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Psychological Consequences (psychological + consequence)
Selected AbstractsPsychological consequences of forced evacuation on children: Risk and protective factorsJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 4 2009Michelle Slone Children's psychological distress and symptoms after forced evacuation from the Gaza Strip in Israel were studied. Fifty families living in temporary residences 2 weeks postevacuation were assessed for general political and evacuation life events exposure as risk factors and family support and hardiness as protective factors. The hypothesis predicting a positive correlation between forced evacuation events and political life events and symptom levels was confirmed. Perceived family support served as a significant predictor of symptomatology, but not family hardiness, substantiating parents' role in aiding children's coping. [source] Factor and item-response analysis DSM-IV criteria for abuse of and dependence on cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, sedatives, stimulants and opioidsADDICTION, Issue 6 2007Nathan A. Gillespie ABSTRACT Aims This paper explored, in a population-based sample of males, the factorial structure of criteria for substance abuse and dependence, and compared qualitatively the performance of these criteria across drug categories using item,response theory (IRT). Design Marginal maximum likelihood was used to explore the factor structure of criteria within drug classes, and a two-parameter IRT model was used to determine how the difficulty and discrimination of individual criteria differ across drug classes. Participants A total of 4234 males born from 1940 to 1974 from the population-based Virginia Twin Registry were approached to participate. Measurements DSM-IV drug use, abuse and dependence criteria for cannabis, sedatives, stimulants, cocaine and opiates. Findings For each drug class, the pattern of endorsement of individual criteria for abuse and dependence, conditioned on initiation and use, could be best explained by a single factor. There were large differences in individual item performance across substances in terms of item difficulty and discrimination. Cocaine users were more likely to have encountered legal, social, physical and psychological consequences. Conclusions The DSM-IV abuse and dependence criteria, within each drug class, are not distinct but best described in terms of a single underlying continuum of risk. Because individual criteria performed very differently across substances in IRT analyses, the assumption that these items are measuring equivalent levels of severity or liability with the same discrimination across different substances is unsustainable. Compared to other drugs, cocaine usage is associated with more detrimental effects and negative consequences, whereas the effects of cannabis and hallucinogens appear to be less harmful. Implications for other drug classes are discussed. [source] Critical Evidence: The Politics of Trauma in French Asylum PoliciesETHOS, Issue 3 2007Didier Fassin However obvious it might seem today that victims of persecutions suffer from psychological consequences of the violence inflicted on them, its political implications are a recent phenomenon. In the last decade, asylum seekers in France, as in other European countries, have been more and more often subject to demands of psychiatric expertise to prove the cogency of their claim to the status of refugee. This social innovation results from the convergence of two processes: on the one hand, the rapid decline in the legitimacy of asylum, leading to increasing expectations for evidence to establish the reality of persecutions; on the other hand, the emergence of trauma as a nosographical category legitimizing the traces of violence. At the crossroads of these two histories, a social field, mainly occupied by NGOs, has developed to answer this new need for proof from state institutions, with an increasing specialization on victims of torture and on psychic trauma, the two dimensions being partially independent. The final paradox is, however, that in a context of generalized suspicion toward refugees, the recognition of trauma at a collective level is counterbalanced by its limited impact on the evaluation of individual cases. [source] Stereotypic ingroup bias as self-defense against relative deprivation: evidence from a longitudinal study of the German unification processEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2002Manfred Schmitt In a longitudinal questionnaire field study on psychological consequences of German unification, the intergroup situation between East and West Germans was investigated. Data were collected in 1996 and 1998. The sample consisted of 585 East Germans and 387 West Germans who had never lived in the other part of Germany. It was assumed that East Germans' social identity is threatened due to their fraternal deprivation in comparison with West Germans. It was predicted that East Germans would employ ingroup bias as an identity management strategy in order to protect their emotional well-being against harmful consequences of fraternal deprivation. In line with this prediction, it was found that (a) East Germans feel fraternally deprived compared to West Germans on important quality of life dimensions, (b) they display ingroup bias vis-à-vis West Germans, (c) ingroup bias increases with increasing East German identity, (d) ingroup bias is determined longitudinally by relative deprivation, and (e) ingroup bias buffers the effect of relative deprivation on mental health over time. As expected, ingroup bias and the effects of ingroup bias were larger for the dimension of personal integrity than for the dimensions of sympathy and competence. Ingroup bias is interpreted as compensatory self-enhancement. West Germans feel fraternally privileged compared to East Germans and consider their advantages to be undeserved. Unexpectedly, West Germans display outgroup bias on the stereotype dimensions of integrity. This bias is interpreted as an effort to appease the moral outrage of East Germans and to silence their own guilty conscience due to undeserved advantages. