We've long known that children who live in families with adequate financial resources tend to do better than children who live in poverty. It's less clear why this is so.
A major new study sheds light on how family income affects children, finding that it is how parents experience material hardship - not income alone - that affects children's cognitive skills and their social and emotional competence. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, New York University, the University of Chicago, and Columbia University, is reported in the journal Child Development. The research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Researchers looked at 21,255 American kindergartners, drawing from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 1998-99. In the study, parents provided information about their families' economic situation, their own parenting, and their children's behaviors. Teachers provided additional information about children's behaviors in school, and children's cognitive skills were measured by standardized tests.
The study identified two ways family income affects children. First, parents who make more money are better able to buy more cognitively stimulating materials, such as books, and provide enriching experiences, such as visits to museums, that support their children's academic achievement. Second, the material hardship experienced by many low-income families, such as not having enough to eat, can lead parents to be depressed and fight with one another. This, in turn, can cause parents to show less affection toward their children, leaving the children depressed or more likely to misbehave.
By considering material hardship and family income together, the study's results challenge the well-established finding that family income is directly associated with parents' stress. The researchers found that only when increases in income were accompanied by decreases in families' experiences of hardship did income lessen parents' stress levels; added income alone was not enough. This distinction is important because the same level of family income can mean hardship in some parts of the country, such as large, urban cities, but not in other areas, such as small, rural towns.
"Our results suggest that a goal of enhancing the cognitive abilities of children from low-income families might be effectively served by interventions that provide such enriching materials or experiences when parents are financially unable to do so," according to Elizabeth T. Gershoff, the study's lead author and a professor of social work at the University of Michigan. "If the goal is reducing behavior problems, then reducing hardship through provision of in-kind goods and services, and in turn reducing parent stress, may have the greatest impact."
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Summarized from Child Development, Vol. 78, Issue 1, Income Is Not Enough: Incorporating Material Hardship into Models of Income Associations with Parenting and Child Development, by Gershoff, ET (University of Michigan), Aber, JL (New York University), Raver, CC (University of Chicago), and Lennon, MC (Columbia University). Copyright 2007 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contact: Andrea Browning
Society for Research in Child Development
April 16, 2007
Young Adolescent Girls' Depression Is Tied To More Stressful Life Events
Children's conduct problems--skipping school, sneaking out of the house, lying to parents, shoplifting, or bullying other children--are a major source of concern for parents and teachers. As a potential cause of these problems, parents' marital conflict has received a lot of research attention. Now a new study finds that parents' fighting may not be to blame but rather that parents who argue a lot may pass on genes for disruptive behavior to their children.
The findings are published in the journal Child Development.
A group of researchers from the University of Virginia and several other universities looked at this question, studying 1,045 twins and their 2,051 children. Some of the parents were identical twins and shared all of their genes and some were fraternal and shared only half of their genes.
The study found that parents' fighting is not likely a cause of children's conduct problems. On the other hand, parents' genes influenced how often they argued with their spouses and these same genes, when passed to their children, caused more conduct problems.
"This study suggests that marital conflict is not a major culprit, but genes are," said K. Paige Harden, the lead researcher and professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. "Our findings have potential implications for treating conduct problems: Focusing on a child's parents, as is common in family therapy, may not be as effective as focusing on the child."
The study was supported, in part, by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression.
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Summarized from Child Development, Vol. 78, Issue 1, Marital Conflict and Conduct Problems in Children-of-Twins, by Harden, KP, Turkheimer, E, and Emery, RE (University of Virginia), D'Onofrio, BM (Indiana University), Slutske, WS (University of Missouri), Heath, AC (Washington University, St. Louis), and Martin, NG (Queensland Institute of Medical Research). Copyright 2007 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contact: Andrea Browning
Society for Research in Child Development
The findings are published in the journal Child Development.
A group of researchers from the University of Virginia and several other universities looked at this question, studying 1,045 twins and their 2,051 children. Some of the parents were identical twins and shared all of their genes and some were fraternal and shared only half of their genes.
The study found that parents' fighting is not likely a cause of children's conduct problems. On the other hand, parents' genes influenced how often they argued with their spouses and these same genes, when passed to their children, caused more conduct problems.
"This study suggests that marital conflict is not a major culprit, but genes are," said K. Paige Harden, the lead researcher and professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. "Our findings have potential implications for treating conduct problems: Focusing on a child's parents, as is common in family therapy, may not be as effective as focusing on the child."
The study was supported, in part, by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression.
###
Summarized from Child Development, Vol. 78, Issue 1, Marital Conflict and Conduct Problems in Children-of-Twins, by Harden, KP, Turkheimer, E, and Emery, RE (University of Virginia), D'Onofrio, BM (Indiana University), Slutske, WS (University of Missouri), Heath, AC (Washington University, St. Louis), and Martin, NG (Queensland Institute of Medical Research). Copyright 2007 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contact: Andrea Browning
Society for Research in Child Development
Involvement Of Nonresident Fathers May Protect Low-Income Teens From Delinquency
Many American children live without their biological fathers. A substantial proportion of fathers who live apart from their children have lost touch with them and therefore don't provide consistent parenting. A new study has found that when nonresident fathers are involved with their adolescent children, the youths are less likely to take part in delinquent behavior such as drug and alcohol use, violence, property crime, and school problems such as truancy and cheating.
