The relationship between victimization and cognitive schemata among episodically homeless, seriously mentally ill women

This study explored the extent to which specific aspects of violent victimization are associated with cognitive schemata in the context of ongoing, often lifelong, trauma and negative life events. Specifically, we examined the relationships between cognitive schemata (safety, self- and other esteem, intimacy, and trust) and three dimensions of physical and sexual assault histories (recentness, frequency, and variety) among 91 predominantly African American, episodically homeless, seriously mentally ill women. Findings indicated that even in the context of pervasive violence, more frequent, recent, and varied abuse was associated with more negative cognitive schemata. We discuss these findings in the context of research and practice with disenfranchised populations at high risk for violent victimization.     

Social networks and psychological disability among housed and homeless users of self-help agencies

We look at the effects of psychological disability on social networks and support of homeless and non-homeless individuals. We analyze a survey of 310 long-term users of client-run mental health agencies. Psychological disability is negatively associated with network characteristics for housed individuals, but not for the homeless. There is a positive relationship between psychological distress and network size for the homeless who receive SSI while homeless individuals who do not receive SSI show a negative, non-significant association. We suggest the financial resources of SSI enable network members to become expressively involved with homeless individuals with relatively more psychological disturbance.     

The developmental status and adaptive behavior of homeless and low-income housed infants and toddlers

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the development status of 127 homeless and 91 low-income housed infants and toddlers. METHODS: The Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Vineland Screener were used to gather data. RESULTS: There were no differences between homeless and low-income housed children. However, younger children in both groups performed better than the older children on most summary scores. CONCLUSIONS: Homeless and low-income housed children did not differ in their cognitive and motor skills. However, older children scored lower than younger children on most measures of development status, suggesting that the cumulative effects of poverty may increase with time.     

The examination of myofascial face pain and its relationship to psychological distress among women.

In this study, 110 female myofascial face pain patients were assessed monthly for 10 months on measures of pain, distress, and stressful life events. D. A. Kenny and A. J. Zautra's (1995) structural equation model for examining the separate trait, state, and error components of the variables was used to analyze the data. Both pain and distress had sizable trait variance, and the trait components were correlated. The 2 variables also showed sizable state variance, and the states of pain covaried with states of distress. A significant time-lagged relationship between the 2 variables was found: Increases in distress led to elevations in pain 1 mo later. Stressful life events arising from major social roles were also associated with greater distress, but not pain. Illness events unrelated to the pain syndrome were associated with both pain and distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of employment-related experiences on immigrants' psychological well-being and adaptation to Canada.

Examined the process of acculturation with a specific emphasis on the impact of economic integration on psychological well-being and adaptation. 110 Turkish immigrants (aged 20–70 yrs) living in Montreal were surveyed through questionnaires. Despite high educational attainments, two-thirds of the sample were either unemployed or underemployed. Inability to fully integrate into the labor force in the 1st 6 mo in Canada was attributed mainly to lack of competence in both official languages, difficulty in getting credentials and accreditations recognized in Canada, and lack of Canadian work experience. In time, these barriers were overcome. In their place, market conditions (e.g., economic recession) delayed full participation in the work force. The model developed and tested through LISREL 8 demonstrated that adversity experienced in employment life, such as status loss, unemployment, and underemployment, had a negative impact on both psychological well-being and adaptation to Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The prospective relationship of interpersonal forgiveness and psychological distress symptoms among college women.

Forgiveness has frequently been theorized to be related to decreased psychological distress, and longitudinal survey research is important for the examination of this relationship. The prospective relation of forgiveness to psychological distress symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) at a later time point (an average of 36 weeks later) was examined in a sample of 182 female undergraduate students. Through use of structural equation modeling, it was observed that offense-specific (as compared with dispositional) forgiveness toward an offender of a self-identified interpersonal transgression was significantly negatively related to psychological distress symptoms at Time 2, above and beyond the impact of symptom levels at Time 1. Perceived severity and time since the offense at Time 1 were examined as possible moderators of this relationship; time since offense was found to moderate the relationship between forgiveness and change in psychological distress symptoms between Time 1 and Time 2. Implications for acceptance-based interventions and prevention of psychopathology are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physical and psychological well-being among immigrant referrals to colonoscopy

The association between immigration and well-being was studied in 2 groups of referrals to colonoscopy in the Negev region of Israel: Eastern Europe born (n = 278) and Israeli born (n = 70). The findings of this study suggest that the first 3 years after migration are associated with inferior physical and psychological well-being, and, to a lesser degree, with poorer family functioning and limited social interactions. The differences between immigrants and Israeli born tended to fade away as years went by, and the most veteran immigrants, those who immigrated more than 40 years prior to the study, scored best on most physical and psychological well-being indicators. Findings are discussed in terms of a life events approach and in terms of Israeli immigration regulations and absorption policy.     

