Die Bedeutung der Neurobiologie für die Kinder- und Jugendlichentherapie

Welche Bedeutung haben die in den letzten beiden Jahrzehnten erarbeiteten neurobiologischen Forschungsergebnisse für die Praxis der Kinder- und Jugendlichentherapie? Das ist die Frage, mit der ich mich im Folgenden beschäft igen möchte. Ich selber schwanke immer zwischen zwei Extremen: Einerseits fi nde ich es faszinierend, über neuere neurobiologische Erkenntnisse zu lesen und ihre Bedeutung für die Psychotherapie mit Kindern und Jugendlichen zu refl ektieren. Andererseits habe ich oft den Eindruck, dass die zweifellos beeindruckenden Forschungsmethoden doch nur sehr eingeschränkt in der Lage sind, etwas von der Komplexität der Vorgänge im Gehirn zu erfassen. Sie fordern die Forscher damit zu Interpretationen heraus mit der Folge, dass manche von ihnen darin genau das entdecken, wovon sie vorher überzeugt waren. Sicherlich kommen umfangreiche neurobiologische Forschungen in vielen Fällen auch zu Ergebnissen, die aufgrund des inzwischen doch sehr großen psychotherapeutischen Erfahrungsschatzes ziemlich selbstverständlich, sozusagen als alte Hüte wirken. Das mindert mein persönliches Interesse allerdings nicht. Denn nach meiner Erfahrung ist es oft sehr bereichernd, auch alte Hüte mal von einer anderen Seite und unter anderen Aspekten zu betrachten. Und ich erlebe es als sehr spannend zu beobachten, welche Teile dieses therapeutischen Erfahrungsschatzes sich nicht bestätigen werden

Anamneses-Based Internet Information Supply: Can a Combination of an Expert System and Meta-Search Engine Help Consumers find the Health Information they Require?

An increasing number of people search for health information online. During the last 10 years various researchers have determined the requirements for an ideal consumer health information system. The aim of this study was to figure out, whether medical laymen can find a more accurate diagnosis for a given anamnesis via the developed prototype health information system than via ordinary internet search

Are differential consumption patterns in health-related behaviours an explanation for persistent and widening social inequalities in health in England?

During the last two decades, differential consumption patterns in health-related behaviours have increasingly been highlighted as playing an important role in explaining persistent and widening health inequalities. This period has also seen government public health policies in England place a greater emphasis on changing ‘lifestyle’ behaviours, in an attempt to tackle social inequalities in health. The aim of this study was to empirically examine the variation in health-related behaviour in relation to socio-economic position, in the English adult population, to determine the nature of this relationship and whether it has changed over time

Factors associated with self-rated health status in university students: a cross-sectional study in three European countries

Mikolajczyk RT, Brzoska P, Maier C, et al. Factors associated with self-rated health status in university students: a cross-sectional study in three European countries. BMC Public Health. 2008;8(1): 215.Background: Self-rated health status (SRHS) is a reliable and valid measure for assessing the subjective and objective health of individuals. Previous studies have either focused predominantly on the elderly or investigated only a narrow range of factors potentially associated with SRHS. In examining student populations, these past studies were limited to single countries. The objectives of this study were to assess which candidate variables were independently associated with SRHS in university students, to compare these variables by country and by gender, and to investigate which of the variables was most important as a rating frame for SRHS. Methods: The data is from the Cross-National Student Health Survey, conducted in 2005 in universities in Germany, Bulgaria, and Poland (n = 2103; mean age = 20.7 years). SRHS was assessed with a single question using a five-point scale ranging from "excellent" to "poor". The study also measured a wide range of variables including: physical and psychological health, studying, social contacts/social support, and socio-demographic status. Results: Psychosomatic complaints (considered an aspect of physical health and, adjusted for psychological health) were the most important indicators in forming a rating frame for students' SRHS. There were few differences in the effects of variables associated with SRHS by gender (well-being: a measure of psychological health) and the variables associated with SRHS by country (well-being and self-efficacy). The remaining variables showed homogenous effects for both genders and for all three countries. Conclusion: The results suggest that SRHS can be reasonably used to compare students' health across countries. SRHS is affected by different physical, psychological and psychosomatic aspects of health; however, its strongest association is with psychosomatic complaints

Gender balance in ECEC : why is there s little progres?

Social attitudes about male participation in the upbringing of children have changed considerably over the past few decades. Men are now seen as important for children’s development and learning. Research from many countries worldwide shows that in early childhood care and education (ECEC), male workers are welcomed by female colleagues and parents. In the last two decades there have been initiatives for more men in ECEC in several European countries. Nevertheless the proportion of male workers ECEC remains low worldwide. This article questions the persisting gender imbalance in ECEC and analyzes ambivalences regarding more men in the field. Based on recent gender theory, efforts and limits of strategies for more male students and workers in ECEC in Belgium, Norway and Germany are discussed. It is concluded that deeply held gendered attitudes and practices in the field of care and educational work with young children have to be put into question. More space in ECEC for embodied subjectivities is needed to overcome essentialist conceptions of differences between body and mind, women and men

British press attitudes towards the EU's global presence:from the Russian-Georgian War to the 2009 Copenhagen Summit

This article surveys the way in which British print media have presented the European Union (EU)'s global presence in the international arena by analysing two case studies which reflect two very distinctive areas of EU foreign policy: global climate change policy and the policy towards Russia. It employs frame analysis, allowing for the identification of the way in which the discourse of the press was categorized around a series of central opinions and ideas. Frames underscore the connections made by journalists between different events, policies or phenomena and their possible interpretations. The analysis highlights that acting through the common framework of the EU rather than unilaterally was a strategy preferred by the British press. These findings are in stark contrast with the deep Euroscepticism which characterizes press attitudes towards most policy areas, and is often considered to be rooted in the British political culture, media system, public opinion or the longstanding tradition of viewing the European continent as the other