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When applied to a new social services program in Finland, the term home care has a whole new meaning. The Alvari home care project combines intensive home care, psychology and social work, and social rehabilitation, all with the purpose of increasing child protection.
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Through a casual-stratified-proportional sample, this study characterized the social reproduction profiles of 80 families with children under age 7 living within the area of assistance of the University of São Paulo's Hospital Universitário. The profiles were constructed using a theoretical-methodological-operational basis that predefined 3 homogeneous social groups. Of the total sample, 36.1 percent of the families showed the most precarious ways of reproduction in both production and consumption; 48.2 percent seemed to struggle for integration in social life; and 15.7 percent fulfilled the qualifications for their adequate integration in social production, seemed to be protected from irregular work, showing a differentiated pattem of consumption and of collective representation and betterpossibilities to use the geo-social space. The results demonstrated that the methodology employed is adequate for the characterization of the social reproduction profiles, highlighting the fact that the social groups that comprise a society have different working and living conditions, and that each of them is exposed to specific patterns of strength and proneness to diseases.
Two competing hypotheses concerning the effects of stressful environments on the onset of puberty were tested using longitudinal data for a sample of boys from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Paternal alcoholism and maternal social position were used as indicators of family stress. School placement was monitored from school entry to 14 years of age. Teachers rated the boys' disruptive and anxious behaviors, while the boys reported on parenting behaviors at 10 years of age. Pubertal maturation, age of first sexual intercourse and sexual behavior were assessed between 11 and 14 years of age. The prepubertal data indicated that boys with an alcoholic father, or a mother from a low social position, were more stressed and had more behavior problems: the boys with alcoholic fathers perceived their parents as being more punitive, and as setting fewer rules concerning their behavior; those who had at least one maladjusted parent were more often placed out of an age-appropriate regular classroom, and were rated more disruptive and more anxious by their teachers. Paradoxically, the results for the onset of puberty gave support to the two rival hypotheses. Paternal alcoholism led to a delay of male pubertal onset, as suggested by the hypothesis that stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and inhibits the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. However, sons of alcoholic fathers had more frequent sexual intercourse and more sexual partners, as suggested by the evolutionary theory of socialization. High maternal social position acted as a protective factor for school placement of boys with an alcoholic father. These results challenged a key hypothesis of the evolutionary theory of socialization for males. They indicated that the link between childhood family environment, behavior development, pubertal maturation and sexual promiscuity are more complex than anticipated.
In a conceptual framework of suicide process, literature on life events and social support in suicide is reviewed. Few studies have centered on these issues, and the existing research has many methodological ambiguities. However, it can be concluded that life events play an important role in suicide process as risk and precipitating factors. The findings on disintegration of social networks and poor social support indicate lack of protective factors. Implications for future research are discussed. Further research focusing on more specific questions on the role of life events and social support as well as their interactions is needed.
This study examined multiple levels of adolescents' interpersonal functioning, including general peer relations (peer crowd affiliations, peer victimization), and qualities of best friendships and romantic relationships as predictors of symptoms of depression and social anxiety. An ethnically diverse sample of 421 adolescents (57% girls; 14 to 19 years) completed measures of peer crowd affiliation, peer victimization, and qualities of best friendships and romantic relationships. Peer crowd affiliations (high and low status), positive qualities in best friendships, and the presence of a dating relationship protected adolescents against feelings of social anxiety, whereas relational victimization and negative interactions in best friendships predicted high social anxiety. In contrast, affiliation with a high-status peer crowd afforded some protection against depressive affect; however, relational victimization and negative qualities of best friendships and romantic relationships predicted depressive symptoms. Some moderating effects for ethnicity were observed. Findings indicate that multiple aspects of adolescents' social relations uniquely contribute to feelings of internal distress. Implications for research and preventive interventions are discussed.
