Special Roles of Mental Health Professionals in Self-Help Group Development

Provision of services to self-help/mutual aid groups is a natural outgrowth of the goals, objectives and activities of consultation and education (C & E) departments of community mental health centers. The C & E services of the Ravenswood Community Mental Health Center has, during the past several years, provided several forms of assistance to a variety of developing and established self-help groups in the Chicago area. Through this experience, the roles of mental health professionals in facilitating the development and maintenance of self-help groups have been explored. The provision of assistance at several stages of group development without challenging the autonomy and voluntary nature of self-help groups is a basic requirement for all professionals involved in group development. With careful recognition of the needs and nature of such groups, mutually satisfactory long-term relationships can be established between self-help groups and mental health professionals.     

MUTUAL-HELP GROUPS:

Members of 18 self-help groups in Canada were surveyed as to the benefits of participation in mutual help groups and the roles for professionals in such groups. Three distinctions are made among mutual help groups: (1) those dealing with loss-transition (L-T), (2) those with members one step removed (OSR) from the problem, and (3) groups for stress, coping and support (SC&S). Members in OSR groups feel they benefit significantly more from participation than SC&S group members, while many L-T members feel they could get along well without the group if they had to. Members of SC&S groups tend to favor indirect involvement of professionals and see professional help and mutual help as complementary, more than do members of L-T and OSR groups. The traditional health care system is found to ignore the needs of L-T and OSR group members; mutual help thus provides a critical source of support and education for these people.     

Chapter 9: Partnerships Between Health Professionals and Self-Help Groups

SUMMARY

The study aimed to identify the meanings and mechanisms of partnership between health professionals and self-help group members. The three project stages involved in-depth individual interviews of professionals (n = 47) and of members (n = 49) using a semistructured interview guide; separate group interviews of professionals and members to rank themes which emerged in Phase I, and a joint professional/member workshop. A Partnership Framework was developed. The predominant partnership characteristics identified by professionals were egalitarian, flexible, decreased professional control, understanding and shared goals; and by members were trusting, reciprocal, shared goals, flexible and understanding. The five critical obstacles to partnerships, from professionals' standpoint were communication, attitudes, role ambiguity, the format health care system and ideological conflicts, and from self-help groups' perspectives were knowledge, the system, skills deficiency, attitudes and ideological conflicts. The foremost mechanisms for achieving partnership according to health professionals involved education, clearinghouses, and role and goal clarification; to self-help group members, they entailed trust building, communication building, and education. [Note: italics denote consensus by professionals and members.]     

Sociopolitical Attitudes of the Masses and Leaders in the Chinese Village: attitude congruence and constraint

Do ordinary villagers and cadres in the Chinese village share similar attitudes toward major sociopolitical issues? Do these two groups construct their respective attitudes in a similar way? This article addresses these two crucial questions based on the data collected from both villager and cadre surveys in a rural setting. The findings indicate that (1) villagers and cadres had quite different views of the village socioeconomic conditions, the legitimacy of CCP rule, democratic principles, and the effects of post-Mao reforms as a whole, although they did have similar opinions on the role of the individual; (2) these two groups constructed their views on some issues similarly but on others differently; and (3) the relevance and salience of issues were positively associated with the levels of attitude consistency among both cadres and villagers. These findings have strong implications not only for the ongoing interaction between these two sets of political players, but also for sociopolitical stability in rural China.     

Chapter 13: Workshop on “Good Practice” in the Collaboration Between Professionals and Mutual Aid Groups

SUMMARY

The workshop's purpose was to initiate a dialogue concerning “good practice” issues in research and collaboration with mutual aid groups with the long range goal of developing ethical guidelines for professionals and for mutual aid organizations. Participants represented mutual aid groups, professionals and self-help clearinghouses. Three of the topic areas addressed during the workshop were analysed from the perspectives of the professionals: respecting the autonomy, integrity and unique culture of each group, ensuring that guidelines for confidentiality are adhered to, and respecting experiential knowledge. From the perspectives of mutual aid organizations, preserving autonomy and self-determination, incorporating new information and maintaining confidentiality were also discussed.     

Factors Associated With College Students’ Responses to Rape-Disclosure Scenarios: Influence of Gender,Rape Characteristics,and Opinions About Health Professionals

ABSTRACT

Few studies examine the role of friends in victims’ decisions to seek help from health professionals. This study used a sample of college students (N = 637) to examine the factors that may influence whether students would advise a friend to seek help from health professionals. After providing an open-ended response to a vignette, students answered a series of questions about formal support providers, attitudes toward women and rape victims, and their background. Findings suggest a gender divide on the advice given, and more students who responded to an acquaintance-rape scenario recommended that a victim contact health professionals in comparison to those whose scenario depicted an intimate partner rape. Implications are discussed, focusing on the role of friends and campus policy in minimizing the impacts of victimization.     

