Scientific Peer Review to Inform Regulatory Decision Making: Leadership Responsibilities and Cautions

The article offers insights on the peer-review process as it relates to scientific and technical reports used to inform regulatory decisions. Used effectively, peer review is a powerful tool for advising organizational leaders whether the scientific foundations of their decisions can be expected to withstand scrutiny as rule-making products move through interagency reviews, public comment and stakeholder processes, congressional oversight, and judicial review. The emphasis is "heads up" rather than "how to." That is, without delving into myriad technical and administrative details, the discussion highlights nine fundamental "leadership responsibilities" that determine the nature and course of peer review.     

Psychosocial effects of war experiences among displaced children in southern Darfur

This study focused on assessing the psychosocial effects of the long standing, high intensity, and guerrilla-style of warfare among displaced children in Southern Darfur. The goal was to better understand the etiology, prognosis, and treatment implications for traumatic reactions, depression, and grief symptoms in this population. Three hundred thirty-one children aged 6-17 from three IDP Camps were selected using a quota sampling approach and were administered a Demographic Questionnaire, Child Post Traumatic Stress Reaction Index, Child Depression Inventory, and the Expanded Grief Inventory. Forty-three percent were girls and 57% were boys. The mean age of the children was 12 years. Results found that children were exposed to a very large number of war experiences with no significant differences between genders for types of exposure, including rape, but with older children (13-17 years) facing a larger number of exposures than younger children (6-12 years). Out of the 16 possible war experiences, the mean number was 8.94 (SD = 3.27). Seventy-five percent of the children met the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD, and 38% exhibited clinical symptoms of depression. The percentage of children endorsing significant levels of grief symptoms was 20%. Increased exposure to war experiences led to higher levels of: (1) traumatic reactions; (2) depression; and (3) grief symptoms. Of the 16 war experiences, abduction, hiding to protect oneself, being raped, and being forced to kill or hurt family members were most predictive of traumatic reactions. Being raped, seeing others raped, the death of a parent/s, being forced to fight, and having to hide to protect oneself were the strongest predictors of depressive symptoms. War experiences such as abduction, death of one's parent/s, being forced to fight, and having to hide to protect oneself were the most associated with the child's experience of grief. In addition to Total Grief, Traumatic Grief, Existential Grief, and Continuing Bonds were measured in these children. Although trauma, depression, and grief often exist as co-morbid disorders, the mechanisms and pathways of these is less understood. In this study we used Structural Equation Modeling to better understand the complex interaction and trajectories of these three symptoms evolving from war exposure and loss. This study is the first of its kind to assess the psychosocial effects of war experiences among children currently living in war zone areas within Sudan. It identifies some of the most prevalent war-related atrocities and their varying impact on the children's psychological well-being and overall adjustment. Implications for planning mental health interventions are discussed.     

Bulimia: A false self identity

This article is based on the author's clinical experience with fifteen bulimic women over the past five years. It covers the family origins, unique characteristics, internal dynamics, and treatment of bulimia. Bulimics have a cohesive, albeit pathological, identity based on the False Self. Relying on D.W. Winnicott's theory of ego splitting between the True Self and False Self, the author elaborates the components of False Self identity. The author concludes with a comparison of the effects of group and individual therapy, and suggests that group is generally more effective than individual, and that a combination of group and individual treatment is optimal.     

Book reviews/Comptes rendus

Lisa Gilad, Ginger and Salt: Yemeni Jewish Women in an Israeli Town. Boulder D.W. Attwood and B.S. Baviskar (eds.), Who Shares? Co-operatives and Rural Development Francis Robinson (ed.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and The Maldives Richard C. Davis (ed.), Rupert's Land: A Cultural Tapestry Tom Bottomore and Robert J. Brym (eds.), The Capitalist Class: An International Study Raymond Murphy, Social Closure: A theory of Monopolization and Exclusion Richard Flacks, Making History. Kevin D. Carriere and Richard V. Ericson, Crime Stoppers: A Study in the Organization of Community Policing. Dany Lacombe, Ideology and Public Policy: The Case Against Pornography Robert J. Brym with Bonnie J. Fox, From Culture to Power: The Sociology of English Canada. Barry Wellman and S.D. Berkowitz (eds.), Social Structures: a network approach John Van Willigen, Barbara Rylko-Bauer, and Ann Mcelroy (eds.), Making Our Research Useful Grahame Clark, Prehistory at Cambridge and beyond Theresa R. Richardson, The Century of the Child: The Mental Hygiene Movement and Social Policy in the United States and Canada Anne Edwards, Regulation and Repression: The Study of Social Control Michael V. Angrosino, Documents of Interaction: Biography, Autobiography, and Life History in Social Science Perspective Michael Hechter, Principles of Group Solidarity Partrick Kierans, Glenn Drover and David Williams, Welfare and Worker Participation Mary Mccannery Gergen (ed.), Feminist Thought and the Structure of Knowledge Richard V. Ericson, Patricia M. Baranek and Janet B.L. Chan, Visualizing Deviance: A Study of New Organizations Sheila Allen and Carol Wolkowitz, Homeworking: Myths and Realities Calvin W. Redekop and Samuel J. Steiner (eds.), Mennonite Identity: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives Robert A. Stebbins, Canadian Football: The View From The Helmet Anne Innis Dagg and Patricia J. Thompson, MisEducation: Women & Canadian Universities Cyril H. Levitt and William Shaffir, The Riots at Christie Pits