Experiences of Neurotypical Siblings of Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Exploration

In recent years, the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been on the rise, prompting a simultaneous increase in scientific study regarding cause, impact, and intervention (Hughes, 2009; Ravindran & Myers, 2012). Research has proposed advances in the treatment of the individuals diagnosed and focused efforts on scholastic, parental, and professional intervention and supports. However, the siblings of ASD children have largely been neglected in this scientific investigation. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore neurotypical siblings’ experiences in living with a child diagnosed with ASD. Seven adolescents were selected using criterion, convenience, and snowball sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using thematic reflection (van Manen, 1990). Data analysis uncovered seven themes: (a) personal impact, (b) familial impact, (c) social impact, (d) relational understanding, (e) socio-cultural influence, (f) future outlook, and (g) advice. Findings indicated neurotypical sibling experiences contain both positive and negative perceptions of living with a brother or sister diagnosed with ASD. Perceptions were often influenced by the cultural and societal value placed upon normal behaviors. The need for appropriate education regarding ASD etiology, symptomology, and treatment was deemed to be important for NTD siblings, parents, professionals, and society at large. Additionally, the development of social supports for NTD siblings was suggested

Health Disparities in Minority Populations

Abstract Introduction and Background: Minority populations struggle to gain access to equitable healthcare due to cultural variations and language barriers. It is paramount for providers to accommodate to the differing needs of underserved minority groups. Purpose Statement: We analyzed information on the effects of community-based interventions aimed at improving healthcare access for minorities. Literature Review: We used PubMed as our main database. For our search, we looked up the keywords “Healthcare Access AND Minorities.” Next, we filtered articles that had been published since 2017 and sorted to include clinical trials, randomized control trials, and meta-analyses. After that, we came across ninety-eight total articles, and picked five of the most critical. Findings: From the first two articles, patient navigators have been shown to be effective in helping minorities navigating the information and decisions presented to them in healthcare. The researchers in the third study found that minority groups are at a greater risk for a health literacy deficit. Our next article found that African Americans treated with computerized cognitive behavioral therapy saw a significant decrease in anxiety and depression. Our final document found that lack of access to healthcare resources decreased dementia outcomes by missing the early onset of symptoms. Conclusions: It is evident that minorities face healthcare disparities that keep them from receiving access to equitable healthcare. As a nurse, it is important to identify gaps in access to healthcare in minority patients. Interventions aiming to increase health literacy and access in minorities have shown to be effective

What happened to the fig tree? : an empirical study in psychological type and biblical hermeneutics

The SIFT method of biblical hermeneutics and liturgical preaching has its roots in Jungian psychological type theory and maintains that the reading and interpretation of text is shaped by individual preferences within the perceiving process (sensing and intuition) and within the evaluating process (thinking and feeling). The present study tests the empirical foundation for this method by examining the way in which three groups of participants familiar with handling scripture (N = 31, 14, and 47) interpret the Marcan narrative concerning the cleansing of the temple and the cursing of the fig tree. The data provide further support for the psychological principles underpinning the SIFT method

A LES Study on Passive Mixing in Supersonic Shear Layer Flows Considering Effects of Baffle Configuration

Under the background of dual combustor ramjet (DCR), a numerical investigation of supersonic mixing layer was launched, focused on the mixing enhancement method of applying baffles with different geometric configurations. Large eddy simulation with high order schemes, containing a fifth-order hybrid WENO compact scheme for the convective flux and sixth-order compact one for the viscous flux, was utilized to numerically study the development of the supersonic mixing layer. The supersonic cavity flow was simulated and the cavity configuration could influence the mixing characteristics, since the impingement process of large scale structures formed inside the cavity could raise the vorticity and promote the mixing. The effect of baffle's configurations on the mixing process was analyzed by comparing the flow properties, mixing efficiency, and total pressure loss. The baffle could induce large scale vortexes, promote the mixing layer to lose its stability easily, and then lead to the mixing efficiency enhancement. However, the baffle could increase the total pressure loss. The present investigation could provide guidance for applying new passive mixing enhancement methods for the supersonic mixing