The study, by researchers at Boston College, is published in the journal Child Development. The research was funded, in part, by the W.T. Grant Foundation, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation, Administration on Developmental Disabilities, Administration for Children and Families, Social Security Administration, and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Researchers looked at a representative sample of 647 youths who were 10 to 14 years old at the start of the study and their families over a 16-month period, gathering information from the adolescents and their mothers. The families were primarily African-American and Hispanic, and most lived in poverty.
Taking into consideration adolescents' demographic and family characteristics, the researchers found that when nonresident fathers were involved with their children, adolescents reported lower levels of delinquency, particularly among youth who showed an early tendency toward such behavior.
They also found that adolescent delinquency did not lead fathers to change their involvement over the long-term. But in the short-term, as teens engaged in more problem behaviors, fathers increased their involvement, suggesting that nonresident fathers may be getting more involved in an effort to stem their children's delinquency. This finding was most prevalent in African-American families and contrasts with the pattern in two-parent, middle-class, white families, where parents often pull away and become less involved in the face of adolescent delinquency.
"Nonresident fathers in low-income, minority families appear to be an important protective factor for adolescents," said Rebekah Levine Coley, professor of applied development and educational psychology at Boston College and the study's lead author. "Greater involvement from fathers may help adolescents develop self control and self competence, and may decrease the opportunities adolescents have to engage in problem behaviors."
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Summarized from Child Development, Vol. 78, Issue 1, Reciprocal Longitudinal Relations Between Nonresident Father Involvement and Adolescent Delinquency, by Coley, RL, and Medeiros, BL (Boston College). Copyright 2007 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contact: Andrea Browning
Society for Research in Child Development
The study, by researchers at Boston College, is published in the journal Child Development. The research was funded, in part, by the W.T. Grant Foundation, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation, Administration on Developmental Disabilities, Administration for Children and Families, Social Security Administration, and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Researchers looked at a representative sample of 647 youths who were 10 to 14 years old at the start of the study and their families over a 16-month period, gathering information from the adolescents and their mothers. The families were primarily African-American and Hispanic, and most lived in poverty.
Taking into consideration adolescents' demographic and family characteristics, the researchers found that when nonresident fathers were involved with their children, adolescents reported lower levels of delinquency, particularly among youth who showed an early tendency toward such behavior.
They also found that adolescent delinquency did not lead fathers to change their involvement over the long-term. But in the short-term, as teens engaged in more problem behaviors, fathers increased their involvement, suggesting that nonresident fathers may be getting more involved in an effort to stem their children's delinquency. This finding was most prevalent in African-American families and contrasts with the pattern in two-parent, middle-class, white families, where parents often pull away and become less involved in the face of adolescent delinquency.
"Nonresident fathers in low-income, minority families appear to be an important protective factor for adolescents," said Rebekah Levine Coley, professor of applied development and educational psychology at Boston College and the study's lead author. "Greater involvement from fathers may help adolescents develop self control and self competence, and may decrease the opportunities adolescents have to engage in problem behaviors."
###
Summarized from Child Development, Vol. 78, Issue 1, Reciprocal Longitudinal Relations Between Nonresident Father Involvement and Adolescent Delinquency, by Coley, RL, and Medeiros, BL (Boston College). Copyright 2007 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contact: Andrea Browning
Society for Research in Child Development
Selectivity Is Ultimate Aphrodisiac
Speed daters who romantically desired most of their potential partners were rejected quickly and overwhelmingly, according to a new Northwestern University study.
Conventional wisdom has long taught that one of the best ways to get someone to like you is to make it clear that you like them. Now researchers have discovered that this law of reciprocity is in dire need of an asterisk in the domain of romantic attraction.
The more you tend to experience romantic desire for all the potential romantic partners you meet, the study shows, the less likely it is that they will desire you in return. (Think too desperate, too indiscriminate.)
In contrast, when you desire a potential partner above and beyond your other options, only then is your desire likely to be reciprocated. (Think hallelujah, finally, someone really gets me.)
In the past, social psychologists have had a difficult time observing initial romantic attraction in action, but the speed-dating methodology used in this study allowed the investigators to take a serious look at the chemistry that has been at the center of so much literature, art and imagination throughout the ages.
"Potential partners who seem undiscriminating are a definite turnoff, and those who evoke the magic of feeling special are a big draw," said Paul W. Eastwick, the lead author of the study and a Northwestern graduate student in psychology. "The wild part is that our speed-daters were negotiating all of these subtleties with only four minutes for each date."
"Selective vs. Unselective Romantic Desire: Not All Reciprocity is Created Equal," by Eastwick and Northwestern's Eli J. Finkel, assistant professor of psychology, will be published in the April issue of the journal Psychological Science. Also contributing to the report are Daniel Mochon and Dan Ariely of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"How this all happens is a bit of a mystery," Finkel said. "Put yourself in the position of a speed dater. You're not only able to pick up something about the degree to which that person likes you, but you're able to pick up -- in four minutes -- the degree to which that person likes you more than their other dates. It's amazing."
To explore dynamics in the opening minutes of romantic attraction, the researchers set up seven speed-dating sessions for a total of 156 undergraduate students. Participants had four-minute speed dates with nine to 13 opposite-sex individuals. Immediately following each date, they completed a two-minute questionnaire, answering items such as "I really liked my interaction partner" and "I was sexually attracted to my interaction partner."
