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The deterioration and mobilization effects of trauma on social support: childhood maltreatment and adulthood military violence in a Palestinian community sample.

OBJECTIVES: To show that exposure to childhood maltreatment deteriorates, whereas exposure to adulthood military violence mobilizes social support; second, to show that associations between traumatic events and mental health problems are mediated through social support and, subsequently, adulthood military violence is associated with low level and childhood maltreatment with high level of mental health symptoms; third, to explore whether the moderating (protecting) effect of sufficient and satisfactory social support would differ among victims of childhood maltreatment and adulthood military violence. METHOD: The participants were a random-sample of Palestinian men and women (n=585) of 16-60 years of age. Exposure to military violence in adulthood was assessed by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ_I), and to childhood maltreatment by a 13-item questionnaire developed for the study. A Social Network Schedule was applied to assess the function, source, and satisfaction with social support, and the Revised SCL90-R Symptoms Checklist to assess mental health symptoms. RESULTS: Findings supported our hypothesis that exposure to childhood maltreatment was associated with low levels of social support, whereas exposure to adulthood military violence was associated with high levels of social support. Contrary to our second hypothesis, both childhood maltreatment and adulthood military violence were associated with high levels of mental health symptoms. Finally, high level and satisfactory social support moderated the association between exposure to military violence in adulthood and mental health symptoms, but not between childhood maltreatment and mental health symptoms. CONCLUSION: The findings emphasize that the nature of trauma, that is, whether familial or political, determines the availability of protective resources versus vulnerability, which should be considered when tailoring interventions to trauma victims.

Adolescent↗

Vulnerability and resilience: a study of high-risk adolescents.

Factors that allow children to maintain socially competent behaviors despite stress were examined among 144 inner-city ninth-grade students with a mean age of 15.3 years. Stress was operationalized by scores on a negative life events scale, and definitions of social competence were based on peer ratings, teacher ratings, and school grades. Moderator variables examined included intelligence, internal locus of control, social skills, ego development, and positive life events. Following theoretical models by Garmezy and Rutter, distinctions were made between compensatory factors (which are directly related to competence) and protective/vulnerability factors (which interact with stress in influencing competence). Ego development was found to be compensatory against stress. Internality and social skills proved to be protective factors, while intelligence and positive events were involved in vulnerability processes. This study also revealed that children labeled as resilient were significantly more depressed and anxious than were competent children from low stress backgrounds.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Prenatal care of African American women in selected USA urban and rural cultural contexts.

The purpose of this ethnonursing research was to systematically discover, describe, and analyze the beliefs, practices, and values of African American women related to prenatal care. The domain of inquiry was prenatal care of African American women within their familiar cultural contexts. The study was conceptualized within Leininger's Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality which enabled the researcher to study professional and generic care as influenced by the worldview, social structural factors, cultural values and beliefs, ethnohistory, and environmental context. The goal of the study was to discover knowledge that could be used by health professionals to provide culturally congruent prenatal care that would increase the health and well being of the people. The rationale for the study was based on studies that showed the lack of prenatal care in the African American cultural group leads to low birth weights and high infant mortality rates. Four major themes that focused on the domain of inquiry were identified: 1) Cultural care meant protection, presence, and sharing; 2) social structural factors that greatly influenced the health and well being were spirituality, kinship, and economics; 3) professional prenatal care was seen by the women as necessary and essential but there was distrust of noncaring professionals, and barriers to such care; and 4) folk health beliefs, practices, and indigenous health care providers were widely used by women in the African American community.

Adolescent↗

Risk and resilience in canine search and rescue handlers after 9/11.

Research has suggested that rescue workers are at increased risk for psychological distress. To determine whether 9/11 deployment was a significant risk factor for canine search and rescue handlers, 82 deployed handlers were compared to 32 nondeployed handlers on measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, acute stress, and clinical diagnoses. Deployed handlers reported more PTSD and general psychological distress 6 months after 9/11. Among deployed handlers, prior diagnoses and peritraumatic reactions were associated with psychological distress whereas social support and training were protective. Results suggest that more extensive screening and prophylactic interventions for individuals with a history of mental illness could be beneficial. Future research should examine identified risk/resilience factors prospectively, and training and intervention should be designed accordingly.

Adult↗

Legal abortion in England and Wales.

