Pain and Depressive Symptoms: Exploring Cognitive Fusion and Self-Compassion in a Moderated Mediation Model

The association between chronic pain (CP) and depression is complex and influenced by several psychological processes. Cognitive fusion (i.e. being entangled with one´s internal experiences) and self-compassion (i.e. being touched by one´s suffering, with a motivation to alleviate it) have been hypothesized as relevant psychological processes in physical and mental health, but few studies have addressed them in CP, and none in a comprehensive model relating pain intensity and depressive symptoms. This study tests, in a moderated mediation model, the mediator role of cognitive fusion between pain intensity and depressive symptoms, and the moderator effect of self-compassion in this mediation. In a cross-sectional study, 231 female CP patients (Age: M?=?48.51, SD?=?10.89) responded online self-report measures. PROCESS, an SPSS macro for conducting path analysis modeling, was used to test the hypothesized model. The model explained 63% of depressive symptoms, and cognitive fusion mediates the association between pain intensity and depressive symptoms. Also, self-compassion moderates this mediation (regardless of self-compassion being low, moderate or high). Although pain intensity is a predictor of depressive symptoms, fusion with thinking in general mediates this association, this relationship is buffered when patients are able to respond to setbacks and perceived shortcomings with self-kindness and warmth. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.     

Legitimizing the “War on Terror”: Political Myth in Official‐Level Rhetoric

This paper argues that mythical discourse affects political practice by imbuing language with power, shaping what people consider to be legitimate, and driving the determination to act. Drawing on Bottici's (2007 ) philosophical understanding of political myth as a process of work on a common narrative that answers the human need to ground events in significance, it contributes to the study of legitimization in political discourse by examining the role of political myth in official‐level U.S. war rhetoric. It explores how two ubiquitous yet largely invisible political myths, American Exceptionalism and Civilization vs. Barbarism, which have long defined America's ideal image of itself and its place in the world, have become staples in the language of the “War on Terror.” Through a qualitative analysis of the content of over 50 official texts containing lexical triggers of the two myths, this paper shows that senior officials of the Bush Administration have rhetorically accessed these mythical representations of the world in ways that legitimize and normalize the practices of the “War on Terror.”     

Concurrent and prospective associations between facial affect recognition accuracy and childhood antisocial behavior

This study examined the concurrent and prospective associations between children's ability to accurately recognize facial affect at age 8.5 and antisocial behavior at age 8.5 and 10.5 years in a sub sample of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort (5,396 children; 2,644, 49% males). All observed effects were small. It was found that at age 8.5 years, in contrast to nonantisocial children; antisocial children were less accurate at decoding happy and sad expressions when presented at low intensity. In addition, concurrent antisocial behavior was associated with misidentifying expressions of fear as expressions of sadness. In longitudinal analyses, children who misidentified fear as anger exhibited a decreased risk of antisocial behavior 2 years later. The study suggests that concurrent rather than future antisocial behavior is associated with facial affect recognition accuracy. Aggr. Behav. 36:305–314, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

重症医学科临床思维几点探讨

重症医学科危重病患者病情变化的错综复杂和诊治方法的特殊性对重症医学科医生的临床思维提出了新的要求,哲学的思维方法显得非常重要;本文对重症医学科医生临床思维中需经常面临的系统与局部、循证与经验、多学科协作、临床与人文之间的关系等重要问题进行初步的哲学思考。     

从比较治疗学角度看老年性黄斑变性的治疗决策

老年性黄斑变性(AMD)是发达国家中老年人群主要致盲眼病,患病率逐年上升。近年来其治疗方面取得很大进展,但治疗方法诸多,各种方案的疗效参差不齐。为了促进老年性黄斑变性治疗选择的最佳途径,本文通过利用检索国内外报道的文献,对其中老年性黄斑变性的治疗方法归纳总结,并运用比较治疗学的研究方法进行比较分析,旨在寻求最有效的治疗方案。     

《周易》田猎习武的军训观

《周易》的军事思想是丰富的,它多侧面地涉及了对古代军事斗争现象的理解和概括,其中也包括了军事斗争中的重要组成部分——田猎习武。在《周易》所取田猎之象中,真切地体现着《周易》的战争观念、军训观念。其中反对躁于用武的田猎观;田猎所体现的古朴的人道精神;田猎之义是为诛除丑类;以田猎形式来娴习征战技艺;田猎之获,演习着战争胜利的意义等等,质而言之,这就是它的战争观念。本文即专题探讨《周易》对古代田猎习武现象的认识及其所具有的观念。     

An 8-year follow-up of treated obese children: Children’s, process and parental predictors of successful outcome

Objective

This study presents an 8-year outcome of overweight children who were treated in an outpatient program and aims to identify child and familial variables associated with long-term weight regulation.

Methods

A total of 90 children participated with a mean age of 10.1 years ± 2.6 at baseline and a mean adjusted BMI (actual BMI/50th percentile of BMI for age and gender × 100) of 153.1 ± 20.7% at baseline participated in the 8-year follow-up (retrieval rate 71%; response rate 89%). Children’s and parental factors, administered at baseline and at follow-up were related to the success of the treatment.

Results

The children obtained a mean reduction of 8% in adjusted BMI at the 8-year follow-up. A total of 59 children (66%) were successful in obtaining weight control (i.e. maintaining their original % adjusted BMI); 40% even decreased their adjusted BMI by 10% or more. Analyses revealed that the child’s age, the degree of overweight at baseline and the child’s global self-worth were positive predictors of long-term weight loss 8 years after treatment, whereas psychopathology in the mother was a negative predictor. The total explained variance was R² = 35%.

Discussion

Treatment of childhood obesity by means of a multidisciplinary cognitive-behavioural program enables the majority of children to control their weight in the long term. In order to predict the success of the treatment, it is recommended to take into account the child’s age, its degree of overweight, its global self-worth and the occurrence of maternal psychopathology.     

Predictors of reading development in deaf children: A 3-year longitudinal study

The development of reading ability in a group of deaf children was followed over a 3-year period. A total of 29 deaf children (7-8 years of age at the first assessment) participated in the study, and every 12 months they were given a battery of literacy, cognitive, and language tasks. Earlier vocabulary and speechreading skills predicted longitudinal growth in reading achievement. The relations between reading and the predictor variables showed developmental change. Earlier reading ability was related to later phonological awareness skills, suggesting that deaf children might develop their phonological awareness through reading. Deaf children who had the most age-appropriate reading skills tended to have less severe hearing losses and earlier diagnoses and also preferred to communicate through speech. The theoretical implications of the role for speechreading, vocabulary and phonological awareness in deaf children’s literacy are discussed.     

叙事研究的方法论意义

叙事研究有着从客观主义到构成主义(constructivism)的认识论背景,叙事研究的方法分为编码主题分析和意义诠释两大类,最后重点总结了叙事研究的方法论意义。叙事研究是研究人类思想的一条可供选择的道路,而纯粹的客观的量化的研究方法去研究人类思想的某些方面并非是最好的选择。叙事研究中研究者和被试互相影响,叙事研究的平民性,叙事研究打开了研究者的思路,丰富了研究者对问题的理解。