Mental health in the population approaching retirement age. Preliminary findings of the TURVA project

The present paper deals with a Finnish long-term prospective study, the objective of which is to shed light on adjustment to retirement and old age. In this phase, only the preliminary findings of the initial survey carried out in 1982 are available. For the purposes of the study, a random sample of 200 individuals was drawn from among Turku inhabitants born in 1920. Another sample, consisting of 189 persons of the same age, was drawn from rural municipalities in the neighborhood of Turku. An extensive structured psychosocial interview could be conducted with a total of 339 subjects. The research methods used included e.g. the 36-item version of Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Relatively little mental disturbance was revealed in the interview, and no major differences occurred between the urban and the rural sample. Somewhat over one-third of both samples were probable psychiatric cases as defined according to the GHQ.     

Social Contexts of Mental Weil-Being in Later Life

Extending the preceding review, this commentary argues for serious attention to the social contexts of mental health of older adults in research and practice. Social gerontology research focuses primarily on summative or aggregate variables with little focus on mechanism, despite growing evidence that mechanisms as diverse as immunosuppression and expressed emotion influence mental health. Increased linkages between the macro-level and microlevel data are required to provide the theoretical models needed to shape practice. Current evidence is deemed sufficient, however, to alter the frameworks we use for both diagnosis and treatment.     

Citizen minds,citizen bodies: the citizenship experience and the government of mentally ill persons

The concept of citizenship is becoming more and more prominent in specific fields, such as psychiatry/mental health, where it is constituted as a solution to the issues of exclusion, discrimination, and poverty often endured by the mentally ill. We argue that such discourse of citizenship represents a break in the history of psychiatry and constitutes a powerful strategy to counter the effects of equally powerful psychiatric labelling. However, we call into question the emancipatory promise of a citizenship agenda. Foucault's concept of governmentality is helpful in understanding the production of the citizen subject, its location within the ‘art of government’, as well as the ethical and political implications of citizenship in the context of mental health.     

Psychosocial Effects of Physical and Verbal Abuse in Postmenopausal Women

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological effects of physical and verbal abuse in a cohort of older women.METHODS This observational cohort study was conducted at 40 clinical sites nationwide that are part of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study. We surveyed 93,676 women aged 50 to 79 years using the mental health subscales and the combined mental component summary (MCS) score of the RAND Medical Outcomes Study 36-item instrument.RESULTS At baseline, women reporting exposure to physical abuse only, verbal abuse only, or both physical and verbal abuse had a greater number of depressive symptoms (1.6,1.6, and 3 more symptoms, respectively) and lower MCS scores (4.6, 5.4, and 8.1 lower scores, respectively) than women not reporting abuse. Compared with women who had no exposure to abuse, women had a greater increase in the number of depressive symptoms when they reported a 3-year incident exposure to physical abuse only (0.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.21 to 0.60), verbal abuse only (0.18; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.24), or both physical and verbal abuse (0.15; 95% CI, −0.05 to 0.36); and they had a decrease in MCS scores when they reported a 3-year incident exposure to physical abuse only (−1.12; 95% CI, −2.45 to 0.12), verbal abuse only (−0.55; 95% CI, −0.75 to −0.34), and both physical and verbal abuse (−0.44; 95% CI, −1.11 to −0.22) even after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics.CONCLUSION Exposure to abuse in older, functionally independent women is associated with poorer mental health. The persistence of these findings suggests that clinicians need to consider abuse exposure in their older female patients who have depressive symptoms. Clinicians caring for older women should identify women at risk for physical and verbal abuse and intervene appropriately.     

Integrating Nursing Care into Systems of Care for Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

PROBLEM: Recent developments in providing care to children with emotional and behavioral disorders, especially those with serious emotional disturbance, have included the establishment of systems of care. Guided by a set of principles and values, these systems of care have organized and delivered services to children and families with complex needs. To date, nurses have not had a salient role in systems of care. RESULTS: It is estimated that 20% of American children and adolescents have an emotional or mental disorder. As many as two thirds of these children are not receiving services. Systems of care have been funded to provide services for these children, particularly for the most severely affected. To date, nursing has not had a prominent role in these systems of care. CONCLUSIONS: Based on their knowledge, skills, and holistic approach to care, nurses could better integrate nursing care into systems of care. Possible roles as case managers, primary therapists, in-home interventionists, and in educational programs are suggested.     

