ADJUSTMENT TO DIVORCE: A COMPARISON OF ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANT AND ISRAELI‐BORN MEN

The research dealt with adjustment to divorce among men who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia versus Israeli‐born men. In addition, we examined whether there were differences between the two groups of divorcés with regard to coping resources that explain adjustment to divorce. Three types of resources were examined: personal resources (level of education, and self‐assessed income); interpersonal resources (quality of the relationship with the ex‐spouse, the existence of a new romantic relationship, and the fathers’ involvement in their children's lives); and environmental resources (formal and informal social support). Adjustment in the dimension of self‐acceptance of divorce was lower among the Ethiopian immigrant men than among their Israeli‐born counterparts. The Israeli‐born men were found to be more involved in their children's lives than the Ethiopian immigrants.     

Spousal Support Satisfaction as a Modifier of Physiological Responses to Marital Conflict in Younger and Older Couples

We investigated linkages between spousal support satisfaction and affective, cortisol, and blood pressure responses to conflict in two samples, 85 newlyweds and 31 older couples, married an average of 42 years. Couples were admitted to a hospital research unit and provided self-reports regarding the support received from their spouses. After a baseline period, couples engaged in a 30-min conflict discussion during which time blood was drawn for cortisol assessment. After the conflict, newlyweds' blood pressure was measured. Among newlywed wives, greater spousal support satisfaction was associated with smaller changes in negative affect and cortisol responses to conflict. Notably, newlywed wives and husbands demonstrated lower blood pressure after conflict when spousal support satisfaction was higher. In contrast, older husbands (but not wives) exhibited greater cortisol responses when spousal support satisfaction was lower. These relationships provide a window on mechanisms linking marriage and health for men and women across the life span.     

Psychological capital and life satisfaction of refugees in Canada: Evidence from a community‐based educational support program

Drawing on a 2‐year community‐based participatory research project, and grounded in the theories of positive psychology, this article examines the effects of targeted educational support on refugee participants’ psychological capital (PsyCap)–hope, self‐efficacy, resilience, and optimism–as well as life satisfaction. Two groups of participants attended a 14‐week trauma‐informed, educational support program in 2 consecutive sessions. The program was designed in collaboration with George Brown College, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Wellesley Institute, and the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture. The study aimed to understand the link between psychological capital and life satisfaction among refugees. Findings show that the participants’ psychological capital–particularly PsyCap‐resilience and PsyCap‐optimism–improved consistently, which in turn was reflected in the participants’ improved life satisfaction. The result also indicated a relationship between the four main characteristics of psychological capital and life satisfaction. We conclude that these indications of a potential positive association between refugees’ psychological capital and life satisfaction should be further examined.     

EXPLORING ADOLESCENT COMMUNITY VIOLENCE EXPOSURE AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS CROSS‐CULTURALLY IN ISRAEL

Adolescent community violence exposure (CVE) has been linked to posttraumatic stress (PTS) and has been found to vary by race and ethnicity. Little is known about the relationship between adolescent CVE and PTS across ethnic groups in an international context. Arab and Jewish high school students (n = 1571) in Israel completed self‐report questionnaires. Jewish adolescents (n = 821) witnessed more community violence, while Arab adolescents (n = 750) were more likely to victimized in the community and endorse higher levels of PTS. Ethnicity was found to be a significant predictor of PTS when controlling for CVE using hierarchical multiple regression (accounting for 2% of the variance in PTS). Ethnic affiliation did not moderate the relationship between CVE and PTS. These findings add to the small body of literature exploring cross‐cultural differences in CVE and associated psychological distress. Further investigation of CVE and mental health cross‐ethnically is warranted given the disparities in CVE and PTS rates.     

Resting‐state functional connectivity differentiates anxious apprehension and anxious arousal

Brain regions in the default mode network (DMN) display greater functional connectivity at rest or during self‐referential processing than during goal‐directed tasks. The present study assessed resting‐state connectivity as a function of anxious apprehension and anxious arousal, independent of depressive symptoms, in order to understand how these dimensions disrupt cognition. Whole‐brain, seed‐based analyses indicated differences between anxious apprehension and anxious arousal in DMN functional connectivity. Lower connectivity associated with higher anxious apprehension suggests decreased adaptive, inner‐focused thought processes, whereas higher connectivity at higher levels of anxious arousal may reflect elevated monitoring of physiological responses to threat. These findings further the conceptualization of anxious apprehension and anxious arousal as distinct psychological dimensions with distinct neural instantiations.     

