Children's ratings of peers presented as mentally retarded and physically handicapped

Third- and sixth-grade children were shown slides and tapes presenting target children as either (a) physically nonhandicapped and nonretarded, (b) physically handicapped only, (c) mentally retarded only, or (d) physically handicapped and mentally retarded. All children were rated more favorably by third graders than sixth graders and more favorably by boys than girls. Physically handicapped target children were rated more favorably than were nonhandicapped children on behavioral intentions measures but were not rated differently on an attitude scale; retarded children were also rated more favorably than were nonretarded children on the former measures but less favorably on the attitude scale. Significant interactions were noted and implications of the results discussed.     

Teachers' perception of bereaved children's academic performance

It is well documented that loss and trauma may lead to a reduction in school grades and an increase in the school dropout rate among school children. However, in order for the schools to support students in the best way after trauma and loss, it is of great importance that teachers are aware of these problems. In this study, we investigated the perceptions of the academic problems of bereaved students among 138 teachers and headmasters from six secondary and high schools. We administered questionnaires to the whole sample, and six focus group interviews were conducted to obtain in-depth knowledge from the same population. Teachers perceive a deterioration of school performance in grieving students. The teachers' perceptions are in accordance with what students report in studies. The teachers perceived grieving students as struggling with learning, showing reduced achievement in tests, and experiencing learning setbacks. There is a need for schools to try to remedy these problems in order for students to achieve their learning potential. The students' academic decline is not due to their lack of resources, but is a temporary setback due to the loss.     

影响首次(癎)性发作后与复发间隔时间的危险因素

目的探讨影响首次癎性发作后与复发间隔时间的危险因素,以指导首次癎性发作后的治疗。方法回顾性分析667例发作至少2次以上癫癎患者的临床资料,应用单变量分析和Cox回归分析,建立比例风险度模型,判断影响首次癎性发作后与复发间隔时间的危险因素。结果所有患者首次癎性发作后平均复发时间为(7.03±17.52)个月,其中性别、起病年龄、发作类型、睡眠发作、热惊厥史、癫癎家族史对首次癎性发作后复发间隔时间的影响无统计学意义(均P>0.05);而病因、部分性或全面性发作、全面性强直阵挛发作、继发性癫癎、神经系统体征、脑电图慢波、异常放电、影像学异常及首次发作后是否正规治疗对复发间隔时间的影响有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。结论有明确病因、脑电图有慢波、异常放电、影像学异常、有神经系统体征为影响首次癎性发作后复发间隔时间的危险因素。对这些患者最好在首次发作后正规服用抗癎药物。     

Mentally handicapped children's responses to vibro-tactile and other stimuli as evidence for the existence of a sensory hierarchy

Abstract: The responses of 16 mentally handicapped children to a series of sensory stimuli were investigated. Stimuli were either vibro-tactile, visual or auditory. In addition to their mental handicap, all the children were impaired visually and most suffered a hearing defect. An index of skill development was related to sensory function as derived from the number of their responses to the various sensory stimuli. It was found that. The vibro-tactile and visual modalities were the most effective source of stimulation for the majority of the research group. Children placed higher in the index of skill development tended to score higher on the visual conditions.     

Perceived academic performance as an indicator of risk of attempted suicide in young adolescents.

This study investigated perceived academic performance and self-reported suicidal behavior in adolescents (n = 2,596), mean age 13 years, from 27 South Australian high schools. Groups perceiving their academic performance as failing, below average, average and above average were significantly different on measures of self-esteem, locus of control, depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, plans, threats, deliberate self-injury, and suicide attempts. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that failing academic performance (compared to above average) is associated with a five-fold increased likelihood of a suicide attempt, controlling for self-esteem, locus of control and depressive symptoms. Teachers should note that a student presenting with low self-esteem, depressed mood and perceptions of failure may be at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and need referral for clinical assessment.     

Effects of social behavior on children's attitudes toward their mildly and moderately mentally retarded peers

The ability of prosocial behavior attributes to ameliorate the negative attitudes often brought about by negative personal characteristics associated with mild and moderate mental retardation was assessed. Subjects (191 nonretarded fourth through sixth-grade boys and girls) viewed a videotape of either a nonretarded, mildly retarded, or moderately retarded target child who was reading. They then were read a story depicting the target as either socially competent, withdrawn, or aggressive. On three measures, children in general responded favorably toward retarded target children who were socially competent, neutrally to withdrawn targets and negatively to aggressive targets. They were most positive to the nonretarded, socially competent targets and most negative to the nonretarded, aggressive targets, however. Prosocial behavior attributes had a positive effect on children's attitudes and behavioral intentions toward retarded targets. Implications for future research, social skills training, and mainstreaming were discussed.     

