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.     

Perceived Social Support and Mental Health: Cultural Orientations as Moderators

This study investigated unique and shared effects of social support and cultural orientation on mental health indicators (depressive and anxiety symptoms, stress, and life satisfaction) of 896 college students. Results indicated that perceived social support predicted mental health variables and that cultural orientation variables (independent and interdependent self‐construal) moderated this association. Conclusions and counseling implications for university counselors are discussed on the basis of cultural orientation theory.     

Attachment dimensions as predictors of mental health and psychosocial well-being in the transition to university

This study sought to investigate the predictive relationship that dimensions of attachment shared with an array of indicators of psychosocial well-being and mental health in a sample of students making the transition to higher education. One hundred and thirty-one students completed the Vulnerable Attachment Styles Questionnaire (VASQ) prior to enrolment in their first semester of university education. Subsequently, the students completed measures related to perceived loneliness, institutional integration, psychological need satisfaction, depressive symptoms and ways of coping during their first semester. Results suggested that higher scores in relation to the insecurity dimension of the VASQ were instrumental in predicting negative psychosocial well-being and mental health. The results discussed the key vulnerability dimensions of attachment when seeking to predict indices of psychosocial well-being and mental health.     

Relationships between social support sources and early adolescents' mental health: The moderating effect of student achievement level

This study examined how perceived social support from parents, classmates, and teachers jointly and uniquely predicted psychopathology (i.e., internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and wellness (i.e., life satisfaction) in a sample of 390 middle‐school students. This study also explored the protective nature of high student academic achievement in the relationship between social support and mental health. Social support was a significant predictor of all mental health outcomes, particularly life satisfaction. Although classmate and teacher support were significant unique predictors of students' internalizing and externalizing symptoms, respectively, parent support emerged as the strongest predictor of all indicators of mental health. Academic achievement moderated the direction and strength of the relationships between externalizing behavior and (a) classmate support, and (b) parent support, respectively. Specifically, classmate support emerged as adaptive for average‐ and high‐achieving students only, whereas academic achievement functioned as a protective factor against the manifestation of externalizing psychopathology among students with low parental support. Implications for school psychologists and directions for future research are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

大学生人际关系满意感相关因素研究

探讨大学生人际关系感与自尊、心理控制源之间的关系,有助于进一步了解大学生人际关系满意感的心理影响因素。通过对大学生采用人际关系满意感量表、自尊量表（SES）、成人内外控制量表（ANSIE）,根据各自的实际情况进行测试,结果表明大学生对自身的人际关系满意感的程度处于中等偏上水平,自尊水平也居于中等偏上水平,且大学生的控制源更倾向于内控;自尊、心理控制源与总体人际关系满意感及其各维度均达到显著的相关,且对它们也具有有效的预测作用。     

Relationships among stress,coping, and mental health in high‐achieving high school students

This study investigates the relationships among stress, coping, and mental health in 139 students participating in an International Baccalaureate (IB) high school diploma program. Mental health was assessed using both positive indicators (life satisfaction, academic achievement, academic self‐efficacy) and negative indicators (psychopathology) of adolescent social‐emotional and school functioning. Findings include that students in an IB program perceive significantly more stress than a sample of 168 of their general education peers, and that specific coping styles are differentially related to mental health outcomes in this subgroup of high‐achieving high school students. Furthermore, coping styles (specifically, anger and positive appraisal) moderate the influence of stress on global life satisfaction and internalizing symptoms of psychopathology. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

大学生主观幸福感与心理健康关系的研究

采用实证调查的方法,研究大学生主观幸福感和心理健康的状况。结果表明:大学生的生活满意度水平较高,正性情感和负性情感则均处于中等水平;大学生主观幸福感和SCL-90有显著的相关关系,生活满意度和负性情感以及生活满意度的各因子与SCL-90及其各因子也均具有显著的相关关系;主观幸福感水平可作为心理健康的一个重要预测源,同样心理健康水平也可预测被试者的幸福感水平。     

Ready for School? Trauma Exposure and Mental Health in a Group of War-Affected Ugandan Adolescents Re-Attending School

The objective of this study was to assess trauma-related symptoms and mental health among war-exposed Ugandan adolescents (n?=?81) as a basis for planning their re-attendance at school. Self-reports of exposure to traumatic events, trauma-related symptoms, and indicators of mental health were collected. While about half of the youths (51.9%) reported having been abducted by rebels and were former child soldiers, no differences were found in their mental health functioning compared to the remaining sample. Of the youths, 78% reported post-traumatic stress reactions of clinical significance. However, scores were within the normal range on conduct problems, hyperactivity, pro-social behavior, and self-efficacy. Even though the sample was clearly suffering from trauma-related symptoms, there were also marked areas of adaptive functioning and resilience. Whether the students are ready for education is discussed and implications for adapting educational programs for war-affected adolescents are indicated.     

