Showing papers on "Poison control published in 2002"
TL;DR: In this article, the cumulative results of a new "neighborhood-effects" literature that examines social processes related to problem behaviors and health-related outcomes are assessed and synthesized.
Abstract: ▪ Abstract This paper assesses and synthesizes the cumulative results of a new “neighborhood-effects” literature that examines social processes related to problem behaviors and health-related outcomes. Our review identified over 40 relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals from the mid-1990s to 2001, the take-off point for an increasing level of interest in neighborhood effects. Moving beyond traditional characteristics such as concentrated poverty, we evaluate the salience of social-interactional and institutional mechanisms hypothesized to account for neighborhood-level variations in a variety of phenomena (e.g., delinquency, violence, depression, high-risk behavior), especially among adolescents. We highlight neighborhood ties, social control, mutual trust, institutional resources, disorder, and routine activity patterns. We also discuss a set of thorny methodological problems that plague the study of neighborhood effects, with special attention to selection bias. We conclude with promising ...
3,694 citations
TL;DR: Research on the mental and physical health sequelae of intimate partner violence is reviewed and increased assessment and interventions for intimate partner Violence in health-care settings are recommended.
3,615 citations
TL;DR: In the period 1946-2001, there were 225 armed conflicts and 34 of them were active in all of or part of 2001 as mentioned in this paper, and this dataset has now been backdated to the end of World War II.
Abstract: In the period 1946-2001, there were 225 armed conflicts and 34 of them were active in all of or part of 2001. Armed conflict remains a serious problem in the post-Cold War period. For three decades, the Correlates of War project has served as the main supplier of reliable data used in longitudinal studies of external and internal armed conflict. The COW datasets on war use the relatively high threshold of 1,000 battle-deaths. The Uppsala dataset on armed conflict has a lower threshold, 25 annual battle-deaths, but has so far been available for only the post-Cold War period. This dataset has now been backdated to the end of World War II. This article presents a report on armed conflict based on this backdate as well as another annual update. It presents the procedures for the backdating, as well as trends over time and breakdowns for the type of conflict. It assesses the criteria for measuring armed conflict and discusses some directions for future data collection in this area.
3,198 citations
TL;DR: In this article, critical race theory can inform a critical race methodology in education and the authors challenge the intercentricity of racism with other forms of subordination and expose deficit-informed research that silences and distorts epistemologies of people of color.
Abstract: This article addresses how critical race theory can inform a critical race methodology in education. The authors challenge the intercentricity of racism with other forms of subordination and exposes deficit-informed research that silences and distorts epistemologies of people of color. Although social scientists tell stories under the guise of “objective” research, these stories actually uphold deficit, racialized notions about people of color. For the authors, a critical race methodology provides a tool to “counter” deficit storytelling. Specifically, a critical race methodology offers space to conduct and present research grounded in the experiences and knowledge of people of color. As they describe how they compose counter-stories, the authors discuss how the stories can be used as theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical tools to challenge racism, sexism, and classism and work toward social justice.
3,102 citations
TL;DR: New clinical assessment methods incorporating dual-task paradigms are helpful in revealing the effect of disease on the ability to allocate attention to postural tasks and appear to be sensitive measures in both predicting fall risk and in documenting recovery of stability.
2,331 citations
TL;DR: The first World Report on Violence and Health analyses different types of violence including child abuse and neglect, youth violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, elder abuse, self-directed violence, and collective violence.
Abstract: In 1996, the World Health Assembly declared violence a major public health issue. To follow up on this resolution, on October 3 this year, WHO released the first World Report on Violence and Health. The report analyses different types of violence including child abuse and neglect, youth violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, elder abuse, self-directed violence, and collective violence. For all these types of violence, the report explores the magnitude of the health and social effects, the risk and protective factors, and the types of prevention efforts that have been initiated. The launch of the report will be followed by a 1-year Global Campaign on Violence Prevention, focusing on implementation of the recommendations. This article summarises some of the main points of the world report.
2,330 citations
TL;DR: Findings provide prospective evidence to support the prediction that positive emotions initiate upward spirals toward enhanced emotional well-being.
