Examining Protective Factors for Dysthymia Among Individuals Attending Substance Abuse Treatment

ABSTRACT

Dysthymia affects millions of people and has been associated with impaired psychosocial and occupational functioning and poor clinical treatment outcomes. Yet few studies have examined protective factors that can be utilized to help individuals with dysthymia in clinical settings, particularly among individuals with comorbid substance use disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential protective quality of adult attachment dimensions, spirituality, and meaning in life among clients with and without dysthymia in treatment for addiction. Data were obtained from 305 self-report questionnaires administered to clients attending a residential substance abuse treatment center. Approximately 25% of the sample met criteria for dysthymia. Results from logistic regression analyses indicated that purpose and meaning in life and attachment anxiety were the most important protective factors against having dysthymia. These results suggest that mental health professionals may need to integrate these protective factors into the treatment of individuals with dysthymia and substance use disorders, which may enhance treatment outcomes and maximize treatment effectiveness. Future studies should continue to explore protective factors that can assist individuals who experience these comorbid conditions and consider replicating this study using an ethnically diverse sample and other clinical settings to determine the generalizability of the findings.     

Power and translation in social policy research

Globalisation has increased the demand for policy transfer but also raises problems. There are international organisations that advocate common approaches to policy and better communication means that policy makers are more aware of what is going on in other countries. At the same time attempts to transfer policy highlight real differences in history and culture and what they mean for power relations. Within this context the development of large cross national data sets is growing fast. These mainly quantitative data are virtually all produced by governments or quasi governmental organisations. They embody top down power relations and belong to the scientific tradition of social research that assumes that terms can be translated exactly, even though the difficulties of doing so are recognised. The result is data sets that have enormous potential for social science but that are open to serious abuse unless it is realised that they minimise historical and cultural differences and reinforce dominant hierarchies.     

The History and Consequences of the Sexual-Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church

The sexual-abuse crisis in the Catholic Church was first publicized in 1985 in Louisiana and continues to capture headlines and the imagination of the public across the country. This article reviews the history of the contemporary scandal and delineates a paradigm of abuse and cover-up common in cases of sexual abuse by a priest. While the sexual victimization of minors by priests and vowed religious men has been wrenching for the many decent clerics and for Catholics everywhere, the victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy live daily with its aftermath. In this article, the experiences of one young man sexually abused by a priest when he was a boy are presented and the sequelae of such abuse are discussed.     

中国历史:社会性别分析的一个有用的范畴

本文探讨琼·斯科特的论文<社会性别:一个有效的历史分析范畴>的问世对中国历史研究领域的影响,着力勾勒了社会性别分析范畴在中国大陆和欧美的中国历史研究界相互关联而又截然不同的学术发展轨迹.在英语学术界,斯科特的文章标志着重大的概念上的转变,推动此后的研究走出仅限于对妇女的思考,引向对社会性别的关注;走出男女二元对立的思维模式,而作更广阔的对权力关系的探究.斯科特关于文化符号、规范性概念、政治社会体制和主体性身份的重要性的论述.帮助催生和组织了英美中国历史研究界大多数最有影响的新研究成果.虽然"男女"在历史上作为儒家社会组织伦理的重要组成部分被文人学者广泛论述,而当代中国历史学界对社会性别理论和分析方法的关注则在近年来才出现,社会性别史在中国大陆的发展尚处起步阶段.     

‘You Could Damage Somebody's Life’: Student and Lecturer Perspectives on Commitment

Retention problems in the social work profession have been well documented. There is evidence that social workers experience a shorter working life compared to many other professional groups. Despite existing links between commitment to the job role and important work outcomes such as retention, few studies have investigated commitment in social work students. This study utilised qualitative data to examine this issue from the perspective of seven social work students and three lecturers. Aspects of commitment, as well as associated concepts such as perceptions of support and perspectives on the social work profession were explored. Commitment was primarily seen by students and lecturers as synonymous with dedication to the profession and its values. The extent and nature of support from a range of sources was seen as varying in quality, although peer support was generally seen in positive terms. It is suggested that interventions to enhance peer support have the potential to enhance student commitment and, consequently, retention.     

Social Work Students’ Interest in Working with Persons with Serious Mental Illness

Educating and recruiting practitioners to work in community-based settings with persons with serious mental illness has become a national health issue, particularly in underserved rural areas. To inform curriculum development and recruitment efforts, the authors conducted a needs assessment. Graduate and undergraduate social work students in a rural New England state university were surveyed about their interest, perceived competence, and perceived training needs in working with persons with serious mental illness. The findings indicated that almost half of the students expressed an interest in working with this population. The extent and nature of previous work with this population and educational level were shown to be related to students’ responses, in areas including interest in work with persons with serious mental illness and the perceived ability to handle a psychiatric crisis. The findings suggest important implications for the social work curriculum, additional needs assessment, and recruitment activity.     

Ethnic Exploration and Consciousness of Difference: Chinese Adoptees in Early Adolescence

Ethnic exploration is one path for children adopted internationally to develop an understanding of how and why they are different from others, and to build personal biographies that bring together adoption, race, and national origin. In this article, we draw on the concept of consciousness of difference to analyze the ethnic explorations of 282 Chinese adopted girls. Where race was salient and positive in daily life, ethnic exploration during early adolescence provided an affirmative way for many of them to normalize the consciousness of being visibly different from family and friends, even though in some ways it also complicated it.     

Health Care Decision Making for Unbefriended,Incapacitated Adults: A Value-Committed Policy Transfer Analysis

Adults who lack decisional capacity and known family or friends to serve as their health care agent are an increasing concern. This article examines the transferability of Texas and Florida legislation, which stipulates the persons eligible to serve as health care decision makers for unbefriended, incapacitated adults in the absence of an advance directive. Texas §313.004 allows for a clergyperson to serve in this role, whereas Florida Ann. §765.401 allows for a social worker with the requisite licensure or training. The authors provide a critical comparative value-committed analysis of the factors that influence state legislation that addresses the needs of unbefriended adults.     

Teachers' Views of Students with Gay or Lesbian Parents

Eighty-three female and 24 male teachers responded to an anonymous questionnaire exploring four aspects of teachers' views of students who have gay or lesbian parents: (1) exposure to and general knowledge about homosexuality, (2) attitudes towards gays and lesbians, (3) interactions with gay or lesbian parents, including school practices and policies, and (4) beliefs about problems experienced by students with gay and lesbian parents. Most teachers knew some gay males and lesbians, had limited education and knowledge about homosexuality, and possessed moderately tolerant attitudes towards gays and lesbians. They believed that students with gay or lesbian parents had more problems in social interaction but were more mature, tolerant, and self-reliant than other students. Open-ended questions about gay and lesbian parents and their children revealed a wide range of answers, ranging from very supportive to noticeably hostile.