INFLUENCE OF PEER SOCIAL EXPERIENCES ON POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE INDICATORS OF MENTAL HEALTH AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Modern definitions of complete mental health include both positive and negative indicators of psychological functioning. We examined the associations between peer relationships (victimization and receipt of prosocial acts) and multiple indicators of mental health that represent subjective well‐being (i.e., life satisfaction, positive and negative affect) and psychopathology (general internalizing symptoms and externalizing problems—aggressive behavior) among 500 high school students in Grades 9 to 11. Peer experiences explained the most variance in positive affect (R² = 18%) and internalizing psychopathology (R² = 19%). Different types of peer experiences drove these effects, with relational victimization particularly salient to internalizing psychopathology and prosocial acts by peers most predictive of positive affect. Moderation analyses indicated that peers’ prosocial acts did not serve a protective role in the associations between victimization and mental health. Instead, the presence of overt victimization negated the positive associations between prosocial acts and good mental health (high life satisfaction, low internalizing psychopathology). Understanding these associations illuminates the range of student outcomes possibly impacted by victimization and suggests that both limiting peer victimization and facilitating positive peer experiences may be necessary to facilitate complete mental health among high school students.     

学生生活满意度及其影响因素——多水平分析研究

通过对11所中学2471名学生的调查,对社会支持、积极应对和心理健康对学生生活满意度的影响作用进行多水平分析结果表明：（1）在个体层面,学生社会支持和积极应对对生活满意度存在显著影响,学生的社会支持、积极应对水平越高,其生活满意度也越高;（2）在团体层面,学校总体心理健康水平对学生的生活满意度存在显著的跨层影响作用,学校心理水平越高,其学生的生活满意度越高。     

卒中后抑郁40例临床分析

目的：探讨卒中后抑郁的临床特征、相关因素与治疗。方法：对40例卒中后抑郁患者的临床资料、相关检查及治疗方法进行回顾性分析、总结。结果：卒中后抑郁发病率高,尤其是首发卒中患者,早期给予心理干预及药物治疗,抑郁症状明显改善,HAMD评分降低,神经功能恢复好,并发症少。结论：对卒中患者应早期行抑郁评价,降低其发病率;对卒中后抑郁患者应采取综合治疗,特别是早期心理干预尤为重要。     

一年级医学生的心理健康状况及人格影响因素

为了解一年级医学生的心理健康状况及其人格影响因素.采用SCL-90、EPQ、SES、UCLA孤独量表对入学半年后的709名福建医科大学一年级医学生进行测查.研究表明:建医科大学一年级医学生心理健康状况优于全国大学生,但稍差于全国青年;"肯定有症状"的检出率为16.22%,主要症状为强迫、人际敏感和抑郁,男生的敌对、偏执...     

Trauma Counsellors’ Quality of Life

Mental health professionals working with trauma survivors often experience both psychological costs (e.g., compassion fatigue) and benefits (e.g., compassion satisfaction). In this study, trauma counsellors’ individual characteristics as well as workplace conditions were examined to determine their relative influence on compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction. Lack of control over workplace, over-involvement with clients, and secondary exposure to clients with serious trauma symptoms were significantly related to compassion fatigue. Counsellors’ perceived control of the workplace, personal trauma history, and years of clinical experience were significantly related to compassion satisfaction.     

村转居社区新居民心理幸福感的调查研究

本研究采用问卷法对村转居社区新居民心理幸福感、生活满意度和社会支持特点以及三者间关系进行了研究。结果表明:(1)村转居社区新居民的年龄、居住状况、婚姻状况对心理幸福感、生活满意度和社会支持的影响有显著差异。(2)居住状况为"三代同堂"的已婚新居民主观幸福感、生活满意度显著低于其他居住条件的新居民。(3)主观支持、客观支持及生活满意度和主观幸福感之间相关显著。(4)村转居社区新居民的生活满意度、主观支持、客观支持对主观幸福感有直接的预测作用。     

Family risk factors and prevalence of dissociative symptoms among homeless and runaway youth

