Do We Need to Put God into Emotional Support?: A Comparison of Caucasians’ and African-Americans’ Evaluations of Religious versus Non-Religious Comforting Messages

The current study explored whether ethnicity influences young adults’ evaluations of two different sets of comforting messages: those in which concepts such as God, prayer, religion, and faith are woven into low, moderate, and high person-centered strategies (called ‘‘religious strategies’’) and those in which such concepts are not embedded (called ‘‘non-religious strategies’’) into the messages. One hundred ninety-seven college students (63% African-American; 37% Caucasian) rated the sensitivity and effectiveness of religious and non-religious comforting messages. Several significant differences were observed between Caucasians and African-Americans in their evaluations of these strategies. Findings are discussed in terms of their practical implications for ‘‘real world’’ comforting efforts as well as the theoretical significance they hold for the concept of person-centeredness

Mental Health and Wellness Programming for Adults with Down Syndrome

This capstone project was completed in partnership with GiGi’s Playhouse located in Brentwood, TN. GiGi’s Playhouse is a non-profit organization that offers free programming for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. The focus of this project was addressing the mental health and wellness of adults with Down syndrome. The goal of this project was to provide meaningful lessons and activities for participants to learn about mental health, coping strategies, and emotional exploration. Participants had the opportunity to learn and practice meditation, mindfulness, self-advocacy, healthy relationships, creative expression, and more. Participants completed The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) as a pre and post-test measure

Men’s and women’s evaluations of communication skills in personal relationships: When sex differences make a difference—and when they don’t

Abstract OnlyMuch recent research on gender and communication has emphasized differences in men's and women's communicative conduct, with some theorists going so far as to claim that men and women constitute different cultures. However, comparatively little research has assessed both similarities and differences in men and women's communication to determine whether the sexes are more alike or different. The present paper provides such assessments with respect to men's and women's evaluations of the importance of diverse communication skills in two relationships, friendship and romance. Two studies are reported. In Study 1, participants (N = 382) evaluated the importance of eight communication skills in same-sex friendships. Results indicated that although females rated affectively oriented communication skills as somewhat more important than males and males rated instrumentally oriented skills as somewhat more important than females, both males and females overwhelmingly viewed affectively oriented skills as more important than instrumental skills. Study 2 sought to replicate and extend the findings of Study 1 by having participants (N = 685) evaluate the importance of eight communication skills for either same-sex friendship or opposite-sex romances. Results virtually identical to those of Study 1 were obtained in Study 2 for both friendship and romance. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for our understanding of communication in personal relationships and the different cultures perspective

Prevalence of asthma, aspirin sensitivity and allergy in chronic rhinosinusitis: data from the UK National Chronic Rhinosinusitis Epidemiology Study

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disorder associated with other respiratory tract diseases such as asthma and inhalant allergy. However, the prevalence of these co-morbidities varies considerably in the existing medical literature and by phenotype of CRS studied. The study objective was to identify the prevalence of asthma, inhalant allergy and aspirin sensitivity in CRS patients referred to secondary care and establish any differences between CRS phenotypes. Methods: All participants were diagnosed in secondary care according to international guidelines and invited to complete a questionnaire including details of co-morbidities and allergies. Data were analysed for differences between controls and CRS participants and between phenotypes using chi-squared tests. Results: The final analysis included 1470 study participants: 221 controls, 553 CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNPs), 651 CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNPs) and 45 allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS). The prevalence of asthma was 9.95, 21.16, 46.9 and 73.3% respectively. The prevalence of self-reported confirmed inhalant allergy was 13.1, 20.3, 31.0 and 33.3% respectively; house dust mite allergy was significantly higher in CRSwNPs (16%) compared to CRSsNPs (9%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of self- reported aspirin sensitivity was 2.26, 3.25, 9.61 and 40% respectively. The odds ratio for aspirin sensitivity amongst those with AFRS was 28.8 (CIs 9.9, 83.8) p < 0.001. Conclusions: The prevalence of asthma and allergy in CRS varies by phenoytype, with CRSwNPs and AFRS having a stronger association with both. Aspirin sensitivity has a highly significant association with AFRS. All of these comorbidities are significantly more prevalent than in non-CRS controls and strengthen the need for a more individualised approach to the combined airway

Los grupos de estimulación y ejercitación de la memoria como espacios convocantes de mayores de sectores medios desde el Trabajo Social

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo describir la experiencia desarrollada por dos Trabajadoras Sociales, provenientes de distintos espacios institucionales, que llevaron a cabo un proyecto para desarrollar dos Talleres de Estimulación y Ejercitación de la Memoria en el marco de las actividades de una ONG de la CABA. Dicho proyecto fue aprobado y financiado por el Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y se ejecutó en el año 2012 en el barrio de Caballito, de la citada ciudad. La experiencia de coordinación de estos dos espacios permitió, una vez finalizados, visualizar un ámbito sumamente propicio de participación de los mayores de sectores medios de la ciudad de Buenos Aires. En dichos espacios, se favoreció la posibilidad de reflexión e intercambio de opiniones en torno a numerosos temas que inquietaban a los mayores, y que los mismos manifestaron no tener –o no saber- dónde (o con quién) plantearlos. Por lo expuesto, a través del presente trabajo se busca valorizar la experiencia desarrollada, animar a otros colegas al armado de espacios grupales a partir de temáticas que movilicen el interés de los mayores y, a través de los mismos, habilitar el abordaje de situaciones comunes que preocupan a muchos mayores para mejorar su acceso a la información sobre el momento en el que se encuentran y, por ende, mejorar su calidad de vida.Facultad de Trabajo Socia