Abstract: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions pre- dicts that positive emotions broaden the scopes of attention and cogni- tion, and, by consequence, initiate upward spirals toward increasing emotional well-being. The present study assessed this prediction by testing whether positive affect and broad-minded coping reciprocally and prospectively predict one another. One hundred thirty-eight col- lege students completed self-report measures of affect and coping at two assessment periods 5 weeks apart. As hypothesized, regression analyses showed that initial positive affect, but not negative affect, predicted improved broad-minded coping, and initial broad-minded coping predicted increased positive affect, but not reductions in nega- tive affect. Further mediational analyses showed that positive affect and broad-minded coping serially enhanced one another. These find- ings provide prospective evidence to support the prediction that posi- tive emotions initiate upward spirals toward enhanced emotional well- being. Implications for clinical practice and health promotion are dis- cussed. Positive emotions feel good. Plus, the balance of people's positive and negative emotions contributes to judgments of life satisfaction (Diener & Larsen, 1993). Are these the only reasons people should care about positive emotions? We think not. We propose that positive emotions not only feel good in the present, but also increase the likeli- hood that one will feel good in the future. That is, we suggest that pos- itive emotions trigger upward spirals toward enhanced emotional well- being. This prediction stems from a new perspective on positive emotions offered within Fredrickson's (1998, 2001) broaden-and-build theory . This model posits that, unlike negative emotions, which narrow people's thought-action repertoires (e.g., fight or flight), positive emo- tions broaden people's thought-action repertoires, encouraging them to discover novel lines of thought or action. Joy, for instance, creates the urge to play, interest creates the urge to explore, and so on. A key, incidental outcome of these broadened mind-sets is an increase in personal resources: As individuals discover new ideas and actions, they build their physical, intellectual, social, and psychological re- sources. Play, for instance, builds physical, socioemotional, and in- tellectual skills, and fuels brain development. Similarly, exploration increases knowledge and psychological complexity (Fredrickson, 1998, 2000).
2,294 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed data from the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS) of women and men aged 18 to 65 and found that both physical and psychological IPV are associated with significant physical and mental health consequences for both male and female victims.
1,874 citations
TL;DR: Findings support the theory of life-course-persistent and adolescence-limited antisocial behavior but also extend it, and recommend intervention with all aggressive children and with all delinquent adolescents, to prevent a variety of maladjustments in adult life.
Abstract: This article reports a comparison on outcomes of 26-year-old males who were defined several years ago in the Dunedin longitudinal study as exhibiting childhood-onset versus adolescent-onset antisocial behavior and who were indistinguishable on delinquent offending in adolescence. Previous studies of these groups in childhood and adolescence showed that childhood-onset delinquents had inadequate parenting, neurocognitive problems, undercontrolled temperament, severe hyperactivity, psychopathic personality traits, and violent behavior. Adolescent-onset delinquents were not distinguished by these features. Here followed to age 26 years, the childhood-onset delinquents were the most elevated on psychopathic personality traits, mental-health problems, substance dependence, numbers of children, financial problems, work problems, and drug-related and violent crime, including violence against women and children. The adolescent-onset delinquents at 26 years were less extreme but elevated on impulsive personality traits, mental-health problems, substance dependence, financial problems, and property offenses. A third group of men who had been aggressive as children but not very delinquent as adolescents emerged as low-level chronic offenders who were anxious, depressed, socially isolated, and had financial and work problems. These findings support the theory of life-course-persistent and adolescence-limited antisocial behavior but also extend it. Findings recommend intervention with all aggressive children and with all delinquent adolescents, to prevent a variety of maladjustments in adult life.
1,663 citations
TL;DR: There was a substantial burden of acute PTSD and depression in Manhattan after the September 11 attacks, and experiences involving exposure to the attacks were predictors of current PTSD, and losses as a result of the events were predictions of current depression.