智力残疾的适应性行为评估

适应性行为评估是智力残疾诊断与干预的必要依据。适应性行为的概念至今仍未有统一的观点，AAMR（2002）认为，适应性行为指的是概念、社会和应用3方面的技能，它的限制会影响个体的日常生活运作，进而影响其生活适应。对适应性行为进行评估的方法主要有测验法、行为观察法、功能性评估、生活质量评估和社会技能测量。无论使用什么方法进行评估，都应当以改善智力残疾个体现有状况为目的，考虑到各种评估方法的局限性，对智力残疾个体宜进行全面评估。     

Respondent and informant accounts of psychiatric symptoms in a sample of patients with learning disability

This paper investigates differences in the nature and frequency of psychiatric symptoms reported by patients with learning disability and by key informants. The study involved psychiatric assessment of 100 patients with learning disabilities and key informants using the Psychiatric Assessment Schedule for Adults with a Developmental Disability (PAS-ADD), a semi-structured psychiatric interview developed specifically for people who have a learning disability. There was considerable disagreement between respondent and informant interviews; only 40.7% of cases were detected by both interviews. Respondents were more likely to report on autonomic symptoms and certain psychotic phenomena. Other anxiety and depression symptoms were more frequently reported by infcrnnants. The results indicate that it is crucial for sensitive case detection to complete both interviews where possible. If the respondent cannot be interviewed, panic disorder or phobias may be particularly difficult to detect.     

Nordic contributions to disability policies

The most spectacular contribution from the nordic countries to intellectual disability policy is probably the idea of normalization, but it is not the simplistic notion that can be inferred from international debate. Its major significance may have been to act as an inspiring catchword for the important trend away from institutions Into integrated living. However, it is more fully understood when seen in the concrete context where It has successively developed, and been critically analysed and tested in operation. Scandinavian sociologists and psychologists—as well as politicians—were also among the first to use the concept of quality of life for analysis of social policy, including intellectual disability. The primary medium for implementation has been legislation, where the dominant difficulty is to find a balance between security and freedom, protection and self-determination. Through this process, the role of social engineering in the welfare state, based on humanistic ideas of solidarity, can be followed into today's emphasis on individual influence and participation.     

弱智儿童与正常儿童智力结构的比较研究

以中国－韦氏儿童智力量表和修订幼儿Ｈ．Ｒ神经心理测验中的范畴测验作为儿童智力和思维能力的指标，对４７名８－１１岁弱智儿童和５０名普通小学儿童进行了测试，发现弱智儿童ＩＱ在４６－６９之间，属智力迟滞，与教育的筛选结果相同。且危险因素明显多于正常儿童。正常儿童ＩＱ在１１０－１３３之间，属高于平常智力，两组间有显著性差异。两组儿童智力结构图走势相似，提示智力测验对个体的指导意义更大。弱智儿童与正常儿童的范畴测验得分有极显著的差异，且与ＩＱ呈显著负相关，提示范畴测验鉴别力良好，可单独作为儿童思维能力的检测指标。     

上海城乡儿童智力发育调查

为探索着力低下早期发现的途径和方法，对上海城乡4546名0～12岁）儿童进行了智力发育测查。首先用DDST或绘人测验进行智力筛查，筛查阳性者按不同年龄用儿——心量表、WPPSI或WISC—R进行测试。DQ或IQ低于70者以婴幼儿一初中生社会生活量表进行社会适应能力评估。测查结果共发现智力低下42例，占调查儿童总数的9．24％。城乡相比，农村智力低下现患率（16．13‰）明显高于城市（4．19‰），P＜0．01。从性别来分，男孩现患率（11．36‰）高于女孩（6．91‰）。智力低下患病率有随年龄增加而上升的趋势。因素分析与配对研究显示智力低下与父母文化素质有密切关系，父母文化程度小学以下者其子女智力低下患病率高。智力低下的发生还与高危因素有关。