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Emotional outcome after intensive care: literature reviewJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 1 2008Janice E. Rattray Abstract Title., Emotional outcome after intensive care: literature review. Aim., This paper is a report of a literature review to identify (a) the prevalence of emotional and psychological problems after intensive care, (b) associated factors and (c) interventions that might improve this aspect of recovery. Background., Being a patient in intensive care has been linked to both short- and long-term emotional and psychological consequences. Data sources., The literature search was conducted during 2006. Relevant journals and databases were searched, i.e. Medline and CINAHL, between the years 1995 and 2006. Review methods., The search terms were ,anxiety', ,depression', posttraumatic stress', ,posttraumatic stress disorder' and ,intensive care'. Results., Fifteen papers were reviewed representing research studies of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress, and seven that represented intensive care follow-up clinics and patient diaries. Being in intensive care can result in significant emotional and psychological problems for a number of patients. For the majority of patients, symptoms of distress will decrease over time but for a number these will endure for some years. Current evidence indicates that emotional problems after intensive care are related to both subjective and objective indicators of a patient's intensive care experience. Evidence suggests some benefit in an early rehabilitation programme, daily sedation withdrawal and the use of patient diaries. However, additional research is required to support such findings. Conclusion., Our understanding of the consequences of intensive care is improving. Psychological care for intensive care patients has lagged behind care for physical problems. We now need to focus on developing and evaluating appropriate interventions to improve psychological outcome in this patient group. [source] The Experiences of Bystanders of Workplace Ethnic HarassmentJOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 10 2007K. S. Douglas Low The present research examined the experiences of individuals who witnessed or knew about ethnic harassment of their coworkers. Through 3 studies, we found that knowledge of other people's harassment was differentiated from personal experiences as a target and was associated with deleterious occupational, health-related, and psychological consequences beyond those accounted for by direct harassment and affective disposition. Ethnicity and gender did not moderate these relationships. Knowledge of others' ethnic harassment can therefore be construed as bystander harassment. Results also indicated that bystander and direct harassment were relatively common occurrences. Both harassment types contributed to how ethnic conflict is experienced. The consequences of ethnic harassment are not restricted to ethnic minority employees. Rather, everyone is at risk from such behaviors. [source] Sexual Abuse of BoysJOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSING, Issue 1 2005Sharon M. Valente RN TOPIC:, Sexual abuse in childhood can disable self-esteem, self-concept, relationships, and ability to trust. It can also leave psychological trauma that compromises a boy's confidence in adults. While some boys who willingly participate may adjust to sexual abuse, many others face complications, such as reduced quality of life, impaired social relationships, less than optimal daily functioning, and self-destructive behavior. These problems can respond to treatment if detected. PURPOSE:, In this paper, we examine the prevalence, characteristics, psychological consequences, treatment, and coping patterns of boys who have been sexually abused and their failure to disclose abuse unless asked during a therapeutic encounter. Nurses have a responsibility to detect the clues to sexual abuse, diagnose the psychological consequences, and advocate for protection and treatment. SOURCES USED:, Computerized literature search of the Medline and PsychInfo literature and books on sexual abuse of boys. CONCLUSIONS:, Psychological responses to abuse such as anxiety, denial, self-hypnosis, dissociation, and self-mutilation are common. Coping strategies may include being the angry avenger, the passive victim, rescuer, daredevil, or conformist. Sexual abuse may precipitate runaway behavior, chronic use of sick days, poor school or job performance, costly medical, emergency and or mental health visits. In worst cases, the boy may decide that life is not worth living and plan suicide. The nurse has a key role to play in screening, assessing, and treating sexual abuse children. [source] Race as stigma: positioning the stigmatized as agents, not objectsJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Caroline Howarth Abstract Using material from three qualitative studies into the social and psychological consequences of racism, this paper explores the insights gained from conceptualizing race as stigma. Not only does this shed light on the construction and contestation of racism in the lives of the research participants, the material presented raises important issues for a social psychology of stigma more generally. These include an assessment of the embodiment of stigma, the ideological construction of stigma within particular histories, the impact of stigma on identity and the ways in which we collectively contest and resist stigma. While acknowledging how stigma, particularly the stigma of race, acts to deny humanity, agency and liberty, I illustrate how stigma is collectively constructed, institutionalized and resisted in social and political relations. I conclude that a crucial part of the psychology of stigma must be a focus on the possibilities for communities to contest and transform representations and practices that stigmatize; that is, we need to explore the possibilities and conditions for stigmatized communities as agents and not (only) as objects or victims of stigma. