Impact of displacement on the psychological wellbeing of refugee children

The war-related stress had a negative impact on the psychological well-being of all children in Croatia, but displaced and refugee children were especially affected. Although refugee children showed impressive resilience, particular attention should be devoted to children who had traumatic experiences immediately prior to displacement. These children either lived without their parents or with parents who had poor coping abilities while displaced; lived in families that had accumulated several stressful experiences; or were housed in large collective refugee centers. The children that had poorer coping capacities and lacked a supportive family environment displayed high levels of stress-related symptomatology throughout the entire refugee period, being at special risk for the development of further psychological difficulties. The findings reported in this study are the result of a five-year follow-up of the same group of refugee children. Data about children's coping abilities with displacement were obtained primarily from mothers and the children themselves

Is there Anything Good about the COVID-19 Pandemic? Perceptions of the Positive Consequences at the Beginning of the Pandemic

The aim of this paper was to investigate the experience of possible positive consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and their connection with indicators of mental health and well-being, and to identify themes by which people describe the positive consequences of the pandemic. As part of a broader longitudinal project, participants completed a comprehensive online survey on various aspects of the pandemic. This paper presents the results obtained from 1,201 adult participants (50.1% women) on a quantitative measure of the experienced positive consequences, and on the qualitative answers to an open question about the positive aspects of the pandemic. The quantitative measure was created for the purposes of this research. Measures of sociodemographic factors, mental health (DASS-21) and well-being (WHO-5) were also used. The results show that participants experience positive consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic through three factors: Awareness of life values, More time for oneself, and New job opportunities. Awareness of life values was ranked as the most important, then More time for oneself, and finally New job opportunities. Participants who were more aware of these three aspects of the positive effects of COVID-19 also showed significantly greater subjective well-being and resilience, while associations with depression, anxiety, and stress were negligible or low. Women were more aware of changes in their life values than men, while men had a greater experience of new job opportunities. The results of the qualitative responses show that 83.4% of participants recognised some form of positive consequences of the pandemic on their lives, on the lives of other people, and on society. Analyses revealed seven themes: better family relationships, reflection and personal growth, social well-being, digitalisation of work and education, improved personal life, environmental effects, and competent pandemic management. Together, the results point to the importance of thinking about and exploring positive consequences of crisis events in the context of individual resilience and well-being

Family violence: What health workers can do

Nasilje u obitelji je skup ponašanja čiji je cilj kontrola nad članovima obiteljske zajednice uporabom sile, zastrašivanja i manipuliranja. Oblici nasilja su psihičko, fizičko, seksualno i ekonomsko. Najčešće žrtve nasilja su djeca, žene, starije osobe i osobe s posebnim potrebama. Zdravstveni djelatnici mogu imati ključnu ulogu u ranom prepoznavanju i prevenciji nasilja u obitelji jer su oni jedini stručnjaci s kojima svi ljudi kontaktiraju tijekom života i koji mogu stvoriti povjerljivo okruženje za razgovor. Žrtve redovito umanjuju i prikrivaju obiteljsko nasilje u strahu da će njihova sigurnost biti još više ugrožena ako se nekome povjere, zbog srama što žive u takvoj obitelji i zbog specifične dinamike nasilnog odnosa koji žrtvu čini bespomoćnom i lojalnom nasilniku. Liječnici i sestre nerado započinju razgovor o problemu nasilja u obitelji, a samo oko četvrtina žena žrtava tjelesnog nasilja o tome razgovara s obiteljskim liječnikom, uglavnom zato što ih liječnik o tome nije pitao. Stoga je bitno da su zdravstveni djelatnici osposobljeni prepoznati znakove nasilja, da znaju što učiniti s takvom osobom i da su spremni pomoći da se nasilje zaustavi. Zakonska je obveza zdravstvenih djelatnika prijaviti nasilje u obitelji policiji i državnom odvjetništvu. To je u skladu s etičkim načelima struke jer uzrok tegoba bolesnika treba prepoznati i onda kada je nemedicinske naravi; zdravstveni djelatnici svojom intervencijom pomažu žrtvi da izbjegne i smanji svoju izloženost nasilju, što dovodi do smanjenja štetnih zdravstvenih posljedica, a može sačuvati ljudski život i zdravlje jer se nasilje u obitelji ponavlja i eskalira.Family violence is a set of behaviors aimed to control family members by force, intimidation and manipulation. Different forms of violence and abuse are psychological, physical, sexual and economic. Most common victims are children, women, elderly and people with special needs. Health workers have a major role in early recognition and prevention of family violence because they are the professionals with who most people get in contact during their life time and who have an opportunity to create a confidential environment. The victims typically deny family violence because they fear their safety may be compromised, feel shame of having a violent family, and due to the specific dynamics of violent relationship that leaves the victim powerless and loyal to the perpetrator. Physicians and nurses often hesitate to discuss the family violence with their patients, so that only about one quarter of female victims of physical violence talk about it with their general practitioner, mostly because the physician did not ask about it. Therefore it is important to increase the capacity of health workers to recognize the signs of violence, know what to do and become willing to help stop the violence. They are legally mandated to report family violence cases to police and public prosecutor. This is consistent with the professional ethnic since the patients’ complaints need to be investigated even when they are of non-medical nature, health workers can help a victim avoid and decrease exposure to violence, thus contributing to decrease in poor health outcomes, and they can help save lives and health because family violence recurs and escalates

