“At a moment,you could collapse”: Raising children with autism in the West Bank

The current qualitative study examined knowledge, attitudes, burdens and coping strategies related to caring for a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the West Bank. Based on a sample of 24 Palestinian parents, the study found that parents struggled with financial stressors, child behavioral and medical challenges, and depression. Few parents were aware of ASDs prior to their children's diagnoses. Furthermore, discrimination and stigma from extended family members and the larger community intensified parents' feelings of shame and experiences of social isolation. While some parents coped by withdrawing from the community or denying the diagnosis, others aimed to increase social interactions and access information. Religious coping was found to be partly adaptive for some of the participants. The study underscored the vital need to increase community awareness of ASDs and increase social support for parents in the West Bank.     

Au Revoir: An Attachment and Loss Perspective on Termination

Traditional views of psychotherapy hold that termination allows both for a consolidation of therapeutic work and an opportunity to work through issues of separation and loss. Such a view suggests not only that those issues will resolve in treatment, but also that endings are inevitable, permanent, and that the feelings invoked can and should be mastered and worked through. Recent research on termination, attachment, loss and grieving suggests a different conception. Consideration of that research can better ground therapists in more nuanced techniques for ending treatment in both child and adult psychotherapy.

藏彝走廊的自然灾害与灾难应对本土 实践的人类学考察

藏彝走廊是一个生态多样、文化多元,同时也是自然灾害频发的民族地区。从灾难的社会属性出发,文章通过考察该地区的自然灾害和灾难应对的本土实践,分析了一些特定的自然灾害作为当地环境系统中的一种常态性特征是如何历史性和结构性地融人人们生活世界的经验图景之中的,并探讨了当地各民族如何在特定的生态环境系统和社会文化体系中如何应对具体的自然灾害风险场景。从而指出,人类学的灾难研究并非只是关注灾害现象和灾难应对本身,更是要理解人们的生活世界在可持续性方面所面临的种种困境、挑战和机遇。     

Working with parents of spinal cord injured adolescents: A family systems perspective

Concepts from family systems theory are used to facilitate understanding of the needs of families coping with the spinal cord injury of an adolescent. Five assumptions derived from systemic principles are discussed as related to assessment and family functioning. Related suggestions are given for assisting parents in dealing with this non-normative stressor and its long-range effects on the adolescent and family.     

Age of onset of epilepsy: its effects on coping strategies

Research into the use of coping strategies to reduce emotional distress from negative life events has identified specific subscales within the more general concepts of problem-focused and emotionfocused coping. This study presents a preliminary assessment of the ultilization of coping strategies during stressful incidents among people with epilepsy, and the differences which may arise as a result of the age of onset of the disorder. Twenty early-onset and 20 late-onset patients were asked to complete a questionnaire using subscales from the «Ways of Coping» scale (Aldwin and Revenson 1987) and from the «COPE» scale (Carver et al 1989). Data were also obtained from two groups of 20 subjects without epilepsy, matched for age and sex with the patient groups (a total of 80 subjects included in the study). Results indicated that subjects with epilepsy attempted to minimize problems more than non-epileptic subjects. Adult onset of the disorder appeared to increase the use of negotiation, acceptance and self-blame. Thus, there appear to be some significant differences in the types of coping strategy employed in stressful situations, with the late-onset group tending to utilize strategies that may be considered maladaptive, perhaps in an initial adjustment to the disorder.     

How the psychosocial work environment of motor vehicle mechanics may influence coping with musculoskeletal symptoms

A number of studies have shown that musculoskeletal symptoms are related to the physical and psychosocial work environments. Workers with musculoskeletal symptoms are often advised to cope by such measures as changing working technique, using lifting equipment and discussing health and environmental problems with supervisors and colleagues. Intervention studies at the individual level, however, have shown that such advice has limited effects in reducing the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms. The hypothesis for this study was that negative social and organizational factors may prevent workers from implementing such coping strategies. All 103 motor vehicle mechanics surveyed in 12 different garages responded to a questionnaire on coping with musculoskeletal symptoms and the psychosocial work environment. Positive and significant relationships were shown between how mechanics coped with their musculoskeletal symptoms and such psychosocial factors as work demands, social support, control, manager's involvement in health and safety work, and whether the garages had regular meetings between management and workers. Achieving positive results from preventive work through back schools and other ergonomic interventions seems to require that an organization with positive attitudes towards health and safety work be created before such interventions are implemented.     

From metaphorical information overflow and overload to real stress: Theoretical background,empirical findings,and applications

The paper presents the reader with a psychological analysis of one of the results of the global phenomenon of information overflow and how it translates into an observable psychological outcome, information stress, thus hindering the process of decision-making. Both, the anchoring in the broader context of civilizational changes and, in the particular, in the field of psychology, especially individual differences and stress psychology, are provided, followed by a series of results of our own investigations of managers and emerging adults (entering the job market). Particularly, self-control and the styles of thinking are presented as correlates of increased infostress. We then explore the implications these results might have for the selection and training of managers.     

宗教信仰与心理治疗:社会认知的角度

宗教信仰在心理疾病患者生活中扮演重要角色.信仰宗教的人往往表现出直觉思维的模式特点.这种思维的结果是假说偏差和组内/组外偏差.宗教对心理治疗积极的作用表现在宗教可以提供积极的应对策略;宗教还提供了替代依恋对象;宗教倡导宽恕,有助于调节情绪和行为.宗教信仰产生的认知偏差和偏见会影响心理治疗过程,而且宗教也会成为导致心理疾病的原因之一,宗教的负面影响还体现在宗教都是外部控制的,这与心理治疗倡导的自由探究和自我发展的原则相矛盾.心理咨询师和心理疾病患者在宗教上的差异主要体现在对待宗教的态度和应对方式上,是导致二者潜在冲突的根本原因.心理健康从业者需要对宗教信仰及其与心理治疗的关系重新再认识.     

社区冲突再生产及其应对策略——以北京市某回迁社区房屋质量冲突为例

社区冲突的再生产是当前我国基层冲突延续性发展的重要方式。北京市某回迁社区房屋质量冲突从原本只是一个区域性的商业利益纠纷问题,最终发展成为影响区域社会稳定乃至城市秩序的多起群体性事件。其中,基层政府、开发商、法院、民众等社区冲突主体均基于各自的利益诉求采取符合社会规范的冲突应对策略,却导致了社区冲突的再生产,其中拥有合理诉求的民众成为推动社区冲突再生产的直接主体。这启示我们,在应对社区冲突时首先要在制度建设与改革上着眼于社区公共利益,更重要的是让民众真正参与到附带着较多资源分配的公共决策的制定过程中,获得民众对公共政策实实在在的认同,并培养民众自主解决冲突的意识和能力,从而抑制冲突再生产的萌芽。     

在监女犯自我概念高低的心理差异研究

采用TAS-20、TSCS、CSQ量表对284名在监女犯进行问卷测量．从中筛选出75名高自我概念者和76名低自我概念者．对其述情障碍和应对方式进行数据统计与分析．结果显示伴随女犯自我概念的提高，自我概念各分项也有显著正向提高；述情障碍呈明显的下降趋势；成熟型应对方式——“解决问题”和“求助”的得分也随之提高．而不成熟的应对方式——“自责、幻想和退避”的得分则随之下降。女犯的自我批评与“认同障碍”、“幻想”、“暴力犯罪”有一定的正向关系。