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Are chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia the same?JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 10 2009Implications for the provision of appropriate mental health intervention Accessible summary ,,This paper views the historical perspectives of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and fibromyalgia (FM) that gives an understanding of the background to these complex syndromes. ,,The relationship between CFS/ME and FM are considered based on the evidence presented, which identifies that there is compelling evidence that these two syndromes may in fact be the same. This is interesting as current evidence suggests that these two syndromes are currently treated differently. ,,The long-standing controversy surrounding the aetiology CFS/ME is discussed in relation to the issues of mental health, in particular anxiety and/or depression that has been associated with this condition. In contrast, FM is reviewed in relation to the associated symptomology of anxiety and/or depression. ,,This review provides the reader with compelling evidence to suggest that the initial presenting symptoms of these two diseases may dictate differential diagnosis and the subsequent treatment they receive if any and, moreover, if indeed these syndromes are confused with that of a psychiatric disorder. ,,This paper will give the reader time for thought over the issue that: just because there is at present no specific diagnostic test or treatment for this condition, why then is the conclusion reached that this must be a psychiatric condition. Abstract Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia represent distinct diagnostic entities within both the clinical and research literature. A common feature of both presentations is that they are often accompanied by a significant mental health burden. A further salient feature of both conditions is that there is no consistent consensus on aetiology. Evaluation of the features of each disorder seems to present a convincing case that both disorders may indeed have a common aetiology and further, the possibility exists that chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia represent the same underlying disorder. Paradoxically, given this possibility it is remarkable that both patient groups are treated clinically with considerably different approaches to care and management. Mental health practitioners will come into contact with both groups of patients when support for the psychological consequences of diagnosis are necessary; however, many practitioners will be unaware of the debate regarding the aetiological ambiguities surrounding these presentations. The purpose of this review is to highlight the above issues in order to both facilitate awareness of the current aetiological/diagnostic impasse and facilitate provision of optimum mental health support. [source] Forced displacement in Yugoslavia: A meta-analysis of psychological consequences and their moderatorsJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 4 2001Matt Porter Abstract A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize what is known about differences in mental health between refugees and nonrefugees from the former Yugoslavia. The analysis focused on moderating effects of a variety of enduring, contextual stressors. Results indicated that refugees suffer significantly more mental health impairment than nonrefugees. The psychological consequences offorced displacement were found to vary significantly as a function of chronic stressors (e.g., locus of displacement and type of accommodation in exile) and were also associated with other factors (e.g., degree of war exposure in the nondisplaced groups, participant age, and time of data collection as reflected in year of publication). Implications for the study of refugee mental health are discussed. [source] Criteria for Pacemaker Explant in Patients Without a Precise Indication for Pacemaker ImplantationPACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002MARTINO MARTINELLI MARTINELLI, M., et al.: Criteria for Pacemaker Explant in Patients Without a Precise Indication for Pacemaker Implantation. Unnecessary pacemaker implantation may cause significant social and psychological consequences, the inconvenience of periodic office visits, and the expense of pulse generator replacement. Establishing adequate criteria for explanting pacemakers is crucial and has not yet been described. This study presents the results of a study protocol for explanting the pacemaker in patients without a clear indication for pacemaker implantation. Seventy pacemaker users without a clear reason for the implantation were included in the study conducted from August 1986 to November 1998 and were prospectively followed. The investigation consisted of clinical and neurological evaluations, echocardiogram, exercise testing, and tilt table testing. When these tests were negative, the pulse generator energy and stimulation rates were reprogrammed to the lowest values. Periodic Holter monitoring was conducted during follow-up. When asymptomatic for 1 year, patients underwent an electrophysiological evaluation of sinus and atrioventricular junction function and ventricular vulnerability. When the electrophysiological study was negative, pacemaker explantation was performed. Of the 70 patients, 35 had their pacemaker explanted; 3 were excluded due to a positive tilt table test and electrophysiological study, and 3 are waiting for pacemaker explantation. Mean follow-up