After returning home, they recorded on the study Web site whether they would be interested in meeting each person they had speed-dated again in the future. Mutual "yeses" were given the ability to contact one another.
"People who like everyone, unlike in a friendship context where they generally are liked in return, may exude desperation in a romantic context," Finkel said.
"It suggests to us that romantic desire comes in two distinct flavors: selective and unselective," Eastwick added. "If your goal is to get someone to notice you, the unselective flavor is going to fail, and fast."
The need to feel special or unique could be a broad motivation that stretches across our social lives, the study concludes. "Just as this need plays an important role in intimate relationships and friendships, the present study reveals a distinctive anti-reciprocity effect if this need is not satisfied in initial encounters with potential romantic partners."
###
Contact: Pat Vaughan Tremmel
Northwestern University
Conventional wisdom has long taught that one of the best ways to get someone to like you is to make it clear that you like them. Now researchers have discovered that this law of reciprocity is in dire need of an asterisk in the domain of romantic attraction.
The more you tend to experience romantic desire for all the potential romantic partners you meet, the study shows, the less likely it is that they will desire you in return. (Think too desperate, too indiscriminate.)
In contrast, when you desire a potential partner above and beyond your other options, only then is your desire likely to be reciprocated. (Think hallelujah, finally, someone really gets me.)
In the past, social psychologists have had a difficult time observing initial romantic attraction in action, but the speed-dating methodology used in this study allowed the investigators to take a serious look at the chemistry that has been at the center of so much literature, art and imagination throughout the ages.
"Potential partners who seem undiscriminating are a definite turnoff, and those who evoke the magic of feeling special are a big draw," said Paul W. Eastwick, the lead author of the study and a Northwestern graduate student in psychology. "The wild part is that our speed-daters were negotiating all of these subtleties with only four minutes for each date."
"Selective vs. Unselective Romantic Desire: Not All Reciprocity is Created Equal," by Eastwick and Northwestern's Eli J. Finkel, assistant professor of psychology, will be published in the April issue of the journal Psychological Science. Also contributing to the report are Daniel Mochon and Dan Ariely of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"How this all happens is a bit of a mystery," Finkel said. "Put yourself in the position of a speed dater. You're not only able to pick up something about the degree to which that person likes you, but you're able to pick up -- in four minutes -- the degree to which that person likes you more than their other dates. It's amazing."
To explore dynamics in the opening minutes of romantic attraction, the researchers set up seven speed-dating sessions for a total of 156 undergraduate students. Participants had four-minute speed dates with nine to 13 opposite-sex individuals. Immediately following each date, they completed a two-minute questionnaire, answering items such as "I really liked my interaction partner" and "I was sexually attracted to my interaction partner."
After returning home, they recorded on the study Web site whether they would be interested in meeting each person they had speed-dated again in the future. Mutual "yeses" were given the ability to contact one another.
"People who like everyone, unlike in a friendship context where they generally are liked in return, may exude desperation in a romantic context," Finkel said.
"It suggests to us that romantic desire comes in two distinct flavors: selective and unselective," Eastwick added. "If your goal is to get someone to notice you, the unselective flavor is going to fail, and fast."
The need to feel special or unique could be a broad motivation that stretches across our social lives, the study concludes. "Just as this need plays an important role in intimate relationships and friendships, the present study reveals a distinctive anti-reciprocity effect if this need is not satisfied in initial encounters with potential romantic partners."
###
Contact: Pat Vaughan Tremmel
Northwestern University
New Insurance Legislation Would End Discrimination Against People With Mental Health Disorders
Today, the United States Senate took an important step toward meeting the mental health needs of tens of millions of Americans by introducing new legislation to end discrimination against people with mental health disorders and assure treatment is available for those who need it. The Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, introduced by Sens. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Michael Enzi (R- Wyo.), would provide mental health insurance coverage equivalent to physical health coverage, benefiting 113 million Americans in large group health plans.
"Having a mental health disorder can be as serious as having a heart attack or any other debilitating, life-threatening physical health disorder. In addition, there is a clear connection between mental health disorders and physical ailments," says Russ Newman, PhD, JD, APA executive director for professional practice. "With the passage of this bill, insurers may no longer arbitrarily limit the number of hospital days or outpatient treatment sessions, or use higher copayments or deductibles for people in need of psychological services."
This new legislation, modeled on the current Federal Employee Health Benefits Program covering 8.5 million federal employees, strengthens provisions in the original Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 and closes loopholes in this law. The 2007 bill requires that copayments for office visits, deductibles, limits on number of visits, out-of-network and in-network services for psychological services be treated the same as physical health services. It also includes coverage for substance abuse and chemical dependency services. In addition, the bill preserves existing state laws requiring diagnoses coverage.
According to APA consumer research, 85 percent of Americans say health insurance should cover mental health services. And 87 percent say it's lack of insurance coverage that most keeps them from seeing a mental health professional.
"Health care coverage in this country needs to catch up with what people increasingly understand...the mind and body are linked inextricably," says Newman. "Congress can help improve access to mental health services and end insurance discrimination against those suffering from mental health disorders by passing the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007."
The American Psychological Association (APA), located in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 150,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its 54 divisions and its affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science and profession, and as a means of promoting health, education, and human welfare.