Witness and nonwitness children's violent and peaceful behavior in different types of simulated conflict with peers

The violent and peaceful behaviors of 115 children who had or had not witnessed domestic violence were measured in five types of simulated conflict. Witnesses did not differ from nonwitnesses in conflicts involving limited resources, jealousy over possessions, or intimidation; witnesses were significantly more violent in conflicts involving aggression and exclusion. The most violent responses were found among abusers' sons who had been excluded by peers.     

Physical illness and lifestyle risk factors in people with their first presentation of psychosis

Background There is an increased prevalence of physical illness and poor lifestyle in patients with chronic schizophrenia. It is unclear whether these are present at the onset of psychosis or develop over the course of illness. We aimed to establish whether patients experiencing their first episode of psychosis have worse physical health and lifestyle than community controls without psychosis. Method Eighty-nine patients with new onset illness were compared to age and sex matched controls for self-reported physical illness and cardiovascular and respiratory risk factors. Results Patients reported more physical health complaints, mainly respiratory, compared with age and gender matched controls (odds ratio 2.85, 95% confidence interval 1.2–6.7). Patients were more likely to be cigarette smokers (1.82, 95% CI 1.0–3.3) and eat a fast food diet (1.04, 95% CI 1.0–1.1), but these differences were accounted for by patients’ unemployment status. Conclusions Some risk factors for physical health problems are present at the onset of psychosis, but these may be explained by unemployment.     

抑郁症患者病耻感现状及影响因素分析

目的 探讨抑郁症患者的病耻感现状及影响因素.方法 选择2018年7月～2020年7月100例抑郁症患者为研究对象,采用《抑郁症病耻感量表(DSS)》评估患者病耻感现状,调查患者性别、年龄、居住地等临床资料,并采用多元线性回归分析调查抑郁症患者病耻感的影响因素.结果 100例患者共回收有效问卷92份,回收率92.00％;...     

Physical activity,stigma, and quality of life in patients with epilepsy

Indication of physical activity (PA) for people with epilepsy (PWE) is debatable. This study investigated whether the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) score is related to the clinical aspects of epilepsy, QOLIE-31, and the Stigma Scale of Epilepsy (SSE) score of 67 PWE at a significance level of 5% (p < 0.05).About one-third (32.8%) of the PWE were sedentary/irregularly active. Lower QOLIE-31 scores and higher SSE scores were found in PWE who did not practice PA for fear of seizures and in sedentary/irregularly active PWE. Twenty-three percent of the PWE stopped practicing PA for fear of seizures. The predictive factors in the logistic regression equation for not practicing physical activity for fear of seizures were the presence of depressive disorder (p = 0.049) and temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS) (p = 0.024).Most PWE are sedentary and do not practice PA for fear of seizures. Physical activity is negatively influenced by clinical aspects of epilepsy. Less PA is associated with depressive disorder, worse quality of life, and higher perception of stigma.     

Symptoms of sleep disorders and objective academic performance

ObjectiveWe aimed to compare the academic performance of children with and without symptoms of sleep disorders (SSD).MethodsWe distributed 5400 questionnaires (Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children [SDSC], Brazilian version) to 7- to 10-year-old children at public elementary schools in São Paulo, Brazil. We analyzed the academic grades of Portuguese (Port) and Mathematics (Math) in 2384 children (1224 girls; 51%). Grades were assigned on a scale of 0–10 and five was considered a passing grade. Children with symptoms of sleep disorders (SSD) and symptoms of sleep-breathing disorders (SSBD) were compared to children with no symptoms of SSD (no-SSD).ResultsMean Port (6.6 ± 2.2) and Math (6.3 ± 2.2) grades were lower in children with SSD or sleep-breathing disorders (SBD) than those among children with no-SSD (Port, 7.1 ± 2.1 and Math, 7.1 ± 2.1; P < .05). Boys with SSD or SSBD had lower grades (Port, 6.4 ± 2.2 and Math, 6.1 ± 2.2) than girls (Port, 6.9 ± 2.2 and Math, 6.5 ± 2.2; P < .05). There were more children with failing Port grades with SSD or SSBD (13%) than those among children with no-SSD (9%; P < .05). Regarding Math, 25.4% of SSD or SSBD children had failing grades vs. 8.4% of children with no-SSD (P < .05).ConclusionIn our sample, children with SSD particularly SBD were at increased risk for poor academic performance in Math and Port.     

