Mentoring and the Development of Resilience: An Australian Perspective

The purpose of this paper is to examine the connections between mentoring and resilience. Theory and research support the notion that a mentoring relationship between an adult and a young person can contribute to the development of resilience and socio-emotional well-being. Mentoring provides a context for young people to develop key protective factors, such as relationships with caring adults, networks with peers and others, and individual competencies. Evidence is provided from international research literature and a cross-case analysis of a range of Australian mentoring programs with young people in various school and community settings. Mentors ranged from senior citizens to adolescents working with younger peers. Programs focused on young people with a variety of characteristics, from those showing particular talent to those regarded as high-risk, as well as those from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Despite providing an opportunity for successful intervention and prevention, such programs do not offer a ‘quick fix’, and require careful consideration of a range of issues. Successful programs have mentors with caring qualities, provide opportunities for network development, and implement strategies for developing individual competencies according to individual needs and interests.     

Making a Case for the Geel Model: The American Experience with Family Care for Mental Patients

The historic colony for the mentally afflicted in Geel, Belgium is often cited as a unique example of integrating patients into the community. However, scholarly work on Geel largely ignores the history of similar programs that existed in the United States. This study will look into the practice of family care modeled after the Geel program in the 19th and 20th century U.S. The importance of this research is twofold: it shows that the program is not new for the American context while at the same time it informs about the logistics involved in initiating and running family care programs in the U.S. milieu.Nana Tuntiya is affiliated with the Department of Sociology, University of South Florida, FL 33620-5550, USA.     

Design an Artificial Neural Network by MLP Method; Analysis of the Relationship between Demographic Variables,Resilience, COVID-19 and Burnout

In addition to the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the physical and mental health of individuals, it has also led to a change in the mental and emotional state of many employees. Especially among businesses and private companies, which faced many restrictions due to the special conditions of the pandemic. Therefore, the present study aimed to design an artificial neural network with MLP technique to analyze the relationship between demographic variables, resilience, COVID-19 and burnout in start-ups in Iran. The research method was quantitative. Managers and employees of start-ups formed the statistical population of the study, based on the statistical sample size of the unlimited community, 384 of them were tested. For data gathering, standard questionnaires include of MBI-GS and BRCS and researcher-made questionnaire of stress caused by COVID-19 were used. The validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by a panel of experts and their reliability was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The number of neurons in the input layer was equal to 10, the number of neurons in the 1st hidden layer was equal to 7, the number of neurons in the output layer was equal to 1, and the number of epochs was equal to 500. 70% of the data were used for training and 30% for testing. In the designed artificial neural network, all experiment data except one were correctly predicted and the obtained MAE error was less than 0.012%. Finally, he precision and correction of the presented model was confirmed by the obtained results.     

The prevalence and pattern of insomnia in Japanese industrial workers: Relationship between psychosocial stress and type of insomnia

We examined the prevalence of insomnia among Japanese male industrial workers and analyzed the effect of psychosocial stress on the prevalence of three types of insomnia: `difficulty in falling asleep', `frequent sleep interruption' and `early morning arousal'. The study population consisted of male day workers (n = 319) in a manufacturing heavy industry company located in Nagasaki City, Japan. The subjects answered a questionnaire consisting of six sleep-related items and 24 questions related to occupational and private life conditions. A total of 271 men (average age 40.9 years) completed the questionnaire; a response rate of 85%. Insomnia within the month preceding the survey was present in 27.7% of the workers (75/271). Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that different psychosocial stressors were associated with different types of insomnia. Visual display terminal (VDT) work overload was significantly associated with all types of insomnia, while `over-involvement in the job' was associated with difficulty in falling asleep and early morning arousal. Our results demonstrated that the prevalence of insomnia in Japanese workers is similar to that reported among European and American general adult population. Our results also indicate that the use of VDT in the workfield is associated with insomnia.     