Chapter 14: Self-Help Group Participation Among People with Severe Mental Illness

SUMMARY

An experimental design was attempted to test the effectiveness of self-help group participation among people with severe and long-standing mental illnesses. A sample of 90 individuals was randomized to either experimental or control groups with experimentals invited to join self-help groups and given outreach to encourage participation. Control subjects were not invited to join self-help groups. Results showed low rates of 17% participation in the self-help groups for both experimental and control subjects. The small number of experimental subjects participating and the presence of cross-overs from the control group yielded a sample too small for statistical analyses and the experiment was ended. Post hoc analyses comparing subjects who participated in self-help (15), non-participating subjects (75) and a comparison group of existing self-help group members (90) showed participants to have more severe psychiatric symptoms than either non-participants or members. Participating subjects were more likely to be female, though the self-help groups had more male members. Results indicate the need for multi-site studies in self-help group research.     

EPILEPSY SELF-HELP GROUPS:

Two sequential cases of professional-self-help/mutual aid collaboration are described. The first was a federally funded demonstration project to develop epilepsy self-help groups in 15 cities. It involved a "mixed strategy" of national and local collaboration, where decision-making, and problem solving was vested in persons with epilepsy. The second related case was the "action learning workshop" that combined research with extension work. Knowledge about self-help group development and persons with epilepsy was advanced at the same time that a national network and alliance of epilepsy self-help groups was developed.     

THE ROLE OF A SELF-HELP CLEARINGHOUSE

As the number of self-help groups continues to proliferate, the formation of an umbrella body is suggested. A Self-Help Clearinghouse would serve as such an umbrella through the establishment of an information, referral and research service for mutual aid groups in an area. It would also be available to offer technical assistance to existing groups and assistance in the formation of new self-help groups. As a prevention service, it can be integrated into a comprehensive community mental health service system or operated under other auspices. In either case, it is a barometer of community stressors and offers great promise in strengthening social supports, coping skills, and competence provided by self-help groups.     

“90后”大学生思想道德行为特征解析

"90"后大学生的思想道德行为在生活方式上存在发展滞后的生活能力,标新立异的生活态度,贪恋当下的享受快乐;在行为方式上存在自我中心的行为取向,我行我素的行为特征,理性务实的行为作风;在思想理念上存在浓厚的民主理念,率性的自由精神,剧烈的价值冲突。对此应将思想政治教育与制度管理相结合、人文关怀与心理教育相结合、素质教育与能力培养相结合、挫折教育与激励教育相结合,以帮助其健康成长。     

Teachers’ Perspectives on Hitting Back in School: Between Inexcusable Violence and Self-Defense

Israeli schools expressly forbid a student to hit back after being attacked. In semistructured interviews,71 Israeli educators were asked for their views on the hitting-back tactic. The interviews compared their attitude toward hitting back as teachers with their take on the matter as parents. The results, analyzed using grounded theory, show that most educators would not object if their children hit back in self-defense when attacked but would discipline students who hit back unless they can prove their claim of self-defense. Interviewees are much less inclined to discipline retaliators who do manage to prove self-defense but feel that investigations to verify self-defense under school conditions are impractical. To deter bullies, they say, teachers must declare their readiness to discipline everyone involved; otherwise, bullies will falsely claim self-defense. The discussion explores the implications of role theory on teachers’ attitudes.     

Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors Among Adolescents

The purpose of this article is to examine the self-reported sexual attitudes and behaviors of adolescents living in the Midwest. A survey was administered to 463 African American youths ages 11–19. The results indicate that intent to have sexual intercourse, reported likelihood toward having sexual intercourse, and whether participants felt that they would have sex in the next 3 months were predictors of whether they had sexual intercourse at the 3-month follow-up. The results also revealed that the opinions of referent others did not predict sexual intercourse at 3 months. Negative attitudes toward condoms did predict condom use at 3 months and the opinions of referent others also predicted condom use at 3 months. Limitations as well as future research are also discussed.     

Sexual attitudes and behaviors among adolescents

The purpose of this article is to examine the self-reported sexual attitudes and behaviors of adolescents living in the Midwest. A survey was administered to 463 African American youths ages 11-19. The results indicate that intent to have sexual intercourse, reported likelihood toward having sexual intercourse, and whether participants felt that they would have sex in the next 3 months were predictors of whether they had sexual intercourse at the 3-month follow-up. The results also revealed that the opinions of referent others did not predict sexual intercourse at 3 months. Negative attitudes toward condoms did predict condom use at 3 months and the opinions of referent others also predicted condom use at 3 months. Limitations as well as future research are also discussed.     