Relation of criminal victimization to health perceptions among women medical patients.

The relation of criminal victimization to health perceptions (self-rated current health) was determined among women health maintenance organization patients. Data were survey responses from 2,291 women (45% response rate), 57% of whom had experienced crime. Reliability was evaluated by assessing 241 respondents both by survey and by interview. Data were analyzed by hierarchical multiple regression, which indicated that criminal victimization was an important predictor of health perceptions even after accounting for the contributions of demographics and other stressful life events with known links to illness. Validity was supported because medical care was actually sought by 92% of crime victims during the 1st year following the crime and by 100% during the 2nd year. Conclusions included the following: (a) Crime victimization history is relevant to health status assessment, and (b) primary care medical populations are an important locus from which crime victims could be identified and their treatment options considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Looking within: Measuring state self-forgiveness and its relationship to psychological well-being.

Although considerable empirical attention has recently focused on forgiveness, less work has been done on examining self-forgiveness. A major stumbling block for self-forgiveness research has been the lack of a measure to assess self-forgiveness for specific transgressions. This article reports the development of the State Self-Forgiveness Scales and the test of a model of self-forgiveness' relation to psychological well-being in the context of the unwanted end of a romantic relationship. In Study 1, factor analysis revealed a 2-factor structure to the self-forgiveness data. Study 2 found that self-blame predicted depressive affect to the extent that participants forgave the self. The implications of state self-forgiveness for both basic research and therapy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Posttraumatic stress symptoms and victimization among Japanese American women.

This study of Japanese American women and immigrant women from Japan investigated the relationship between posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and the perceived abusiveness of partners' emotional and physical violence, with a community-based random sample. Women who experienced injuries and/or fear for their lives, in addition to partners' emotional and physical violence, had significantly higher PTS symptom counts than those with no lifetime experience of partners' violence. Victimization by nonintimates also increased PTS symptom counts. Satisfaction with social support significantly mitigated the negative effect of childhood abuse for reexperiencing and avoidance symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender role conflict and psychological well-being among gay men.

The authors used the Gender Role Conflict Scale, Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale, and Hopkins Symptom Checklist to examine the relation of gender role conflict to certain aspects of (N?=?117) gay men's psychological experience. Gay men with less gender role conflict had a more positive view of seeking psychological help and reported fewer symptoms of anger, anxiety, and depression. On the basis of these findings, some tentative counseling implications are considered and directions for future research are proposed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Feeling good and doing great: The relationship between psychological capital and well-being.

This study seeks to determine the relationship between psychological capital and an employee's eudaimonic and hedonic well-being. Panel data were collected from 102 extension agents over a 2-week interval. In addition, daily surveys were collected from 67 of the participants. Results from the panel data indicated that the relation between psychological capital and hedonic well-being, measured two weeks later, is mediated by eudaimonic well-being. Results from the daily surveys found that daily eudaimonic work well-being was significantly associated with both daily positive mood and daily life satisfaction and that variance in eudaimonic work well-being was predicted by one's psychological capital. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Norplant selection and satisfaction among low-income women

OBJECTIVES: This study examined correlates of Norplant selection and satisfaction among low-income women. METHODS: Interviews were completed in family planning clinics in 4 Florida counties with 1152 Norplant users and 1268 nonusers, with follow-up interviews with a subsample up to 1 year later. Logistic regression models estimated the associations of socio-demographic and medical characteristics with Norplant selection and method satisfaction. RESULTS: Odds ratios for Norplant selection were significantly greater among women who planned to have children in 5 or more years, those who were "offered" Norplant, those who lived in Palm Beach County, those who were using drugs, and those who were Medicaid clients. Women younger than 17 and those who learned about Norplant from a friend were twice as likely as others to select Norplant. Ninety-two percent of Norplant users were satisfied with the method; women with side effects and those who felt pressure to select a method were significantly less likely than others to be satisfied. CONCLUSIONS: Norplant provides an acceptable and satisfying method of birth control for many low-income women. Proper counseling about all methods of birth control and about Norplant's side effects remains critical to the appropriate delivery of this method.     