OBJECTIVE: To examine family risk factors associated with dissociative symptoms among homeless and runaway youth. METHOD: Three hundred and twenty-eight homeless and runaway youth were interviewed using a systematic sampling strategy in metropolitan Seattle. Homeless young people were interviewed on the streets and in shelters by outreach workers in youth service agencies. RESULTS: The current study revealed widespread prevalence of dissociative symptoms among these young people. Multivariate analyses revealed that sexual abuse, physical abuse, and family mental health problems were all positively associated with dissociative symptoms. No gender differences were found for any of the models. CONCLUSIONS: Dissociative behavior is widespread among these youth and may pose a serious mental health concern. Some young people experience numerous stressors, and with few resources and little support available, many may invoke maladaptive strategies such as dissociative behavior to handle such situations, which may in turn be detrimental to their mental health. Unless youth are provided with programs and intervention, the cycle of abuse that they have experienced at home is likely to continue on the street.     

The study of academic department performance

The paper proposes a systems model of academic department performance and reports an empirical test of the model in a set of 20 departments. Departmental input and process variables related to eight departmental outcomes were identified: (1) student satisfaction with their overall learning experience, (2) student satisfaction with faculty, (3) student satisfaction with academic advising, (4) student graduate school admissions ratio, (5) student employment in field ratio, (6) faculty satisfaction with departmental research quality, (7) faculty job satisfaction, and (8) degrees conferred per faculty member. The eight departmental outcomes were found to be largely independent of one another and predicted by relatively unique patterns of departmental characteristics. Salient among the correlates of departmental outcomes were faculty workload, tenure pattern, and disciplinary differences.Presented at the Nineteenth Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, San Diego, California, May 1979.     

Ecological momentary assessment of contextual variables,satisfaction, and emotional and behavioral states of adolescents by level of victimization

The harmful effects of victimization on mental health have been demonstrated in several age groups, cultures, and populations, but there is wide variability in the resulting psychopathology. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) allows the expression of an emotional state to be recorded at any given time and linked to a situation or context.This study aimed to analyze the contextual variables (where, with whom, and what), momentary satisfaction, and perception of momentary emotional and behavioral symptoms in a cohort of adolescents by the level of victimization, using EMA. We explored the everyday symptom profiles and the contexts in which events took place among 100 adolescents over a one-week period. Sociodemographic data were collected and assessment was done using the EMA (as a smartphone application) and the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (to assess childhood and adolescent victimization). In this study, regarding contextual variables, the group with the highest level of victimization (top 10%) showed a significant relationship with being away from home and being with friends other than classmates, and not being with parents or relatives. There was also an unexpectedly higher frequency of sporting engagement in this group. A relationship existed between emotional and behavioral problems and higher levels of victimization. In conclusion, the different groups of victimized subjects present a relatively high level of satisfaction in relation to the daily contexts and show low levels of emotional and behavioral symptomatology.     

A contemporary review of the assessment,diagnosis and treatment of ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuro-behavioural disorder that presents frequently in paediatric and mental health settings. Children with ADHD present with symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention, distractibility and impulsivity. The purpose of this paper is to provide clinicians with a summary of contemporary issues relevant to their clinical understanding, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. Issues discussed include the primary and secondary symptoms of the disorder, developmental course, underlying causes, recognition in a clinical setting, diagnosis and treatment.     

研究生满意度理论基础与指标构建

厘清研究生满意度基本理论对于研究生满意度理论研究与实践调查具有重要意义。研究生满意度理论基础主要包括态度理论、需要理论、激励理论、期望理论以及顾客满意度理论。研究生满意度区别于顾客满意度,具有主体能动性与差异性以及需求的心智性与精神性、难替换性、高层次性、研究性特征。基于研究生教育与研究生满意度的特点,本研究从课程教学、科学研究、导师指导、管理服务四个维度构建了研究生满意度测量指标,以期为研究生满意度调查研究提供参考。     

Effort–reward imbalance and overcommitment in UK academics: implications for mental health,satisfaction and retention

This study utilises the effort–reward imbalance (ERI) model of job stress to predict several indices of well-being in academics in the UK: mental ill health, job satisfaction and leaving intentions. This model posits that (a) employees who believe that their efforts are not counterbalanced by sufficient rewards will experience impaired well-being and (b) feelings of ERI are more frequent and damaging in employees who are overcommitted to the job. A sample of 649 academic employees working in UK higher education institutions completed validated measures. Findings showed that academics who found their work more demanding, who perceived greater rewards and who were less overcommitted typically reported poorer well-being across all measures. Rewards related to esteem/support and financial/status appeared to be particularly important in protecting academics from the negative impact of work-related efforts. Potential interventions are discussed that draw on the ERI framework to improve mental health, satisfaction and retention in the sector.