Abstract: Background The scope of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, was unprecedented in the United States. We assessed the prevalence and correlates of acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among residents of Manhattan five to eight weeks after the attacks. Methods We used random-digit dialing to contact a representative sample of adults living south of 110th Street in Manhattan. Participants were asked about demographic characteristics, exposure to the events of September 11, and psychological symptoms after the attacks. Results Among 1008 adults interviewed, 7.5 percent reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of current PTSD related to the attacks, and 9.7 percent reported symptoms consistent with current depression (with “current“ defined as occurring within the previous 30 days). Among respondents who lived south of Canal Street (i.e., near the World Trade Center), the prevalence of PTSD was 20.0 percent. Predictors of PTSD in a multivariate model were Hispanic ethnicity, ...
1,654 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a symbolic interactionist perspective on desistance is developed as a counterpoint to Sampson and Laub's theory of informal social control, and life history narratives are used to illustrate the perspective.
Abstract: This article analyzes data derived from the first detailed long‐term follow‐up of a sample of serious adolescent female delinquents and similarly situated males. Neither marital attachment nor job stability, factors frequently associated with male desistance from crime, were strongly related to female or male desistance. A symbolic‐interactionist perspective on desistance is developed as a counterpoint to Sampson and Laub’s theory of informal social control, and life history narratives are used to illustrate the perspective. This cognitive theory is generally compatible with a control approach but (a) adds specificity regarding underlying change mechanisms, (b) explains some negative cases, and (c) fits well with life course challenges facing contemporary serious female (and more provisionally male) offenders.
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TL;DR: An overview of the newer therapeutic interventions employed in the care of the spinal cord injured individual and the theoretical rationale supporting them is presented.
TL;DR: The most striking finding across all domains was that self-perceptions of competence and subjective task values declined as children got older, although the extent and rate of decline varied across domains.
Abstract: This study extended previous research on changes in children's self-beliefs by documenting domain-specific growth trajectories for 761 children across grades 1 through 12 in a longitudinal study of perceptions of self-competence and task values. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to (1) describe changes in beliefs across childhood and adolescence within the domains of mathematics, language arts, and sports; (2) examine the impact of changes in competence beliefs on changes in values over time in the same domains; and (3) describe gender differences in mean levels and trajectories of change in competence beliefs and values. The most striking finding across all domains was that self-perceptions of competence and subjective task values declined as children got older, although the extent and rate of decline varied across domains. For example, in language arts, competence beliefs declined rapidly during the elementary school years, but then leveled off or increased to some extent; whereas the decline in self-competence beliefs in sports accelerated during the high school years. Significant gender differences in beliefs were found in most domains; however, the gender differences in developmental trajectories appeared to be domain specific rather than global. Importantly, the gender differences between boys and girls did not systematically increase with age, as predicted by some socialization perspectives. Adding competence beliefs as an explanatory variable to the model for task values revealed that changes in competence beliefs accounted for much of the age-related decline in task values. In addition, competence beliefs accounted for most of the gender differences in task values for language arts and sports.
TL;DR: Developmental trajectories for all structures, except caudate, remain roughly parallel for patients and controls during childhood and adolescence, suggesting that genetic and/or early environmental influences on brain development in ADHD are fixed, nonprogressive, and unrelated to stimulant treatment.
Abstract: ContextVarious anatomic brain abnormalities have been reported for attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), with varying methods, small samples, cross-sectional designs,
and without accounting for stimulant drug exposure.ObjectiveTo compare regional brain volumes at initial scan and their change over
time in medicated and previously unmedicated male and female patients with
ADHD and healthy controls.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsCase-control study conducted from 1991-2001 at the National Institute
of Mental Health, Bethesda, Md, of 152 children and adolescents with ADHD
(age range, 5-18 years) and 139 age- and sex-matched controls (age range,
4.5-19 years) recruited from the local community, who contributed 544 anatomic
magnetic resonance images.Main Outcome MeasuresUsing completely automated methods, initial volumes and prospective
age-related changes of total cerebrum, cerebellum, gray and white matter for
the 4 major lobes, and caudate nucleus of the brain were compared in patients
and controls.ResultsOn initial scan, patients with ADHD had significantly smaller brain
volumes in all regions, even after adjustment for significant covariates.