The association between the suicide crisis syndrome and suicidal behaviors: The moderating role of personality traits

BackgroundPersonality traits have been associated with long-term suicide risk but their relationship with short-term risk is still unknown. Therefore, to address this gap, we explored the moderating effect of personality traits on the relationship between the Suicide Crisis Syndrome (SCS) and short-term suicidal behaviors (SB).Sampling and MethodsAdult participants (N = 459) were administered the Suicide Crisis Inventory (SCI), a validated self-report questionnaire designed to measure the intensity of the Suicidal Crisis Syndrome, the Big Five Inventory for personality traits, and the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale for SB at intake and at a 1-month follow-up. The PROCESS macro in SPSS was used to test the moderation model. Covariates hypothesized to influence the results were added: age, gender, ethnicity, years of education, and depressive symptomatology on the Beck Depression Inventory. This study was a secondary analysis drawn from a larger study on the SCS.ResultsSCI total score had a significant positive relationship with SB at the 1-month follow-up for patients with lower levels of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness, respectively. Hence, these four traits were protective against SB. There was an association between SCI and SB for patients with high levels of neuroticism at the 1-month follow-up.ConclusionsHigh levels of neuroticism served as a risk factor, whereas high levels of the other Big Five traits were protective factors against short-term SB in the context of elevated SCS symptoms. Thus, personality traits play a role in moderating the relationship between the SCS and imminent SB.     

Symtoms and Social Adjustment of Schizophrenic Patients as Evaluated by Their Family Members: A Cross-Cultural Psychiatric Study between Offshore Islands and an Urban City

Abstract: We conducted a comparative study of symptoms and social adjustment of schizophrenic patients on offshore islands and one urban region in Japan. In the evaluation of symptoms and social behavior by family members, no differences were observed between the two regions. Looking at social adjustment in the two regions, no differences were observed by family members either in the performance level or in the expectation level of socially expected activities. However, on the offshore islands, the expectation level of socially expected activities by family members was significantly higher than the level of self-accomplishment set by schizophrenic patients themselves. As for leisure activities, both family members and patients on the islands evaluated the level of performance to be significantly higher than in the urban region, and the level of satisfaction of the patients themselves was also higher on the islands. Considering both these findings and Japanese traditional views of work and leisure, it is believed that on the islands patients are required to engage in more productive activities and less leisure activities than in the urban region. Further it seems that patients on the islands compared to patients in the urban region may have greater difficulty in social adjustment.     

The Family Meal: An Exploration of Normative and Therapeutic Ritual from an Ethnic Perspective

ABSTRACT

Family rituals are a rich source of meaning on behavioral, cognitive, and emotional levels. This article explores the meaning of a particular type of family ritual, the family meal, within a particular cultural context, the Jewish/Israeli ethnic perspective. It describes how the use of normative, mealtime rituals helps families change and heal. Mealtime rituals enable the therapist and the family to construct universal family processes, while allowing for a contextual assessment of the particular cultural and historical meanings and resources of the family in therapy.

Two case examples illustrate the use of the family meal as the basis of therapeutic interventions.     

The Dominant Value System of Chinese Gay Males in Family,Couple, and Community Relationships: A Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT

The number of Chinese gay males in Asia and overseas is approximately 27 million; however, the study of family, couple, and community relationships regarding this population is lacking. This study aims to explore knowledge about the dominant values of Chinese gay males in three relationships. Based on the lens of social learning theory and symbolic interactionism, the research question is “What are the social schemas which Chinese gay males learned and contributed back to their family, couple, and community relationships?” This qualitative research includes data collection through semi-structured interviews 60–90 minutes in length with 14 Chinese gay male participants in Asian countries and data analysis through a phenomenological approach. In findings, the dominant value system of this group is composed of the following: (1) masculinism; (2) exam-oriented education; (3) status-oriented interaction; (4) indirect communication; and (5) enmeshed relationships. The results also included their cultural conflicts, the cognitive biases in their societies, and the interplay of family, couple, and community relationships. This study attempts to strengthen the cultural competence of therapists working with Chinese gay male clients.     