Sources of social support and burnout, job satisfaction, and productivity

Social support has been identified as an important correlate of a variety of work outcomes. Support from different sources, including family, coworkers, and supervisors, was examined in 211 traffic enforcement agents (92 men, 119 women). Outcomes included subjective variables (burnout and job satisfaction) and an objective measure of productivity (number of summonses). Support was negatively associated with burnout and positively associated with satisfaction and productivity. A cluster of support variables accounted for 7% of the variance in burnout and productivity and 12% of the variance in job satisfaction. Family support was more closely associated with burnout than with satisfaction or productivity, whereas immediate supervisor support was related to satisfaction and productivity but not burnout. Results suggest that support may be associated with work-related outcomes through multiple pathways.     

A Path‐Analytic Model of Self‐Determination Theory in a Physical Activity Context

This study examines Self‐Determination Theory (SDT) in a physical activity context, using a prospective design to predict leisure time physical activity. We expected need satisfaction and self‐determined motivation to predict physical activity 1 month later. One hundred sixteen undergraduate students completed two questionnaires, 1 month after the other. As anticipated, a path analysis revealed the proposed model to fit the data. Specifically, each psychological need positively predicted self‐determined motivation, and competence negatively predicted nonself‐determined motivation. Self‐determined motivation was then found to predict physical activity 1 month later, while nonself‐determined motivation was not a significant predictor. These findings support the theoretical model proposed by SDT and the implications of these findings are discussed.     

Differences between out‐patients with physical disease and those with medically unexplained symptoms with respect to patient satisfaction,emotional distress and illness perception

Objectives: This study aimed to assess whether patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) attending cardiology and neurology out‐patient clinics were less satisfied with their consultation than patients whose presenting symptoms were explained by an organic diagnosis. The multidimensional nature of satisfaction and its relationships with emotional distress and illness perception were also assessed within the two groups. Design and setting: A prospective cohort study was carried out at a large inner city teaching hospital. Participants: New attenders at cardiology and neurology out‐patient clinics participated in the study. Measures: The Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Health Anxiety Questionnaire (HAQ) and the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ) were used in the study. Results: There were no overall significant differences in satisfaction between organic and MUS patients. Factor analysis yielded four factors: satisfaction with information, satisfaction with style of doctor — patient interaction, satisfaction with clinic environment, and satisfaction with patient's health. Levels of internal consistency were good, with Cronbach's alphas between .74 and .95 for the four subscales. Conclusion: When considering patients with MUS, these findings emphasize the need to examine healthcare satisfaction from a detailed and multidimensional perspective. Relationships between satisfaction dimensions, clinic specialties and measures of psychological well‐being and of illness perception show interesting patterns. These findings raise both theoretical and service delivery questions concerning communication strategies.     

Relationship satisfaction in couples confronted with colorectal cancer: the interplay of past and current spousal support

Based on attribution theory, this study hypthesized that past spousal supportiveness may act as a moderator of the link between one partner’s current support behavior and the other partner’s relationship satisfaction. A sample of 88 patients with colorectal cancer and their partners completed questionnaires approximately 3 and 9 months after diagnosis. The data were analyzed employing dyadic data analytic approaches. In the short-term, spousal active engagement—which involved discussing feelings and engaging in joint problem solving—was positively associated with relationship satisfaction in patients as well as in partners, but only when past spousal support was relatively low. Spousal protective buffering—which involved hiding worries and fears and avoiding talking about the disease—was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction in patients, again only when past spousal support was relatively low. If past spousal support was high, participants rated the quality of their relationship relatively high, regardless of their partner’s current support behavior. Over time, past spousal supportiveness was not found to mitigate the negative association between spousal protective buffering and relationship satisfaction. Overall, our results indicate that relationship satisfaction can be maintained if past spousal supportiveness is high even if the partner is currently not very responsive to the individual’s needs, at least in the short-term.     