This global difference was reflected in smaller total cerebral volumes (−3.2%,
adjusted F1,280 = 8.30, P = .004) and
in significantly smaller cerebellar volumes (−3.5%, adjusted F1,280 = 12.29, P = .001). Compared with controls,
previously unmedicated children with ADHD demonstrated significantly smaller
total cerebral volumes (overall F2,288 = 6.65; all pairwise comparisons
Bonferroni corrected, −5.8%; P = .002) and
cerebellar volumes (−6.2%, F2,288 = 8.97, P<.001). Unmedicated children with ADHD also exhibited strikingly
smaller total white matter volumes (F2,288 = 11.65) compared with
controls (−10.7%, P<.001) and with medicated
children with ADHD (−8.9%, P<.001). Volumetric
abnormalities persisted with age in total and regional cerebral measures (P = .002) and in the cerebellum (P =
.003). Caudate nucleus volumes were initially abnormal for patients with ADHD
(P = .05), but diagnostic differences disappeared
as caudate volumes decreased for patients and controls during adolescence.
Results were comparable for male and female patients on all measures. Frontal
and temporal gray matter, caudate, and cerebellar volumes correlated significantly
with parent- and clinician-rated severity measures within the ADHD sample
(Pearson coefficients between −0.16 and −0.26; all P values were <.05).ConclusionsDevelopmental trajectories for all structures, except caudate, remain
roughly parallel for patients and controls during childhood and adolescence,
suggesting that genetic and/or early environmental influences on brain development
in ADHD are fixed, nonprogressive, and unrelated to stimulant treatment.
TL;DR: The 2001 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study surveyed students at 119 4-year colleges that participated in the 1993, 1997, and 1999 studies as discussed by the authors to determine trends in heavy alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, and encounters with college and community prevention efforts.
Abstract: The 2001 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study surveyed students at 119 4-year colleges that participated in the 1993, 1997, and 1999 studies. Responses in the 4 survey years were compared to determine trends in heavy alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, and encounters with college and community prevention efforts. In 2001, approximately 2 in 5 (44.4%) college students reported binge drinking, a rate almost identical to rates in the previous 3 surveys. Very little change in overall binge drinking occurred at the individual college level. The percentages of abstainers and frequent binge drinkers increased, a polarization of drinking behavior first noted in 1997. A sharp rise in frequent binge drinking was noted among students attending all-women's colleges. Other significant changes included increases in immoderate drinking and harm among drinkers. More students lived in substance-free housing and encountered college educational efforts and sanctions resulting from their alcohol use.
TL;DR: Addressing housing issues offers public health practitioners an opportunity to address an important social determinant of health, as well as create healthier homes by confronting substandard housing.
Abstract: Poor housing conditions are associated with a wide range of health conditions, including respiratory infections, asthma, lead poisoning, injuries, and mental health. Addressing housing issues offers public health practitioners an opportunity to address an important social determinant of health. Public health has long been involved in housing issues. In the 19th century, health officials targeted poor sanitation, crowding, and inadequate ventilation to reduce infectious diseases as well as fire hazards to decrease injuries. Today, public health departments can employ multiple strategies to improve housing, such as developing and enforcing housing guidelines and codes, implementing “Healthy Homes” programs to improve indoor environmental quality, assessing housing conditions, and advocating for healthy, affordable housing. Now is the time for public health to create healthier homes by confronting substandard housing.
TL;DR: Despite improvements in the past 20 years, colleges need to do more to reduce heavy alcohol use among students.
Abstract: Objective: This article provides information on the extent of alcohol use and other drug use among American college students. Methods: Five different sources of data are examined for estimating recent levels of alcohol (and other drug) use among college students: Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS), the Core Institute (CORE), Monitoring the Future (MTF), National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) and National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). Results: Alcohol use rates are very high among college students. Approximately two of five American college students were heavy drinkers, defined as having had five or more drinks in a row in the past 2 weeks. Alcohol use is higher among male than female students. White students are highest in heavy drinking, black students are lowest and Hispanic students are intermediate. Use of alcohol--but not cigarettes, marijuana and cocaine--is higher among college students than among noncollege age-mates. Longitudinal data show that, w...
TL;DR: This review carried out this review to assess the current epidemiologic evidence available for this purpose and concluded that as the US population becomes more urbanized and the number of elderly people continues to increase, the threat of heat-related mortality will probably become more severe.