after pacemaker explantation was 30.3 months, and all patients remained asymptomatic, except for one patient who died of a noncardiac cause. Critical analysis of pacemaker users without a well-established indication is justified because it may allow pacemaker explant in a significant proportion of these patients, and it may bring considerable social, economic, and psychological benefits. [source] Personifying the State: Consequences for Attitude FormationPOLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2007Kathleen M. McGraw Because states are abstract entities, they often require embodiment for mass publics and elites to understand them. This embodiment often occurs as personification, where the state is associated with the most salient figure in the political system, but embodiment can also occur through political institutions and social groups. Surprisingly, there is virtually no systematic empirical work on the political and psychological consequences of state personification, or other forms of embodiment. In this experiment, we investigate how various ways of embodying the state influence attitude formation processes. Drawing on the on-line/memory-based processing and entitativity literatures, we hypothesize that personification of the state should facilitate on-line processing and stronger attitudes, whereas embodying the state as a parliamentary institution should produce weaker attitudes that are formed in a memory-based fashion. The results support these hypotheses. Embodiment as a social group produced inconsistent results. This study provides the first systematic evidence that the widespread practice of personification of the state has robust and potentially far-reaching attitudinal consequences that have meaningful implications for strategic interaction, perception and learning, and attitude change in the international realm. [source] Prenatal screening and diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis: a review of safety issues and psychological consequences for women who undergo screeningPRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 5 2007Babak Khoshnood Abstract As part of the EUROTOXO initiative, this review focuses on the potential risks associated with prenatal testing for congenital toxoplasmosis. We first review the evidence on the risks of adverse events associated with amniocentesis, which is required for definitive diagnosis of toxoplasmosis infection in the fetus, and for which the most important risk is fetal loss. To date, there has been only one randomized trial to document risks associated with amniocentesis. This trial, which was conducted in 1986, reported a procedure-related rate of fetal loss of 1.0% (95% CI, 0.3,1.5). However, evidence from available controlled studies suggests that the pregnancy loss associated with mid-trimester amniocentesis may be lower. Potential psychological consequences of prenatal testing for congenital toxoplasmosis include parental anxiety due to false positive results and uncertainties related to prognosis of children with a prenatal diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis. Parental anxiety may be particularly important in screening strategies that include more frequent screenings, which may in turn entail substantial, and at times unnecessary, anxiety or other negative consequences for women and their families. These negative psychological outcomes should be balanced against the benefits of testing, which can allow women to make an informed choice regarding the pregnancy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Long-term psychological consequences of pregnancy termination for fetal abnormality: a cross-sectional studyPRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 3 2005M. J. Korenromp Abstract Objective We examined women's long-term psychological well-being after termination of pregnancy (TOP) for fetal anomaly in order to identify risk factors for psychological morbidity. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed in 254 women, 2 to 7 years after TOP for fetal anomaly before 24 weeks of gestation. We used standardised questionnaires to investigate grief, posttraumatic symptoms, and psychological and somatic complaints. Results Women generally adapted well to grief. However, a substantial number of the participants (17.3%) showed pathological scores for posttraumatic stress. Low-educated women and women who had experienced little support from their partners had the most unfavourable psychological outcome. Advanced gestational age at TOP was associated with higher levels of grief, and posttraumatic stress symptoms and long-term psychological morbidity was rare in TOP before 14 completed weeks of gestation. Higher levels of grief and doubt were found if the fetal anomaly was presumably compatible with life. Conclusion Termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly is associated with long-lasting consequences for a substantial number of women. Clinically relevant determinants are gestational age, perceived partner support, and educational level. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Psychological distress amongst AIDS-orphaned children in urban South AfricaTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 8 2007Lucie Cluver Background:, South Africa is predicted to have 2.3 million children orphaned by Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) by 2020 (Actuarial Society of South Africa, 2005). There is little knowledge about impacts of AIDS-related bereavement on children, to aid planning of services. This study aimed to investigate psychological consequences of AIDS orphanhood in urban township areas of Cape Town, South Africa, compared to control groups of children and adolescents orphaned by other causes, and non-orphans. Method:, One thousand and twenty-five children and adolescents (aged 10,19) were interviewed using socio-demographic questionnaires and standardised scales for assessing depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, peer problems, delinquency and conduct problems. Results:, Controlling for socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, formal/informal dwelling and age at orphanhood, children orphaned by AIDS were more likely to report symptoms of depression, peer relationship problems, post-traumatic stress, delinquency and conduct problems than both children orphaned by other causes and non-orphaned children. Anxiety showed no differences. AIDS-orphaned children were more likely to report suicidal ideation. Compared to Western norms, AIDS-orphaned children showed higher levels of internalising problems and delinquency, but lower levels of conduct problems. Conclusions:, Children orphaned by AIDS may be a particularly vulnerable group in terms of emotional and, to a lesser extent, behavioural problems. Intervention programs are necessary to ameliorate the psychological sequelae of losing a parent to AIDS. [source] Psychology and Perception of Patterns in ArchitectureARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Issue 6 2009Patricia A Rodemann Abstract Pattern perception is often regarded as highly subjective, dependent on individual taste and preference. Neurologically, however, it has been proven that distinct areas of the brain are stimulated differently by different pattern design and colour combinations. Here Patricia A Rodemann probes into the very real physical and psychological consequences of product design finishes and surface patterning. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Increased prevalence of burnout symptoms in parents of chronically ill childrenACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 3 2010C Lindström Abstract Aim:, To examine the prevalence of burnout symptoms in the context of parenting a chronically ill child. Methods:, A total of 252 parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and 38 parents of children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases participated in a population-based study. A control group consisted of 124 randomly selected parents of healthy children. We used self-report questionnaires to assess symptoms of burnout. Results:, The main finding was that significantly more parents of children with chronic diseases (36%) scored for clinical burnout, compared with parents of healthy children (20%). Burnout symptoms were most prominent among mothers of children with diabetes, although fathers of children with diabetes and mothers and fathers of children with inflammatory bowel diseases also reported higher levels of various burnout symptoms. Conclusion:, Burnout may be a useful model for understanding long-term parental responses and should be acknowledged among the different types of psychological consequences of the multi-faceted experience of parenting a child with chronic illness. Gender seems to influence the risk of burnout symptoms. Continued research about other background factors, and how the parents' situation changes over time are warranted. In the clinic, we need to draw attention to the group of parents who may suffer from burnout. [source] Emotional reactivity in infants with congenital heart defects: findings from a large case-cohort study in NorwayACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 1 2010K Stene-Larsen Abstract Aim:, Advances in medical treatment in recent years have led to dramatically improved survival rates of children with severe congenital heart defects (CHD). However, very little is known about the psychological consequences for these children, particularly during and after the early period of invasive treatment. In this study, we investigated the extent to which the severity of the CHD affects the child's emotional reactivity at 6 months of age. Method:, We linked prospective data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health with a nationwide medical CHD registry and identified 212 infants with CHD in a cohort of 61 299 infants. Mothers reported on their child's emotional reactivity at age 6 months by means of a standardized questionnaire. Results:, Infants with severe to moderate CHD had 60% higher odds for severe emotional reactivity (cut-off at the 85 percentile) compared with healthy infants, after controlling for important maternal and child confounders. Conclusion:, Our study is the first to show elevated emotional reactivity in children with moderate to severe CHD, suggesting a need for special parental attention to soothe their distress. Follow-up studies will show whether this emotional reactivity is transient or an early marker of continuing emotional or behavioural problems. [source] Children and adolescents injured in traffic , associated psychological consequences: a literature reviewACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 1 2009Eva Olofsson Abstract Aim: To identify the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD symptoms (PTSS) among children and adolescents injured in traffic, and to assess predictors of such post-traumatic stress. Methods: Studies identified from electronic databases were reviewed. Results: Based on a review of 12 studies, fulfilling specified criteria, the prevalence of PTSS was estimated at 30% within 1 month and 13% at 3,6 months. The prevalence of PTSD was almost 30% at 1,2 months and decreased to the same level as PTSS at 3,6 months. Perceived threat and high levels of distress, anxiety symptoms and being female were significantly associated with PTSD and PTSS. Injury severity was positively related to the number of PTSD symptoms in one of eight studies. Types of accident, age and socioeconomic status were not related to the development of PTSD/PTSS. Conclusion: Any child will be at risk of PTSD/PTSS, not just those with severe injuries. Trauma care should include procedures that could identify and prevent stress reactions in order to minimize the risk of associated psychological consequences. [source] |