Supportive Statements Research Articles

Is the World Deteriorating?

THE WORLD IS BECOMING A LESS CONFLICT-RIDDEN PLACE, AND IT HAS BEEN for decades. Wars and violent conflicts are on the decline, according to expert consensus. In particular, we note abundant evidence that suggests that the is not deteriorating from Steven Pinker's conclusion of a long-term general decline in global violence (1) to Azar Gat's analysis pointing to a decline in war since the mid-1990s (2) to the 2013 Human Security Report proclaiming a substantial decline in conflicts since the early 1990s. (3) It was for that reason that a systematic analysis of crisis data from a global leader in crisis tracking left us baffled. We analyzed all of the International Crisis Group's monthly CrisisWatch statistics for the crises it has tracked from its inception in September 2003 to March 2014. Crisis Group's data paint a startlingly different picture: a that has substantially over the past decade. How could this be? If Crisis Group was a mediocre crisis tracker, then we might grant the incongruity to incompetence. (4) But it is well resourced, drawing on multiple sources including over 100 analysts across five continents. In addition, it boasts a stellar cast. Past and current board trustees include a former UN High Commissioner; a former US under-secretary of state and ambassador to the UN, Russia, India, Israel, Jordan, El Salvador, and Nigeria; and a former UN deputy secretary-general and administrator of the UN Development Programme. Crisis Group also prides itself on generally [being] regarded as the world's leading source of information, analysis and policy advice on preventing and resolving deadly conflict. (5) We can confidently rule out incompetence as a source of incongruence with expert consensus, which makes this puzzle all the more interesting. First, the pieces: Crisis Group has tracked or is tracking 130 countries and regions (i.e., distinct conflict zones) over the 127-month period we examined. Crisis Group does not track every zone in every month. Some conflict zones were not on Crisis Group's radar when it started; some that were are not anymore. We first verified whether there was a change in the number of conflict zones tracked over time. Contrary to the world thesis, we found that there was a slight, but statistically significant increase in the number of conflict zones that Crisis Group reported on during roughly the past decade. We then reasoned that, while the number of conflict zones reported on had increased, Crisis Group might have been reporting more favorable conditions over time within those zones. However, that was not the case. In each month, Crisis Group reports whether the conflict zones that it tracks have significantly deteriorated, improved, or on balance remained more or less unchanged. Deterioration means a significant increase in conflict; for example, continued to worsen, attacks significantly escalated, and security further deteriorated are some of the descriptions used for this assessment. Improvement means the opposite; for example, comprehensive peace agreement, new constitution signed, and restore state authority. Unchanged means there was no change in conflict status since the last report. Over the period we examined. Crisis Group issued 9,378 such assessments. Deteriorated situations outnumbered improvements in all but 3 of its 127 months of reporting history. And of the 130 conflict zones, 99 (76.2 percent) had a net surplus of deteriorations by March 2014 over the period they were tracked. Stated differently, over more than a decade of monthly reporting involving 130 conflict zones, the odds of deterioration rather than improvement or stasis were 3:1 based on Crisis Group's reporting. What makes this puzzle more baffling is the fact that some of Crisis Group's leaders have issued statements in support of the improving thesis. For example, in a 2012 opinion essay entitled The Global March Towards Peace, Crisis Group's president emeritus, Gareth Evans, points out, The bigger story has been concealed, as ever, by the media's daily preoccupation with current bloodshed: Over the last two decades, major wars and episodes of mass violence worldwide have become much less frequent and deadly. …

The impact of gay-friendly recruitment statements and due process employment on a firm’s attractiveness as an employer

