Personality attributes and psychological symptoms of immigrant youth as predictors of perceived discrimination against the self and against the ethnic group

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between perceived discrimination and a) individual personality attributes b)psychological symptoms

Porencephaly and psychosis: a case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malformations of the cerebral cortex are often associated with developmental delay and psychoses. Porencephaly is a rare congenital disorder of central nervous system involving a cyst or a cavity filled with cerebrospinal fluid, in brain's parenchyma.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present a 25 years old woman with her first psychotic episode. She also suffers from porencephaly in the frontotemporal lobes region. It is emphasized that the two consistently abnormal brain regions in schizophrenia research had significant damage in this patient since birth. There is a total of only five cases of schizencephaly or porencephaly associated with psychosis in the scientific literature. Their clinical characteristics as well as the imaging results are described.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is unclear if porencephaly and psychosis concur by chance or are causally related. The area where the porencephalic cysts appear seems to be of relevance. This case highlights the need for further research.</p

Relationship of perceived discrimination and acculturation with adaptation and mental health of immigrant adolescents: a longitudinal study

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of the perception of discrimination andacculturation with the adaptation and mental health of immigrant adolescents, concurrently andlongitudinally, through the lens of developmental psychopathology and resilience theory (Motti-Stefanidi, Berry, Chryssochoou, Sam, Phinney, 2012). Main research questions are if perceiveddiscrimination is a risk factor for adaptation and mental health outcomes, and if acculturation is aprotective and/or promotive factor for adaptation and mental health outcomes. The sample consisted of438 adolescents of Albanian and Pontic origins that participated in the research for two consecutiveyears. Perceived discrimination against the self and against the group was measured with aquestionnaire adapted from Phinney, et al., (1998) and Verkuyten (1998). Acculturation was assessedwith 22 questions from Nguen and Von Eye’s (2002) Acculturation Scale, and Sense of Belonging withPhinney’s (1998) MEIM. GPA and non-disruptive behavior were used as adaptation indices; emotionalsymptoms (SDQ, Goodman, 1997) and self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1965) as mental health indices.Results indicate that the two ethnic groups differ. Perceived discrimination against the self is apervasive risk factor for both adaptation and mental health outcomes. Different acculturationdimensions are promotive factors for non-disruptive behavior and self-esteem. Sense of belonging andethnic acculturation are protective factors for academic achievement in the presence of perceiveddiscrimination against the self and sense of belonging is a protective factor for non-disruptive behaviorand emotional symptoms in the presence of perceived discrimination against the group. There were notany significant longitudinal main effects. The results are discussed in the light of international literatureand the different realities that the two immigrant groups face in the greek society.Σκοπός της έρευνας είναι να εξετάσει τη σχέση της αντίληψης διακρίσεων και του επιπολιτισμού με την προσαρμογή και την ψυχική υγεία των μεταναστών εφήβων, συγχρονικά και διαχρονικά, μέσα από το μοντέλο της αναπτυξιακή ψυχοπαθολογίας και της ψυχικής ανθεκτικότητας (Motti-Stefanidi, Berry, Chryssochoou, Sam, Phinney, 2012). Τα βασικά ερωτήματα είναι αν η αντίληψη διακρίσεων συνιστά παράγοντα επικινδυνότητας για την προσαρμογή και την ψυχική υγεία, και αν ο επιπολιτισμός αποτελεί προωθητικό ή προστατευτικό παράγοντα απέναντι στην αντίληψη διακρίσεων, σε σχέση με την προσαρμογή και την ψυχική υγεία. Οι συμμετέχοντες ήταν 438 Πόντιοι παλιννοστούντες και Αλβανοί μετανάστες έφηβοι που πήραν μέρος στην έρευνα για δύο συνεχόμενα έτη. Η αντίληψη διακρίσεων ενάντια στον εαυτό και ενάντια στην ομάδα μετρήθηκε με ερωτηματολόγια προσαρμοσμένα από τους Phinney και συν. (1998), και Verkuyten, (1998). Ο επιπολιτισμός αξιολογήθηκε με 22 ερωτήσεις της Κλίμακας Επιπολιτισμού (Nguyen & Von Eye, 2002) και η αίσθηση του ανήκειν με το Ερωτηματολόγιο Εθνικής Ταυτότητας (ΜΕΙΜ, Phinney, 1992). Η προσαρμογή αξιολογήθηκε από την ακαδημαϊκή επίδοση και τη μη διαταρακτική συμπεριφορά και η ψυχική υγεία από την ύπαρξη συμπτωμάτων συναισθήματος (SDQ, Goodman, 1997) και την αυτο-εκτίμηση (Rosenberg, 1965). Σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέσματα υπάρχουν διαφορές ανάμεσα στους Αλβανούς και τους Πόντιους εφήβους. Η αντίληψη διακρίσεων ενάντια στον εαυτό αποτελεί σημαντικό παράγοντα επικινδυνότητας για την προσαρμογή και την ψυχική υγεία. Ο επιπολιτισμός λειτουργεί ως προωθητικός παράγοντας για τη μη διαταρακτική συμπεριφορά και την αυτο-εκτίμηση. Η αίσθηση του ανήκειν και ο προσανατολισμός στον πολιτισμό της χώρας καταγωγής είναι προστατευτικοί παράγοντες για την ακαδημαϊκή επίδοση απέναντι στην αντίληψη διακρίσεων ενάντια στον εαυτό. Επιπλέον, η αίσθηση του ανήκειν είναι προστατευτικός παράγοντας για τη μη διαταρακτική συμπεριφορά και τα συμπτώματα συναισθήματος απέναντι στην αντίληψη διακρίσεων ενάντια στην ομάδα. Δεν υπήρξαν σημαντικές διαχρονικές επιδράσεις. Η συζήτηση των ευρημάτων βασίζεται στη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία σχετικά με την προσαρμογή και την ψυχική υγεία μεταναστών εφήβων, σε σχέση με τις διαφορετικές συνθήκες που αντιμετωπίζουν οι Αλβανοί και οι Πόντιοι έφηβοι στην ελληνική κοινωνία