American Psychological Association
http://www.apa.org
"Having a mental health disorder can be as serious as having a heart attack or any other debilitating, life-threatening physical health disorder. In addition, there is a clear connection between mental health disorders and physical ailments," says Russ Newman, PhD, JD, APA executive director for professional practice. "With the passage of this bill, insurers may no longer arbitrarily limit the number of hospital days or outpatient treatment sessions, or use higher copayments or deductibles for people in need of psychological services."
This new legislation, modeled on the current Federal Employee Health Benefits Program covering 8.5 million federal employees, strengthens provisions in the original Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 and closes loopholes in this law. The 2007 bill requires that copayments for office visits, deductibles, limits on number of visits, out-of-network and in-network services for psychological services be treated the same as physical health services. It also includes coverage for substance abuse and chemical dependency services. In addition, the bill preserves existing state laws requiring diagnoses coverage.
According to APA consumer research, 85 percent of Americans say health insurance should cover mental health services. And 87 percent say it's lack of insurance coverage that most keeps them from seeing a mental health professional.
"Health care coverage in this country needs to catch up with what people increasingly understand...the mind and body are linked inextricably," says Newman. "Congress can help improve access to mental health services and end insurance discrimination against those suffering from mental health disorders by passing the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007."
The American Psychological Association (APA), located in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 150,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its 54 divisions and its affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science and profession, and as a means of promoting health, education, and human welfare.
American Psychological Association
http://www.apa.org
Using Octopuses To Understand Depression
Researchers often use animals to help them resolve problems that can be applied to people. Dr. Jean Boal, a biology professor at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, is developing a new and unique way to research the causes and effects of depression with the help of octopuses.
Boal, along with Dr. Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq, a visiting postdoctoral fellow from Universite de Caen in France, is performing behavioral experiments with octopuses. Darmaillacq will be working with Boal through February 16.
"Along with biology student, Katherine Heldt, we will be researching the effects different conditions have on the octopuses to gain information on depression," explained Boal.
She explained that the first part of the research will include training the octopuses to distinguish between white and black rods and reward it with food if it goes to one rod and no reward if it goes to the other. Next, for two weeks they will house half the octopuses in enriched conditions and the other half in impoverished conditions and then reverse the housing for another two weeks.
"My prediction is that if the octopuses are like rats (or people), the octopuses moved from impoverished to enriched conditions should be 'happy' and 'optimistic,'" said Boal. "The octopuses moved from enriched to impoverished conditions should be 'sad' and 'pessimistic.' We can test this by presenting them with rods that have black-and-white stripes. Optimistic animals will see the striped rods as like the ones they were rewarded with. Pessimistic animals will see the striped rods as like the ones that had no reward."
"Darmaillacq's primary goal is to collaborate with me on these behavioral experiments," said Boal. "Her secondary goals are perfecting her English and getting to know the United States."
Boal will be traveling to France this summer to work with Darmaillacq in her home setting. They will conduct the same type of studies, but with cuttlefish instead of octopuses.
Along with their student collaborator, they will present the results of their experiments at an international behavior meeting and publish their results in a peer-reviewed journal.
Millersville University
http://www.millersville.edu/
Boal, along with Dr. Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq, a visiting postdoctoral fellow from Universite de Caen in France, is performing behavioral experiments with octopuses. Darmaillacq will be working with Boal through February 16.
"Along with biology student, Katherine Heldt, we will be researching the effects different conditions have on the octopuses to gain information on depression," explained Boal.
She explained that the first part of the research will include training the octopuses to distinguish between white and black rods and reward it with food if it goes to one rod and no reward if it goes to the other. Next, for two weeks they will house half the octopuses in enriched conditions and the other half in impoverished conditions and then reverse the housing for another two weeks.
"My prediction is that if the octopuses are like rats (or people), the octopuses moved from impoverished to enriched conditions should be 'happy' and 'optimistic,'" said Boal. "The octopuses moved from enriched to impoverished conditions should be 'sad' and 'pessimistic.' We can test this by presenting them with rods that have black-and-white stripes. Optimistic animals will see the striped rods as like the ones they were rewarded with. Pessimistic animals will see the striped rods as like the ones that had no reward."
"Darmaillacq's primary goal is to collaborate with me on these behavioral experiments," said Boal. "Her secondary goals are perfecting her English and getting to know the United States."
Boal will be traveling to France this summer to work with Darmaillacq in her home setting. They will conduct the same type of studies, but with cuttlefish instead of octopuses.
Along with their student collaborator, they will present the results of their experiments at an international behavior meeting and publish their results in a peer-reviewed journal.
Millersville University
http://www.millersville.edu/
Penn Study Based On Abu Ghraib Suggests Military Veterans Highly Tolerant Of Detainee Abuse
In a study that appears in the current issue of Military Medicine, William C. Holmes, MD, MSCE, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and lead author of the paper, assesses veterans' tolerance for detainee abuse and variables associated with it.