Purpose– Using early recruitment and workplace diversity literature, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how employee recruitment statements regarding employment-at-will moderate the effect that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT)-supportive recruitment statements have on job seekers’ job pursuit intentions (JPI) and attraction toward a firm.Design/methodology/approach– A between-subjects, cross-sectional experimental design was used where subjects answered self-report questionnaires after viewing mock recruitment web ads. The ads included statements where the condition for job security or at-will employment and GLBT-supportive or equal opportunity employment climates were manipulated.Findings– The paper provides empirical insights about how gay-friendly work climate perceptions impact the organizational attractiveness and JPI of job seekers. Furthermore, the results suggest that the combination of recruitment strategies affect subjects differently based on their individual level of heterosexist attitudes.Research limitations/implications– Because of the chosen research approach, research results may lack generalizability and be affected by social desirability effects. Because a cross-sectional design was used, causality cannot necessarily be inferred. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.Practical implications– The implications of these findings will assist human resources managers in creating cultures of tolerance within their workforce by helping them better understand who their recruitment methods target, and how to effectively use statements in recruitment literature to attract tolerant workers.Originality/value– There is limited research that investigates the effects that diversity statements supportive of sexual minorities have on job seekers. A major contribution of the current study is the empirical evidence supporting the understanding of how individuals are affected by recruitment literature containing statements in support of sexual orientation employee diversity.

Religion and the Occupy Wall Street movement

The Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 and its corollaries, Occupy Sandy and Occupy Debt, have been largely understood as secular movements. In spite of this, religious actors not only participated, but in some cases played an integral role within the movement, lending material support, organizing expertise, and public statements of support. We rely on interviews with faith leaders (N = 13) in New York and Oakland, and engage in an analysis of print and online media to explore the role of religious actors and groups in Occupy Wall Street. Religious participants were often long-time veterans of progressive political struggles and drew inspiration from their faith traditions. Nonetheless, religious commitments were secondary to political objectives shared by themselves and their secular counterparts. Religious leaders believed they offered symbolic authority to the movement and highlighted this in their engagement in the hope of giving it greater moral weight. Current discussions on postsecularism and public religions are considered.

NVAC Statement of Support Regarding Efforts to Better Implement IIS-to-IIS Data Exchange Across Jurisdictions: Approved by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee on February 10, 2015.

NVAC Statement of Support Regarding Efforts to Better Implement IIS-to-IIS Data Exchange Across Jurisdictions: Approved by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee on February 10, 2015.

Community Engagement Strategies for Implementation of a Policy Supporting Evidence-Based Practices: A Case Study of Washington State.

After nearly two decades of cultivating an evidence based practice milieu in Washington State, the 2012 legislature passed House Bill 2536 (HB 2536) to promote the increased uptake and use of evidence based practices in the child welfare, juvenile justice and child behavioral health systems. The current paper examines stakeholder participation and engagement in HB 2536 during the first year of its implementation. The current paper describes the community response, influence, and engagement during the drafting of the bill language. It then describes initial policy implementation and community engagement efforts within a framework of implementation strategies (Powell et al. in Medical Care Research and Review 69:123-57, 2012). Analysis includes common concerns, statements of support, and suggestions from diverse stakeholder groups. Discussion reviews the lessons learned and future directions, including opportunities for additional collaborations with community stakeholders in the subsequent years of HB 2536 implementation.

Child and Adolescent Sleep Patterns and Early School Start Times: Recognizing the Role of the Pediatric Nurse

Child and Adolescent Sleep Patterns and Early School Start Times: Recognizing the Role of the Pediatric Nurse

A national survey of public views about the classification of obesity as a disease.

In 2013, the American Medical Association classified obesity as a disease. This study assessed public opinions about this disease classification. In January 2014, a national sample of 1118 adults completed surveys assessing their agreement with 33 statements in support of and against the disease classification of obesity, as well as measures assessing sociodemographic characteristics. The majority of participants (51-61.7%) agreed with 11 of 17 statements in support of the disease classification of obesity (average agreement across all statements = 51%), including views that it will help people gain access to obesity treatment. A minority of participants (31-47.3%) agreed with 15 of 16 statements against the disease classification (average agreement across statements = 39.5%), including views that it will increase overreliance on medications or surgery to treat obesity (47.3%). Participants' attitudes were unaffected by sex, income, education, or health status but were related to causal beliefs about obesity. The disease classification received more support from African Americans and more opposition by individuals with higher weight stigma. This study found more public agreement supporting the disease classification of obesity than opposing it. Further work should identify whether this classification affects health behaviors among individuals with obesity or societal weight stigmatization.