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF PROFESSIONALS\u27 EXPERIENCE AS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE EVALUATION OF INTRODUCING A NEW WORK MODEL IN SOCIAL CARE CENTRES

U radu su prikazani rezultati kvalitativnog istraživanja provedenog s petnaest djelatnika pet CZSS-a uključenih u »pilot projekt« uvođenja novog modela rada u centre za socijalnu skrb poznatog kao »ured sve na jednom mjestu«. Svrha istraživanja bila je identificirati dosadašnja postignuća i poteškoće iz perspektive rukovoditelja i stručnih djelatnika. Istraživanje je provedeno metodom fokusnih grupa, a u koncipiranju istraživačkih pitanja i analizi nalaza koristila se metoda analize okvira. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da model organizacije rada nije jedinstven u svim CZSS-ima, već su se u praksi razvijala tri modela (teritorijalni model, model izvrsnosti te abecedni model). Također se pokazalo postojanje niza poteškoća vezanih uz razumijevanje i provođenje individualnog plana skrbi/rada (IP) kod svih sudionika – djelatnika, ravnatelja, korisnika. I djelatnici i korisnici iskazali su nepripremljenost za novi načina rada, a kao posebna poteškoća istaknut je rad s nedobrovoljnim korisnicima na izradi IP kao i nedovoljno tretmanskih mogućnosti u lokalnoj zajednici koje su značajne za provođenje IP.The article presents the results of a qualitative research with fifteen professionals employed in five social care centres participating in the pilot project of introducing a new work model in social care centres known as »one-stop office«. The aim of the research was to identify achievements and difficulties from the perspective of managers and social care professionals. The data were gathered by a focus group method and framework analysis was applied. The research results suggest that the model of work organization is not consistent in all social care centres and that three models developed in practice (territorial model, excellence model and alphabet model). Data reveal a series of difficulties related to understanding and implementing the individual care/work plan in all involved: social workers, managers and service users. Both social workers and service users expressed their unpreparedness for the new modality of work; the work with involuntary users in the development of individual care/work plan as well as insufficient possibilities of treatment in the local community are underlined as a special difficulty