In the study, three scenarios of detainee abuse, taken directly from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, were presented to veterans. After each scenario, zero tolerance -- or the belief that abuse is "completely unacceptable" regardless of who the detainee is -- was assessed for the described abuse. Holmes, who is also an investigator at the Center for Health Equity Resesarch and Promotion at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, found that:
* Only 16% of veterans indicated zero tolerance for detainee exposure and deprivation
* Only 31% indicated zero tolerance for detainee exposure and sexualized humiliation
* Not even half (48%) indicated zero tolerance for detainee rape
"The level of tolerance exhibited by these findings is surprising, but may not be true for all veterans and certainly cannot be said to be representative of active-duty military," says Holmes. He adds, "These findings do indicate, however, the value of assessing tolerance for abuse, and for using scenario-based assessment to do that; it provides an argument for similar work being done in active-duty military, particularly those who are heading to Iraq to become involved in sensitive, oversight positions."
The study was completed by administering paper questionnaires to 351veteran volunteers at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center's Mental Health Clinic, Primary Care Clinic, and Women's Health Center. Participants were asked a number of sociodemographic questions (e.g., age, sex) and other questions (e.g., period of service, service in a war zone). Symptoms of depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were also assessed.
Although every questionnaire administered the three increasingly-severe abuse scenarios, there were three questionnaire versions used: all scenarios of one version ended by stating that the abusing soldier was not ordered by a superior to treat the detainee in this way; all scenarios of the second version ended by stating that the abusing soldier was ordered by a superior to treat the detainee in this way; and all scenarios of the third version ended by stating that a second soldier stated, "This treatment is wrong," and reported it.
In general, veterans' tolerance for abuse was least when soldier-initiated, and greatest when superior-ordered. Tolerance for abuse also was high when a whistleblower was involved.
The strongest, most consistently significant variable related to tolerance was depression and co-morbid depression/posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those with depression alone and those with comorbid depression/PTSD exhibited odds that were approximately two and three times more tolerant of abuse than those with neither depression or PTSD. Sex of the respondent also was related to tolerance. Men exhibited odds that were ~4 to 20 times more tolerant of abuse than women.
Holmes notes that future studies using scenario-based questionnaire methods are warranted in generalizable war zone samples. "If our results are replicated in active-duty soldiers," he challenges, "one could imagine the use of scenario-based questionnaires of this type to provide risk stratification of a soldiers' likelihood for abuse upon entry into a sensitive oversight position. The frequent development of depression and PTSD in soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq would suggest that completion of the questionnaire occur intermittently during their tour of duty as well."
###
PENN Medicine is a $2.9 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Penn's School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #3 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes three hospitals, all of which have received numerous national patient-care honors [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center]; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home care and hospice.
Contact: Kate Olderman
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
In the study, three scenarios of detainee abuse, taken directly from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, were presented to veterans. After each scenario, zero tolerance -- or the belief that abuse is "completely unacceptable" regardless of who the detainee is -- was assessed for the described abuse. Holmes, who is also an investigator at the Center for Health Equity Resesarch and Promotion at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, found that:
* Only 16% of veterans indicated zero tolerance for detainee exposure and deprivation
* Only 31% indicated zero tolerance for detainee exposure and sexualized humiliation
* Not even half (48%) indicated zero tolerance for detainee rape
"The level of tolerance exhibited by these findings is surprising, but may not be true for all veterans and certainly cannot be said to be representative of active-duty military," says Holmes. He adds, "These findings do indicate, however, the value of assessing tolerance for abuse, and for using scenario-based assessment to do that; it provides an argument for similar work being done in active-duty military, particularly those who are heading to Iraq to become involved in sensitive, oversight positions."
The study was completed by administering paper questionnaires to 351veteran volunteers at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center's Mental Health Clinic, Primary Care Clinic, and Women's Health Center. Participants were asked a number of sociodemographic questions (e.g., age, sex) and other questions (e.g., period of service, service in a war zone). Symptoms of depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were also assessed.
Although every questionnaire administered the three increasingly-severe abuse scenarios, there were three questionnaire versions used: all scenarios of one version ended by stating that the abusing soldier was not ordered by a superior to treat the detainee in this way; all scenarios of the second version ended by stating that the abusing soldier was ordered by a superior to treat the detainee in this way; and all scenarios of the third version ended by stating that a second soldier stated, "This treatment is wrong," and reported it.
In general, veterans' tolerance for abuse was least when soldier-initiated, and greatest when superior-ordered. Tolerance for abuse also was high when a whistleblower was involved.
The strongest, most consistently significant variable related to tolerance was depression and co-morbid depression/posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those with depression alone and those with comorbid depression/PTSD exhibited odds that were approximately two and three times more tolerant of abuse than those with neither depression or PTSD. Sex of the respondent also was related to tolerance. Men exhibited odds that were ~4 to 20 times more tolerant of abuse than women.
Holmes notes that future studies using scenario-based questionnaire methods are warranted in generalizable war zone samples. "If our results are replicated in active-duty soldiers," he challenges, "one could imagine the use of scenario-based questionnaires of this type to provide risk stratification of a soldiers' likelihood for abuse upon entry into a sensitive oversight position. The frequent development of depression and PTSD in soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq would suggest that completion of the questionnaire occur intermittently during their tour of duty as well."
###
PENN Medicine is a $2.9 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Penn's School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #3 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes three hospitals, all of which have received numerous national patient-care honors [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center]; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home care and hospice.
Contact: Kate Olderman
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Does A Doctor's Style Of Dress Impact A Patient's Perception Of Care? Apparently Not
Often first impressions matter, and sometimes your clothing choices can speak volumes about you. But does that hold true for a doctor when striving to make a good first impression upon a patient? Is the patient's perception about the quality of care influenced by what a doctor wears?
