A Cross-Cultural Look at Co-rumination, Self-Disclosure, Friendship, Relational Concerns and Emotional Adjustment

Rose (2002) first defined co-rumination as extensive problem-focused talk, and it has been found to be associated with both depression/anxiety and friendship quality. However, our understanding of co-rumination is limited by an exclusive focus on Western samples of mostly children/adolescents. Thus, the primary aim of the current study is to investigate the construct validity of co-rumination in an Asian sample by examining associations among rumination, co-rumination, emotional adjustment, self-disclosure and friendship quality. We predict that Asians will report lower levels of co-rumination, and we expect gender differences in co-rumination to replicate cross-culturally. 224 Asian students (69 men, 153 women) from universities in Hong Kong and East China and 118 U.S. students (43 men, 75 women) from a private college in the Northwest participated in the study. Expected gender differences were found. Significant positive relationships emerged between co-rumination, self-disclosure, friendship quality, and rumination in both samples. Asian students reported significantly higher levels of co-rumination but lower levels of self-disclosure. Asians reported higher levels of relational concerns than U.S students. Relational concerns partially mediated cultural differences in self-disclosure but not in co-rumination. Surprisingly, co-rumination was unrelated to adjustment and did not predict unique variance in anxiety/depression beyond the effects of rumination. The current findings highlight the complexity of co-rumination as an interpersonal process vs. support-seeking functions in Asians. With limited research on co-rumination in emerging adults, it is unknown whether unique sampling issues or a meaningful developmental shift accounts for the lack of associations between co-rumination and anxiety/depression among U.S. students. Regardless, future longitudinal research should incorporate strategies (e.g., observational data, time sampling) that extend beyond self-report. These designs promise to sharpen our understanding as they more fully capture the dynamic forces at play in co-rumination that may vary across time and culture

Responsiveness of emergency obstetric care systems in low- and middle-income countries: a critical review of the "third delay".

We reviewed the evidence on the duration, causes and effects of delays in providing emergency obstetric care to women attending health facilities (the third delay) in low- and middle-income countries. We performed a critical literature review using terms related to obstetric care, birth outcome, delays and developing countries. A manual search of reference lists of key articles was also performed. 69 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies reported long delays in providing care, and the mean waiting time for women admitted with complications was as much as 24 h before treatment. The three most cited barriers to providing timely care were shortage of treatment materials, surgery facilities and qualified staff. Existing evidence is insufficient to estimate the effect of delays on birth outcomes. Delays in providing emergency obstetric care seem common in resource-constrained settings but further research is necessary to determine the effect of the third delay on birth outcomes

Does a Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Program Work in a School Setting? Evaluating Training Outcome and Moderators of Effectiveness

The current study sought to evaluate the suicide prevention gatekeeper training program QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) among school personnel using a non-equivalent control group design. Substantial gains were demonstrated from pre- to post-test for attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs regarding suicide and suicide prevention. Exploratory analyses revealed the possible moderating effects of age, professional role, prior training, and recent contact with suicidal youth on QPR participants’ general knowledge, questioning, attitudes toward suicide and suicide prevention, QPR quiz scores, and self-efficacy. The need for replication using a more rigorous experimental design in the context of strong community collaboration is discussed

Internal and External Factors Associated with Illicit Prescription Drug Use in College Students

With data suggesting emerging adulthood is a time of increased risk for illicit prescription drug use, it is essential that factors contributing to this be understood to guide prevention efforts. Internal factors (stress, GPA, gender) and external factors (type of institution, living situation) were assessed in tandem with perceptions of harm and illicit prescription drug use. In accordance with nationwide research (SAMSHA, 2006), 14% of our sample of Oregon college students reported illicitly using prescription drugs. While rates of use did not vary by gender, females held higher perceptions of harm. Perceived harm was high for our sample and inversely correlated with use. Those living on campus reported higher perceptions of harm and less use than those living off campus. Those attending private academic institutions reported higher perceptions of harm and less use than those attending public institutions. Previous studies suggest a heightened sense of community within schools, comparatively present within private institutions, can reduce drug use (Battistich, & Hom, 1997). Stress was positively correlated with use and GPA was negatively correlated with use. While numerous studies have examined various correlates of prescription drug use, few have sampled beyond a single institution, most within public universities. Thus, the inclusion of private institutions offers unique and a more holistic insight. As drug use continues to increase in college populations even with prevention programs in place, it is imperative to translate these findings into prevention targeting both genders, at times of stress, particularly those living off campus, at public universities, with lower GPAs

Data-Driven Change in Oregon Psychologists’ Knowledge and Attitudes about Prescriptive Authority