Family violence: What health workers can do

Nasilje u obitelji je skup ponašanja čiji je cilj kontrola nad članovima obiteljske zajednice uporabom sile, zastrašivanja i manipuliranja. Oblici nasilja su psihičko, fizičko, seksualno i ekonomsko. Najčešće žrtve nasilja su djeca, žene, starije osobe i osobe s posebnim potrebama. Zdravstveni djelatnici mogu imati ključnu ulogu u ranom prepoznavanju i prevenciji nasilja u obitelji jer su oni jedini stručnjaci s kojima svi ljudi kontaktiraju tijekom života i koji mogu stvoriti povjerljivo okruženje za razgovor. Žrtve redovito umanjuju i prikrivaju obiteljsko nasilje u strahu da će njihova sigurnost biti još više ugrožena ako se nekome povjere, zbog srama što žive u takvoj obitelji i zbog specifične dinamike nasilnog odnosa koji žrtvu čini bespomoćnom i lojalnom nasilniku. Liječnici i sestre nerado započinju razgovor o problemu nasilja u obitelji, a samo oko četvrtina žena žrtava tjelesnog nasilja o tome razgovara s obiteljskim liječnikom, uglavnom zato što ih liječnik o tome nije pitao. Stoga je bitno da su zdravstveni djelatnici osposobljeni prepoznati znakove nasilja, da znaju što učiniti s takvom osobom i da su spremni pomoći da se nasilje zaustavi. Zakonska je obveza zdravstvenih djelatnika prijaviti nasilje u obitelji policiji i državnom odvjetništvu. To je u skladu s etičkim načelima struke jer uzrok tegoba bolesnika treba prepoznati i onda kada je nemedicinske naravi; zdravstveni djelatnici svojom intervencijom pomažu žrtvi da izbjegne i smanji svoju izloženost nasilju, što dovodi do smanjenja štetnih zdravstvenih posljedica, a može sačuvati ljudski život i zdravlje jer se nasilje u obitelji ponavlja i eskalira.Family violence is a set of behaviors aimed to control family members by force, intimidation and manipulation. Different forms of violence and abuse are psychological, physical, sexual and economic. Most common victims are children, women, elderly and people with special needs. Health workers have a major role in early recognition and prevention of family violence because they are the professionals with who most people get in contact during their life time and who have an opportunity to create a confidential environment. The victims typically deny family violence because they fear their safety may be compromised, feel shame of having a violent family, and due to the specific dynamics of violent relationship that leaves the victim powerless and loyal to the perpetrator. Physicians and nurses often hesitate to discuss the family violence with their patients, so that only about one quarter of female victims of physical violence talk about it with their general practitioner, mostly because the physician did not ask about it. Therefore it is important to increase the capacity of health workers to recognize the signs of violence, know what to do and become willing to help stop the violence. They are legally mandated to report family violence cases to police and public prosecutor. This is consistent with the professional ethnic since the patients’ complaints need to be investigated even when they are of non-medical nature, health workers can help a victim avoid and decrease exposure to violence, thus contributing to decrease in poor health outcomes, and they can help save lives and health because family violence recurs and escalates

Attitude patterns in students about AIDS associated problems

U okviru šireg istraživačkog programa na sedam studijskih grupa Sveučilišta u Zagrebu (N = 1090) provedeno jc anonimno i dobrovoljno ispitivanje stavova studenata prema načinu preveneije i rješavanja problema izazvanih bolešću AIDS s ciljem utvrđivanja latentne strukture stavova te nekih njihovih determinanti odnosno korelat. Latentna struktura može se objasniti dvjema relativno nezavisnim dimenzijama liberalnog i restriktivnog pristupa ovom problemu. TO znači da se u okviru istog stava moga priznavati sva prava oboljelima od AIDS-a i osuđivati njihova stigmatizacija, ali i priznavati pravo društvu da sprečava širenje ove bolesti ograničavajući pritom individualna prava oboljelih. Studenti imaju umjereno liberalan stav, a razlike medu njima povezane su s njihovom dobi, budućim profesionalnim pozivom, neposrednim iskustvom s rizičnim skupinama homoseksualaca i narkomana i s vrstom izvora informiranja o AIDS-u. Ove spoznaje mogu se iskoristiti za koncipiranje programa profesionalnog pripremanja studenata za suočavanje s okolnostima koje AIDS donosi.As part of a major research project investigating the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour relevant to AIDS an elaborate questionnaire was administered to seven groups of students from the University of Zagreb (N = 1090). The questionnaire was answered anonymously and voluntarily. A section of the instrument assessed attitudes toward the means of handling AIDS associated problems in order to determine their latent structure, as well as some of their determinants and correlates. Attitude pattern canonly be sufficiently explained by two relatively independent dimensions described as the liberal and conservative approach to handling AIDS problems. This implies that within same attitudinal response individual rights of an AIDS patient may be acknowledged as well as the society right to restrict some individual rights in order to stop the spreading of the disease. The students exhibited moderately liberal attitudes, while the differences among them are related to variables such as age, future profession, personal experience with members of high risk groups of homosexuals and drug users, and sources of information about AIDS. Implications for structuring AIDS prevention campaigns aimed at different professions are stressed

