Assessing the role of depression in reducing intimate partner violence perpetration among young men living in urban informal settlements using a mediation analysis of the Stepping Stones and Creating Futures intervention

BACKGROUND

Stepping Stones and Creating Futures (SS/CF) is a gender transformative and economic empowerment intervention that has effectively reduced the perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) by young men living in informal settlements in South Africa.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines whether depression mediated the association between SS/CF intervention and decreased IPV.

METHOD

Data from a two-arm cluster randomised community-based controlled trial that evaluated the effectiveness of SS/CF in lowering IPV were obtained from 674 young men aged 18-30 within urban informal settlements in South Africa. After being randomly assigned to either the experimental arm (SS/CF) or the control arm, the participants were followed up for 24 months. Logistic regression using mediation analysis was conducted to see whether changes in depressive symptoms mediated the association between the intervention and reduced IPV perpetration.

RESULTS

Findings from the mediation analysis indicated that those assigned to the SS/CF experimental group reported lower depression (β = -0.42, p < 0.05) at 12 months, and this was subsequently associated with reduced IPV (β = 0.43, p < 0.05) at 24 months. The direct path from SS/CF to IPV was originally (β = -0.46, p < 0.01), but reduced in the mediation model to (β = -0.13, p = 0.50). Depressive symptoms mediated the association between the SS/CF intervention and decreased IPV perpetration.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that one pathway through which SS/CF decreased IPV was through improvement in mental health (i.e. depression). Future IPV prevention interventions may consider incorporating components that focus on improving mental health as a way of also reducing IPV perpetration in disadvantaged settings.

Mapping Places of Encounter: An Integrative Methodological Approach to Understanding Social Inclusion

Physical places of encounter are nodes of social interaction in which moments of social inclusion and exclusion crystallize. On a methodological level, meeting places have in the past usually been associated either with firmly established spatial arrangements or with situational opportunities of encounter. Acknowledging the complexity of places of encounter and developing further a spatio-visual mapping tool conducted in various research projects on local inclusion of newcomers, we propose an integrative research approach to capturing, mapping and analyzing places of encounter via four dimensions: level of institutionalization, level of intentionality, level of inclusion and horizontal and vertical scale. The proposed place-based approach holds the chance to explicitly take into account a spatial perspective in the analysis of social interactions. Thus, it goes beyond mere network analysis, but is able to capture the socio-spatial conditions of encounters as pre-configurations of further social dynamics. In doing so, we address not only the methodological gap in research but also the practical relevance for identifying and evaluating locally important meeting places. More specifically, as part of a qualitative interview, the mapping tool can enable the participation of people whose voices are seldom heard, while the inclusion of multiple perspectives on places of encounter may facilitate local governance processes in the social realm.

Job characteristics that enrich clinician-educators' career: a theory-informed exploratory survey

Clinician educators (CEs) play a vital role in helping academic institutions achieve the missions of patient care, education and research. The driving forces that motivate pediatric CEs in professional growth and personal satisfaction remain unexplored. An exploratory survey research to investigate the job characteristics and factors that motivate CEs to pursue professional growth with personal satisfaction. Using the Job Characteristics Model (JCM) as a framework, we developed a 22-item survey comprised of the JCM derived Job Diagnostic Survey, Global Job Satisfaction scales and demographics. We collected data from January 2020 to March 2020 from self-identified pediatric CEs (with and without educational leadership roles) through a survey recruitment service. Given no data on total number of CEs in the survey pool, response rate was unknown. Job characteristics in the core job dimensions of meaningfulness, autonomy, and performance feedback, as well as, the derived Motivating Potential Score (MPS), were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression models. From 201 respondents, including 55 education leaders, >70% were satisfied with patient care, teaching, and mentoring while <40% were satisfied with administrative and scholarly activities. Meaningfulness (in some areas), autonomy (patient care/teaching), and internal feedback (all areas) had significant effects on job satisfaction. In regression analysis, skill variety, feedback, and years of experience were associated with higher job satisfaction, and the MPS was a predictor of total job satisfaction. The JCM can be utilized to understand CE's motivations and needs within their workplace and guide professional development via job enrichment efforts.

Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in a longitudinal study of Hurricane Katrina survivors

While the COVID-19 pandemic is known to have caused widespread mental health challenges, it remains unknown how the prevalence, presentation, and predictors of mental health adversity during the pandemic compare to other mass crises. We shed light on this question using longitudinal survey data (2003-2021) from 424 low-income mothers who were affected by both the pandemic and Hurricane Katrina, which struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005. The prevalence of elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms was similar 1-year into the pandemic (41.6%) as 1-year post-Katrina (41.9%), while elevated psychological distress was more prevalent 1-year into the pandemic (48.3%) than 1-year post-Katrina (37.2%). Adjusted logistic regression models showed that pandemic-related bereavement, fear or worry, lapsed medical care, and economic stressors predicted mental health adversity during the pandemic. Similar exposures were associated with mental health adversity post-Katrina. Findings underscore the continued need for pandemic-related mental health services and suggest that preventing traumatic or stressful exposures may reduce the mental health impacts of future mass crises.

The relationship between subjective well-being and food: a qualitative study based on children's perspectives

PURPOSE

Despite the lack of consensus regarding which life satisfaction domains should be included in the study of children's subjective well-being (SWB), some domains are frequently considered, such as satisfaction with health. However, some others, such as satisfaction with food, are barely taken into account, despite the impact eating habits have on children's health and well-being. We adopt a qualitative approach to explore the role food plays in children's SWB, providing for a more in-depth analysis of children's perceptions and evaluations on a still insufficiently known domain of life satisfaction.

METHOD

Sixteen discussion groups were held with 112 Spanish students (10-12 years old) from six schools. The transcripts were analy sed and themes reflecting the key concepts were defined using reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Five themes emerged from the children's discourses on the relationship between food and SWB: health, pleasure, emotions, commensality-i.e., eating together-and food-empowerment-thus offering new insights from children's perspectives.

CONCLUSION

Almost all of the participants established a relationship between their SWB and their eating behaviour, meaning that, within the challenges facing public health, SWB must be taken into account when promoting healthy eating programmes for children. Also, group discussion is found to be a very powerful tool for exploring topics with subjective connotations among child populations.

A biphasic relational approach to the evolution of human consciousness: Un enfoque relacional bifásico para la evolución de la conciencia humana

Background/objective

Human consciousness is arguably unique, and its features are hard to explain. Continuous and discrete accounts of consciousness are commonly viewed as incompatible, but both have limitations. Continuous accounts cannot readily account for what appears to be unique about human consciousness; discrete accounts have a hard time explaining how human consciousness could have evolved. The present position paper shows how both continuous and discontinuously elements can be combined.

Method

A biphasic model is constructed by unifying complex systems theory, the evolution of symbolic reasoning as a relational extension of human cooperation, and evolutionary science. The application of this approach to modern views of consciousness is then explored.

Results

Our analysis suggests that human consciousness may be viewed as a discontinuous event, that emerged from continuous foundations. This biphasic account contains processes that can be targeted clinically. For example, developmentally delayed children with problems in consciousness may be helped by targeting the processes the present account suggests are important at different levels of complexity.

Conclusions

This biphasic relational approach fits with the evolutionary record and with data on human cognitive development. It may be useful in guiding clinical intervention.

Living well: Empirically developed structural equation model for healthy and effective self-regulation