Ninety-eight per cent of abortions on British women resident in England or Wales are performed for social reasons. The Abortion Act (1967) insists on the opinion of two doctors but is broadly phrased and, by allowing that abortion can protect mental health, permits abortion when social factors are causing or likely to cause significant stress. The abortion rate has been stable at 11-12 per 1000 women aged 15-44 since 1973, suggesting that factors causing unplanned pregnancy are remaining constant for women in the fertile years and that, overall, the available facilities are adequate. However, only 49% of women obtain a free abortion in the National Health Service (NHS) and there are wide regional variations. Serious delays in the NHS are associated with inadequate access to pregnancy tests, attitudes of medical staff to abortion, and gynaecological units that are fully occupied with other problems. Women can choose to pay for abortions in services run either by charities or by commercial organizations. These services are used electively by a minority of women but most would prefer an NHS abortion if it was easily available. Women who seek help outside the NHS receive prompt and efficient management.

Abortion, Legal↗

The Social Security safety net.

Is it possible to build a stronger future for Social Security while, at the same time, protect the well being of the vulnerable elderly and maintain critical protection for families? Contrary to those who call for radical measures, the evidence is mounting: Social Security can be made stronger for the long-term with a package of modest, responsible reforms.

Forecasting↗

Confidentiality after Tarasoff.

Following the Tarasoff decision, many social workers believe that they have a duty to warn third parties of the danger posed to them by clients. However, a careful analysis of this decision and the cases and statutes that have followed indicates that social workers' duty under the law is circumscribed. This article describes social workers' duty under the law and outlines standards of care for assessing and responding to threats of harm. It places the duty to protect third parties into the larger context of social workers' ethical and legal obligation to protect confidentiality.

Adult↗

[Can social support help prevent men from suicide attempt?].

The goal of this study is to investigate whether social support may constitute a protective factor for attempted suicide among men and, if so, to identify the most important sources and forms of support. The study compares two groups of men who experienced comparable stressful events during the last 12 months : 40 men admitted to hospital emergency following suicide attempts, and 40 men with no history of suicide attempts. Results indicate that the men who attempted suicide perceive less support available and are less satisfied with the support they received following the most difficult stressful event that occurred in the last year. Concrete help and reassurance of worth are the forms of support that appear to be of most importance. This study highlights the importance of social support in the prevention of suicidal behaviours among men.

Adult↗

Development of sexually abusive behaviour in sexually victimised males: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Sexual maltreatment is one of the most common forms of child abuse. To identify risk factors for sexually abusive behaviour by adults, we prospectively assessed childhood experiences and personal characteristics of male child victims who became abusers in later life. METHODS: In a longitudinal study (7-19 years duration), we included 224 former male victims of sexual abuse. Risk factors contemporaneous with the abuse, and putative protective influences, were identified from social service and clinical records. Evidence of later criminal acts was obtained from a nationwide search of official records. FINDINGS: Of the 224 former victims, 26 had subsequently committed sexual offences (victim-abusers), in almost all cases with children, mainly outside their families. Risk factors during childhood for later offending included material neglect (odds ratio 3.4, 95% CI 1.2-9.7), lack of supervision (3.0, 1.1-8.3), and sexual abuse by a female person (3.0, 1.1-8.7). Victim-abusers had more frequently witnessed serious intrafamilial violence (3.1, 1.0-10.0). Six (29%) of 21 victim-abusers on whom we had relevant data had been cruel to animals (7.9, 2.0-31.4). No single putative protective factor, nor a composite protective index, significantly reduced the risk of paedophilic behaviour. INTERPRETATION: Most male victims of child sexual abuse do not become paedophiles, but particular experiences and patterns of childhood behaviour are associated with an increased risk of victims becoming abusers in later life. Our findings have implications for the design of selective interventions with a vulnerable subgroup of male victims, aimed at reducing the risk of paedophilic behaviour in later life.

Adolescent↗

Social identities and response to treatment for alcohol and cocaine abuse.

This study examined the relationship between social identities and response to treatment for alcohol and/or cocaine abuse. Individuals who reported more valued (i.e., positive and important) social identities were expected to have better treatment outcomes. Forty-five participants were interviewed at treatment entry and at 3 and 6 months after starting treatment. The number of valued identities increased between treatment entry and 3 months. Participants with a greater number of valued identities at treatment entry were more likely to be abstinent at 3 months. Participants who reported more interference between substance use and valued identities were also more likely to be abstinent at 3 months, suggesting a possible motivational mechanism for the link between identities and response to treatment. Neither number of valued identities nor conflict between substance use and identities predicted abstinence between 3 and 6 months. Interaction effects, specific identities, and protective and motivational functions of social identities are discussed.

