Advice and Help-seeking Intentions Among Youth in Israel: Ethnic and Gender Differences

This study addresses intentions to seek advice and help among Jewish and Arab youths in Israel. The sample included 805 Jewish, 159 Moslem, 42 Christian, and 43 Druze youths. Two instruments were used: a demographic questionnaire and a questionnaire on help-seeking intentions. Results indicated that members of the ethnic groups preferred using different sources for advice and help. Compared to Moslem and Druze youths, Jewish youths preferred to turn to fathers, siblings, school counselors, and social workers; Compared to Arab youths, Jewish youths expressed less intention to seek assistancef rom their mothers; and compared to Moslem youths, Jewish youths expressed more intention to apply to relatives, supervisors, and clergy than did Moslem youths. Druze youths were more willing than Jews or Christians to ask for advice and help from school counselors and social workers and more willing to ask help from clergy than were Moslem youths. Allfour ethnic groups expressed a greater intention to seek help from informal rather than formal sources of assistance. Significant gender differences were also found. The implications of the findings for the development of appropriate services for different ethnic groups are discussed

Professional Contacts and Perceived Occupational Prestige

A random sample of 142 social workers in Israel, were asked to indicate the other professionals whom they meet in the course of their work, and the frequency of these contacts. They were also asked to assess the occupational prestige of social workers relative to that of the other professionals. The findings showed that social workers tended to downgrade their own prestige, the more frequently they met with representatives of occupations which have higher rankings on an objective occupational prestige scale

Job Satisfaction Among Paraprofessionals in Israel

This study deals with paraprofessional job characteristics, motivation and satisfaction. The subjects represented two paraprofessional groupsstreet corner workers, who enjoy a relatively high status, and homemakers, whose status is relatively low. The purpose of the study was to examine job characteristics that influence the level of job satisfaction and motivation. Analysis of responses to the Job Diagnostic Survey (Hackman & Oldham, 1975) indicates that different variables contribute to and explain the level of job satisfaction and motivation of each group. The results are discussed in the light of the effects of job characteristics on the satisfaction obtained from work, and consideration is given to what is to be done to improve the working conditions of paraprofessionals in the human services

Organizational Position: Influences on Perceived Organizational Properties

People perceive and interpret their work place in different ways that may be related to their hierarchical position in the organization. Workers\u27 attitudes toward their organization can exert a negative effect on their own and other people\u27s feelings and behavior, and have detrimental consequences for the achievements of the organization. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptionso f organizationalc haracteristicsm aintainedb y three levels of human service organization employees: Managers, supervisors or instructors, and line workers. Respondents in the present sample (n = 135) indicated their perceptions about seven organizational properties. Results reveal that the higher the organizational position of the subject, the more positive are the subject\u27s perceptions concerning the organization, and the importance attached to various organizational properties. Results are interpreted in terms of the potential problems resulting from the different views of employees toward their organization, and the possible implications this holds for the staff of human service organizations

Couples' adjustment to one partner's disability: The relationship between sense of coherence and adjustment

The question addressed by the study is: how do people who function well after experiencing a stressful event resulting in a disability differ in their personality traits from those who show dysfunction? This was examined by means of the concept of sense of coherence (SOC). Two groups of subjects were assessed: the individuals with disability and their spouses. The subjects with disability all suffered from some form of paralysis resulting from either spinal cord injury or cerebrovascular. SOC was found to be significantly related to disability adjustment for both the individuals with disability and their spouses, indicating that SOC is a personality factor that explains individual differences in coping with a disability, regardless of level of severity.sense of coherence adjustment disability spouses

Assessment of Predictors for SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Decline Rate in Health Care Workers after BNT162b2 Vaccination—Results from a Serological Survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 is a novel human pathogen causing Coronavirus Disease 2019 that has caused widespread global mortality and morbidity. Since health workers in Israel were among the first to be vaccinated, we had a unique opportunity to investigate the post-vaccination level of IgG anti-S levels antibodies (Abs) and their dynamics by demographic and professional factors. Methods: Prospective Serological Survey during December 2020–August 2021 at Barzilai Medical Center among 458 health care workers (HCW) followed for 6 months after the second BNT162b2 vaccine dose. Results: Antibody levels before the second dose, and 30, 90 and 180 days after were 57.1 ± 29.2, 223 ± 70.2, 172.8 ± 73.3 and 166.4 ± 100.7 AU/mL, respectively. From GEE analysis, females had higher Abs levels (β = 26.37 AU/mL, p = 0.002). Age was negatively associated with Abs, with a 1.17 AU/mL decrease for each additional year (p < 0.001). Direct contact with patients was associated with lower Abs by 25.02 AU/mL (p = 0.009) compared to working with no such contact. The average decline rate overall for the study period was 3.0 ± 2.9 AU/mL per week without differences by demographic parameters and was faster during the first 3 months after vaccination than in the subsequent 3 months. Conclusions: All demographic groups experienced a decline in Abs over time, faster during the first 3 months. Findings of overall Abs lower in males, workers with direct contact with patients, and older workers, should be considered for policy-making about choosing priority populations for additional vaccine doses in hospital settings