Alternative images of the citizen: Implications for public policy.

Argues that in attempting to understand socially significant political issues and problems, political scientists and other policy makers have made heavy use of psychological models of the citizen. It is argued that instead of drawing such models from psychology, their efforts have utilized the psychological models of the citizen suggested by economic theory. As a result, the potential effects of citizens' concerns with distributive and procedural fairness—factors typically excluded from economic theories—have been ignored in studying citizens' political evaluations and behaviors. Evidence is given to show (1) that political evaluations and behaviors are influenced by justice-based concerns and (2) the need to broaden the image of the psychology of the citizen to include the influence of citizens' concerns about fairness. (93 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological aspects of smoker-nonsmoker interaction: Implications for public policy.

Legislated restriction of public smoking has become increasingly common on both the state and federal level over the past 2 decades. The resulting controversy has generally focused on the physiological effects of second-hand smoke while ignoring psychological aspects of smoker–nonsmoker interaction. This article reviews the psychological literature related to this issue and concludes (1) that legislated separation of these groups is necessary and (2) that this can be accomplished successfully only when those creating no-smoking and smoking-permitted areas pay close attention to environmental cues attended to by the users of those areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Deinstitutionalization and women: Assessing the consequences of public policy.

Reviews and analyzes the literature concerning deinstitutionalization and women and highlights specific ways in which a major public policy initiative has affected the lives of both chronically mentally ill women and women who have been charged with the responsibility of caring for the chronically mentally ill. Special effects of deinstitutionalization on mentally ill women are evident in such areas as sexual exploitation and violence, homelessness, diversion into the criminal justice system, and stigmatization. A group of studies points to special circumstances pertaining to sexual behavior and reproductive control in a deinstitutionalized female population. It is suggested that the expectations of women's behavior based on societal role definitions have affected service planning for this population and that the use of such criteria for program planning runs the risk of injuring patients of both sexes. The need for more conceptual work and research on deinstitutionalization is stressed; however, because deinstitutionalization is an exceedingly complex phenomenon, the importance of remaining sensitive to the wide variety of circumstances that contribute to its outcomes is emphasized. (72 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Scientific study of witness memory: Implications for public and legal policy.

The legal system relies heavily on human memory. Crime investigations, criminal trials, and many civil trials depend on memory to reconstruct critical events from the past. Over the last 20 years or so, psychologists have developed a specific research literature on witness testimony. This research has been directed primarily at eyewitnesses, such as victims or bystanders to a criminal event. This issue of Psychology, Public Policy, and Law is devoted to the potential contributions of the scientific study of witness testimony to public policy and legal issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Battered women, psychology, and public policy.

Reviews the role that psychologists have played in affecting changes in public policy regarding domestic violence over the past decade. Testimony by expert witnesses has rebutted myths that prevented battered women who killed their abusers from receiving fair trials. Three case vignettes are presented to illustrate how psychological knowledge has helped the judicial system to develop public policy. Because organized psychology has submitted amicus curiae briefs in this area, appellate court cases now usually support the admissibility of a psychologist's testimony as to the battered woman's perception of danger and the reasonableness of her perception of the need for self-defense. The public impact of high-visibility battered women cases is discussed. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depression and coronary heart disease in women: Implications for clinical practice and research.

Practicing psychologists who treat depression in women need to consider their depressed clients at heightened risk for heart disease. In this article, the authors review evidence supporting the link between depression in women and their subsequent increased risk for illness and death from coronary heart disease (CHD). Although further research is needed, the evidence to date suggests that women in treatment for depression should, at the very least, be educated about their increased risk for CHD, and, ideally, psychotherapy for depressed women should incorporate interventions designed either to reduce risk factors for CHD, such as obesity, smoking, and alcohol abuse, or to enhance health-maintenance behaviors, such as exercise and adherence to a low-fat diet, which are associated with cardiovascular health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Violence against women by male partners: Prevalence, outcomes, and policy implications.