Adult↗

Psychosocial factors and interleukin-6 among women with advanced ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Relations among psychological stress, depression, social support, and interleukin-6 (IL-6, a proinflammatory cytokine) have been documented in humans and animals. Because elevated IL-6 is associated with a poorer prognosis among ovarian cancer patients and has been implicated in the metastasis of ovarian cancer, the current study examined relations between psychosocial factors and IL-6 among women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer. METHODS: Sixty-one ovarian cancer patients completed assessments of social support, distressed mood, and quality of life before surgery. Peripheral blood was drawn preoperatively, and the plasma was assayed for IL-6. Ascites samples were also assayed for IL-6 for a subset of patients. RESULTS: Both IL-6 levels and distressed mood were elevated among patients. After statistically adjusting effects of age and disease stage, social attachment was associated with lower levels of IL-6 in peripheral blood (P = 0.03), whereas poorer health-related quality of life was associated with higher IL-6 (P values ranged from 0.01 to 0.03 on different measures). This pattern of relations was also found in the ascites. Moreover, IL-6 levels in peripheral blood plasma correlated significantly with IL-6 in the ascites (P < 0.001), suggesting that peripheral IL-6 reflects IL-6 levels at the site of the tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that social support may play a protective role with respect to IL-6 elevations, and IL-6 may be an independent marker of health-related quality of life among ovarian cancer patients. Processes involving IL-6 represent possible pathways by which behavioral factors may contribute to disease outcomes among women with ovarian cancer.

Ascitic Fluid↗

Effects of parental adjustment on the adaptation of children with congenital or acquired limb deficiencies.

Maternal and paternal depression, anxiety, and marital discord were investigated as predictors of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem in 54 children with congenital or acquired limb deficiencies. Higher paternal depression predicted higher child depression and higher anxiety. Higher paternal anxiety predicted higher child depression and anxiety and lower self-esteem. Higher marital discord predicted higher child depression and anxiety and lower self-esteem. Maternal depression and anxiety did not predict child psychological adaptation. Family support had a positive effect on child adaptation, as did parent, classmate, teacher, and friend social support. The findings are discussed in terms of the risk and protective effects of parental distress, marital discord, and social support on the psychological adaptation of children with visible chronic physical disorders. J Dev Behav Pediatr 14:13-20, 1993. Index terms: limb deficiencies, children, adjustment, social support, parental distress, family functioning, marital discord.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

The effects of domestic violence during pregnancy on maternal and infant health.

The present study examined the impact of domestic violence on maternal and infant health by assessing maternal health during pregnancy and infant health at two months postpartum. Two hundred and two women (68 battered and 134 non-battered) were recruited from the community and completed both pregnancy and 2-month postpartum interviews. Results revealed that domestic violence during pregnancy was associated with numerous health problems for mothers and infants including more health problems during pregnancy, more likelihood of premature labor, later entrance into prenatal care, lower infant birth weight, greater utilization of health care resources, and more prenatal substance use. After income was controlled, the relationship between violence and timing of prenatal care and infant birth weight became nonsignificant. Maternal social support was found to protect against the effects of violence for several health outcomes. The current findings suggest the need for domestic violence screening during pregnancy, as well as clinical interventions for battered, pregnant women in order to prevent serious physical and emotional problems for both mothers and their infants.

Adult↗

The development of a refined measure of dysfunctional parenting and assessment of its relevance in patients with affective disorders.

BACKGROUND: The Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) measures fundamental parenting dimensions (care and over-protection), but does not directly assess abusive parenting. METHODS: We describe the development of the Measure of Parenting Style (the MOPS), comprising refined PBI scales assessing parental indifference and over-control, as well as a scale assessing parental abuse. RESULTS: We examine psychometric properties of the MOPS, while several analyses build to the concurrent validity of the abuse scale as an experimental measure. We examine the extent to which both the PBI and the MOPS scales showed specificity of dysfunctional parenting to the non-melancholic depressive subtype, and across a range of anxiety disorders. Non-melancholic depressed patients returned anomalous parenting scale scores (compared to melancholic subjects), but only when such subtyping decisions were clinician-generated. Those receiving DSM-III-R lifetime anxiety diagnoses of panic disorder and of social phobia returned higher PBI protection and MOPS over-control scores than non-anxious subjects, while differences were not established for those with generalized anxiety disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder. CONCLUSIONS: We consider the likely utility of the MOPS scale and note the module capacity of separate MOPS and PBI scales, which allow a set of options for assessing perceived parenting characteristics.