Los grupos de estimulación y ejercitación de la memoria como espacios convocantes de mayores de sectores medios desde el Trabajo Social

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo describir la experiencia desarrollada por dos Trabajadoras Sociales, provenientes de distintos espacios institucionales, que llevaron a cabo un proyecto para desarrollar dos Talleres de Estimulación y Ejercitación de la Memoria en el marco de las actividades de una ONG de la CABA. Dicho proyecto fue aprobado y financiado por el Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y se ejecutó en el año 2012 en el barrio de Caballito, de la citada ciudad. La experiencia de coordinación de estos dos espacios permitió, una vez finalizados, visualizar un ámbito sumamente propicio de participación de los mayores de sectores medios de la ciudad de Buenos Aires. En dichos espacios, se favoreció la posibilidad de reflexión e intercambio de opiniones en torno a numerosos temas que inquietaban a los mayores, y que los mismos manifestaron no tener –o no saber- dónde (o con quién) plantearlos. Por lo expuesto, a través del presente trabajo se busca valorizar la experiencia desarrollada, animar a otros colegas al armado de espacios grupales a partir de temáticas que movilicen el interés de los mayores y, a través de los mismos, habilitar el abordaje de situaciones comunes que preocupan a muchos mayores para mejorar su acceso a la información sobre el momento en el que se encuentran y, por ende, mejorar su calidad de vida.Facultad de Trabajo Socia

Adolescent fertility and high school completion in Chile: Exploring gender differences

Objective: This study has two objectives: first, to estimate the effect of adolescent fertility on high school completion for Chilean adolescents, considering selectivity due to socioeconomic background and prior academic achievement, and, second, to explore the gender differences that exist in this effect. Methods: We use propensity score weighting and regression adjustment to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated groups. We employ a rich dataset built on several administrative sources, covering a cohort of students attending publicly funded schools from 2011 to 2018. Results: Considering the samples of men and women separately, we find that a teenage girl who experiences adolescent fertility is 13Š less likely to complete high school, whereas the corresponding probability for a teenage boy is only 3Š. As compared to boys, girls who experience adolescent fertility also have higher probabilities of delayed high school graduation and dropping out of school. Conclusions: Our analyses indicate that the detrimental effect of adolescent fertility on high school completion is larger for girls than boys in Chile, after taking into consideration the selectivity due to socioeconomic origin and prior academic performance. Contribution: This is the first study in Chile, and probably the first in Latin America, that directly estimates the difference in the effect of adolescent fertility on educational outcomes for young men and women, considering issues of endogeneity due to treatment selection. Our results point to continuing gender inequity because adolescent mothers suffer more negative effects of fertility than adolescent fathers

Which comforting messages really work best? A different perspective on Lemieux and Tighe’s “receiver perspective”

Abstract OnlyThis article responds critically to a recent article by Lemieux and Tighe (Communication Research Reports, 21, 144–153, 2004) in which the authors conclude that recipients of comforting efforts prefer messages that exhibit a moderate rather than high level of person centeredness. It is argued that an erroneous assumption made by Lemieux and Tighe about the status of “receiver perspective” research on the comforting process led to faulty interpretations of the data and unwarranted conclusions about recipient preferences regarding comforting messages. Alternative interpretations of Lemieux and Tighe's data are presented; these are guided by the extensive previous research that has assessed evaluations and outcomes of comforting messages

Exploring College-Aged Student Anxiety: Aggravating Factors and Coping Strategies

Undergraduate college-aged students are increasingly experiencing anxiety. Yet, many struggle to cope effectively, resulting in poor school performance and compromised health and well-being. Our goal was to identify common anxiety-inducing and aggravating stressors, as well as preferred adaptive coping strategies, in this exploratory study to inform anxiety intervention development. A total of 19 undergraduate students (17 female and 2 male) were recruited. Students previously diagnosed or treated for anxiety by a clinician participated in a two-week, daily diary entry study. A total of 219 diary entries were transcribed and thematically analyzed for student reports of awareness variables and associated coping responses. Data were compared and triangulated. Framed by cognitive-behavioral approaches to anxiety and the transactional theory of stress and coping, we identified five primary categories of anxiety-inducing or aggravating stressors: academic time management and performance, communication anxiety, competing life stressors, others’ presence and problems, and generalized uncertainty. In addition, we found that students primarily utilized adaptive coping strategies, employing a mix of intrapersonal (e.g., alone time, breaks, hobbies/music, and staying productive) and interpersonal techniques (e.g., hanging out with and talking with friends and family). Findings highlight common anxiety stressors and demonstrate preferred and efficacious coping strategies employed by students, providing valuable insight into best practices for student well-being interventions beyond a clinical setting to manage anxiety and improve student well-being