Examining the Links Between Challenging Behaviors in Youth with ASD and Parental Stress,Mental Health,and Involvement: Applying an Adaptation of the Family Stress Model to Families of Youth with ASD

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) poses unique challenges that may impact parents’ mental health and parenting experiences. The current study analyzed self-report data from 77 parents of youth with ASD. A serial multiple mediation model revealed that parenting stress (SIPA) and parental mental health (BAI and BDI-II) appears to be impacted by challenging adolescent behaviors (SSIS-PBs) and, in turn, affect parental involvement (PRQ), controlling for social skills (SSIS-SSs). Further, the study explored the malleability of parents’ mental health over the course of a social skills intervention, and provides modest evidence that parent depressive symptoms decline across intervention. This study illustrates the importance of considering the entire family system in research on youth with ASD.     

Exploring Perspectives of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Histories of Challenging Behaviors about Family Relationships: An Emergent Topic in a Grounded Theory Focus Group Study

ABSTRACT

The perspectives of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) about family relationships are underrepresented in the literature. The topic of family relationships emerged in a grounded theory exploratory focus group study that involved thirty dually diagnosed participants with moderate or mild intellectual disabilities and histories of challenging behaviors. Because of the dearth of existing information and the salience of the topic, this analysis explored properties of the participant’s disclosures associated with family relationships. The aims were to offer treatment providers empirically based information that may inform service provision and increase the availability of ID-specific, psychological supports for dually diagnosed individuals. Participants reported different types and statuses of family relationships. Transactional processes described in positive family relationships included properties such as reciprocity, flexibility, accommodation, trusting, and expressing affection. Conversely, participants described transactional relationship barriers (e.g., victimizing, behavioral dys-control, and substance abuse) that involved dysregulated behaviors of both the participants and family members in conflicted and severed family relationships. These factors appeared to lead to co-dysregulation versus co-regulation within the family relationships. These findings are relevant given the consensus in the literature that environmental factors are associated with challenging behaviors. Not only do treatment providers need to understand potential family relationship patterns to provide individual supports, but these multilayered factors may warrant seeking additional treatment modalities that address emotion regulation deficits of the participants and family members, trauma-informed treatment, and family therapy. Additionally, conceptualizing family relationships as transactional may help families and collateral supports co-construct positive, collaborative transactions with dually diagnosed individuals that improve the quality of life of all involved.     

The Mediating Role of Social Support in the Relationship Between Parenting Stress and Resilience Among Chinese Parents of Children with Disability

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Few studies have examined the relationships among parents’ resilience, parenting stress, and social support. This study surveyed 486 parents of...     

抗心磷脂抗体与脑卒中关系的研究及其临床意义

目的：探讨抗心磷脂抗体（anti-cardiolipin antibodies,ACA）与脑卒中的关系及其临床意义。方法：应用ELISA法对脑梗死患者104例短暂性脑缺血发作患者27例、脑供血不足患者41例、脑出血患者33例进行了ACA检测，并与100例健康者进行对照。结果：脑梗死组与对照组比较差异有极显著性（P＜0．01），且提示ACA中IgG型与临床密切相关。另外，归现ACA阳性与青壮年脑梗死关系更为密切，以多发性脑梗死更为多见。结论：ACA可作为脑梗死危险性增加的指标。     

Effects of College Students’ Perceived Stress on Anxiety in the Time of COVID-19: The Chain Mediation Role of Psychological Resilience and Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy

COVID-19 has changed the way of learning and life of college students. The purpose is to explore the relationship between perceived stress and anxiety, and the mediating effect of resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in college students during COVID-19. 309 students from three colleges were selected as research participants (average age 19.79 ± 1.11 years). SPSS was used to measure the correlation between variables. Amos was used to test the path coefficient and mediating effect of the hypothetical model. The results show that: Firstly, perceived stress has a significantly and positively predictive effect on anxiety. Secondly, psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy independently played a significant and partially mediating effect between perceived stress and anxiety. Among them, perceived stress had a negative predictive effect on psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy had a negative predictive effect on anxiety. Thirdly, psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy play a chain mediation role between psychological stress and anxiety. Regulatory emotional self-efficacy cannot only directly predict the level of anxiety, but also indirectly predict the level of anxiety by regulating psychological resilience. This study reveals the relationship between college students’ perceived stress and anxiety, and the mediating effect of psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in the new time of COVID-19. The chain mediation role of psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy reminds college mental health educators that improving students’ regulatory emotional self-efficacy is an important way to promote students’ mental health.