Adolescent↗

Intervening in severe physical child abuse cases: mental health, legal, and social services.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the child protection process in cases of severe physical abuse, to compare characteristics of the families with risk factors previously reported in the published literature, and to develop recommendations about the use of mental health professionals in such cases. METHOD: Reviewers examined 30 case records of severely physically abused children under age 5, nominated by child protection workers and mental health providers. The reviewers recorded demographic, clinical, and case process information such as mental health and other referrals, reunification status, and frequency of criminal prosecution. A case study was described. RESULTS: The parents displayed a range of psychological characteristics (e.g., depression, anxiety, personality disorders) and life problems (e.g., domestic violence, substance abuse, abused as child). The majority of parents denied the abuse. The children were very young (more than half under 6 months old) and many had difficult births or medical problems prior to the abuse. The most common services offered were individual psychotherapy and parenting classes. More than half of the children reunified with at least one parent within I year. Forty percent of the cases involved criminal prosecution. CONCLUSIONS: Reunification occurred more quickly and more often than expected based on the severity of the injuries. The system often relies on psychotherapy to correct the abusive behavior, even when the perpetrator remains unknown and specific risks such as substance abuse or domestic violence are present. The authors advise utilizing multidisciplinary teams for recommendations regarding reunification.

Adolescent↗

Determinants of the psycho-social outcome after operation for breast cancer. Results of a prospective comparative interview study following mastectomy and breast conservation.

In a prospective interview study, designed to compare the psycho-social outcome after a breast-conserving vs. a mastectomy operation, we analysed possible predictors of the psycho-social adjustment. 99 women with breast cancer histopathological TNM stages I and II were consecutively admitted to the study. Half-structured interviews, based on the Social Adjustment Scale and a scale by P. Maguire, were performed 4 and 13 months after the operation. Living together with the spouse seems to protect women from developing psycho-social problems postoperatively. Women who were gainfully employed or who were given radiotherapy had a higher risk of poor adjustment after 4 months. At 13 months, the scorings indicate that radiotherapy has a reassuring effect. Type of surgery was controlled for in the analysis and showed that, of the risk factors studied, the most consistent trend for an overall better outcome was in the breast-conserved group except for sexual disturbances.

Adult↗

[Anniversaries of the Serbian Medical Society, 1962: 90 years since the founding of the Society and its realization and recognition].

The 90th anniversary of the Serbian Medical Association was celebrated at the end of a period that surpassed the previous achievements of the Association--a system of medical protection was built, medical schools in Nish and Novi Sad were founded, and new medical institutions were erected. The construction of a system of medical protection was linked to the "social system, which in itself provides further development of the system in the direction of encompassing the total population". One could also detect in this intention an uncritical transfer of the concept of the National Health Service of Great Britain, when the requirements, health conditions and aging of the population were not similar to the present population. The Managing Board of the Serbian Medical Association of that time founded the Section of general practitioners and proposed the introduction of specialization of general medicine. The jubilee is preceded by years in which new medical institutions were built and medical schools founded in Nish and Novi Sad. The role of some members of the Serbian Medical Association and of the Managing Board was prominent in some documents dating only a couple of decades after these events. Certain documents and monographs published in celebration of an anniversary of the School of Medicine or of some medical institutions no longer mention the role of the Association. This is also the case with a monograph published in celebration of the 45th Jubilee of the Institute of Mother and Child Health Protection. That monograph does not include the activties of the Association and the first resolution of the Serbian Medical Association after the liberation, in 1946, was related to the problem of medical protection of the young "as the most important task of popular medical policy". In the monograph about the foundation of the Medical School in Novi Sad, the only connection with the past is the mention of date when the Medical School was founded. The 90th anniversary of the Serbian Medical Association, when some of the members were honored for their contributions, is the only anniversary in the long history of the Association. In total 47 doctors were honored. On the same occasion the Serbian Medical Association honored 92 doctors with memorial plaque for the "contribution to the activity of the Association".

History, 19th Century↗