A Review of: “Psychology of Orphaned Children”

For many years, intercountry adoption (ICA) in the United Kingdom was an unregulated, “tolerated” practice which was neither scrutinized nor supported to the degree of domestic adoption. Since 1999, legislative changes have sought to place ICA on equal footing with domestic adoption. This article addresses the extent to which this objective has been achieved through an examination of post-placement support practices and parents’ experiences, preferences, and expectations of support services. The findings of this study indicate that a less proactive, inclusive approach, limitations of professional knowledge and experience, the lack of appropriate services, and families’ support preferences contribute to the persistence of a “two-tier service.”     

Depression and Religiosity in African American and White Community-Dwelling Older Adults

SUMMARY

This research examined the extent to which religiosity was predictive of level of depression, even after controlling for race, gender, social support, income sufficiency, and physical health. Data were collected using in-home interviews conducted from 1999 to 2001 with 1,000 adults age 65 to 106. Subjects were recruited from a stratified, random sample of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older in five central Alabama counties (three rural and two urban). The sample was stratified by county, race, and sex and included balanced numbers of African American males and females and White males and females. Highly religious persons had lower levels of depression, even when controlling for other known covariates, β = -.16, t(972) p < .001. Females reported higher levels of depression, β = .07, t(972) p < .05. Although race was unrelated to depression in the model including gender and religiosity only, African Americans reported fewer symptoms of depression than did Whites when social support, income sufficiency, and physical health were added to the model, β= -.08, t(972) p < .01. Results suggest the importance of health and social service professionals' drawing upon older adults' positive spirituality in professional interventions to prevent and treat depression.     

Body Dissatisfaction: Commitment,Support, and Trust in Romantic Relationships

Research investigating dimensions of relationship quality has suggested that aspects of relationship quality (e.g., commitment, support, trust) are related to lower levels of body dissatisfaction in women. However no studies have examined the effect of all three measures of relationship quality on body dissatisfaction simultaneously. Trust and support correlated with body dissatisfaction in men and women. Additionally, the results showed that lack of support is a predictor of body dissatisfaction in men and lack of trust is a predictor in women; relationship commitment did not appear to relate to body dissatisfaction.     

Peer Support Among Consumers of Professional Mental Health Services

ABSTRACT

Peer-support services have become increasingly prevalent in mental health; consumers now deliver many services once provided by professional mental health providers. Recognizing this key asset in mental health consumers' service environment is critical for social workers. This exploratory study examines differences among 311 consumers of professional mental health services, half of whom also used peer-support services. The two groups (peer support compared with non-peer-support) were compared on a number of dimensions related to their utilization of and satisfaction with professional mental health services. Users of peer-support services perceived greater availability of professional services and used more professional services, but found professional services to be less useful than those not participating in peer support. No differences between the two groups were found for overall satisfaction with professional services. Findings related to policy, practice, and research are discussed.     

从创业扶持措施看重庆市微型企业发展的法制环境

重庆市的微型企业创业扶持措施在一定程度上推动了经济的发展,促进了就业,但是也存在一些问题。目前微型企业创业扶持工作的行政管理主体有违职权法定原则,创业扶持对象的相关规定缺乏合理性,创业扶持申请的受理过程欠缺公正性保障。2011年7月颁布的《中小企业划型标准规定》正式确立了微型企业的法律地位,因此,应当在我国中小企业法制体系中完善重庆市微型企业的创业扶持措施,为微型企业的发展创造良好的法制环境。     

福建省文化旅游产业财政支持研究

自《文化产业振兴规划》出台以来,福建省一直致力于文化旅游建设,也取得了显著成绩.文化是旅游产品的精华,文化旅游是旅游业永恒的主题,当前,福建省已有多项支持福建文化旅游产业发展的财政措施,但文化旅游在保护、开发、市场营销、旅游环境营造及发展持续性等各个环节上还须财政继续大力支持,建议通过减免税收、争取国家家专项资金、金融机构提供低息贷款、进一步财政预算拨款等政策进一步促进文化旅游产业的发展.     

高校教师组织支持、组织承诺与工作绩效关系实证研究

提高教师对高校组织的忠诚度与爱岗敬业精神,引导他们表现可靠的组织行为,促进教学与科研水平、提升教育质量和效益、培养高素质人才,已成为各高校管理人员必须关注的问题。通过文献研究总结,以人力资源管理及组织行为学的相关理论为背景,采用实地访谈和问卷调查的实证研究方法,对高校教师组织支持、组织承诺及工作绩效的内容、结构和关系、影响因素进行研究,建立了三者之间总体关系模型,揭示了相互影响关系。对高校的人才培养及科研工作、高校的人事制度改革、人力资源管理有重大的理论和实践意义。     

新三纲五常：中国传统孝养思想的现代转化

我国＂未富先老＂的现状决定家庭养老依然是今后一段时间内的主要养老模式。要使现代家庭继续承担起传统社会的养老重任,必须从传统孝文化中汲取思想精华,推动其现代转化,以提供强有力的精神支撑。鉴于自近代以来,孝文化往往与＂三纲五常＂联系在一起不断受到批判和误解,所以应该从内涵丰富的传统孝文化中剥离出孝养思想这个合理内核,赋予其时代意义,构建以＂新三纲五常＂为主要内容的新孝养文化。     

Internet-Based Clinical Services: Virtual Support Groups for Family Caregivers

ABSTRACT

Objectives: An internet-based psychotherapeutic support group intervention for family caregivers of persons with neurodegenerative diseases was developed in a series of pilot studies and subsequently evaluated in a feasibility study with 34 participants. The aim was to duplicate online group interactions typical of face-to-face support groups. Methods: A user-friendly web site was developed according to usability criteria for older adult users. Unique features of the web site included video conferencing in two formats, one-on-one and a group format with up to 6 participants and a facilitator. Following ten professionally facilitated sessions, each group evolved into a web-based self-help support group facilitated online by a group member. Results: Qualitative analyses of early, middle and late group video conferencing sessions yielded themes congruent with face-to-face group process. Follow up interviews six months following the initiation of the online groups showed overall positive participant responses in each of the following areas: learning to use computers, negotiating the web site links, obtaining disease-specific information from the website, using technology to communicate, bonding with group members, providing mutual guidance and support, and benefiting in terms of coping with the stresses of caregiving.