The purpose of this study is to develop and empirically test a structural equation model (SEM) for healthy and effective self-regulation based on the propositions of self-determination theory (SDT). A cross-sectional data sample (N = 6,705) is used to test the model. The results of the SEM demonstrate good to excellent global fit indices (RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.04 CFI = 0.97, TLI/NNFI = 0.95) and excellent local fit indices (p < 0.001). It is acknowledged that longitudinal and experimental research designs will be necessary to infer causal effects. However, based on the strong theoretical and empirical grounding of the model, indications for causal effects are discussed beyond correlational relations. The local fit indices imply that autonomy of goals, intrinsic values orientation, mindfulness, and the newly integrated construct clarity about personal values positively affect psychological needs satisfaction and facets of subjective and psychological well-being. Additionally, they indicate that mindfulness and clarity about personal values have the greatest benefits on individual health, well-being, and effectiveness. These results are crucial as they emphasize the significant role of mindfulness in healthy and effective self-regulation. Furthermore, they put the spotlight on a rather new construct; clarity about personal values. By having transferred the knowledge base of SDT into an empirically derived model of healthy and effective self-regulation, this study provides well-grounded indications of how health, well-being, and effectiveness in individuals may be fostered. These indications offer new insights for theory building and practical interventions in domains like psychotherapy, healthcare, organizations, sports, and education.

Üniversite Öğrencilerinde Sosyal Medya Bağımlılığını Etkileyen Faktörler ve Sosyal Medya Bağımlılığının Depresyon ve Gelişmeleri Kaçırma Korkusu İle İlişkisi

Amaç: Araştırma üniversite öğrencilerinde sosyal medya bağımlılığını etkileyen faktörleri ve sosyal medya bağımlılığının depresyon, gelişmeleri kaçırma korkusu ile ilişkisini belirlemek amacı ile kesitsel olarak yapılmıştır. Yöntem: Çalışma 448 üniversite öğrencisi ile yapılmıştır. Veriler; anket formu, Sosyal Medya Bağımlılığı Ölçeği-Yetişkin Formu (SMBÖ-YF), Üsküdar Gelişmeleri Kaçırma Korkusu Ölçeği (ÜGKKÖ) ve Beck Depresyon Ölçeği (BDÖ) kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Bulgular: Kadın öğrencilerin SMBÖ-YF puan ortalamalarının erkek öğrencilere göre yüksek olduğu ve yaş arttıkça SMBÖ-YF puanının azaldığı görülmüştür. Annenin sosyal medya kullanımının artması, öğrencilerin uyuşturucu madde kullanması, sosyal medya kullanım sıklığının ve tek oturumda sosyal medya kullanım süresinin artması, sosyal medyaya akıllı telefon ile bağlanmak, sosyal medyayı paylaşımda bulunmak amacıyla kullanmak SMBÖ-YF puanını arttırmaktadır. Öğrencilerin SMBÖ-YF puanları ile BDÖ puanları arasında pozitif yönde zayıf düzeyde, SMBÖ-YF puanları ile ÜGKKÖ puanları arasında pozitif yönde orta düzeyde anlamlı ilişki saptanmıştır. Sosyal medya bağımlılığının artmasındaki en güçlü 3 etken sırasıyla; ÜGKKÖ puanı, günlük 3 saatten fazla sosyal medya kullanımı ve BDÖ puanıdır. Sonuç: Öğrencilerin orta düzeyde sosyal medya bağımlılığına sahip olduğu bulunmuştur. Depresyon ve sosyal medya bağımlılığı birbirlerini çift taraflı olarak etkilemektedir. Aynı şekilde gelişmeleri kaçırma korkusu ve sosyal medya bağımlılığı da birbirlerini çift taraflı olarak etkilemektedir. Öğrencilerin sosyal medya bağımlılığının olumsuz sonuçları ve sosyal medya okuryazarlığı hakkında bilgilendirilmesi, bağımlılık ile ilgili kamu spotlarının sosyal medya üzerinden yayınlanmasının sağlanması önerilebilir.

Cultural Dimensions of Emotion Regulation

This review aims to evaluate the connections between emotion regulation and cultural elements via different theoretical frameworks. For this purpose, one of the most used emotion regulation models in the literature, Gross's model is briefly explained. Also, cultural elements are discussed by focusing on socialization practices, social rules, cultural scenarios, cultural values, and cultural differences highlighted in these concepts. Besides, the cultural differences in emotional expression and regulation through cultural values are presented by using two different theories and related research. The results of these research show that suppression can be adaptive and functional in different cultural contexts, and different levels of analysis can be combined to explain the processes of emotional behavior.

