The experiences of therapists using a new client‐centred psychometric instrument,PSYCHLOPS (Psychological Outcome Profiles)

PSYCHLOPS (‘Psychological Outcome Profiles’) is a newly developed client‐generated psychometric instrument which can be used as an outcome measure. Uniquely, it asks clients to state their own problems, in their own words. As part of its validation, we used it alongside an existing measure, CORE‐OM (‘Clinical Outcomes Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure’). Based on a qualitative methodology, we report here on the first‐hand experiences of four therapists using both instruments. The key themes that emerged from therapists’ responses were feasibility, validity and usefulness. Both questionnaires were perceived as complementing each other, the qualitative information from PSYCHLOPS balancing the quantitative information from CORE‐OM and that both could contribute to the therapist‐client interaction. The key features of PSYCHLOPS are likely to prove attractive to therapists and should increase acceptance and uptake of outcome measures.     

幸福观取向理论建构及实证

摘 要 尝试用新的理论视角-取向研究视角,对幸福观进行整合研究,建构一种与社会情境结合更紧密,更具概括性的幸福观取向理论。幸福观取向理论的假设建构模型包括四种幸福观取向维度：社会取向,个人取向,积极取向和消极取向。根据理论模型编制幸福观取向量表,以907名被试为研究对象,运用探索性因素分析和验证性因素分析方法对该理论模型进行实证研究。结果证明了该理论建构中各维度的因素负荷和拟合指数良好,幸福观取向量表显示出良好的信度和建构效度,保证了实证研究的有效性。     

Relationships among pain intensity,pain-related distress,and psychological distress in pre-surgical total knee arthroplasty patients: a secondary analysis

The current study aimed to examine the relationships between movement and resting pain intensity, pain-related distress, and psychological distress in participants scheduled for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study examined the impact of anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing on the relationship between pain intensity and pain-related distress. Data analyzed for the current study (N = 346) were collected at baseline as part of a larger Randomized Controlled Trial investigating the efficacy of TENS for TKA (TANK Study). Participants provided demographic information, pain intensity and pain-related distress, and completed validated measures of depression, anxiety, and pain catastrophizing. Only 58% of the sample reported resting pain >0 while 92% of the sample reported movement pain >0. Both movement and resting pain intensity correlated significantly with distress (r_s = .86, p < .01 and .79, p < .01, respectively). About three quarters to two thirds of the sample (78% for resting pain and 65% for movement pain) reported different pain intensity and pain-related distress. Both pain intensity and pain-related distress demonstrated significant relationships with anxiety, depression, and catastrophizing. Of participants reporting pain, those reporting higher anxiety reported higher levels of distress compared to pain intensity. These findings suggest that anxious patients may be particularly distressed by movement pain preceding TKA. Future research is needed to investigate the utility of brief psychological interventions for pre-surgical TKA patients.     

《吕氏春秋》智力观探析

摘 要 《吕氏春秋》关于智力内涵的诠释大大超过前人,它所描述的“知时”、“知化”、“长见”、“察微”、“贵卒”等智力特征与现代智力理论相契合;它提出的“人同类而智殊”、“小智非大智之类”、“智不遇时则无功”、“人之少也愚,其长也智”等观点,充分体现了中国先秦学者的智慧;它关于通过“自反”、学习促进智力发展的主张,对当今教育依然具有重要的参照价值。《吕氏春秋》的智育定位主要是王道,它较少注意先天因素对智力的影响,这是其局限。关键词 吕氏春秋 智力观 个体差异 智力发展     

《周易》荣辱思想论要

《周易》中包含着丰富的知荣明耻患想。《周易》的荣辱观建立在天人合一的思想基础、等级宗法的社会基础、救世治乱的现实需求上。《周易》中的君子、小人分别是荣与辱的主体。《易经》的吉、凶、悔、吝、咎、亨、利、贞等断语体现了荣与辱的价值取向。《周易》荣辱思想主要表现为:以尚中时行为荣,以不节失恒为耻;以爱民德政为荣,以严苛刑狱为耻;以诚信友爱为荣,以失比争讼为耻;以治家严正为荣,以长幼失序为耻;以真情相爱为荣,以无爱婚姻为耻;以谨言慎行为荣,以躁言危行为耻等。     

Disputes over Philosophical Views in the First Half of the Twentieth Century and Development of Contemporary Chinese Philosophy

To explore the development of contemporary Chinese philosophy, fundamentally, is to explore the development of Marxist philosophy in contemporary China. The disputes over philosophical views in Chinese academic circles during the first half of the twentieth century have been focused on understanding Marxist philosophy from such aspects as “what kind of philosophy Chinese society needs,” “the relation of philosophy to science,” and “philosophy as an idea to reflect on one’s life.” These explorations have provided us a significant ideological insight into the development of Marxist philosophy and contemporary Chinese philosophy; that is, in contemporary China, Marxist philosophy, as a doctrine of the liberation and all-round development of human beings, exists not only as a kind of “doctrine” or “academy” but also as a kind of widely accepted “xueyuan (academic cultivations)” among people. Translated by Zhao Zhiyi from Jourmal of Jilin University (Social Sciences), 2005:1     

