An equality of condition framework for user involvement in mental health policy and planning: evidence from participatory action research

Discussions about user involvement in the mental health services tend to throw up four major areas of concern: the capacity of service users to participate, their lack of participation skills, the need for a positive organisational culture and the need for arenas of participation. This article presents evidence from participatory action research with Irish mental health service users which explored how they could more equally participate in advisory committees. Participants identified barriers to their equal participation due to unequal cultural, physical, mental and economic resources, time, power, ‘stigma’(prejudice) and lack of respect for their experiential knowledge and emotional expression. These barriers fall within the ‘equality of condition framework’ developed by Baker and colleagues. Enabling equal user involvement in strategic decision‐making requires more than arenas of participation – it requires comprehensively addressing service users’ structural disadvantages throughout the process of involvement.     

The impact of migration on the well-being of transnational families: new data from sending communities in Mexico

We present results from a new study of the effects of migration to the USA on the well-being of transnational families in high emigration communities within Mexico. Our survey measured the well-being of family members in a variety of domains: economic, health, education, and child development for a representative sample drawn from high migration municipalities. Compared to those with no recent emigrants to the USA, Mexican households sending non-caregivers to the USA appear to gain economically without contributing to problems faced by children. However, when family caregivers migrate to the USA, the remaining members in Mexico struggle to meet the family's needs and children are more vulnerable to educational, emotional, and health problems. Children in households where a caregiver migrated were more likely to have frequent illnesses (10% vs. 3%, p<0.0001), chronic illness (7% vs. 3%, p=0.011), emotional problems (10% vs. 4%, p=0.006), and behavioral problems (17% vs. 10%, p=0.018) compared with children in households where the migrant was not a caregiver. Research, policy, and program implications of these findings are discussed.     

South Africa's 'Rainbow People', National Pride and Happiness

Since the first free elections were held in April 1994, South Africans are popularly known as the 'rainbow people'. The paper inquires whether South Africans who experienced pride in their nation in the first years of democracy also perceived a greater sense of subjective well-being. It is proposed that national pride in post-apartheid South Africa might be fused with or work through self-esteem to lift levels of happiness. The paper traces the history of the new integrating civil religion of the rainbow people and the acceptance of the rainbow as a political symbol of unity among the diverse people of South Africa immediately after the 1994 elections and two years later. The proposed link between national pride and happiness was explored with data from two independent national surveys, the 1995 South African World Values Survey conducted by Markinor and a June 1996 MarkData syndicated omnibus survey. The study found that the appeal of the rainbow as political symbol was inclusive of all groups in society and that feelings of national pride and support for the rainbow ideal were positively associated with subjective well-being. As indicated by intensity and frequency measures, the majority of South Africans were proud of their country and could name a national achievement that inspired pride. Better-off South Africans tended to be happier and more satisfied with life but less proud, while the poor were less happy but fiercely proud of their country. Results suggest that belief in South Africa's 'rainbow nation' ideal may have assisted in boosting happiness during the transition to a stable democracy, thereby preventing alienation among the losers under the new political dispensation. Supporters of the ideal of the rainbow nation were more optimistic than others about the future of their country.     

物质的追求能否带来快乐与幸福--物质主义价值观及其影响研究

物质主义通常指一种强调物质拥有和社会声望重要性的个体价值观。高物质主义者在对外部目标的追求与基本心理需要的满足之间形成了一个不断循环的怪圈。这个循环体系维系了物质主义的生活方式,却也带来更低的自我评价、更高的不满意感和更负面的情绪反应。文章概括了物质主义价值观对幸福感的影响以及社会比较和自尊在其中的中介作用;物质主义价值观对人际信任与助人意愿的影响,也为指导大众树立正确的消费观念,开启健康的生活模式提供了建议和引导。     

基于情感倾向和观察学习的在线评论有用性影响因素研究

已有在线评论的研究都在消费者不能针对同一商品分开做正面评价和负面评价的实践背景下开展, 但类似于"中关村在线" 的评论系统已经允许消费者分别做正负两种评论, 并允许客户进行晒单, 本文主要研究这种区分在线评论的正负型评论及基于晒单的观察学习行为对有用性的影响. 结论表明: 区分背景下的在线评论极端性、 在线评论长度和晒单行为等都对在线评论的有用性产生显著影响, 负面在线评论的影响要大于正面在线评论.     

品牌拓展新市场过程中消费者选择行为研究

研究消费者品牌选择行为是进行品牌拓展新市场的前提。本文基于消费者决策理论,利用元胞自动机分析了品牌文化、广告宣传、邻居关系及数量、竞争者、市场的经济环境等对消费者进行品牌选择时的影响,研究结果表明该模型能较好地模拟出品牌进行拓展新市场过程中的消费者选择行为。通过对品牌拓展新市场过程中的消费者选择行为的分析,找出更适合进行品牌扩张的区域。     

他者欲望的“欲望”——鲍德里亚的身体“欲望”解析

在鲍德里亚的《消费社会》中,身体已经被符号抽空,成为空无的主体.与此同时,无所指的、只在能指链中不停生发的身体欲望,作为资本体系的模范要素被不断生产出来.空无的主体追逐着漂浮的能指,渴望着空洞的能指建构的自我与众不同,然而这种幻像自我不过是资本主义符码秩序结构即能指链的强制,身体所欲望的也只是他者欲望的“欲望”.     

Economic design of acceptance sampling plans for truncated life test using Frechet distribution

In this article designing of acceptance sampling plans for the truncated life test is proposed using economic approach by assuming that the lifetime of a product follows Frechet distribution based on median. The optimal sampling plans to meet the consumer’s confidence level with minimum total cost are designed. Efficiency of the proposed plan is also analyzed.     

A Pastoral Understanding of Positive Aging

Abstract

Positive aging may be more dependent on spiritual well-being than physical capacity. Understanding the spiritual perspective derives from the dichotomy between the “perceptual” and the “spiritual” realms of human awareness. Awareness of spiritual process in relationship to positive aging may also offer counseling additional challenges and opportunities, including: a balanced perspective on life issues, a sense of humor, counter-factual thinking, internal strengths and resources for growing through life losses and crises, and compensation skills that focus on current capacity and chosen pathways rather than dwelling on lost abilities.