Relation of life goals at age 70 to activity participation and health and psychological well-being among Terman's gifted men and women.

In this study I investigated the relation of life goals to activity participation and health and psychological well-being for men and women in Terman's Study of the Gifted. The subjects were between the ages of 65 and 75 years (M?=?70.2 years) when they responded to a mail-out survey in 1982. The study included three goals scales—Autonomy, Involvement, and Achievement Motivation—as well as measures of activity participation and health and psychological well-being. Multiple regression analyses in which the three goals scales were used to predict health and psychological well-being were both significant. Path analyses demonstrated both a direct and an indirect contribution, through activity participation, of life goals to health and well-being. In most cases, the indirect effect of life goals on health and well-being accounted for more than one half of the total effect. Implications of the results for life satisfaction in aging are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The structure of psychological well-being revisited.

A theoretical model of psychological well-being that encompasses 6 distinct dimensions of wellness (Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, Personal Growth, Positive Relations with Others, Purpose in Life, Self-Acceptance) was tested with data from a nationally representative sample of adults (N?=?1,108), aged 25 and older, who participated in telephone interviews. Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the proposed 6-factor model, with a single second-order super factor. The model was superior in fit over single-factor and other artifactual models. Age and sex differences on the various well-being dimensions replicated prior findings. Comparisons with other frequently used indicators (positive and negative affect, life satisfaction) demonstrated that the latter neglects key aspects of positive functioning emphasized in theories of health and well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role strain and psychological well-being in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

The following is an abstract of the winning paper submitted for the 1993 Student Research Award Competition in association with the 101st Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association. Karasz's paper was presented as a poster at the convention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The lived experiences of homeless men

To investigate the phenomenon of social disaffiliation in homeless men, a qualitative study was conducted that used a framework of Bahr's (1973) social disaffiliation theory. Ten homeless men were interviewed to determine their reasons for becoming homeless, their feelings about being homeless, and the specific resources they used for maintaining life on the streets. Using a semistructured interview, audiotapes were made of the responses of the 10 men, 20 to 61 years old, who were using a shelter for the homeless in a U.S. southern city. For data analysis, Giorgi's phenomenological approach (cited in Omery, 1983) was used. Activities and resources that the men used to meet their social, economic, and other needs were described. The following three major themes were identified: rejection, uncertainty, and social isolation. Recommendations include changing nursing curricula and conducting staff development programs, testing interventions to alleviate social isolation, and assisting the homeless to return to the societal mainstream.     

The psychological well-being of women of Menoufiya, Egypt: Relationships with family planning.

Researchers surveyed the psychological well-being of 795 women of reproductive age from Menoufiya, Egypt. Five years earlier, these women had provided data relevant to their family planning behavior. This analysis links these data sets to investigate the impact of family planning on women's sense of well-being, within the context of beliefs about appropriate gender-related behaviors. Well-being measures are derived for trait and state dimensions. Use of family planning and number of children born within the preceding 5 years predicted state ratings of happiness, and number of children predicted anxious pride. Neither are related to any of the trait ratings. Further, 3 different gender-role attitudes are vital to the explanation of how women define and feel good about themselves. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Working nonstandard schedules and variable shifts in low-income families: Associations with parental psychological well-being, family functioning, and child well-being.

Longitudinal data from the New Hope Project-an experimental evaluation of a work-based antipoverty program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin-was used to explore concurrent and lagged associations of nonstandard schedules and variable shifts with parental psychological well-being, regularity of family mealtimes, and child well-being among low-income families. Working a combination of variable shifts and nonstandard hours was associated concurrently with lower teacher-reported school performance and engagement and higher levels of externalizing behavior problems. Fixed nonstandard schedules were associated with lagged decreases in parent-reported school performance, whereas working variable shifts was associated with lagged increases in parent-reported school performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of message framing and ethnic targeting on mammography use among low-income women.

The authors examined the effects that differently framed and targeted health messages have on persuading low-income women to obtain screening mammograms. The authors recruited 752 women over 40 years of age from community health clinics and public housing developments and assigned the women randomly to view videos that were either gain or loss framed and either targeted specifically to their ethnic groups or multicultural. Loss-framed, multicultural messages were most persuasive. The advantage of loss-framed, multicultural messages was especially apparent for Anglo women and Latinas but not for African American women. These effects were stronger after 6 months than after 12 months. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)