The right stuff for early intervention in psychosis: time, attitude, place, intensity, treatment, & cost

This article shares information about an exciting new approach in psychiatry. During the past 12 years, the authors have worked with young people experiencing their first episode of psychosis. It is clear that intervention at the earliest stages of psychotic illness allows clinicians to make a significant difference in the lives of young people and their families. This article summarizes current intervention strategies, which are considered best practice guidelines for early treatment.     

Home production and the tax system

This study explores the impact of income taxation on the home production behavior of families. Using data from the Michigan Survey of Income Dynamics for 1976, a home production equation relating time spent in home production to various tax, economic, and demographic variables is estimated for husbands and wives. The study extends earlier work in the area by including both one- and two-earner families in the estimation and by using a two-stage technique for imputing a wage rate to wives not working outside the home. The results show clearly that taxation tends to encourage the home production activity of wives and discourage that of husbands. At the same time, total home production of the family increases as a result of taxation. Differential responses by race are also uncovered.     

Proximate determinants of fertility and mortality: A review of recent findings

Social, cultural, and economic factors that influence fertility must work through the intermediate variables or proximate determinants that directly affect reproduction. This paper reviews the proximate determinants framework and recent advances in knowledge of its components. In addition, efforts to develop a comparable model for analysis of mortality are described. It is concluded that, for fertility, although gaps in knowledge of proximate determinants remain and continuing periodic measurement is necessary to monitor their levels and changes, the primary need now is to improve understanding of the causal links between the social and economic features of a population and the proximate determinants.     

Mothers living apart from their children

Following Darley's analysis of the implications for women of ascribed (e.g., motherhood) vs. achieved (e.g., career) roles, this study examined stress and coping in four areas. Seventeen women who lived apart from their children (noncustody) and fourteen women who lived with their children (custody) were interviewed. The stressfulness of the noncustody situation appeared in negative evaluations of women who do not have custody, in the difficulties of dealing with ex-husbands over custody, in the lack of support from family and sometimes friends, and in the lack of hopes for the future. Yet, mothers who lived apart from their children were as “fit” as mothers who lived with their children. Child custody appeared to be a fluid issue regardless of the current custody situation for both custody and noncustody mothers.     

Perpetuum Mobile: Substance, Force and the Sociology of Translation

Going after means taking up a position with regard to something and the active pursuit of that same thing. It is the critical move par excellence , but also an act of appropriation. This essay suspends the urge to go after in preference for an exploration of the trajectory of that body of texts known as the sociology of translation. The figure of the perpetuum mobile is put into circulation through these texts in order to trace some of their more unusual and unfamiliar connections. These include a whole series of parallels with seventeenth century classical philosophy and with nineteenth century 'social energetics'. Connections are drawn out by using three 'test signals', which are sent on through the ANT canon: substance, force and time. Pivotal to each is the sense of how very different events and apparently diverse territories can be brought into contiguity, or folded up together. This contiguity needs to be performed rather than described , placed in translation rather than simply presented . The chapter concludes by tracing a way from the strange folds of ANT to the equally peculiar forms of early Psychology.     

Physician opportunities in management: signs and portents

There are many trends today that spell great opportunity for physicians who seek to shift their careers into management. Some of those trends are outlined here, with commentary on each opportunity presented. Like much in life, most opportunities contain uncertainties and unanticipated consequences. Thus, no opportunity comes without some possible negative side effects and blind alleys for the unaware. Some of these pitfalls are also presented, along with some suggested strategies for physicians who seek major roles in the management of the health enterprises of the future.     

Divorced Yet Still Together: Ongoing Personal Relationship and Coparenting Among Divorced Parents

This study examined the ongoing personal and emotional involvement between former spouses and its association with perceptions of the quality of the coparenting relationship. Dyadic analysis of 54 formerly married couples revealed that both men and women rate their coparenting relationship as better when they also report ongoing personal and emotional involvement with their former spouse. Furthermore, when men reported ongoing involvement, their former wives reported better coparenting. The opposite effect was not found. This pattern held for both Black Americans and White Americans. Clinical implications of the findings of this study are also discussed.