Abstract: The effect of elevated temperature on mortality is a public health threat of considerable magnitude. Every year, a large number of hospitalizations and deaths occur in association with exposure to elevated ambient temperatures (1, 2). An average of 400 deaths annually are counted as directly related to heat in the United States, with the highest death rates occurring in persons aged 65 years or more (3). The actual magnitude of heat-related mortality may be notably greater than what has been reported, since we do not have widely accepted criteria for determining heat-related death (4, 5–7), and heat may not be listed on the death certificate as causing or contributing to death. Persons living in urban environments may be at particularly increased risk for mortality from ambient heat exposure, since urban areas typically have higher heat indexes (combinations of temperature and humidity (8)) than surrounding suburban or rural areas, a phenomenon known as the “urban heat island effect” (9). Moreover, urban areas retain heat during the night more efficiently (10). Thus, as the US population becomes more urbanized and the number of elderly people continues to increase (11), the threat of heat-related mortality will probably become more severe. Many of these deaths may be preventable with adequate warning and an appropriate response to heat emergencies, but preventive efforts are complicated by the short time interval that may elapse between high temperature exposure and death. Thus, prevention programs must be based around prospective and rapid identification of high-risk conditions and persons. We carried out this review to assess the current epidemiologic evidence available for this purpose.
TL;DR: There is an urgent need for expanding prevention and treatment programs, to reduce alcohol-related harm among U.S. college students and other young adults.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This report estimates the numbers of 18-24 year old United States college students who annually experience alcohol-related deaths, injuries and other health problems. METHOD: We examined traffic and unintentional injury deaths in 1998 reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). We also examined results of national coroner studies, Department of Education college enrollment data, the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), the CDC National College Health Risk Behavior Survey and the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Survey (CAS). All survey participants were ages 18-24: 6,930 college and 12,394 noncollege respondents in the NHSDA survey; 3,077 college students in the CDC survey; and 12,217 full-time 4-year college students in the CAS. Based on the number and proportion of 18-24 year olds enrolled in college, data on alcohol involvement in injury deaths among 18-24 year olds and survey responses, we calculated the numbers of 18-24 year old alcohol-related injury deaths and other health problems. RESULTS: We estimate that over 1,400 students aged 18-24 and enrolled in 2- and 4-year colleges died in 1998 from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes. According to surveys conducted in 1999, in the preceding year, over 2 million of the 8 million college students in the United States drove under the influence of alcohol and over 3 million rode with a drinking driver. Over 500,000 full-time 4-year college students were unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol and over 600,000 were hit or assaulted by another student who had been drinking. CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need for expanding prevention and treatment programs, to reduce alcohol-related harm among U.S. college students and other young adults. Language: en
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of existing evidence suggests that the residual impact of past behavior is attenuated when measures of intention and behavior are compatible and vanishes when intentions are strong and well formed, expectations are implemented.
Abstract: The frequency with which a behavior has been performed in the past is found to account for variance in later behavior independent of intentions. This often taken as evidence for habituation of behavior and as complementing the reasoned mode of operation assumed by such models as the theory of planned behavior. In this article, I question the idea that the residual effect of past on later behavior can be attributed to habituation. The habituation perspective cannot account for residual effects in the prediction of low-opportunity behaviors performed in unstable contexts, no accepted independent measure of habit is available, and empirical tests of them habituation hypothesis have so far met with little success. A review of existing evidence suggests that the residual impact of past behavior is attenuated when measures of intention and behavior are compatible and vanishes when intentions are strong and well formed, expectations are implementation have been developed.
TL;DR: The high-risk infants who initially enrolled in the Abecedarian Project, a longitudinal prospective study of the benefits of early childhood educational intervention within a child care setting, were followed up as young adults (age 21 years).
Abstract: The high-risk infants who initially enrolled in the Abecedarian Project, a longitudinal prospective study of the benefits of early childhood educational intervention within a child care setting, were followed up as young adults (age 21 years). One hundred-eleven infants were in the original sample; 104 took part in the follow up. Treatment was provided in 2 phases: during preschool and in the primary grades. Participants received either both phases, 1, but not both, or neither. Assignment to groups was random. Those in the preschool treatment group earned significantly higher scores on intellectual and academic measures as young adults, attained significantly more years of total education, were more likely to attend a 4-year college, and showed a reduction in teenaged pregnancy compared with preschool controls. Preschool treatment was associated with educationally meaningful effect sizes on reading and math skills that persisted into adulthood. School-age treatment served to maintain preschool benefits fo...
