When should there be liability for negligently causing psychiatric illness?

In March 1998 the Law Commission for England and Wales published the outcome of its review of the law on compensation of those who suffer psychiatric illness as a result of the negligence of another person. The report is largely, although not solely, concerned with work-related illness. It also reviews the literature on the incidenc and forms of psychiatric illness. It makes recommendations for legislation. This paper critically summarizes the findings of the Commission and concludes with some comments. It questions the appropriateness of common law litigation for these kinds of injury. It also comments on whether the Commission's recommendations will be implemented by Parliament and the likely impact of the proposed revision of the law upon the incidence of litigation.     

Cryotherapy for treatment of ECT-induced headache

Because headache is a common side effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), this study sought to determine the effectiveness of cryotherapy (i.e., a frozen gel band) in relieving pain in patients with post-ECT headaches, and whether headache intensity and physiological measurements could predict use of an alternative analgesic (rescue medication). We used a quasi-experimental, crossover design to collect data from 31 patients ages 24 to 85 who had been referred for ECT at two medical facilities in San Diego, California. Measurements of patients' pain intensity were made at three intervals: upon perceiving headache, and at 30 and 60 minutes following the cryotherapy or acetaminophen interventions, based on the order of the crossover design. Data were analyzed using Hotelling's T2 and logistic regression. No significant difference was found between cryotherapy and acetaminophen in relieving ECT-induced headaches (p = .420). There was no influence due to the crossover design (p = .313), nor where there significant changes in physiological measures from treatment (p = .420). Logistic regression showed that 50% of patients required rescue medication after 60 minutes for both treatments (R2 = .498, p = .001), and 66% required rescue medication based on pain level and physiological measures (R2 = .662, p < .008). Based on these results, cryotherapy is an alternative treatment that may be helpful to some patients with ECT-induced headaches.     

Adolescent attitudes toward random drug testing in schools

The current research examined students' perceptions of random drug testing for students participating in after-school activities. Results found students were more likely to endorse drug testing at their school if they are already engaged in after-school activities and not currently using drugs and/or alcohol. While middle and high school students' scores fell within the median, most reported if drug testing were implemented in their school they believed it would not deter continued participation in after-school activities. However, if drug testing were a prerequisite for participating in after-school activities, high school students were more apprehensive about getting tested than middle school students. Student respondents were more likely to endorse drug testing, if all members of the school system (i.e., teachers, coaches and staff) participated in drug testing. High school students' believed they had enough knowledge about drug abuse and were less likely to endorse drug testing because they believed it would violate their personal privacy compared to grade school students. Results also differed as a function of gender and self-reported drug and alcohol use.     

Coping With Ethnic Stereotypes in the Academic Domain: Perceived Injustice and Psychological Disengagement

Psychological disengagement is the defensive detachment of self-esteem from a particular domain. In the academic arena, disengagement can result from devaluing academic success or discounting the validity of academic outcomes. We review evidence for ethnic differences in these two processes of psychological disengagement and present results of a multiethnic study examining perceived ethnic injustice and academic performance as predictors of devaluing and discounting. Among African American students, beliefs about ethnic injustice (but not academic performance) predicted greater discounting and devaluing. Among European American students, poor academic performance (but not beliefs about ethnic injustice) predicted greater devaluing and discounting. Among Latino/a students, beliefs about ethnic injustice were associated with greater discounting, whereas poorer academic performance was associated with increased devaluing.     

建设海峡西岸社会主义新农村的战略定位

从把握中央精神实质、反思国内外农村发展经验和融入海峡西岸经济区建设全局等3个方面分析探讨了海峡西岸社会主义新农村建设的战略定位问题。认为,准确定位要根据中央的精神实质,把握好世界现代化发展过程城乡演变的基本规律和我国城乡发展的特殊性、全国的共性和海峡西岸经济区的特点及其建设全局和新农村建设的关系,从海峡西岸经济区建设全局和持续发展的高度处理好新农村建设与加快工业化和城镇化发展的矛盾,加大外力推动促进内源发展,建立新型的城乡关系,促进农村经济与社会的综合发展,增进农民福祉。     

