Is Individualism Suicidogenic? Findings From a Multinational Study of Young Adults From 12 Countries

The associations of individualistic versus collectivistic value orientations with suicidal ideation and attempts, attitudes towards suicide and towards suicidal individuals, and psychological distress were investigated across 12 nations (N = 5572 university students). We expected differential associations of value orientations with suicidal behavior and moderating effects of the prevailing value orientations in the various countries. Findings showed that intermediate levels of individualism appeared protective against suicide attempts across all investigated nations, but that, otherwise, there seemingly are no universal associations of individualism and collectivism with suicidal behaviors. High collectivism was associated with less suicidal ideation only in individualistic countries. Low individualism appeared to be a risk factor for suicidal ideation specifically in Muslim collectivistic cultures, whereas high individualism in Asian collectivistic cultures. Collectivistic values are uniformly associated with less permissive attitudes to suicide, whereas individualistic values with a more stigmatized view of suicidal behavior. Both individualistic and collectivistic values were associated with socially accepting attitudes to a suicidal peer, helping a suicidal friend, and emotional involvement. The associations of individualistic and collectivistic values with disapproving attitudes to suicidal disclosure were complex. Beliefs in punishment after death for suicide, seeing suicide as mental illness, and emotional involvement with a suicidal friend were lower in high-suicide-rate countries. These evidence patterns are discussed in the light of related research evidence, along with directions for future research in this area

Is Individualism Suicidogenic? Findings From a Multinational Study of Young Adults From 12 Countries

The associations of individualistic versus collectivistic value orientations with suicidal ideation and attempts, attitudes towards suicide and towards suicidal individuals, and psychological distress were investigated across 12 nations (N = 5572 university students). We expected differential associations of value orientations with suicidal behavior and moderating effects of the prevailing value orientations in the various countries. Findings showed that intermediate levels of individualism appeared protective against suicide attempts across all investigated nations, but that, otherwise, there seemingly are no universal associations of individualism and collectivism with suicidal behaviors. High collectivism was associated with less suicidal ideation only in individualistic countries. Low individualism appeared to be a risk factor for suicidal ideation specifically in Muslim collectivistic cultures, whereas high individualism in Asian collectivistic cultures. Collectivistic values are uniformly associated with less permissive attitudes to suicide, whereas individualistic values with a more stigmatized view of suicidal behavior. Both individualistic and collectivistic values were associated with socially accepting attitudes to a suicidal peer, helping a suicidal friend, and emotional involvement. The associations of individualistic and collectivistic values with disapproving attitudes to suicidal disclosure were complex. Beliefs in punishment after death for suicide, seeing suicide as mental illness, and emotional involvement with a suicidal friend were lower in high-suicide-rate countries. These evidence patterns are discussed in the light of related research evidence, along with directions for future research in this area

Fatores associados à interrupção do aleitamento materno exclusivo em lactentes com até 30 dias

RESUMO Objetivo Identificar fatores associados à interrupção do aleitamento materno exclusivo (AME) em lactentes com até 30 dias de vida. Método Estudo transversal realizado em hospital universitário do Sul do país, de dezembro de 2014 a setembro de 2015, com 341 lactentes com até 30 dias de vida e suas mães. Aplicou-se questionário estruturado composto por variáveis relativas às características sociodemográficas e história obstétrica da mãe, escolaridade do companheiro, dados do lactente e da amamentação. Procedeu-se análise bivariada e multivariada, como cálculo de Razão de Prevalências (RP). Resultados Prevalência de 79,5% de AME. Lactentes ≥ 21 dias, que receberam complemento lácteo no hospital, mães com dificuldade de amamentação pós-alta hospitalar e não-brancas apresentaram associação à interrupção do AME. Conclusão Os fatores associados à interrupção do AME direcionam os profissionais de saúde a proporem ações de apoio à mãe e lactente em vista de suas dificuldades, prevenindo a interrupção do AME

The Human Mammary Odour Factor: Variability and Regularities in Sources and Functions

International audienceIn the course of evolution, human mothers have been, and still are, under strong selective pressure to induce their newborns’ colostrum ingestion promptly after birth. As a concentrate of nutrients, passive immunity, antioxidants, growth factors and symbiotic microbiota, colostrum functions as the evolved antidote to ubiquitous pathogens and threats of neonatal exhaustion. Under such constraints, any means to speed up colostrum/milk intake can only have been beneficial to neonatal viability and adaptive life onset along evolutionary time. The areolar-nipple areas of human lactating females emit lacteal substrates conveying chemostimuli that are attractive and release mouthing and sucking in infants. Current information about areolar glands of Montgomery is summarized here, in terms of variability/regularity in number and distribution, of behavioural activity of their secretion, and of the adaptive value of their occurrence. It is concluded that a majority of lactating women investigated so far bear from 1 to >40 glands/areola, among which some emit a visible secretion. Reciprocally, a majority of neonate infants react to the odour of these secretions. The number of areolar glands correlates with infants’ behaviour at the breast, indicating that areolar phenotypic variability has potential fitness consequences on the infant and the mother. Ideas for future studies are outlined to advance our understanding of how human areolar phenotypic variability relates to life history characteristics