Patient satisfaction and cancer‐related distress among unselected Jewish women undergoing genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2

Metcalfe KA, Poll A, Llacuachaqui M, Nanda S, Tulman A, Mian N, Sun P, Narod SA. Patient satisfaction and cancer‐related distress among unselected Jewish women undergoing genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2. It is not known to what extent participation in a genetic testing program for BRCA1 and BRCA2, which does not include an extensive pre‐test counselling session, influences cancer‐related distress, cancer risk perception and patient satisfaction. Unselected Jewish women in Ontario were offered genetic testing for three common Jewish BRCA mutations. Before testing and 1‐year post‐testing, the women completed questionnaires which assessed cancer‐related distress, cancer risk perception, and satisfaction. A total of 2080 women enrolled in the study; of these, 1516 (73%) completed a 1‐year follow‐up questionnaire. In women with a BRCA mutation, the mean breast cancer risk perception increased from 41.1% to 59.6% after receiving a positive genetic test result (p = 0.002). Among non‐carriers, breast cancer risk perception decreased slightly, from 35.8% to 33.5% (p = 0.08). The mean level of cancer‐related distress increased significantly for women with a BRCA mutation, but did not change in women without a mutation; 92.8% expressed satisfaction with the testing process. The results of this study suggest that the majority of Jewish women who took part in population genetic screening for BRCA1 and BRCA2 were satisfied with the delivery of genetic testing and would recommend testing to other Jewish women. However, women with a BRCA mutation experienced increased levels of cancer‐related distress.     

Mediating effects of social support on firefighters' sense of community and perceptions of care

This study examined the relationship between psychological sense of community, social‐support networks, and care‐giver stress and satisfaction among firefighters. No significant gender differences were obtained, but zero‐order correlates demonstrated significant relationships among all four variables. In examining the mediating effects of social‐support satisfaction, partial mediation for psychological sense of community on care‐giver satisfaction was determined, as well as full mediation for psychological sense of community on care‐giver stress. Therefore, firefighters who are satisfied with the support they receive may experience less stress with their care giving than those who experience low levels of support satisfaction. Future studies should assess these relationships more extensively in other areas of civic responsibility among public‐service employees to delineate effective support avenues. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 32: 121–126, 2004.     

Attitudes of Jewish and Bedouin responders toward family physicians’ use of electronic medical records during the medical encounter

Objective

Culture is known to impact expectations from medical treatments. The effects of cultural differences on attitudes toward Electronic Medical Records (EMR) have not been investigated. We compared the attitudes of Jewish and Bedouin responders toward EMR's use by family physicians during the medical encounter, and examined the contribution of background variables to these attitudes.

Methods

86 Jewish and 89 Bedouin visitors of patients in a regional Israeli University Medical Center responded to a self-reporting questionnaire with Hebrew and Arabic versions.

Results

T-tests and a linear regression analysis found that culture did not predict attitudes. Respondents’ self-reported health status, Internet and e-mail use, and estimates of their physician's typing speed explained a total of 18.6% of the variance in attitudes (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Bedouins respondents’ attitudes toward EMR use were better than expected and similar to those of their Jewish counterparts. The most significant factor influencing respondents’ attitudes was the physician's typing speed.

Practice implications

(1) Further studies should consider the possible impact of cultural differences between the family physician and the healthcare client on attitudes. (2) Interventions to improve physicians’ skill in operating EMRs and typing will potentially have a positive impact on patients’ satisfaction with physicians’ EMR use.     

Association of ulcerative colitis with the inflammatory bowel disease susceptibility locus IBD2 in non‐Jewish Caucasians and evidence of genetic heterogeneity among racial and ethnic populations with Crohn disease

Genomewide scanning has been used to identify chromosomal regions encoding susceptibility loci to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The greatest evidence for linkage to IBD has been reported for a region of chromosome 12q14 surrounding the microsatellite marker D12S83, with a logarithm of odds score of 5.47 and a positive transmission disequilibrium test, and which was subsequently named IBD2. We wished to confirm this locus by genotyping the highly polymorphic microsatellites D12S1022, D12S1056, and D12S83, spanning a continuous region on chromosome 12 of 342 kb, in a cohort of nonrelated individuals with ulcerative colitis (89 patients), Crohn disease (121 patients), and population‐based control subjects (100 patients). In non‐Jewish Caucasians, one D12S1022 allele, one D12S1056 genotype, and three D12S83 alleles were found to have statistically significant differences in distribution between the two disease groups and the control population. These data support a significant association of IBD with the IBD2 locus in close vicinity to the three markers studied. The replication of genetic risk loci in a case control association study may indicate susceptibility genes in this region and may facilitate identification of candidate genes for IBD. Subgroup analysis revealed a notable difference in genotype distribution among Jewish Caucasian and African American patients affected with Crohn disease when compared with similarly affected non‐Jewish Caucasians. Using Fisher exact test, statistically significant distribution differences were observed for D12S1022 and D12S83. These data indicate that there may be significant genetic heterogeneity between different ethnic and racial IBD populations or may simply reflect differences in marker allele frequencies among populations. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Behavioral and psychological consequences of unemployment in blue-collar couples