Relating psychological and social factors to academic performance: A longitudinal investigation of high-poverty middle school students

We investigated the relations between middle school students' psychological factors (academic commitment and emotional control), social perceptions (family involvement and school climate), and academic performance over time. Gender differences in these relations were also examined. Based on a two-year longitudinal data set of 942 middle-school students from a high-poverty district in the United States, we found that all four factors measured in 6th grade were predictive of GPA at the end of the 7th grade above and beyond gender, race, and home intellectual materials. Among these factors, emotional control had the strongest relation with GPA, and the importance of family involvement increased over time, especially for female students. The results also revealed the indirect effects of the social factors on GPA through the psychological factors, and mostly through emotional control. These findings highlight the complex relation between the social-emotional factors and academic outcomes in early adolescence.     

Premorbid prevalence of poor academic performance in severe head injury.

A study of 80 head injured patients revealed poor premorbid academic performance in up to 50% of the sample. Poor academic performance, as defined by diagnosis of learning disability, multiple failed academic subjects, or school dropout during secondary education, is not a previously cited risk factor for head injury. These findings have important implications in the identification of a high risk population and in the subsequent ability to reduce the incidence of head injury.     

Levels of epilepsy stigma in an incident population and associated factors

We assess the psychometric properties of a revised stigma scale and report the levels of stigma in an incident population and the clinical, demographic, and quality-of-life factors associated with doing so. A total of 1566 people with new-onset epilepsy completed the revised stigma scale, as part of the Standard and New Antiepileptic Drugs (SANAD) trial. The revised scale had good internal consistency (0.85) and good concurrent validity. It also reduced the floor and ceiling effects associated with the original scale. Fifty-four percent of people reported feeling stigmatized (47.3% mild-moderate stigma, 6.1% high stigma). Reduced sense of mastery, younger age (<50), side effects of medication, poorer cognitive function, feeling socially restricted, poor global quality of life, and more than four seizures at baseline were significant factors determining scores on this revised scale. These should be the focus of interventions to try and reduce feelings of stigma in those with new-onset epilepsy.     

Factors affecting timely recognition and diagnosis of dementia across Europe: from awareness to stigma

BACKGROUND: Timely recognition and diagnosis of dementia is the pre-condition for improving dementia care, but diagnosis often occurs late in the disease process. OBJECTIVE: To compare facilitators and obstacles to the timely recognition of dementia across eight European Union states, in order to implement established policies for earlier diagnosis. METHODS: A modified focus group technique, including a pre and posterior procedure. RESULTS: Twenty-three participants from different disciplines, purposively sampled for professional expertise in dementia research and innovative practice, attended two focus groups. Stigma in ageing and dementia, accompanied by a sense that there is little to offer until later on in the disease, underpinned the widespread reluctance of GPs to recognise dementia at an early stage and were major obstacles to the timely diagnosis of dementia across all eight countries. Dementia care services varied widely across Europe. Countries with the greatest development of dementia health care services were characterised by national guidelines, GPs fulfilling a gatekeeper function, multi-disciplinary memory clinics and innovative programmes that stimulated practice and new services. Dementia-related stigma was perceived as being less prominent in these countries. CONCLUSIONS: Overcome of delays in the timely diagnosis of dementia needs more than specialist services. They should address the processes associated with stigma, age and dementia, especially where these relate to physician practice and diagnostic disclosure. Stigma is perceived as variable across European States, with a promising finding that its impact is relatively small in countries with the widest range of dementia care services.     

Handedness and performance variability as factors influencing mirror movement occurrence

Abstract

A finger flexion task was used to investigate the effect of hand preference and performance variability on intensity of mirror movement. Right- and left-handed subjects were asked to maintain target forces, with either their index or small finger, that represented 25, 50, or 75% of their maximum strength capacity for the active finger. Greater mirror movement occurred when the small finger was active, and where there was greater variability in task performance, while mirror movement intensity was less when the dominant hand and the index finger were active. These findings were consistent with the cortical activation explanation of motor overflow (Todor & Lazarus, 1986a), and suggest that task variability is an important factor influencing motor overflow production. It was concluded that, if performance variability reflects the efficiency of cortical activation underlying control of a voluntary task, then refined cortical control decreases the potential for motor overflow to occur. However, it is necessary to clarify the relationship between hand preference, performance variability, and motor overflow, perhaps by examining the neural pathways involved in motor overflow production.