Understanding humor styles and well-being: The importance of social relationships and gender

Individual differences in humor styles have been identified, and these humor styles appear to be differentially related to well-being. The present study sought to replicate and extend previous findings by (1) investigating whether the differential effects of humor styles on well-being may be explained by their associations with social support, and (2) whether the weak and inconsistent relationship between aggressive humor and well-being may be due to a moderating role of gender. A total of 826 undergraduate students completed a series of online standardized questionnaires, including the Humor Styles Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12). Mediation analyses revealed that the positive relationship between affiliative and self-enhancing humor and well-being was explained by a greater perceived availability of support. Meanwhile, the negative association between self-defeating humor and well-being was mediated by lower levels of perceived support. Moderation analyses provided preliminary support for the idea that an aggressive humor style may be related to higher levels of social support among men, and lower social support among women. Further research on the interpersonal context of humor and the role of gender in humor styles, social relationships, and well-being is warranted.     

Dementia and Suffering in Nursing Homes

SUMMARY

This paper uses case studies of challenging behaviour associated with dementia to demonstrate, firstly, that disturbed behaviour is often a manifestation of suffering caused by multiple phenomena such as medical problems or the care environment. Addressing these causes instead of simplistically ‘treating the behaviour’ usually reduces the behaviour. Secondly, staff distress with a particular difficult resident is often caused by more general fundamental problems such as a lack of support or knowledge. Addressing these problems reduces staff distress. Finally, results from a Swedish intervention study are presented. They show that suffering for both staff and residents can be reduced, and quality of life improved, by providing increased autonomy for hands-on staff, systematic emotional support, and collaboratively developing care plans based on each resident's emotional and physical needs, rather than the problems they present.     

Internet-Based and Other Computerized Psychological Treatments for Adult Depression: A Meta-Analysis

Computerized and, more recently, Internet-based treatments for depression have been developed and tested in controlled trials. The aim of this meta-analysis was to summarize the effects of these treatments and investigate characteristics of studies that may be related to the effects. In particular, the authors were interested in the role of personal support when completing a computerized treatment. Following a literature search and coding, the authors included 12 studies, with a total of 2446 participants. Ten of the 12 studies were delivered via the Internet. The mean effect size of the 15 comparisons between Internet-based and other computerized psychological treatments vs. control groups at posttest was d = 0.41 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.29–0.54). However, this estimate was moderated by a significant difference between supported (d = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.45–0.77) and unsupported (d = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.14–0.35) treatments. The authors conclude that although more studies are needed, Internet and other computerized treatments hold promise as potentially evidence-based treatments of depression.     

社会支持与主观幸福感关系的元分析

研究目的是探讨基于社会支持评定量表的社会支持与主观幸福感的相关,并探讨影响二者关系的研究特征.纳入元分析86篇原始研究,产生了89个独立样本,样本总量为32948.结果显示,主观支持、客观支持和支持利用度,与主观幸福感总体、生活满意度、积极情感之间存在中等程度的显著正相关,与消极情感之间呈中等程度的显著负相关.二者之间的相关受被试群体类型的调节,即在不同被试群体中二者的相关大小不同.     

支气管哮喘伴发抑郁与人格、应对和社会支持的关系分析

研究分析支气管哮喘伴发抑郁与人格、应对和社会支持的关系。对216例支气管哮喘患者应用自评抑郁量表、大五人格量表、特质应对方式问卷和社会支持评定量表进行调查,对收集到的数据进行Pearson相关分析、多元逐步回归分析和路径分析。结果显示49．1％的支气管哮喘患者存在不同程度的抑郁情绪;哮喘患者的抑郁程度、人格、应对方式和社会支持之间存在着不同程度的显著相关;人格、应对和社会支持都是影响支气管哮喘伴发抑郁的影响因素,人格的神经质是其重要的预测因素,它除了能直接影响哮喘患者的抑郁程度,还能通过社会支持和应对方式对其起间接的作用。研究提示人格的神经质、公正严谨性和消极应对方式是支气管哮喘伴发抑郁的直接的预测因素。     

慢性粒细胞白血病治疗方案选择的分析

随着对慢性粒细胞白血病（CML）发病机制研究的深入,在细胞遗传学基础上引入了分子生物学技术,使CML的治疗提高到了个体化、系统化的新阶段。结合现代新兴的分子靶向治疗,对CML治疗方法发展概况辩证性、系统性地分析,指导临床选择合适的治疗方法,以争取达到最佳治疗效果。     

“You’re Just Saying That.” Contingencies of self-worth, suspicion, and authenticity in the interpersonal affirmation process

A model of the role and costs of contingent self-worth in the partner-affirmation process was tested. Actors whose self-worth was contingent on appearance or intelligence claimed to have expressed their particular heightened sensitivity to their romantic partners. Suggesting a cost to these reactions, actors’ beliefs about having expressed heightened sensitivity, in turn, predicted their doubts about the authenticity of partners’ positive feedback in the domain of contingency, independently of whether partners claimed to deliver inauthentic feedback. Suggesting a cost for partners, partners of contingent actors appeared to detect actors’ expressions of sensitivity in the domain of contingency and respond by delivering inauthentic feedback to actors in the domain, which in turn predicted partners’ increased relationship anxiety and decreased satisfaction. Results suggest that contingent self-worth may undermine the functioning of the partner-affirmation process through actors discrediting partners’ positive feedback and partners behaving in an inauthentic and controlled manner.     

Religiousness and College Student Alcohol Use: Examining the Role of Social Support

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of social support in the relationship between religiousness and alcohol use in a sample of college students. Two dimensions of religiousness: religious commitment and religious coping were examined as predictors of alcohol use. Participants were male and female college students (N = 221); the majority of the sample was Christian (73.8%). Emotional social support was tested as a mediator. Both religiousness dimensions and emotional social support were related to less frequent alcohol use; however, mediation was not supported. These findings indicate that religious commitment and dispositional religious coping are protective against alcohol use, yet social support does not account for this relationship.