The behavioral and psychological consequences of involuntary unemployment in blue-collar couples were investigated using Scanzoni's (1972) dynamic model of marital exchange. Thirty-one couples in which the husband had been laid off for at least 3 months were compared with 32 couples in which the husband was employed full time, in terms of exchange behaviors, psychological well-being, and marital satisfaction. As predicted, unemployed husbands reported lower psychological well-being and marital satisfaction, while their wives reported lower marital satisfaction. Unemployed husbands had not significantly altered their exchange behaviors, perhaps due in part to their traditional attitudes toward marital roles which continue to render the contemporary marital exchange relatively inflexible. Level of expressive behavior was by far the most powerful predictor of marital satisfaction for husbands and wives alike. Incongruity in attitudes toward marital roles between traditional husbands and modern wives may constitute both a preexisting source of dissatisfaction and a risk factor following unemployment. These results partially support Scanzoni's model but suggest that the negative consequences of unemployment in blue-collar couples appear first in the psychological as opposed to the behavioral domain.     

Gender differences in the psychological adjustment to type 1 diabetes mellitus: an explorative study

This study examined gender differences in (1) the psychological adjustment to diabetes and (2) the relation between psychological adjustment and metabolic control in patients with type 1 diabetes. The 280 adult patients attending the outpatient diabetes clinic completed psychological self-rating questionnaires evaluating coping, depression, marital satisfaction, cognitive and emotional adjustment to diabetes. Glycaemic control was measured with HbA(1c)-values. This study revealed that men used significantly more active coping, less avoiding, less social support seeking and less depressive coping. Despite these differences, glycaemic control was not significantly better in men than in women. Women reported more depressive symptomatology than men did and more women were depressed. Significant gender differences were also found in psychological adjustment to diabetes. The psychological factors negatively related with the psychological adjustment to diabetes in men and women are depressive coping and depressive symptomatology.     

Sex differences in interleukin‐6 stress responses in people with Type 2 diabetes

People with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) show dysregulated inflammatory responses to acute stress, but the effect of sex on inflammatory responses in T2D remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in interleukin (IL)‐6 stress responses between older men and women with T2D. One hundred and twenty‐one people (76 men; mean age = 64.09, SD = 7.35, 45 women; mean age = 63.20, SD = 6.70) with doctor‐verified T2D took part in this laboratory‐based stress testing study. Participants carried out acute mental stress tasks, and blood was sampled at baseline, immediately poststress, 45 min poststress, and 75 min poststress to detect plasma IL‐6 concentrations. IL‐6 change scores were computed as the difference between the baseline measurement and the three time points poststress. Main effects and interactions were tested using mixed model analysis of covariance. We found a significant main effect of time on IL‐6 levels, and a significant Sex × Time interaction. In adjusted analyses including the three change scores and all the covariates, the significant Sex × Time interaction was maintained; IL‐6 responses were greater in women at 45 and 75 min poststress compared with men, adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking, household income, glycated hemoglobin, oral antidiabetic medication, insulin/other injectable antidiabetic medication, depressive symptoms, and time of day of testing. Different inflammatory stress response pathways are present in men and women with T2D, with women producing larger IL‐6 increases. The long‐term implications of these differences need to be elucidated in future studies.     