Violence against women has only recently been addressed in national policy and legislation. Responses by most societal institutions to women assaulted by male partners are still based primarily on a lack of knowledge about the prevalence, severity, and outcomes of violence perpetrated by men against female intimates. Although well suited to make a vital contribution, psychologists still rarely involve themselves in proactive interventions with women victims. This article reviews empirical literature on the physical and sexual assault of women by their male intimates and discusses potential physical and psychological outcomes, with a focus on linking what is known about abused women's reactions with the rich literature on survivors' responses to trauma. Implications for research, treatment interventions, and policy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual harassment: Violence against women in the workplace.

Sexual harassment has been a fixture of the workplace since women first began to work outside the home. Although true epidemiological studies do not exist, large-scale surveys of working women suggest that approximately 1 of every 2 women will be harassed at some point during their academic or working lives. The data indicate that harassment is degrading, frightening, and sometimes physically violent; frequently extends over a considerable period of time; and can result in profound job-related, psychological, and health-related consequences. This article provides a brief review of the prevalence and consequences of sexual harassment and outlines social policy implications for research, legislation, and primary prevention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy: Research, practice, and public policy: How to avoid dead ends.

Contends that false and unrealistic expectations of psychotherapy continue to be held by theoreticians, practitioners, legislators, and policymakers. Regardless of whether psychotherapy is defined as a form of medical treatment, psychological treatment, or education, it is characterized by the creation of an interpersonal context and therapeutic learning. Because the variables involved in human functioning are highly complex and intertwined, attempts to attribute segments of the outcome variance to single technique variables may result in the kind of weak effects that are common in the research literature. It is suggested that the therapist's skill and outcome should not be confounded. The therapist's skill relates to the mediation of a corrective emotional (or growth) experience. Research and clinical literatures can provide signposts and general guidelines, but each clinician must learn the requisite skills through intensive and prolonged supervision. The greatest value of psychotherapy research lies in the advancement of knowledge. Public policy must take account of existing research results, but policymakers should adopt a broader view of the therapeutic enterprise; the issue revolves around the value society is willing to place on positive mental health and its maintenance. (81 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children and public policy: A role for psychologists.

Discusses the 1970 Joint Commission on Mental Health of Children report. The issues raised by the report are considered, and recommendations are presented for the response of the American Psychological Association (APA). The limitations of the APA in the area of its official position on public policy or programs, the establishment of priority statements after analyses of program costs, and the utilization of lobbyists are discussed. It is suggested that psychologists establish rank order priorities for the problems of prevention of psychopathologies in children. The advantages of the child advocacy system and of universally available preschool programs, especially for the disadvantaged, are discussed. Research is proposed which would cover 3 areas: nationwide epidemiological studies, assessment and evaluation of action-oriented social programs, and multidisciplinary research into causative factors. A general model for delivering services to children and families is outlined which would utilize the local schools as the 1st level for assessment and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology and public policy.

Discusses ways to increase the involvement, awareness, knowledge, and education of psychologists in the public policy process. Psychologists have functioned effectively in a variety of roles that are relevant to the policy sector. For example, they are increasingly called upon as expert witnesses. There is a great need for people who can translate the findings of psychology and the behavioral sciences into language and recommendations easily comprehended by the public. Probably the most common role for a psychologist in public policy is that of researcher or evaluator, which uses the psychologist's methodological skill to help policymakers determine whether a program, intervention, or treatment was effective. Psychologists have also increasingly taken positions as administrators in education, health, mental health, welfare, correctional, and human service organizations, where they are directly responsible for the formation and implementation of social policies. Psychologists can also function as activist-collaborators by advocating solutions to social problems. It is concluded that greater involvement of psychology in the public policy process will facilitate the growth of psychological knowledge and the application of that knowledge to the world of which psychology becomes continually a larger part. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cinema and the valuing of psychotherapy: Implications for clinical practice.

