. Independent variables were tested against sense of autonomy, positive relations with others, purpose in life, self-acceptance, environmental mastery and personal growth using factorial Multivariate Analysis of Variance. Results showed direct influence of BSE, HLOC and maternal age on various dimensions of psychological wellbeing. Interaction influences indicate BSE and HLOC on environmental mastery; BSE and maternal age on self-acceptance and HLOC and maternal age on sense of autonomy, positive relationship with others and self-acceptance respectively. In conclusion, maternal age, breastfeeding self-efficacy and health locus of control are vital for mothers to enjoy plenty dimensions of psychological wellbeing. Breastfeeding mothers need to be confident in their abilities to breastfeed and have control over their health-related behaviour in order to enjoy sufficient dimensions of psychological wellbeing.     

Reading the Lucan call of the first disciples differently: the voices of sensing and intuition

Abstract

This article argues that discipleship is a notion of growing importance to the Christian denominations and that the Marcan narrative of the call of the first disciples has been of particular importance in giving shape to this notion. The Lucan narrative of the call of the first disciple, involving the great catch of fish, is problematic in two ways, concerning its relationship with the Marcan understanding of call and also with the Johannine post-resurrection narrative. Against this background this article reports on an empirical study, drawing on the reader perspective and on the SIFT approach to biblical hermeneutics, that illuminates the distinctive voices of sensing types and intuitive types reading Luke 5: 1–7.     

心理特权:概念、测量及相关研究

心理特权是指一种感到有权利获得优待、被豁免社会责任的稳定而普遍的主观信念或知觉,在不同的领域可以表现为学业特权感、消费者特权感、职场特权感等。心理特权能够使个体变得自恋,诱发人际冲突、自私行为和攻击行为等。影响心理特权的因素主要有生活经历、教养方式、依恋类型、社会经济地位、组织环境等情境因素和自我同情、主观建构、平等主义价值观等个体因素。未来研究应深入探究心理特权的概念与结构,拓展其研究方法,强化纵向研究以及本土化研究,并进一步探究影响心理特权的可能因素和避免(或减弱)心理特权消极后果的方法。     

自我欺骗:为了调节个体心理状态

本研究旨在探索自我欺骗的研究方法、产生的原因和认知机制,以及这一领域中有待解决的新问题。近期研究发现:基于自我欺骗产生的动机特点,主要存在三类不同的定义方式,大多数心理学家是基于第三类定义来研究自我欺骗。研究方法上,适用性较强的自欺问卷是自欺性提升量表(SDE),操作性较强的经典实验范式是点追踪任务。在认知过程的任一阶段中,调节心理状态是个体产生自我欺骗的直接动机,改变个体的心理状态或对事物的模糊感知可能阻止个体自我欺骗的产生。未来应从如何调节个体心理状态的角度探讨和研究自我欺骗,能够利用点追踪任务,结合ERPs或fMRI技术为之后研究自欺产生的具体阶段、认知机制以及神经机制提供实证研究基础。     

班级结构对留守儿童心理健康的影响:同化还是对比效应?

基于河南和陕西两省17所农村学校4~9年级103个班级内4021名学生的调查数据,分析了班级结构(一般农村儿童在班级中所占比例)对不同家庭背景儿童心理健康的影响机制.采用学校固定效应模型控制校际间差异后发现:(1)对于自尊和未来压力感知,班级结构存在对比效应,即班级内一般农村儿童比例越高,留守儿童的自尊水平越低,特殊结构家庭的儿童会感知到的未来压力更大,但对一般农村家庭儿童的影响不显著;(2)对于抑郁症状,班级结构则存在同化效应,即所在班级内其他学生的平均抑郁水平对个体自身的抑郁症状有显著的预测作用.     

灾后孤儿创伤后应激障碍的发生发展及其认知神经机制

灾后孤儿亲历双重重大创伤, 是创伤后应激障碍(post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD)的高发群体; 同时, 巨大创伤对其认知功能和行为模式也带来一定程度的影响。本研究拟以灾后孤儿这一特殊群体为研究对象, 考察“PTSD发生发展及其认知神经机制”, 具体如下：(1) 采用序列研究设计, 展开灾后孤儿PTSD流行病学调查, 描述其PTSD发生发展、变化的轨迹和时程特点; (2) 展开横断研究, 考察灾后孤儿认知发展特点, 并通过结构方程模型, 揭示其PTSD发生发展的心理行为机制; (3) 采用眼动和脑电技术展开比较研究, 考察罹患PTSD孤儿的认知神经机制。本研究的研究结果将对今后的灾后孤儿安置及心理援助提供科学建议; 为有针对性地提供心理干预、制定心理干预的总体规划提供科学依据; 力争为今后孤儿的创伤心理的诊断、干预效果评估提供科学客观的指标和方法。     

全球化时代跨界民族国家认同的心理机制

全球化迅速改变着传统的生活方式和观念, 影响着人们的国家认同建构。跨界民族的国家认同具有复杂性、模糊性和不稳定性, 在全球化时代受到的冲击更大。一旦跨界民族的国家认同偏低, 就会影响跨界民族的国家情感, 危及边疆地区甚至国家的社会稳定。本项目拟通过4个研究, 预期实现以下目标：①将国家认同分成文化认同和公民认同两种成分, 并编制符合民族实际状况的跨界民族国家认同问卷; ②探讨民族认同、穆斯林认同在群际歧视知觉与国家认同间的中介作用; ③理清民族内隐理论对国家认同的影响; ④探讨管理体制、民生政策、经济发展水平和民族政策对国家认同的影响, 并尝试建立跨界民族国家认同数据库, 及时把握跨界民族国家认同的动态建构过程。研究结果对完善民族政策、开展宣传教育具有一定的指导意义。