Postpartum Paternal Depression: Its Impact on Family and Child Development

The postpartum period is when parents undergo great changes and gain new responsibilities. Factors such as the changes that come with having a baby, not meeting the expectations about parenthood, having a child with a difficult temperament or health problems, or relational problems can be quite challenging in this period. These problems can deeply affect the psychological well-being of the parents. Although studies on depressive symptoms of mothers during pregnancy and postpartum are at an important level, studies aiming to examine the psychological state of fathers for the same period are still limited. However, perceptions that postpartum depression develops due to hormonal changes during pregnancy have been reshaped by the findings that this situation may also develop due to psychosocial factors. Relatedly, the number of studies on postpartum depression experienced by fathers has increased over time. Results of those studies show that fathers' psychological state also influences their parenting and the development of children. Fathers may experience paternal depression due to a lack of social support, economic conditions, relationship dynamics, and changing living conditions in the postpartum period. This situation may cause fathers to avoid parenting duties, spend less time with their children, be unable to cooperate with the mother, and have anger problems or deterioration in the relationship with the mother. The effects of depression on individuals' parenting styles negatively affect child-parent attachment and may cause children to develop emotional and behavioral problems. Therefore, it is very important to examine fathers' psychological state for children's development and the healthy progress of family dynamics. This review aims to address the effect of paternal depression on parenting and child development.

Regulatory mechanisms of stem cell differentiation: Biotechnological applications for neurogenesis

The world population's life expectancy is growing, and neurodegenerative disorders common in old age require more efficient therapies. In this context, neural stem cells (NSCs) are imperative for the development and maintenance of the functioning of the nervous system and have broad therapeutic applicability for neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, knowing all the mechanisms that govern the self-renewal, differentiation, and cell signaling of NSC is necessary. This review will address some of these aspects, including the role of growth and transcription factors, epigenetic modulators, microRNAs, and extracellular matrix components. Furthermore, differentiation and transdifferentiation processes will be addressed as therapeutic strategies showing their significance for stem cell-based therapy.

The impact of educational strategies on primary school students’ attitudes towards climate change: A comparison of three European countries

Climate education is becoming a key educational issue of our time. This also brings with it increased demands for educational research in this area. One important question is how climate attitudes are constructed to support students’ willingness to act towards climate change. In this paper, we explore how participatory, holistic and community-based learning approaches influence the construction of climate attitudes in school students from the Czech Republic, Portugal, and the UK (n=473; M=13.49 years). Students’ perceptions of different educational strategies were nearly the same across countries. Girls perceive holistic, values-based teaching more strongly. Of the strategies studied, holistic education has the greatest influence on the formation of climate attitudes (β=0.34 for climate change beliefs, β=0.32 for climate change intentions), and community-based teaching has a partial influence (β=0.13 for climate change intentions). It is thus the use of holistic and community-based educational approaches that is key to the successful implementation of climate education.

Risk Factors in Depression and Anxiety Disorders from the Framework of Developmental Psychopathology

Depression and anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders that negatively affect individuals’ life in many ways. Understanding how these highly comorbid emotional disorders develop and persist might guide prevention, intervention, and treatment studies. Some common vulnerability factors underlie depression and anxiety disorders. Developmental psychopathology deals with these vulnerabilities and risk factors from a lifetime perspective. The aim of this review is to present the risk factors associated with depression and anxiety from the perspective of developmental psychopathology. For this purpose, we discussed genetic and biological factors, temperament, negative childhood experiences, family and peer relationships, and some cognitive and emotional factors as risk factors. Also, we discussed how these risk factors lead to depression and anxiety disorders. This review emphasizes that some common transdiagnostic risk factors underlie emotional disorders and highlights the importance of a developmental psychopathology perspective to understand the developmental pathways of depression and anxiety disorders.