TL;DR: To examine the degree to which demographic factors, mental and physical health history, lifetime exposure to stressful events, September 11-related experiences, and coping strategies used shortly after the attacks predict psychological outcomes over time, a large national sample of adults was surveyed.
Abstract: ContextThe September 11, 2001, attacks against the United States provide a
unique opportunity to examine longitudinally the process of adjustment to
a traumatic event on a national scale.ObjectiveTo examine the degree to which demographic factors, mental and physical
health history, lifetime exposure to stressful events, September 11–related
experiences, and coping strategies used shortly after the attacks predict
psychological outcomes over time.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsA national probability sample of 3496 adults received a Web-based survey;
2729 individuals (78% participation rate) completed it between 9 and 23 days
(75% within 9 to 14 days) after the terrorist attacks. A random sample of
1069 panelists residing outside New York, NY, were drawn from the wave 1 sample
(n = 2729) and received a second survey; 933 (87% participation rate) completed
it approximately 2 months following the attacks. A third survey (n = 787)
was completed approximately 6 months after the attacks.Main Outcome MeasuresSeptember 11–related symptoms of acute stress, posttraumatic stress,
and global distress.ResultsSeventeen percent of the US population outside of New York City reported
symptoms of September 11–related posttraumatic stress 2 months after
the attacks; 5.8% did so at 6 months. High levels of posttraumatic stress
symptoms were associated with female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence
interval [CI], 1.17-2.31), marital separation (OR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.06-6.14),
pre–September 11 physician-diagnosed depression or anxiety disorder
(OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.33-2.56) or physical illness (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99),
severity of exposure to the attacks (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.11–1.55), and
early disengagement from coping efforts (eg, giving up: OR, 1.68; 95% CI,
1.27-2.20; denial: OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.07-1.64; and self-distraction: OR,
1.31; 95% CI, 1.07-1.59). In addition to demographic and pre–September
11 health variables, global distress was associated with severity of loss
due to the attacks (β = .07; P = .008) and early
coping strategies (eg, increased with denial: β = .08; P = .005; and giving up: β = .05; P =
.04; and decreased with active coping: β = −.08; P = .002).ConclusionsThe psychological effects of a major national trauma are not limited
to those who experience it directly, and the degree of response is not predicted
simply by objective measures of exposure to or loss from the trauma. Instead,
use of specific coping strategies shortly after an event is associated with
symptoms over time. In particular, disengaging from coping efforts can signal
the likelihood of psychological difficulties up to 6 months after a trauma.
TL;DR: Preliminary mediational analyses with cross-sectional data suggest that cumulative stressor exposure may partially account for the well-documented, elevated risk of socioemotional difficulties accompanying poverty.
Abstract: The one in five children growing up in poverty in America have elevated risk for socioemotional difficulties. One contributing factor to their elevated risk may be exposure to multiple physical and psychosocial stressors. This study demonstrated that 8- to 10-year-old, low-income, rural children (N = 287) confront a wider array of multiple physical (substandard housing, noise, crowding) and psychosocial (family turmoil, early childhood separation, community violence) stressors than do their middle-income counterparts. Prior research on self-reported distress among inner-city minority children is replicated and extended among low-income, rural White children with evidence of higher levels of self- and parent-reported psychological distress, greater difficulties in self-regulatory behavior (delayed gratification), and elevated psychophysiological stress (resting blood pressure, overnight neuroendocrine hormones). Preliminary mediational analyses with cross-sectional data suggest that cumulative stressor exposure may partially account for the well-documented, elevated risk of socioemotional difficulties accompanying poverty.
TL;DR: Assessment of psychological symptom levels in the United States following the events of September 11 found probable PTSD was associated with direct exposure to the terrorist attacks among adults, and the prevalence in the New York City metropolitan area was substantially higher than elsewhere in the country.