Family violence: What health workers can do

Nasilje u obitelji je skup ponašanja čiji je cilj kontrola nad članovima obiteljske zajednice uporabom sile, zastrašivanja i manipuliranja. Oblici nasilja su psihičko, fizičko, seksualno i ekonomsko. Najčešće žrtve nasilja su djeca, žene, starije osobe i osobe s posebnim potrebama. Zdravstveni djelatnici mogu imati ključnu ulogu u ranom prepoznavanju i prevenciji nasilja u obitelji jer su oni jedini stručnjaci s kojima svi ljudi kontaktiraju tijekom života i koji mogu stvoriti povjerljivo okruženje za razgovor. Žrtve redovito umanjuju i prikrivaju obiteljsko nasilje u strahu da će njihova sigurnost biti još više ugrožena ako se nekome povjere, zbog srama što žive u takvoj obitelji i zbog specifične dinamike nasilnog odnosa koji žrtvu čini bespomoćnom i lojalnom nasilniku. Liječnici i sestre nerado započinju razgovor o problemu nasilja u obitelji, a samo oko četvrtina žena žrtava tjelesnog nasilja o tome razgovara s obiteljskim liječnikom, uglavnom zato što ih liječnik o tome nije pitao. Stoga je bitno da su zdravstveni djelatnici osposobljeni prepoznati znakove nasilja, da znaju što učiniti s takvom osobom i da su spremni pomoći da se nasilje zaustavi. Zakonska je obveza zdravstvenih djelatnika prijaviti nasilje u obitelji policiji i državnom odvjetništvu. To je u skladu s etičkim načelima struke jer uzrok tegoba bolesnika treba prepoznati i onda kada je nemedicinske naravi; zdravstveni djelatnici svojom intervencijom pomažu žrtvi da izbjegne i smanji svoju izloženost nasilju, što dovodi do smanjenja štetnih zdravstvenih posljedica, a može sačuvati ljudski život i zdravlje jer se nasilje u obitelji ponavlja i eskalira.Family violence is a set of behaviors aimed to control family members by force, intimidation and manipulation. Different forms of violence and abuse are psychological, physical, sexual and economic. Most common victims are children, women, elderly and people with special needs. Health workers have a major role in early recognition and prevention of family violence because they are the professionals with who most people get in contact during their life time and who have an opportunity to create a confidential environment. The victims typically deny family violence because they fear their safety may be compromised, feel shame of having a violent family, and due to the specific dynamics of violent relationship that leaves the victim powerless and loyal to the perpetrator. Physicians and nurses often hesitate to discuss the family violence with their patients, so that only about one quarter of female victims of physical violence talk about it with their general practitioner, mostly because the physician did not ask about it. Therefore it is important to increase the capacity of health workers to recognize the signs of violence, know what to do and become willing to help stop the violence. They are legally mandated to report family violence cases to police and public prosecutor. This is consistent with the professional ethnic since the patients’ complaints need to be investigated even when they are of non-medical nature, health workers can help a victim avoid and decrease exposure to violence, thus contributing to decrease in poor health outcomes, and they can help save lives and health because family violence recurs and escalates

Alternative sanctions: ways of prison population reduction

Kazna lišavanja slobode podvrgnuta je danas oštrim kritikama. Empirijska istraživanja i analize pokazali su da ona često negativno djeluje na psihosocijalno funkcioniranje osuđenika, da je neefikasna u smanjenja kriminalne aktívnosti, a istovremeno je veoma skupa. To je potaknulo traganje za mogućim rješenjima kojima bi se u nekim slučajevima postigao isti cilj kao i zatvorskom kaznom, a izbjegli njeni nedostaci. Jedno od mogućih rješenja, koji se uspješno provodi u sve većem broju zemalja, su tzv. alternativne sankcije. Među njima su najzanimiljivije one što se provode u lokalnoj zajednici, kao npr. neplaćeni korisni rad u zajednici. U pravilu se izriču kao alternativa kratkim kaznama zatvora. Njihova primjena u praksi stavlja posebne zahtjeve pred sudove, službe nadzora i socijalnog rada. Naime, pri kreiranju i provodenju alternativnih sankcija u lokalnoj zajednici poseban se naglasak stav]ja na zaštitu digniteta i privatnosti osudenika, kao i privatnosti njihovih obitelji. Naglašava se razvijanje njihove odgovornosti i stvarne socijalne integracije počinitelja krivičnih djela. Način primjene alternativnih sankcija, do sada reguliran s "UN Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodial Measurest" stalno se unapreduje što je rezultiralo i u recentnom prijedlogu Evropske zajednice "European Rules on Community Sanctions and Measures".Librety deprivation penalty today has been subject to severe critics. Empiric research and analyses showed that such penalty very often had a negative implication on psychosocial functioning of convicts. It also proved to be inefficient in lessening criminal activity, and at the same time, it is very expensive. This initiated an idea of searching possible solutions in order to achieve the same goal in some cases, which would otherwise be achieved by the sentence of imprisonment, and to avoid its deficiency. Alternative sanctions are one of possible solutions, and they have neen successfully applied in ever increasing number of countries. The most interesting sanctions are those that are carried out in a local community, for example unpaid useful jobs in a community. As a rule the sanctions appear to be an alternative to a sentence of a short-term imprisonment. Their practical application puts special demands before courts, services for supervision and social work as well. Namely, when creating and implementing alternative sanctions in a local community, the main stress was put on convicts dignity and privacy, as well as on the privacy of their families. The development of offenders responsibility and their real integration into society must also be pointed out. The way of application of alternative sanctions, which had so far been regulated by "UN Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodial Measures", was continually improving which resulted in a recent proposal by European Community "European Rules on Community Sanctions and Measures"