Reframing Bi-nationalism in Palestine-Israel as a Process of Settler Decolonisation

This paper examines some of the emerging critical civil society debates in relation to the one-state solution being the most appropriate geo-political arrangement for the articulation of freedom, justice and equality in Palestine-Israel. This is done with reference to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions’ 2012 statement in support of a bi-national state and the ensuing critiques it attracted from Palestinian supporters of the one-state position. Drawing on these debates which have largely revolved around Jewish Israeli rights to political self-determination in Palestine-Israel, this paper proposes that alternative versions of self-determination as cultural rights for the established Hebrew-speaking national community represent a more inclusive form of self-determination in the eventuality of decolonisation.

Acceptance of the use of HIV surveillance data for care engagement: national and local community perspectives.

Use of surveillance data including laboratory results (e.g., CD4 and HIV RNA) by public health departments to facilitate linkage, retention, and reengagement of HIV-infected individuals in health care is on the rise. This is part of the goal of increasing the proportion of infected persons achieving virologic suppression. However, this use of surveillance data is not without controversy, particularly among some providers and people living with HIV. We conducted informal discussions with key stakeholders and a literature search and held a national think tank in November 2012, bringing together 31 representatives of the federal government, county and state officials, health care providers, and community-based organizations. A follow-up community consultation specific to San Francisco was held January 24, 2014, with 10 participants. Notes from these activities were used as data for this analysis. The think tank identified 3 strategies using HIV surveillance data to aid in care engagement: (1) provider-mediated, where health department staff work with the provider of record on reengagement, (2) electronic linkages between surveillance databases and medical records databases, and (3) direct outreach, where trained health department staff reach out to persons out of care. Participants also developed recommendations for minimizing harm, guidance on meaningful stakeholder involvement, and a consensus statement in support of the use of HIV surveillance data in care engagement. Acceptance of the use of surveillance data for HIV care linkage, retention, and reengagement is achievable, particularly if stakeholders have been engaged in the design, conduct, and evaluation of programs.

How to read Bonhoeffer’s peace statements: Or, Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran and not an Anabaptist

Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s strong statements in support of peace have encouraged Stanley Hauerwas and other interpreters to read him, explicitly or implicitly, as participating in the theological tradition of the peace churches. This paper argues that this reading misinterprets Bonhoeffer’s peace statements, which ought to be interpreted in the context of the Lutheran theological tradition with which Bonhoeffer identified. In fact, this misinterpretation of Bonhoeffer’s peace statements is one that he himself worked hard to avoid by carefully distinguishing his own position on peace from what he understood as that of the Anabaptists.

Restorative Justice Legislation in the American States: A Statutory Analysis of Emerging Legal Doctrine

Restorative justice is a relatively new approach to crime response, developing in the U.S. since the 1970s. Over the past three decades, these practices have been incorporated into legislation. Using content analysis of statutes in state criminal and juvenile codes, this study asks how restorative justice has been translated into law. The authors find that 32 states now have statutory support for the use of restorative justice, and that legislation ranges widely from general statements of support to structured use of restorative practices in at least some instances and for some offenders. Implications for practitioners, policy makers, and scholars are suggested.

Correction to "The Potential Role of Anti-PCSK9 Monoclonal Antibodies in the Management of Hypercholesterolemia".

The support statement for Lepor NE et al, “The potential role of anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies in the management of hypercholesterolemia,” Rev Cardiovasc Med. 2014;15(4):290-309, was incorrectly attributed. This activity is supported by an educational grant from sanofi-aventis U.S. and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. The corrected article appears overleaf with its original pagination.

Should plasma exchange be offered to patients with multiple sclerosis-associated optic neuritis?

Should plasma exchange be offered to patients with multiple sclerosis-associated optic neuritis?