Abstract: ContextThe terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, represent an unprecedented
exposure to trauma in the United States.ObjectivesTo assess psychological symptom levels in the United States following
the events of September 11 and to examine the association between postattack
symptoms and a variety of indices of exposure to the events.DesignWeb-based epidemiological survey of a nationally representative cross-sectional
sample using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist and the Brief
Symptom Inventory, administered 1 to 2 months following the attacks.Setting and ParticipantsSample of 2273 adults, including oversamples of the New York, NY, and
Washington, DC, metropolitan areas.Main Outcome MeasuresSelf-reports of the symptoms of PTSD and of clinically significant nonspecific
psychological distress; adult reports of symptoms of distress among children
living in their households.ResultsThe prevalence of probable PTSD was significantly higher in the New
York City metropolitan area (11.2%) than in Washington, DC (2.7%), other major
metropolitan areas (3.6%), and the rest of the country (4.0%). A broader measure
of clinically significant psychological distress suggests that overall distress
levels across the country, however, were within expected ranges for a general
community sample. In multivariate models, sex, age, direct exposure to the
attacks, and the amount of time spent viewing TV coverage of the attacks on
September 11 and the few days afterward were associated with PTSD symptom
levels; sex, the number of hours of television coverage viewed, and an index
of the content of that coverage were associated with the broader distress
measure. More than 60% of adults in New York City households with children
reported that 1 or more children were upset by the attacks.ConclusionsOne to 2 months following the events of September 11, probable PTSD
was associated with direct exposure to the terrorist attacks among adults,
and the prevalence in the New York City metropolitan area was substantially
higher than elsewhere in the country. However, overall distress levels in
the country were within normal ranges. Further research should document the
course of symptoms and recovery among adults following exposure to the events
of September 11 and further specify the types and severity of distress in
children.
TL;DR: The magnitude of some of the most common and most severe forms of violence against women are discussed: intimate partner violence; sexual abuse by non-intimate partners; trafficking, forced prostitution, exploitation of labour, and debt bondage of women and girls; physical and sexual violence against prostitutes.
TL;DR: Routine universal screening and sensitive in-depth assessment of women presenting with frequent gynecological, chronic stress-related, or central nervous system complaints are needed to support disclosure of domestic violence.
Abstract: Background: Domestic violence results in long-term and immediate health problems. This study compared selected physical health problems of abused and never abused women with similar access to health care. Methods: A case-control study of enrollees in a multisite metropolitan health maintenance organization sampled 2535 women enrollees aged 21 to 55 years who responded to an invitation to participate; 447 (18%) could not be contacted, 7 (0.3%) were ineligible, and 76 (3%) refused, yielding a sample of 2005. The Abuse Assessment Screen identified women physically and/or sexually abused between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 1997, resulting in 201 cases. The 240 controls were a random sample of never abused women. The general health perceptions subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study 36Item Short-Form Health Survey measured general health. The Miller Abuse Physical Symptom and Injury Scale measured abuse-specific health problems. tal status, educational level, and income. Direct weights were used to standardize for comparisons. Significance was tested using logistic and negative binomial regressions. Abused women had more (P.05) headaches, back pain, sexually transmitted diseases, vaginal bleeding, vaginal infections, pelvic pain, painful intercourse, urinary tract infections, appetite loss, abdominal pain, and digestive problems. Abused women also had more (P.001) gynecological, chronic stress–related, central nervous system, and total health problems. Conclusions: Abused women have a 50% to 70% increase in gynecological, central nervous system, and stressrelated problems, with women sexually and physically abused most likely to report problems. Routine universal screening and sensitive in-depth assessment of women presenting with frequent gynecological, chronic stress– related, or central nervous system complaints are needed to support disclosure of domestic violence. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162:1157-1163
TL;DR: For example, this article showed that people are willing to punish those who behaved unfairly towards a third person or who defected in a Prisoner's Dilemma game with another person.