The results of the study of 12 cases in which a social worker had to work with the family at home is the subject of this paper. The author observes that child abuse and neglect is linked with highly variable psychosocial situations. The main problems may be marital conflict, disturbed emotional ties, psychosis. A unique guideline type of policy cannot be applied to such a variety of circumstances. The second observation is that the intervention of the social workers is much more effective when supported by a mandate from the protective authorities. That is if the social worker has the ability to request placement for the maltreated child, his action is more likely to be successful. The author concludes that the efficacy of the social worker's intervention depends both on the kind of problems which the family is facing as well as the technical means at the disposal of the social worker.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among social support, attachment security, and psychopathology in an adult sample of high risk abuse survivors. Attachment security was conceptualized in terms of two underlying dimensions, the working models of self and other. METHOD: Sixty-six participants (24 men and 42 women) who met conditions for physical or sexual abuse were recruited from the greater Boston area. They completed the "Record of Maltreatment Experiences." the "Relationship Scales Questionnaire," the "Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire," and multiple measures of psychopathology. RESULTS: When multiple risk and protective factors were examined concurrently (e.g., social support, attachment, abuse history, IQ, SES), a negative view of self (one of the attachment poles) was the strongest predictor of overall psychopathology. Social support did not emerge as a significant direct predictor of psychopathology, once the effects of negative view of self were accounted for. However, among participants low on social support, in comparison to those who are high, a negative view of self was more highly correlated with some psychopathology measures. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that among maltreatment survivors, negative view of self emerges as the most substantial predictor of psychopathology when examined in combination with other relevant risk factors.
OBJECTIVES: This paper outlines a strategy for systematically examining the discontinuity in pathways to serious dieting. METHOD: Eight hundred and twenty-three adolescent females were recruited from six high schools in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. They completed a battery of measures that assessed perceived social influences to diet, predisposition to conformity, protective skills, aspects of positive familial context, and dieting-related attitudes and status. Testing took place over two occasions approximately 10 months apart. RESULTS: Family context, protective skills, and a predisposition to conformity were found to differentiate the vulnerable girls who reported high levels of social influence from those who did not. However, those variables did not differentiate those with high social influence who seriously diet from nondieters. Body mass index, drive for thinness, and body dissatisfaction differentiated all of the comparison groups tested. Age did not consistently differentiate these groups. DISCUSSION: The findings can tell us what seems to protect girls who appear susceptible to social influences from becoming serious dieters.
Recent theoretical, methodological, and technological advances in the spatial sciences create an opportunity for social scientists to address questions about the reciprocal relationship between context (spatial organization, environment, etc.) and individual behavior. This emerging research community has yet to adequately address the new threats to the confidentiality of respondent data in spatially explicit social survey or census data files, however. This paper presents four sometimes conflicting principles for the conduct of ethical and high-quality science using such data: protection of confidentiality, the social-spatial linkage, data sharing, and data preservation. The conflict among these four principles is particularly evident in the display of spatially explicit data through maps combined with the sharing of tabular data files. This paper reviews these two research activities and shows how current practices favor one of the principles over the others and do not satisfactorily resolve the conflict among them. Maps are indispensable for the display of results but also reveal information on the location of respondents and sampling clusters that can then be used in combination with shared data files to identify respondents. The current practice of sharing modified or incomplete data sets or using data enclaves is not ideal for either the advancement of science or the protection of confidentiality. Further basic research and open debate are needed to advance both understanding of and solutions to this dilemma.
The perceived parental rearing practices and attitudes of agoraphobics, social phobics and non-patient normal controls were investigated, employing the EMBU, an inventory for assessing memories of upbringing. Findings obtained previously with out-patients were replicated with in-patients as subjects. Compared with the controls, agoraphobics rated both their parents as having been less emotionally warm but only their mothers as having been rejective. Socially phobic in-patients rated both their parents as having been rejective, as having lacked emotional warmth, and as having been over-protective. Comparisons between agoraphobics and social phobics showed differences in certain aspects of parental rearing, with the socially phobic in-patients assigning ratings more negatively than the agoraphobic group.
The buffering model of social support states that effective social support networks lessen the adverse psychological consequences of stress. Among a large community sample (N = 1,000) of Los Angeles County adults interviewed in 1979, life-event losses and perceived strain were positively related to depressive symptomatology, while close relationships and perceived support were negatively related to these symptoms. In all models tested, these effects were found to be direct effects, not interaction effects as predicted by the buffering model. The effects of stress on depressive symptomatology were similar among those with low and high levels of social support. Social support, instead of merely protecting an individual against the negative impact of stress, may itself be important in ameliorating depressive symptoms. Moreover, assuming that lack of perceived or actual social support is not just a manifestation of depression itself, our findings support the corollary that the lack of social support contributes to the creation of depressive symptoms.