Contextualism about Evidential Support

In this paper, I examine a contextualist thesis that has been little discussed in comparison with contextualism about knowledge, namely contextualism about evidential support. This seems surprising since, prima facie, evidential support statements seem shifty in a way parallel to knowledge ascriptions. I examine but reject the suggestion that contrastivism about evidential support is motivated by arguments analogous to those used to motivate contrastivism about knowledge including sceptical closure arguments, the nature of inquiry, the existence of explicitly contrastive evidential support statements, and the intuitive shiftiness of some binary evidential support statements. I end by discussing the relations between contextualism about evidential support, evidence and knowledge. In particular, I argue that my discussion of contrastivism about evidential support undermines Neta's contextualist view about evidence, and his broader suggestion that the shiftiness of evidence statements explains the shiftiness of knowledge ascriptions.

Push for Suicide Prevention Law Hits Senate Roadblock

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Full AccessPush for Suicide Prevention Law Hits Senate RoadblockAaron LevinAaron LevinSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:24 Dec 2014https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2015.1a21AbstractVeterans and their allies—including APA—will have to wait until the next Congress convenes to push for passage of the bill.As the waning days of the 113th Congress dwindled down to a precious few, the House of Representatives passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act intended to help the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) attract and retain psychiatrists.“Greater outreach, more psychiatrists, more care, and measurable outcomes are just a down payment, a start for our veterans,” says Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) at a news conference on Capitol Hill last month. At left is APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A.Aaron LevinHowever, that step forward went for naught as the Senate first made its way through a $1 trillion budget bill and then failed to pass the $22 million Clay Hunt Act.The bill was strongly supported through the legislative process by APA and by veterans’ service organizations such as the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Wounded Warrior Project, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans.The Senate vote was blocked at the end by a “hold” placed on the bill by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who objected to the VHA’s management capability. A hold is a parliamentary procedure permitting a single senator to block a vote on the Senate floor.“Given the extensive challenges at the VA, it is important to ensure this is not another false promise to our veterans that is not paid for or delivered upon,” said Coburn’s press secretary Elaine Joseph in an emailed response to questions from Psychiatric News. “Cost is also a concern, and the VA has proven that questions need to be asked before they are entrusted with the lives of our veterans or the money of taxpayers. Dr. Coburn wants to protect both.”Coburn, a physician known around the Senate as “Dr. No” for his frequent blockade of legislation, retired at the end of the session, raising the chances for passage of similar legislation in the next Congress.“Veterans groups have assurances from Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) for a quick reintroduction in January,” reported Lizbet Boroughs, M.S.P.H., deputy director of APA’s Department of Government Affairs. “A bipartisan group of 20 senators currently support the bill, and Reps. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.) will act quickly on the House side as well.”Among other provisions, the bill increases the options available to the VHA for hiring more psychiatrists.“The shortage of psychiatrists in the VHA is reflective of the national shortage,” said VHA psychiatrist Jenny Boyer, M.D., Ph.D., J.D., of Tulsa, Okla., and speaker of APA’s Assembly, in an interview. “It is no surprise that there are difficulties with access because we simply do not have enough psychiatrists to meet the ever-increasing demand for their services.”The Clay Hunt Act was named for a U.S. Marine veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who died by suicide in 2011.“The obstacles to care that Clay met at the VHA are not acceptable,” said Susan Selke, Clay Hunt’s mother, at a news conference three days before the vote. “Veterans need access without fighting a battle for it.”To encourage more psychiatrists to make their careers in the VHA, the act sets up a three-year demonstration program permitting the system to recruit at least 10 psychiatrists each year for full-time, permanent positions by offering a medical school loan repayment program. For their part, psychiatrists entering the program would agree to a minimum of two years of service with the VHA in return for a loan repayment of $30,000 a year.The act also included provisions for annual evaluations of the VHA’s and the Department of Defense’s mental health care and suicide prevention programs. Other sections would help veterans move from active duty to civilian life by improving access to mental health services using peer support specialists, community outreach teams, and nonprofit mental health organizations.“Veterans have given their service for our country, and now is the time to repay that service by overcoming the chronic shortage of VHA psychiatrists,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., at the news conference. ■A summary of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act can be accessed here. APA’s statement of support for the legislation is available here. ISSUES NewArchived

Content and perception of weight-related maternal messages communicated to adult daughters.