Investigation of the Causes of Negative Attitudes towards Women Incompatible with Gender Stereotypes within the Context of Social Identity Theory

The primary gender stereotypes accepted in mainstream social psychology describe women as low in competence and high in warmth, men as having low warmth and high competence. Women who are incompatible with stereotypes are exposed to negative attitudes. Exposure to negative attitudes damages the psychological well-being of these group members. Stereotypes and negative attitudes towards members of social groups contribute to the persistence of their low status. Explaining the causes of gender stereotypes and negative attitudes towards women incompatible with stereotypes is an overlooked topic in mainstream social psychology. In order to change the ongoing gender system, where women have a disadvantageous status compared to men, it is necessary to understand the reasons for negative attitudes towards women who are incompatible with stereotypes. Based on the suggestions and findings of Social Identity Theory, explanations about negative attitudes towards women who are incompatible with gender stereotypes are presented in this study. It is concluded that most men reveal negative attitudes towards these women because women with high competency threaten men who can affirm their social identity through competency. Most men define their social identity through status-related traits such as competency. Due to the threat to men's social identity by women with high competence, it is concluded that negative attitudes towards these women are revealed by most of the men, based on theoretical suggestions. It is necessary to understand the identity management strategies to explain women's negative attitudes towards their fellows who are incompatible with stereotypes. According to the theoretical suggestions and related studies, it is concluded that the adoption of individual mobility and social creativity strategies reveal negative attitudes toward fellows who are incompatible with stereotypes. Although it is expected that women who adopt the social competition strategy have positive attitudes towards their fellows who are inconsistent with gender stereotypes, the level of adoption of this strategy is low. When theoretical suggestions and study findings are brought together, it is possible to understand the reasons for the negative attitudes towards women who are incompatible with gender stereotypes.

Ortaokul Öğrencilerinde Dijital Oyun Bağımlılığının, Sosyal Uyum ve Okula Bağlılık Üzerindeki Yordayıcı Etkisinin İncelenmesi

Amaç: Bu çalışma ortaokul öğrencilerinde dijital oyun bağımlılığının, sosyal uyum ve okula bağlılık üzerindeki yordayıcı etkisinin incelenmesi amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Yöntem: Araştırma, nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden ilişkisel tarama modeliyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın örneklem grubunu Ankara ili Yenimahalle ilçesinde yer alan ve rastgele seçilen 340 ortaokul öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Bu araştırmada Sosyodemografik Bilgi Formu, Dijital Oyun Bağımlılığı Ölçeği, Sosyal Uyum Ölçeği ve Okul Bağlılığı Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Belirlenen veri toplama araçları Web tabanlı uygulama programı aracılığıyla oluşturularak, online biçimde katılımcılara sunulmuştur. Bulgular: Bu araştırmada monotetik formata (sadece oyun bağımlısı olanlar) göre örneklemin %1,5’i (5 kişi) oyun bağımlısı iken politetik formata (oyun bağımlılarının yanı sıra bağımlılık riski olanlar) göre oyun bağımlısı olan ve oyun bağımlısı riski olan kişiler ise örneklemin %27,4’ünü (93 kişi) oluşturmaktadır. Dijital oyun bağımlılığı, sosyal uyum ve okula bağlılığı negatif yönde anlamlı derecede yordarken, devamsızlık süresi ile dijital oyun bağımlılığı arasında pozitif yönde ilişki bulunmaktadır. Sonuç: Dijital oyun bağımlılığı ile sosyal uyum ve okula bağlılık arasında anlamlı ilişki vardır. Öğrencilerin kontrollü dijital oyun oynaması sağlanarak, öğrencilerin sosyal uyum ve okula bağlılık düzeyleri artırılabilir.

Bibliometric Analysis on Employee Engagement and Human Resource Management

Employee engagement is one the most essential component of human resource management. For any organisation to survive and succeed, employee engagement is a must. The current study is based on bibliometric analysis of the existing literature. From the search criteria and article selection, only 207 papers from Scopus database were selected, and all these articles belonged to ABDC journals. The objective of the chapter was to look into the publication trends, top research articles, leading countries who are contributing into this field, as well as looking into the top keywords. In this chapter, thematic mapping and bibliometric coupling were used to provide a better idea about the study. Finally, at the end the research, limitations and endeavours for future research are discussed.