Intergroup contact experience and frequency as predictors of cross-racial attitudes

This study examined the relationships between contact frequency, experiences of intergroup contact and a number of demographic intergroup variables. A telephone survey was conducted among 544 blacks (57.5% male; 42.5% female) and 478 whites (44.6% male; 55.4% female). Three CHAID models with attitudes towards blacks and Afrikaans-speaking and English-speaking whites as dependant variables were investigated. Contact experience rather than frequency was the most significant predictor of racial attitudes. Age and geographical location were significant predictors of black attitudes towards the two white groups. A complex web of factors seems to influence intergroup relations in culturally heterogeneous societies.     

Relationship between religious belief and happiness in Oman: a statistical analysis

This paper explores the relationship between religiosity and happiness among the multicultural people in Oman. A sample of 335 respondents from all walks of life in Oman was analysed using the mean happiness value and their religiousness, religion, age, education level and nationality. The findings were verified using regression and correlation analysis. It was observed that regardless of the religious belief, the level of happiness among people increases with the increasing level of religiousness. The findings could be useful not only to the general public, but also to psychologist and mental health professionals. People with depression, suicidal tendencies, low self-esteem and so on may possibly be treated with religious practices and activities. If such techniques show effectiveness, they may help to bring improvements in mental health and well-being treatments. One unique aspect of this study is that the sample consisted of people from various nationalities, religions and cultural backgrounds living in Oman.     

Confort au travail : Le rôle de l'attachement et de la personnalisation dans la perception de la qualité de l'espace de travail

This article investigates the links between personalization, workplace attachment and perceived workplace quality. Participants (N = 116) work in the same office building. This investigation focus also about the office ability to improve intimacy and appropriation by owners (open space, individual office, shared office). As we were expecting, we observe an effective link between personalization and workplace attachment, and perceived workplace quality. The overall results lead to the conclusion of a solid link between attachment and perceived workplace quality. We will discuss our conclusions furthermore and we will offer recommendations.     

基于文本阅读的间接接触也可改善公众对残疾人的态度

以镶嵌残疾人图片的正性行为描述性信息为文本阅读材料,以大学生为被试,采用概念启动范式,考察了健全人对残疾人态度改善的可能性.研究结果表明,阅读残疾人正性行为描述性材料不仅可以降低健全人对残疾人的负性认知评价,而且可以提高其对残疾人的钦佩感和减弱其对残疾人的嫌弃感,同时也可提高健全人对该类人群的积极趋近行为和减弱对该类人群的消极趋近和消极回避行为,从而证明基于文本阅读的间接接触可改善公众对残疾人的负性态度的假设.因此,创造条件鼓励残疾人尽力发挥其积极的社会功能,引导和塑造其身残志不残的品质,有助于改善健全人对该类人群的消极态度.     

Stepparents and Parenting Stress: The Roles of Gender,Marital Quality,and Views about Gender Roles

Previous research suggests that stepparenting can be stressful, although the mechanisms that contribute to the experience of parenting stress in stepfamilies are less clear. This study examines gender, marital quality, and views about gendered family roles as correlates of parenting stress among 310 stepmothers, stepfathers, and biological mothers and fathers. Findings suggest that stepparents, and especially stepmothers, experience higher levels of parenting stress than biological parents. Findings also suggest that less traditional views about gendered family roles and higher dyadic adjustment are associated with lower parenting stress for stepparents, particularly in combination. Stepparents reporting both of these protective factors were indistinguishable in terms of parenting stress from biological parents. These findings indicate potential pathways to mitigate the stress associated with stepparenting.     

Governance Processes and Change Within Organizational Participants of Multi-sectoral Community Health Care Alliances: The Mediating Role of Vision,Mission, Strategy Agreement and Perceived Alliance Value

Multi-sectoral community health care alliances are organizations that bring together individuals and organizations from different industry sectors to work collaboratively on improving the health and health care in local communities. Long-term success and sustainability of alliances are dependent on their ability to galvanize participants to take action within their ‘home’ organizations and institutionalize the vision, goals, and programs within participating organizations and the broader community. The purpose of this study was to investigate two mechanisms by which alliance leadership and management processes may promote such changes within organizations participating in alliances. The findings of the study suggest that, despite modest levels of change undertaken by participating organizations, more positive perceptions of alliance leadership, decision making, and conflict management were associated with a greater likelihood of participating organizations making changes as a result of their participation in the alliance, in part by promoting greater vision, mission, and strategy agreement and higher levels of perceived value. Leadership processes had a stronger relationship with change within participating organizations than decision-making style and conflict management processes. Open-ended responses by participants indicated that participating organizations most often incorporated new measures or goals into their existing portfolio of strategic plans and activities in response to alliance participation.     