This study examined communication between mothers and overweight daughters on weight or weight-related behaviors through the perspective of adult daughters. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze in-depth individual interviews conducted with 15 adult daughters. Mothers who actively engaged in weight management behaviors, such as dieting and exercising regularly, transmitted these behaviors through modeling and served as continuous sources of verbal guidance on the topic. Weight management was discussed frequently and explicitly. Daughters relied on mothers for motivation in the form of supportive statements consisting of specific recommendations on weight management practices, encouragement to attempt or continue weight management practices, empathy with the struggle of managing weight, and affirmation of practices conducive to weight management. Mothers who did not engage in weight management behaviors were not viewed as credible sources for advice on diet and exercise. Daughters did most of the advice giving and modeling on weight management behaviors. Weight management was discussed infrequently and cautiously. Daughters perceived weight-related messages from mothers as unsolicited and critical. The results suggest that shared lifestyle goals among family members are important for facilitating supportive communication and engagement in health-promoting behaviors and have implications for family-based weight management interventions.

Support and reluctance in the pre-substantive phase of alleged child abuse victim investigative interviews: revised versus standard NICHD protocols.

Children's unwillingness to report abuse places them at risk for re-victimization, and interviewers who do not respond sensitively to that unwillingness may increase the likelihood that victims will not disclose abuse. Interviewer support and children's reluctance were examined on a turn-by-turn basis using sequential analyses in 199 forensic interviews of 3- to 13-year-olds who alleged maltreatment. Half of the children were interviewed using the Revised Protocol that emphasized rapport-building (RP), the others using the Standard National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Protocol (SP). When using the RP, interviewers provided proportionally more support than when using the SP, but even when using the RP they did not specifically provide support when children expressed reluctance. The RP promoted immediate cooperation when reluctant utterances were met with support, however, suggesting that supportive statements were valuable. The findings enhance our understanding of children's willingness to participate in investigative interviews and the means through which interviewers can foster the comfort and well-being of young witnesses.

The window of opportunity for indoor tanning legislation.

As of August 2014, 11 states in the USA have passed under-age-18 bans on indoor tanning. The Society of Behavioral Medicine, the American Academy of Dermatology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all issued statements in support of an under-age-18 ban. The World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration have both declared indoor tanning devices as carcinogenic, and this year, the Surgeon General for the first time issued a warning on the dangers of UV radiation and indoor tanning. This essay highlights how the awareness of the risks of indoor tanning, effective policies, and a conducive political atmosphere have aligned to create a window of opportunity for further under-age-18 indoor tanning legislation. The rising number of preventable skin cancers and mortalities is an issue that transcends political party lines, and now, there is a need for support from health professionals and advocates to motivate legislators to push new under-age-18 bills past their sticking points.

The Influence of Narrative Practice Techniques on Child Behaviors in Forensic Interviews

During investigations of child sexual abuse, forensic interviewers must maintain a delicate balance of providing support for the child while collecting forensic evidence about the abuse allegation required for credible evidence for court purposes. The use of narrative practice techniques can achieve both goals by creating conditions that facilitate the possibility that children will feel safe enough to provide detailed descriptions of the alleged abuse. This article reports findings from an evaluation of a change in practice using the CornerHouse Forensic Interview Protocol in which narrative practice techniques were incorporated into the interview format. Findings show that children provided more detailed accounts of abuse when interviewers used open-ended questions and supportive statements through narrative practice.

Collaborative creativity in instrumental group music learning as a site for enhancing pupil wellbeing

This study explores the nature of the elements that co-influence collaborative creativity in instrumental group music learning and the intrinsic potential for enhancing pupil wellbeing as evidenced in a particular secondary-school (extra-curricular) group instrumental programme Percussion 1. Wenger’s Community of Practice (CoP) and Engestrom’s Activity Theory (AT) provide an in-depth analytical framework for the analysis of 14 rehearsals, 13 semi-structured interviews and 41 teachers’ and pupils’ reflective diary entries. Findings support the intrinsic potential for enhancing pupil wellbeing by empowering them through supportive statements and decision-making, and engaging them through the embodiment of music learning.