Business size, numbers, production value and productivity trends in manufacture and mining-quarrying across the EU, 2008-2017

Purpose: The objective of the paper is to empirically estimate and contrast the long-run trends of four business development and performance measures (number, average size, production value, and labor productivity of companies) observed annually across the EU in the manufacturing and mining-quarrying sectors from 2008 to 2017. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper econometrically isolates the long-run trends from both the autonomous components and the principle medium-term deviations from the trend in the 28 EU member-states by achieving a high level of model fitness while preserving degrees of freedom. Findings: Despite operating in the same legal-competition-funding-export framework, on average, EU businesses exhibit diverse development and performance trends from one member-state to another (within sectors) and from one sector to the other (in the same state), especially in terms of numbers and sizes. However, in most member-states, on average, they exhibit upward productivity in manufacture; and in a good number of states (not necessarily the same states) they exhibit upward labor productivity trends in mining-quarrying and upward (downward) production value trends in manufacture (mining-quarrying). Practical Implications: Business decisions and policy interventions may have to vary from one sector to another across the EU, and from one place to another whthin the two sectors. In addition, by empirically pinpointing in time, space and sector the switches in the trends and the mid-term deviations from the trends, the paper enables future research to identify what caused the said changes, and, thus, draw useful lessons for businesses and for territorial development policy in manufacture or mining-quarrying. Originality/value: A broad, unified view of business life and performance complements the individual sectoral or subsectoral analyses on such matters usually carried out for single member-states or groups of member-states.peer-reviewe

Porencephaly and psychosis: a case report and review of the literature

Background: Malformations of the cerebral cortex are often associated with developmental delay and psychoses. Porencephaly is a rare congenital disorder of central nervous system involving a cyst or a cavity filled with cerebrospinal fluid, in brain’s parenchyma. Case presentation: We present a 25 years old woman with her first psychotic episode. She also suffers from porencephaly in the frontotemporal lobes region. It is emphasized that the two consistently abnormal brain regions in schizophrenia research had significant damage in this patient since birth. There is a total of only five cases of schizencephaly or porencephaly associated with psychosis in the scientific literature. Their clinical characteristics as well as the imaging results are described. Conclusion: It is unclear if porencephaly and psychosis concur by chance or are causally related. The area where the porencephalic cysts appear seems to be of relevance. This case highlights the need for further research

Reporting distress and quality of life of patients with diabetes mellitus in primary and secondary care in Greece

Background and aim: This study constitutes an initial attempt at elucidating the relationship between quality of life (QoL), health status and psychological distress in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Greece, by comparing patients with DM registered at a rural primary healthcare centre (PHCC) and those attending a diabetes outpatient clinic (DOC) at an urban hospital. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Participants were consecutive, consenting patients with a known history of type 2DM(T2 DM), currently registered at either of the two centres. All patients were administered the Short Form-36 version 2 (SF-36 v2) and the Problem Areas In Diabetes (PAID) questionnaire, and information in relation to socio-demographic data and clinical characteristics were also obtained. Results: Patients with DM had a lower QoL over all domains when compared with general population normative data. In addition, mean scores for the SF-36 v2 Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) and six subscales of the SF-36 v2 demonstrated significant differences between the two participating centres (P < 0.0001). The mean PAID score was 19.18 (+ or - 15.58) for patients from the PHCC, versus 40.19 (+ or - 17.36) for the DOC (P < 0.0001). Lower scores on the MCS of the SF-36 v2, and higher scores on PAID in patients with T2 DM were related to major co-morbidities, insulin use and duration of DM. Conclusions: Patients with T2 DM from the urban DOC had significantly higher levels of distress and consequently lower levels of QoL compared with patients from the rural PHCC. The findings from this study may have important implications with regard to the individualisation of patient care in Greece, and encouragement of patient participation in the treatment process