老年膀胱癌患者术后生活质量及其影响因素的研究

调查老年膀胱癌患者术后生活质量现状及其影响因素,为护理干预和健康管理提供依据。选择我院2013年6月至2014年1月收治的老年膀胱癌患者142例作为研究对象,于患者术后3个月采用膀胱癌特异性量表（FACT-BL）,社会支持评定量表（SSRS）进行数据收集。结果老年膀胱癌患者术后FACT-BL平均得分为（94．33＆#177;8．31）分,SSRS平均得分为（33．70＆#177;4．42）分,不同手术方式躯体状况（PWB）,社会/家庭状况（FWB）,FACT-BL 得分差异具有统计学意义（P＜0．05）,老年膀胱癌患者术后生活质量与社会支持呈正相关关系（P＜0．05）。手术方式与老年膀胱癌患者术后生活质量密切相关,应结合患者的具体情况选择合适的手术方式,实时观察患者的社会支持水平。     

Is there an association between severity of illness and psychiatric symptoms in patients with chronic renal failure?

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a frequent condition in elderly subjects, and it is associated with psychiatric comorbidity, especially depressive symptoms. Purpose of the present research was to compare patients with different severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in terms of psychiatric symptoms. One hundred CKD subjects were randomly selected among those attending the Department of Nephrology, University of Milan. The patients were evaluated through the following rating scales: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), Kidney Disease Quality of Life- Short Form (KDQOL-SF) and Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). A multivariable linear regression analysis was performed considering eGFR as continuous-dependent variable and rating scale scores as independent variables. A worse eGFR significantly correlated with the score about the effects of kidney disease on daily life (r = 0.25, p = 0.01) and the burden of kidney disease (r = 0.18, p = 0.05). Statistical significance of kidney disease on daily life persisted also in the final multivariate model (t = 2.04, p = 0.04). Severity of renal dysfunction seems to influence few psychiatric outcomes, particularly those related to quality of life and daily functioning. This result might depend on the over-worrying derived from the necessity to start a renal replacement therapy in the near future.     

Anxiety,depression, and health-related quality of life in aging people living with HIV compared to diabetes patients and patients with minor health conditions: a longitudinal study

HIV infection has evolved from a fatal to a treatable condition, leading to an increase in the rate of elderly People Living with HIV (PLWH). However, little is known about the psychosocial burden of elderly PLWH. Thus, the aim of this longitudinal multi-center cohort study was to investigate whether elderly PLWH experience more anxiety and depression and reduced health related quality of life (HRQOL) compared to elderly patients with other chronic conditions. PLWH were compared to diabetes patients (DM) and patients with minor health conditions (MHC), e.g. patients with hypertension or allergic conditions. All patients were over 50 years old. Anxiety and depression (HADS) as well as HRQOL (SF-36) were assessed at baseline and after 12 months. 218 PLWH, 249 DM and 254 MHC were included. At baseline, the study groups did not differ in anxiety, depression, and physical HRQOL. However, PLWH indicated lower mental HRQOL than DM and MHC patients (p = 0.001). We did not obtain any moderating effects showing a differential effect of patient characteristics on anxiety, depression, and HRQOL in the three patient groups. At follow-up, the level of anxiety, depression, and HRQOL did not change significantly. The prevalence of anxiety ranged between 27 and 35%, and that of depression between 17 and 28%. Thus, the results of our investigation tentatively suggest that the psychosocial adaptation to HIV among elderly PLWH resembles those of other chronic diseases. There may be some subtle impairments, though, as PLWH experienced lower mental HRQOL.     

Body-image,quality of life and psychological distress: a comparison between kidney transplant patients and a matching healthy sample

The purpose of the current study was to assess the uniqueness of the condition of kidney transplant recipients in comparison to a sample of matching healthy peers in relation to body-image dissatisfaction and identification, quality of life and psychological distress. Participants were 45 kidney transplant recipients who were under follow-up care at a Transplant Unit of a major Medical Center, and a sample of 45 matching healthy peers. Measures were taken using self-report questionnaires [Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire (BIIQ), Body Identification Questionnaire (BIQ), Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI), and the SF-12]. The major findings were the following: (i) kidney transplant recipients reported lower levels of quality of life and higher levels of PsD when compared to their healthy peers; (ii) no difference in body-image dissatisfaction was found between the two studied groups; (iii) significant correlations between body-image dissatisfaction quality of life and PsD were found only in the kidney transplant recipients. The kidney transplantation condition has a moderating effect in the association between body-image dissatisfaction PsD but not in the association between body-image dissatisfaction and quality of life; (iv) kidney transplant recipients experienced higher levels of body identification than did their healthy peers. Taken together, these findings highlight the unique condition of kidney transplant recipients, as well as the function that body-image plays within the self.