Church tradition and psychological type preferences among Anglicans in England

A sample of 290 individuals attending Evangelical Anglican churches and Anglo-Catholic churches in central England completed the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, a measure of psychological type preferences. Overall, there were clear preferences for sensing over intuition, for feeling over thinking, and for judging over perceiving, which is consistent with the findings of two earlier studies profiling the psychological type of Anglican churchgoers. However, there was also a significantly higher proportion of intuitives among Anglo-Catholics than among Evangelical Anglicans, which is consistent with the greater emphasis in Anglo-Catholic churches on mystery, awe, and the centrality of sacraments in worship which may resonate with the intuitive predisposition. The implications of these findings are discussed for the benefits of breadth and diversity within Anglicanism

Are clergy serving yoked congregations more vulnerable to burnout? : a study among clergy serving in the Presbyterian church (USA)

Pressures generated by increasing secularization and decreasing vocations to ordained ministry are resulting across denominations in a growing number of clergy serving more than one congregation. This study assesses the hypothesis that clergy serving more than one congregation are more susceptible to burnout. Data were provided by a sample of 735 clergy serving in The Presbyterian Church (USA) who completed the Francis Burnout Inventory together with the abbreviated Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised. Among these clergy, 82% served one congregation, 13% served two congregations, and 5% served three or more congregations. After controlling for individual differences in age and personality, the data demonstrated that clergy serving yoked congregations experienced no statistically significant differences in susceptibility to burnout, either in terms of levels of emotional exhaustion or in terms of levels of satisfaction in ministry, compared with colleagues serving just one congregation

Mystical orientation and the perceiving process : a study among Anglican clergymen

This study examines the hypothesised link between mystical orientation and the perceiving process within the Jungian model of psychological type. Data were provided by 232 Anglican clergymen serving in the Church in Wales who completed both the Francis-Louden Mystical Orientation Scale and the Francis Psychological Type Scales. The data demonstrated that intuitive types recorded significantly higher scores than sensing types on the index of mystical orientation, supporting the hypothesis based on Ross' thesis

Psychological type and attitude towards Celtic Christianity among committed Churchgoers in the United Kingdom: an empirical study

This article takes the burgeoning interest in Celtic Christianity as a key example of the way in which churches may be responding to the changing spiritual and religious landscape in the United Kingdom today and examines the power of psychological type theory to account for variation in the attitude of committed churchgoers to this innovation. Data provided by a sample of 248 Anglican clergy and lay church officers (who completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales together with the Attitude toward Celtic Christianity Scale) demonstrated that intuitive types, feeling types, and perceiving types reported a more positive attitude towards Celtic Christianity than sensing types, thinking types, and judging types. These findings are interpreted to analyse the appeal of Celtic Christianity and to suggest why some committed churchgoers may find this innovation less attractive

Applying psychological type theory to cathedral visitors : a case study of two cathedrals in England and Wales

This study employs Jungian psychological type theory to profile visitors to Chester Cathedral in England and St Davids Cathedral in Wales. Psychological type theory offers a fourfold psychographic segmentation of visitors, distinguishing between introversion and extraversion, sensing and intuition, thinking and feeling, and judging and perceiving. New data provided by 157 visitors to Chester Cathedral (considered alongside previously published data provided by 381 visitors to St Davids Cathedral) demonstrated that these two cathedrals attract more introverts than extraverts, more sensers than intuitives, and more judgers than perceivers, but equal proportions of thinkers and feelers. Comparison with the population norms demonstrated that extraverts and perceivers are significantly under-represented among visitors to these two cathedrals. The implications of these findings are discussed both for maximising the visitor experiences of those already attracted to these cathedrals and for discovering ways of attracting more extraverts and more perceivers to explore these cathedrals

New Kadampa Buddhists and Jungian psychological type

Building on previous studies on Canadian Anglicans and Catholics, this study examines and discusses the psychological type profile of 31 adherents to New Kadampa Buddhism. Like Anglicans and Catholics, Buddhists preferred introversion (I). Like Anglicans who preferred intuition (N) and unlike Catholics who preferred sensing (S), Buddhists displayed a preference for intuition (N). Unlike Anglicans and Catholics who both preferred feeling (F), Buddhists displayed a balance between feeling (F) and thinking (T). Like Anglicans and unlike Catholics, Buddhists preferred the Apollonian temperament (NF) over the Epimethean temperament (SJ). These data are discussed to interpret the psychological appeal of New Kadampa Buddhism