15,921 research outputs found
Mutual help groups for mental health problems: A review of effectiveness studies
This paper reviews empirical studies on whether participating in mutual help groups for people with mental health problems leads to improved psychological and social functioning. To be included, studies had to satisfy four sets of criteria, covering: (1) characteristics of the group, (2) target problems, (3) outcome measures, and (4) research design. The 12 studies meeting these criteria provide limited but promising evidence that mutual help groups benefit people with three types of problems: chronic mental illness, depression/anxiety, and bereavement. Seven studies reported positive changes for those attending support groups. The strongest findings come from two randomized trials showing that the outcomes of mutual help groups were equivalent to those of substantially more costly professional interventions. Five of the 12 studies found no differences in mental health outcomes between mutual help group members and non-members; no studies showed evidence of negative effects. There was no indication that mutual help groups were differentially effective for certain types of problems. The studies varied in terms of design quality and reporting of results. More high-quality outcome research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of mutual help groups across the spectrum of mental health problems
The B Neutrino Spectrum
Knowledge of the energy spectrum of B neutrinos is an important
ingredient for interpreting experiments that detect energetic neutrinos from
the Sun. The neutrino spectrum deviates from the allowed approximation because
of the broad alpha-unstable Be final state and recoil order corrections to
the beta decay. We have measured the total energy of the alpha particles
emitted following the beta decay of B. The measured spectrum is
inconsistent with some previous measurements, in particular with a recent
experiment of comparable precision. The beta decay strength function for the
transition from B to the accessible excitation energies in Be is fit to
the alpha energy spectrum using the R-matrix approach. Both the positron and
neutrino energy spectra, corrected for recoil order effects, are constructed
from the strength function. The positron spectrum is in good agreement with a
previous direct measurement. The neutrino spectrum disagrees with previous
experiments, particularly for neutrino energies above 12 MeV.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables, submitted to Phys. Rev. C, typos
correcte
Practice to Policy: Clinical Psychologists' Experiences of Macro-Level Work
Aims: Many clinical psychologists have ventured beyond therapeutic and assessment roles to undertake public policy work. However, little research has systematically examined clinical psychologistsâ roles in policy work and the implications of such work for the profession. This qualitative study examined the influences, processes, skills and knowledge underpinning policy work by clinical psychologists, and the challenges and facilitators encountered. /
Method: Participants were 37 UK clinical psychologists, from a broad spectrum of specialties, who had engaged in public policy work. They were selected by purposive sampling and snowballing to take part in a semi-structured interview about their experiences of policy work and social action. Transcripts were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. /
Results: The analysis yielded six themes, grouped into two domains: (1) âGetting Thereâ, describing participantsâ professional journeys to policy work, including early influences and career paths, and (2) âBeing Thereâ describing their experiences of working in this way, the challenges and facilitators in the process, and the skills and knowledge upon which they drew. /
Conclusions: Clinical psychologists already possess core clinical and research skills that may potentially be adapted to work within broader political systems. However, they need to learn to use their existing skills in a different context, and also acquire some additional skills unique to policy-level work
Low-energy quenching of positronium by helium
Very low-energy scattering of orthopositronium by helium has been
investigated for simultaneous study of elastic cross section and pick-off
quenching rate using a model exchange potential. The present calculational
scheme, while agrees with the measured cross section of Skalsey et al,
reproduces successfully the parameter ^ 1Z_{\makebox{eff}}, the effective
number of electrons per atom in a singlet state relative to the positron.
Together with the fact that this model potential also leads to an agreement
with measured medium energy cross sections of this system, this study seems to
resolve the long-standing discrepancy at low energies among different
theoretical calculations and experimental measurements.Comment: 4 latex pages, 3 postscript figure
Structure Effects on Coulomb Dissociation of B
Coulomb Dissociation provides an alternative method for determining the
radiative capture cross sections at astrophysically relevant low relative
energies. For the breakup of B on Ni, we calculate the total Coulomb
Dissociation cross section and the angular distribution for E1, E2 and M1. Our
calculations are performed first within the standard first order semiclassical
theory of Coulomb Excitation, including the correct three body kinematics, and
later including the projectile-target nuclear interactions.Comment: 6 pages, proceedings from International Workshop on RNB, Puri, India,
January 1998 - to be published in J. Phys.
Effects of including forage herbs in grass-legume mixtures on persistence of intensively managed pastures sampled across three age categories and five regions
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