With over half of all states having considered legislating prescriptive authority, an immense amount of time and money has been invested. The literature is limited in terms of understanding if opinions toward prescriptive authority are grounded in knowledge and what implications that has for altering these opinions. Following a veto of a prescriptive authority bill in Oregon, 160 licensed Oregon clinical psychologists were surveyed regarding their attitudes and knowledge. In terms of knowledge, only 5.6% knew which three states/territories currently have prescriptive authority and 70.4% were unfamiliar with any of the prerequisites for postdoctoral training in psychopharmacology. Reflecting division, 42.8% were in favor, 20.1% were undecided, and 37.1% were in opposition to broadening privileges for psychologists. Further, only 15.1% expressed interest in pursuing training or 6.4% in becoming a prescriber. Data on access, training, and legislative costs were presented to participants in the education condition. These participants showed significant gains in their knowledge across all domains and their opinions shifted only in these specific areas leaving their general stance on the issue unchanged. In contrast to ardent supporters who argue that their “data should provide reassurance to psychologists spearheading legislative initiatives” because of high approval ratings (Sammons et al., 2000, p. 608), our data suggest disagreement amongst a group of professionals who are not particularly well-informed, nor interested in becoming prescribers. Future work should investigate whether expanding the data relevant to other facets of the argument contributes to further targeted change or an overall change in opinion toward prescriptive authority

Recruitment, Preparation, Retention: A case study of computing culture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Computer science is seeing a decline in enrollment at all levels of education, including undergraduate and graduate study. This paper reports on the results of a study conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign which evaluated students attitudes regarding three areas which can contribute to improved enrollment in the Department of Computer Science: Recruitment, preparation and retention. The results of our study saw two themes. First, the department's tight research focus appears to draw significant attention from other activities -- such as teaching, service, and other community-building activities -- that are necessary for a department's excellence. Yet, as demonstrated by our second theme, one partial solution is to better promote such activities already employed by the department to its students and faculty. Based on our results, we make recommendations for improvements and enhancements based on the current state of practice at peer institutions.Comment: 37 pages, 13 figures. For better quality figures, please download the .pdf from http://www.cs.uiuc.edu/research/techreports.php?report=UIUCDCS-R-2007-281

Connecting the World: The Development of the Global Information Infrastructure

The International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations organization, has led the charge in developing a truly global economy through its efforts to develop the Global Information Infrastructure (“GII”). The GII would result in universal access to telecommunications and information technology and basic communications services. This Note explains the roles of the agencies involved in the development of the GII and the forces driving its development. It also discusses regulatory issues affecting the implementation and feasibility of the GII. Ultimately, this Note sketches the optimal environment for the evolution of the GII

Assessing the Impact of the Department of Health (DHS) Division of Aging Services’ At-risk Adult Crime Tactics (ACT) Certification on Professionals

Background: Adults over 60 years of age in the United States are increasing in total percentage of the population and will continue to do so as each wave of the post-war, baby-boom generation enters older adulthood. Though elder mistreatment (EM) has undoubtedly been a public health problem for years, only recently has it been recognized as such. Violence prevention programs that focus on EM are needed to curb this rising epidemic. One such program, the At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics (ACT) Certification Training, is an at-risk, adult (elderly or disabled adults) prevention program designed to increase professional awareness of this population and equip primary and secondary responders (all mandated reporters) with the knowledge and skills to address the needs of Georgia’s at-risk adult crime victims. Methodology: In order to assess the effectiveness of the ACT training, an invitation was emailed to 482 individuals who had previously completed the ACT Certification Training, inviting them to complete an (approximately) 20 minute, 41-question, online survey. Data analyses were performed to determine if these various professionals had, post ACT training, increased knowledge regarding at-risk adult abuse, increased interagency collaboration, changed management of cases involving at-risk adults, and felt that workshop topics presented during training were helpful in their profession. The survey also collected information on seven demographic indicators, and correlation analyses were run to determine their influence on survey responses. A p-value of \u3c .05 was used to determine statistical significance of the analyses performed. Results: Of the 482 professionals surveyed, 176 surveys were used for this research (a response rate of slightly over thirty-six percent). Results show that, post ACT training, respondents’ reported significantly increased levels of knowledge regarding all at-risk abuse topics, significantly increased interagency collaboration across all included agencies, significant change in case management of at-risk adults, significant levels of helpfulness on all workshop topics presented during ACT training. Furthermore, demographic analyses found significant negative correlations between extent of change in case management of at-risk adults and the demographic indicators of education and age. Also, a positive correlation was found between reported level of helpfulness on one workshop topic (community resources) and the service area of respondents. Conclusions: Though the results of this survey are quite positive, more surveys need to be conducted on future classes of ACT training graduates to determine the validity of this study’s results. Moreover, in order to truly substantiate claims that ACT training prevents EM and other at-risk adult abuse, research must be conducted to document the link between this prevention program and improvements in EM outcomes

Leaders\u27 roles in creating and sustaining collective genius

This study examined leaders’ roles in fostering collective genius innovation within one private elementary school, including managing the paradoxes of innovation. Based on content analysis of eleven participants, this study found that teamwork, clear student learning outcomes emphasizing individualized learning, design thinking, and a growth mindset, all impacted willingness to innovate. To develop conditions for collective genius, leaders again focus on teamwork as well as being relational. In terms of their management of the six innovative paradoxes, the school leaders tend to balance their affirmation of the individual and the group, support staff and parents, focus on experimentation and learning, improvisation, patience, and bottom-up initiatives