Relation between self-stated unrevealed and revealed Delinquent activity toward social values and the partial influence of the social status

Odnos između samoiskazane devijantne i delikventne aktivnosti i društvenih vrijednosti, procijenjenih skalama odnosa prema socijalističkom samoupravljanju (SAM), etnocentrizmu (ETN), konformizmu (KON), autoritarnosti (AUT) i socijalnog hostiliteta (FROM), analiziran je pod modelom kvazikanoničke analize kovarijance. Podaci su prikupljeni, u okviru šireg ispitivanja, na uzorku od 743 muškarca, reprezentativnom za jugoslavensku populaciju između 19 i 27 godina. Parcijalizacijom uklonjeno djelovanje faktora socijalnog statusa nije značajno utjecalo na rezultate. Kvazikanonička analiza neotkrivene aktivnosti proizvela je četiri para kvazikanoničkih varijabli od kojih prva dva iscrpljuju najveći dio varijanci (67%). Sve kvazikanoničke korelacije su male (od 0.18 do 0.22). Prvi par varijabli pripisan je općem asocijalnom ponašanju koje se u protoru ponašanja manifestira općim delikventnim aktivitetom, a u prostoru vrijednosti prihvaćanjem nesamoupravne orijentacije i socijalnim hostilitetom. Drugi faktor može se objasniti vezom ovisničkog ponašanja i anomičkog odnosa prema okolini, a posljednji par varijabli vjerojatno je uzrokovan psihopatološkim faktorima. Analiza otkrivene delikventne aktivnosti proizvela je pet faktora od kojih su prva dva (64% varijance) vrlo slična prvim faktorima za neotkrivenu aktivnost. Vrlo mala reprezentativnost preostalih faktora za neotkrivenu i otkrivenu delikvenciju ne opravdava davanje težine ionako suptilnim razlikama među njima. Čini se da je moguće konstatirati postojanje generalnog faktora asocijalnog ponašanja i anomičkog tipa odnosa prema socijalnom realitetu, te vrlo slabu povezanost između društvenih vrijednosti i delikvencije.Relation between the self-stated deviant and delinquent activity and the socially established values evaluated according to the relation scales toward the socialistic self-management (SAM), ethnocentrity (ETN), conformity (KON), authorianism (AUT) and social hostility (FROM), was analyzed under the pattern of the quasi-canonic analysis covariance. The data was collected in the name of a wider research* on •the sample of 743 males that was representative for Yugoslav population, in age from 19 to 27. The social status factors activity was eliminated by partiality and did not specially affect the results. Quasi-canonic analysis of unrevealed activity produced four results from which the first two exhaust the largest part of variances (67%). All quasi-canonic correlations are small (from 0.18 to 0.22). The first pair of variables is attributed to the general asocial behaviour which manifests itself by common delinquent activity, and in terms of values by an acceptance of non-self managing orientation and by a social hostility. The second factor can be explained by relation to the addicted behaviour and anomic relation with the social environment. The third solution is an expression of the adolescent rebellious behaviour toward one's environment, and the last pair of variables was probably a result of psychopathological factors. Analysis of the revealed delinquent activity produced five factors among which the first two (64% of variance) are the unrevealed activities. Very small rate of representativeness of other factors for the unrevealed and revealed delinquency does not justify the weight of already suptile differences between them. It seems possible to state the existence of general factor of asocial behaviour and anomic type of relations toward the social reality, and very weak relation between social values and delinquency