A Cooper University Hospital high-risk obstetrician answered these questions in his research appearing in the February issue of The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a peer-reviewed publication.
"Our hypothesis held true. Our study determined that patient satisfaction is unrelated to physician attire, " said Richard L. Fischer, M.D., a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Co-Division Head of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Cooper University Hospital and lead researcher of the study. "Patients weren't any less satisfied and didn't perceive any difference based on how their doctors appeared. "
The question of how a doctor should dress has been widely debated within the medical community. Doctors traditionally choose clothing based on their personal preferences, comfort levels and the impressions they want to convey. The physician wants to instill in the patient a high level of confidence in both bedside manner and professional competency.
Some physicians choose a white coat to suggest a sense of cleanliness, professionalism and authority while others choose more informal attire in the hope of breaking down barriers, improving communications and creating a more equal physician-patient relationship, the study notes.
The research involved 20 full-time faculty members in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J. During a three-month span between September and November 2005, doctors were randomly assigned to wear business attire, casual clothing or scrub suits for a week at a time. The study meticulously outlined for each doctor what constituted the differences among the styles of clothing. For instance, a buttoned white coat was required for business attire, prohibited while wearing scrubs and generally discouraged for casual attire, although permitted as long as it was unbuttoned.
Patients who were meeting one of the doctors for the first time and their appointment lasted at least 10 minutes were asked to complete a survey. This was to avoid any bias from previous interactions. Each form included 10 questions about the physician's competence and professionalism, the patient's sense of comfort and confidence in the physician, and whether they would return to or recommend the doctor to others. No statements referred to the provider's clothing. Of the 1,116 patients involved in the study, 375 were exposed to physicians in business attire, 373 to casual attire and 368 to scrub attire. The study found identical satisfactions levels among all three apparels, regardless of the questions asked.
"This contradicts the longstanding belief that attire affects the level of patient comfort or the patient's perception of physician competence and professionalism," Fischer said.
Cooper University Hospital
3 Executive Campus
Suite 240-B
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
USA
http://www.cooperhealth.edu
A Cooper University Hospital high-risk obstetrician answered these questions in his research appearing in the February issue of The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a peer-reviewed publication.
"Our hypothesis held true. Our study determined that patient satisfaction is unrelated to physician attire, " said Richard L. Fischer, M.D., a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Co-Division Head of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Cooper University Hospital and lead researcher of the study. "Patients weren't any less satisfied and didn't perceive any difference based on how their doctors appeared. "
The question of how a doctor should dress has been widely debated within the medical community. Doctors traditionally choose clothing based on their personal preferences, comfort levels and the impressions they want to convey. The physician wants to instill in the patient a high level of confidence in both bedside manner and professional competency.
Some physicians choose a white coat to suggest a sense of cleanliness, professionalism and authority while others choose more informal attire in the hope of breaking down barriers, improving communications and creating a more equal physician-patient relationship, the study notes.
The research involved 20 full-time faculty members in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J. During a three-month span between September and November 2005, doctors were randomly assigned to wear business attire, casual clothing or scrub suits for a week at a time. The study meticulously outlined for each doctor what constituted the differences among the styles of clothing. For instance, a buttoned white coat was required for business attire, prohibited while wearing scrubs and generally discouraged for casual attire, although permitted as long as it was unbuttoned.
Patients who were meeting one of the doctors for the first time and their appointment lasted at least 10 minutes were asked to complete a survey. This was to avoid any bias from previous interactions. Each form included 10 questions about the physician's competence and professionalism, the patient's sense of comfort and confidence in the physician, and whether they would return to or recommend the doctor to others. No statements referred to the provider's clothing. Of the 1,116 patients involved in the study, 375 were exposed to physicians in business attire, 373 to casual attire and 368 to scrub attire. The study found identical satisfactions levels among all three apparels, regardless of the questions asked.
"This contradicts the longstanding belief that attire affects the level of patient comfort or the patient's perception of physician competence and professionalism," Fischer said.
Cooper University Hospital
3 Executive Campus
Suite 240-B
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
USA
http://www.cooperhealth.edu
Males Have Adapted To Battle With Competing Sperm
In the context of sexual reproduction, natural selection is generally thought of as a pre-copulation mechanism. We are drawn to features of the human body that tell us our partner is healthy and will provide us a fighting opportunity to carry on our genetic lineage. But a new article appearing in the February issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science suggests that the human male has evolved mechanisms to pass on his genes during post-copulation as well, a phenomenon dubbed "sperm competition."
In their article, Todd Shackelford and Aaron Getz at Florida Atlantic University describe sperm competition as "the inevitable consequence of males competing for fertilizations."
For a monogamous species, sperm competition may seem unlikely. But according to the authors, extra pair copulations (i.e. affairs) appear to be a significant part of our ancestral history and could, evolutionarily speaking, spell disaster. Ultimately, a male whose female partner engages in extra-pair copulation is at risk of unwittingly investing his resources into a genetically unrelated offspring.
Competition may also affect sperm count, say the authors. When men spend more time away from their partners (time that their partners could have spent with other males), the number of sperm in their ejaculate increases upon their next copulation. In one study, the authors note, simulated phalluses that most closely resembled the human penis removed an ejaculate-like substance from an artificial vagina. This could potentially signify that that the penis developed its shape to act as an anatomical squeegee.