建设海峡西岸社会主义新农村的价值选择

建设社会主义新农村,本质是要缩小城乡差距,使农村在加速工业化、城市化的过程中能够与城市共同协调发展,使农民与城市居民一样享受等值不同质的现代生活。以等值不同质为取向增进农民福祉,是海峡西岸社会主义新农村建设的出发点和落脚点。建设海峡西岸社会主义新农村,要树立大资源观,以增量资源为杠杆激活存量资源,构建平等、互动、共福的新型城乡关系。     

Resolving inconsistencies in trends in old-age disability: Report from a technical working group

In September 2002, a technical working group met to resolve previously published inconsistencies across national surveys in trends in activity limitations among the older population. The 12-person panel prepared estimates from five national data sets and investigated methodological sources of the inconsistencies among the population aged 70 and older from the early 1980s to 2001. Although the evidence was mixed for the 1980s and it is difficult to pinpoint when in the 1990s the decline began, during the mid- and late 1990s, the panel found consistent declines on the order of 1%-2.5% per year for two commonly used measures in the disability literature: difficulty with daily activities and help with daily activities. Mixed evidence was found for a third measure: the use of help or equipment with daily activities. The panel also found agreement across surveys that the proportion of older persons who receive help with bathing has declined at the same time as the proportion who use only equipment (but not personal care) to bathe has increased. In comparing findings across surveys, the panel found that the period, definition of disability, treatment of the institutionalized population, and age standardizing of results were important to consider. The implications of the findings for policy, national survey efforts, and further research are discussed.     

Childfree by choice: Attitudes and adjustment of sterilized women

This research compares the attitudes, values and adjustment of childfree women to those of two relevant comparison groups. The study represents a methodological advance in that: (a) the childless sample represents women clearly committed to that lifestyle and (b) childfree women are compared with women who also have made active, although dissimilar, childbearing decisions. Discriminant analysis suggests that voluntarily sterilized, childless women differ from women pregnant for the first time and from women sterilized after having two children in attitudes and values but not adjustment. Findings are discussed in relation to those of other studies which have used: (a) objective assessments of attitudes, values and/or adjustment, and (b) comparison groups.This study was supported in part by Biomedical Sciences Support Grant FR-RR07087 to the second author from the General Research Support Branch, Division of Research Resources, Bureau of Health Professions, Education and Manpower Training, National Institutes of Health. The authors would like to thank Robert F. DeVellis, Jo Anne L. Earp, Charlotte Friedberg and an anonymous reviewer for comments on an earlier draft of this article.     

Transferring training to child welfare practice: Individual and collective efforts

The transfer of training to practice constitutes an ongoing challenge in child welfare services. Many efforts to understand and promote training transfer address the concept as an individual-level behavior. This study suggests that training transfer is both an individual and collective process. The study involves a survey at two time points of 214 workers from child welfare agencies who attended a training program. Principle components analysis identified two meaningful sub-components within the concept of the training transfer. Hierarchical linear regression was used to assess the influence of individual-level and contextual factors on both components. Findings suggest that to promote collective training transfer and enhance both individual and group performance, child welfare administrators may need to strengthen supervisory support and to promote positive work climates in which trainees can discuss training concepts and work together to apply them.     

Harsh Parenting,Deviant Peers,Adolescent Risky Behavior: Understanding the Meditational Effect of Attitudes and Intentions

Although research supports the influence of parents and peers on adolescent risky behavior, less is known about mechanisms proposed to explain this relation. This study examined the influence of adolescent attitudes and intentions about such behaviors. Prospective, longitudinal data came from rural youth who participated throughout adolescence (n = 451). Observed harsh parenting and relationship with deviant peers was assessed in early adolescence, attitudes and intentions were measured during middle adolescence, and risky behavior was assessed in late adolescence. Results indicated that parenting and deviant peers was related to engagement in tobacco use, alcohol use, and risky sexual behaviors. Moreover, attitudes and intentions mediated this relationship even after parent use and adolescent early involvement in these behaviors were taken into account.