Child health has been a serious problem in Indonesia for several decades. The prolonged Indonesian economic crisis in 1997 had a tremendous impact on poor children who suffered due to malnutrition. In 1998, the Indonesian government launched a broad social safety net program to protect the poor from becoming poorer. In the health sector this took the form of Jaring Pengaman Sosial Bidang Kesehatan (JPS-BK) or the Social Safety Net in Health Sector program. Adopting the model of health services utilization of Andersen and Newman, I examine the extent to which JPS-BK contributed to better health services for poor children in four provinces, by using a simplified version of Andersen and Newman's model of health services utilization which emphasizes the importance of contextual determinants. Variables used in the study included child outpatient visits, health card possession, household income, and poverty status. Using data sets from the JPS-BK longitudinal study, I compared utilization of health services between baseline data collection at Rounds One and Three, which was taken a year afterward. In addition, I used the Village Potentials data set from the Indonesian Bureau of Statistics and employed factor analysis to raise one variable representing the village/neighborhood developmental level. Basic statistics were used to examine possible changes between study rounds and logistic regression was used to examine the effect of health card possession on child health services utilization. Two significant improvements occurred during the first year of the program: (i) more sick children visited outpatient facilities and (ii) more children lived in households possessing health cards. The JPS-BK increased the "potential access" that was demonstrated by the significant increase in health card possession regardless of the visit, and "realized access" that was demonstrated by the significant increase in child outpatient visits regardless of health card possession. Further research needs to be undertaken to explore the dynamics of outpatient visits and the actual use of health cards.
We explored the effects of short, intermediate, and continuous social stress on daily ethanol and water intake in rats. The study was designed to: (1) detect increases in intake during hours when animals were not stressed; and (2) detect shifts in preference from solutions with high to low alcohol content. Male Long-Evans rats acquired ethanol self-administration using a sucrose-fading procedure, which was followed by continuous access to 10% and 3% ethanol solutions and water. After intake stabilized, rats were exposed to three periods of five consecutive days of social stress, with 8-10 days without stress in between. Short social stress consisted of being attacked and defeated by an aggressive opponent, followed by 30 min exposure to threats by the aggressive male while in a protective cage. Intermediate and continuous social stress consisted of a 6 h or 24 h 'threat of attack' exposure, respectively. All stress exposures reduced daily intake of 10% ethanol, did not cause changes in intake of 3% ethanol, and caused increases in water intake. No compensatory ethanol consumption was observed on stress days or after stress exposure was discontinued. These results are at variance with the hypothesis for increased alcohol consumption during or following social stress episodes.
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Domestic violence against women is a worldwide phenomenon affecting women of all age groups and socio-economic backgrounds. It may take the form of mental, as well as physical or sexual abuse. Pregnant women are not excluded from being abused. The physical and mental health of women who suffer domestic violence is compromised in comparison with women who are not subjected to violence. These women are reluctant to report their problem to physicians and they, in turn, do not sufficiently investigate the possibility of exposure to domestic violence with their patients. In Israel there is comprehensive protective legislation concerning domestic violence against women and a developed welfare system managed by social workers. Nevertheless, the efforts to protect and help these women will remain futile without early recognition, identification and referral of such women by the attending physicians. Among physicians, the obstetrician/gynecologists have a unique role, since on many occasions they serve as the primary care physicians of women who suffer from domestic violence. They are therefore able to recognize and offer help to these women.
The article covers legal documents of general and specific measures for women's work safety and health care. Legal basis for work safety and health care in women of childbearing age in this country corresponds with international legal norms. Preservation of social and biologic prosperity for women in this country should be guaranteed by "On protection of maternity" law including medical, social, economic and legal measures.
AIMS: This study examined indices of personal and social resources drawn from social learning, behavioral economics, and social control theories as predictors of medium- and long-term alcohol use disorder outcomes. DESIGN AND MEASURES: Individuals (N = 461) who initiated help-seeking for alcohol-related problems were surveyed at baseline and 1, 3, 8, and 16 years later. At baseline and each follow-up, participants provided information about their personal and social resources and alcohol-related and psychosocial functioning. FINDINGS: In general, protective resources associated with social learning (self-efficacy and approach coping), behavioral economics (health and financial resources and resources associated with Alcoholics Anonymous), and social control theory (bonding with family members, friends, and coworkers) predicted better alcohol-related and psychosocial outcomes. A summary index of protective resources associated with all three theories significantly predicted remission. Protective resources strengthened the positive influence of treatment on short-term remission and partially mediated the association between treatment and remission. CONCLUSIONS: Application of social learning, behavior economic, and social control theories may help to identify predictors of remission and thus to allocate treatment more efficiently.