Acquired immunity: immunosenescence and physical activity

Several lines of evidence indicate that infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmune disorders occur more frequently in elderly people, thus suggesting that altered function of immune organs and cells, such as thymus and T and B lymphocytes are of primary importance in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Furthermore, old subjects are less responsive to vaccine than younger because of immune changes. The most common changes accompanying the adaptive immune system include decrement of T and B cells proliferation, repertoire degeneracy, increase of the memory cell type, decreased numbers of naive cells, and shift from T helper₁ (Th1) to T helper₂ (Th2) response. Regular exercise in the elderly may improve the alterations in acquired immunity which follow the physiological process of aging, allowing a major resistance against external pathogens and a better quality of life.     

Offspring Migration and Parents' Emotional and Psychological Well‐being in Mexico

In Mexico, offspring migration disrupts familial norms of coresidence and geographic proximity. This article examines how an adult child's migration, both domestically and to the United States, affects the emotional and psychological well‐being of parents who remain in the place of origin. Using nationally representative longitudinal data from the Mexican Family Life Survey (N = 4,718), the authors found limited evidence that parents whose offspring emigrated to the United States experience worse outcomes than parents of offspring who did not migrate. Although they found that offspring U.S. migration was not associated with changes in parents' overall depressive syndrome, a child's U.S. migration increased the likelihood of experiencing loneliness and led to a lower likelihood of recovery from parental sadness over time. Children's domestic migration did not affect parental well‐being. These findings add to a growing body of literature that should be considered when assessing the broader impact of migration on family members who remain behind.     

Social Work and Child Psychoanalysis: Where the Twain Shall Meet

This essay explores the ways in which social work theory can contribute to the theory and practice of child psychoanalysis. Both clinical social work and child psychoanalysis borrow from psychoanalytic theory for explanations of motivation, development, and technique. The fundamental premises of social work theory, including a psychosocial perspective, the centrality of relationship as a medium of change, a commitment to social justice, and the importance of “starting where the person is,” inform the therapist’s stance and open the therapeutic space to include a wide range of ways of using the therapeutic relationship and the therapeutic experience. Integrating these principles into clinical practice theory offers a way to understand this range of ways of using therapeutic experience. Highlights of some of the practice literature are surveyed. Two case examples illustrate the value of social work theory in understanding therapeutic process.     

What sexual minority youths want in a program to assist with disclosure to their family

Disclosing one's sexual orientation to family members can be a difficult process for sexual minority youths (SMY). There are many decisions to make and factors to consider, such as whom to tell first and how family members may react. SMY are in need of resources to help them through this process, including programs that help them to make decisions about safe disclosure. Through interviews and open-ended surveys with 48 participants, the authors found that overall, SMY want a program that helps them connect with others. There were no strong preferences for facilitators' gender, and participants differed in opinions on facilitators' sexual orientation. However, most agreed that they would like a program that provides education and the opportunity to hear from and share stories with others.     

Could EGM player-tracking systems help link gamblers to treatment services in Australia: a thematic analysis of counsellor and community educators’ perspectives

There are a number of different pathways to care that people experiencing problems with gambling may pursue. The current research examined the potential of player-tracking systems, such as pre-commitment technology or loyalty cards, to improve the delivery of links to treatment. Thirty-three key informants from gambling treatment and community education in Australia were interviewed about the potential contributions of these technologies to helping link gamblers with problems to treatment services. Thematic analysis revealed three broad considerations for effective links to treatment using these technologies. First, links need to be appropriate in terms of the multitude of problems (other than gambling) that people might face with customized links appropriate to a gambler’s circumstances. Second, the presentation of the links should make them easy to notice and appropriately timed. Third, links should be provided as part of a broader strategy of harm minimization; by recognizing where people are in terms of behavioural change; providing positively framed guidance; and maintaining consistency with public health approaches. This research provides guidance based on informed expert opinion on what features of technology-driven links-to-treatment are likely to meet with greatest success.     

Policy Climates and Reductions in Automobile Use*

Objectives. This study examines how national environmental policy influences individual car‐driving behavior in the European Union. Methods. Using the International Social Survey: Environment II in conjunction with the 2001 and 2002 Environmental Sustainability Indices, we analyze the relationship between macro‐level policy indicators and the reported reduction of individual car driving for environmental reasons, controlling for meso‐ and micro‐level factors. Results. Our results show that individuals report a greater likelihood of driving less for environmental reasons when they live in nations that adopt strong pro‐environmental policies, even when such policies are not directly related to car use. Conclusions. Our finding that a national policy climate focused on environmental sustainability is associated with pro‐environmental behaviors among individuals in that nation encourages us to believe that greater international cooperation on environmental issues (such as the Kyoto Protocol) and increased strength of domestic environmental policies will positively change individual behavior.     

Child sexual abuse: from prevention to self‐protection

There are a growing number of child abuse prevention and education programmes, including primarily group‐based parent and child education, which are taught by teachers within the school system. This article reviews some of the existing sexual abuse education and/or body safety programmes, as well as the research surrounding them. Advantages as well as criticisms of such programmes are reviewed. Issues such as target populations (i.e. children, teachers, parents), programme components and methodological limitations are addressed. Major findings include: children as young as three can be effectively taught self‐protection skills, parental and family involvement in training is important, and repeated exposure helps children maintain knowledge gains. The components of successful programmes include teaching children to identify and resist inappropriate touching, reassuring children that it is not their fault and learning the proper names of their genitals. Finally, future directions for programme development, research and policy are explored. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parents' Goals for Children: The Dynamic Coexistence of Individualism and Collectivism in Cultures and Individuals

Current scholarship on the cultural value systems of individualism and collectivism, and the associated developmental goals of autonomy and relatedness, has moved beyond grand divide theories to emphasize variation within individuals and cultures. We present a theoretical model on the dynamic coexistence of cultural value systems (at the macro level) and parents' developmental goals (at the micro level). We contend that cultural values and developmental goals that have largely been classified as polar opposites may be viewed as conflicting, additive, or functionally dependent. Parents may view the developmental goal of autonomy as interfering with the goal of relatedness (and vice versa); parents may endorse both autonomy and relatedness; and parents may consider the developmental goal of relatedness to be a path to the goal of autonomy and/or autonomy to be a path to relatedness. These forms of coexistence are themselves dynamic, changing across situations, developmental time, and in response to social, political, and economic contexts.     

Oregon water: Assessing differences between the Old and New Wests

The history of the American West is intimately tied to the movement and management of water. As the West developed, so too did the image of rural Westerners. As stressors like climate change and population growth strain existing water supplies, resource management benefits from understanding whether fundamental differences exist between the residents in the Old (rural) West and the New (urban) West. Using a survey conducted in the spring of 2010 of Oregon residents, this study explores whether residents in Oregon show distinct differences in environmental concern based on rural or urban residency. The results show that there are differences between groups on environmental beliefs, but likely attributed to factors other than rural and urban residency, and there are no significant differences between groups on water.