Positive Reaction to Disclosure and Recovery from Child Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT

Factors associated with improvement in the behavioral-emotional functioning of sexually abused children, from 6 to 18 years of age, were investigated. Children were classified by their therapist according to current level of disclosure regarding past abuse. Ratings of degree of support offered by significant people in the children's lives were also made. Findings showed children who were in an actively disclosing stage to be exhibiting significantly less externalizing behavior problems than non-disclosing children. Children who were fully disclosing without recantation showed significantly lower dissociation than did all other subjects. Children who recanted with or without re-disclosure showed significantly more post-traumatic stress symptomatology. As all the subjects were in foster care, the reactions to disclosure of foster parents proved to be most salient with respect to current functioning. Children who received full support from foster parents showed significantly lower depression scores than did children who received only partial support.

Other significant findings pertain to the effects of time since initial disclosure, age of subjects, and type of sexual abuse on behavioral-emotional functioning. Implications for developing structured training programs for foster parents and their caseworkers are discussed. Recommendations are made for future study using the present design with a non-foster care population and investigating the effect that the timing of supportive reactions to disclosure has.     

WTO机制下的中国经济特区

比较研究表明中国经济特区的设立、特殊优惠政策及其措施,同WTO的机制并不矛盾;WTO成员国多数都设立经济特区,中国加入WTO后,经济特区要发展,就应继续发挥特殊政策优势,并不断调整和完善优惠政策.     

Alcohol Problems,Marriage, and Treatment: Developing a Theoretical Timeline

SUMMARY

While research findings over the past twenty years have consistently supported the efficacy of couples work with people experiencing alcohol related problems, in the field of practice in Ireland there is little evidence of the development of interventions based on a couples/marital perspective. This paper examines the place of marital work in the alcohol field through a review of the literature from 1950s to the present in order to discover the limitations in theory and research that might explain the reluctance of practitioners to adopt this method of intervention.     

Creating a Therapeutic Garden That Works for People Living with Alzheimer's

Abstract

Therapeutic gardens specially designed for people living with Alzheimer's disease can improve the quality of life of those who use them, and can be helpful in reducing what are called “problem behaviors.” This article explores this statement and describes how the design process can best achieve a garden that is truly therapeutic. The article is in three parts, each of which represents a critical step in design: image, present, test. The last section presents eight basic design criteria to apply in therapeutic garden design review. The article is intended to leave the reader with the big idea that inside and outside environments must be designed as one to respond to the needs of the Alzheimer's mind.     

Substance Use and Abuse and the Role of Social Workers in Germany

SUMMARY

The paper outlines major trends in consumption patterns of alcohol and other drugs in Germany with special focus on the use of cannabis among young people. It discusses primary prevention efforts and describes the current treatment system with its two branches: one for people with alcohol problems and the other for those with drug problems. It highlights the developing role of social work and identifies the research topics that are influenced by social workers and that will influence the debate regarding the future role of the profession.     

Social class as a dimension in casework judgment 1

With few exceptions, outcome studies evaluating batterer treatment groups are inconclusive at best and, at worst, label such treatment programs as ineffectual. This qualitative research study was developed in an effort to understand the forces behind how positive change either happens or is subverted. Through analysis of treatment groups for batterers, the study investigated two questions: How do batterer treatment groups affect the psychological defenses of the members? What types of group dynamics emerge in offender treatment that might be unique to this population and promote defensive change? The theoretical frameworks used in this project include constructs from ego psychology related to defensive maturity and the curative factors in group process, articulated by Yalom (2005).     

Examining the Effect of Correctional Programming on Perceptions of Likelihood of Recidivism Among Incarcerated Prisoners

ABSTRACT

For many years, policymakers and criminal justice scholars have debated the impact of correctional programming on recidivism. This debate is currently unresolved. Using data from 1,234 currently incarcerated inmates in a mid-Southern state, this study examines whether inmates who participate in correctional programming while incarcerated are less likely to feel that they will recidivate upon release from prison. The findings from this research suggest that program participation while in prison has little impact on the inmates’ perceived recidivism, although important programming effects may still occur. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Clinical Care of Gambling Disorders: Training, Experience, and Competence Among VHA Psychologists

Problem gambling is a common, highly destructive disorder which is often overlooked by clinicians. Levels of clinical training, clinical experience, and professional competence for providing clinical services for problem gambling were examined in a survey of 181 clinical psychologists working in the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA). The results suggest that the majority of clinical psychologists have little or no formal training and little or no past or current clinical experience in the treatment of disordered gambling, nor do they see themselves as competent to evaluate or treat patients with disordered gambling. Most have not referred patients for treatment of problem gambling and do not know of a competent provider to whom they can refer. There is an identifiable subgroup, representing 9% of respondents, who do have more training, provide services, and see themselves as competent to provide care for patients with problem gambling. The amount of formal training is positively correlated with care provided and self-ratings of competence. Despite the lack of training and experience, most respondents expressed interest in receiving additional training. These data suggest that to improve rates of diagnosis and treatment of patients with problem gambling in mental health settings, additional training needs to be made available for mental health providers as a group, with specialized training for clinicians interested in specializing in this area.     

Stability and Validity of the Holden Psychological Screening Inventory (HPSI) in Psychiatric Inpatients

Abstract

Forty-seven psychiatric inpatients in a Canadian psychiatric hospital participated in an evaluation of the stability and validity of the Holden Psychological Screening Inventory (HPSI). Stability coefficients over a 1-month period were .85, .79, and .66 for the HPSI Psychiatric, Social, and Depression Symptomatology scales, respectively, and coefficient alpha reliabilities for these scales ranged between .76 and .89 across both time periods. Staff rating composite scales corresponding to the self-report HPSI scales had stability coefficients of .74, .85, and .82, respectively. As well, they had inter-rater reliabilities that ranged between .65 and .84 across both time periods. The 3 staff rating composites at time 1 correlated equivalently with the corresponding 3 primary HPSI scales at times 1 and 2 (p > .05). Similarly, the 3 staff rating composites at time 2 correlated equivalently with the corresponding 3 primary HPSI scales at times 1 and 2 (p > .05). Over a 1-month period, HPSI scale scores were very stable and correlations with criterion ratings were stable. Using a confirmatory factor analysis, with each of the 3 dimensions defined by the time 1 and 2 measures for the 3 HPSI scales and 3 staff rating composites, evidence for discriminant as well as convergent validity was obtained. In summary, the self-report HPSI and the staff rating composite measures evidenced sufficient reliability and validity to meet the requirements for routine clinical assessment work with psychiatric inpatients. Additionally, the stability data provide effects of retesting baseline data for assessing treatment outcome in this population.     

基因诊断与治疗方法的可专利性研究

随着人类基因组计划的完成,基因诊断和治疗方法作为新一代的生物医疗技术备受关注。基因诊断和治疗是生物技术发展中的一个热门产业,是否对基因诊断和治疗方法授予专利权这个问题引起各国的广泛关注和讨论。主要介绍美、欧、日三大专利局对基因诊断和治疗方法是否具有可专利性的做法,阐述支持和反对基因诊断和治疗方法授予专利权的原因,提出相关的完善意见。