The Democratic Concepts Held by Local Elites on Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait: The perception of political participation,economic equality,and conflict reconciliation

The research results given here show that Taiwanese local elites, in terms of breadth of political participation, support the common people's right of participation more than those in Mainland China. In terms of depth, local elites on neither side support having people with special family backgrounds as leaders, but the Taiwanese do not narrowly define the qualifications of leaders or managers, requiring, for example, a certain degree of capability. Mainland Chinese local elites are more conservative in this respect. On the issue of economic equality, the concept of establishing a limit on income varies greatly on the two sides. The percentage of those in favor of such a limit is lower in Taiwan, yet the Taiwanese endorse more the idea of taking care of the poor and correcting unequal income distribution. The overall perspective on conflict resolution is quite the same for both sides' local elites. That is, they all strive to maintain harmony and avoid conflict, even at a price of sacrificing plans for local development. The most probable factor behind these trends is the great difference between the two sides' politico-economic systems, the process of their development and the status quo. Thus, there are differences between the two sides, either on certain perspectives on the three dimensions of the concept of democracy, or on other possible factors, which affect these perspectives. Elites on both sides are especially similar in their efforts to avoid conflict and their tendency to respect experts, showing the effect of a relatively homogeneous culture as we compare such attitudes internationally, but such cultural tastes might hinder future democratization on both sides. Other possible inferences, including the prospects for the development of democracy on both sides, will be dealt with briefly in this paper.     

Lost in revolution and reform: The socioeconomic pains of China's red guards generation, 1966–1996

This paper examines why the socioeconomic life of China's Red Guards generation has been difficult in both Mao's time and in the post‐Mao reform era. It shows that Mao's Cultural Revolution destroyed the normalcy of society and prevented this generation from securing the life they expected. When reform moved China toward a market economy, their past misfortunes produced their present disadvantages. Their limited education disqualified them from the opportunities of employment and career promotion; their protracted sent‐down to the countryside postponed their marriage and normal social life; and their longtime economic hardships debilitated their market competitiveness. Mao's revolution made them ill‐prepared for the coming economic liberty, yet the post‐Mao reform, instead of compensating them for their distress, left them behind when it pursued market efficiency.     

Violence and Sexual Minority Youth

Abstract

Among the most maligned and harassed students in high schools are those who are perceived not to fit the norms for sexual behavior. These include gay and lesbian students, bisexual students, transgendered students, effeminate heterosexual males, and masculine-acting heterosexual females. Together these students are the targets of a wide range of negative behaviors from subtle exclusion to physical assault. In addition, many develop negative attitudes towards themselves which put them at increased risk for self-harm and suicide. The origin of these attitudes and behaviors is societal homophobia that fuels social aggression against this stigmatized group. Although challenging, educators can assist in undermining the effects of homophobia on sexual minorities through teaching tolerance, sponsoring support groups that address these issues, and providing educational opportunities about sexual minority youth.     

Identifying Common Practices in Community-Based Rape Prevention Programs

Community-based rape prevention programs have received little attention in the research literature. In this study qualitative methods were used to describe such programs and to assess the degree of homogeneity in their practices. In-depth interviews were conducted with representatives of 10 community-based prevention programs in a single state. Findings suggest that two typologies exist: short programs and extended programs. Homogeneity across programs was common as most programs emphasized secondary and tertiary prevention and relied on short curricula that are implemented with mixed-gender groups of students. A comparison to practices found in the research literature indicate that they are mostly using the same practices and these practices have not been demonstrated to have sustained behavioral effects that would reduce the incidence of sexual violence. Implications for future practice are discussed.     

National identity and Taiwan's Mainland China policy

Taiwan is a mildly divided society—divided essentially along the lines of national identity. Indeed, there is no doubt that national identity is the dominant factor affecting Taiwan's mainland China policy. Other factors such as business interests and security concerns may enter the picture from time to time, but they often get bogged down in the national identity controversies. As a matter of fact, there is high correlation between people's attitudes toward business and security concerns and their positions on the national identity issue. The key to understanding Taiwan's mainland China policy is thus the distribution of voters on the national identity issue and how it is translated into the political fortunes of various political parties in the electoral game.     

农民工违法犯罪之角色分析

农民工违法犯罪是由多种社会因素综合作用的结果 ,其身份与角色的错位也是重要因素之一。错位导致农民工游离于社会保障制度之外 ,自身权益无法维护 ;导致农民工的社区归属感淡薄 ;使农民工自我认识与评价偏低 ,自卑心理强烈 ;导致农民在城市生活的封闭 ,成为城市的边缘群体。农民工整体文化素质不高 ,能力偏低 ,认知心理结构水平较低等主观因素影响着其非农职业角色的获得与扮演 ;制度的非公正性 ,政策的不合理性等客观因素也是农民工获得职业角色的障碍。农民工角色获得障碍导致其既要面临自身的生存问题 ,还要承担家庭角色扮演的双重压力。     

Chinese Nationalism and its Political and Social Origins

Using the 2008 China Survey, this paper examines Chinese respondents' feelings toward their country and how such feelings are related to their democratic values. First, it compares Chinese nationalism with that of 35 countries and regions in the 2003 National Identity Survey. Second, it looks at the origins of Chinese nationalism as embedded in the social and political characteristics of individuals. Third, it further examines the impact of nationalism on people's political attitudes. The findings show that nationalism in contemporary China is better predicted by the political and economic characteristics of an individual rather than cultural attributes, and that nationalism serves as a powerful instrument in impeding public demand for democratic change.