But sperm competition does not solely take place in the realm of our biological makeup. According to the authors, many sexual behaviors such as deep copulatory thrusting may function to remove rival sperm. Accordingly, sexual partners report that men thrust more deeply and quickly into the vagina following allegations of infidelity. The same periods of separation that increase sperm number in male ejaculates may also help to explain the increasingly lustful feelings human males develop after long periods of time apart from their mate. That is, the human male may want to copulate as soon as possible as insurance against possible extra-pair copulation.
As sperm competition comes to light as yet another facet of sexual adaptation, it raises the question of how many other ways have humans evolved in a world dictated by "survival of the fittest?" "Sexual conflict between males and females," Shackelford and Goetz describe, "produces a coevolutionary arms race between the sexes, in which an advantage gained by one sex selects for counteradaptations in the other sex." Thus future research may move beyond male adaptations and, for example, attempt to identify mechanisms in which females increase retention of sperm inseminated by men with the most favorable genes.
###
Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science publishes concise reviews spanning all of scientific psychology and its applications.
Contact: Todd Shackelford
Association for Psychological Science
In their article, Todd Shackelford and Aaron Getz at Florida Atlantic University describe sperm competition as "the inevitable consequence of males competing for fertilizations."
For a monogamous species, sperm competition may seem unlikely. But according to the authors, extra pair copulations (i.e. affairs) appear to be a significant part of our ancestral history and could, evolutionarily speaking, spell disaster. Ultimately, a male whose female partner engages in extra-pair copulation is at risk of unwittingly investing his resources into a genetically unrelated offspring.
Competition may also affect sperm count, say the authors. When men spend more time away from their partners (time that their partners could have spent with other males), the number of sperm in their ejaculate increases upon their next copulation. In one study, the authors note, simulated phalluses that most closely resembled the human penis removed an ejaculate-like substance from an artificial vagina. This could potentially signify that that the penis developed its shape to act as an anatomical squeegee.
But sperm competition does not solely take place in the realm of our biological makeup. According to the authors, many sexual behaviors such as deep copulatory thrusting may function to remove rival sperm. Accordingly, sexual partners report that men thrust more deeply and quickly into the vagina following allegations of infidelity. The same periods of separation that increase sperm number in male ejaculates may also help to explain the increasingly lustful feelings human males develop after long periods of time apart from their mate. That is, the human male may want to copulate as soon as possible as insurance against possible extra-pair copulation.
As sperm competition comes to light as yet another facet of sexual adaptation, it raises the question of how many other ways have humans evolved in a world dictated by "survival of the fittest?" "Sexual conflict between males and females," Shackelford and Goetz describe, "produces a coevolutionary arms race between the sexes, in which an advantage gained by one sex selects for counteradaptations in the other sex." Thus future research may move beyond male adaptations and, for example, attempt to identify mechanisms in which females increase retention of sperm inseminated by men with the most favorable genes.
###
Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science publishes concise reviews spanning all of scientific psychology and its applications.
Contact: Todd Shackelford
Association for Psychological Science
A Simple Test Distinguishes Between Bipolar Disorder And Depression
Type II bipolar disorder is an underdiagnosed disease which can be easily confused with depression. Contrarily to what happens in type I bipolar disorder, depressive symptoms and, above all, manic symptoms alternated in this form of the disease are not evident and difficult to identify. In fact, patients suffering from it usually go to the doctor because they are depressed, without thinking that they have also had slight manic episodes (euphoria and other cognition disorders). Medical centre lack tools to identify successfully this pathology, which can take 8-10 years to be correctly diagnosed. Furthermore, antidepressant treatment can be counterproductive in patients with type II bipolar disorder. Dr. Eduard Vieta, of the group Biological Basis of the Psychic Disorder and Nuclear Psychiatry of the Institut d'Investigacions BiomГЁdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), has coordinated a study in order to validate the Spanish version of the test Hypomania symptom check list (HCL-32), which is being developed in an ample international collaboration.
The last issue of Journal of Affective Disorders published results confirming the usefulness of this simple questionnaire of 32 questions to distinguish major depression from bipolar disorder. In 2005, researchers from IDIBAPS collaborated in the international design of this test (J Affect Disord, 2005; 88(2):217-33). The main difference between HCL-32 and the test used until today - the Mood disorder questionnaire (MDQ)- is the open character of the questions, facilitating the patient's sincerity. In these questions lay essential information to assess retrospectively the energy/activity levels of patients and problems of disinhibition, self-control and attention they have suffered in the past. This new study compares the sensitivity of both questionnaires, and concludes that the HCL-32 is more precise than the MDQ in the identification of type II bipolar disorder patients. This work has been supported by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and had the participation of PSYNCRO, a neuropsychological research enterprise, located in the Parc CientГfic de Barcelona (PCB), which has worked in collaboration with the Department of Psychology of the Universitat de Girona.