Brief report: Relativism and identity crisis in young adulthood

This study investigated the relationship between epistemological world views and identity formation. Forty college students, aged 17 to 23 years, were presented with a paradigm belief scale (Social Paradigm Belief Inventory; SPBI), an identity status questionnaire, and an indepth interview about a conflict they had recently experienced. It was hypothesized that a relativistic world view would be related to a moratorium identity status because relativistic thought processes involve a questioning of the objectivity of knowledge and authority structures and hence an awareness of the variety of alternative and potentially conflicting roles and choices. Results indicated that relativism was the most common world view used when responding to questions about a personal conflict and that relativistic scores on the SPBI were predictive of the moratorium status. Relativistic scores on the SPBI were also negatively related to identity achievement, as were mechanistic scores. Females experienced moratorium to a greater extent than males but were not more relativistic. Results are discussed in terms of linkages among cognitive development, psychosocial development, gender, and the type of measures used to assess world view status.     

Identifying and Addressing Barriers to Treatment Decision‐making in Bipolar II Disorder: Clinicians’ Perspective

Objective

Treatment decision‐making in bipolar II disorder is complex due to limited evidence on treatment efficacy and potentially burdensome side‐effects of options. Thus, involving patients and negotiating treatment options with them is necessary to ensure that final treatment decisions balance both clinician and patient preferences. This study qualitatively explored clinician views on (a) effective treatment decision‐making, unmet patient needs for (b) decision‐support and (c) information.

Method

Qualitative semi‐structured interviews with 20 practising clinicians (n = 10 clinical psychologists, n = 6 general practitioners, n = 4 psychiatrists) with experience treating adult outpatients with bipolar II disorder were conducted. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using framework methods. Self‐report professional experience, and clinician preferences for patient decision‐making involvement were also assessed.

Results

Qualitative analyses yielded two inter‐related themes: (a) challenges and barriers to decision‐making and (b) facilitators of clinician decision‐making. Symptom severity, negative family attitudes, system‐based factors, and information gaps were thought to pose challenges to decision‐making. By contrast, decision‐making was supported by patient information, family involvement and patient‐centredness, and a strong therapeutic relationship. Clinician views varied depending on their professional background (medical vs clinical psychologist), patient involvement preferences, and whether the clinician was a bipolar specialist.

Conclusions

Whilst clinicians uniformly recognise the importance of involving patients in informed treatment decision‐making, active patient participation is hampered by unmet informational and decision‐support needs. Current findings inform a number of bipolar II disorder‐specific, clinician‐endorsed strategies for facilitating patient decision‐making, which can inform the development of targeted patient decision‐support resources for use in this setting.     

Use of a reference group in researching children’s views of psychotherapy in Malta

This paper explores the process and outcomes of a children’s reference group within the context of child psychotherapy research in residential care. The reference group was set up to consult children about the design of a research project which seeks to evoke, represent and understand children’s views of psychotherapy. No work to date has explored the experience of reference groups in the context of child psychotherapy in residential care in Malta. The paper contextualises the research within the literature on reference groups in child research, which identifies the potential of reference groups as a participative and co-reflexive activity which can inform research design. The paper critically examines the nature and conduct of the reference group by acknowledging the specific context of this work rather than assuming this is necessarily positive. It does so by specifying and evaluating the outcomes of the reference group in line with its aims. The paper draws on the recordings of the reference group meetings and reference group field notes taken by the researcher as key data which were thematically analysed. The main outcomes of the reference group include children’s contribution to the design of data collection methods especially in terms of not relying only on words during data collection. Children also identified key ethical issues from the point of view of young psychotherapy service users, especially in relation to issues of trust within a residential care context. Children also reviewed and appraised research information material. The reference group process drew from the researcher’s and participants’ contexts and contributed significantly to the researcher’s reflexive process especially in terms of acknowledging his power and positioning as an adult and his dual role as a practitioner/researcher.     

Conversion to non-remunerated plasmapheresis donation: Effects of labeling and donation environment

IntroductionPlasmapheresis donors’ recruitment strategies should focus on asking whole-blood donors (WBDs) to convert to plasmapheresis.ObjectiveThis study measured the effect of labeling on the conversion of WBDs to plasmapheresis donation and examined the relationship between the type of blood drive and conversion to plasmapheresis.MethodsTwo blood drives destined towards students were held either on a university campus (mobile blood drive), or in a blood center. At the end of each whole-blood donation, the nurse performed a labeling, reactivated a few minutes later by a second individual asking the donor if he would agree to donate plasma. If so, an appointment for plasma donation was made or a promise was collected. The number of commitments to plasmapheresis (promise/appointment) and the number of achievements of these commitments measured the effect of labeling.ResultsFew significant differences between social or functional labeling were found compared to a “no labeling” condition in terms of commitments and concretizations. The in-center blood drive achieved three times more engagements than the mobile blood drive (p < .001). Appointments had better chances to turn into a plasma donation than promises (p < .001).ConclusionLabeling as it was tested seemed ineffective in conversion from whole blood donation to plasmapheresis, but further studies should be carried out to replicate these results. When only collected during in-center blood drives, blood collection agencies should try to develop in-center whole blood donations and promotional approaches towards plasma donation. When approaching potential plasmapheresis donors, appointments should be preferred to promises. Further research is needed to examine the causes of these results.