Family,activity, and stress reactions in exile

The possible protective effect of family and activity (including work and employment training) on posttraumatic reactions in traumatized refugees living in a host society was explored. A total of 966 refugees participated in the study, the majority of whom had been exposed to war and/or torture trauma prior to arrival in Norway. The study sample consisted of two groups: one had been referred to a psychiatric outpatient clinic for evaluation or treatment, the other consisted of refugees interviewed in connection with a health examination upon arrival in the municipalities to which they were allocated. The study showed that presence of family and employment/training had positive effects on posttraumatic symptoms regardless of level of traumatic exposure. But the results also showed that the higher the level of exposure to traumatic events, the stronger the effect of family (spouse and/or children) seemed to be. The study illustrates the importance of implementing psychosocial measures with special emphasis on activity and strengthening of family systems, in the integration of traumatized refugees in a host community. El artículo explora los posibles efectos protectivos que tienen las redes de apoyo familiares y el empleo/entrenamiento en las reacciones post-traumáticas de refugiados traumatizados residentes en una sociedad receptora. Participaron en el estudio un total de 966 refugiados de los cuales la mayoria fueron víctimas de varios eventos traumáticos previo a su llegada a Noruega. La muestra consiste en dos grupos: el primer grupo habia sido referido previamente a una clinica psiquiátrica para evaluación y tratamiento; el segundo grupo consiste en refugiados que habian sido sometidos a una examinación clínica llevada a cabo en las municipalidades que les fueron asignadas a su llegada a Noruega. El estudio muestra que la presencia familiar y los actividodos laborales/entrenamiento tiene efectos positivos en síntomas post-traumáticos, sin importar el nivel de exposición traumática. Los resultados también demuestran que los efectos de la presencia familiar en los síntomas son todavía más evidentes en personas que han sufrido experiencias traumáticas más fuertes. El estudio ilustra la importancia de implementar medidas psicosociales con especial énfasis en la actividad y el fortalecimento de los sistemas familiares para la integración de refugiados traumatizados en sociedades receptoras.     

Are Interactional Behaviors Exhibited When the Self-Reported Health Question is Asked Associated with Health Status?

The self-reported health question summarizes information about health status across several domains of health and is widely used to measure health because it predicts mortality well. We examine whether interactional behaviors produced by respondents and interviewers during the self-reported health question-answer sequence reflect complexities in the respondent’s health history. We observed more problematic interactional behaviors during question-answer sequences in which respondents reported worse health. Furthermore, these behaviors were more likely to occur when there were inconsistencies in the respondent’s health history, even after controlling for the respondent’s answer to the self-reported health question, cognitive ability, and sociodemographic characteristics. We also found that among respondents who reported “excellent” health, and to a lesser extent among those who reported their health was “very good,” problematic interactional behaviors were associated with health inconsistencies. Overall, we find evidence that the interactional behaviors exhibited during the question-answer sequence are associated with the respondent’s health status.     

Weighted Integral Test Statistics and Components of Smooth Tests of Fit

This paper considers families of statistics for testing the goodness-of-fit of various parametric models such as the normal, exponential or Poisson. Each family consists of weighted integrals over the squared modulus of some measure of deviation from the parametric model, expressed by means of an empirical transform of the data. Letting the rate of decay of the weight function tend to infinity, each test statistic, after a suitable rescaling, approaches a limit that is closely connected to the first non-zero component of Neyman's smooth test for the parametric model.     

Chemically exposed children: The child welfare response

Child Welfare Agencies, especially in urban areas, are confronted with multiple problems as they attempt to deal with the complex needs of chemically dependent families. Maternal chemical use places children at an elevated risk of placement and other negative events. This article critiques research on incidence and consequence of maternal chemical use and suggests strategies Child Welfare Agencies can employ in working with these vulnerable families.This work was supported by a grant from the Program for International and Crosscultural Social Welfare, School of Social Work, University of Illinois.     

Using Thin Slices for Behavioral Coding

This study investigated whether brief segments of nonverbal behavior or “thin slices” would be representative of behavior across a longer interaction. It was hypothesized that behavioral slices would correlate with behavior across a full 15-minute interaction. Five commonly investigated nonverbal behaviors were coded: gazing, gestures, nods, smiles, and self-touch. The findings showed moderate to high positive correlations between the thin slices (1-minute slice, total of two 1-minute slices, total of three 1-minute slices) and the full interaction for all five behaviors. In regards to behavioral coding, the thin-slice methodology proposed could save nonverbal researchers considerable time, energy, and money by decreasing resources dedicated to coding behavior in some types of interactions. Such results suggest that thin slices could represent an individual’s behavior across a longer length of time. Nora A. Murphy is now at the Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA. The data was collected at Northeastern University and the research was supported by National Science Foundation grant SBR 97 09032 awarded to Judith A. Hall.     

The multiple service needs of drug dependent mothers

Maternal drug use has been the subject of much political discussion. Increases in the foster care population are reported to be a result of drug use by mothers. However, there is little information about the characteristics and service needs of drug using mothers. This study obtained data on drug dependent mothers referred to a child welfare agency, and suggests the need for coordinated treatment.