A total of 237 people from 15 different psychiatric departments (see annex list), filled out the HCL-32. Except those belonging to the control group (60), the rest were correctly diagnosed, stable and receiving a correct treatment for their pathology, which could be type I (62) and type II (56) bipolar disorder, or major depression (58). This test was able to identify more than 80% of patients with bipolar disorder. Although it could not distinguish between types I and II, this decision is relatively easy to take from the clinical data of the patient. For the first time, a tool to identify bipolar disorder is available for patients going to the medical centre claiming depression. Although it is necessary to go on with studies in patients of wider populations, the HCL-32 test can provide very useful information to psychiatrists and even to primary-care physicians.
###
Further information please contact:
ГЂlex ArgemГ, Sientific writer,
Institut d'Investigacions BiomГЁdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)
Marc de Semir,
Head of Communication,
Communication Department
Annex
List of involved health centres:
* Programme of Bipolar Disorders. Institut ClГnic de NeurociГЁncies. Hospital ClГnic, IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona Stanley Foundation Center. Barcelona.
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital Universitario "MarquГ©s de Valdecilla". Santander
* Institute of Psychiatric Care, Mental Health and Toxicomanic Hospital del Mar. Barcelona
* Psychiatry Department. Hospital Virgen Macarena. Sevilla,
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital General y Universitario. Guadalajara.
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital MГєtua de Terrassa. Terrasa (Barcelona).
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital Regional Universitario Infanta Cristina. Badajoz.
* Mental Health Centre. Mieres (Asturias).
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital Universitario San Juan. Alicante.
* Psychiatry and Mental Health Unit. Hospital General de Vic. Vic (Barcelona).
* Psychiatry Unit II. Hospital General Universitario Gregorio MaraГ±Гіn. Madrid.
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital Donostia. San SebastiГЎn (GuipГєzcoa).
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital ClГnico. Salamanca.
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital de la Princesa. Madrid.
* Unit of Psychiatric Hospitalisation. Hospital General de Jerez de la Fontera. Jerez de la Frontera (CГЎdiz).
* Neurosciences Area. Medical Department. GlaxoSmithKline S.A. Tres Cantos (Madrid) * University of Zurich, Switzerland
Contact: ГЂlex ArgemГ
IDIBAPS - Institut d'Investigacions BiomГЁdiques August Pi i Sunyer
The last issue of Journal of Affective Disorders published results confirming the usefulness of this simple questionnaire of 32 questions to distinguish major depression from bipolar disorder. In 2005, researchers from IDIBAPS collaborated in the international design of this test (J Affect Disord, 2005; 88(2):217-33). The main difference between HCL-32 and the test used until today - the Mood disorder questionnaire (MDQ)- is the open character of the questions, facilitating the patient's sincerity. In these questions lay essential information to assess retrospectively the energy/activity levels of patients and problems of disinhibition, self-control and attention they have suffered in the past. This new study compares the sensitivity of both questionnaires, and concludes that the HCL-32 is more precise than the MDQ in the identification of type II bipolar disorder patients. This work has been supported by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and had the participation of PSYNCRO, a neuropsychological research enterprise, located in the Parc CientГfic de Barcelona (PCB), which has worked in collaboration with the Department of Psychology of the Universitat de Girona.
A total of 237 people from 15 different psychiatric departments (see annex list), filled out the HCL-32. Except those belonging to the control group (60), the rest were correctly diagnosed, stable and receiving a correct treatment for their pathology, which could be type I (62) and type II (56) bipolar disorder, or major depression (58). This test was able to identify more than 80% of patients with bipolar disorder. Although it could not distinguish between types I and II, this decision is relatively easy to take from the clinical data of the patient. For the first time, a tool to identify bipolar disorder is available for patients going to the medical centre claiming depression. Although it is necessary to go on with studies in patients of wider populations, the HCL-32 test can provide very useful information to psychiatrists and even to primary-care physicians.
###
Further information please contact:
ГЂlex ArgemГ, Sientific writer,
Institut d'Investigacions BiomГЁdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)
Marc de Semir,
Head of Communication,
Communication Department
Annex
List of involved health centres:
* Programme of Bipolar Disorders. Institut ClГnic de NeurociГЁncies. Hospital ClГnic, IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona Stanley Foundation Center. Barcelona.
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital Universitario "MarquГ©s de Valdecilla". Santander
* Institute of Psychiatric Care, Mental Health and Toxicomanic Hospital del Mar. Barcelona
* Psychiatry Department. Hospital Virgen Macarena. Sevilla,
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital General y Universitario. Guadalajara.
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital MГєtua de Terrassa. Terrasa (Barcelona).
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital Regional Universitario Infanta Cristina. Badajoz.
* Mental Health Centre. Mieres (Asturias).
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital Universitario San Juan. Alicante.
* Psychiatry and Mental Health Unit. Hospital General de Vic. Vic (Barcelona).
* Psychiatry Unit II. Hospital General Universitario Gregorio MaraГ±Гіn. Madrid.
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital Donostia. San SebastiГЎn (GuipГєzcoa).
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital ClГnico. Salamanca.
* Psychiatry Unit. Hospital de la Princesa. Madrid.
* Unit of Psychiatric Hospitalisation. Hospital General de Jerez de la Fontera. Jerez de la Frontera (CГЎdiz).
* Neurosciences Area. Medical Department. GlaxoSmithKline S.A. Tres Cantos (Madrid) * University of Zurich, Switzerland
Contact: ГЂlex ArgemГ
IDIBAPS - Institut d'Investigacions BiomГЁdiques August Pi i Sunyer
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