Abstract: This paper provides strong evidence challenging the self-interest assumption that dominates the behavioral sciences and much evolutionary thinking. The evidence indicates that many people have a tendency to voluntarily cooperate, if treated fairly, and to punish noncooperators. We call this behavioral propensity "strong reciprocity" and show empirically that it can lead to almost universal cooperation in circumstances in which purely self-interested behavior would cause a complete breakdown of cooperation. In addition, we show that people are willing to punish those who behaved unfairly towards a third person or who defected in a Prisoner's Dilemma game with a third person. This suggests that strong reciprocity is a powerful device for the enforcement of social norms involving, for example, food sharing or collective action. Strong reciprocity cannot be rationalized as an adaptive trait by the leading evolutionary theories of human cooperation (in other words, kin selection, reciprocal altruism, indirect reciprocity, and costly signaling theory). However, multilevel selection theories of cultural evolution are consistent with strong reciprocity.
TL;DR: Using a simple videogame, the effect of ethnicity on shoot/don't shoot decisions was examined and showed that the magnitude of bias varied with perceptions of the cultural stereotype and with levels of contact, but not with personal racial prejudice.
Abstract: Using a simple videogame, the effect of ethnicity on shoot/don’t shoot decisions was examined. African American or White targets, holding guns or other objects, appeared in complex backgrounds. Participants were told to “shoot” armed targets and to “not shoot” unarmed targets. In Study 1, White participants made the correct decision to shoot an armed target more quickly if the target was African American than if he was White, but decided to “not shoot” an unarmed target more quickly if he was White. Study 2 used a shorter time window, forcing this effect into error rates. Study 3 replicated Study 1’s effects and showed that the magnitude of bias varied with perceptions of the cultural stereotype and with levels of contact, but not with personal racial prejudice. Study 4 revealed equivalent levels of bias among both African American and White participants in a community sample. Implications and potential underlying mechanisms are discussed.
TL;DR: Analysis of event characteristics showed that drinking was more strongly associated with decreased protective behaviors among younger individuals, on first intercourse experiences and for events that occurred on average longer ago, suggesting future efforts aimed at reducing alcohol use in potentially sexual situations may decrease some forms of risky sex, but are less likely to affect protective behaviors directly.
Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the empirical associations between alcohol use and risky sex at two levels of analysis. Global associations test whether individuals who engage in one behavior are more likely to engage in the other, whereas event-specific associations test whether the likelihood of engaging in one behavior on a given occasion varies as a function of engaging in the other on that same occasion. Methods: Studies examining the association between drinking and risky sex in samples of college students and youth were reviewed. Those published in the past 10 years and using event-level methodology or random sampling were emphasized. Results: Findings were generally consistent across levels of analysis, but differed across types of risky behaviors. Drinking was strongly related to the decision to have sex and to indiscriminate forms of risky sex (e.g., having multiple or casual sex partners), but was inconsistently related to protective behaviors (e.g., condom use). Moreover, the links among alcohol use, t...
TL;DR: There was a direct linkage in which early depression was associated with increased risk of later major depression and anxiety disorders and linkages between early depression and other outcomes appeared to reflect the effects of confounding factors.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: This study used longitudinal data to examine the extent to which young people with depression in mid adolescence (ages 14-16) were at increased riskof adverse psychosocial outcomes in later adolescence and young adulthood (ages 16-21). METHODS: Data were gathered during a 21-year longitudinal studyof a birth cohort of 1265 children. Measures included assessments of DSM-III-R major depression (at age 14-16); psychiatric disorders, educational achievement, and social functioning (at age 16-21); social, familial, and individual factors; and comorbid disorders. RESULTS: Thirteen percentof the cohort developed depression between ages 14 and 16. Young people with depression in adolescence were at significantly (P<.05) increased riskof later major depression, anxiety disorders, nicotine dependence, alcohol abuse or dependence, suicide attempt, educational underachievement, unemployment, and early parenthood. These associations were similar for girls and boys. The results suggested the presenceof 2 major pathways linking early depression to later outcomes. First, there was a direct linkage between early depression and increased riskof later major depression or anxiety disorders. Second, the associations between early depression and other outcomes were explained by the presenceof confounding social, familial, and individual factors. CONCLUSIONS: Young people having early depression were at increased risk of later adverse psychosocial outcomes. There was a direct linkage in which early depression was associated with increased risk of later major depression and anxiety disorders. Linkages between early depression and other outcomes appeared to reflect the effectsof confounding factors Language: en