Cinema is riddled with negative portrayals of psychotherapy. In a media-saturated culture, public attitudes regarding the prevalence of mental illness, the symptomatology that defines abnormality, and the professionals who address such disorders are profoundly influenced by the images and messages in cinema and mass media. It is imperative for psychologists to maintain an awareness of the cinematic portrayals of psychotherapists, psychotherapy, and mental illness in order to better understand clients' expectations for therapy. By increasing awareness of the role of the media in shaping the image of professional psychology, clinicians can hope to decrease the stigma surrounding mental health care through engaging in discussions of these media stereotypes and advocating for more realistic portrayals of psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Violence against women: The congressional response.

America as a nation has for too long failed to grasp either the scope or the seriousness of violence against women. In this article, Senator Biden describes his attempt to address this issue through federal legislation. The Violence Against Women Act, first introduced in 1990 and reported favorably out of committee in May of 1993, takes aim at the problem from 4 different perspectives: rectifying imbalances, helping survivors, providing education, and requiring equal treatment. Each of these aspects of the legislation is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting cultural competence: Implications for practice and training.

Training and work experience with clients from diverse groups were examined among 266 recent PhDs in counseling and clinical psychology. Surveys were mailed to 600 participants who completed their graduate work between 1985 and 1987. Analyses examined which training variables predicted self-rated competence in providing services to various cultural groups. Results indicated that most therapists reported competence in working with diverse clients, but there was notable variability among ratings of therapists' self-perceived competence with different client groups. Exposure during training to working with clients from specific cultural groups was important in predicting therapists' current perceived competence. Most respondents reported accessing education and training experiences in providing services to diverse client groups. A small but troubling number of respondents reported seeing clients despite reporting low levels of competence with that client group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hindering phenomena in group supervision: Implications for practice.

Although group supervision is practiced extensively, research on the subject remains scant. This study identified group supervision phenomena that hinder learning. Counseling and counseling psychology graduate students identified 61 group supervision experiences that they felt interfered with their learning. Then, 14 of the 49 original participants sorted the 61 phenomena on the basis of similarity. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify 5 types of hindering phenomena: between-member problems, problems with supervisors, supervisee anxiety and other perceived negative affects, logistical constraints, and poor group time management. Implications for supervisors, supervisees, and training programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A public policy conference for psychologists.

Psychologists have skills, concepts, and value positions to contribute as individuals to public policy. They can contribute these through their scientific, professional, administrative, or political roles. The American Psychological Association (APA) as an organization can facilitate uniting governmental officials and psychologists with relevant expertise. It is also suggested that APA (1) bring together task forces of psychologists to stimulate thought and work on a particular problem of public interest, (2) commission position papers, and (3) help in identifying problems likely to become public issues. In determining what activities to undertake APA should be guided by the importance of the issue to society, the importance to psychology, the amount psychologists have to contribute, the amount we can realistically expect to influence policy, and the costs in time and dollars. Psychology should begin developing its own post-Viet Nam priority list. In doing so it should collaborate with other behavioral sciences with expertise relevant to major problems of our society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hospices: Perspectives on the public policy debate.

The public policy debate on hospice care centers on the appropriate mix of medical and supportive services for terminal cancer patients and how such services should be paid for within existing insurance programs. Past decisions to change health care reimbursement that are applicable to the hospice debate are reviewed, the benefits and costs of hospice care are examined, and the role of research in the formulation of social policy is discussed. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Suicide prediction in the US Air Force: Implications for practice.

How can psychologists know which of the many variables in an individual's clinical presentation are most salient to that person's suicide risk? Such certainty requires an empirically validated prediction model that is specific to the population served. Data obtained through the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Office of Special Investigations and the USAF Institute for Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health Risk Analysis were analyzed using multivariate strategies of prediction based on an empirically validated model of suicide prediction (G. K. Brown, A. T. Beck, R. A. Steer, & J. R. Grisham, 2000) and suicide completer versus noncompleter status. The usefulness of the model to the USAF sample is discussed, and several factors unique to a military population are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)