Verbal and non‐verbal disclosure of recalled negative experiences: Relation to well‐being

This study investigated the relationship between methods of disclosure of recalled negative experience and well‐being. Six first‐year undergraduate class groups (N = 100) at an Australian university completed pre‐ and post‐intervention measures of psychological and psychophysical well‐being. For the disclosure intervention, three groups wrote, drew, or drew‐and‐wrote about a recalled negative experience (RNE groups); the three non‐disclosure groups wrote, drew, or drew‐and‐wrote on neutral topics (NT groups). The expectation that disclosure of negative experiences would enhance well‐being was partly supported, with writing and drawing‐and‐writing disclosure groups reporting increased psychological, but not psychophysical, well‐being. As predicted, verbal disclosure methods were more effective than non‐verbal methods, with the draw‐and‐write group showing the greatest improvement. Unexpectedly, disclosure via drawing alone was associated with decreased psychological well‐being. Against predictions, changes were found in two NT groups: The draw‐and‐write group reported improved psychological, and the draw group improved psychophysical well‐being. It was concluded that verbal disclosure, especially when combined with the non‐verbal method of drawing, may enhance psychological well‐being, but that drawing, without accompanying verbalization, may decrease psychological well‐being. It is suggested that future studies address variables such aslevel of disclosure, content and time of the negative experience, with time taken to manifest changes in well‐being, using both subjective and objective indicators.     

Self‐Determination Theory and Well‐Being in the Health Care Profession

In the current study, we predicted two forms of well‐being using basic needs theory (BNT). We examined domain‐specific (i.e., exercise) and global basic needs satisfaction (e.g., competence). One‐hundred twenty‐one pharmacists and nurses from eight hospitals in a large Midwest inner city participated. We predicted 24% and 44% of the variance in mindfulness and vitality, respectively, with basic needs in exercise and life in general making significant contributions. Our findings supported the importance of competence satisfaction as the most critical basic need compared to autonomy and relatedness. Regular physical activity alleviates negative psychological states but can also potentially enhance positive mood states such as mindfulness and vitality if the exercise setting promotes a need satisfaction for competence.     

Perceived neighborhood disorder and psychological distress among Latino adults in the United States: Considering spousal/partner relationship

It has been well-established that neighborhood disorder and disadvantage are detrimental to mental health and psychological well-being. There has been growing research interest in minority stress issues, however, less is known about how perceived neighborhood disorder matters for psychological well-being among Latino adults in the United States. Analyzing data from National Latino Asian American Study, 2002–2003, the present study investigates the relationships among perceived neighborhood disorder, spousal/partner relationships (i.e., spousal/partner strain and support), and psychological distress. The findings indicated that perceived neighborhood disorder and spousal/partner strain were positively associated with increased psychological distress, whereas spousal/partner support had no protective effect against psychological distress. Moreover, mediation analysis showed that the association between perceived neighborhood disorder and psychological distress was partially mediated by spousal/partner strain (i.e., 15.13%), not spousal support. Finally, moderation analysis revealed that the presence of spousal/partner strain exacerbated the relationship between perceived neighborhood disorder and psychological distress. Conversely, the absence of spousal/partner strain appeared to buffer the adverse impact of neighborhood disorder on psychological distress. These findings highlighted the ill effect of problematic neighborhood environments on the quality of the spousal/partner relationship and subsequently Latino's psychological well-being.     

A validity and reliability study of the coping self‐efficacy scale

Objectives. Investigate the psychometric characteristics of the coping self‐efficacy (CSE) scale, a 26‐item measure of one's confidence in performing coping behaviors when faced with life challenges. Design. Data came from two randomized clinical trials (N1 = 149, N2 = 199) evaluating a theory‐based Coping Effectiveness Training (CET) intervention in reducing psychological distress and increasing positive mood in persons coping with chronic illness. Methods. The 348 participants were HIV‐seropositive men with depressed mood who have sex with men. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention and comparison conditions and assessed pre‐ and post‐intervention. Outcome variables included the CSE scale, ways of coping, and measures of social support and psychological distress and well‐being. Results. Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) revealed a 13‐item reduced form of the CSE scale with three factors: Use problem‐focused coping (6 items, α = .91), stop unpleasant emotions and thoughts (4 items, α = .91), and get support from friends and family (3 items, α = .80). Internal consistency and test–retest reliability are strong for all three factors. Concurrent validity analyses showed these factors assess self‐efficacy for different types of coping. Predictive validity analyses showed that residualized change scores in using problem‐ and emotion‐focused coping skills were predictive of reduced psychological distress and increased psychological well‐being over time. Conclusions. The CSE scale provides a measure of a person's perceived ability to cope effectively with life challenges, as well as a way to assess changes in CSE over time in intervention research.